Valentine’s day has been downgraded! We go from Christmas to Easter in the blink of an eye, and everything else in between is left neglected. If it weren’t for school aged children exchanging cards in school, Valentine’s Day would forgotten…. forever!

Why the neglect? In a world with so many negatives, Valentine’s Day seems to be the only holiday that does not cost much. No fancy outfits, get togethers or expensive gifts. Just plain old love!

I urge everyone to go from this:

to this:

 

Go crazy! Show your love! Send a card, gift a box of chocolate or just give a hug. Just do something! Keep Valentine’s Day alive!

 

In honor of Valentine’s day we are introducing these versatile gift tags. Perfect for gifting chocolate yummys!

 

 

 

2012… a year for change!

 

 

The  hustle and bustle of the season is upon us. I’m Inkpressed is in full holiday madness! Orders come in and out they go. Santa is not the only one working overtime these days.

I wanted to take time out of my busy schedule to reflect on my business. Reflect on goals met and push the bar further to reach new ones.

I’m Inkpressed was established in 2006. To understand how far we’ve come I have to take you to back to the beginning.

I was born with a passion for art. For as far back as I could remember I was a doodler. I knew I wanted to study art, and so upon graduating High School I enrolled in Parsons School of Design. Due to the first of many of life’s twists and turns , I dropped out of school and joined the NYPD. I suddenly had a career that not only brought self-fullfillment, but a sense of pride. I did my job to the fullest and worked with some of the most amazing and loving people. People that have become some of the best friends a girl could ever ask for. As my career started to wind down, I started thinking of what I could do upon retirement. Art was the first thing that came to mind. I wanted to once again attempt to fulfill my passion of  working in a creative field. Picking up a drawing set was not as easy the second time around. I now had a husband and three children. Life was busier than ever. I brought together my love of drawing and paper and founded I’m Inkpressed. A stationery company where I can finally put all my doodles on paper and make a business out of them. I was determined to go back to school and so I did. After juggling mommy hood, a full time job, a business and school, I can proudly say I finally received my degree in Graphic Design.

In May 2011, I took the leap and exhibited at the National Stationery Show. To exhibit at this prestigious show is the goal of all stationers. Here I was amongst the industry’s best. It was intimidating at first, but soon my fears turned to a smile when I felt the sense of achievement. I finally felt that I had raised my business to a competitive level. Many of the attendees that stopped by my booth said that they had heard of my company. I could not believe that they had heard of little ‘ol me. I walked away from the show full of pride and with a renewed sense of my ability to bring this company to a different level.

In July of 2011 I decided to retire from the NYPD. I now have the time to dedicate to my business and work at it full time. I will now be able to make time for refocus where I’ve been and where I am going.

I have set a few goals for the new year:

- Rebranding – I want to take my company to higher levels. In doing so I want to create a cohesive look that will be easily identifiable

- Webiste – out with the old, in with the new. Our site has seen its fair share of updates. In 2012 a new site is on the do list!

-Product Evaluations – existing products that our customers love will undergo some modifications to freshen them up. New products will be introduced and some older products retired.

-Social Media – If you can’t beat them, join them. I’m really not great at keeping up with my tweeting, face booking and blogging. 2012 is definitely the year for an  I’m Inkpressed media blitz!

As I look I have how far I’ve come, my dreams seem to get bigger each day.  The best is yet to come! HAPPY 2012!

Stationery package for a celebrity

A few weeks ago a joined The Artisan Group. It is a community of talented, extremely talented, artists who showcase their works to celebrities. The Artisan Group represents these artists in celebrity gift lounges at award ceremonies such as the Oscars and Golden Globes. As a member of the group, I was afforded the opportunity this week to design a special stationery ensemble for a celebrity. The celebrity is none other than the talented Jessica Alba, who recently welcomed a second daughter into her already precious family. I am more than honored to have been given this opportunity and can’t wait until Jessica receives her I’m Inkpressed Stationery!

Cell Phone cases for a cause

Nobody can do everything, but everyone can do something.  ~Author Unknown

If we all pitched in just a little, my what a world this would be! I have always been touched by people who pour their hearts into something they believe in. In they end it makes us all believers. I have blogged in the past about my dear friend Patti who has met adversity with courage. The kind of courage most of us can only hope for. Patti, for those of you who do not know, is a cervical cancer survivor who has turned negative into positive, and continues her undying mission to spread the word about awareness.

In the past we offered a “Live” luggage tag designed especially for this cause, to benefit Tamika & Friends, an organization that is doing wonderful things to help bring awareness cervical cancer early detection. Patti holds this organization near and dear to her.

A few weeks ago I was contacted by a young lady named Hali, who had seen my “Live” tags and wanted to know if I could design a cell phone case to honor her mother. Hali’s mother had lost her battle with cervical cancer. I was not only honored but humbled. As a graphic designer, doodling and designing is all I know. It is my tool. But who would’ve thought that my designs could reach so many by helping along an organization that does such great work. Proof that we can all do something….anything, to help.

It is for this reason that today we unveil 3 new designs to benefit Tamika & Friends.  These cases were designed for the owners of them to show support in honor, or in memory of someone touched by this devastating illness. The cases are available as cell phone covers or iPod covers. Follow this link to support a great cause! I’m Inkpressed

with love,

Halloween Freebie

Here is an early treat. Who can resist this cute witch when she invites you out on a spooky night.

 

 

 

Download , print, fill in the blanks and enjoy!

Witch

Cell Phone / iPod Cases

The cases are finally here! We just finished posting the first set of case designs. We have been receiving so many requests for these. They are trendy and versatile. Each design is available for either iPod, iPhone or Blackberry. Besides the standard design, we also offer a credit card carrier design. This unique case fits 2 standard sized cards in the back so you can can leave your purse at home. Order yours today!

Color Trends

It really is no secret that color is my guilty pleasure, For some its shoes, others its chocolate, for me its pretty color. I am in awe of products with pretty colors and vibrant hues. In this blog post I will share my favorite colors right now. I say right now, because my color preferences change often.

 

Not sure if my latest obsession has been influenced by the season. I really am not a fan of plum or anything purple, but I find it to be a nice accent color, both in art and fashion. A plum color blouse with a big ‘ol mustard colored bag. Or how about  a mustard colored blouse with a plum scarf and really dark jeans? The combination of these three colors are endless.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sources:     blouse       hobo bag       bird on a wire pillow

2011 National Stationery Show

Well, after several days of hard work, we are all done setting up our booth. Hard to believe that one can transform such a small space into what looks like a retail store. Although it took only a few people to help me set up, it really took a village when I count all the wonderful support and guidance I received from so many. Here are a few pictures of the transformation:

Color Trends Report Spring 2011: Part 3 Beeswax

The series continues with a cheery color, Beeswax. No other color makes a bolder statement for spring. It is a mix between orange and yellow that will compliemnt almost any color.

Pocket Mirror, Bookmark, Lego cuff links, Cupcake bath scrub

Color Trends Report Spring 2011: Part 2 Blue Curacao

The second color in the trend report is Blue Curacao. It is a warm teal that resembles “Tiffany Blue”. This color, or different shades of it, has been prominent in the past recent years. It is a feminine blue, which probably attributes to its popularity. Blue Curacao has also been popular in the culinary trade. Cupcakes, cakes and other confections are often seen displayed in this particluar shade of blue, as seen in the adorable cake toppers below.

 

Cake Toppers, Hand Bag ,Rose Ring, Fold Over Note Card