Type is all around us...lucky us!

Have you seen Logorama? I hadn’t even heard of it until it won an Oscar last night. Woke up this morning and looked into it to see what it was about in more detail and was pleasantly surprised to read that it was originally inspired a typography-centric video! No wonder I liked what I saw on TV. I love type! And it’s just always interesting to see an outsider’s view of American consumerism. This one looks like eye candy too!

Type is a great design tool that is often overlooked in favor of pictures and graphics. But don’t overlook type … it offers a huge range of personalities and styles. And when combined with colors, size, cropping, proportion, type offers endless creative opportunities. For wedding invites, business cards, greeting cards, etc. It’s playful and fun or traditional and formal. Oh, I could go on and on about how versatile and fun designing with type is. Like, I said I’m a fan of type. Go type! :)

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Do you like Phoenix?

by on March 5, 2010

A friend forwarded this video to me today. I’m sure you’ve heard this song, I could swear it’s in a bunch of ads…but I really like it and have been listening to it over and over so thought I’d send this link to the video and other songs.

TGIF everyone. Hope your weekend is full of good music :)

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Let’s get personal

by on March 2, 2010

I’ve been meaning to add this initial note card and custom-designed note card, similar to the Mario Lopez note card, to my site, but time has a way of getting by me. For now, here they are on ye old blog.

You may have seen Dr. Dorian on Extra. The custom card was ordered for him as a gift. Both make an extra special, personalized gift for any occasion. I really enjoyed making the custom boxes too. Thought they were a nice finishing touch. Hope you agree.

Fun with packaging!

Initial note cards, personalized for you

Custom-made and custom-boxed note cards

Packed and ready to go

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It came from the 80s

by on March 1, 2010

Totally rad card, like, ya know

Like I’m totally listening to great 80s music, ya know? And, it like reminds me of like this totally rad card design.

No really, I’m recording a ton of music from my friend Doug who was kind enough to lend me his superior 80s album collection last year and it reminds me of Spiffy Press’ Totally card. A great card for any occassion for your forty-something friends like me who totally overused the word totally for a decade.

Barf me out, gag me with a chainsaw, grody to the max and all that. At least I crack myself up.

ps. Bonus for reading my blog is this fantastic photo of my big hair so you get to crack up too!

DJ Scott's home base

It came from the 80s

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Congratulations to our February letterpress winner!

February 27, 2010

Signing up pays off! Thanks to Nydia Cepeda, a fan in Boston, MA, for signing up to win Spiffy Press’ free monthly letterpress giveaway! She will receive a free box of mixed greeting cards.
What are you waiting for? Sign up today!

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Spiffy Press is also Spiffy Web Design + Marketing

February 26, 2010

Your small business needs to get going, right?!  We are a small business too and understand your needs, like a new logo, biz cards and website that don’t break the bank.
I’ve designed websites over the years and I now have additional experts to help you strategize your site, research keywords, write your SEO copy and [...]

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Bridal survey from The Knot

February 24, 2010

Hi brides who are dealing with budgets. It’s me Scott at Spiffy Press.
Maybe you have already seen this bridal survey from The Knot, maybe you haven’t.  I’ve included the regional differences. For some reason this struck me as terribly interesting. More interesting than the regular budget stuff, although that’s included in the survey too.
Here’s a [...]

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Thought this was a cool way to get your news

February 23, 2010

Customize your news based on your selection of pictures. Check out this LA Times link

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Happy Whatever to ya!

February 17, 2010

Yesterday, I posted my February Card O’ The Month design. And just in case you haven’t seen it (I know you check each day), here it is. Happy Whatever! The perfect all-occasion card to suit your every need
Join the Card O’ The Month Club and get a new card design each month in [...]

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Put pen to paper people

February 17, 2010

Ok, this Slate article on the state of hand-writing today caught my eye because it’s exactly the reason we sell a Tween set of note cards … kids today just don’t learn to write. It’s not their fault; they just aren’t teaching it in school as diligently as they used to. Kids learn to type [...]

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Typesetting cliché and stereotype

February 16, 2010

If there’s one thing I love, it’s type! I was delighted this morning when I saw Seth Godin’s blog explaining that the word cliché comes from the craft of typsetting … and stereotype too. Here’s his blog with a short explanation if you’re interested.
Little did he know when he was inventing movable type, Gutenburg was [...]

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Home Plate

February 15, 2010

My neighbors gave me this modern, bright and bold Spiffy Plate for my bday last Thursday. It’s so me! Love it!
Thanks to Mik and Lina for such a thoughtful gift. I’ll use it every day as a saucer for my cappuccino. Those of you who know me know I never go without my cappuccino (but [...]

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HB2ME

February 11, 2010

Today is my birthday!  And the best gift I got was shipping my first order of greeting cards (Text Lingo and THKS sets) to Kate’s Paperie on the East Coast. Thanks to all who have sent bday wishes my way. I appreciate it and love hearing from you!

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How to stand out in a good way

February 9, 2010

I recently got the sweetest letter from a good friend. It was completely unexpected and included the kindest words. In the note, my friend said, “I should really get some note cards from your site, cuz these blank cards from the craft store aren’t cuttin’ in.” Oh so true!
Maybe you are in the same boat. [...]

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My last marathon

February 8, 2010

Hello letterpress and running fans! Yesterday, I ran the Surf City Marathon in Huntington Beach, Ca. Wow! What a lovely day…it just doesn’t get any better in So Cal.
I ran those 26.2 miles in 4:09! A huge accomplishment for me and a 20-minute improvement over my first marathon. Here are a few pix of the [...]

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Hugs and kisses for Gutenberg

February 4, 2010

For kicks, I thought I’d Google “letterpress” and see what came up. At the top of the list was this Wikipedia link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Letterpress_printing so I thought, let’s take a quick historical sidestep.
The entry is pretty dry but I always enjoy thinking about Gutenberg and moveable type because it’s an often-overlooked invention that changed our lives. [...]

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Here comes the bride

February 3, 2010

Today’s blog brings you a recommendation for a top wedding  photographer in the Southern California area. Marlo Yoshimoto Photography will shoot your special day, leaving you only the most memorable and cherished moments in pictures.
Check out her website at www.msyoshphoto.com.
And if you are planning a wedding, check out Spiffy Press’ custom wedding invitations. They reflect [...]

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Fan for life!

February 2, 2010

It’s a happy moment to share with you … we got our first client testimonial! Whooo hooo. Here it is from Amy Nelson-Koorstad in Fullerton, CA.
“I am writing to Spiffy Press to express my sincere gratitude. I am in a “transitional” time in my life: recently laid off, married and moved to a new city. [...]

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Hip hoppin’ ’round the living room

January 31, 2010

Our friend and photographer Mike Kelley (who took my About Spiffy Press photo) made the cutest little video dancing with his daughter Olivia. Twin sister Caroline is more comfy with a camera, like her dad, and video taped the whole thing.
This link is to a Facebook page….not sure if it will work, but it’s worth [...]

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Wedding invites – 10 things to think about if you want to stand out

January 28, 2010

I’ve found that most brides want an invitation they’ve either: a) seen before or b) use because that’s what they think an invitation should be. I’m offering some things to think about to break the mold and generate a little creativity along the way. Sorry, it’s a long blog again today. I promise to cut [...]

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Happy, happy, orange, orange

January 27, 2010

I love the color orange. Those of you who know me personally know this is totally true. I wear orange tennis shoes, hats, shirts, and socks. And buy just about anything if it comes in the color orange. So why is my car green? I guess that’s a story for another day.
Orange is just the [...]

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How February got it’s name

January 26, 2010

Valentine’s Day is around the corner; I can hardly believe January is on it’s way out. As we roll into February, I thought I’d share a little  V Day trivia and how February got it’s name. You can read more about it on our site.
It isn’t as romantic as one might assume. Women gently lashed [...]

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Spiffy Press is on Facebook

January 25, 2010

Hi there.
Today’s note is a short one. Last week, we created a Spiffy Press page on Facebook. Please sign up as a Fan. We’d love to hear your ideas and feedback about what’s going on in your world. And we’ll send out info about specials and new designs so you hear it first on FB!
See [...]

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Custom design = creative and resourceful, not expensive

January 22, 2010

Recently, I was in a conversation with a friend who mentioned her wedding invite project. I said “hey, I’d love to help you with your invites, that’s what I do,” she said, “Yeah, but I can’t afford to do custom invitations, so I’ll probably be stuck with some pre-fab ones.”
Light bulb moment!!!…people think custom, from-scratch [...]

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I Love Letterpress

January 21, 2010

Hi. Just found a new blog for letterpress lovers called I Love Letterpress. If you are interested to learn about letterpress printing or just want to look through their gallery, they do a nice job of showcasing various vendors.
They also offer advice and have an “Ask the printer” feature…although you can always ask us a [...]

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Maidens, saints and a she-wolf

January 20, 2010

Hello to the world from a rainy, wet and grey day in Los Angeles. I just created a page with a little history and some fun facts about Valentine’s Day in honor of the day of love that’s just around the corner.
Take a look at the page if you’d like to learn how to say [...]

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Stationery trends. Who needs them when you’re always in style?

January 17, 2010

Yesterday I got my Winter edition of Stationery Trends magazine. This is the “Trend” issue, so it says on the cover, so I eagerly flipped through to take a look at what’s new in the industry. Birds, birdcages, pink/fuschia, florals (seems like those are always in style), simple, bold bright graphics (ditto the always-in-style comment), [...]

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“Custom” vs. “truly custom” designed wedding invitations

January 14, 2010

I’m learning that the word “custom,” when used with wedding invitations, means your personal information is plugged into an existing template. Hmmmm….this seems to be personalized, not custom.
Custom at Spiffy Press means bespoke, custom-made, 100% original, never-been-done-before design. We design an invitation for you completely from scratch – no templates, no pre-existing designs. When we [...]

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What’s playin’ in the workshop?

January 12, 2010

I realized as I was humming a little tune the other day that I often listen to this incredible new band I found in the last year….Pomplamoose. Sort of a 1930s French sound meets Indy rock band today. They give away free music too. Check out “Little Things” on this sample song on the link. [...]

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Hand-made modern art. A little burst of Bauhaus inspiration.

January 11, 2010

Over the weekend I read an article in TIME about the Bauhaus exhibit at MOMA (Bauhaus 1919–1933: Workshops for Modernity; NYC through Jan 25). I wish I could go, but my life will keep on the West Coast in Pasadena, CA for the time being. My heartbeat increased as I read the article. I have [...]

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Renegade Hand Made

January 10, 2010

Have you heard of the Renegade Craft Fair? Spiffy Press is thinking of attending the Los Angeles Fair this year, July 24-25, 2010. If you’re familiar with the Renegade event from any city, do you think this is a good fit for Spiffy Press hand-made gifts and letterpress cards? We’d love to hear from you [...]

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Photographer extraordinaire …

January 8, 2010

Michael Kelley! Many of you have asked who took my photo on the About page of the site.  It’s my friend and photographer Michael Kelley. Mike is such an exceptional photographer, he even makes me look good And he made my little letterpress workshop look good.
His specialty is environmental portraits and journalist photos, [...]

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Thank you blog guru. Blanchard, that’s you!

January 7, 2010

We don’t want to miss the chance to publicly say “Michael Blanchard You Rock!!!” Thank you for all of your help a) making our blog a reality and b) making it look good. Our initial efforts weren’t much to look at.
For those readers who are interested in parenting blogs, here’s a link to Michael’s badass [...]

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Wonderful Wonderfolk

January 6, 2010

You may have seen the super cute hand-made folk dolls on our website already, but we thought we’d mention a little more detail about them.
Did you know that all fabrics are originally designed and hand-printed by Wendy Polish, an Art Center (Pasadena, California) graduate?
She draws all of her patterns in painstaking detail by hand…it’s so [...]

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Congratulations Clive!

January 5, 2010

Our friend Clive Gershon recently completed a documentary called, “60 Years On: From Despair to Joy.” This is a moving story of 55 men who traveled from their homes in northern New Jersey to Poland and Israel in May 2008.
To Clive, the cast, filmmakers and others who contributed to this monumental effort, we say congratulations!!! [...]

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Congrats to our December letterpress winner!

January 4, 2010

M. Landesman of Bedminster, New Jersey is the proud owner of a mixed box of Spiffy Press letterpress greeting cards!
You too can sign up to win free letterpress cards. We keep all names in the hat so if you aren’t next month’s winner, hang in there!
Thanks to M. Landesman for signing up and congratulations to [...]

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Roxy Cakes – new friend of Spiffy Press

December 7, 2009

Next time you, or a friend, get married in Toronto, Canada  make sure the cake is from Roxy Cakes. Words can’t describe these beauties….you’ll have to check them out for yourself. Take a momemt, I promise your jaw will drop!
Here’s one photo to whet your appetite!

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Our first monthly letterpress winner!

December 7, 2009

In November 2009, we started giving away free letterpress cards each month. The first winner was T. Heidenreich of Fort Campbell, Kentucky. Our lucky winner received a mixed box of greeting cards.
Sign up and you could be next month’s winner!

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Mimio sells Spiffy Press letterpress holiday cards

December 7, 2009

Hi. Thought I’d mention that Spiffy Press cards are sold at Mimio, in Pasadena, California. If you have a chance to swing by, you’ll love the selection of letterpress cards and custom invitations. They also carry fun, small gifts items. Truly a unique place!

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Framing the first dollar bill

December 7, 2009

It used to be that you’d frame the first dollar bill you earned in your store. Now that’s pretty hard to do for a web-based business, so we are commemorating our first dollar earned on our first day of business, October 6, 2009. A blog is better than a frame, no?
Our first sale was quite [...]

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T + 6 weeks

November 25, 2009

Hello world.
Spiffy Press here. Happy to be setting up a blog, finally…thanks to our friend Michael Blanchard (who rocks and is our own little blog god).
When we launched six weeks ago, I thought for sure we’d have a blog up immediately. Um, well, we had good intentions and a long to-do list, like everyone else. [...]

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