Tag: Handmade

There’s been work afoot behind the scenes here at Beastie Towers, and today I’m excited to be able to tell you about it at last!

As many of you probably already know, all Beasties are issued with a special passport before they leave for their new homes. This passport contains everything an adventurous little monster (and their new family) needs to know about themselves – who they are, their code number and how to keep in touch with the crew back at Beastie Towers.

Here’s how they looked when I first started making them…
Full credit for this idea goes to Boyfriend, and for the last couple of years, it’s been amazing for helping me to keep track of all the Beasties I’ve made. It’s also a handy way to show people that their Beastie is unique! I cut a template to help keep the shields on the front cover consistent, and constant practice has meant that I’ve actually got quite speedy at cutting them out, folding them and filling out the features on each one.

But that doesn’t change the fact that I’m still making every single one by hand! And as the Beasties have started to reach out and colonise new social networks, I’ve had to cram ever more information onto these teeny 5x6mm cards. The end result is…
Yikes! Look at all that! The last straw came when I was preparing for a market in the middle of last month, and I realised that two of the social networks I use – Twitter and Instagram – had done the unforgivable and changed their logos… to something undrawable!

A bird? And white lines on a multicoloured background? How am I supposed to draw those over and over without going cross-eyed?! Something had to give… So I bit the bullet and tackled something I’ve been meaning to do for ages. It’s time to let print technology do the work for me!

Aaaand since my expertise in designing for print is pretty much non-existent, I figured it would be a good idea to get a pro on board. Fortunately, I know one! I reached out to Julie from Juleco… I’d already seen work she’d done for other clients, and I knew she’d do a great job.

I got my samples back from the printers last week. So now, without further ado, I’m delighted to share her design with you… Behold!
Because I no longer have to draw the crest on the front by hand, I was keen to add in a couple more elements – look, there’s a Beastie on there now! And a couple of nods to their Irish heritage, too.
Inside, there’s space for me to write what type of Beastie they are and their code number. The new “tribe” line will allow me to share their genetic origins – all my Beasties are made from natural fibre yarns, and I want to make more of a big deal about this! I’ll still be drawing the “photos”, of course, but having a space to stick them into, instead of drawing directly onto the passport, will mean I can use proper drawing paper. Plus I’ll be less afraid of making mistakes!
As for the back… I’m especially pleased that the social media logos no longer look like they were drawn by a 3 year old, but it’s great that I can include info about my Etsy store for the first time, too. I’m also relieved to have somewhere to put my health and safety disclaimer at last – not the most glamorous thing, perhaps, but certainly important!

Massive thanks to Julie for making this project a walk in the park – it was a real pleasure! And if you’re  a small business owner looking for help with your brand identity, I’d definitely recommend you get in touch with her… Or at least take a peek in her Etsy shop!

So, what’s the verdict? Are we fans of the new-look passports? Let me know in the comments!