xoxoxo

We recently took a crafty detour to whip up some DIY Valentine ideas for an upcoming visit to View from the Bay. As we brainstormed various projects to share on the show, we wanted to be sure they used recycled materials or were otherwise kind to Mama Earth. And, of course, they needed to be zero-stress, super fun (for kids and adults), and totally affordable. Here’s a sneak peak at what you’ll see on the show (on February 5th), plus a little more detail in case you’re inspired to spread some Valentine love. Let us know if you do!

candy-gram




These sweet kraft envelopes (made out of grocery bags) are decorated using a nifty printing process you might remember from elementary school. The printing blocks are made from styrofoam. It’s a way to make something beautiful out of those troubling meat and veggie trays from the grocery store, since they can be hard to recycle. Like a potato print, the process imparts a naïve, spontaneous quality that we love—without the cruelty to potatoes! Plus, you get a little more printing area and, because the styrofoam is so much easier to carve, you can create more detailed designs. For detailed instructions and templates, click here.

polished gems





Have any long-neglected, half-empty bottles of nail polish lingering in your bathroom drawer or cabinet? Well, those colors are right on for Valentine’s Day! And their dazzling, lacquer finish turns simple shapes into jewel-like embellishments on little scraps of leftover card stock. Experiment with different methods to apply the polish (dotting, dripping, pouring, pushing) and keep your work small for best results. Please be kind to your brain cells: do this in a well-ventilated area and plan to make just a few, for your most precious Valentines.

valensigns


Here’s a novel e-Valentine idea. It starts with a low-key scavenger hunt where you’re looking for words and/or letters to spell out your particular message of love. Use your camera to snap signs and portions of signs. Look for the most interesting letterforms and a variety of media (neon, plastic, painted, wood, metal, stamped, etc.). You can go on a more leisurely “sign safari” and just snap away; come home and see what you can put together with your findings. Or come up with a few very specific phrases and go in search of your exact prey. Assemble your phrase in one jpg file using photo editing software and attach it to an email. Send us a copy, while you’re at it. We’d love to see what you’ve found!

When looking for signs and words, here are a couple things to keep in mind. It’s OK if the angle is a little tilted, or maybe you get some reflection off a shop-front window. That’s all part of the variety that makes this interesting. You just want to be sure the letters and words are readable. For example, signs where the letters are all bunched together don’t work so well, unless you can use the whole word.

And, hey! If you just don’t have time to do your own scavenger hunt, or you don’t have the software to put the photos together, we’ve assembled over 20 loveable messages; feel free to pick through our treasure trove and find just the right message for your Valentine. Click here to go to our entire collection of free, downloadable valensigns.

Happy February 14th, from february 13 creative!

the beginning of the story

So, like a lot of other people, you might be wondering: "Why February 13?" Well, the short answer is: It's my birthday!
But it gets better than that.

About 10 years ago, I was working in the advertising department at Macy's. Actually—at the time this story takes place—I was not working, because I had a badly broken wrist and was pretty useless as a graphic designer. One day while I was out, February 13th rolled around, and all my co-workers gathered on the speaker phone to call me at home and wish me a happy birthday; they introduced me to a new designer who had just started in the group that week; they ate cake while I sat on my sofa in a Vicodin haze; they sang happy birthday; they caught me up on all the good office gossip. Suddenly the new girl, Pam, chimed in with this afterthought: "Oh... today is my birthday, too!" It was a perfect introduction to Pam... It's a quality that I can't quite put into words but it has something to do with spontaneity, zaniness, and coincidences that seem to be too good to be true (but in Pam's case, always are). It was the beginning of a wonderful friendship and work collaboration.

So… February 13th is also Pam's birthday AND the day that we met. Over the years, we dreamed of starting our own design studio and naming it after that momentous day. Finally, in 2008, we were getting closer to making that dream a reality. And then...

Pam introduced me to an acquaintance of hers, Amy—another fabulous artist and designer, similarly obsessed with greeting cards, stationery, and other pretty little printed things. We immediately clicked as a threesome. And although Amy's birthday is not on February 13th, it's about as close as you can get... February 11th. It was in the stars! In fact, since then, we've come to believe that Amy was probably due to arrive in the world on February 13th, but made her debut a couple days early (She's faster than Pam and I are at pretty much everything, so this theory makes perfect sense.)

So, in case you were wondering: "why February 13?", that's why. It's kind of what our motto—"celebrate every day"—is all about; every day of the year is special for someone, somewhere, for some reason… no matter how random a date it may be to everyone else. I love looking at these photos of us in our respective birth years, thinking of all the celebrating that lies ahead for us—not least of all, this joyous collaboration as partners in February 13 Creative!

postscript:
In January 2010, after a whirlwind 15 months, Amy decided to simplify her art licensing business and spend more time with her family. Sadly for February 13 Creative, this means she has parted ways with the studio. It was one of the true pleasures and honors of my career to work with Amy and watch her realize her potential as a licensing artist. She was a dedicated partner in every aspect of the development of this business and I've been heartbroken to see her go. At the same time, I really respect her desire to find a happy work/life balance, and I know she has a glorious creative future ahead of her, wherever her path may take her!

Surtex prep takes off!

We kicked off our Surtex planning yesterday... 4 hours bursting with excitement and loads of ideas for our very first trade show as february 13 creative. Surtex happens in mid-May, in New York City, and is held in conjunction with the National Stationery Show, so it's a great opportunity to get our work in front of reps from social expression, textile, apparel, gift and home decor manufacturers (among others!). The goal is to develop partnerships with these manufacturers; we want them to license our art for use on their products so that one day soon you'll be able to buy, oh say... beautiful bed linens with Amy's poppies... or gorgeous gift wrap with Betsy's snowflakes... or a fabulous photo album with Pam's butterflies. Who knows?! We're excited to see where this leads and are busy creating lots of new art to debut at the show. I hope to post somewhat regularly as our plans take shape, and show some work in progress.

We had the always-highly-anticipated lunch portion of our meeting down the street at the new-ish Stable Cafe (xoxo). Here you see the tantalizing french press coffee and a tempting hint of their amazing lavender+sea salt shortbread cookie, which fueled lots of happy note-taking.