Metallic

Sometimes a customer will ask me if I can print on "glossy" paper when they are not actually looking for a smooth clear gloss. What they are looking for is that kind of paper that has a shimmer to it. This card stock or paper is called "pearlescent" or "metallic".

Personally, I love shimmery cards! White shimmer, cream shimmer, silver shimmer, you name it. Any invitation or save the date card is more awesome on pearlescent paper.

Taking care of business(es) part 7

There are a few things that a businesses can do to incorporate fridge magnets into their marketing.

The first option is obvious. A small to mid sized magnet that is essentially and advertisement for the business.

Example: 4x2.5 inch magnet for an Inn.

A second option is to put something useful on the magnet, and then to include a logo or website somewhere on the magnet. What might your customer find useful? Perhaps a local list and emergency or city phone numbers. Maybe a year calendar. Both of those options are excellent for keeping your business in a customer's mind in the short run, but after a year the calendar is no longer useful, and eventually, those phone numbers will change eventually.

Example: 8.5x11 inch calendar magnet.

A third option then is to choose some artwork, a fantastic photo, or maybe just a popular quotation about life and humor, as the focus of the magnet. This is somewhat like a "favor magnet" that just happens to have your logo or website link on it.

Here is an example of one of my own favor magnets, that includes a quote and champagne glasses. My website url is tucked right in there at the bottom.

Those are your basic options, but not the only ones. Each business might find a new way to use fridge magnets. Ziker Uniforms recently had an idea for magnets to hand out to their customers: 4x6 inch biographical magnets.

Ziker Uniforms has been around since 1917 helping businesses manage thier image and employee benefit programs.

The company recently re-routed their stops, and wanted to get the new Route Service Representative information to their customers. The bio magnets, which are different versions of the same design with the photograph and bio for each RSR, were a neat personal way to do that. The design includes the location addresses, phone number, website, logos, and RSR name, all of which are assured to "stick around" on the customer's fridge. Each RSR hands out magnets with their own photo and info.

Check out the Ziker Uniforms website.

Sports Themed Weddings

Sports themed save the dates are something I have blogged about several times. There is more to say about stationery for that theme, though, beyond save the dates! You didn't think people stopped with their save the dates, did you?

Now, as you might guess, the next thing on a couple's mind after they order their save the dates is... invitations!

I offer a larger ticket design for invitations:

But also to be added soon is this new 5.5x8.5 inch invitation design:

It is a nice clean layout with two jerseys. The red back-flap printed envelopes add the excitement factor. The envelope says "The game is on and you are invited!"

Next, we have a pocketfold invitation:

Again, a fairly simple design, all things considered, with a solid baseball sports theme.

Beyond the invitations, you start to get into stationery for the wedding itself. There is a post about sports themed table #'s somewhere on this blog. This photo, however, is of ticket escort cards:

*Escort cards are a little different than place cards. Place cards are placed *at* the tables, and people wander until they find their place cards. Escort cards are on a table near the entrance. A guest picks up their escort card, and this card tells the guest which table number to go to.*

In this case, the envelopes are written with the guest's name. They pull out their ticket, which tells them where to go.

These new sporty ideas are all due to customers coming to me and asking about a new idea.

Now, what about after the wedding? Well, I have no photographs of a sports themed thank you card for you yet, but, you know they will come along to this blog sooner or later.

Save the Dates focused on your state

As the bride and groom start to consider their options for a save the date card or magnet, a lot of couples will find that they not have a set "theme" for their wedding yet. There are a *lot* of options, and for such cases, there are two simple options I might suggest. One is to incorporate the silhouette/skyline of the city where the wedding will take place. Another is to include the outline of the state where the wedding will take place.

Check out this 3.5x5 inch magnet example. This design incorporates the outline of Cape Cod (the easternmost portion of the state of Massachusetts). This outline was custom drawn for the project. The green and blue are suggestive of your typical map, and a starfish denotes the wedding location.

Each couple could get their own state on a save the date design. Perhaps a simple outline with a heart at the location. As always, it's up to the couple!

Fireworks + Disney

A number of young couples get engaged at Disney World, so it is not surprising that a few of them want to reflect that on their save the date cards or magnets.

Have you been to Disney World lately? Apparently there are special 2x3.5 inch tickets called "fast passes" that are specific for one ride.

One of my customers just asked me about making a small save the date magnet that looks like a fast pass. I couldn't replicate it exactly, because I do have minimum font sizes and bleed/safety margins to factor in, but, I did have an idea for her.

Check it out:


The word "wedding" replaces the name of a ride, and how could I resist adding in some fireworks?

This design uses the absolutely smallest text size I could allow on a design.

And there you have is. Small, simple, disney themed save the date.

__________________________

August 3rd 2014:

I received a submission on the website asking about this design.  It didn't make it onto the website, but is on file and is available.  Send angela@savethedateoriginals.com an email if you are interested.

Added note in case that person returns to the post: the email address used for that submitted question returns an error message when I tried to reply.

Shapely Invitations

A new invitation idea has just been added to the website; Invitations with a shaped border. This idea is a layered invitation, where one of the layers is printed with wording. One of the cards is cut in a "shapely" manner.



This invitation idea can be made with a variety of card stock options. Get the bottom layer made out of a metallic, patterned, or textured paper. Because of that variety, pricing can vary quite a bit. A good estimate would be about $3 per set, layered invitation card, response card, and envelopes included.

*Estimated are just an average price range valid only at the time it is written. Due to inflation, pricing goes up over time.

http://www.savethedateoriginals.com/InvitationGallery.php

Lunch Bag Wedding Programs

Save the Date Originals just got an order for something I had never thought I'd have an order for: lunch bags! That is, lunchbag ceremony programs for a wedding.

I hadn't heard about this before, but a quick search found that Elizabeth Anne Designs had blogged about a couple that did this, right near the end of 2009.

Why lunchbags? Well, if the couple has a church or venue that is okay with them handing out rose petals or rice to be tossed as the newly married couple departs, how are those usually distributed? The couple would probably have a few ushers with lunch bags walking around to allow people to grab the petals. Instead, the couple can just use the lunchbag programs to distribute the send-away petals to each guest. Easy. Simple. Even distribution. Genius.

Note: make sure that your church will allow you to throw petals/rice/glitter before doing it. There is probably a charge to clean up after such things!

Photos of the printed white lunch bags:


The wedding party is on one side, the actual program on the other. Double sided printed lunchbags like the white one would cost about $1-$1.50.

Note: There is a limited printable area- about a half an inch from the left and ride side must be left blank, and also about 2 inches from the bottom.

While I was working on these, I also had a thought. One could also attach a printed card or sticker to the lunchbags!

Check out an example of a metallic printed card attached to a brown lunch bag:


And now, a clear printed sticker attached to a white lunch bag:


Note: I currently offer clear see-through stickers with black ink printing only. White stickers are available with full color printing.

Customers can get printed lunchbags, ceremony program stickers attached to lunch bags or just the stickers alone, ceremony printed cards attached to lunch bags or just the cards alone. White lunchbags. Brown lunchbags. As always, I am flexible and it's your wedding!

There is no ceremony program section on the Save the Date Originals website as up June 2011... look upwards for the "contact" link and then email to talk about a project. Pricing will vary as far as cards and stickers go.