We're Moving the Blog

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Hi! Guess what?! We have a new site up, and the Texture Design Co. blog is now at the new site! 

So head on over and check it out!

http://www.texturedesignco.com/blog/

Round 1 of the Logo Process

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We have been all kinds of busy lately, which is super exciting! (Also the reason we haven't blogged in a few weeks...sorry!) We have been brainstorming on some new products and working to make our items available in more retail stores (Mac&Murphy, Celadon, Indigo, and Page's Thieves Market). In addition, we've had the pleasure of creating some very fun logos! 

Today's blog is a little behind-the-scenes at the logo process for an upcoming blog, All Before Thirty. Shannon Reed will be launching the blog in summer 2015. In the meantime, I definitely recommend following her encouraging Instagram feed. 

"The purpose of All Before Thirty is to come along side and love on other ladies in their journey. (This is a community where, if we lived in the same town, you would come to my house for coffe with no makeup and I'd probably have dishes in the sink.) Just meeting each other where we are, where ever that may be. I wish to point them to Jesus Christ and hope to show that no matter how difficult or hurtful of a situation they may find themselves in, there is hope and freedom in a relationship and walk with Jesus Christ as our Savior..."

Above are the initial logo options. I typically try to send the client 2 to 3 initial options that will be a spring board for the rest of the branding. Normally, I try to send the logos in black and white so that color does not distract...I obviously broke my rule this time. I just couldn't wait to show the color versions. 

Shannon described her desired logo as "Exciting, Fun, Stylish, Southern and Unique." Each of the logo options is a different take on those adjectives.

 OPTION 1: The idea of a celebration...

 OPTION 2: Playing up the fun, girly side...

And last, but not least:

  OPTION 3: The idea of coming together for tea or coffee...very southern and stylish.

If you follow the Texture Design Co. Instagram feed, then you already know which one was chosen! ;) But I'll be sharing more of the process in the next blog post! #staytuned

Best, 

Emily Kirby

Our Etsy Spring Wish List

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Spring is almost here!!! I googled and the first official day of spring is March 20th! So in honor of the warmer weather coming back, I compiled an Etsy "Spring Wish List" full of bright colors and cheery designs! You'll love these Etsy finds and their talented makers!

AMMIKI

Abstract Watercolor Painting

This absract watercolor painting makes me think of little rain drops in a puddle. And as they say, "April showers bring May flowers." The colors and simplicity are so soothing.

SARAH K BENNING

Oh Hey

Oh hi! Sarah's shop is full of contemporary embroidery. I enjoy the fact that it is homey and inviting yet quirky and fun! It could be the perfect item to spruce up your space after some spring cleaning! (Time for me to dust the fan blades!)

ELIZABETH MAYVILLE

Grapefruit Still Life

Have you been to Elizabeth Mayville's shop? If you haven't, you are missing out! As she describes it, "All of my work has to do with the small and beautiful moments of a quiet day."

Her prints are all so crisp and fresh feeling...like a spring day morning!


TILISSIMO
Tribal Inspired Coasters

I'm always a sucker for patterns, and this bright tribal pattern is awesome! So when you're on the porch enjoying this lovely spring weather, you can sit your drink on one of these little guys.

GRINDSTONE DESIGNS

Suspended Plant Shelf

Brooke's pieces are all unique because she mainly uses salvaged materials. This hanging shelf is whimsical and just perfect for hanging spring flowers! :)

SALT AND LIGHT DESIGNS

Wooden Pallet Art: Let Your Light Shine

This piece with the sunrise is just so happy! Makes me think of the days growing longer as spring and summer approach. If you are in need of pallet art, definitely check out the rest of Kait's shop!! You may remember that we interviewed Kait Waggoner of Salt and Light Designs last year. You can view the interview here. 

PARAGRAPH LOOP
Peach Jewelry Dish

Spring is wedding season. Therefore, it may be time for you to purchase some wedding gifts. When we got married, one of my favorite wedding gifts was a tiny bowl for my rings. So if you need gifts, head over to this shop! They have lots of colors to choose from!

HOLD YOU ME
Organic Baby Leggings

I wish they made these in my size! Definitely a great baby gift this spring.

 NIRWA
Geometric Pillow

This pillow has a unique blend of colors that makes it very eye-catching -- perfect for a little redecorating. The pillows are all handmade in Istanbul, Turkey!

THIS LOVES THAT

Glitter and Mint Envelope Clutch

With the change in wardrobe, you may be needing a new little clutch to carry. This shop has so many colors and variations to choose from. They would make a perfect gift for a friend.

. . .

That sums up our Etsy Spring 2015 Wish List! Thank you to all the shops for letting us showcase your items! (photos provided by the individual shops)

Best,

Emily

Why They Call Charleston the Holy City

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Have you seen Texture Design's latest set of Charleston notecards and prints? 

CHARLESTON CARDS

Here is the background story for our new items! My friend, who is an amazing photographer (Melissa Griffin Photography), invited me on a trip to take pictures of some of the historic churches in downtown Charleston.  The resulting photos definitely inspired our new cards and prints!

If you aren't familiar with the city, it is known for its multitude of BEAUTIFUL churches. The skyline is full of steeples popping up among the other buildings. Many people reference it as the Holy City. I did a little research, and this nickname also points to the city's early history. Among the original thirteen colonies, Charleston was one of the few to offer religious tolerance. Therefore, a variety of denominations and congregations found their home in the city and built some of the most beautiful and unique houses of worship!

So here is a brief view of our lovely photography outing. I'm not a professional! But the good thing is that I have fun anyway! (I also really enjoy the photo editing afterwards!)

(not a church, but I wish it was my home!)

(This is what my next office door will look like!)

Here is my friend Melissa--laughing because she didn't want me to take her picture! Sadly it is out of focus on her face! But she still looks adorable. Thankfully the cup of water is in focus! (ugh) We made a stop at Whisk for some yummy cookies and lemonade. You can't be creative on an empty stomach!

(another fabulous door)

(sweet little mailbox)

And we end with this beautiful old cemetery!

Be sure to check out the rest of our new Charleston items in the Etsy Shop! And happy Friday!!

-Emily

5 Inspiring Blogs: When You Need A Little Break

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Who doesn't love looking at pretty pictures and creative ideas?! Some days you just need a breather or a little inspiration. Below are my favorite blogs to visit when my creativity is waning. Some offer great tips, others suggest great products, and a few provide realistic DIY projects! When I need a to take a little time out, these are my "go-to" sites. (If you were needing a break right now, you're welcome!)

Jones Design Company

Emily Jones writes this blog about home decor, graphic design, life, and her faith. I feel like she and I could be best friends, lol. Which I guess says that she is a good blog writer! She has fabulous DIY projects and fun freebies available! I also enjoy reading her perspectives on life. @jonesdesigncompany

Oh So Beautiful Paper

Nole Garey launched this blog in 2008, and it has exploded. It offers a variety of "entertaining ideas, diy ideas, wedding invitation features, baby products, and home decor inspiration." I love visiting the blog because it always has something new. They post 2-4 times a day! Perfect for all your needed breaks! @beautifulpaper

Elle & Company Design

The Elle & Co. blog has so many useful tips for people in the creative industry. For example, one of the recent blogs is on SEO optimization! I probably need to go read it. But not only is the content very useful, it is always displayed in a beautiful manner! So it actually makes me want to read it! ha! @laurenelizhook

Ashley Brooke Designs

 My favorite thing about ABD is the constant splash of color! I follow Ashley on Instagram because every day is a big bright serving of color! She writes about her design projects, her style, and her favorite products. @ashleybrookedesigns

Look Linger Love

This is a new favorite for me. I love her fashion and decor suggestions. But I especially appreciate her posts about Charleston! (great person to follow on Instagram!) @looklingerlove

So that about sums up my "go-to" sites right now! When I need that mental break, these ladies sure do offer some beautiful photography and fun ideas!

-Emily

Behind the Scenes of Our New House Portraits

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CUSTOM HOUSE PORTRAIT

I apologize for the gap between posts! To be honest, I blame this fun new project! :)

As you may know, I originally studied Interior Design at the University of Georgia. When I started my career in graphic design, I didn't think I would do renderings anymore. But then Martin and I thought, why not incorporate it into our Etsy shop?! Sooooo...you can now purchase a custom house portrait and receive a rendering of your own home! You also have the option of purchasing matching notecards! How cool?!

Here are some pictures of the entire process... 

You can see the original house photo on the left.

Below is a house portrait just completed for someone's 50th anniversary gift. (so sweet!)

We have a few more plans coming for this project...new ideas of ways to showcase the portraits. But we won't share them all just yet! ;)  Feel free to let us know if you have any suggestions! How would you like to see your house portrait displayed? Let us know!

Etsy listing:

CUSTOM HOUSE PORTRAIT

Are you a realtor? Please contact us for special pricing.

Have a great day!

Our 2015 Goals....Where We Are Headed

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Last week on the blog, we reminisced on 2014. It was definitely a great year, but we are even more excited about 2015! This week we are sharing some our new year's goals with you. (You can hold us accountable a year from now). A lot of them are based on the feedback we’ve received from you, our supportive fans and lovely customers! So thank you for your help!

1.     Providing More Personalizantion Items!

What does that mean? It means more items that you can make personal for you or for your friends. So be on the look out for cards and prints that allow you to add your name! Also, I’m hoping to start doing home portraits. Not sure what that is? Well more to come on that! :)

2.    Offering More Cards & Stationery Sets!

After the farmers market, Martin and I realized that the individual cards are a big hit! So I’ll be adding more. In fact, I have two that we’ll be adding to the shop next week! (Side note, you can already buy them at Page’s Thieves Market on Coleman Boulevard!)

The Hello Umbrella cards were Texture Design’s first stationery set, and to be honest it is one of our favorite items. So I’m hoping to add some similar stationery sets to the shop. This will include some fun thank you cards!

3.    Increasing our Product Development StandardsThat is just my fancy way of saying I’m going to challenge myself even more! I’m very proud of our current line of products, but I am taking the creativity up a notch this year! I want to provide our amazing customers with even better designs and even better products! I get so excited thinking about the possibilities!

4.    Connecting with our customers more!

This one I need your help with. We obviously can’t meet everyone, even though I think it would be cool if we could. So we have to connect through social media. Are you following us? Tag us if you are! Or send comments/messages. I’ll be excited to reply. Also if you tag Texture Design items in your pictures, we’ll repost them and give you all the credit! Feel free to use the hashtag #addalittletexture. (because we all love adding hashtags!)

FACEBOOK

INSTAGRAM

TWITTER

PINTEREST

5.    Becoming more available in retail spaces.

The goal is to become available in retail shops rather than just online. This particular goal we started working on this week. As I mentioned above, you can now purchase some of our items in a Page’s Theives Market in Mt. Pleasant, SC. I’m hoping to get our wholesale pricing list finalized and on the website by April. (Feel free to contact me if you think you would be interested.)

I hope you can tell that I am very excited to see what 2015 brings. Ultimately, Texture Design wants to produce quality designs with superb customer service! As our website says, “Whether it is a fabric, piece of furniture, photograph, website or stationery, it all has a particular texture that gives you a feeling or brings back a memory. We hope our designs do just that!" --Texture Design Co.