I have so much to SAY!! And it’s crazy that the only reason I get to say anything is because Bama dog has a hurt foot and isn’t getting a walk tonight as a result. Two huge work projects of mine have been completed and I couldn’t be happier about my experience at the Spring Quilt Market trade show in Minneapolis or with C&T Publishing’s Fall 2010 catalog. I’m going to talk about the catalog in this post and maybe get to Spring Quilt Market later on…doubtful though.
First, you can download the catalog and the other Fall 2010 seasonal print collateral pieces I’ve been working on from this page. All the images in this post can be clicked to enlarge.
I know print collateral is so ten years ago, but you have to understand my industry. Loyal, longtime customers of ours and even some of our authors, exist without the internet, and many many more of them still prefer print over digital. Our catalog is our lifeline to entire communities, like the Amish for example, and we won’t ever deny access (or marketing) to such contributors to the craft. After all, a google search for
Continue reading C&T Publishing Fall 2010 catalog
I was just watching the morning news when, right before the traffic report, the newscasters presented a short story on an apparent Eggo waffle shortage. A few seconds of video showing maple syrup being poured over an Eggo waffle with those two little butter squares that are so unmistakably-Eggo flashed on the screen, before the newscasters happily exclaimed that despite the shortage, Eggo waffles can be found at local Costco stores.
And then they said it: “Leggo my Eggo!” And it occurred to me that a paid commercial could not have done a better job at making me want a classic Eggo waffle for breakfast this morning.
But I hadn’t heard about any shortage. Why is there a shortage? That’s a little ridiculous, so I went to the Eggo website and sure enough, this statement appeared at the very top of the homepage:
As much as the twice yearly catalog projects I manage at C&T Publishing tend to take over for my life for weeks at a time, it sure is great to have something tangible, beautiful even, to show for my team’s efforts. I am more proud of the new Spring 2010 Catalog than of any other catalog C&T has published since I began my employment there.
As with every project, not everything went exactly as I wanted and there are a few things I would change about it if I ruled the world. But considering how many people the catalog has to please, I’m extremely happy with how it turned out. Every time I look at it I smile and do a little victory dance in my head for the beautiful pink rhino on the cover. YES!
The pink rhino quilt on the cover is from Serendipity Quilts by Susan Carlson (page 29) and the quilt at the top is from City Quilts by Cherri House (page 26). You can download the entire catalog here on the C&T Publishing website.
catalog front cover
It’s time to tackle the next version of a recurring seasonal project. Here’s how-to beat boredom and making the most of your project management skills.
Penelope Trunk announced the relaunch of BrazenCareeerist.com in a post on her blog today and I’m pretty excited for her and her partners in the start-up. I immediately joined the site and added some content to my profile. This new social networking site is self-described as “a career management tool for next-generation professionals.” What LinkedIn is for gen-X, Brazen Careerist will be for Gen-Y. But Brazen will be better. Because it hopes to score big where LinkedIn is lacking, which is in the actual easy of conversing with others on the network.
LinkedIn is socially awkward for me where Brazen stresses the accessibility of others in the network and that real conversations will be taking place. On Brazen your ideas are just as important as your resume, which makes for a more level playing field between career newbies and experienced professionals. I can already tell I’ll be more in my element at Brazen. Check it out and decide for yourself!
I first heard about Alice through this post of Penelope Trunk’s back in March and I have been interested in the company and eagerly awaiting it’s launch ever since. Yesterday I received the word and in an instant I was staring at the very lovely Alice beta.
I have this thing about, or even a hatred for, waiting in long, annoying lines at the checkout at places like Longs Drugs and Target. Call me impatient, but I like to call it “evolved.” Alice allows you to order all your household items online, as well as manage your inventory and reorders (so that you never run out of toilet paper), and offers coupons, very competitive prices, and FREE SHIPPING. I am SO excited that I never have to walk back and forth up an aisle comparing prices of paper towel ever again.
Check out this recent post on the Alice Company Blog to read the news about the company’s launch for yourself, do the happy dance if you feel so inclined, then create your account at Alice.com.
Quilt Market Spring 2009 has been on my radar for the past year through my job at C&T Publishing. My Quilt Market to-do list started quite small, but gradually gained momentum as the weeks and months went by. About a month ago, it was hard to find anything on my comprehensive to-do list that wasn’t Quilt Market related. Actually that’s a lie. There have been plenty of other items on my master to-do list but the Quilt Market tasks all joined forces and ran those other items over with the strength (and noise) I’d imagine were they a herd of buffalo.
For those of you who aren’t yet in the know, C&T Publishing authors are big in the blogosphere. Here’s a little bit about some of our blogger authors and links to some of the gems they’ve recently posted to their blogs:
Laura West Kong is the author of Fast, Fun & Easy® Fabric Cover-Button Jewelry, a September 2009 release. She designs quilt patterns and fiber art, but has dabbled in many other crafts as well– she even made chili pepper piñatas for Cinco de Mayo! Check out this great Sew-n-Go tip she recently posted to her blog, Adventures of a Quilting Diva. I knew there had to be a use for empty dental floss containers!
Of course I was sad when I picked up the very last printed issue of CRAFT Magazine. I’ve loved this magazine from the beginning and have been lucky enough to get to read every issue. I had a ball at O’Reilly Media’s (CRAFT Magazine’s parent company) Maker Faire a few years ago when I was lucky enough to set up and work at the C&T Publishing booth there. I also attended Natalie Zee Drieu’s demo-nar on the Indie Craft movement at CHA last year and of course seized the opportunity to chit-chat with all the CRAFT Magazine peeps in attendance. CRAFT Magazine and Craftzine.com really deserve a post all their own right now, but I can’t write the sad and lamenting post I’m supposed to upon hearing the news about #10 being the very last printed issue. And there are two reasons for this:
