Stacey M Design

Volunteer with Us!

2011-11-30T19:35:00.012-06:00

On Tuesday, December 28^th, Stacey M Design, along with several friends, will volunteer at Feed My Starving Children, in Aurora, IL. It will be the 3^rd consecutive year that Stacey M Design and friends worked at the Aurora location of the Minnesota-based nonprofit.

Feed My Starving Children works tirelessly to provide food to children around the world. Volunteers hand-pack meals specifically formulated for malnourished children. The food packs are then shipped overseas and distributed to children.

I enjoy working with FMSC not only because of its mission. But I also enjoy it because children are encouraged to volunteer. As a mom it has always been important to me for my son to grow up understanding that not all people have the necessities of life that we enjoy and often take for granted. Volunteering at FMSC helps kids understand the role they can play in solving global problems. Before the food packing begins, staff of FMSC explains to the volunteers about its mission and present a video that shows the dire situation of malnourished children and the amazing transformation of the children once they receive food provided by FMSC.

Today I was particularly excited to hear this from my friend, Hazel, who volunteered last year along with her 6 year old son:

“Nikolas has to do an oral presentation this week on something they did for another person and how it made them feel. He is choosing to speak about the time he went to Feed My Starving Children and helped make food for those children in need. Looking forward to it again this holiday season!! Thanks for including us--apparently, it did have an impact!”

Overall the experience is moving and enriching. I invite those in the Aurora/Naperville area to join us on December 29^th. If you would like to volunteer with us, please let me know by posting a note on Facebook.

If you cannot join us on the 29^th, please check out FMSC’s website for volunteer opportunities across the country.

Back to School List

2011-08-05T20:45:00.016-05:00

Whether you ordered your little student’s school supplies through your PTA or bought them from Target, here are a few must have back to school items that you can only get from Stacey M Design! Check out the list:

1. Mommy Cards: Great for giving to other moms at PTA meetings, the bus stop or at volunteer activities to set up play dates.

2. Money for School Envelopes: An easy way to send money to school for field trips, fundraisers, school store, etc.

3. Note from Mom Note Pads: Need to jot a quick note to your child's teacher? These notepads will come in handy!

4. Luggage Tags: Great for identifying backpacks, instrument cases, gym bags and lunch bags.

5. School Folders: These school folders are customized with your child's name and an image that resembles your child! They are great for holding papers related to extracurricular sports, dance or music lessons,

6. Journals: The journals are customized with your child's name and an image that resembles your child! Your child will use them for writing his or her own special thoughts, short stories, poetry of for jotting down information related to extracurricular activities.

All of Stacey M Design's back to school products are customized with a name and an image that resembles your child! You pick the hair color, hair style and skin tone. We will also add freckles, bows or glasses at your request!

Stacey Montgomery
Stacey M Design

You Run Like A Girl!

2011-07-28T22:34:00.036-05:00

When I dropped off my son at the first day of Basketball Camp, I immediately noticed the large number of girls in attendance. The 5^th – 8^th grade girls arrived in groups of 2-4, each bouncing her own basketball, wearing unlaced high-tops and looking very ready to play! The sight reminded me of my modest high school athletic career playing volleyball and field hockey, and my sister’s stellar high school and college sports career where she excelled in basketball, field hockey and lacrosse. It also immediately inspired me to work on more sports-themed stationery for girls. As part of my August Release I created Basketball Girl, Softball Girl and Soccer Girl party themes.

In addition to the party invitation, each theme includes a matching note card for writing thank you notes.

And matching gifts: luggage tags, placemats and journals!

I will customize your products with the “girl” of your choice. From my catalog of illustrations, you can select the skin tone, hair color and hair style of girl on your stationery. You say your daughter wears glasses? We will add them!

So what sport did you play as a kid?

Photography: Brooke Photo Studio

Luggage Tags- Not Just for Tagging Luggage! Plus, special savings on bag tags!

2011-07-18T12:51:00.026-05:00

Since I added luggage tags to my product mix a few years back, I discovered that people order custom luggage tags for all sorts of bags, for all sorts of occasions and put all sorts of information on them. Here are some ideas for bag tags:

1. Team Gifts. End of season mementos from team coaches and teammates.

2. Teacher Gifts. End of the year, holiday or "Teacher Appreciation" gifts for teachers, aides, counselors and therapists. These low cost gifts are especially popular with parents of kids who have several teachers and support staff to thank.

3. Party Favors. Bag tags make cute, personalized birthday party parting gifts that the recipients will use long after the party. And we offer bag tags to match our custom birthday party invitations!

4. Allergy Alert. Include allergy information or other medical information (e.g. diabetic), along with instructions in case of an emergency.

5. Thinking of You. Parents of kids who spend time away from home at camp or visiting a relative put special “thinking of you” messages on the back of luggage tags.

6. Bag identifier. The traditional use for bags tags is to put identifying information on luggage, backpacks, computer bags, lunch bags, diaper bags, car seats, gym bags or any other type of bag or luggage.

Check out our selection of bag tags. We have many themes for both kids and adults!

As with most Stacey M Design products, for the luggage tags, YOU select the skin tone, hair color and hair style of the boy, girl or gal on the tag. We will also add glasses, hair bows, freckles or jersey numbers at your request!

Special Savings. For a limited time, buy 2 Luggage Tags and get a 3rd tag FREE! To get your free tag, place an order for 2 tags. I will then send you a special, super duper, secret link for ordering the 3rd FREE tag. Fine Print: This offer cannot be combined with any other offer, discount, coupon or voucher. Offer valid from 7/18/2011- 7/21/2011 ONLY!! Pass on to friends so they can save!

Have a cool use for bag tags? Please post!

Stacey Montgomery, Designer
Stacey M Design

Custom Work: New York Themed Birthday Party Invitation

2010-07-15T13:27:00.011-05:00

One of my wonderful, long-term clients asked me to design custom birthday party invitations for her daughter's 5th birthday. Her daughter, Ayva, had fallen in love with New York City and requested a New York themed birthday party. What a cute, creative idea! I based the invitation on the Statute of Liberty.

The client had a cake made to match the invitation.

Stacey Montgomery
Stacey M Design

Max and Bart

2010-07-06T18:36:00.009-05:00

Bartleby and Maxwell have now been part of the Montgomery household for three weeks. I will admit that I did not do a lot of research before we bought them. I had a rabbit and several gerbils when I was a kid and figured that a guinea pig would be pretty low maintenance. While they do not require a lot of work, they definitely need attention. This is not a problem as our whole family immediately fell in love with Max and Bart.

I have since learned some interesting facts about guinea pigs.

Popcorning. Max and Bart joined our family during a very stormy week—rain, thunder and lightning every evening for about 5 days. When Bart began to run around and jump erratically, I thought that he was freaked out by the storms. Harold thought Bart was defective, commenting that he was glad that the pet store offered a guarantee. I soon learned that Bart was “popcorning”- a common guinea pig behavior that indicates happiness. A popcorning guinea pig will run-around very quickly, jump into the air, quickly turn around and jump again. This all happens in seconds and is very amusing to witness.

Potty training. When the salesperson at the pet store (who looked 12) explained that guinea pigs could easily be trained to go in a litter box, I did not believe her. She instructed us to fill a litter box with critter litter and the guinea pigs would eventually start going in the litter box. We bought the litter box and filled it with critter litter. After about 3 days, the cage and the litter box were both covered with droppings and I was afraid to let Max and Bart roam around outside of the cage. After about 2 weeks, I noticed that they were indeed going mostly in the litter box!

Cavies. I knew (or assumed) that guinea pigs were not pigs and did not come from guinea. I did not know that they are also called cavies because they belong to the caviidea family and the genus cavia. The caviidea family consists of rodents native to South America and the genus cavia refers to guinea pigs. For those of us who are not zoologists, let’s just call them guinea pigs.

Speaking. In addition to popcorning and swinging their hips to communicate their state of mind, guinea pigs also purr, chirp, squeal, whine and make various other sounds to let you know how they are feeling. For Harold this was almost a deal breaker. Prior to getting the piggies, Isaiah found a video online that featured a guinea pig chirping incessantly. Harold’s reaction: “That’s how they sound????”

Stacey Montgomery
Stacey M Design

Happy 4th of July from Stacey M Design!

2010-07-01T20:59:00.008-05:00

This year we are spending Independence Day quietly. We have no big plans, no big picnics or BBQs, no travel. We are going to stay at home and hang out in the backyard. We will grill. Mostly we will relax, chat, read, doze and play games. We will close our low-key celebration by watching the fireworks from our backyard. Enjoy your holiday!

Copyright 2010 Stacey Montgomery.

Stacey Montgomery
Stacey M Design

Pool Party Time

2010-06-24T20:35:00.004-05:00

Stacey M Design Pool Girl Invitation. Flip Flops goody bags. Lemonade with Berry Ice Cubes. Fish shaped sandwiches. Pool Boy Note Card. Blow Fish Bubble Squirters.

Summer is officially here! It is finally time to open up the pool, pull out the Slip ‘n Slide, or go to the beach for a pool party! Starting with Stacey M Design’s adorable Pool Party Invitations, here are some ideas to help with your planning.

Food Ideas:
1. Grilled hamburgers and hotdogs
2. Chips and pretzels served in beach buckets
3. Submarine sandwiches

Game Ideas:
1. Sponge Race – This race can be done individually or as a relay with 3-4 kids on each team. Saturate big sponges in a big tub of water. Each team has a bucket that it must fill up by squeezing water from their sponges into the buckets. The team that fills its bucket to the designated line first wins.

2. Water Balloon Toss. Sets of 2 kids stand about 5 feet from each other. One kid tosses a balloon to the other. If the balloon is caught, then each kid takes one step back. The balloon is then tossed again. The last team with a balloon intact wins. It is OK if the balloon falls to the ground— as long as it does not break!

3. Water Balloon fight. Fill many, many balloons with water. Let the kids go at it!

Favor Ideas:
1. Mini bubbles.
2. Mini flip flop key chains for girls and mini surf board key chains for boys.
3. Beach buckets filled with beach toys.

I have listed just a few ideas for a pool birthday party. Please share your ideas. Thanks!

Stacey Montgomery
Stacey M Design

2010-03-06T19:13:00.009-06:00

This print is called, "Daisies at the Beach." I created it for the silent auction that is part of The Hockaday School's 2010 Parents' Association Benefit called, "By the Sea." The limited edition print features 3 "Hockadaisies" relaxing on the beach. The edition is limited to 15 S/N prints.

This is the 2nd year that I was asked to create a special print for the annual fundraiser and I was proud to create, "Daisies at the Beach."

To go along with the print, I also created note cards and placemats with the same design.

Stacey Montgomery
Stacey M Design

Custom Valentine's Day Cards for Girl

2010-02-05T13:23:00.005-06:00

A client's daughter was involved in the design of a set of Valentine's Day cards. She started with a Valentine's Day Card that I had already designed and requested changes to make a set that reflected her personal style. I made a total of 24 flat cards. The front illustrations featured girls with 4 different hair styles and 3 different t-shirts. The back featured a space for adding a recipient's name, "Happy Valentine's Day," and my client's daughter's signature.

What a fun project!

Stacey Montgomery
Stacey M Design

Getting Organized! And win free book!

2010-01-14T14:58:00.013-06:00

One of my goals for 2010 is to be more organized. I have a very difficult time working in clutter and disorganization. Now I am not generally a messy, disorganized person. I may be, however, slightly OCD, always seeking to find the perfect place for each item in both my business and personal life and becoming a little less productive and slightly annoyed when things are out of place. Last month, while hanging out at Borders, I stumbled upon a little book called, “Organize Now!” by Jennifer Ford Berry.

This little book is packed full of information on how to organize many aspects of your life. It provides 52 weeks of marching orders to make sure by the end of the year, if you stick to it, your life will be much more manageable. Areas of life that this book helps you organize include yourself, your papers, your things, your high-traffic areas, your personal spaces, your storage areas, and your special events.

The first thing that I decided to tackle is email. I have multiple email accounts with a combined over 15,000 emails, including about 1000 “unread.” I started with my Gmail account. Beginning with December and going backwards, I am tackling a month’s worth of email each day. I am reading and deleting both email I received and emails I sent, only keeping email that I really, really need. Not only does Organize Now give tips on how to clear out email, it also gives tips on how to keep your email boxes clear of clutter. Now there are definitely tips that Berry provides that are obvious. I mean, really, it does not take a book for me to know that deleting old, unnecessary email is the key to having fewer emails in my box! But what Berry’s book does for me is give me a systematic set of reminders as to what I should do as well as some great ideas as to how to organize and to actually DO IT!

Although Berry's book has been very helpful to me, I am not suggesting that everyone needs it to get orgazined. I think the key is to have some sort of game plan to get organized and another plan to stay organized. If having someone write the script for you helps, then I do recommend “Organize Now!”

Do you have any tips on getting or staying organized and getting rid of clutter? Post your tips and I will enter your name into a drawing for a FREE copy of Organze Now!! You must leave your comment by January 31, 2010. You also must leave your email address so that I can contact you.

Stacey Montgomery
Stacey M Design

Small Acts of Kindness with Big Impact

2010-01-14T12:47:00.006-06:00

With reports of celebrities like Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie donating $1 million to aid Haiti it may seem as if small businesses and individuals with limited resources can do little to impact Haiti or others in dire need of help. However, there are many ways that almost anyone can help. There are many nonprofit organizations that depend on volunteers to give as little as 1 hour of time. Other organizations accept donations of canned food and clothes. In response to the earthquake in Haiti, we are seeing how organizations like Yele Haiti is working with cell phone providers to accept donations of just $5 through texting that will go to helping Haiti.

On December 29, 2009, a group of volunteers led by Stacey M Design volunteered at the Aurora, IL office of Feed My Starving Children. We helped pack food that would be sent to various countries in critical need of resources. The group of volunteers who worked the shift that we worked packed 68 boxes of food that will make 14,688 meals. This food will feed 40 children 1 meal a day for a year. Haiti is one of the countries that receives food from Feed My Starving Children.

I found this experience both educational and rewarding in many different ways. I was reminded of the suffering many children experience both in this country and around the world. I got to see so many people of different ages, races and backgrounds work together toward a common goal. I was reminded that while all of us do not have the power associated with celebrity, big business, politics and money, we all do have the power to make a difference.

I look forward to working with Feed My Starving Children again. I also look forward to mobilizing my small ground of friends and family members to volunteer for other causes as much as we can.

Please post small ways to help that have big impact! Thanks!

Stacey Montgomery
Stacey M Design

2009 Holiday Card

2010-01-14T12:46:00.005-06:00

With the first major snow of December Isaiah spent a lot of time outside throwing snowballs, making snow angels, sledding and kicking the snow. If he had it his way, he would spend all day outside in the snow. Along with my husband, Isaiah built a great snowman. It made the perfect photo for our holiday cards.

Stacey Montgomery
Stacey M Design

Stacey M Design is in Stationery Trends Magazine!

2009-10-05T16:26:00.005-05:00

Yippee! One of Stacey M Design's bridal shower invitations was featured in the Fall 2009 issue of Stationery Trends Magazine. This design was characterized as appropriate for the bride-to-be who has a "whimsical" personality: "When done well, the personality is fun and freewheeling, with a certain grace that keeps it modern."

This design is available in 5 different color palettes: green, pink, blue, mango and lavendar. I can also match your wedding colors. Matching thank you note cards are also available.

Stacey Montgomery
Stacey M Design

Holiday Card Sending Tips: Things To Remember that are Kinda Obvious

2009-10-02T16:26:00.016-05:00

What I have learned (actually I already knew) from holiday cards I have received over the years.

1. Do Not Send Anonymous Greetings. I have received cards with no return address, no photo and no signature. Silver lining: the cards were very nice.

2. Send Each Card to the Intended Recipient. When putting a "personal message" in a holiday card, make sure you address the envelope to the correct person. Failure to do so can be quite embarrasing.

3. Do Not Live in the Past. What year is this? What year is next year? Make sure you put the correct year on the card. This year, please do not wish your family and friends a "healthy and happy 2008."

4. Nothing says Happy Holidays Like... Put the correct postage on the envelope. Nothing says "Merry Christmas" or "Happy Holidays" like "Postage Due."

Have you received any "unusual" holiday greetings? Post your story!

For more holiday card sending tips, check out this article.

Check out Stacey M Design's line of holiday cards, holiday photo cards and business holiday cards.

Thanks!

Stacey Montgomery
Stacey M Design
http://www.staceymdesign.com

Marketing Ideas: What has Worked for Me

2009-09-13T18:34:00.025-05:00

Over the past several months I have been racking my brain trying to think of ways to increase both my retail and wholesale sales. I thought about some of the more obvious methods: reps, trade shows and cold calling. Since I have no reps, trade shows only occur a few times a year and are expensive and I dislike cold calling, I had to find new ways. Here are some ideas that have worked for me.

1. Join networking groups or attend networking events. This has been the number one reason for my significant increase in sales. There are many groups out there, both national groups and local groups. I joined eWomenNetwork and attend meetings and seminars offered by other groups. The reason I find these groups to be effective is that everyone who attends understands that everyone is there is get business. So for me the angst associated with “cold calling” disappears. In fact, in many cases, I am asked about my business even before I have to mention it.

2. Open Houses. From the time that I first started this business I have found the Open House to be a great way to jump start sales, especially during the holiday season (September – December). This year I am partnering with 4-5 other businesses to host 3 Open Houses this fall. By partnering, each Open House will have more guests than would attend if I were to just use my mailing list. This is a great way to put my products in front of a group of new potential clients.

3. Unlikely retailers. More by accident than by design, I have found myself talking to retailers that I would not typically approach. For example, my cards are now in a few beauty salons, a baby clothing store, a florist, a photo studio and a day care center. And in the course of my travels I have seen cards in wineries, restaurants and yoga studios. So now I am trying to remain open-minded about businesses that are potential customers.

4. Working Vacations. As a small business owner, I am learning to take advantage of every opportunity. This summer my family traveled out of town 3 times. Each time I tried to make appointments in advance to see retailers. It only took a couple hours out of our vacation schedule, but was well worth it, as I got a few sales.

5. Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc. I tweet and have a FB Fan Page for Stacey M Design. I have received business from both. I recently participated in a webinar that focused on LinkedIn. I do not yet have a LinkedIn account that focuses on my design capabilities, but it is definitely on my “to do” list. You will be surprised as to who else uses these resources: retailers, buyers, editors, art directors, etc. If you are not sure how to use the various social networking sites, or fear that you do not have the time, or you just do not know which one is best for you, there are many resources online that will help.

6. Good 'ol Snail Mail. It is funny that we are purveyors of paper, cards, invitations and other products that are snail mailed. But many of us do not use mail as a means of marketing. I still strongly believe that paper is a powerful way to send a message. So, in my business, I decided that I need to show it! For the past few years I have used Constant Contact to keep in touch with my clients. I used to send out an enewsletter once a month or so. It was relatively effective in that each time I sent out a newsletter I got a small spike in sales. However, I also looked at my stats and found that the percentage of people clicking on the links was not that high. And I regularly got bounces because of bad email addresses. So this summer I started to send out monthly postcard mailings. They were small mailings, targeted mailings—no more than about 25-150 a month, depending on my target audience. For one 25 postcard mailing that cost me about $20, one person placed 2 orders totaling over $200. I am not totally eliminating email as a means to stay in touch, but I am definitely going to continue to use postcards. Think about it. Look in your email box. How many “unopened” emails are there? I currently have 700 unopened emails in one account. I know people that have thousands of unopened email. But I always at least glance at each piece of snail mail that comes in my box. And if it is a postcard—a quick read—I read it.

7. Cold calling. I know, I know…this method has been used by most of us. But, is it working for you? Are you going about it in the best way for you? I am terrible at cold calling. I am not exaggerating. I am not talking about showing up at a store without an appointment. I am talking about picking up the phone to make an appointment, even after sending samples or a catalog in the mail. No matter how much I know I need to do it, meditate, and do whatever I can do to get in the frame of mind to pick up the phone, I just cannot do it. So I now pay someone to do it, plus enlist the services of my sister and a good friend who is very, very familiar with my business. The result: several new retail accounts over the summer. One thing that many business gurus urge small business owners to do is to focus on what we do best and outsource what we do not do well.

8. What about traditional methods: reps? Reps are part of my plan. (Yes, I have a detailed, typed marketing plan.) I have had reps in the past and I have attended trade shows in the past. My first rep group covered a huge part of the south. It was a large, well- respected group and I was happy and shocked that they approached me about carrying my line. But it did not work out well, basically because back then, I was not ready. My current plan is to start approaching reps early next year. We will see how that goes.

9. What about traditional methods: trade shows? Trade shows are part of my plan. I have exhibited at the National Stationery Show multiple times and have done fairly well each time. My problem is that I did not do a great job with following up with new clients. For example, I rarely called about reorders. I also did not do great follow up with those that stopped at my booth, but did not buy. I am now doing a lot better at that. Now that I have more and more retailer clients, I am doing a better job at maintaining these relationships. So, in 2010, if all goes as planned, I will exhibit at 2 trade shows- the National Stationery Show and the Chicago Gift Show.

I decided that since I live in the suburbs of Chicago and have walked the Chicago Gift Show 2-3 times, I am going to try to exhibit in 2010. I will not have to pay airfare or hotel and the booth fee is relatively low. The primary reason that I decided to do this is because this summer when I visited retailers, I always asked if they go to the National Stationery Show or the Chicago Gift Show. All said that they go to the Chicago Gift Show; about half said that they go to the National Stationery Show. I think it is worth a try so that I can get my products in front of local and regional buyers.

This is what has worked for me, or where my experiences will take me in the future. I know that these ideas will not work for all. While I did have an increase in sales, I still have a long way to go. So I am still very open to new ideas and learning what has worked for others. Please share your ideas for marketing.

Thanks!

Stacey Montgomery
Stacey M Design

Summer Fave: Ice Cream!

2009-06-11T23:20:00.003-05:00

“I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream!” OK, these lyrics have become a little overused and cliché, but they do accurately reflect how many people feel about ice cream. Many of us still have memories of the frenzy that ensued when we heard the bell of the ice cream truck rolling down the street. And it’s not just kids who are ice cream obsessed. My always amusing husband sometimes gets late night ice cream cravings and just has to jump into the car and go to Oberweis Dairy—his current ice cream crush. And whenever we visit a town that has a Ghirardelli’s, no matter how cold it is outside, no matter how tired we are, we must go there so hubby can get a sundae.

Since ice cream has been on the brain, I thought I would share some cute ice cream themed works of art.

1. Painted With Heart's Ice Cream Bowl Party Favors. I think this makes a special party favor. Kids and parents will love them because they will be able to use them over and over again.

2. One Elf's Ice Cream Sandwich Earrings. The ice cream sandwich is my favorite ice cream treat. One Elf also offers Neapolitan Ice Cream Sandwich earrings!

3. Cheeky Banana's 6 Scoop Ice Cream Applique Dress. What little girl wouldn't love this?

4. Mpatrizio's Ice Cream Journal. There are note cards to match this adorable journal!

5. Crafty Anna's Ice Cream Parlor Crochet Pattern. I love this because they are just so clever and realistic. Crafty Anna also offers a pattern for a banana split!

Interview with Artist Michelle Masters, Creator of Topiary-Themed Art

2009-06-05T20:16:00.021-05:00

It is really interesting to learn where artists find inspiration and how they develop their unique styles. Artist Michelle Masters of Michelle Masters Studio paints the most delightful little masterpieces in the shapes of topiaries. Yes, topiaries! Michelle recently shared a few details about her idyllic life.

What inspired you to start using topiaries as the theme for your artwork?
I have always been an avid gardener. I love garden structure and English cottage gardens. One summer as I was painting to prepare for an upcoming art festival I found myself reading more about gardens and topiaries. One charming book I remember was called “In and Out of the Garden", by Sara Midda. Just for fun, probably to distract me from the painting I “should” have been doing, I started doodling little topiary designs of things that interested me that were not traditional, the first one being the hat design called "Lady Lavender". I still use this design as my company logo.

While it is evident that nature inspires your art, where do you find inspiration for determining the shapes of the topiaries you paint?
I literally find it all around me. The first series of designs that I created were hats as mentioned above. The other two designs in the series were named after my grandmothers to honor them- Shirley's Tulip Chapeau and Virge's Pansy Bonnet. Animals are often featured in my work- we live on a farm and have quite a few of them. I get excited about creating an image that people have not seen before that requires a second look. I want them to be sweet, beautiful and clever. A number of years ago I was asked to do a children's series for a retail chain. The project resulted in the Dancing Elephant, Jumping Rabbit and Juggling Bear Topiaries.

Because topiaries are really just sculptural shapes...anything can be a topiary on paper. The charm of the design comes in the details- the angle of the design, how the pot is embellished and the fun stuff like flowers, bugs, butterflies and ribbons to dress it up.

I describe your style as uncluttered and traditional, with a bit of whimsy. How do you describe your style?
Simple and artful with a contemporary twist of humor and style.

What media do you use to create your original artwork?
Primarily Winsor & Newton artist watercolors and graphite on Fabriano 140lb. watercolor paper.

Describe a typical work day.
An interesting question... first, get my 7-year-old on the bus, then feed the horses at the barn. Since my studio is based in my home I then try to find something to keep my 4-year-old entertained while I do necessary paperwork, research designs, and send out requested catalogs. Before lunch I try to work on orders... with the occasional interruption of various Play-Doh technics and Polly Pocket dramas. Since it is finally summer in upstate New York I may venture out to see the delivery man and get distracted by a few weeds that need to be pulled or seeds that need to be watered.

While my daughter is at afternoon preschool I make all of my calls and try to focus on my creative work as much as possible. I'm in an endless state of wonderful frustration...trying to balance home-life and work. It is very challenging. A very organic process and I try to be flexible and open. I don't want to miss any of life's blessings... at work or home.

What is the most difficult part of your business?
See above!... and the paperwork and administrative aspects, I prefer not to manage people but if I don't have help then the growth of my business will be limited. I wish I could just focus more on the art/design instead of the billing/ordering. I will say though that part of the staying power of my business is that I have been content staying relatively small and not overcommitting myself.

What is the best part of your business?
Besides the creative process and being able to be with my children when they were tiny...it would have to be meeting people and seeing/hearing their reaction to my work. I have recently begun a collection called "Hedges & Hares" featuring these cute pear shaped bunnies with topiary and/or hedges. I tested out the images at the Philadelphia Flower Show in March and I was so touched by people's responses. One woman in my booth said "You must have had a wonderful childhood!". Another customer was a gentleman from the DC area who purchased 4 large prints of the series just because they made him feel happy. I was so appreciative and humbled.

Another aspect that I love is that I’ve been able to provide work to several stay-at-home Moms and retirees in my community. I don’t usually need full-time help, but being able to help other people achieve their goals in even a little way is very rewarding.

Does your love for plants extend beyond painting? Do you garden?
Oh yes! I would rather have a new plant than a new pair of shoes! Its an obsession that I inherited from my mother. I have slowly been installing gardens around our home. I've expanded my vegetable garden into a french potager this year. (A french potager is a kitchen garden that intermingles flowers, herbs and vegetables. Often it is designed using geometric shaped beds that create interesting patterns when planted.) It’s what happens when I'm left alone with gigantic pile of soil and a Bobcat Skid-Steer. It was like painting/sculpting with soil.

I hope to one day create in live topiary all of the farm animals that I would like around my studio. I picture a grouping of 3 sheep grazing in side field. So far we have Henrietta the Hen, Rooco the Rooster and Maurice and Geraldine the Ducks in boxwood topiary.

What is next for Michelle Masters Studio?
I have recently partnered with another woman-owned business to create beautiful handmade soaps for all occasions. My artwork is a great fit for the product and I sold out of them at the Philadelphia Flower Show... a good sign.

Also, we have a major website redesign coming up this summer that I am very excited about that will include a blog featuring articles on gardening, topiary, recipes, entertaining, design and lots more!

Name 3 blogs that you just love.
Velveteen Mind
The Noble Pig
Bumblebee Blog

Check out Michelle's full line at Michelle Masters Studio .

Ayva's Gymnastics Birthday Party

2009-06-03T09:02:00.000-05:00

I love it when clients share their party pics with me. Little Ayva recently celebrated her 4th birthday. And, this was the 3rd time that her mom used Stacey M Design invitations as part of the celebration! Thanks, Tywanda!

This year the theme was gymnastics. I love how she had the image from the invite put on to the cake. Most importantly, little Ayva liked the invitations and identified with the image on the invitation: “Ayva really thought that this was her on the cake and her invitations.” And what does mom think? "I love that she can identify with the pictures on your invites. She thinks the picture on her placemat is her too."

Interview with Artist Noelle Griskey of Pink Bathtub Designs

2009-05-26T18:30:00.018-05:00

As I journey through the art world, I have stumbled across so many very talented artists. Their artwork makes me stop and look and look. It is different, unconventional and beautiful. I decided to feature a few of these artists in my blog.

The first is artist Noelle Griskey of Pink Bathtub Designs. Noelle creates her beautiful stationery using stamp printing from hand made stamps.

First, I must ask, how did you come up with your company name, “Pink Bathtub”?
I actually have a pink bathtub in my vintage 30's bathroom. I come up with a lot of ideas for products and designs while I'm showering, so I thought it would be a cute name.

Please explain the type of printing process you use to make your products.
My products are hand stamped using my own hand carved blocks. I start with an original drawing, then trace the drawing onto tracing paper. The image is then transferred (basically rubbed on) to a rubber carving block and then carved to make the stamp.

I understand your family has been in the printing business for some time, but not stamp printing. How were you led to stamp printing?
On a whim! My husband and I were at an art supply store and he happened to come across a block printing/stamping starter kit. For some reason he thought I should try it out, so I did...and the rest is history!

I describe your style as “simple “ and “uncluttered.” How would you describe your style?
I would use "simple" and "uncluttered" as well, but would add clean and whimsical with a modern touch. I enjoy the use of bold color, pattern, positive/negative space, shape and repetition which I feel has helped define my own unique style.

Where do you find inspiration for your designs?
It's not hard for me to find inspiration, but it usually comes from nature, my own yard and natural surroundings. I also find a lot of inspiration in everyday, ordinary objects...the little things in life. For example, one of my favorite designs is an image of my Swingline stapler.

Describe a typical work day?
I'm usually at my desk by 9 am and spend the morning catching up on emails, updating my Etsy shops, reading blogs, Twittering and doing administrative chores such as updating QuickBooks, printing out invoices and ordering supplies. Then after lunch I start producing orders (wholesale and Etsy) and hopefully get them out to the post office by 4. When I'm caught up with orders, I use the afternoon to do marketing, update my blog and catalog, create new designs, etc.

What is the most difficult part of your business?
Selling! Sales is definitely not my forté. Luckily, I do have two reps which helps bring in business. Another difficulty of being a one-woman show, is having to wear all the hats! I have to market, do the books, create new designs and make all the products, ship and keep up with my online presence (that's a full-time job in itself!). Many times I feel like I'm spread too thin.

What is the best part of your business?
The best part of this whole crazy gig is the wonderful feedback I receive from happy customers and just the fact that I create something that people actually buy and enjoy. I know that sounds simplistic, but it's what keeps me motivated and excited. I also enjoy the process of coming up with new products and designs. And finally, I love the flexibility! If I want to take the afternoon off, I can:)

What is next for Pink Bathtub Designs?
Just to keep on keepin' on.

Name 3 blogs that you just love.
There are so many that I like to peruse, here's a few of my faves:

http://decor8blog.com/
http://abbytrysagain.typepad.com/
http://swirlygirl.typepad.com/swirly_girl/

Check out Noelle's full line at her Etsy Shop.

The Lemonade Stand- Lessons I Learned from Running a Business with A Kid

2009-05-17T18:09:00.016-05:00

My 9 year old son, Isaiah, had a lemonade stand this weekend. In addition to lemonade, Isaiah sold cookies and his "Snail Talk" greeting cards. Isaiah worked very hard to prepare for this event and it was a great success. We sold out of cookies, sold a lot of lemonade and several cards. Once again, hanging out with Isaiah was also a learning experience for me.

1. The Kid will partake of the Inventory. "Mommy, may I have just one package of chocolate chip cookies?" Five minutes later, "Mommy, may I have just one more package of cookies?" (I must mentioned that my husband casually walked by the table and when he left, another package of cookies was missing.)

2. Follow-up to above. The kid will use subterfuge to partake of the inventory. "Mommy, would you go in the house and get me another jacket." When I questioned him about this, he quickly confessed: "I was trying to get you to go in the house so I could eat another cookie."

3. The kid will eventually become distracted. At various times while I was sitting at the table, Isaiah whizzed by on his scooter, threw a football over the table and bounced a basketball in front of the table. Perhaps I should have kept the garage door closed to keep distractions out of sight.

4. The Kid's customer service will deteriorate. As the day wore on, Isaiah became impatient with filling the cups to the top with the lemonade. When I reminded him to fill up each cup, he responded, "Mommy, this is enough!"

5. The kid will turn the equipment into toys. Cups ended up on the ground in various patterns. "Mommy, we have plenty of cups!" Utensils became drumsticks. Hand sanitizer became body lotion.

6. The kid will be forever grateful about the experience. After the first sale of a 50 cents cup of lemonade, Isaiah smiled and smiled. He did the same after the 2nd cup and the 3rd cup. After the sale of the first greeting card, he looked at me with wide eyes and smiled again. "Somebody bought my card!" At the end of day, Isaiah hugged me and let me know how much fun he had. And he continued to smile.

6 Tips My Son Taught Me for Helping Kids Write Thank You Note Cards

2009-04-26T15:22:00.016-05:00

My son, Isaiah, recently celebrated his 9th birthday. Today he worked on his birthday gift thank you note cards. He was very bossy (yet cute) about the whole process. First of all, he wanted to use note cards he designed. (I need to write an entire new post about that process. :D ) He designed a cute little snail thank you note card. I wrote a script for him to use for each card. He promptly ripped it up and told me "I know what to write." Most of them were well written and cute: "Thank you for the Target Gift Card. Target is the best store ever!" For another one, "Thank you for the race car. I love it! I have about 100 of them at my house."

There were a few in which he was a little bit too honest. "Thank you for the.... I did not really like it." I made him rewrite that one. In another he pointed out the gift's shortcoming: "I really like the horse even though it does not stand up straight." In a third he shamelessly lobbied for a party invitation: "Thank you for the....Make sure you invite me to your party."

Overall the experience was very positive. He even taught me a thing or 2 about how to help kids write thank you note cards.

1. Explain to your child the reason for writing thank you note cards: to let people know that their gifts are appreciated. So, no Isaiah, you will not tell people that you dislike their gifts!

2. Encourage your child to write the thank you notes as soon as possible. Isaiah wrote his note cards a few days after the party when the excitement of the event was still fresh in his mind.

3. Write a special note to each recipient. Lesson from Isaiah to Mommy: "'form' thank you note cards are not the way to go! Therefore, I rejected the 'script' you wrote to use in each note card."

4. Let your child pick out the thank you note cards. Isaiah was much more enthusiastic about using the note cards of his choice—and they were acceptable to Mommy as well!

5. If your child is old enough, let him or her take control of the process. You may be surprised as to how creative and heartfelt the result is. In the words of Isaiah, “I know what I am doing!” This may be a little difficult because you do not want your child to mess up too many cards. So check in on your child every now and then to make sure things are going well.

6. Let your child take breaks during the process. If your child has several thank you note cards to write, allow him or her to write the note cards in sessions- 2-3 at a time. Isaiah’s enthusiasm quickly diminished after the first 3 note cards. So we stopped and he finished later on in the day.

The most important result of Isaiah's taking control over the process was that all of the sudden writing the thank you note cards became a fun activity and not a necessary chore.

Stacey M Design offers a variety of note cards for every occasion and age group, including for baby gifts, fill-in thank you note cards for kids and grown up note cards.

Opening Day! Save 20%...

2009-04-05T15:19:00.012-05:00

Today is Opening Day for baseball. I thought I would celebrate by introducing a new baseball theme invitation, note card, return address label and stationery set. I can customize these products using our JLMC feature.

Historically, baseball has been very accessible to everyone. Until recently in most major league parks tickets were very affordable, in some cases as low as $7. Many of us played some sort of baseball as kids: baseball, softball or even stick ball. As tots our kids now play T-ball.

Even if we did not love the game, many of us go to baseball games for social or professional reasons. We entertain clients at games. As summer interns, companies take us to baseball games. Hanging out at a baseball game with a group of friends is a great summer activity. For some of us it does not really matter if we even pay attention to the game; being there is just fun!

So, as we usher in another opening day, I would love to hear your baseball stories from your childhood, or your baseball experiences with your kids. We took Isaiah to his first major league game in 2004 when he was 4 years old. Isaiah enjoyed the surroundings. He was fascinated by all of the people. However, he demanded that he be allowed to go on the field and play, and just could not understand when we would not let him. (BTW, it was horrible game for Cubs fans and included Mark Prior giving up a grand slam.) Now we pretty much just go to minor league games. Single A Kane County Cougars’ home field is about 15 minutes from our home. The games are inexpensive and very kid-friendly. Each game includes at least 2 renditions of the SpongeBob theme song and permitting kids to run the bases at the end of the game.

I would love to hear about your experiences taking your child to a baseball game, watching your child play in a baseball game, or about you attending a baseball game or playing in a baseball game as a kid. The story can be about baseball, softball, stick ball or T-Ball.

To submit just click on the "comments" button at the bottom of this entry. Entries should be no more than about 150 words. We reserve the right to reject any entry, including those that include inappropriate language. We are just looking for fun, cute or touching family experiences.

Each person who submits a baseball related entry my blog that I post will receive a coupon for 20% off of Stacey M Design products. (Coupon is not valid for wholesale orders and or for custom design fees.) This offer is for the month of April 2009 only. One lucky person will also receive a FREE set of baseball note cards! I will chose this person at random from all posts that I publish during the month of April 2009. To receive the coupon, you must email to let me know you have left a comment and you cannot post anonymously. Thanks!

April- Monthly Goals

2009-04-05T09:04:00.003-05:00

I discovered a great blog called Modish Biz Tips which encourages business owners to publish monthly goals to help stay on track. Well, here are my monthly goals for April.

1. Design baseball-themed kids party invitations.
2. Design 4 graduation-themed invitations.
3. Finish adding products to Etsy shop.
4. Set up Facebook page for biz
5. Add min. of 4 new note card and stationery designs for grown ups
6. Attend at least 1 eWomenNetwork event
7. Schedule eWomenNetwork event to host
8. Complete 100 new home announcement sample packages.
9. Design more basketball-themed products

Here's to a productive April!

A New Project... and it does not involve illustration!

2009-04-03T19:02:00.003-05:00

Off and on over the years I have knitted. I have never gotten much beyond making a long, long scarf using the same 1-2 stitches. When Isaiah was a baby I discovered a yarn store a few blocks from my home in Evanston. The owner offered classes. I decided that I was going to knit Isaiah a sweater. I got about 1/4 of the way through the project and have not touched it since. That was about 9 years ago. I am at again. I have joined a knitting group at the local library. Yesterday I discovered a magainze called Knit Simple and found the cutest little sweater to knit. Supposedly it is a relatively easy. I plan to knit a sweater for a Christmas gift. Wish me luck that I will actually finish it!

eWomenNetwork

2009-04-03T18:27:00.003-05:00

I recently was introduced to a business networking group called eWomenNetwork. The purpose of the group is to meet business contacts who provide "warm" introductions to other individuals and businesses who might want to do business with you. Instead of making cold calls, you get warm introductions, increasing the likelihood that the contact will turn into a productive relationship.

After the first meeting I attended, I ended up with a new client, a photography business called "A Portrait Boutique" based in Plainfield, Illinois. The client wanted a unique set of note cards to use for correspondence to her photography customers. I created an illustration of a photographer holding a camera. I selected a few features from the client to highlight in the illustration: dark, curly hair; eyeglasses; burgundy polo shirt.

I really enjoyed this project.

Basketball Hysteria

2008-07-10T22:39:00.005-05:00

With all of the excitement surrounding the recent NBA finals, I decided to design a series of products featuring basketball kids. The fun thing about this series is that you can select the uniform colors.

Click here to see all of the products with the basketball design, as well as the uniform colors.

Ebony Magazine mentions Stacey M Design

2008-07-10T07:18:00.003-05:00

Stacey M Design was mentioned in the August issue of Ebony magazine. In an article in the parenting section, page 134, called, “Party Like a Rock Climber,” I discuss the children’s party invitations I design, as well as my son’s recent Rock Climbing birthday party. (However, the photo of the boy rock climbing is NOT Isaiah. :-)

Read the article here.

Baseball Fever

2008-07-02T17:43:00.004-05:00

In recent years I have become a baseball fan. I once thought baseball was a painfully slow game. I could never understand how people could watch it on television. I understood even less how people, like my father, could listen to it on the radio. (I still can’t do that!) When I first moved to Chicago, I lived on the north side and worked among “yuppies”—most of whom lived on the north side or in the northern suburbs. In order words, I became a Cubs fan. I grew in the Philadelphia area, so I also maintain an allegiance to the Phillies. And, a couple of years ago when the Tigers got hot and made it to the World Series after being pathetic for so long, I developed a soft spot for the Tigers. So, basically I am a baseball fan.

This year Chicago is crazy with baseball fever. For the past several weeks, both the Cubs and the White Sox are in first place in their divisions. And the cubs were first place in the league for a few weeks. Talk of an all-Chicago World Series is running rampant. Baseball fever!!!

What a great time for a baseball-themed birthday party!

School Uniform Stationery

2008-07-02T17:13:00.004-05:00

I have a wonderful client whose daughter attends a school that requires uniforms. She asked that I design products featuring girls in school uniforms. The uniforms are green jumpers and white blouses. I was very excited about this project because I went to a school, the Shipley School, which required similar green uniforms. We called them the green jumpers “tunics” and we also wore white shirts with them. Memories…..

My client also asked that I customize the girls to look like her daughter and her daughter’s classmates. For months I had been planning on offering clients options of selecting different looks for the kids when ordering certain products. Every now and then customers have asked for different skin tones, different hairstyles, etc. My school uniform client’s request provided the perfect opportunity for me to stop procrastinating and develop custom options.

For my client I made placemats and note cards featuring the School Uniform Girls. My client was very happy with the result--- and so was I! In fact, I was so happy that I decided to offer an array of school uniform options. My sister attended The Agnes Irwin School where they wore blue jumpers with white shirts. So that was the next option I created. I also offer jumpers in beige, blue and white plaid, and blue and green plaid. Currently, School Uniform Girls are available on note cards, placemats, luggage tags and stationery sets.

I will soon add options for uniforms with skirts, pants and uniforms for boys.

The Benefits of Using a Professional Party Planner

2008-07-01T07:10:00.005-05:00

Your child’s birthday is coming up and you need to plan that special party. But you also have to get the kids to soccer and swimming classes, plus meet a big deadline at work. When are you going to find time to plan the perfect birthday party with everything else going on in your life?

This is when a children’s party planner can help bring some peace of mind to your hectic life. A children’s party planner works like a wedding planner, providing everything you need to make your child’s party magical! The party planner can do everything from printing and sending your party invitations, catering the party food and birthday cakes, to providing all the party games and activities so your guests stay busy from the time they walk in the door to the time they leave with their goody bags in hand. This way you can relax and enjoy the party as much as your guests will. And the best part is the party planners clean up everything afterwards so you don’t have to lift a finger. What could be easier?

How do you know if using a party planner is right for your child's next party? Ask yourself the following questions:

1. Do you have the budget for a party planner?

The prices vary depending on your area, the services and party packages offered, and so on. Do your homework to find a local planner that fits your budget and makes you feel comfortable and confident in their services.

2. Do you have enough time to plan a party yourself? Or are you too busy to sweat the details?

If you're like most parents, you're getting pulled in a million directions. If your time is limited, a party planner could pull together a magical birthday party much faster and more creatively than most parents have the time or energy to do.

3. Do you want the party at your home or 'off-site'?

Most party planners come to your home for the party. They do everything from setup, to hosting the party, to cleaning up afterwards. Some party planners even provide refreshment areas for the parents as well as the pint-sized guests, for an additional fee. The only limit is your imagination! But if you want to have the party somewhere other than your home, then a party planner may not fit your needs.

4. Can you 'relinquish control' of the party planning?

Some party planners allow parents to have as much (or as little) involvement in the party planning as parents desire. Other planners expect little or no parental involvement - other than attending the party and paying for their services afterwards. Discuss these options with your party planner up front to determine the level of involvement that's right for you. But remember, you're paying the planner to work for you. So sit back, relax, and most of all - enjoy the party!

[Special thanks to children's party planner, Kent Jackson, of Pint-Size Parties in Atlanta for offering these tips on using a professional party planner for children's birthday parties. If you live in the metro Atlanta area and need a party planner, contact Kent! Check out her website for contact information and details about her party packages: www.pintsizedparties.com.

Learning to swim

2008-06-22T17:48:00.005-05:00

Isaiah has been taking swimming lessons for about 3 years and still is a beginner. His biggest problems are his fear of getting into deep water and that very cold water bothers him. Isaiah is very, very skinny. He has very little body fat. He shivers like crazy if he gets in a pool that is not heated. This weekend he had a swimming class on Saturday and on Sunday we went to the pool. Neither day went very well. Both times Isaiah could barely do anything because he was so cold.
At end of our afternoon at the pool on Sunday, we discovered a 2nd, heated pool at our community center. Isaiah was very excited. He ran in the water and had a ball. He still did not want to practice going under the water or kicking his legs. "I just want to play!" However, as we left, he agreed that he would work on learning to swim if when we return to the heated pool. The problem with that is that his swimming lessons are not in a heated pool. So we will see how it goes at his next lesson.

Father's Day

2008-06-19T09:11:00.001-05:00

For Father’s Day I bought Harold and Isaiah a father/son cooking class at A Kids Kitchen. I thought this would be a great gift because Isaiah loves A Kids Kitchen and always enjoys helping me out in the kitchen. The class is perfect for Harold because they will be making Harold’s favorite food: RIBS!!!!

I must say that Harold is indeed a wonderful Dad. He spends a great deal of time with Isaiah, doing everything from driving Isaiah to his various activities, helping him with his math homework, taking him to get a haircut, taking him to the water park, taking him to Panera Bread or California Pizza Kitchen (Isaiah’s favorite restaurants), or taking him a doctor appointments. I often come home and find Harold reading a book to him or snuggled up together watching Sponge Bob or a movie.

Happy Father’s Day Harold and to all Fathers!!

Summer

2008-06-19T08:09:00.002-05:00

The official beginning of summer will be here in a few days. What does that mean? For our family it means lots of time at the pool. It means lots of time grilling. It means picnicking, the beach, enjoying fireworks, catching fireflies. What are you doing this summer?

Graduation

2008-06-19T07:37:00.002-05:00

For most graduation season has come and gone. However, I was going through some old photographs a few days ago and came across this photo from Isaiah’s preschool graduation a few years ago. So I decided to post it.

When recalling that event I remember being so excited that my little boy was reaching this milestone. He was just 4 years old. My mother and sister flew in from Ne Jersey and California for the event. Harold had a Kente graduation stole made for Isaiah to commemorate the event. This was a BIG deal for us. Just last week I was listening to a radio personality mention that he did not understand the point of celebrating preschool graduation or 8th grade graduation. He stated that finishing preschool is not such a big feat. Well I believe in celebrating in one way or another every accomplishment in life, no matter how big or small.

During Isaiah’s graduation, there were tears in all of our eyes. In all our minds we recalled Isaiah’s early entry into this world. He was born almost 2 ½ months early and weighed only 1 pound 14 ounces. He was in the hospital for 57 days. In our minds, as we listened to Isaiah sing the various songs the kids were taught for the event, we recalled that Isaiah had a severe speech delay. He first was taught to communicate via sign language. After intense speech therapy, he finally learned to speak. Isaiah’s speech therapist, Karen, was at the ceremony with tears in her eyes.

This year, several clients requested invitations that could be used for preschool or kindergarten graduation invitations or graduation party invitations. So I created a Kids Graduation design. I also have invitations for older grads—8th grade, high school, college, graduate school, etc.

A great day in Golf History

2008-06-16T15:52:00.003-05:00

For most the notable golf sports story of today is all about Tiger Woods… and a little about Rocco Mediate. For Tiger: Three U.S. Open titles. Fourteen major wins. For Rocco: Number 158 hung in there with Tiger. Both great stories. But for me, the notable golf story of the day is that today was my son, Isaiah’s, first day at Golf Camp. Isaiah has been telling us for a couple of years that he wanted to learn how to play golf. I have no idea how he came to this conclusion. We live near several golf courses, but we have never played golf. The closest we have come to playing golf is playing mini golf a few times. So this year we decided to register Isaiah for 2 weeks of golf camp. The first camp, Golf for Christ Clinic, is through our church, DuPage AME Church. Isaiah was very excited when he returned home from is morning of golfing: he had hit the ball into the hole!

Isaiah’s interests have always been a huge inspiration for me in developing new illustrations for invitations, notecards and other stationery. Being only mildly creative, I initially created designs featuring basketball, baseball and football. Isaiah caused me to think a little bit out of the box. I have since added bowling, wall climbing and golf themed stationery. The golf guy design is available with several different custom options.

Customize your cards!

2008-06-16T15:37:00.002-05:00

I have been working on providing an expanded selection of custom options for many of my products. I have always given clients the option of adding their own wording and selecting fonts. From time to time, clients have requested additional customization such as changes in the skin tone or hairstyle. I usually will make such adjustments as I love making my clients happy!!! These projects have been lots of fun, but have also been quite time-consuming. So I decided to develop a large selection of options including options for skin tone, hair style, clothing and accessories. Different designs will have different options. A few products and designs will not have expanded customization options, but the vast majority will. Check out our new custom options. I will be adding additional options over the next several weeks.

Rock Climbing Party

2008-03-17T12:40:00.003-05:00

This Spring Isaiah will be 8 years old. It is hard to believe that that scrawny little preemie, who weighed 1 pound 14 ounces at birth, is almost 8 years old! I recall visiting him in the Neo-natal intensive care unit every day for the 57 days that he was there. In the hallways were photographs of children who were once patients in the NICU. The children in the photographs looked as if they were about 2-4 years old. I recall saying to my sister that I could not even imagine Isaiah looking like that. At the time Isaiah had a bunch of wires attached to monitors, a feeding tube and was just so tiny.

Fast forward to 2008. He is now this tall, skinny kid who is constantly running around. He is in 2nd grade, is a Cub Scout, loves to use the computer, wants to be an architect and is currently obsessed with Sponge Bob. He also loves to rock climb!

Sometime in 2007, seemingly out of the blue, Isaiah told me that he wanted a rock climbing birthday party. I thought the idea was kinda cool and agreed to it. His birthday was still over 6 months away, so I figured there was a strong possibility that he would change his mind. Every once in a while when the topic of his birthday would come up, we would mention it to me again, “Mommy, I want a rock climbing party.” Two months before his birthday he was still insisting on a rock climbing party. I gave him other options. He was steadfast in his desire to rock climb. I decided that we would have to at least try it once or twice prior to his party to make sure he really likes it and that he can do it. We signed up at Vertical Endeavors to climb during one of their open climbing sessions. Isaiah was beside himself with excitement. Harold, Isaiah and I all put on the climbing gear. One of the instructors gave us an orientation on climbing and instruction. It really is not that difficult to learn how to do it. the difficulty is to have the strength to push your body up with your legs and/or pull your body up. Now for Isaiah, who barely weights 40 pounds, this is not so much an issue. We attached the safety equipment to him and practically scrambled up the wall!! I was shocked that he showed no fear even when he was all the way up—about 20 feet above the ground. Because Isaiah is so light, we had to attach an extra rope to his climbing belt that we would pull to bring him down. Typically, the climber’s weight would help him quickly descend.

When Isaiah was back on the ground after climbing once, we had a huge smile. He was just beaming. He loved it. We spent about an hour climbing. Isaiah climbed about 5 different areas of the wall. I also attempted to climb—with little success. I just was not strong enough to pull my body up. But I have not given up!

I took Isaiah climbing again the next 2 weekends. Since he loves it so much, we plan to purchase a family membership so that we can climb regularly.

So Isaiah is having a rock climbing party. Now that I have secured the location, my next task: design the invitation! For this invitation I am not sure whether to do my traditional style of invitation with one of my characters wall climbing. The other option I am considering is designing the invitation with a photo of Isaiah climbing. I think that a photo of him would be so cute and compelling that I may just go that route. I would still design a more traditional invitation and I would use my traditional design to make the accessories such as the favor labes, thank you note cards, etc.

Stay tuned!! I will post the invitations in a future post-- as soon as I design it!

Cooking Birthday Party

2008-03-17T12:10:00.006-05:00

Last year, for his 7th birthday, Isaiah declared that he wanted his party at A Kid’s Kitchen. We discovered A Kid’s Kitchen in 2006, shortly after it first opened. This wonderful little kid’s culinary institute offers numerous cooking classes for children. Isaiah has attended classes on making ice cream sandwiches featuring fresh baked brownies, pizzas, donuts and several other scrumptious, kid-friendly fare. Harold and I even took a “grown-up” class which doubled as dinner for 2. We made barbecue spare-ribs and salad and brought in a nice bottle of wine!

A couple of months before Isaiah’s party we took him to a class at A Kid’s Kitchen. It has been several months since he had taken a class, but he quickly remembered how much he enjoyed it. A week or so later I gave him several options for his birthday party: another bowling party, ice-skating, baseball game or a party at A Kid’s Kitchen. Without hesitation he selected A Kid’s Kitchen.

After contacting Chef Michelle, owner of A Kid’s Kitchen, the next thing I had to do was design a party invitation and accessories. A few days late my “Chef Guy” invitation design was born!

This party involved very little work. A Kid’s Kitchen’s license provided that no outside food could be brought in. All we provided was the goody bags.

The activity was making pizza. The kids did everything from rolling the dough, to adding the sauce and picking toppings. Some of the adults got involved as well and made personal pizzas. The great thing about his type of party is that kids love to put their hands into gooey, messy things. Add to pizza to that concept and you have a winning recipe for a birthday party. There is also an educational component. Chef Michelle instructs the children on kitchen hygiene. There are hand-washing stations that the kids had to use multiple times throughout the party. Chef Michelle also gave a mini-lesson on measuring ingredients.

After the kids (and a few adults) designed their own pizzas, Chef Michelle popped them in the oven. While they were baking, the kids decorated cupcakes to eat in place of a traditional birthday cake. (We had a traditional birthday cake at home.). We opened gifts and everyone went home with very happy tummies!

I designed the invitation to feature a boy. Soon after I posted it one of my clients requested a girl version. The Chef Girl invitation was born!

Bowling Party

2008-03-17T11:00:00.005-05:00

Many of my design ideas are based on my son, Isaiah’s, parties. Two years ago for his 6th birthday party, he wanted a bowling party. A few months prior to his birthday, Isaiah, Harold and I went bowling. Prior to that I had bowled about 2-3 times in the past 20 years. However, when I was in elementary school I was on the bowling team and was pretty gold. I even won a trophy! My assumption was that if I was able to bowl pretty well when I was 8, against other kids who were 8, then 30 years later I should still be able to bowl pretty well—especially against my 6 year old.

The first indication that my logic was faulty was when I tried to pick up a bowling ball. It was sooo heavy. After bowling a couple of frames my wrist ached. I was able to barely win the first game. However, both Isaiah and Harold handily beat me the second the game.

On the way home Isaiah could not stop talking about how much fun he had. They just happened to be a bowling match on TV. Isaiah sat and watched it…. mesmerized. It naturally followed that we would have a bowling birthday party. Soon after he made it clear to me that he wanted to have a bowling birthday party.

We had the party at Brunswick Lanes in Naperville, IL. Of course I had to come up with a cute birthday party invitation. Although my son’s party was the inspiration for the invitation, I wanted the invitation to be unisex. The invitation features both a boy and girl bowling. I also designed matching fill-in thank you note cards and favor labels. We used white paper bags that we purchased at an office supply store. We filled them with candy, small toys and a book. We folded the top of the bag over and sealed them with the bowling-themed label that read, “Thank you for coming to Isaiah’s 6th Birthday Party.” One additional special touch was that I designed a coordinating, bowling-themed t-shirt for Isaiah to wear to the party. He looked so CUTE!!!

Besides my designing the invitations, we had to do very little to prepare for the party. Brunswick provided the food and beverages. We brought in ice cream and toppings from Harold’s favorite ice cream store and a bought a cute little bowling themed cake from my favorite bakery. In addition to about 10 of Isaiah’s friends, the usual family and family friends came to the party: my mother, my sister and Karen (Isaiah’s speech therapist).

Let's PARTY!!!!!!

2008-01-18T16:15:00.001-06:00

I have several new party invitations--- not only children's birthday party invitations, but "grown up" party invitations! The line now includes:

*adult birthday party invitations
*wedding-related party invitations (bridal shower, rehearsal dinner, etc.)
*baby shower invitations
*graduation party invitations
*Christmas party invitations

I plan to add more invitations throughout the year. So visit often. :)

Stacey M Design LOVES Valentine's Day

2008-01-18T15:59:00.000-06:00

This year I have new Valentine's Day cards for kids to exchange with their friends. For girls there is the "Forever Friends" set, the "Fairy Friends" set, and the "Gymnastics" set. For boys there is the "Racecar" set. I have increased the number of cards in each package to 10: 3 each of 3 designs and 1 teacher card.

The cards are 3.5"x4.875" and include mailable envelopes.

Thanks!

Summer Party Season is Here!!

2007-07-02T05:06:00.001-05:00

Hello:

Now that summer is here it is time for pool parties, barbecues and lots of outdoor fun! I designed new kids party invitations for summer fun. Check them out!

http://www.staceymdesign.com/childparty.shtml

Stacey

Chef Girl Invitation available

2007-06-24T22:44:00.000-05:00

After I posted an image of the Chef Boy invitation that I designed for my son's birthday party, I received many requests for a Chef Girl invitation. Well, the Chef Girl invite is now available!
http://www.staceymdesign.com/order5-188.shtml

I am constantly thinking about new themes for party invitations. If you have any ideas, let me know!!

Stacey

Isaiah is 7!!

2007-06-04T22:29:00.000-05:00

My son, Isaiah, recently celebrated his 7th birthday. Each year I design his party invitation and sometimes incorporate the invitation into my line.

This year Isaiah wanted to have his party at A Kids Kitchen-- a children's culinary school in Naperville, IL. Since the school opened about a year ago, Isaiah has taken several classes. So, I designed a cute little invitation for the event.

At the party the kids made their own pizzas and decorated cupcakes. Everyone had a great time.

....And the owned of A Kids Kitchen, Chef Michelle, loved the invitation and put one on display!!

Stacey

New Greeting Cards for Adults

2007-06-04T22:09:00.000-05:00

Greetings!
It has been a long time since I last posted. I have been very busy over the last several months developing a new line of cards featuring adult characters. I have added over 20 new greeting card designs for several occasions including: birthday, friendship, bridal shower, baby shower and graduation. I also have new bridal shower invitations.

Throughout this year, I plan to continue to expand the line with both cards featuring children and cards featuring adults.

I am also considering several new types of products that will feature my designs.

So far this year has already been both exciting and exhausting. However, I constantly find energy through the creative process and look forward to introducing many new products and designs over the next several months.

Check back often to see what's new!!

Stacey

Christmas is here!... well... almost....

2006-08-30T20:58:00.000-05:00

At Stacey M Design, Christmas is here! It is time to get those Christmas cards. Why wait until the last minute. :) This year I offer new Christmas card designs, including 9 new photocards. I also have gift tags, and gift tag labels that I will personalize for you.

See the complete line: http://www.staceymdesign.com/christmaskwanzaa.shtml

Maryland Friends

2006-08-30T20:35:00.000-05:00

Greetings!
I am proud to announce that Stacey M Design's products are now available in the following stores in Maryland:

Party! Party! Party!6435 Dobbin Road,Columbia, MD 21045410/992-1998
Pat's Hallmark15421 Emerald Way,Bowie, MD 20716301/464-5557

Both stores offer a wide range of my children's party invitations that the store will custom imprint for you, as well as notecards and related items.

For additional locations click here:
http://www.staceymdesign.com/store.shtml

Thanks!

Great customers!

2006-08-14T15:24:00.000-05:00

Welcome to my blog!

First I have to thank all of my customers for support over the years. I appreciate the business, the referrals and the kind words.

My products are now offered at several different stores in several different states. If you like to "touch and feel" before purchasing, check out the selection of one the stores. Click this link for a listing of stores:

http://www.staceymdesign.com/store.shtml

Again, thank you for your support and stay tuned for new products and designs.

Stacey

2006-08-14T13:50:00.000-05:00

Welcome to Stacey M Design.