Roundup of Favorites, 004: I've Been Into Metallics Lately

In April I marveled at the quantities of gold-hued business cards available in the Zazzle marketplace and shared some fun examples in this blog post.

Recently, without really thinking about that long-ago discovery, I've once-again been enjoying the process of working with faux metallic textures. Particularly where little packs of cards are concerned. Turns out I like them rather a lot. Today I thought I'd share some links here to a few of the recent favorite designs I've posted in my Paper Muserie Zazzle store. And the other thing they have in common? They're all printed on little cards typically distributed as business cards but, as we know from when I shared this post, this is fortunately a typical practice but certainly not a rule! Thank goodness. There are enough rules running around keeping people in order, without mandating that Business Cards Must Be For Business! Of course some of these ARE for business. But take a look at how many options are available just in this small selection:

As you see, the "lowly business card" is truly quite versatile! I've created the above with a variety of intentions. Pictured here are actual business cards for traditional use, drink tickets for parties and wedding receptions, and Save the Date card inserts, for folks who prefer a little handout to the larger, more traditional option. You also see wedding website detail card enclosures and little thank you gift tags.

On any given day, one of the metallic treatments I've used above is my favorite. Of course four bases are covered: gold, silver, rose gold and copper. I love combining a smooth faux copper foil effect with black marble as you see in the wedding website on the last row. It's also fun to add a glitter effect, such as you see both in the background of the silver drink ticket on the second row and in text, as I've used in the gold glitter-enhanced one beside it. The Save the Date card on the left of the bottom row has a more textured, traditional gold foil leaf effect and there's plenty of texture in those letters.

I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the rose gold-enhanced faux marbling I added to the texture seen in the background of the third business card on the top row. Marble surfaces are very trendy and I thought it would be fun to see what resulted if I added color like this to one of those marbled textures that looks more liquid than stone. Here's just one of the results. More are in the store and still others are on their way!

Whatever your need, if you're into metallic surfaces and like to have handy little business, enclosure or gift cards to hand out as you go your way, these are definitely worth your consideration. I can't wait to see what comes from my next design sessions when I get to work with metallic surfaces again!

For those who are truly curious, here's a direct link to all the business card-based designs in my Paper Muserie store right now.

Using "Business Card Technology" for RAOK and Other Uplifting Purposes

It occurred to me one day a few years ago that the tiny size of business cards could be really handy for other things. Soon thereafter, I created a truly unique gift for my honey, using the impressive "Printfinity" technology offered by Moo to create a collection of 100 one-of-a-kind cards.

These days I've been creating a slightly different kind of card. Blank-on-the-back business cards through Zazzle. Getting ready to place an order for a pack for myself, it occurred to me that I should write a little something about it here on this site, too.

You can use these notes to write a simple, heartfelt message on the back and:

  • Surprise your honey with a note tucked into his pocket,
  • Tell your kids you love them when they open their lunch box at school,
  • Share a pick-me-up with a co-worker by leaving a note on their desk,
  • Participate in the "ROAK" movement by leaving a card in a public place for a stranger.
  • Write a note as a gift tag then include it with your wrapped or bagged present,

I'd be interested to hear how other people use these cards. Until then, check out my growing collection of wee blank-on-back cards through Zazzle. Some of them are set up so that you can add just your name, using the template settings. Others allow you to change the message entirely. (You CAN change the message of my cards, either way - just click the "Customize" button Zazzle provides in their setup. Sometimes I use their template system just to make it extra easy for you to change the text fields. You decide how DIY-friendly a card's design is for you.)

Un-Stodgy Business Cards with Deep Pink Watercolor and a Textured Mandala

While I was busy working on a new thing I'm exploring - designing one of the sets of wedding invitation suites that people can customize for themselves on Zazzle - I fell in love with some of the elements of this particular design. In a big way. And so I started using them on other merchandise. Like this collection of business card designs.

Here's what they include:

  • a bold pink watercolor background
  • a mandala (sometimes rendered in white, sometimes in a faux gold foil effect,) over that,
  • (sometimes) a solid strip in white or black
  • so your name, message, or other details can really pop

And unlike the image you see, up in the banner area of this blog post, which is a single image with everything all merged together, these cards were set up in the Zazzle template system. So IF you happen to be wired like me, we of the DIY inclined, and wanted to rotate the watercolor, duplicate the mandala then change the sizes of one or two of them, then move those around, move your name up or down, change your font AND the font color... well. You can do that! Of course nobody says you have to. These are all ready to be purchased as is, merely by typing the name and contact details you want to have appear.

What this Zazzle setup can do - in spite of my having been pretty spoiled by the limitlessness of my own graphic design tools - is brilliant and amazing and I suspect it's far more than customizable enough for your average user to do just what they want. For the other levels of editing, you can always just reach out to me and share your vision. I'm always happy to help make something even more in line with your personal vision.

For now, I offer you business cards with a tribal, boho, hippy-dippy little flair. Because not only are business cards not always meant to be formal and stodgy (though to be sure, sometimes I suppose they are, depending on your line of work,) this collection is absolutely meant to let your big, bold, colorful personality shine through. Plus? Business cards aren't just for business anymore. I've been working on a growing series of card designs that are meant for you to simply write little notes on the blank backs of and leave for your kid, your love, or even for a perfect stranger in a shop.

However you use them, if the colors and texture of this set appeal to you, check them out!