Colourful Designs

The fact that Colourful Designs dominates the Zazzle marketplace search is no accident. There are literally thousands of designs from which to choose, in every conceivable category and for any occasion or business focus, proving why this shop is one of Zazzle's top sellers.

This is a fun, retro style business card geared towards an Etsy shop that focuses on items for babies or children. The circles have a childlike appeal as do the white ruled circles around the orange circle. The colors are striking and further accentuate the whimsical nature of this design.

Here is another cheerful, retro-inspired business card design that is versatile enough for use for a wide range of business types. The rounded rectangle shapes would be blocky if they were in a grid pattern, so placing them randomly, as done here, lightens the look of the card and adds to its playful feel

This dressmaker's business card is a trendy option. Leopard print mixed with green and black make a fashionable statement appealing ultimately to a higher-end clientele.

This is a soft and feminine business card that would fit any mom-on-the-go. The dusty rose background is bold but not overpowering. The tree branches imagery emphasizes the growth of children. Plus, the typography has a feminine edge.

It's wonderful to see different products used in a variety of ways on Zazzle. The two products above  are flat cards customized as gift certificates. They exude elegance and serenity and fit well for a salon, spa, boutique or pilates/yoga studio as shown above.

This is a wonderful alternative to the cutesy slant that is evident on many cupcake shop business cards. From the distressed background with its aged effect to the cut-out look of the cupcake and speech bubble, it has a comic-book style that is intriguing.

The shimmering effect on the dominant black ornament  on this business card calls to mind a sparkling jewel, mimicking the smoothness of an obsidian surface. The damask adds a touch of elegance as does the swirled calligraphy of the business name.

The photograph on this bartender business card is striking not only due to its unusual blue color but the cropping makes it more interesting and conveys modernity. It fits well for an upscale cocktail lounge or martini bar.

A modern edge makes this a contemporary choice for realtors. It is a creative approach to the usual   headshot. It makes an effective networking tool for the real estate industry.

The neon purple color on this salon/spa business card makes an immediate impression. The posterized, cropped photo and the chic typeface used in the business name give a modern, contemporary feel.

Attorney's rquire a card that is professional, but then again it doesn't have to be limited to the atypical law icons. This type treatment is professional especially on gold metallic paper as shown above. In fact, it would fit most corporate fields.

This is a masculine option for a corporate business card. The red rule gives it a touch of style and is fits many professional fields.

Cake pops have become a big business and its great to see options other than just business cards available for this type of growing business. Shown above are an ingredient label and as a price tag label. The round shape of the cake pops is echoed in the background circles. This is a successful product line in that there is no limit to how these stickers could be used.

This is a bold binder for a cosmetics professional showing the tools of the trade. The pink edge and loose handwritten font give it flair.

In addition to the huge selection of business products available at Colourful Designs, make sure to check out thousands of other top-selling paper goods, apparel and gifts available through Zazzle.

Getting crunchy with Krispy's Kingdom

It's been awhile since I've reviewed ANYTHING, so I'll use the excuse that I was busy this summer or maybe I'll just put it down to procrastination.

We start off the fall season with a shop that I have long admired, Krispy's Kingdom. Many of her designs have a scrapbook-like feel in that she uses layers of textures and imagery. These background use varying colors, graphics and techniques.

Corporate identity is Krispy's Kingdom's specialty. It is refreshing to see a designer on a Print-On-Demand site that obviously knows the rules of typography and pays keen attention to how it integrates with images to make a product conceptual, rather than just using it as an afterthought.

This Smile business card is a prime example of an image reminiscent of a scrapbook page. Different textures and image styles are layered in a collage. Line art, a damask pattern and an image of textile stitched onto the the background gives this a multi-dimensional and casual feel.

This Heart Scraps business card uses a variety of patterns in the soft faded hearts giving it a textural quality. The top is reminiscent of corduroy fabric and the font blends well with the illustration in giving it a light-hearted feel.

Soft girly pink and green colors make this Old Hollywood business card and rack card great choices for a nail/hair salon, spa, or for anyone in the beauty industry. The ornate frame is traditional, but softened with the addition of the polka dots juxtaposed with the striped slightly grungy backgrounds.

Another example of textural quality is used here on this Je t'aime business card for a wedding specialist. A faded, cream damask goes well with the sage green color making it an ideal selection for the wedding industry.


Although this textural layering effect is a specialty of Krispy's Kingdom, she also excels at conceptual corporate identity design. The following few business cards are examples of clean and simple design effectively conveying an air of professionalism. They pay particular attention to the beauty of negative space and typographic balance.

This Molly Kristine business card is simple but striking. A balance is made between the brown panel containing the business name and the specialties of the business. The white rule breaks up the colors and lends airiness.

Simple, clean and striking. The design on this Minute Design business card reveals balance in the negative space and the varying weights and colors of the logotype.

This business card for a nursery school features a stylized image of a tree on top of a circle that seems to act as a metaphor for the earth. The tree is a symbol for growth and new beginnings which fits well for a nursery school or any education-based business. The green, browns and pale blue add to the organic feel.

A simple and gorgeous business card that uses a turquoise transparent panel over a cropped photograph of a woman's face. The photo is intriguing due to its cropping with the typeface being modern and clean.

This cute Sit Spot business card is brilliant. It immediately conveys the business focus via the simple illustration of the dog with the two type varieties working cohesively within the speech bubble.

Multicolor whimsical polka dots serve as a main graphic element for this 5 Toes series business card and flyer that works well for a childcare or healthcare provider. The cursive font is appropriately youthful.

Readers of this blog might be aware of our love in featuring full corporate identity packages. This series called "Love is in the Air" not only includes business card, but also a letterhead, feedback card, flyer and others not displayed here. The illustrative line art is whimsical with bold red and turquoise making a vibrant color palette.


These are all examples from a designer who knows typography and how to blend it with imagery to make impressive business products. You'll find these plus hundreds of other superb business products at Krispy's Kingdom and Cheeky Paperie's Zazzle shops!

Step backward to the future with Antique Images

This week we step back in time with selections from Antique Images as well as its sister shop,  Divine Damask. Dominant in the work are the use of vintage images and patterns combined with appropriate typography, in addition to damask. It is a treat to see antique illustrations used for modern-day businesses.

This monogram B business card truly captures the elegance of a classic monogram paired with a unique and lovely damask pattern. A versatile card that could be used by a plethora of professions. Some that immediately come to mind are an interior designer, jewelry shop, or a lifestyle or marketing consultant.

 

Proud Purple Rooster Poultry Business Card is a wonderful example of French Provincial style. Not only due to the image of the rooster, but the decorative borders reflect the look. The example shows it being used for a poultry farm, but  it would also fit well for a casual restaurant, bistro or gift shop.

This elegant card features an elaborate Victorian French cake that one can imagine to have been in the Palais Versailles. The decorative border almost looks like a frame on a wall. This would be an excellent choice for a high-end catering business or bakery as it is displayed above.

This striking illustration of hummingbird is cleverly placed as it looks towards the business name to bring attention to it. Used here for a garden designer it can also extend to those in the wildlife, avian, or conservation fields.

A card for a bed and breakfast features a vintage illustration of a Swiss maid. The Fraktur typeface makes a cohesive unit with the vintage theme of traditional hospitality.

Flowers are wonderfully versatile images. Here, the use of a magnolia blossom flower illustration makes a lovely business card for a gardener, garden shop or center, florist or even an event or wedding planner.

A traditional compass makes itself a focal point with rules creating a border on this letterhead that would be ideal for a marina, yacht club, sailing club or boating retailer.

This letterhead features an image of a woman in the Art Nouveau style surrounded by snow drop blossoms. It is a beautiful, classic look which would be an ideal personal letterhead, as well as an effective letterhead for a gift shop, retailer, antique shop or theatre group.

A gorgeous Baroque damask medallion creates visual interest by its cropping and having only a portion of the image visible. The gold of the ornament against the rich red background gives this business card a luxurious feel. The golden monogram fits well on the bottom right of the card.

This binder customized as a reservations book for a restaurant has a refined ambience. This would be entirely appropriate in a high-end restaurant or bistro due to its sophisticated look. The gold, crimson and black color palette lend it elegance and a textural feel is implied due to the gilded classic damask pattern.

This Pretty Retro 1930s Art Deco Purple Damask business card has a light feel. The purple damask pattern implies interior design, textiles design or a fabric retailer. The Huxley font gives the card an art deco suggestion with its thin serif letters.

Visit Antique Images main shop and Divine Damask shop for more unique business solutions as well as invitations, other paper goods and gifts.

Big time with BigSPL

Big SPL is a shop in association with Inspira Image Photography. Inspira is a photographer, graphic artist and jewelery designer based in the UK with a love for nature. The following products showcase her artistry as all three talents merge to create professional business cards that are versatile and unique.

This business card featuring a pattern of varying sized circles is a fun, youthful image. It is professional in that the graphic is not overwhelming being a soft cream color. It's a whimsical, yet professional design that is completely multipurpose.

An elegant damask design is featured on this business card. It fits well with the spa industry as displayed above as well as interior/textile design, or the beauty service industry.

I particularly like this Custom Photo Art Gallery Business Card as it also incorporates a QR code on the reverse. It is an obvious choice for a photography gallery or individual photographer. It is available in a variety of backgrounds, but this light wood plank one is my favorites, as it gives the card a light "coastal" feel.

Here is a card with a fun illustration of a heart made up of dozens of small graphic flowers. It's used here for a beauty therapy business but it would be a wonderful choice for a retail shop, a florist or beauty service industry.

Inspira is a talented photographer and we'd be remiss not to include business designs that incorporate her photography. This particular business card, English Countryside Sunset HDR Business Cards with QR, is a perfect choice for a tour company or B&B.

 

Similar to the previous card, this beautiful Purple Sunset Tree Silhouette Business Card QR features a serene image of a landscape at sunset that works well for the hospitality industry. 

Here is another use of a beautiful photograph by Inspira. A closeup of a Blue Chrysanthemum flower is striking in its dazzling color. This is an obvious choice for a florist or event planner.

A unique bottom border on this Pretty Pink Kaleidoscope business card gives visual interest to a highly graphic card. The image lends itself to a variety of business types and has a soft, handmade feel due to the pink tonal colors and detail.

A business card for a bead company using a closeup of crystal beads is a natural choice for Inspira as she is also a talented jewelry designer. This would work for anyone in the jewelry industry including a bead manufacturer, retailer or jewelry designer like Inspira.

The above mentioned designs, as well as a plethora of other paper goods, apparel and gifts are available from Inspira via her BigSPL store. Take a peek and stay a while!