Buy “The Green Calendar” here

I’ve made a new TWOP calendar with the automobiliar outrages you’ve loved this year. I had forgotten some of these, and at least one pic has not been published before. It takes about ten days to arrive, so it’s now time to order those Worst Christmas presents. Getting a bit of action on the Mandurah T Shirt, at the moment, with several going overseas to Perth expats so sick with nostalgia, they even remember Mandurah fondly. Anyhow, if you want to knock off a few presents, now is the time.

Stuck for ideas on what to get for a Christmas present? Visit www.mustangtravels.com for some great ideas!

Choose between:

Printed Photography/Wall Art

Framed Photography/Wall Art

Photography books

Coming soon – Calendars!

Pay a visit! www.mustangtravels.com

Ruben

Before we move much closer to the new year, I should post about our desk and wall calendars for 2010. Whether they’re intended for your office desk, living room mantle, kitchen counter or all wrapped up in the form of a gift,  you can expect to find the right fit to make the upcoming year something special.  Most of our calendars are handmade, just about half of them are from local artists, and all of them are chosen for their stunning images from the world’s artists and publishers.

Visit us and take a look at our selection of 2010 calendars from these presses: Benjamin Paul, Cavallini, Ilee,  Oddball Press, Papaya, Pushmepullyou, Satsuma, Singing Leaf, and Snow & Graham.

2010 calendars in letterpress, digital, Linocut and other opulent designs

We had fun redecorating our training room here at headquarters in Virginia, and came up with some jumbo products that drew a lot of attention, so thought we’d share!

Lucidiom Training Room - Jumbo Display

Materials you will need:

• Files from the kit posted here: http://www.lucidiom.com/support/tools_kits.aspx (even the pencil art is up there!)
• 1 can adhesive spray
• packing tape
• wide format printer(able to print at least 24″ wide) – we used bond paper for wrapping paper and notepad, satin paper for all others
• 9 pieces 20×30″ foam board
• 2 pieces 30×40″ foam board (black)
• paperclips & fishing line (for hanging) … a drill with small bit works well to make holes for hanging
• the boxes are wrapped in wrapping  paper created on the APM kiosk (not included in download)…designs are available from Mrs. Grossman’s
• 2 packs of plastic foam board hinges (sold next to the foam board in the handy office supply…you can also just use tape)
• paper cutter or x-acto knife and straight edge

Jumbo Products

Flat Cards: for the flat cards, in real life are 4×8″…take one of the 20×30″ boards and cut into 3 10×20″ pieces.  Tape a third to each 20×30 piece, so you have 3 20×40″ pieces. Print files for the flat cards and spray adhesive them to the foam board.

Calendar: top and bottom are each 30×20″ … spray adhere prints to the foam board, then use fishing line to join the two halves…leave a space between.  We used some paper cutouts to mimic the wire bind.

Photo Book: If you do just one of these jumbo products, do the photo book…certainly won the most attention.  Each half is 40×30″, we printed 3 sheets of 74×24″ and folded them in half to look like 6 pages total.  We joined the two halves with plastic hinges, but they could also be taped.Start with the back set of pages, fold to one side and use packing tape to secure the page to the board along the fold.  Flip pages to the other side, repeat…do this with all the pages.  You can fan pages a bit, and with some strategically placed tape, create the page wrinkles.

More Jumbo Products

Folded Card: each face of the card is 20×30″…we printed the front and back, and one sheet inside, adhering each print to the foam with the adhesive. We used some foam board hinges to join the halves.

Notepad: Print 5 sheets of the notepad, staple together and tape across the top to the 20×30″ foam board. Print the black square file and fold over the top to mimic the top of the notepad.  We used wrapping paper (more like paper than photo) for this one, and for the pencil too.  Don’t forget to print out the pencil!  We cut out the tip and rolled it up and taped all edges, then stuffed with some paper towels for stability.

Wrapped Boxes: Graphics aren’t included in the download, but uses the APM Wrapping Paper product, printed out enough times to wrap a large box.

Have fun! Send us a picture of your jumbo display when you have it up!

by sylvia

Back in September,  Bianca and I decided that in order to learn to accept ourselves – ALL of ourselves, we had to do something out of our collective comfort zone.  So we decided that for 31 days we would take pictures of our bellies and post them here – on this blog.

And we did.  Every single day. 

I must admit that while it was fun and liberating, it was also hard as crap to come up with something interesting each day.  But we did it.  Off to the right over there on the bottom is our flickr photostream.  We wanted to have them all in one place.  Let us know if you want a “Zaftig Belly” calendar for 2010, and we’ll figure out a way to get you one!  For a price of course, but I’m sure a portion of the proceeds will go to a good charity.  And no, Bianca – you are not the charity!

You can read the original post here.

Enjoy?

It’s the best day of the week again. The great thing about Fridays is that they come every week. It’s like a constant Christmas!

I don’t really have much to say today. (20 seconds later) Okay, scratch that. I do have something to say. I never realized before, but I’m apparently a compulsive calendar marker. I glanced over at my calendar in the middle of the first sentence, noticed I hadn’t marked yesterday as over…and immediately had to grab the marker and do so. I really tried to resist, but it wasn’t working. My hands twitched with the need to mark down that November 19 was over. How weird.

Right. So New Moon came out last night. No, I didn’t go to the midnight viewing. I was at home watching the Project Runway finale and I am so not happy Carol Hannah didn’t win. I thought her stuff was nice. Oh okay, Irina’s work was pretty friggin’ awesome. If I were thin and tall, I’d probably wear every one of the looks she created. Dammit.

Let’s talk about something better. Mainly, today’s Fantasy Man. I haven’t decided which one I’m going with. The poll is still open for those who want to give me a little hint of what they want to see, so until I close it, it’s allllll me. Hm. Which lovely man will I post? Okay, decision made.

Today’s Fantasy Man isn’t showing much skin. Sorry, ladies, but he’s been staring at me for weeks demanding his own day. Without further ado…

Look at him! Those eyes! Gah…You can’t tell me you’re not thinking ‘Come to mama’ (I almost said ‘Come to Butthead’…okay, so I was a Beavis and Butthead fan. Sue me!) Look at him!!! No, better yet DON’T look at him. He’s all mine.

Okay fine. Look. What do you think? Good choice for today’s Fantasy Man? I promise to have more skin next week. Although, if my Mike Rowe crush continues to build, you may see him instead…lol.

Enjoy! Happy Friday everyone!

Saffia Widdershins and Elrik Merlin interview Tensai Hilra, TotalLunar Eclipse and Elegia Underwood about the beautiful, mysterious and very commercially active Steelhead Shanghai!

Also, upstairs I am now vending the Shirtless Against Breast Cancer 2010 Calendars. Now in Mens, Womens, Jagers and Furry flavors! All proceeds go to fighting breast cancer!

What is that smoking mountain in the distance! Why it must be Steelhead Mt. St. Helens! It will be a tumble and rough kind of place, so you better come to my store and stock up on Fizzworks guns!

I also wish to welcome the Babbage Urchins to Steelhead! You are welcome to catch fish off my pier. But stay out of attic!

My friend Tara Malouf has just produced an extraordinary calendar – not like your ordinary calendars that begin in January and go through the twelve months of the year as we know them but one that flows to the rhythm of the liturgical year.  It begins in Advent and follows the seasons of the year.  I love it and would highly recommend it to anyone who is looking for a way to connect the rhythm of their days to God’s rhythm.

Tara calls her calendar The Story Formed Calendar because it has been formed by the story of God rather than by the story of our world.

This calendar is a tool to help us live a different story. It is a calendar for those who call themselves followers of Jesus because it reorients our lives to the work and life of Jesus in history. It re-tells the narrative of the gospel and encourages us to live—to work, go to school, parent, shop, play—all within God’s story.

Each season encourages something in us and from us. Some seasons call us to a listening quietness, others to celebration and still others to working in intentional ways.

Advent is a season of expectation
Christmas is a season of celebration
Epiphany, a season of illumination
Lent, a season of listening
Holy Week, is a time to remember
Easter is a season of “halleluiahs” and the
Season after Pentecost becomes a season of intentional living in our churches, in our families, in love, in justice and mercy, and in praise and gratitude.

Album Maker software now includes a range of DIY calendar options. The free Album Maker software is available for download from www.coffeetablebooks.co.za. Select between small double-sided desk calendars to A3 large 12 sided, one month per side calendars. The software allows you to add you own images or artwork. The frames, backdrops and masks you can use are identical to those available to you when creating a Coffee Table book for Storybook album.

It’s FAST!
I was able to create a 12 month A3 calendar in 5 minutes. If you want to learn how to use our software, contact Natasha to join a free 90 minute Studio22 Album Maker workshop – fullybooked@studio22.co.za.

No limit!
The software allows you to create calendars with any selection of months, you are not limited to January - December. You can start on any month you choose – July 2010 to June 2011 if you like.

Promotional products:
Create you own personalised promotion calendars. Ideal for photographers who are looking for low cost, long lasting advertisements or even gifts for friends. Place your images and branding on each month and your work will be on display for a full 12 months. Wedding photographers can offer it as a gift to the couple, staring at less than R30, it is almost free adverting and can easily be included in the wedding rates. The large A3 12 month calendar is only R199!

FTP with ease.
Create your calendar anytime and upload it via the CoffeeTableBooks.co.za FTP site for speedy printing. All products are printed in Cape Town by Studio22 and posted or couriered nationwide.

See more on our products page on www.coffeetablebooks.co.za

I’ve just added a delightful doggie calendar featuring my Cavalier King Charles Spaniels in various stages from pups till now.  Figuring the eldest is not yet three, that’s not a long time but some classic and cute images there.

There are many other themes available as well.  See them here.

Plus a little bit of self promotion along with some bragging rights today.  I have been featured in the Australian Photographic Society’s Online November Newsletter, which goes out to all members of the Australian Photographic Society’s Contemporary Division.  What a huge thrill it was to have been asked and to contribute.  This is the second time I have been featured in an APS article, the first was when asked to contribute to the APS suppliment magazine, Image, some of my recent images of my trip to Beijing.

The images that were included can be seen here.

The article, including pictures and a bit about how I got into photography, plus a pretty bad photo of me.  The full newsletter can be read by clicking the link below.

Australian Photographic Society Feature

Well, I found a great site with 2010 Calendar grids so this coming year I’m working on my own calendars and monthly desktops instead of just relying on templates made by other people. I like having the freedom to make what I want! So, I’ve started working on calendar pages for 2010 – I’ve only made it through May so far, but you can see them all here.

I am making them all 12×12 right now b/c I haven’t decided how I want to print/present them yet. Mother has already said, “These are my Christmas present, right!?!?” Well, since she has seen them it won’t be much of a surprise! Really it wouldn’t be a surprise for anyone now that they are online & everyone can see them – Grannie doesn’t have a computer, though – it would still be a surprise for her!!

I really like the grids I found b/c they are very simple and didn’t have the months labeled so for different projects I can use whatever font I want – for this calendar I’m using my most favorite-ist font – Scriptina!! That’s really everyone’s favorite, though isn’t it?? Honestly, though I cannot believe that there were so few calendar grids out there for use. It took me a long time searching to find this set. I mean, I know they aren’t hard to make (I was just being lazy and didn’t want to take the time), but all the calendars I found were already on templates mostly – already pre-designed and ready for pictures. And that’s great unless you want to create a design around your pics!

I had no idea there was so much to celebrate.  Can you imagine being the lucky agency chosen to develop the PR and marketing strategy for something obscure as, say, Straw Hat Month or Pleasure Your Mate Month?  See (what I am assuming is) a complete list here. I’m highlighting my favorites…and I am NOT making any of this up.

January: It’s OK to be Different Month, Love Yourself Month, Prune Breakfast Month, Polka Month

February: Body Awareness Month, Natl. Pet Dental Health Awareness Month, Termite Awareness Month

March: Humorists Are Artists Month, On-Hold Month, Umbrella Month

April: Natl Frog Month,  National Welding Month, Straw Hat Month, National Soft Pretzel Month,  Alcohol Awareness Month (YAY!)

May: Revise Your Work Schedule Month, Smile Month,  Vinegar Month, Ultraviolet Awareness Month

June: Accordion Awareness Month,  Natl Pharmacists Declare War on Alcoholism, Natl Celibacy Awareness Month, Potty Training Awareness Month, Rebuild Your Life Month

July: Smart Irrigation Month, Share a Sunset with Your Lover Month, Horseradish Month

August: Natl Inventors’ Month, Neurosurgery Outreach Month, Panini Month, What Will Be Your Legacy Month

September: Be Kind To Editors and Writers Month, Pleasure Your Mate Month, Shameless Promotion Month

October: Dyslexia Awareness Month, Month of Free Thought, Squirrel Awareness Month, Raptor Month

November: Inspirational Role Models Month (Thanks George!), Georgia Pecan Month, Pet Cancer Awareness Month

December: Tie Month, Bingo’s Birthday Month, Write a Business Plan Month

It’s FEAR MY VAGINA MONTH!  YAY!

Photo taken by: Allelee Photography/wikimedia commons

If you asked most people if they thought knitting was sexy, their response would probably be defiantly not.  But if you asked Tammy  and  Noel Cunningham, they would say it defiantly can be made sexy.

The Cunningham’s of Denver, Colorado thought that it could be made sexy.   Tammy, has been knitting ever since she learned how to, during a trip to Ethiopia.   Tammy decided to try and put together a sexy knitting calendar and sell them where she lives.  The money collected from buying the calendar will be going to women and children in Ethiopia learning how to knit, so they can support themselves by making pieces.

Local women in the Denver area posed in barely there hand knitted garments.  If you would like to find out more information about Tammy and Noel Cunningham go their website,The Cunningham Foundation.  They are constantly looking for people to pose and volunteer for this great cause and if you are interested you can contact them through their website for more information.

I’m not a fan of Christmas advertisements, especially the one’s that start the day after Halloween. Ever been to the mall on November 1^st, seen the Christmas decorations and wanted to jump off the second floor mezzanine? Me too.
Alas, Thanksgiving is a little over a week away and it’s time to order your company’s or family’s Christmas greeting cards. You can’t get away with procrastinating any longer!

These cards are perfect to send out to your customers and clients to thank them for their loyalty and as a great way to keep your name in their minds for the coming New Year. They are also a must for families so you don’t look like a total Scrooge when you are the only family not to send out a Christmas card.The price in unbeatable – 1000 cards for $169. Simply put, that’s just over 16 cents a card. Are you kidding me? Insane! The card is printed on high-quality 14 point card stock and features a high gloss UV coating as well.

We Have Pre-Designed Greeting Cards. Click Here To View. Order direct from our Price List and Quick Order Form, choosing to upload your own artwork, or select from over 10,000 Pre-Designed Standards, tailoring the project information to best serve your needs. You may use our templates available online to ensure proper and accurate production of your print job.

Remember, now is the time to order to be ready for the Holiday season! Best of luck!

Mini Desk Calendars:

With the holidays coming up, I wanted to share my thoughts on the perfect office gift to your clients, that you can either give away or have mailed to your clients directly- the Mini desk Calendars.

They are the perfect gift, especially with the new calendar year around the corner, and a year-long reminder of your company and services. You can have PrintFirm, Inc. customize the front with your business information, like a year-long advertisement with easy-to-access phone and contact information. it truly is genius, because it is compact enough not to take up too much space on a desk, but useful enough to not be thrown away. Of course, you can select what images you will want for each of the months and believe me, your clients will be much appreciative.

Like I’ve said before, PrintFirm, Inc. is my one stop for all my business’s printing needs, because it is quick, professional, of the highest quality and the least expensive prices in town.

Desk Calendar

My new 2010 barn calendars are in, and I’m shipping out the orders today. It’s called “Marie Scott’s 2010 Beautiful Barns,” and it contains my 12 newest landscape paintings, each inspired by different farms in Indiana that I painted. I only have a few more left in stock, so if you love barns, order your 2010 Calendar today!

I'm getting all my calendar orders packed up to mail.

Here they are, ready to go to the post office.

Here's my new calendar for 2010. It shows 12 months of barns from Indiana.

Looking for a  memorable gift to give for Christmas that is under $20.  Look no further!!  We have some great templates available that are simply Fabulous!!  Click here to view our template gallery, just search for 2010 calendars. 

Visit my website http://www.kimsbookshelf.com and sign up for a FREE account or contact me at Kim@Kimsbookshelf.com to get started!!!

“Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.” – Seneca (5 BC – 65 AD)

Happy Friday the 13^th! Here at PrintFirm, we don’t believe all the bad luck stuff associated with the 13^th.

We prefer to think that we make our own luck! With that being said, it’s already time to think about the holidays and 2010.

What better way than to offer company calendars or calendar cards as holiday gifts? Send out these calendars to your clients or keep a stack at the front desk and you’ll have your company’s name and number at the forefront of your customer’s minds all year long.

Calendars are also great as Christmas gifts for families, customized with family photos.

We have a selection of pre-designed calendar cards as well.

A 10% discount is available for quantities of 2500 or 5000!

Need a calendar for 2010? Need an idea for a stocking stuffer? Pick up our 2010 Raffle Calendar.

Why do you call it a “Raffle Calendar”?

Funny you should ask.

The ABC’s of the Raffle Calendar

Only 1000 calendars will be sold. Each calendar costs $10.

Every day of the year has a dollar value assigned to it. If your name is drawn for that particular day, you will win the dollar amount assigned to that day.

In general, Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesday, Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays are worth $10 each (that pays for the calendar!) If your name is drawn on a Friday, you win $25 (that’s two calendars and an extra $5!). Holidays have higher prize amounts ranging from $50 – $100. The calendar shows each day with its corresponding prize amount.

Drawings are held monthly, not daily.  The third Monday of every month, names will be drawn for every day of that month. The first drawing is Monday, January 18th. On that day, there will be 31 names drawn – one for each day in the month of January.

After a name is drawn and recorded, it is put back in the “hat” available to be drawn again, including the very next pick.

A notice will be sent to the winners along with a check for the prize associated with each day. It is therefore very important to legibly complete each ticket stub with your name and full address. Income taxes are the responsibility of the winners.

There are 365 chances to win on calendars sold and turned in before January 18th.

All proceeds from the calendar to go our spay and neuter program.

The important part:

To purchase raffle calendars, please stop in or call the adoption center at (410) 643-8700 or email info@arfusa.org.

Tell them you got the info from ARF’s blog!

Every time a calendar is purchased, Diva smiles:

Someone bought a calendar.

]]> http://joannlaing.wordpress.com/2009/11/13/holidays-offer-many-ways-of-touching-current-potential-clients/ Fri, 13 Nov 2009 18:06:25 +0000 JoAnn Laing http://joannlaing.wordpress.com/2009/11/13/holidays-offer-many-ways-of-touching-current-potential-clients/

Our recent survey found a surprising number of respondents who said they were reducing their end-of-year marketing efforts which is just the opposite of what should be done during this particular holiday period.
Because of the doom and gloom of these recessionary times, it is more important than ever this holiday season to reach out to current and potential customers.
This strategy is particularly relevant when marketing to smaller firms.
In tough times, smaller companies often feel more isolated and a warm holiday greeting will be especially welcomed this year.
Not surprising, many respondents indicated they had reduced the number of holiday cards and gifts to buyers as well as parties and other festivities.
What worries me is that many companies reported they were eliminating calendar handouts.
In the research for our book, we found that wall calendars are still one of the most effective marketing tool and should be cut only after deep consideration.
Where else can you get your message in front of a potential buyer every workday.