Loose Ends and MoCCA

[teaberryblue]

So, you have probably noticed there were no comics last week, and the week before there were only a few.

I am not giving up on comics, but I do need to cut down on the number I am doing for now, because I have to take time to do my homework for class, and also, I need to spend more time preparing for MoCCA, because I WILL have a table. If you are going to be in NYC on April 10 or 11, you should stop by and see me! After then, I will try and figure out the right schedule for comics. I think it will be three days a week.

I am super excited about this whole thing. But I need to do a lot of work to get ready. I am crocheting hats, and working on minicomics. shinyredtype and I are working on an awesome little project for it.

If you offered to send something for the charity raffle– or if this is the first time you’re hearing about it– please contact me privately and I’ll work this out with you.  You have about a month to send things.

One thing I need to do is make a business card! I’ve never made business cards before.  Here is my first shot at one:

What do you all think?  I deliberately didn’t include my phone number, as I prefer working via email and I don’t want to give my phone number out to crazies.  Also, I like the idea of putting “cute stuff” as opposed to a specific jobby-job because I do so many things, and cute is probably the best unifying term.  Suggestions, advice?  Let me know what you think!

Mirrored from Antagonia.net.

Comments

[spiralstairs.livejournal.com]

Scrap the emoticon for a comic Tea self-portrait. It's more personal. :)

[teaberryblue.livejournal.com]

I definitely do not want a self-portrait. I'm very uncomfortable with the idea of handing out something with a picture of myself on it-- it seems kind of icky, and I'm a little leery of putting any more complex artwork on it because you don't know how it's going to look in print what with the colors and stuff.

[kamenkyote.livejournal.com]

I'm going to agree with the person above; why use an emoticon when some of your own work would not only be cuter but let the person identify your name with your work?

[teaberryblue.livejournal.com]

I'm really worried about printing things with a lot of colors, and I don't want a black and white business card.

[dragonmagelet.livejournal.com]

I like it! Very eye-catching and simple.

I'm not sure about the distribution of negative space; if it were my design I think I would move the website/email addy up a little, but that's just a stylistic thing. Also in my experience pinks specifically never print out the same that they look on the screen, which is maybe something to be wary of/adjust for with test prints?

[teaberryblue.livejournal.com]

I used magenta percentages I have worked with before in print! And I'll play with the contact info, thanks!

[themis.livejournal.com]

I like it! But I would change the font with the contact info (or maybe just the anti-aliasing? make it crisp instead of strong or something) to something a little rounder.

Also, I think the graphic should be something more reflective of your artistic style. By which I mean, something you've drawn. Although if you want to stay very general, then I think that this graphic is good. :)

[teaberryblue.livejournal.com]

Like I said to the people above, I really don't want to risk putting artwork on a business card and have it come back from the printer looking crappy. The contact info I can play with though!

[theafaye.livejournal.com]

Everyone else has focused on the look, so I'm going to comment on the text.

I'm not sure that "cute stuff" is the best phrase you could use, although I completely understand your reasoning. Maybe "bespoke cuteness" or "cuteness made to order"? The way it is at the moment, it reads to me as if YOU'RE the cute stuff rather than your goods and I'm pretty certain you're not intending to sell you along with everyhing else.

Alternatively there's "cute things" which is short but I think you want to aim more towards the image of "I'm a professional and my goods might be cute, but they're also well made and long lasting"

[teaberryblue.livejournal.com]

Actually, that is a really good point! I hadn't even thought about it that way, but you're right. I like Cuteness Made To Order a lot! Thanks a ton.

[deutscheami.livejournal.com]

Hmm. I like the color scheme a lot! And I really like how you also made the design simple and punchy.

Couple things: to me, "Cute Stuff" is a really, really general descriptor. I am assuming you want to advertise your art, so would "Cute Art" maybe work a little better? I was also thinking about how to best communicate some of the rest of my thoughts, so I threw together a quick mock-up in Photoshop that I hope explains things a little more clearly:

[teaberryblue.livejournal.com]

Thanks! And actually, I don't want to just advertise my art, which is why I'm having problems with this-- I want to advertise my hats, too!

[liret.livejournal.com]

I like Mr ^-^ man!

[teaberryblue.livejournal.com]

I do, too, but I get why people think he's not personal enough!

[negativeneve.livejournal.com]

A business card is a reflection of you and what you do. It's supposed to send out a message. What message are you trying to send?

Here are my thoughts:

1) Your name is not one that people recognize right off the bat as a name. You need to find a way to get that across here. This one doesn't necessarily do that.

2) "Cute stuff" might be a good descriptor, but it sounds more like a business name here. I wouldn't have known it was any different if you didn't mention it.

3) I like the colors.

4) I don't like the emoticon. It doesn't show your creativity.

5) I don't think it would be a problem to only include your website and email address.

I was once told the best thing to do is to find a way to get people to keep your card and remember it. A lot of businesses will put calendars on the back of them or schedules of sports teams just so that the person who has it will constantly be seeing their card and go to them first if they need something. I wouldn't suggest that for you, but the point is to make a card that people will remember.

[teaberryblue.livejournal.com]

Ah. I think this is where I'm having a disconnect. I have a job and I am not looking for work. I want a business card so that when I want to stay in touch with people I meet in person, I can give them a card so they have my contact info. If anything, this card is for my hobbies-- which are drawing cute things and making cute hats. And telling people where my website is.

On #1, I don't know what you mean by my name doesn't come across as a name. How can a name not come across as a name? It's not like my name is "Brown Cow" or something that doesn't look like a name. I am confused also about how you can make a name look more or less like a name. Do you have any ideas?

#2. Agreed. I am going to go with something else.

#3. Also everyone else has said this so I will change this!

[daydreamweaver.livejournal.com]

I like the font and I agree with whomever said you should change 'cute stuff' to 'cuteness made to order.' I think that might be slightly confusing if you also change the graphic to a cupcake--people might think that means you are a cake goddess instead of a graphic artist. So I would probably add 'graphic design' under your name, before 'cuteness made to order,' if you are definitely going the cupcake route.

[teaberryblue.livejournal.com]

Graphic design isn't what I do, so that would be a bad thing to put on a card, but you are right about the cupcake. Maybe I will use a unicorn instead.

[spiralstairs.livejournal.com]

Or 'Cocktails, Comics, and Cuteness to Order'? :) It's all true!

[teaberryblue.livejournal.com]

I was actually thinking something like "comics, cocktails, and crochet."

[beautyofgrey.livejournal.com]

I agree with a lot of what's already been said. My main concern is that the font for your name is hard to read. Definitely go with something with upper/lower casing.

Also, I know you want to keep it vague because you do a lot of "cute stuff", but I think, when I shuffle through the cards in my wallet, that it's going to be hard to remember what, specifically, Tea's cute stuff consists of without a) a more Tea-specific piece of art there or b) a listing of some of your skills. I mean, it's a business card - if you were a scientist you'd say "scientist!" and list your specific fields. I think as an artist you should do the same. Of course, I have lots of artsy friends but remembering who does the screen printing and who does the murals and who draws in what style can be a little hard to remember at all times. :)

[beautyofgrey.livejournal.com]

Other thought: You could put a specific list of the type of work you do on the back, so as to keep the front clean and uncluttered.

My thought is this: ideally we hand out these cards to people that we've had plenty of time to interact with, and they should see the card and associate it with our face. In reality, though, especially at conferences and conventions, we end up leaving them on the table or quickly handing them to people are trying to move on and see everything there. Therefore, the card needs to represent *YOU* and all your skills adequately so that folks can look at it and have a bit of recall about what it is that you can provide.

That's just my $0.05. Take it or leave it as you wish. :)

[sunnyrea.livejournal.com]

As a conosur of business cards (random fact, I used to collect them) yours is lovely. You're miles ahead just by your background color NOT being white!

[teaberryblue.livejournal.com]

I definitely do not want a white business card!

[shinyredtype.livejournal.com]

I am excited about our project!

I don't really have much to add other than I really like the comics, cocktails, and crochet tagline!

[teaberryblue.livejournal.com]

Awesome, I like that one, too. Thought I was thinking "Comics, Cocktails, and Cat Ears" might be better since people get knitting and crocheting mixed up.

[mel06.livejournal.com]

Why not something like Cute Stuff by Tea Fougner? And I like Comics, Cocktails, and Cat Ears. I also like your use of the supposed "not required" comma in your list. I like the bonus comma.

[teaberryblue.livejournal.com]

I do like commas. And THAT is a good idea. It also solves negativeneve's concern that my name isn't namey enough.