Card Designer Highlight: Barely Stationery

The Card Designer Highlight is a collection that includes impartial makers whose greeting playing cards you will discover in Paper Supply shops.  Meet and be impressed by a brand new designer each month on our weblog!

Alicia Heater is the proud proprietor and designer of Barely Stationery. Her pure abilities and illustrations convey us a sassy assortment of playing cards and designs impressed by particular, significant moments in addition to her busy schedule. Based out of Portland Oregon by husband & spouse in 2014, they’re now celebrating a rising enterprise and staff in sunny Oceanside, California. 

How did you start your card-making profession?

 I used to be doing loads of freelance design work whereas I used to be working full-time, and it was a very big selection of tasks. Finally, I acquired uninterested in spending numerous hours on a venture and making barely something on it (my very own fault for not charging what I ought to have) and determined to discover the world of designing one thing that would exist for lots longer than these one-time tasks. I launched myself headfirst into designing playing cards with out understanding a factor (my first assortment didn’t have even one birthday card.) It was not an prompt success, however I by no means appeared again!

The place do you draw inspiration from? Meals? Pop Tradition? Timeless Motifs? Playful Puns?

It’s an limitless record! For higher or worse, someplace at the back of my thoughts is all the time open to inspiration. Puns, meals, issues that make folks smile or chuckle, and the great thing about nature are all the time on the record. Generally inspiration comes from a chapter of life that I’m going via and being extra conscious of what message for that season could also be. As an illustration, shortly after my son was born, I designed an entire lot of recent child/new mum or dad playing cards that spoke nicely to that life-changing occasion. Regardless of the event or inspiration, it’s a delight to see how these playing cards resonate with others as soon as they’ve come to fruition.

What does your day appear to be as a card maker and designer?

 Oftentimes it looks as if my designer function comes final, in any case the varied hats of being a enterprise proprietor and the unending record of need-to-dos and should-dos and could-dos. I’m not complaining although, since I actually love being a enterprise proprietor (more often than not!) Most of the time, my days are spent doing issues that aren’t design work, until I’m tremendous intentional about carving out time to do it. Generally it appears like placing on a film or present within the night and dealing on our new designs and illustrations whereas I watch (pay attention) to it.

What’s your most well-liked medium?

Lately, I do most of my work on my iPad. I used to color every little thing with gouache, then scan it, clear it up and make any changes on the pc. Generally I miss doing it that manner and possibly will once more sometime – however on this chapter, my iPad has been a incredible software.

What does your artistic course of appear to be?

More often than not, an concept will sit in my concept financial institution for some time earlier than it’s time for it. That timing is predicated on our launch schedule, which we attempt to be fairly organized and strategic about. When it’s time to convey it to life (if I nonetheless like the thought), I’ll make a very tough, preliminary sketch after which work on the colour palette for the actual piece. Then that sketch will get fleshed out in colour, after which it’s time so as to add shading and refined particulars – which is the longest half, however loads of instances it’s probably the most enjoyable, as a result of it’s the place you see it actually take form. Then we work on the lettering (and typically the phrasing will get edited within the course of) and lastly, get it able to put it right into a template for its given product, like a card.

What are you most pleased with as a creator and card maker?

In broad strokes, I’m pleased with how a lot I’ve realized and grown. Although I’d achieved little bit of graphic design, I had zero illustration expertise after I determined it was a good suggestion to attempt to make and promote illustrated playing cards for a dwelling. There have been loads of hours put in and loads of revisions made as I figured issues out that will come extra naturally to others than to me however I’m proud to have caught with it and seen huge enhancements.

Any private tidbits? Particular skills/enjoyable info?

Sometime I’d like to do an illustrated recipe guide on sauces, since I actually love sauce, and I wish to suppose that I’m a fairly good sauce-maker, too. I trouble? astound? my husband and buddies at eating places noting what sort of taste profile a dish may have after which dreaming up what I’d put in a sauce to take it to the following degree. So, an illustrated sauce guide and flowchart might actually mix my strengths!

Discover Barely Stationery Playing cards reminiscent of Misplaced Rely Birthday Card, Thrilling Halloween Card, and Jingle All of the Approach Christmas Card at your native retailer or on-line at papersource.com. For extra inspiration and behind-the-scenes motion, observe @SlightlyStationery on IG.

Share: