Santa Claus is coming to town!

Yesterday I posted the new French Press coffee line labels. But there's one more! The Holiday Blend Label (see the sneak peek here). We modified the stamp logo to be a bit more festive (that was the clients' idea - I can't take credit, but I think it's awesome) and applied the UV spot varnish to it as well as to the reindeer. It came out really well. So well, in fact, I decided a bag of coffee with this jolly label was the perfect Christmas gift for several family members and snatched up a few. Now, off to pack up and head out for the holiday weekend! Merry Christmas, everyone!

Project: French Press Holiday Coffee Label
Client: French Press Roasters
Design + Art Direction: StudioM
Printer: Brown Printing

French Press Coffee Labels. Complete.

The French Press coffee labels are done! They made their debut at the shop in Salem the week after Thanksgiving. And they've received a warm reception. From most, that is. Mike Taylor, the boss-man at French Press, told me a funny anecdote last week when I went to visit: the wife one of the regulars stopped in to stock up on whole bean coffee, which happened to be labeled with the new designs, and when she got home her husband threw a fit because he was convinced she got coffee from the wrong place. (The bags used to simply be stamped, as seen here.) Once he calmed down and realized that in fact it was French Press coffee, his coffee, he was happy as a clam with the new label. Whew.

The only thing you can't see from these high quality scans is the UV spot varnish we had applied to all the French Press 'stamp' logos. See the light reflecting off it in the photos below? Yum.

Project: French Press Coffee Line Labels
Client: French Press Roasters
Design + Art Direction: StudioM
Copywriting: Jason Barnes
Printer: Brown Printing

What won't be on the Bakery D'Amour coffee bags

Just like the last declined design post I shared, this work was done for Bakery D'Amour. And it's not that they're not going to sell whole bean coffee anymore or not put labels on their whole bean coffee bags....it's just that we have something else in the works that will do the trick. So for now, these are being archived into the StudioM declined design digital vault. But not before I send them out to blogger-land to be enjoyed. They need at least 15 seconds of fame.Stay tuned to see what we do end up slappin' on the coffee bags. It's going to be delicious.

Amy + Colin | Finally married!

Amy and I started working on her printed wedding pieces way back in September of last year. At the time, it seemed her and Colin's wedding day would never come. But, as always, time files and they're finally living with wedded bliss! They got married last month at Zenith Vineyard in the Willamette Valley, just northwest of Salem, Oregon. The event was classy and beautiful - just as planned.

We created the printed pieces (program seen above) with scrolls in bronze metallic and gorgeous script type with fabulous flourishes to convey what was to come. If you want to see the stunning photos of the wedding day, visit Soul Mates Photo's blog.

You can see their invites and things featured in this post from earlier this year.

Photo credit to Melissa Tomeoni of Soul Mates Photography.

Bakery D'Amour Gift Cards

The chosen design - Now you can gift the bakery experience to family and friends!

Some preliminary layouts

SNEAK PEEK! French Press Coffee Labels

Well, it's been a year since I started working with French Press. They've made quite a name for themselves in the Salem area and are ready to start looking as legitimate as they are....with official coffee bag labels. Their whole bean coffee blends come in (approx.) 1-pound bags. To date, they've used a large custom rubber stamp to indicate the dark, medium and light roasts (as seen in the background of this image). And it's worked well, but as they expand their whole bean blend selection (and offer online shopping in the near future), they will need a better way to market their beans. Enter: StudioM. Below are the first round comps I presented to the team earlier this week. We're working on a hybrid, so sit tight and you'll see the final design when it's done. The goal is to visually portray the fine craft and fabulous flavors French Press has to offer...and get the coffee to fly off the shop's shelves! There's no reason it shouldn't. It's really, really good.

Bakery & Bistro | Now Open

This is not the first time I've sung the praises of Bakery D'Amour. And it won't be the last. If you're in the Salem area and haven't modified your route to accommodate a bakery stop, you're missing out. That's exactly what I'm trying to prove with this post. Feel free to salivate/drool as necessary. Just stay clear of your keyboard.

Turkey Cobb Salad. Scrumptious.

Turkey Pot Pie. Comfort Food at its finest.

Ruben Romance. Really.

This was my Grand Opening gift for the bakery. It came from Every Day is a Holiday on Etsy. They were recently featured in New York Times Magazine for this piece in particular. You can read more about it in the online article. It's a very cool idea. And perfect, I thought, for the bakery.

I generally try to follow directions, but instead of a cupcake for dessert, I got....

...2 lovely cookies, a chocolate-dipped macaroon, a cannolo, and two florentine crisps. I'm pretty sure we made up for the directional deviation in proportion. And each item comes highly recommended by me and my tasting team! Ha.

One of my darling dates for the day. My mom. Because a trip to the bakery should be a family affair.

Bakery D'Amour | Opening Soon

I scampered down to Salem this morning.

My agenda included the following:

1) Deliver printed menus and business cards.

2) Decorate!

3) Drink a copious amount of French Press coffee since the Bakery is going in just next door.

4) Pick up some more French Press goodies.

Done, done and done. Oh! And there was a tapioca + strawberry crepe with real whipped cream from French Press to top it all off. Not on the agenda, but a necessary deviation. Here are some preview photos...

The architectural awning over the drive-thru.

Love the striking design.

An amazing French platter Fran Berry found to hang in the bakery.

I'm jealous of her shopping skills. Go, Fran!

Bakery D'Amour Wall Art by StudioM

Bakery D'Amour collaborative wall art by StudioM and Christine Zollner.

I could fit in that mixer bowl. I should have climbed in there to give you a sense of scale.

Bread-making requires serious tools.

Jay Farmen, the Bakery Boss-man.

Ladders and boxes soon to be replaced with tables and patrons.

Until then.....Au revoir!

French Press Goodies

The procurement from today's trip to Salem:

A pound of organic whole bean coffee from Peru.

Two matching mugs.

How could you resist that perfect little copper Eiffel Tower?

I couldn't, obviously.

And you can't have one lonely mug.

So I got two.

Bread-lovers unite!

Bakery D'Amour is coming. Soon.

Here are some images of the printed menus. They're planning on offering some of the most amazing menu items. You can walk-in, sit down, drive-thru or cater-to-order. How's that for options!? Get ready to eat some bread.

Bread-Lovers Unite!

You can read more about the bakery's design process here.

Bakery D'Amour | Wall Art

This is what you will see on the walls of Bakery D'Amour in Salem, OR. (If you missed what you won't see, click here.)

Contrary to the proportions you see here, the bike image will become a 2x2-foot stretched, gallery-wrapped work of art on canvas. The below work will be featured on a 6x3-foot gallery-quality canvas. Huge. If you've been to French Press, you've seen the 7x3-foot piece we created earlier this year. That's really huge. Bold and beautiful is the only way to go for this culinary endeavor; it's backed by some very brilliant and very brave people. You know, they say "La chance sourit aux audacieux" or "Fortune favors the brave" (literally translated: "Luck smiles at the bold"). Bakery D'Amour, you are going to be showered in smiles. I just know it.

One of the client's family members got to join in the fun, too! Christine Zollner did the sketch of the picturesque bakery woman in the piece above.

Here's the bakery's address if you'll be in the area: 2755 S. Commercial, Salem, OR 97302

StudioM | Now Serving French Press

My office smells of coffee beans. Whether it's the breathing in deeply because of it or the coffee itself that's making my day oh so nice, I'm not sure. Either way, French Press is responsible. This morning I had the pleasure of visiting French Press in Salem, OR. They're one of my clients and a place I wish could frequent more than just visit. You see, they have extremely high standards when it comes to coffee. If and when you go, you'll never be served a cup of joe made from beans roasted more than 72 hours ago. As you can imagine, I wanted to pick up pounds and pounds of whole bean coffee, but just thinking of trying to drink it all within 72 hours for maximum freshness gave me the jitters. So I got a pound. Fresh is always best. 

But don't take my word for it. Get yourself and your coffee+crepe-craving taste buds down to French Press. Stat. Unless of course you're planning on stopping in at StudioM where you might just be able to convince me to let you in on the sort-of-true 'Now Serving French Press' offer. If I answer the door with the jitters, you'll know you came a moment too late.

Table cards we created to promote whole bean coffee.

I love a well-placed logo.

Landscaping is being done as we speak. Stay tuned for official Grand Opening information...