Akula Kreative

This is our biggest giveaway yet! Valued at $2000, your non-profit or volunteer-based organization could not only save big bucks, but it could also make a bigger impact with a new customized WordPress website. WordPress is a powerful, flexible platform that allows users to update beautiful, professional websites on their own. Sound awesome?

ENTER NOW for a chance to win!!!

We’re excited to help those organizations that do so much for our communities. Feel free to pass it along to anyone you think would be perfect for this contest. Good luck!

We posted 3 sets of printable Christmas gift tags on Pretty Peas today…just in time to wrap those last-minute gifts! Click HERE to download them for free!

Photo above by Wildnis Photography

We’ll turn your cuddly photo into a fun graphic that can be enjoyed by all!

Here are the OFFICIAL RULES!

1. Akula Kreative will be accepting photo submissions between October 24-31, 2012. Photos received after 12:00am on November 1st will not be eligible.
2. There is no limit to the number of photos you submit, but we suggest you pick the best of the best.
3. If you win, you hereby grant Akula Kreative / Pretty Peas Paperie the right to draw a graphic from your submitted photo (if it is chosen) for the purpose of producing greeting cards for wholesale and retail.
4. If you win, you will receive two sets of 8 letterpress cards featuring YOUR pet free of charge (as soon as they are printed). The retail value for this is $75! We will ALSO make a donation of $100 to the animal charity of your choice (in your cat’s name of course).
5. If you win, Akula Kreative will contact you via email to collect your mailing address and any other details we may need. We will make 3 attempts at contacting you. If we do not hear from you within 5 business days of the first attempt, we will choose another winner. (Unfortunately we have to keep the ball rolling.)
6. Akula Kreative will NOT reproduce or sell your photo.
7. Akula Kreative WILL share your photo online.
8. Any photos you submit must be owned by YOU. Under no circumstances will Akula Kreative be held liable for content provided by you for this contest.
9. Akula Kreative will choose a winner based on photo useability, cuteness factor, and a unique, distinguishable feline silhouette.

This contest is supposed to be FUN, so please “play nice” if you’re going to participate. Please allow 2-6 weeks for us to design and print the cards. We will try to have them available for Christmas!

This contest is now closed. We’ll announce the winner soon!

We had a request for photography packaging ideas for a DVD case, so here you go! For this series, I used 8″ x 12″ sheets of felt because they’re cheap, easy to find, easy to use, and come in a wide range of colors, patterns, and textures. In the samples below, I used felt from three places: Walmart, Michaels, and a local fabric store. You can also find lovely shades of felt at The Felt Pod, a shop on Etsy.

One of the many things I love about felt is that the edges don’t fray. In the nautical book cover sample below, I simply trimmed a sheet of navy felt so it wrapped around the DVD case on three sides. No sewing required! To keep it in place, I tied a striped satin ribbon around the middle. If you want to go one step further, you can pin something to front, like a button with your logo on it. (To order custom button pins, check out Etsy. Click here for a shop that makes them.) In this case, I pinned a little paper flag. This is the perfect spot to write (or print) THANK YOU or the initials of your client(s).

If you get your hands on larger sheets of felt (18″ x 18″), you can wrap the DVD case so it overlaps in the back. For this gray and yellow photo packaging ensemble, I kept the felt in place with a simple elastic band and button. (You can find both of these items at a fabric store.) The elastic provided the perfect opportunity to use one of my new mini screen printed clothespins from Paper Source, so with that I attached a little note.

In the colorful example below, I made a felt sheet pocket by folding up from the bottom and sewing the two sides. (This was my very first time using a sewing machine!) To make the scalloped edges, I wrapped a piece of yarn around the DVD case from bottom to top and tied it in a bow in the back. Again, I put my clothespins to use and attached a mini wedding photo (of us, haha). To finish it, I slipped a folded card in the top so it peeks out enough to reveal the company name/logo. I think this would be a cute way to package baby and child photos…

Here’s another inexpensive option: make a full-size dvd case pocket out of kraft butcher paper. In this example, I folded the paper on the right side, then sewed up the bottom and left side. I left the thread dangling, but if you want a cleaner look you can tie it off properly. Another adorable option for baby or child photos!

And last but not least, we have the winter edition photo packaging! Here I made another pocket out of an oatmeal felt sheet, but instead of using a machine, I hand-stitched the sides. I tied a coordinating ribbon across the top, then fastened a scalloped circle with a tiny safety pin. (I used a rubber stamp for the snowflake, but this would be a great spot for your logo, too.) On the inside of the DVD case, I trimmed a sheet of kraft paper and stuck another scalloped circle near the top with a foam dot.

So there you have it! If you have any questions, feel free to post below. And, don’t forget to sign up for our Photography Package Promo! We’ll be announcing it in the coming weeks, but if you want to be one of the first to get on the list, sign up. Package pricing will be up to 50% OFF, and we’ll be confirming start dates on a first-come, first-serve basis.

OOPS! Sorry! We are booked with branding projects until mid July 2013. If you’re willing to wait for our next PROMO, please subscribe to our email list. (Don’t worry – we only send emails out a few times per year and you can unsubscribe at any time.)

Is it killing you that your hi-res photo is STILL looking fuzzy on your Facebook page?!! I know how you feel. When I figured out how to fix it I was pretty excited…

In this quick tutorial, I’ll explain how to make your own CUSTOM Facebook Cover Photo using Photoshop CS5. (If you don’t have Photoshop but have other photo editing software, you can still prep your cover photo by cropping to the right dimensions and saving it at the right size.)

Click on any of the images below to see larger versions.

First, create a new document. The dimensions should be 851 pixels by 315 pixels. (I always keep my resolution at 300ppi and the background transparent.) Feel free to download the .jpg below to use as a template. (Or, if you’re using Photoshop CS5, download the layered .psd template HERE.)

The striped box indicates where your Profile Pic will reside once you upload your cover photo to Facebook.

Next, place your photo or design on the document. (Either go to File > Place, or copy and paste your design/photo from another program. With the correct layer highlighted, use Control + T to change the size or move the design or photo. If you change the size, be sure to hold down the Shift key when moving the corner anchors to keep your image proportional.)

If you’re Photoshop-savvy, be creative with the layout and add some fun “interactive elements”…maybe a bold border around the Profile Pic or a graphic that plays inside the space.

Now save your document. Go to File > Save for Web & Devices. Save as a .jpg.

Here’s the KEY step: After choosing JPEG, change the quality using the slider in the upper right corner until your image size is as close to 100K as possible (but still under 100K). 100 kilobytes is the “magic number” when it comes to finding the best balance between image quality and fast loading. In this example, I kept my image at 99.51K. Also, be sure to check the box next to “Convert to sRGB.”

Once your .jpg is saved, go ahead and upload it onto your Facebook page and you’re done!

custom facebook cover photo designs

We’ve created a small collection of Facebook cover photos for you to download!
These are free for personal use only. Enjoy!

Gray and Yellow Chevron // Right-Click Image to Download

Hellooo! Chalkboard // Right-Click Image to Download

Hello There Wood Grain // Right-Click Image to Download

Purple Peony // Right-Click Image to Download

Teal & White Anchor // Right-Click Image to Download

Red & Yellow Foodie // Right-Click Image to Download

Tan & Coral Dog Lover // Right-Click Image to Download

Red, Black, & Gray Pit-y Party // Right-Click Image to Download

Hola, Succulents! // Right-Click Image to Download

Want us to design a custom cover photo for you? Just ask!

I have a freebie for those of you who still need to find a Mother’s Day card! This quote popped up on my desk calendar in March, and the tiny piece of paper has been floating around my office ever since. I couldn’t bring myself to throw it away because it was just so sweet.

This printable PDF will make one 5 x 5 folded card.
I recommend using your printer’s best quality photo setting on nice matte paper.

Download it HERE. (This is free for personal use only, please.)

I made the paper flower with the Paper Source Mini Magnolia Flower Kit. A few tips about that: 1) you don’t really need to apply adhesive with a brush – I used quick-drying craft glue and it worked just fine; 2) one flower took me a little longer than I expected, so if you plan on making the entire dozen, don’t leave it for a last-minute project!

happy mother’s day to all!

As a sponsor of Caroline Tran’s Propel Workshop in March, branding has been on the brain. So, we collected a bit of basic info about it and published A NIFTY little GUIDE TO GETTING BRANDED. It’s very simple, but it should be helpful in organizing your thoughts about branding a new small business!

To read about the Branding Packages we offer, click HERE.
From now until March 15, use code MOO20 to get 20% OFF a Branding Package and a $50 credit toward printing! Click HERE to get started ASAP.

If you’re not ready yet, sign up for our monthly email list, and gain access to special discounts unavailable anywhere else!

As evidence of the power of branding—specifically logos—check out this video:

It’s a Valentine for pit bull and dog lovers everywhere! Check it out in our Etsy shop by clicking HERE.

Greeting : None (Blank Inside)
Size : 4 Bar (3.5″ x 4.875″ folded)
Fold : Top
Ink : Soy-Based, Pantone BlackU
Stock : 100% Cotton, Brilliant White (tree-free, archival, acid-free, recyclable & biodegradable)
Printing : Letterpressed in limited quantities in the U.S.A.

Quantity : 1 Card with 1 Envelope in RED

Meet Nani, our pit bull mix. Once a quivering bundle of fear at the Humane Society, Nani has become an integral part of our family. She enjoys napping in the sun, chewing on tape and superglue without permission, and dismembering and de-fluffing new toys. The background of this card features a dog-bone pattern in the lightest of light grays.

* This special edition card comes with a coin envelope filled with hand-punched heart-shaped confetti and one blank, unattached pink banner. Think of it as a very simple DIY kit. You write your own message and attach it to the card wherever you like, then you fill the red envelope with confetti. Ta-da!

For FREE SHIPPING in February, use coupon code BEMYVALENTINE at checkout!

A portion of the proceeds from all dog cards will go to animal charities in San Diego.

Our listing on Google Places is up! To receive 10% OFF your first design project, click HERE and find the offer code! Don’t miss out – offer is valid until January 31, 2012.