Today I'm wrapping up my "Back-To-School for Mom" blog series with Target® and Target Inner Circle. I really hope you've enjoyed following along!
As I join the ranks of fellow parents with a kid in school, it has really changed my perspective on time management and productivity. It has also given me a new level of respect for the Moms and Dads who wake up every morning and orchestrate the EPIC task of getting multiple children to school on time, while maintaining a level of outward sanity that convinces the general population that everything is smooth and under control. Fist Bump, sisters and brothers. Fist Bump.
For this last post, I wanted to share some fun products and gift ideas from Target® and Target® Photo Center. Since the series started, I've walked you through the basic steps to take control of your digital creativity, and now you can put that knowledge to use by treating yourself to some custom printed products!
I'm so excited that Target® gave me this chance to test out some products of my choosing- I dove right in without much rhyme or reason behind my choice in products- I looked for items that were "full bleed" or "photo only" (meaning you could use a full photo image rather than adding to something pre-designed) and had fun with it! I mean, who doesn't love stickers? I picked a couple of my favorite graphics, a few photos of Maggie, started uploading and ordering...and TA DA!
I think the first items I chose were the labels and the stickers. I selected a set of logo labels for Studio Pebbles and another set for my husband's Seattle paint company, Madrona Paintworks. Then, I ordered a double batch of custom return address stickers that we have needed for like EVER. The process was totally painless and easy to follow. Next, I went into my design files and grabbed a few of my favorite graphics and tried them out as sheets of stickers. SO FUN! The quality of the printed labels is outstanding! I am really happy with them.
Next up: fridge magnets. I picked these because I figured it would be nice to have some decent looking magnets for my messy fridge, and I also chose to do some photo magnets to give away as gifts for the holidays. Again, print quality was 100% spot on, bright and crisp.
Then I did the same thing with key chains. Target® offers a few different options, I think the one I chose was "Key Tag." these are small 2" solid plastic rectangles with the key ring attached in the upper right corner. Again, I chose some with a photo and some with graphics. These didn't print as crisp as the labels and magnets, but it's only obvious if you are comparing the two products side by side. These Key Tags are made of a different material that is much glossier than the magnets, which might have a lot to do with the end result.
Last but not least, I decided to try out my "Family Rules" printable as a graphic on a custom ceramic coffee mug. The coffee mugs do not have a "photo only" option, which is a bummer. I would have loved to have just had my graphic on a nice white background...however, I did find a simple pre-designed template with a color that coordinated well enough and went with that. I actually made a mistake in picking the wrong gray for the background of my graphic before uploading it, and didn't catch it until my order was already being processed, but that is only a nit-picky thing for me to notice...otherwise the coffee mug turned out great!
These are a only some of the products that Target® offers that can be customized with your graphics or photos. In fact, Target® retail stores and Target.com recently started carrying a line of products by a great company called RuMe. RuMe specializes in reusable products such as tote bags, pouches, iPad and iPhone cases, cleaning clothes and more in amazing bold graphic patterns and colors.
When you buy a RuMe iPhone, iPad or iPod case, you get a voucher for a custom back-plate. I altered one of my pre-existing designs into a background of simple color dots and sent it off to RuMe. I couldn't wait to get a custom printed case for my phone, and I have to tell you, the quality is outstanding. I love my case so much, I ended up making some jewelry for it.
Overall, I really enjoyed the process of having these items printed, not only for the end result, but for the experience. I can't wait to put the Key Tags and Magnets in the Grandparents stockings, and start using those much needed return address labels.
As a little added treat, I have an extra set of the products (Key Tags, Magnets, Sticker Sheets, and Coffee Mug) with my designs to giveaway, and also, everyone can take advantage of a special discount for Studio Pebbles readers- 15% off your TargetPhoto.com order using code: PEBBLES15 from now until Oct. 31, 2013 at 11:59 pm EDT.
To enter the giveaway: leave a comment below and a winner will be drawn on Monday, September 30th at 3:00 pm PST. Be sure to sign in with a vaild email address or make sure you add it to your comment.
Once again, thank you for following along with this series! If you have any questions or suggestions for future series posts, tutorials, or general topics you'd like me to share, I'd love to hear your thoughts.
-Jennifer
