Sunday Stickies is a column where we reflect on the past week and pen those thoughts down on sticky pads. Expect notes to ourselves and others, advice, reminders for the week ahead, quotes, and anything random actually. T'was a quiet week in the studio. Min was away on her summer Japanese vacation and I don't really listen to music if I am working alone in the office. However, it was not quiet on the work front at all. Despite us hoping that the studio will be packed and in a proper orderly shape in September, it is delivery season and delivery season means one huge mess. Boxes filled with new products and papers are everywhere and it is killing me! We are working double-time to perfect the look of our Christmas and year-end goodies, which means a ton of emails and calls to our printers and sending back rejected goods. We are hoping for things to settle down quickly so that we can get our life and studio in order. A productive office is a neat office, but man, is it hard to upkeep! (Direct from Japan) Min: I spent the week in Kyushu and it has been amazing. Travelling to new places is always good fun. In light of the recent earthquake in Kumamoto and Mount Aso’s volcano eruption, many areas near Kumamoto were on high alert. This is my first encounter with a place that have just been devastated by a natural disaster and it is well… extremely heart-wrenching to say the least. Without a clue about the disaster, Google Maps led us right into the heart of the town hit by a volcano eruption. We drove around quietly as we tried to take in everything we saw - collapsed tombstones, empty onsens, crushed cars and houses, and roads filled with potholes. It was a lifeless town. Sigh, I have a heavy heart now… Jia: About a month ago, I wrote about my strange non-obsession with Pokemon Go, so I thought it was time for an update! I am still not very enthusiastic about it but because my boyfriend and friends are, I am somehow still playing the game ever so often and my level is increasing ever so steadily.
Case in point: my phone was drained of battery multiple times during our event - the weekend market at Millenia Walk. My friends and boyfriend would whisk my phone away and catch numerous Pokemon all while I was serving customers. It was a rather eye-opening experience, watching throngs of people run towards a certain direction to catch 'em all. Sometimes, my customers would pause while browsing art prints to catch a Pokemon that has spawned right there and then. As for me? I am still waiting patiently for Sun and Moon to launch in November to go totally obsessed again. - Are YOU obsessed with Pokemon Go? <3 Jia
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Time flew by so quickly in July and August. We were up to our necks with deadlines regarding all aspects of our studio work and retail line. Doors of opportunities kept opening and we are so thankful for everything we experienced within those two months! Before we knew it, we are in the early days of September and another Behind The Scenes post is due. If you have been reading our BTS posts (click here and here), you would know that we tend to run around and do different things every day which makes studio life so much fun! Even a 'quiet' day in the office is made up of a variety of work, so we are not in our seats all day. Every single day is different and we love that so much! This post is a little different from the previous posts as we have gotten permission from a few of our clients to show sneak peeks of our work in the areas of custom design, event styling, and marketing and branding. Let's get started! Pop-Up Events We participated in a ton of retail pop-up events which took up a substantial amount of time in July and August. But it's fine, really, as it means that we can spend more time with our fellow creative friends such as Operational Overhaul (see image below). This photo below was taken in Takashimaya where we had a two-week pop-up event. We were amused at how both our brands had 'Tutti Fruitti' items - we match! Min and I love hanging out with our friends during events. They are a bunch of genuine, lovely creatives and it is so heartening to forge deeper and more substantial relationships over time! (L) Vendor Tip: When your booth is really crowded, just snap a quick pic of your customers' purchases in order to hasten the packing process. This makes it so much easier to record down transactions when things quieten down. (R) Oh, the glare of our lights! In order to illuminate our products and create a more comfortable shopping experience for our customers, we suffer the bright harsh glare of our lighting system. We often go home with white spots in our vision! Custom Design and Client Meetings Below is one of our favourite custom card design order from a client. We love it when clients share the same aesthetic style as us. This card may look like a plain white card with words but there was a ton of texture and light washes of colour in the background that cannot be seen on camera. It was such a pretty delicate project! (L) Packing up an order for a client. We love to use our stickers! (R) The best meeting location we had in July and August was in a cable car! We mentioned this in a Sunday Stickies post. Oh, how we wish that every client meeting could be as awesome. Check out the view during the meeting in the picture below! Prep Work A lot of time in the studio is spent prepping. We have to pack and prepare our new arrivals for both online and offline sales - hence, the Hello Kitty labeller for products going out on consignment - and also prep for our event styling projects. Something that isn't photographed here but takes up a substantial amount of time is when I prep for my design work! (Top L) Min doing light markings in pencil before I paint on the wooden pallet. (Top R) A quick run to our regular craft supply store. The store has definitely seen better days! It was a huge mess that day and we ended up going to another store after this shot was taken because we couldn't find what we needed amongst the chaos. (Bottom L) Choosing the perfect ferns and green florals for an event styling project. (Bottom R) Preparing a template for our craft work in an event styling project. (L) Trooper wandering into a shot that was to be send to a client. This super cute wooden set was used for a wedding. A normal guestbook does not cut it anymore! (R) A horrifyingly messy look at the car boot when we are transporting props from one location to another for an event. Event Styling and Client Events (Top) A sneak peek at a wedding styling project. Rustic charm was the theme and we filled the venue with Baby's Breath, soft lace, vintage bronze frames, and wood elements. Sorry about the low quality photo, I had to zoom into my initial photo to crop out the couple's faces for privacy! (L) Sneaking in a shot at a private event. It was a massive event with lots of 'clubby' and lounge elements. Loved it! (R) Watching fireworks erupt right close in person at a private event. One of the perks of being part of the crew is that you can go into restricted zones! Blog Life Upon reviewing and choosing BTS photos for this post, I realised that July and August were very food-centric. Most of the outtakes during photoshoots belonged to Sunday Stickies posts and Eat posts. The top right corner above has a bonus reminder of the terrible 4fingers challenge that left us feeling very oily and bloated. And yes, we have not eaten a fried piece of chicken ever since! (Bottom L) Cutting the pizza toast for a shot for Eat // The Ultimate Throwback Childhood Pizza Toast. (Bottom R) Arranging ingredients for the blog header image in the Eat // Bovril vs Marmite Showdown: Mushroom Linguine. Readying Products For Release There is always a pretty lengthly process before we release any new product for purchase online and in person at pop-up events. After checking through everything to ensure quality, we have to photograph and pack the items before uploading them onto the store for sale. I really love our new greeting cards and Faith Postcard Set. More details on the newest single greeting cards will be found in an upcoming blog post. (Top, Top R and Top L) Photoshoot for the newbies! We love working with different types of floral and we get really excited when the photos pop with amazing colour.
(Bottom L and R) Cutting up boards that serve as backings for our product packaging. Yes, we are pretty much professional cutters by day. Cutting stickers, boards, and paper could be our retirement jobs! - Do you enjoy these Behind The Scenes posts? Let us know if you do and what you'd like to see next in our blog! <3 Jia Sunday Stickies is a column where we reflect on the past week and pen those thoughts down on sticky pads. Expect notes to ourselves and others, advice, reminders for the week ahead, quotes, and anything random actually. YES! It is finally September! We have completed a ton of projects in August and we are hoping for a peaceful month ahead to organise the studio and to do some strategic planning. The rush and madness of July and August has resulted in a very very very messy studio which is seriously making us feel unnerved and irritable. September is going to be a fun month, we can just feel it. We are going slow with events as we prepare for the Christmas and year-end collections + get started on newly inked projects. There is going to be a ton of deliveries and we really need to pack our workspace in preparation for an avalanche of new products, paper stocks, and office equipment. Phew, wish us strength and health as we get ready for the last quarter of the year! We may be looking for some help in October to December in all areas, so if you are interested, please introduce yourself, your area of expertise, and your expectations to us via email. Min: Happy birthday to me! Okay, my birthday is technically over but I'm just going to keep celebrating it. This week, Jia and I learned that we are able to eat and talk for 6 hours straight. It's amazing how we can still yak on for many hours despite seeing each other every single day and after knowing each other for 20 years. Aside from the good companionship, the scrumptious spread of food and tea selections was something we look forward to whenever we start missing our high tea sessions. Thanks to Jia and Jia's sister for the treat! You guys made my tummy a happy one! August started out really rough but I'm glad it ended really well. September, I'm ready for you! Jia: I have something to confess. For the past few weeks, I have not been diligently noting down all my must-dos and important deadlines/dates in my calendar, planner or List It Like You Mean It Notepad. I have just been so busy trying to survive August and its workload that I didn't bother to take the time to plan and schedule my life. Oh, what a terrible mistake!
I realised that I have become astonishingly disorganised and scatterbrained. My brain just can't keep up with the remembering of all the details of the things I need to do and people I need to meet. This will not do. I resolve to resume my habitual - or at least, pick up the habit again - routine of setting aside time in the mornings and weekends to plan my life. September and the rest of the year (and my life) will be orderly once more! - Round-up of August's Sunday Stickies: 7 August // 14 August // 21 August // 28 August - Is your September filled with exciting plans? Tell us about them! :) With Love, Min+Jia. This month's Hot Hue is a personal favourite warm shade of mine. Cosily snuck between the red and orange lands is my happy shade of coral. One of my recent wedding suite design projects was heavily reliant on coral-coloured peonies as the main motif which led me to feel so cheery throughout the entire design process. Coral is a great colour to use as part of a wedding colour palette as it adds femininity without ever veering too coy or girlish. There is just that little bit of sass and confidence in the colour that makes it stand out boldly amongst the crowd. It also pairs very well with many shades! Try matching coral with neutrals for that cheeky pop of colour or pairing it with cool tones for an unexpected twist. Also, you can bring yellow and coral together for the ultimate happy and cheery experience. The aforementioned wedding suite project solidified my love for corals (and peonies) and I have been consciously picking up coral-hued things while shopping ever since. Here are some delightful items in this poppy colour that I am full-on lusting over. 1 // Stella McCartney 'Falabella-Caned' Faux Leather Crossbody Bag Stella McCartney is one of my favourite designer brands because of its long-term commitment to environmental sustainability. The eco-friendly faux leather weave looks awesome with the metal hardware. To me, this bag is the perfect blend of fun and edginess and would totally work for both day and night outfits! Ah, another bag to add to my dream list! 2 // Ciate Olivia Palermo Nail Polish in Haute Vacation Coral I love coral nail polishes and have actually way too many bottles lying around at home. It is my go-to toe nail colour. Min can attest to my love for coral nail polishes and would probably stop me from buying this Ciate polish! However, I love Ciate nail polishes (especially their top coat) and I do like Olivia Palermo's fashion and beauty style. This shall soon be mine! 3 // Puma X Careaux Blaze Of Glory Trainers in Coral Rose Print This is such a pretty pair of suede sneakers! I was immediately drawn to it while browsing around ASOS during a late night window shopping session. I love the little rose motifs scattered around the shoes and the gold details makes everything look a wee bit fancier. Suede is always a good idea (to me) and I think this pair of sneakers would be mighty comfortable during a long work day at events! 4 // White Feather Rhodochrosite Gemstone Necklace In the past month, Min and I got to know the good people behind White Feather and we adore them to bits. They are superbly well-versed in their field and all their jewellery reflects their classical elegant style. I really love this dainty Rhodochrosite necklace because of its versatility when it comes to coordinating with any outfit and it is so different from what I own currently. Swoon! 5 // Topshop MINDY Two-Part Swirly Heels
While shopping around for nude-coloured heels, I came across this gorgeous pair of coral skinny sandals in Topshop and was immediately struck by cupid. Isn't the back detailing of the shoe so very pretty? I am a huge believer in wearing fun colours on your feet and this just screams that. Super fun! 6 // Paul Smith No. 9 Coral Leather Credit Card Holder I have been looking for a new name card holder for the past few months and this has been on the top of my consideration list because of the stunning salmony-coral shade. According to Paul Smith, the embossed pattern is inspired by the award-winning cast iron facade of London's flagship Paul Smith shop. I totally see the adaptation and I love it! 7 // Lojel Groove Luggage (Zipper Version) So, here's the thing. I love buying luggages and I especially enjoy buying them in bright poppy colours. The general rule of thumb is the brighter the better. I get so bored looking at all the black luggages on the carousel after a flight, that when my luggage shows up on the belt, my mood perks up immediately. My current Lojel luggage is way too big for any trip that is less than 2 weeks long, so I think this medium-sized coral luggage is next on my to-buy list. 8 // Gama Bikes Women's Basic 26" 6-Speed Urban Hybrid Commuter in Coral I need to get my biking game on. And, I say it in the sense that I really need to learn how to ride a bicycle in order to complete bucket-list-type things on vacations. I never learned because I was never taught. I didn't feel the need to learn how to cycle when I was young. I love rollerblading but it is pretty impossible to bring my rollerblades e-v-e-r-y-w-h-e-r-e I travel. So, learning to ride a bicycle it is. This bicycle is super stylish in a minimal and retro approach and I love it! This is exactly the type of bike that will keep me motivated on my cycling journey! - Do you like a little bit of coral in your life? <3 Jia (All images taken from the product sources. Links provided in the description.) |
Min+JiaThe humans behind honey&gazelle Design Studio. When we are not frantically working, we share our mishmash of thoughts on design, life, and love here. Grab a cuppa and stay for a bit! Categories
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