StickerFly! CSM Buzz Page

When the Powder Gets Deep : Nothing Better Than Meier Skis

2012-01-13T11:47:00.000-08:00

Nestled in the heart of ski country, is a little town called Glenwood Springs, Colorado, and what better location for a handmade ski company to be based out of?

Handmade ski company, Meier Skis creates top of the line skis from locally grown lumber. Meier believes that “There is nothing better than riding Colorado slopes on native Colorado wood.” They offer a variety of skis, all while maintaining a classic look to their designs, and showcasing the beautiful wood that the skis are made from.

We recently printed a bunch of stickers for Meier, and if you have ever set foot in a ski resort, it’s no doubt that skiers love stickers. Meier uses their stickers to promote and advertise their business. Everyone loves free stickers, and Meier has utilized this fact to get free advertising when people stick their stickers around town and on their vehicles.

If you are a powder lover, make sure you check out meierskis.com. From the bunny slopes to the steeps, they have a ski for you!

Got A Sweet Tooth? Luckee Dutch Delivers Tasty Treats

2011-12-20T08:40:00.000-08:00

It’s the Holiday Season, and who doesn’t love all of the scrumptious homemade treats this time of year?

We recently printed a bunch of labels for family owned and operated bakery, Luckee Dutch. They feature delicious baked items with an emphasis on specialty gourmet cookies. Luckee Dutch cookies and pastries are made with only the freshest and finest ingredients available.

Each cookie is individually packaged in a sealed bag with a Custom Sticker placed on the front of the bags to identify that these yummy treats are made only by Luckee Dutch. Their custom stickers include their company logo, phone number, and website, which looks great, and help brand their business too!

After searching online for reasonable pricing for sticker products, Luckee Dutch “found Custom Stickers to have the best pricing and clear ordering instructions. And they have great customer service!”

To order your own artisan cookies at any time of the year - and at reasonable prices to boot - visit Luckee Dutch online at www.luckeedutch.com

Custom Bicycle Stickers: Levity406 has the right idea!

2011-12-06T10:27:00.000-08:00

We have been printing Levity406’s custom bike stickers for a few years now, and we recently interviewed them about their company and custom sticker needs. Here’s what they had to say:

lev·i·ty (lev´i tē), n. 1. lightness of mind, character, or behavior, esp. lack of appropriate seriousness or earnestness.

406 (four-oh-six), n. 1. Montana’s area code.

“ ‘Levity406’ is a partnership formed as an exercise in solidarity between bicyclists. (And as a possible channel for partners, Will and Eric, to transcend abject poverty—a weird wanderjahr that has us travelling hopefully without the prospect of ever arriving.) By applying our sociological imaginations we have come to better understand the relationship between life on a juiced up hobby horse and the built environment—five ‘o’clock traffic and all. Specifically, we try to locate that point which lies at the intersection of bicyclists and our car culture. It is at that point that we encourage solidarity among bicyclists by designing and dispensing articles of symbolic communications. The medium is a billboard writ small, intelligent, simple and poignant stickers."

“Bumper stickers have long entertained, infuriated, and sometimes dismayed the occupants of the car behind! Levity406 stickers are the logical extension of bumper stickers for bicyclists—and that’s what we do. The three Levity406 bike stickers are our business!”

When we asked why he chooses CSM for all of their custom sticker printing needs, owner Eric, went on to say – “CSM has been awesome! Friendly ink, quality stickers, quick turnaround, terribly nice people—need I say more?”

You can view and purchase these custom bicycle stickers online at:

www.fuckyoubikethief.bigcartel.com for individual sticker sales

http://www.etsy.com/people/Levity406 for wholesale (20 pack)

Branding: Howie's Hockey Tape Knows How

2011-11-23T13:39:00.000-08:00

If you own your own company, you know the importance of branding, and what better way to brand your business than inexpensive custom stickers?

Based in Grand Rapids, MI, right in the heart of hockey country, is Howie’s Hockey Tape. Howie’s sells high quality hockey tape, laces, and mouth-guards to individuals, pro shops and even universities across the country. And they give away stickers with every order, increasing their name and brand recognition with each shipment that is sent (And the stickers look great too).

Howie’s Hockey Tape chooses Custom Sticker Makers as their sticker printer because they “appreciate the quality of the stickers” that we provide.

So, if you or your team or school is in the market for the highest quality hockey tape, laces and more, check them out, and get some awesome custom stickers with your order! www.howieshockeytape.com

Teen Pulse : Teaching Responsibility Through Music

2011-11-17T09:53:00.000-08:00

Youth performing arts organization, Teen Pulse is on a mission to teach social responsibility through the arts. Founder Skye (‘Coach K’) Kooyman started Teen Pulse while she was still in high school to create a feeder program for her high school drumline. In college, she went on to study music education, earned her degree and teaching credential, and grew Teen Pulse in southern California throughout those years. She is now working on creating percussion and student leadership programs that can be completed online via Skype.

Teen Pulse has grown into a drumline, color guard, novelty percussion, stomp, music theory, and jazz improv program that travels to multiple schools in the Inland Empire.

Coach K states “By continuing to exponentially spread our reputation for guiding teens who are usually labeled as "problems" into being positively contributing citizens of society, Teen Pulse will one day be bigger than Boy Scouts. When our alumni apply for jobs and/or college, being associated with Teen Pulse will make a huge impact.”

Teen Pulse had Custom Sticker Makers print up some stickers for them, why? “Teenagers LOVE stickers!” says Coach K, who went on to explain that she chose CSM because “Everything was pretty easy and self-explanatory and our stickers came out perfectly.”

What a way to support the youth of today! We applaud Teen Pulse for positively impacting the lives of so many young people! Find out more about this wonderful organization at liveteenpulse.com

Custom Labels: Hood's BBQ Sauce Looks as Great as it Tastes!

2011-11-10T12:24:00.000-08:00

We all love delicious home cooked, comfort food, and located in Southern Chester County Pennsylvania, you will find exactly this; an eatery named Hood's BBQ & Deli, LLC.

Hood’s specializes in slow roasted BBQ Pulled Pork sandwiches, as well as a large variety of delicatessen style sandwiches. They have been in the food industry for over 20 years, and put an emphasis on providing their customers and the local community with a clean and friendly atmosphere in which to enjoy consistently good, home cooked food.

Hood’s BBQ was referred to Custom Sticker Makers by a customer who had used them in the past. “CSM offers a fast and easy way to do everything online. They made our BBQ Sauce Labels and we couldn't be happier with how they turned out! Our customers love the new bottles! CSM was an obvious choice when choosing who to have make our labels. They are fast, efficient, and customer friendly. Their prices are fair and competitive to boot!” said Larry Hood, owner of Hood’s BBQ.

You can visit them online at www.hoodsbbq.com, or better yet, stop in an grab one of their famous ‘Hoodies’, a generous portion of slow roasted pulled pork, smothered in homemade Hood's BBQ sauce, with melted sharp provolone cheese, and sweet homemade coleslaw, all nestled together between a freshly baked Kaiser roll.

Skaters Love Stickers: And We Love High Rollin'

2011-11-03T14:23:00.000-07:00

Based out of Las Vegas, NV, Independent skateboard brand, High Rollin' Skateboards specializes in providing Pro-Quality skateboard decks with graphics representing a High Rollin' lifestyle.

High Rollin’ uses their stickers mainly as a promotional item to help get the word out about their brand. They hand them out at events and every High Rollin' order comes with free stickers. And they just sent a bunch of free sticker packs to their most recent clients!

The guys over at High Rollin’ choose Custom Sticker Makers for all of their sticker printing needs. Chris, with High Rollin’ Skateboards says he uses CSM for “Cost, quality, durability, turnaround time. Also, they are full color without additional setup fees per color.”

These are definitely some of our favorite stickers to print! If you skate, be sure to visit High Rollin’ online at www.hrskateboards.com

"Your Mom Doesn't Work Here" : How Custom Stickers Work for PMB

2011-10-21T11:17:00.000-07:00

There is nothing worse than walking into your gym to work out, and not being able to find the equipment you need, or even worse, using dirty equipment. Brightly colored custom stickers help remind gym goers to return and clean their equipment when they are finished, which increases membership retention and acquisition.

New Jersey based Put Me Back, was inspired by the common problems you see at almost every gym. Whether the gym is part of an exclusive country club, national chain, hotel workout room, college, military, government, corporate or local fitness center, Put Me Back carries a line of color coded durable stickers which remind members to return equipment back to the correct place, or clean cardio equipment after use.

Put Me Back can create custom solutions for any type of gym or packaging need, and are also expanding into other industries to help with packaging solutions, inventory stickers, warning labels, safety decals, etc.

“Custom Sticker Makers takes our artwork and creates durable, professional products. Our stickers are our brand unless we create a branded solution for a customer. Colors and messaging are unique to our products. They (CSM) have provided us with professional quality at an affordable price. The use of eco-friendly materials & processes as well as being located in the US was also crucial in our decision.”

Visit PMB online at: http://www.putmeback.com/howitworks.html

Pigments of Your Imagination: Be Glamorous

2011-10-13T12:06:00.000-07:00

Ladies: Tired of bland, boring eye-shadow colors? Really want to glam up your look? Check out Glamourdolleyes.com! Offering some of the brightest and boldest eye-shadow colors available, you are sure to get noticed!

Glamour Doll Eyes shadows are made with all natural ingredients, minerals, and pigments, and are never tested on animals. They even feature “How To” video tutorials so that you can really get the look you want!

Glamour Doll Eyes owner, Vanessa Barney, uses her custom stickers as labels for the jars that the eye-shadows come in. Nothing like fun, full color custom labels, for fun full color eye-shadows! “I choose Custom Sticker Makers for my smaller projects because they're quick, high quality and a lot cheaper than having to buy thousands at a time.”- Vanessa

To order these fun and very affordable shadows, visit Glamour Doll Eyes online at glamourdolleyes.com, and make sure to visit them on Facebook as well, at facebook.com/glamourdolleyes!

24/7 Customer Service = QR Code Custom Stickers

2011-10-05T12:04:00.000-07:00

If you have resided in a College dormitory within the last 11 years, you are most likely familiar with US Postal Solutions, Inc.

Since 2000, US Postal Solutions, Inc. has offered student housing mail delivery management services for on- and off-campus student (and military) housing.

They now service over 37,500 residents daily in 10 different states, offering management of customized daily mail delivery, and customer service by smart phone, website and 24/7/365 live-operator, toll free customer service.

Recently, US Postal Solutions had Custom Sticker Makers produce custom stickers to be used as specific permanent notices for their client's residents. They have printed stickers offering direction for outgoing and misdirected mail, and the latest stickers include a QR code, directing residents to their mobile customer service website once they scan the code with their mobile device.

US Postal Solutions chose Custom Sticker Makers as their sticker printer because “We like the easy upload, verification and printing process; plus we enjoy the customized customer service that we receive”.

Check them out online at www.uspostalsolutions.com

LiQit = Be Extreme!

2011-09-26T09:25:00.000-07:00

Southern California Based Active Sports Brand Apparel and Beverage line, LiQit (pronounced Lik-it) was founded in 2011 by Carlsbad resident Mary Stewart. Lick-it has been a southern California slang term for years, inspiring extreme motivation. Playing on this fun word Mary created her company LiQit, and developed her website Liqitgear.com, which features a unique line of clothing for men, women and children, as well as a new beverage line.

Custom stickers have become an integral part of LiQit’s marketing plan. Every customer that orders clothing receives a complimentary LiQit sticker, and the smaller stickers are used for hangtags.

“I was referred to Custom Sticker Makers and have been impressed with their insight and professionalism. They are reasonably priced, and produce high quality work. I will continue to use them for all of my sticker needs!” Stewart said when asked why she chose CSM.

If you are a fan of fun, inspiring and motivational clothing, check out this up and coming company….and don’t forget to Race it, Surf it, Skate it, LiQit!

Clownin’Around: Four Clowns Offer More Than Just Laughter

2011-09-19T12:53:00.000-07:00

Four Clowns is a multi-award-winning, Los Angeles based clown troupe founded in May, 2010.

The Four Clowns original show, self-titled “Four Clowns” debuted at the 2010 Hollywood Fringe Festival and took home the Best in Physical Theater Award and was nominated for two other awards. The Four Clowns take their audience on a “physical, musical and emotional journey into what it means to be human.”

After the success of their first show, the clowns embarked upon a journey which has taken them from Los Angeles to cities across the country, including Indianapolis, Phoenix, Chicago, San Francisco, and Las Vegas. The clowns will wrap up their first national tour with shows at the Sacred Fools Theater back in their hometown of Los Angeles.

Custom Sticker Makers printed a series of full color stickers for the Four Clowns tour. Director Jeremy Aluma says the reason the Four Clowns chose to use custom stickers as part of their marketing plan is because “The custom stickers help brand our image, our logo in people's minds across the country and also gives them something tangible that they can take home as a memento of the show.” He went on to note that the reason they chose Custom Sticker Makers to print their stickers was because of “Kindness, communication, price and the layout of your website.”

Keep your eyes open for the Four Clowns to play at a theatre near you! You’ll have a great time, and probably get a cool custom sticker or two to take home!

To see where you can catch the Four Clowns, visit their website at www.fourclowns.org

1st Annual Rally for MS: Custom Stickers Leave a Lasting Impression

2011-09-09T10:17:00.000-07:00

This past Saturday, two local motorcycle clubs in our hometown put on a motorcycle rally and run to raise money to help find a cure for MS. Custom Sticker Makers was asked to sponsor and create the run stickers for this event, and we were happy to do so! Our designers came up with a classic design, and incorporated the latest in printing and cutting technology, including a custom die cut around the motorcycle image on the top of the stickers. They look amazing!

The rally took approximately 90 riders, 120 miles from Prescott, AZ, through Camp Verde, Cottonwood and Jerome, and then ended their run right back here in Prescott. They celebrated into the evening with food, music, raffles, vendors and more. The rally was a huge success, raising a large amount of funds to donate to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.

One rider, who has MS, had to leave before the ride started, because her MS was bad enough that she couldn’t go on the ride. “This is why we do this, so that our friends and families who suffer from this disease won’t have to miss out on the things that are important to them any longer. The more money we raise today, the closer we are to finding a cure for this debilitating illness that is so misunderstood, yet so common.” said Snaps with the Desert Eagles MC, one of the event organizers. His mother suffers from MS and was the inspiration behind this rally. “It’s hard watching her suffer, and helping to put this rally together to raise money to find a cure, was the least I could do to show her that I love and support her.” Snaps also said.

The organizers of this event decided to use custom stickers as part of their ‘run bags’ that were given away to approximately 200 registered participants. The feedback from the riders regarding the stickers was nothing but positive! They loved the die cut shape, and the classic design that we created, and we are sure we will see many of these stickers around town, and probably around the state as well.

Fundraising and event stickers can be a fun and inexpensive way for you to leave a lasting impression with your donors, sponsors, and supporters. Your guests will remember your event for years to come, every time they look at your full color custom stickers printed by Custom Sticker Makers!

London Calling: Theft Avoidance Stickers

2011-08-10T23:43:00.000-07:00

Clearly, there were a lot of factors involved with the recent riots in London, but no matter how you break it down, looting and theft occurred. Which brings to mind this "brilliant" sticker from the land of the double decker bus: Dominic Wilcox's Anti-Theft Bike/Car Device.

Got a shiny new mountain bikes worth lots of dough? Or the kind of sports car that invites unwanted attention? Just slap on these stickers mounted on clear plastic, which simulate rust. The idea is that potential thieves scanning the locale for likely targets will pass your ride over in favor of "less damaged" goods, leaving your property in peace.

Of course, if someone's got a mind to set your car on fire, a few fake rust spots probably won't act as much of a deterrent--but for less dire circumstances (i.e., day-to-day life in most major cities) these clever stickers might just do the job.

Dominic writes: "Note. This anti-theft device is not guaranteed to work in any way. However, I have stuck them to my shiny new bike and can confirm that it hasn't been stolen yet. 13 days of not being stolen in London probably equates to 7 years of non-stealing in the friendly countryside. Good luck and happy theft avoidance."

Mr. Wilcox's theft-avoidance device is yours for around 4 quid a piece; order three or more for free delivery, worldwide.

Wedding Stickers: Hot Ideas for Summer Weddings

2011-08-03T18:23:00.000-07:00

'Tis the season not for jingle bells, but for wedding bells -- and if you or someone you know is tying the knot soon, consider the wedding sticker.

It neatly affixes to nearly anything, creating an instant, personalized wedding favor: a box full of seashells, for instance, the lid of a jam jar, or even the side of a bag of popcorn. (They can also work as save-the-date reminders when sent out to your guests in advance.)

There's the classic "Her Name and His," but wedding sticker designs these days -- like everything else associated with weddings -- have become increasingly personalized, coordinating with wedding colors, themes or even flowers.

Included with this post are just a few of the wedding sticker designs that have caught our eye recently, but the best (of course!) is your own, printed with high quality inks and high-resolution graphics from Custom Sticker Makers.

Mactop Stickers, Part 2: The Woody

2011-07-29T20:35:00.000-07:00

Next up in our series of custom stickers for electronic devices is Schtickers. Offering custom skins based on your pictures -- as well as a plethora of artistic designs, ranging from Van Gogh's "Starry Night" to Hiroshige's "The Wave" -- these folks have got laptop skins covered.

Our favorite Schtickers design may be one of the simplest. It's a series of Macbook skins that reminds us of the famous "Woody Wagon" -- that classic 1950's suburb-mobile covered in fake wood paneling -- called the Woody.

Here you can choose to clothe your oh-so-sleek and modern white Mac in retro Birch or Cherry Woody skins that either allow your little backlit Apple logo to shine through or obscure it, depending on your tastes. (While most Mac owners would probably opt for the former, we imagine there are a few out there who appreciate the minimalist design.)

Woody laptop skins from Schtickers run $29.95, while custom images will set you back $24.95.

Laptop Stickers: MacSlaps Class Up Your Apple

2011-07-26T18:14:00.000-07:00

First, we brought you Stick with Me, Baby -- now we bring you another (and definitely classier) option for personalizing your Mac while highlighting that iconic apple logo: MacSlaps!

These laptop stickers are all built around the backlit Mac logo, and each utilizes it differently. There are designs that put the apple to work in obvious ways -- Snow White's apple, for example, or the apple gobbled up by Pac Man on his way through that pesky maze -- but also those that place an apple where you wouldn't expect one (behind a drum kit, or on the hood of a VW bug).

All of these stickers are constructed of tough vinyl and leave no residue when peeling off. They also work with the clean lines of your Mac by focusing on silhouettes, rather than detailed images.

MacSlaps! come in 28 different designs and sell for $24.00 apiece.

Stuff We Like: Fresh Fruit Stickers

2011-07-22T19:15:00.000-07:00

Summer's here and time is right not only for dancing in the streets -- we think -- but for eating lots of sweet, delicious fruit. But while many varieties of fresh fruit are currently in season, not all fruit is grown in the same way. Hence, this fascinating sticker factoid: those little stickers that come on fresh fruits can tell you how they were grown.

All fruit labels feature a price look up (PLU) number. According to J-tech Systems, fruits that were grown organically feature a PLU number beginning with 9, such as 98045, while those that were grown conventionally have a four digit code beginning with 4, such as 4590.

Another fascinating morsel -- while grocery stores are not currently required to note which fruits and vegetables are genetically modified, produce featuring genes that were tinkered with in the lab feature a five digit number beginning with 8, such as 87590.

Regardless of how your fruit was raised, you'll want to remove that sticker before eating it (but don't worry about any residual adhesive -- that's food-grade).

Live Oak: Live Music Fans Share the Love

2011-07-20T14:57:00.000-07:00

The Live Oak Music Festival is a three day concert and camping event held every year on Father’s Day weekend in the hills above Santa Barbara, California. It started way back in 1988 by a group of staff and on-air hosts from California's Central Coast public radio station, KCBX, as a fundraiser. Since then, it has grown into an annual tradition with a dedicated following.

Live Oak, as it is affectionately known, this year hosted live music ranging from traditional, folk, bluegrass and gospel, to blues, jazz, classical and world music. Headliners included Toots and the Maytals, The Wailin' Jennys, and Grammy winner Mavis Staples, among other luminaries. It was attended by nearly 3,000 people.

All those fans, of course, need a way to express their love for the festival--they'd been asking for stickers for years, but Kelli Reynolds and other festival organizers had a hard time finding a printer that could handle the colorful graphics of the festival's artwork at a price that wouldn't break the public radio bank. (This is a fundraiser, after all.)

Fortunately, Custom Sticker Makers fit the bill, giving the fest a way to show off its artwork in full color, and with unique die-cut shapes. The stickers were sold this year at the festival, and since then, Kelli has seen them on cars all over the area.

"When I found CSM," Kelli told us, "I decided to give them a try because the ordering process was simple and the prices were very reasonable. You can submit the order online which makes it easy, but also if there is any problem with anything, you can call them up and you’ll always get a live (and very nice!) person." She goes on to note that all the custom die-cut option really makes their stickers pop.

The Live Oak Music Festival can be found at www.liveoakfest.org and KCBX Public Radio can be found (and streamed live!) at www.kcbx.org.

If you live along California's Central Coast, you can pick up KCBX on your radio dial at 90.1 FM in San Luis Obispo; 89.5 in Santa Barbara; 91.7 from Paso Robles to Salinas; 90.9 in Santa Ynez, Avila Beach, and Cambria; 91.1 in Cayucos; and 95.1 in Lompoc.

Warning: Rabid Aardvarks Gaining Popularity in Wisconsin

2011-07-13T19:11:00.000-07:00

The Rabid Aardvarks (in case you were wondering) is a band that covers contemporary pop and modern country songs with female vocals. They're also pretty popular in their native Wisconsin, where they went home with the Wisconsin Area Musician's Industry (WAMI) People's Choice Award for 2011.

The present incarnation of the band got its start back in 2006 with the goal of becoming one of the top cover bands in Wisconsin. Since that time the group has evolved, picking up rabid (yes) fans everywhere it goes, as well as a number of nominations from WAMI.

Like most bands that know what's good for them, a big part of what the Aardvarks do off-stage is brand management--a.k.a., helping to build awareness of the band and driving traffic to their website, where fans can connect via newsletter and text updates, or via the band's Facebook page.

Kevin Machan of the Aardvarks told us, "I've always used custom stickers for band promotion going back to the early 90s, but the uniqueness of our current mascot design put me on the search for someone who could do relatively short-run, high graphics, which are a terrific fit to CSM's digital process."

Check them out online at www.rabidaardvarks.com

Skateboard Sticker Alert: RetroSkateStickers

2011-07-06T16:24:00.000-07:00

Fans of vintage skateboard stickers, take note: RetroSkateStickers has got the goods--from Airwalk to Zorlac and everything in between--both for sale and for show.

The site was started by Blair, who's been collecting vintage skateboard stickers since way back in 1989. First, he went crazy for World Industries and Blind. He moved on to H-Street, Santa Cruz, Powell Peralta, and then Volcom in the mid-90s.

Needless to say, the man acquired a vast personal collection of stickers, which has now been condensed to around 350+ of his closest friends (which he will, of course, never sell). But he his "sticker vault" is also home to hundreds of mint-quality duplicate skateboard stickers, so he decided to start an online store to share the wealth.

Prices range from under $5 to $125, depending on the level of artwrork, scarcity and sought-after status of the sticker. RetroSkateStickers is also home to a gallery of Blair's personal faves, bits of skate sticker history, and rare sticker alerts.

The Reusable Bag as Fashion Statement: Cheeky Green Rocks Your Eco Look

2011-06-29T14:56:00.000-07:00

Eco-conscious shopper that you are, you may proudly use your re-usable bag at the grocery store. But how about at, say, Nordstrom? If you're sporting a Cheeky Green bag--folded up snug in its convenient carrying case--your answer might just be 'yes.'

Cheeky Green was started in 2007 to "aid in the fight against disposable culture by producing innovative, cost-effective products with an acute sense of style that have an incredible chance of getting reused." Ease of use, practicality and portability are all focal points of these bags, which are made from recyclable, super-strong DuPont Tyvek.

Cheeky Green's product line consists of fashion bags (sold at finer green West Coast stores) and custom bags for commercial clients--all of which are machine-washable, lightweight, portable, tear- and water-resistant, and designed to easily accompany you to the market, the mall, the beach, or the plane.

Most bags that fold up small for transport come with an instructional hangtags, which tend to get torn off and thrown away. Cheeky Green had a better idea: why not make the hangtags reusable, too, by turning them into custom stickers? Instead of just ripping the hangtags off Cheeky Green bags and discarding them, the company hopes that its customers will take these tags and stick them somewhere, so Cheeky Green becomes permanently "stuck" in their heads.

Why Custom Sticker Makers? Stefanie DiBenedetto of Cheeky Green told us: "This is the second time I've placed an order and I was just as impressed with the printing and sticking quality as the first order. The price is right and the product is great! "

Check out Cheeky Green on Ecouterre!

Acute Clothing Customers Look Sharp (and Spread the Word)

2011-06-07T12:50:00.000-07:00

Jeremy Tan's vision is simple: to create a shirts with a positive message and meaning. Acute Clothing is an outgrowth of that--a brand new company featuring Jeremy's clever t-shirt designs.

Acute Clothing's first two t-shirt designs are the case in point. One features an airplane flying into the company's unique triangle logo--headed off, no doubt, into that alternate dimension that surrounds Bermuda. Another features the company mascot dog, Sharpy, keeping an eye out for suspicious behavior.

In keeping with a streetwear tradition established by major brands like Vans and Vision, Acute Clothing includes a logo sticker with every order. Jeremy also uses that sticker design for guerrilla marketing, too--just slapping it around town, he's seen, has gotten people to notice the brand.

Why Custom Sticker Makers? "You guys had some of the most affordable prices," Jeremy told us, "and I liked the immediate quote."

The Store: acuteclothing.com

The Blog: acute339.tumblr.com is my blog

Twitter: twitter.com/acutesharp

Facebook: facebook.com/acuteclothing

Audio Geek Love: Double Helix Brings Music to Life

2011-06-01T22:24:00.000-07:00

Peter B is an audiophile--to such a degree that, in January 2009, he started experimenting with creating different cable designs for his own audio setup. As he added more headphone gear, more cables and more designs to his repertoire, Double Helix Cables was born--a business specializing in custom-made, high-performance audio cables.

Double Helix's headphone cables are personal in both comfort and appearance--customers can choose from among a number of unique visual styles using multiple layers of sleeving to achieve different color combinations. Headphone cables can be fit into individual left and right cables, protecting the signal for each channel from interference that can muddy sound quality.

Such high-performance audio gear, of course, deserves high quality packaging. Double Helix audio cables come in black, string-tie reusable envelopes that show off that unique DNA-inspired logo (courtesy of Phil Tendler from Bellatone Audio). These envelopes also include an extra sticker for customers to do with as they please, showing off their love of high-quality tech, as in the ubiquitous Mac sticker.

Why Custom Sticker Makers? "CSM was easy to order from and had a great price even compared to more low-end stickers," Peter told us. When the stickers arrived, he said he was pleasantly surprised to learn that these weren't cheap paper stickers, but rather, a tough, glossy vinyl that could be used outdoors. "They had a really nice feel and the printing was flawlessly true to the original vector art."

Peter goes on to note that quality is important when using stickers as freebies. "While I could get paper stickers and save a few cents, I am including these stickers for the customers to use and I want them to look good and last a long time," he said. "I've had a lot of so-so custom printed stuff (particularly printed heatshrink tubing) from around the web, so it was a shock to get something custom made that turned out exactly as I had hoped--and then some."

Perfect Production: ZeroPoint Grafix

2011-05-25T17:29:00.000-07:00

Jim Crantas of Atlanta, Georgia, has a degree in film production and a passion for the arts. Over the years, he has created various films, posters, brochures, and graphics for family & friends--so as his client-base developed real businesses/careers, and clamored for more, it seemed only natural for him to open up an official business of his own: ZeroPoint Grafix.

Jim believes that stickers are a great way to communicate. Why? Because everyone loves stickers and they can wind up ANYWHERE. As a marketing pro, he also appreciates the way a sticker design can be expanded into other forms of media, keeping a consistent message and visual brand.

Jim's original sticker concept was for a family member in the military, integrating with fundraising applications. In honor of the countless sacrifices made by members of the military everywhere, Jim has a personal policy: if it’s for the military, all design work is free.

Of course, because it was for the military, this sticker had to look good, which is why he was happy to find Custom Sticker Makers. "The quality and customer service is what won my business," he told us. "These stickers were for the military, so they had to be perfect!"

Of Zombies, Bands, and Spaztic Colons: Angry Drunk Graphics Keeps the Beer Money Flowing

2011-05-17T13:22:00.000-07:00

Back in the mid-nineties, artist Steve Vincent and friends were trading comics for beer at summer concerts and eventually ended up touring with some of the bands around the country. There they met more artists, and were struck by an idea--why not publish independent comics and promote independent bands? They figured that while they might not get rich, they'd probably make enough cash to keep to keep the beer money flowing--and thus was Angry Drunk Graphics (ADG) born.

This New Jersey-based cabal of artists publishes fun titles like Vincent's Spaztic Colon series and "Odd Tales," of which Lollipop magazine said, "This is Edward Gorey and Shel Silverstein after they finish off a handle of Jack and double team Mother Goose." At the ADG website, you can also purchase Escape from New Jersey, "the best drinking game ever made," download music and purchase a variety of odd toys and stickers--among them, the Zombie Family Pack.

That's right--it's the zombie version of those ubiquitous stick figure people so often found on the backs of minivans and SUVs. The entire stick-figure fam-dam-ly, zombified. (In case you couldn't tell, the sheer genius of this astounds us.) These stickers feature, of course, that all-important URL, www.AngryDrunkGraphics.com.

Why did Steve and friends choose Custom Sticker Makers? "Over the 10 plus years that we have been doing this we've used a lot of different sticker companies," he told us. "Custom Sticker Makers have a fast turn around and great quality, but I think the main reason we use CSM is because a while back, they actually called us and suggested a cheaper way to make our stickers." He goes on to note that not many companies will help their clients save money at the company's own expense.

Rock on, G-Hawks!: KU Geology Alums Stick w/Their Alma Mater

2011-05-10T13:11:00.000-07:00

Folks associated with University of Kansas's (KU's) Department of Geology do all kinds of cool things--such as research with the University's Center for Remote Sensing of Ice Sheets, and the Water Resources Division of the U. S. Geological Survey. One of the Department's professors, Paul Seldon, even had his image of a 165 million year old spider fossil featured in Nature's Images of the Year.

Naturally, KU alums are proud of their status as Jay Hawks--or, G-Hawks, as per their focus on geology. Their alma mater wants to help them share that love, and the Geology Department's most recent mascot (drawn by a student in the 1980s) offered the perfect image for a custom sticker.

KU gives these stickers to alumni to help them show their pride, as well as to prospective students at professional meetings to remind them of the KU Geology program. (The department currently offers Geology degrees at the Bachelor's, Master's and PhD level in many areas, including hydrogeology, geophysics, paleontology, and sedimentology/stratigraphy. It's home to 100 undergraduates and 100 graduate students.)

Why did the this KU's Department of Geology choose Custom Sticker Makers to print their stickers?

"CSM puts together a great product, they're easy to work with, and the turn around time is great," Elizabeth Gravatt, Alumni Coordinator for KU's Department of Geology told us. "These stickers have gone on laptop computers, notebooks, even bumpers, and they last a long time!"

Oahu Wood Bat Company: Swinging Stickers from Hawaii

2011-05-06T18:07:00.000-07:00

Michael Kim didn't have big ambitions for his business when he started out back in December of 2010--he just wanted to offer quality wood baseball bats to the people of Hawaii at affordable prices. What started out as a part time job, however, soon blew up into a full-time gig, as Oahu Wood Bat Company became a household name in Hawaii and beyond. (Michael recently sent over a few bats to Colorado and Iowa.)

A key factor here is Hawaiian pride--backed up by the fact Michael hand-delivers these bats to his local customers.

While his business has grown over the last year, Oahu Wood Bat Company still operates out of Michael's home (he reports that his wife and in-laws have been very patient with the baseball bats all over the house and in the garage). He also carries around a handful of different types of bats in the trunk of his car.

Stickers have been a key part of getting Michael's business off the ground. All those baseball bats in Michael's life get shipped out with Oahu Wood Bat Company stickers, branding them--and sports fans, of course, sport those stickers on their binders and clipboards at games and practices.

Why Custom Sticker Makers? "I chose CSM because of their attractive website and customer service," Michael told us. He went on to note that while CSM wasn't at the top of the pile when he searched under "personalized stickers," those companies that did weren't as quick as CSM in returning his emails.

Michael's fine wood bats are online on Facebook page: Oahu Wood Bat Company.

This Car Leaves No Tracks: The Bumpsticker w/Green Street Cred

2011-05-04T14:32:00.000-07:00

Want to cut your carbon footprint, but can't afford one of those shiny new electric cars? Fear not--you can offset the greenhouse gases produced by your ride by purchasing Renewable Energy Credits through NoTracks.org, an organization dedicated to helping people help the environment.

The idea for NoTracks arose from a larger project John Lund and friends were working on a few years ago. Seeking a simple fund raiser, they came up with a bumper sticker campaign aimed at offsetting the carbon emissions associated with transportation. Before long, however, they realized that this kind of carbon offsetting project was an important mission in and of itself.

Given the magnitude of the environmental challenge, a big part of helping people help the environment is helping them to get others to do the same, and NoTracks bumper stickers are a critical part of the equation. When people choose to offset their vehicles' carbon emissions through this organization, they receive a bumper sticker they can put on their car that lets others know about the green choice they've made--and, of course, where they can go to do the same.

Why Custom Sticker Makers? "Initially it was all about the cost, so we could do more with the money from each sale," John told us. "After finding your site, though, we really liked the efforts CSM makes towards lowering its own impact on the environment. Using inks without VOCs, recycling and reusing your trimmings, even the thinner backing paper your stickers are made on... these were all things we were happy to find."

We're honored that the organization actually quotes from Custom Sticker Makers green sticker printing policy on its website, www.NoTracks.org--and proud, of course, to print these stickers!

What's Up, Dog?:Karma Warrior Sticks w/Fun, Eco Yoga Gear

2011-04-27T19:08:00.000-07:00

Forget all that self-conscious yoga gear--if you really want to get in touch with spirituality (and save the world while you're at it) you need some down-to-earth apparel from Karma Warrior.

Show folks the real meaning of the High Life--or broadcast your Ayurvedic body-type pride with designs like "Warning. I'm a Pitta." or "Lighten up, I'm a Vata." KarmaWarrior designs show that yogis can achieve the perfect Downward Dog and have a sense of humor.

Jackie Mori and friends' yoga-inspired clothes were created on the principle that doing good starts with each of us. Karma Warrior starts with earth-friendly, organic cotton and works with local artists and small businesses to create fun, functional apparel with community-driven mindset.

The company even takes that common-good mindset one step further by donating 12 percent of all sales to charity.

Karma Warrior stickers were part of the goodie bags the company offered at its recent launch party, and will be given out free at yoga festivals and events to help build visibility for the brand and drive traffic to the website, www.KarmaWarriorClothes.com.

"It's important to us to be as eco-friendly as possible when choosing our products," Jackie told us, "so we searched for the best solution we could find for sticker making. We went with Custom Sticker Makers because they use Eco Solvent inks, plus we could get any quantity we needed at a good price."

Revive Fly Fishing: The Custom-Sticker-as-Biz-Card

2011-04-25T16:23:00.000-07:00

Bryan Crumpler has been a fly fisherman since he was a kid, but it wasn't until around six months ago that he got the idea to start a business selling his various fly fishing products. Since that time, however, the concept has evolved to include an online showcase for his nature photography and writing, highlighting some of the most incredible natural destinations in South, the Southwest and beyond--a.k.a., Revive Fly Fishing.

Although the primary focus of the website is on fly fishing, Bryan also sees it as an opportunity to share the beauty of nature and to talk about great natural destinations, with the intent of getting some national exposure for his images and words. While the website itself is still evolving, he's starting the business off with with an eye-catching design sure to turn heads, courtesy of his good friend Katie Calhoun.

Bryan likes the idea of using stickers as a business card, allowing the person receiving the "card" to stick it on their car or whatever else, and believes it makes a business more memorable to a potential or current customer.

Why Custom Sticker Makers? "I was referred to CSM from a friend who is also in the outdoor business and I decided to see what you guys were all about," Bryan told us. "Throughout the whole process, CSM was extremely helpful, contacting me three separate times with various concerns and questions to ensure that the final product was quality. This, to me, is a sign of a very well run business." He notes that he's planning on ordering more stickers from CSM in the future.

Fast Graphics: Dynicron's Stickers Give Fans Bragging Rights

2011-04-20T17:50:00.000-07:00

Dynicron is a family-owned automotive machine shop that started in September of 2004 in a 1600 square foot shop. As of 2011, it operates out of 4000 square foot space--which should give you some picture of its growth. Specializing in cylinder head machining and rebuilding for everything under the sun with wheels--cars, trucks, motorcycles, boats, forklifts, race cars, you name it--Dynicron has gone the extra mile to give their customers the best products and service.

In 2010, Dynicron began a push to increase their focus on racing engines, and now builds all kinds of high performance engines for sprint cars and other vehicles that go really, really fast on those oval asphalt tracks.

Dynicron uses custom stickers to promote their racing engine and high performance lines through sponsorships and events. People sport their stickers, in part, for the bragging rights--letting the world know what they've got under the hood. Every time Dynicron's engines win on the racetrack, those stickers acquire a little more caveat, increasing sticker sales and brand recognition for the shop.

Nick Davis of Dynicron told us that he appreciates working with businesses operating on a model similar to his own, based on a high standard of quality and customer service. He did some research on the internet and liked what he saw on the Custom Sticker Makers website. "After all that," he told us, "our stickers simply looked awesome!!! An eye catcher to say the least!"

Check out Dynicron's website at www.dynicron.com

Jefita Plushies: Cute Characters, Smart Stickers

2011-04-12T18:49:00.000-07:00

Amy Monteith studied to be an engineer, but in the end, she just couldn't bring herself to give up her artistic side--and we're so very glad she didn't! About three years ago she combined her skills as an illustrator and her crafty side in an Etsy shop under her online moniker "Jefita" and began selling all manner of adorable handmade stuffed animals, or "plushies."

What started out as a source of income on the side has now grown into a full time job for for Amy. As of today, you can choose from the Jefita line of cuddly creatures--Batholomew the Bad Bunny, perhaps, or Cheshire Cat the Tiny--or dream up your custom stuffed animal, as Monteith takes commissions (such as the laptop plushie bag, pictured).

While Amy's business is primarily through the internet, she needed a way to direct people to her website when she was out and about in the real world. Traditional business cards were fine, but fun plushie animals deserved fun promo materials--i.e., custom stickers. She'd become interested in Quick Response (QR) codes and loves stickers, so she decided to try combining the two.

Will Amy's innovative new sticker design inspire people to pull out their smartphones and scan the code--and discover her work? Monteith hasn't passed out enough of them to know that yet, but in good marketing form, she has set up her website, Jefita.com, to be able to track traffic originating from her stickers.

"I wanted somewhere that had a quality product and would allow me to affordably 'try out' a batch of stickers," she told us. "Custom Sticker Makers offered exactly what I wanted. I was thrilled with the results and look forward to trying out some die cut designs eventually."

Infamous Network/CSM 2011 Success Award Acceptance Speech

2011-04-09T14:59:00.000-07:00

On March 22, 2011 we were honored with the Arizona Small Business Development Center's Success Award. The ceremony was held on the lawn of the State Capital in Phoenix.

Even though mine is the name most often mentioned, it has been a team effort the whole way! Success never happens in a vacuum and I would like to again offer sincere gratitude to everyone who has helped, supported, and believed in us over the past 15 years.

I chose to highlight our 'Education Is National Security' sticker at the end of the speech because the children of Arizona clearly don't have much of a voice at the Arizona State Capital. Less than a week before the award ceremony on March 17th, Arizona Senate Republicans passed a budget with the 'steepest cuts' delegated to public education:

"The steepest cuts are to education. Universities are targeted to lose 26 percent of their state funding; K-12 education faces reductions of about 7 percent, even as money from a temporary sales tax is being collected in the name of preventing deep cuts to K-12 education."

"Jennifer Loredo, lobbyist for the Arizona Education Association, the state's largest teachers union, said the $242 million in cuts to K-12 will force layoffs at schools that already are dealing with crowded classrooms and skimpy equipment budgets."
-Arizona Republic March 17, 2011

Seriously? I know it's bad, but is this really the best we can do?

Trying to solve the problems of today by short changing our childrens' chance of a better tomorrow is folly! The generations coming up must be fully educated, engaged, critical thinking individuals if they are to be prepared for the challenges that await them! Fully funding education is the least we can do... and the true definition of 'National Security'.

jeff

ps. thanks dad for taking the video and capturing this moment!

CustomStickerMakers.com
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Learn more about AZSBDC

'Medible' Packaging: A Piece of Bliss Has a Posse

2011-04-08T16:51:00.000-07:00

In the state of California, medicinal marijuana is legal when prescribed by a doctor--and so are medical marijuana dispensaries, where patients who wish to avoid the negative health effects of smoking have their pick of food and drinks infused with cannabis. This gave twenty year-old college student Kathryn Masuoka an idea--why not put her baking skills to work in creating a line of homemade medicinal marijuana edibles?

Thus did Kathryn and her best friend create A Piece of Bliss, full of goodies like chocolate-covered strawberry brownies, candy, and banana bread--all infused with cannabis oil and/or cannabis tinctures. While A Piece of Bliss is still in its infancy, as far as the business goes, Kathryn had taken note that most 'medibles' in state-approved marijuana dispensaries came in boring packaging that did little to distinguish them. As a person who takes pride in what she bakes, she knew she wanted her goodies to stand out.

Towards that end, Kathryn figured custom stickers were worth a shot--and after some time spent on Google, she was impressed by how inexpensive they were to produce. Her packaging design draws inspiration from well-known street artist Shepard Fairey's "Andre the Giant" stickers, while speaking to the good vibes and relaxation products her baked goods are known to produce.

"I'm not an experienced sticker-maker by any means, so I wasn't really sure what to expect," she told us. "But the day I received those stickers, I was a very happy girl, let me tell you."

You can find A Piece of Bliss on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, and Blogspot. (Just search A Peace of Bliss)

Creative Use of Stickers Round Up: Bat Signal, Try-On Tats, a Hair-Rasing Elevator, and Really Local Spuds

2011-04-05T20:54:00.000-07:00

Yes, kids, it's that time again when we round up some of the most hilarious, clever and creative uses of stickers in advertising. This dispatch comes courtesy of Web Designer Depot.

How to promo the launch of Batman Begins on TV2? Stickers placed on footpath lights, of course, creating the bat signal after dark.

This tattoo shop had a clever idea--tribal stickers in public bathrooms allowing users to "try on" their next tat.

Scared of losing your hair? Chances are, you'll be way more scared after seeing this sticker-covered elevator, advertising Folliderm.

Lays wanted people in diverse regions across the country to know that their Lays chips were locally-sourced--hence the sticker spuds at the top of this tunnel.

Stickertraders: Sticker Swapping for Grown-Ups

2011-03-31T16:23:00.000-07:00

We know for a fact that a lot of Custom Sticker Maker's customers grew up collecting stickers--and, of course, trading them. StickerTraders keeps that childhood tradition alive for adults in a very cool way.

Send in 15 of your coolest sticker designs to StickerTraders at their Burbank, California, address. Be patient and before you know it, a lovely hand-addressed envelope will arrive, filled with 15 different sticker designs by other artists.

The equation? Send cool stickers = get cool stickers. You can also make a donation to support the project--or purchase a sticker pack of 15 Random Street Art Stickers--and get even more stick-able art.

This operation appears to be run by just one, sticker-obsessed guy, out of the goodness of his heart, and at last count, his website meter clocked in at over 21,000 hits, so make sure you give him some time to get back with you.

Pimp Your Ikea: Mykea's Big Sticker Idea

2011-03-28T12:09:00.000-07:00

Love Ikea furniture, but wish it had a little more pizazz? Welcome to Mykea--the magical land where your clean-cut Ikea pieces are magically transformed into art.White, white and black! Take action against naked furniture with Mykea's fabulous line of artistic stickers--specially designed to fit standard Ikea pieces. Choose from among their ever-expanding line-up of artist designs, or create your own--images come pre-printed on stickers made for clean, easy application to all your fave Ikea stuff.

From trendy/arty designs to trick out your living room or office to fun stuff for kiddie rooms, Mykea features an inspiring range of sticker choices--and offers you, the artist, a chance to feature your designs on their website for fun and profit. Very cool!

(Currently, these designs are listed as running $15,00 to $130,00--but we're just assuming they actually meant to use decimal places, rather than commas!)

Animated Stickers: The Ultimate Art of Kelsey Stark

2011-03-23T14:46:00.000-07:00

Kelsey Stark is an independent animator with a vision: to stretch the limits of animation, "the ultimate art form," with films that combine different aspects of all the fine arts into one four-dimensional medium. She learned her chops at the Pratt Institute in New York, where she created her graduation film, 'LGFUAD,' which has now screened to rave reviews at festivals such as the Ottawa International Animation Festival, South by Southwest, and the Melbourne International Animation Festival.

As an independent artist, her intention is not only to promo LGFUAD, but to keep the ball rolling by delving further into animation and exploring collaborative projects. Both require her to get her name out there in a big way, and towards that end, she's chosen to work with custom stickers.

"I really love the guerilla style marketing of stickers," she told us. "Its a great way to spread the word, because they are much more permanent than something like a flyer or a business card." Kelsey goes on to note that she created her stickers as a promotional tool for her film, to hand out at festivals. People who enjoy the designs have stuck them almost anywhere--even bathroom stalls--prompting Google searches by those intrigued by the images.

"I must have looked at a dozen or so websites that advertised custom sticker printing," Kelsey said. "My heart was absolutely set on die-cut stickers, and no other sites I looked at even compared to the price Custom Sticker Makers offers." She also really liked that it was easy to upload artwork, that she didn't have to order in bulk amounts, and she could order multiple designs at once.

Interested in Kelsey's ultimate art form? Check out LGFUAD on Vimeo: http://vimeo.com/11426611

Getting Hip to Green: Hip Mountain Mama Stickers Are a Hit w/Green Families

2011-03-17T18:43:00.000-07:00

Established in 2008 with a desire to promote green and natural living, Hip Mountain Mama is a small family business that sells natural, eco-friendly, reusable, and fair-trade products, all sourced from small businesses. Green and reusable products for the home, safe and natural toys for children, and handmade, fair-trade clothing for women are all available through their online store, www.HipMountainMama.com, giving hip mamas (and papas) cool ways to help reduce their impact on the earth.

Andy Hawbaker and his partner were focused exclusively on promoting their business through marketing online, social media, and print magazines--until their customers started clamoring for stickers. It didn't take the business owners long to realize the value in having their customers spread their message by posting Hip Mountain Mama sticker on their bumpers, water bottles and bikes.

"Everybody likes a cool sticker that makes a statement," Andy told us. "The Hip Mountain Mama logo and brand is a fun and cool statement that you just want to stick everywhere." And while it can be difficult and expensive to get people to tell their friends about your business, it's easy to give them a cool sticker they'll put somewhere that hundreds of people will wind up seeing.

Why Custom Sticker Makers? "We like to work with smaller businesses, so I was trying to stay away from some of the larger sticker printers," Andy told us. "CSM was very professional, the ordering process is easy, and the final product was as good as I had hoped for." He goes on to note that he actually placed a small order at first to made sure the quality was up to snuff--and now plans on following up with a much larger order.

Hip Mountain Mama's stickers have proven a hit with its customers, too, who've posted rave reviews on the company's Facebook page.

Vintage Japanese Art and Design: A Custom Sticker Makers Tribute

2011-03-11T14:33:00.000-08:00

In honor of the victims of the natural disasters in Japan today, we're offering up a tribute to the extraordinary graphic design in the Land of the Rising Sun (courtesy of PinkTentacle).

These images--pulled from posters and magazine covers, from the 1920's and 30's--are clearly vintage, and yet still somehow seem fresh, a testament to the cutting-edge blend of traditional and modern aesthetics for which Japan is known, worldwide.

On behalf of graphic designers everywhere who draw inspiration from Japanese art, both traditional and modern--

--our hopes and prayers are with the people of Japan.

Bikes Built Better: Folk Engineered Has a Posse

2011-03-08T20:35:00.000-08:00

Ryan and Marie of Folk Engineered knew they were in love--with each other, and with bikes--when they took a 1500-mile bike tour zigzagging from Santa Cruz, CA to Seattle, WA. After they returned, they discovered another passion, which became the basis of their business: building handmade custom bicycles.

Folk Engineered manufactures high-quality, hand-made-in-the-USA (Newark, NJ), steel-framed bikes, custom-built to the rider’s measurements, riding style, and intended use. Since 2009, Ryan and Marie have built custom road, touring, sport touring, city commuting, mountain, track, and utility bicycles, in sizes, geometries, component configurations, and with artistic touches available no where else.

This year, Folk Engineered is coming out with its first line of production bicycles, The Marsupial--a multi-purpose sport touring bicycle designed for the Northeast's regional habitat of "beaches, suburbs, mountains and urban jungles." At a lower cost to custom ($2300), the Marsupial was designed to give more fans access to hand-made Folk Engineered craftsmanship.

Of course, there are more people who love Ryan and Marie's custom bikes than there are customers who can afford them--so custom stickers are a natural way for fans to support the business and spread the word, even if they're still saving up. Folk Engineered stickers are free at events, and for sale via the website, FolkEngineered.com, and have been known to sport them on helmets, water bottles, and yes, bikes.

Why Custom Sticker Makers? "We chose CSM because you offer exactly what we were looking for - high quality eco-friendly outdoor stickers at reasonable prices and with low minimums - and could get them to us in time for our event," Marie told us. She added that the CSM website was informative and easy to understand, and that their stickers were everything they'd imagined. "When it’s time to order more," she said, "we will definitely choose CSM."

Chiquita Refresh: Bringing the Banana into the 21st Century

2011-03-04T22:50:00.000-08:00

Is your brand feeling a little tired and worn out--a little brown around the edges, so to speak?

Apparently the folks in charge of marketing the ubiquitous Chiquita Banana were feeling that way, too, so they decided to refresh their famous blue and yellow logo stickers with some younger, hipper variations.

Design:related reports that Chiquita's Art Director on this project, DJ Neff, started off this project by immersing himself in it--that is, by eating a lot of bananas. Fortunately, he said, he likes bananas, and the design ideas just started rolling.

Clearly, these new Chiquita stickers appeal to kids, but make a bid for the affections of younger adults as well, playing on everything from Japanime cartoons to Mexican wrestlers.

So if you've had a custom sticker design that's been there and done that, consider a re-design--you could turn a whole different set of heads.

Pretty Stickers for Pretty Girl: Halle Ford's Flying Violin

2011-03-01T13:02:00.000-08:00

Up and coming singer/songwriter Halle Ford first began playing violin at the tender age of 4, and by the age of 8, had become the youngest student of the Louisville Symphony’s Concert Master. Those classical skills served her well when she moved west in her early 20's to Los Angeles, where she made a living as a session musician--but she always knew she wanted to break out on her own.

Halle's debut album, Pretty Girl, combines her love for mainstream music with her experience and skill on the violin, creating a catchy blend of pop, classical and traditional music. To get this sound, Halle focused on the song melodies first, and wrote pop vocal choruses around them--a process that inspired what she describes as "some really exciting violin solos." The result has been described as "a KT Tunstall-esque marriage of traditional and pop, swapping out the guitars for that all important violin and bow" (The Music Slut). Pretty Girl was officially released on February 8th, of this year, and two of the songs on the album have already been recognized in the international Song of the Year competition.

To promote the project, Halle wanted to create an image that would invoke the violin, but not necessarily classical music. Inspiration for the "Violin Butterfly" logo design came from an old T shirt she wore in college, which featured an electric guitar with eagle wings. Halle replaced the guitar with a violin, and traded out the eagle wings for more feminine butterfly wings to create her logo design.

These Violin Butterfly stickers were originally created for press and radio promo packages, but received so much interest from fans that Halle now plans to sell them on her official music website (where you can also stream the new album).

Why CSM? "I selected Custom Sticker Makers because I needed high-quality stickers, and fast," Halle told us. "Custom Sticker Makers had one of the best turnaround times in the market." She adds she's very satisfied with the results, and has already placed orders for more.
Like Halle Ford on Facebook: www.facebook.com/hallefordmusic

On the Road with Custom Sticker Makers: AZ Association of Student Councils Conference

2011-02-24T17:04:00.000-08:00

Not long back, a very cool sticker caught our eye here at Custom Sticker Makers: "Awaken the Hero Within." The person behind that sticker is Brent Jarles of the Arizona Association of Student Councils, who was ordering the sticker in conjunction with the Association's 2011 State Convention. After a conversation with CSM's founder, Jeff Daverman, Brent invited CSM to attend the big event, as a vendor.

What follows is a diary of the day's events from CSM's own Erin Hutchinson (known to many of you as the friendly voice behind CSM's customer service hotline) who traveled to be at the event.

Thursday morning came early, and we were on the road, headed for Blue Ridge High School in Lakeside, Arizona, for the Arizona Association of Student Councils conference.

At 3:00 we started setting up our booth. There were approximately 10 other vendors advertising their products, including class rings, formal wear, event planners, and vending machine distributors.

The event started at 5:00, and as the doors opened, I was a little overwhelmed by what I saw. There were literally busloads of students from all around the state, carrying signs and dressed up in costumes, laughing and chanting, singing and dancing, as they made their way down the hall of vendors.

I spent the next 2 hours explaining to hundreds, if not thousands of students, faculty members and parents what Custom Sticker Makers is, and what we do. They were excited about all the different applications for our custom stickers: fundraisers, sports teams, clubs, events, even just for fun! I collected dozens of contacts, and I could tell that the kids thought we really had a cool product to offer. When I gave them my information, and let them know they could get in contact with me directly, everyone’s response was “Oh wow, that’s great!”

I felt great about the evening, knowing that CSM has a unique product to offer these students, on a budget that is realistic for their schools. It was a flashback to high school for me as well, and I am really happy I had the opportunity to mingle with these amazing young people, many of whom will eventually become business and community leaders. I have no doubt that we will be working with many of them in the future, and helping them express their ideas on stickers!

On our way home the next morning, our trip hit a high note when we stopped on the side of the road and saw two golden eagles, one taking off with a wing span of literally 7 feet!

It was a great experience!

Tell Us How You Really Feel: d'Fumo Stickers Offer Ocean Conservation w/'Tude

2011-02-22T18:28:00.000-08:00

'd'Fumo' sounds like something mysterious in another language. In reality, it's an ocean conservation sticker with some serious Hawaiian attitude, which stands for one simple statement in plain English: Don't F*ck Up My Ocean.

Kyle Kernohan created the first d'Fumo sticker about a year ago to express his sentiments on ocean conservation--namely, that it's about more than just saving a few tide pools, it's about whatever is f*cking up your ocean, be that garbage, over-flowing bonfire pits, people who shouldn't be wearing small bathing suits, or fifteen dollar parking.

His concept was to create an adhesive eco-statement that Hawaiian surf culture could really get behind, and get behind it, it has. Kernohan reports that tons of young boogie boarders have picked up these stickers at their local surf shops and now proudly sport them all over the islands.

The main purpose of the d'Fumo sticker is simply to get the message out there, on surfboards, boogie boards, cars, coolers, trash cans, ETC. Even as the concept has taken off, Kyle has managed to keep it local by designing different themed stickers for different beaches, helping to keep the focus on local pride. (Shown here: the Hawaii and Reggae editions.)

Why Custom Sticker Makers? "I choose CSM because of the low minimum order requirement," he told us. "I like to run small, limited editions of stickers so I can come out with tons of different designs. There are not many sticker producers out there that can offer such a low initial run." He goes on to note that CSM's high-quality outdoor vinyl is also durable enough to survive the biggest waves.

The Personal Touch: Flutterbye Note Cards and Stickers

2011-02-18T13:12:00.000-08:00

When Amie Jones gave up graphic design to stay home with her kids in 2009, she loved spending time with them, but missed creating and designing. A new direction presented itself when Amie sent her mother, a teacher, a set of note cards as a gift. Other teachers asked about them, and when Amie looked around at the types of note cards available for teachers, she knew she had something to add.

Thus was Flutterbye Notes born. This line of personalized stationary gives primary school teachers a uniquely personalized way of corresponding with both students and parents--and students and parents a great, truly useful gift for teacher.

Over the past two years, Jones has expanded her focus beyond the market for teachers, but has kept the focus on cards with that extra personal touch--as in her ThumbKins line, which incorporates the customer's actual finger print in the design. Her vision for Flutterbye is to bring people stationery that they feel is truly unique and represents who they are, encouraging recipients to reach out and appreciate others, too.

Amie uses custom stickers on all of her product packaging, noting that she doesn't invest in a lot of custom-made packaging, but is still able to brand everything associated with Flutterbye with her logo sticker. Stickers are also an aspect of her actual product, as they give her customers yet another way to personalize their cards, and to use their own creativity.

Why Custom Sticker Makers? "CSM has been great to work with," Amie told us. "For me, the ability to print in small quantities for a great price is my biggest incentive. I am a small business and also like to reinvent my designs on a whim, so the small runs are really great for me."

Street Stickers Sell It: the New York State of Mind

2011-02-11T15:43:00.000-08:00

In 2008, Brett Stein discovered an important fact: thanks to the First Amendment of the Constitution, it's legal to sell T-shirts in the streets and parks of New York City as long as they make a political/religious statement. Stein put that knowledge together with his political views, love of street art/graffiti, skateboarding and hip-hop, and came up with New York State of Mind (NYSM)--a clever, eye-catching collection of t-shirts sold on the streets of Soho and in NYC's Union Square Park.

Since then, thousands of NYSM shirts have been sold to people from all over the world--proving, in the immortal words of Mos Def, "it's not where you're from, it's where you're at!"--but to this day, every shirt is silk screened by hand in Stein's Brooklyn studio with mad love.

Despite all the success, NYSM is still an independent business with virtually no budget for marketing/advertising, so beyond word-of-mouth and some basic social networking, Stein's entire marketing plan has consisted of custom sticker "stick ups" on the streets of Manhattan and Brooklyn. As a consequence, he told us, it seems like almost everyone he meets in NYC is familiar with his brand/logo.

Why did Brett Stein choose Custom Sticker Makers to print those all-important NYSM stickers? "I choose to deal with CSM because I know they value me as a customer and go the extra mile to keep me happy," he told us.

Machine Gun Moustache: A Great Sound Deserves a Great Sticker

2011-02-09T14:35:00.000-08:00

When multi-instrumentalists Immanual (a.k.a. "The Liberator") and Will Hatch get together, good things happen. Musical traditions are explored, updated and sometimes even exploded, as in the case of their new band, Machine Gun Moustache, which re-imagines old blues and Americana with experimental twists, such as tribal rhythms and homemade electric instruments.

While the band is barely a year old, all told, 2010 was a good year for Machine Gun Moustache. They finished up their second self-produced/recorded album, Fish for Dinner, and embarked on their first real tour, heading up from Washington D.C. through New England all the way to Burlington, Vermont. "To be honest," Immanuel told us, "we were a bit surprised by how excited people seemed to be at our shows." He goes on to note how grateful he and Will are for the generosity of fans and friends on the road (especially to those who let the band crash on their couches).

As a new band, Machine Gun Moustache relies heavily on word-of-mouth support and fan endorsements to get the word out, and their stickers are a big part of that. The band's intriguing photo-sticker now adorns walls, poles, doors, and bathroom stalls from D.C. to Maine--which prompts the curious to perhaps visit the website, maybe download some music (by donation), and hopefully come see a show.

Why did Machine Gun Moustache go with Custom Sticker Makers (CSM) on sticker printing? "That’s pretty simple," Immanuel told us. "Full-color and price. Even though our sticker only has four or five colors, it would have cost us way more money to do the job at any of the other places I looked at. If I had gone with another printer, I would have had to do the time-consuming Photoshop work of separating color vectors and such. With CSM, I just sent in a high-res JPEG and they sent the stickers back looking perfect." He goes on to note that at CSM's prices, the band can afford to give their stickers away.

Midgemere Part One

MachineGunMustache | Myspace Music Videos

Sticking with the Workout: Words to Sweat by

2011-02-03T19:08:00.000-08:00

When Dana founded a company called Whimsical Walney way back in 2004, her vision was to create unique children's products. Unfortunately, unintended consequences of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 put the testing required to continue selling these products out of range for her start-up. But rather than give up and throw in the towel, so to speak, Dana noticed one day at the gym how many of her fellow fitness enthusiasts draped their towels over their workout equipment. Why not create a towel with a little attitude and inspiration?

Thus was was Words to Sweat by born--a line of towels designed to help people take their workouts seriously, but not themselves--appliqued with sayings like "Carpe Dumbell" and "C is for crunches, not cookies" and the ever-popular, "10 more reps and the cupcake is history." The brand launched in November 2009 with about 15 gym towels; in 2010, reusable snack bags and key chains were added to the line and in January of this year, Dana launched the World-Class Words collection of towels, which sponsors four athletes going for gold in the next Olympics. These towels feature each athlete’s own personal mantra, and sales help to support that athelete's training.

Dana likes the way her custom stickers can wind up anywhere from a water-bottle to a laptop computer. She includes one in every order as a little surprise, and often hands them out to prospective customers. She notes that stickers are both cost-effective and easy to store, and once they're placed on an object, they're usually there for good--which means she never knows who might learn about her brand just by asking about the sticker after seeing it.

Why did she choose Custom Sticker Makers? "I originally choose Custom Sticker Makers because you offered the best pricing," she told us. "I also liked that it was so easy to understand your pricing and get a quote. Then I had a little hiccup with one of my graphics and the CSM team made sure that they had the right graphic in-hand so that I got the best sticker possible. So, the pricing was the initial draw, but the service is what made (and makes) me a repeat customer."

Stuff We Like: Nuanced Bumper Stickers

2011-01-27T19:57:00.000-08:00

Not the type to rock a bumper sticker? Perhaps your views are simply too nuanced--or ambivalent--for the type of stickers you've seen tooling around town.

Zazzle understands that not everyone identifies with the type of sentiments that commonly characterize the nation's bumpers. Their solution is a special section called Nuanced, Ambivalent, or Guarded, which features sentiments such as...

..."I fervently hope the local squadron defeats the out-of-town squadron in the upcoming sporting contest"...

..."I attended or am otherwise affiliated with a creditable university, to which I give my continued allegiance"...

and the classic, "I support one of the leading political candidates, but that's about all I'd like to say about the matter for now."

Fair enough!

Annals of Sticktivism: You Are Beautiful

2011-01-20T21:47:00.000-08:00

It's a simple message one group of artists sees as an antidote to the constant barrage of consumer culture: You Are Beautiful.

A simple, powerful statement they've worked into a number of installations--from street art to gallery exhibitions in Italy, New York, Chicago and Portland, to name a few. And their favorite collaborator, as it turns out, is you.

'You Are Beautiful' stickers are available for free (or by donation) on their website, and have been posted by admirers of this positive statement all over the world.

From the You Are Beautiful artists' statement:
The intention behind this project is to reach beyond ourselves as individuals to make a difference by creating moments of positive self realization. We're just attempting to make the world a little better.

The essence, we believe, of Sticktivism.

Stickers That Keep it Straight: The Eyebox Organizer

2010-12-21T21:45:00.000-08:00

With a number of different pairs of contact lenses, Sharena Walker had a hard time keeping them all straight. That's because contact lenses--whether prescription or decorative (colored)--typically come in vials printed with all their pertinent information, and when those lenses get transferred to a case, all that information gets thrown out.

What to do? Keep all those empty vials cluttering the medicine cabinet? Open every case and try to figure out which pair is which? Sharena had a better idea: a compact jewel-case organizer which would not only keep all those lens cases neatly organized but which would identify them, via a simple system of (what else?) stickers.

Her innovative invention--the first offering of her new business, Lovely Ideas--is the Eyebox. To use, you simply place a colored sticker on the bottom of a contact lens case and a sticker of the same color next to a line on the Record Keeper, a card that fits neatly in the bottom of the box. Record the info specific to those lenses--brand, color, purchase information, date, cost, expiration information, sphere, base curve, and diameter--and voila! No more wondering, and no more fumbling.

In creating the Eyebox, Sharena ordered sticker samples from three other companies. Custom Sticker Makers won because of the quality/price ratio. "These little round stickers needed to adhere to the type of plastic used for most contact lens cases," Sharena told us. "They had to be durable, very sticky, and water resistant. CSM stickers fared above the others and won my business."

Stuff We Like: Stickers for the Holidays, Part 1

2010-12-15T17:16:00.000-08:00

When you think of stickers as Christmas presents, chances are, you're thinking of stocking stuffers. But this holiday season, we ask that you think a little bigger in terms of what stickers can do for the kids in your life--a lot bigger.

From Yoda with a light saber to Tinkerbell, space-rockets, dump-trucks and fairy-tale castles, there's not much in the way of childhood obsessions that are not available as a mural-sized repositionable wall-sticker, it seems, as far as Wall Sticker Outlet goes. We're especially fond of this t-rex busting through the wall, though we're not sure it's suitable for kids who wake up at night scared of the boogie man.

Wall Sticker Outlet offers everything from single character stick-ons to full-scene murals, available in Girls Themes and Boys Themes, as well as more mural-oriented wall-stickers aimed at adults. There are also stick-on chalkboard options.

These wall-stickers will run you anywhere between $17 for a single character to $325 for a giant wall mural, just in time for the holidays.

Taking It to the Streets: One Street Helps Bike Groups Help Others

2010-12-10T22:58:00.000-08:00

One Street is a nonprofit organization based right here in Custom Sticker Makers' hometown of Prescott, Arizona, but their mission is global in scope--to lift bicycling to the forefront of society around the world by helping bike organizations help others.

One Street was founded in September 2007 by Sue Knaup, a long-time bicycle advocate at the local, national and international levels. The name came from an idea she had at the age of six on a family trip when she realized that one street connects to other streets and, if the world is round, never ends.

Since then, with the help of advisors ranging from leaders of large and small non-profits and government agencies to corporate CEOs, One Street has helped a women's center offer bike repair job training skills in Uganda, sponsored the manufacture of bikes internationally in disadvantaged areas (with funding from the bike-friendly Ft. Collins-based New Belgium Brewing Company), created a Bed and Bike website listing bike-friendly overnight accommodations in North America, and much, much more.

The One Street logo combines an image of the world with a peace sign and the letters O and S in a kind of continuous street, and stickers bearing this logo have become an important way for the organization to promote the essence of its mission in what Sue describes as "a really cool and simple form." She reports that she's seen them on the bikes, brief cases and backpacks of strangers passing her in different parts of the world.

Why Custom Sticker Makers? The answer is simple enough. "I like you guys," said Sue. "You do great work and you’re right here in town."