Licensing | SC for Photofy

This morning, as I was about to release a new set, I realized I never introduced this project here on the blog! (If you follow along on Instagram, you've already heard all about it.) I'm so excited to have partnered with Photofy ("A sleek new app that empowers you to turn your ordinary photos into works of art & expression, then easily share them with the world!"). You can now pair my hand lettering with your photos through the free app! 

Just today I launched some shop owner overlays to help you announce new products in the shop or ones coming soon! Use these to add some interest and dimension to your Instagram postings! If you have any suggestions we'd love to hear them so be sure to leave it in the comments! 

Here's another look at some of what you'll get in the Stephanie Creekmur collection!

Download the app for FREE and look under "featured partners" for my name (Stephanie Creekmur) or you can search "Stephanie"! If you use one of our overlays use the hashtag #SCforPhotofy so we can check it out!

I'm adding new overlays just about every week so be sure to keep checking back! ;)

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HAPPY ONE YEAR + A MID-SUMMER UPDATE

Today's a special day, y'all! It's been an entire year since I put on my virtual big girl britches and opened up my very own shop! I can't believe it! Even though I've been selling on Etsy for quite some time, having an online home where people could shop Stephanie Creekmur products, truly was a dream come true. I waited patiently (or rather, not so patiently) as other new shops popped up, and though the wait was hard, I'm so proud of what I've created (with the help of many talented individuals!) and I can't wait to continue to watch it grow!

Today I'm happy to share the updates to our website (blog updates will come soon!) as well as a few new products!

Maybe one of the most noticeable changes is our new logo! Y'all may remember, way back in March, I shared some reasons why I was changing my logo. It was something that had been on my mind for awhile, but once I saw my branding was a little too closely imitated, I knew it was the right time. I worked on many concepts and in the end decided to keep it fairly similar but I wanted to hand lettered it myself. I'm so happy with the outcome and it's been so fun to see all of our new packaging come in sporting the new digs!

I love the fact that no one else can have a logo with the same look. While I absolutely adored (still do!) my previous logo (calligraphy by Angelique Ink) there were way too many other shops out there with similar logos. Now our shop has a face that is truly it's own!


We've also added a few new products to the mix! I think my favorite is this Release It Notepad!

To celebrate our one year shop anniversary, we have a free gift for the first 40 customers who spend $10 or more. No coupon code necessary - if you are one of the first 40 (seriously, that's all we have folks!) to make a purchase you will receive a set of 5 Southern Sayin' Note Cards. Keep for yourself or gift to a friend! Each set will contain 5 different southern sayings and we are not able to let you choose the selections but we promise, they're all adorable! :)

AND, if your'e still with me! I thought I'd give a few updates on my summer since it's been kind of quiet around here, since MAY! I don't know about y'all, but when it's Summertime it's extremely hard for me to keep focused! All I want to do is head outside and relax by the pool! It's strange that I also feel my most creative in the Summertime, I just wish I could have someone else make it all happen! Ha!

First up, my sweet Bella Mae was hit by a car the first night I was in Haiti. She was heading down to my aunt and uncle's house (they live about 2 houses down across the street) to see if she could find me. It's been harder to lose her than I ever could have imagined. She was my baby and the hurt has been deep and left me feeling like something is missing. Because it is. RIP Bella Mae Creekmur. I'm so thankful I was able to be your mama for the almost 4 years we had together.

As I said, Bella was killed the first night I was in Haiti. I didn't hear the news until the next afternoon so I had at least one peaceful evening. This is the view off of our living quarters. The mountains are so beautiful and this photo just doesn't even do it justice. Where we stay is much, MUCH better conditions than what the people of the village surrounding us have. I am thankful for the tiny comforts from home (running water for showers and an actual toilet) we have but it always leaves me feeling a little guilty. I had a great time on the trip but I have to admit I spent a lot of it just trying to hold back the tears for my Bella.

I have lots of updates for you regarding the road repair (Love One Another project) and the money we all were able to raise! Thank you SO much to those of you who donated as well as those of you who purchased the Love One Another print for your homes!

And last, but certainly not least - please meet my newest addition, Dixie Mae Creekmur. She is 8 weeks old today (I've had her about two weeks now!) and she has lifted my spirits in more ways that I could have imagined. I was a little worried it was too soon to be getting a new puppy, but I'm so thankful I did. I didn't quite realize just how sad I was until I got her. I so wish I could watch her and Bella play together. It would be so cute but I know that if Bella were here I wouldn't have Dixie.

And, I think I'll leave it at that! I hope you enjoy the new products (we have more coming in a few weeks - think back to school!) and our little facelift! I hope y'all have a great rest of your 

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SC Letters | 04

Today the world lost an amazing woman who had such a way with words. It only made sense for this week's SC Letters post to be inspired by her. It was extremely hard to choose just one quote to share, but I found myself so inspired by the words below. I painted the background and hand lettered the quote with pencil.

RIP Maya Angelou.

SC Letters is a series in which I post a bit of hand lettered work. See previous entries here.

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NSS 2014 Recap

I've been home for about a week and I can't believe NSS has already come and gone! It's so strange how you work for months and months for something and then in 4 short (but very exhausting) days, it's all over! Today is my first official day back in the office and if I'm being honest, I have been struggling to get with it. I have only crossed about three tasks off my to-do list but I wanted to pop in to say hello and give a few quick thoughts on my experience!

• It is truly amazing how the Javits Center is transformed. We walked into our booth and it was underwhelming to say the least. But, in just a couple of hours there were thousands of mini store fronts and it was so fun to see how everyone put their spin on the tiny booth spaces! It was also fun to see the behind the scenes, how it's all put together stuff! And it's equally amazing how quickly it all comes down!

• I was extremely shocked by how the industry not only accepted but awarded copy cats and knock offs. It was actually pretty unsettling. I don't want to be on copy cat patrol and call out every one who clearly rips someone off, but I'm not sure silence is the answer either. Who knows!?

• That being said, I was also amazed by all of the talented people that filled the Javits Center. Seriously - so. much. talent! It was so inspiring to be surrounded by all those people who have a passion for their craft and who are following their dreams.

• And lastly, as if I wasn't already aware of how lucky I am to be a part of the Stationery Academy community, this show sealed the deal. I was so honored to exhibit with my talented booth mates (Fraser and Parsley, Something Detailed, and Southern Fried Design Barn) and I have them to thank for all the fun I had! We also were showered with gifts from the ladies we attended Stat Acad with in Dallas. We were all practically in tears opening up the gifts and notes of encouragement. It was so thoughtful and I am so thankful to know them!

Below are some photos I snapped with my iPhone so don't judge me! ;)

NYC greeted us with pouring down rain. Our luggage was soaked!

Packed in a taxi on the way to the Javits center to set up!

How are booth looked when we first got to the Javits!

I had to spray paint some things out on the loading dock! It was so nice out!

Belle & Union had the most adorable booth. It was my favorite!

The first morning of NSS, Josie and I walked to the Flower District to buy flowers for our booth! So pretty!

I got to try Ladurée Macarons for the first time thanks to our Stat Acad loves!

Mimosas with Emily McCarthy and PSA Essentials!

Loved this flat Willow Ley in the Thimblepress booth! So fun! Happy I got to meet Kristen and Dani too!

So thankful for this lady's friendship! Thanks for everything, Jennifer!

This was a bit depressing! All of the samples had to be trashed!

Free,  on foot, NYC tours with Amy and Jennifer through Times Square! ;)

Here is a quick video my friend Josie put together on Instagram of how our booth came together!

Isn't her accent just the best? I found myself thinking in a British accent when I laid down at night and once I realized I was doing it, I couldn't stop!

So there ya have it! It was a great week and a wonderful experience! I'm excited about the new stores that will be carrying our products as well as some new connections I made that will hopefully lead to some very fun partnerships! Stay tuned, my friends! :)

Oh - and be sure to check out the shop! All of our new greeting cards have been added and are ready to ship!

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NSS 2014 | Marketing Materials

Surprise! I'm back with one more post for y'all before I leave town! I have a to-do list that still has many to-do's needing to be checked off (like packing!) but in typical Stephanie fashion, I am finding other fun things to do instead! Like snapping some photos of the marketing materials I'll be taking with me to New York! I've had quite a few requests over on Instagram to see more and while I'm not going to share everything just yet, I wanted to give a little closer look! The photos were taken with my iPhone so I apologize if you can't see everything as clearly as you'd like to! 

Pictured above (left to right) are our press kits, wholesale catalogues, business cards and postcards. Looking at these I kind of wish I would have snapped some product photos on this chalkboard for the catalogue. I am loving the contrast with our bright colors! 

Press Kits.  These are so fun and I love how they turned out (I love the yellow gingham bows that tie them together) but there was a slight hiccup with production! In the last couple of weeks I swear I've been losing my mind and I messed something up with the original file so I had to have them re-printed! Not exactly the best case scenario because not only did it set my timeline back but it was also an additional cost! I will share more on these (what they look like inside and what all was included) next week when I'm back but there is a little more BTS detail over on, you guessed it, Instagram!

Wholesale Catalogues. I am really proud of how these turned out. In the beginning I had thought I would have them printed and assembled by a printer but after I received a couple quotes I quickly realized that was not the route I wanted to go. I just couldn't see spending $1,500 on something that will have to be updated and re-printed in just a few months. Also, my budget for the show was very small and very strict and this was one area I was able to cut the cost down by about $1,000!

Business Cards. These are the same cards I've been carrying for about two years! I still really love the way they look and I think they do a great job communicating our brand clearly. All I had to change was our tagline!

Postcards. These are items I had printed so I would have something to pass out between a business card and a wholesale catalogue. Not everyone who visits our booth will be interested in a catalogue so I wanted something else to offer. I had two sets printed but the front of both look the same. One set has the Stephanie Creekmur manifesto and our contact information on the back and the other has our show special and contact information.

That's it for now! If y'all have any specific questions about anything just leave them in the comments and I'll do my best to answer them in my NSS posts I have planned for after I return from the show! I'd also love if you would say a little prayer for me! I am pretty nervous, not only about how the show goes and how people respond to our new line, but also just about being in New York City! It's such a big place and the thought of catching taxi cabs is enough to make me nauseous! I've caught a cab before but in small cities like Columbus and Nashville! I'm sure it's the same but in my mind it's much scarier! Ha! Anyway! I'll see y'all on the flip side! xo - Steph

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National Stationery Show | Stationery Academy

I can't believe it's finally here. We are down to the wire and I leave for New York City this Friday and I'm feeling all kinds of emotions. I'm ready for the show to be here, but there is still much to be done! I won't bore you with my to-do list but if you want a look behind the scenes at what we're up to, be sure to follow along on Instagram! Below is a look at the three lovely ladies I have the honor of exhibiting with in the Stationery Academy booth as well as a peek at some of the goodness we'll be debuting at the show!

I also just wanted to let y'all know that things will probably be relatively quiet around here until I return! I may pop in once or twice, but I'm making no promises - it's crunch time! :)  

Graphic via Stationery Academy

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SC Letters | 03

This week's #SCLetters post is a special one because it features some lettering I did for a wedding present! I was in Ohio last week celebrating the marriage of two dear friends and it was an absolute blast! My friend Anna had the idea to gift the happy couple a framed print with their wedding song lyrics and so I got to work! I'm glad I love the song because ever since working on this project I have had this song stuck in my head! :)

SC Letters is a series in which I post a bit of hand lettered work. See previous entries here!

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