I’m feeling tired, so I’ll just repost from last night:
Just in time for winter, some new Balloon Juice themed thermos items:
Lots of good options there.
Also, don’t forget, we are still building our Pets of Balloon Juice 2011 calendar, and we need your pictures so they can be part of the fun. Send your favorite pet pics to [email protected]
All proceeds from sales go to help animals via the good folks at Charlie’s Angels Animal Rescue in Western North Carolina.
gbear
All I’ve got to say is that I’m glad today is over.
arguingwithsignposts
Size/pixel requirements, JC? Several of us asked about this in the last calendar thread.
stuckinred
@arguingwithsignposts: Some of us asked if there was a way to confirm our pic got through.
WaterGirl
Literally did a double-take when I opened this thread. And I can vouch for the fact that arguingwithsignposts and stuckinred both asked their questions before. Deja vu all over again.
stuckinred
@WaterGirl: did you get my email addy from the last thread?
Elizabelle
How quickly could you make up some bumper stickers with Tunch’s face and “I support President Obama” as a slogan? Or Lily’s little face?
One: I would buy multiples.
Two: it would be great to see other Balloon Juicers.
In other news, saw my first Obama chia pet today.
President Washington and President Lincoln chia pets too.
Cannot say any were flying off the shelves.
WaterGirl
@stuckinred: I must be losing my mind. I saw your message was going to write as soon as I posted my thank you to SIA. Posted my note to SIA and now I can’t find your comment with the email address. You must have posted it and then edited? I will try email right now to what I think your address might have been (from memory).
Edit: just sent my test message.
stuckinred
@WaterGirl: you got it!
Laura W.
@arguingwithsignposts: No real requirements as the program I’m using determines that based on a few other factors. The sharper and more clear they are, the better as they will probably be downsized quite a bit. Close-ups work especially well in the format. In all honesty, almost every photo sent in will be usable for the calendar and those that aren’t are more due to poor composition or lighting I can’t improve, too much of a distance shot, out of focus, etc. So send your bestestes!
@stuckinred: I’ve been acknowledging every submission that comes in with a reply, usually within a day or two. As I don’t know what name you might have used in your email, and it does not sound like you got a reply back, why don’t you email me at the address in John’s post and we can confirm over there?
To the question of putting the rotating tag lines on merch in the store: you’re gonna have to pound on Ahab for that. That’s his graphic design department. First up before that is him finalizing the new Rosie graphic so I can get that loaded onto some product.
Along with the new thermos products, CP added some stainless steel water bottles to their inventory this month. Here is the link to the BJ logo section for the bottles and thermi.
Thanks All! So far the response has been very exciting in terms of number of photos, quality, enthusiasm for the project, sweet backstories of the pets.
stuckinred
@Laura W.: That is where I sent it. One each of Bohdi and Lil Bit at the beach.
WaterGirl
@Elizabelle: I would put one of those on my car in a heartbeat!
arguingwithsignposts
@Laura W.:
Thanks for the reply. What program are you using, if you don’t mind me asking. I was thinking the photos might be small, but wanted to make sure something like 800 pixels wide wouldn’t be too pixelated at 200-300 dpi depending on size.
And I’ll keep pounding on Ahab for the rotating tag merch, too.
arguingwithsignposts
@WaterGirl:
seconded. would be nice if there were some magnetic bumper stickers instead of the regular sticky stuff.
arguingwithsignposts
Okay, a question. I’ve already picked one photo, now I need another opinion on the second photo. I’m torn between:
This (in keeping with the ethos of B-J)
and This (closeup, cuteness overload)
Opinions? There’s also the walking on a ledge photo and the pirate kitteh, but I don’t want to go to moderation hell, so there it is.
Elizabelle
@WaterGirl:
I know.
I would even run the risk of having the car keyed or damaged, as frequently happens to cars bearing Democratic bumperstickers.
As opposed to the W and Bush-Cheney cars that are rolling around unscathed, even now.
It’s just a different mindset out there.
Laura W.
@stuckinred: Best to just resend please since it does not seem to have come over. Please put your BJ handle in the subject line to flag my attention and I’ll confirm receipt for you as soon as I can.
@arguingwithsignposts: Not intending to be mysterious, but I’d rather not get into the design specifics or the program right now for a few reasons. I can say that I did a test calendar before even taking this on with my own digital photos (and some were even scans of ancient photos!) that ranged in (quality and) size from 64KB to 9MB and all ninety of them, on one 8.5×11 page, were clear and crisp. I’m pretty confident (famous last words) there won’t be too many quality issues. CP did a bang up printing job. Send some of your faves and if there is an issue I will get back to you. (Back me up here, gbear!)
jeffreyw
@arguingwithsignposts: Go with the cute!
stuckinred
@Laura W.: Durn, I sent em with Pet Pic in the subject line,
thanks
arguingwithsignposts
@Laura W.:
Cool about the mystery. Just that I work with a lot of those programs (although I’m more into web-based stuff these days, my roots are in printing). If you wouldn’t mind giving me a hint in an e-mail, I’d appreciate it. If not, no big deal. I’ve heard about some programs that will enlarge very pixellated photographs, but I’ve always been somewhat skeptical about their application (and in previous employment situations, I’ve looked at more than my share of 72 ppi photos that would have looked like lego shite if reproduced in print).
WaterGirl
@arguingwithsignposts: Yes! Definitely magnetic.
WaterGirl
@arguingwithsignposts: I’ve still got “dreaming of mice” open from the other night, it’s too cute to close. That is now my all-time smudge favorite, replacing walking the ledge. :-) I know a lot of people love the back leg salute, though.
Edit: ix-nay on pirate kitty, not nearly as cute as the others.
WaterGirl
@Elizabelle: I am still driving the obama-mobile from 2008 (magnetic obama signs, stickers, etc) so I am not worried about that.
arguingwithsignposts
@WaterGirl:
Dreaming of mice is the other one I’m submitting, fwiw.
mumford
Plastic or stainless steel interiors on the thermos items?
gbear
@Laura W.: Yes. I sent a picture that was too dark and Laura sent an email to let me know. I sent a better pic and got the A-OK from Laura.
I didn’t worry about the size when I sent them. I just sent whatever I had.
And my Halley is just going to melt hearts when everyone sees her, you betcha.
WaterGirl
@arguingwithsignposts: good choice! then i would go with the back leg salute, it’s very artistic, i think, as well as in the spirit of BJ. is there one you would like to see when you look at the calendar? if so, you might just want to send that photo.
gbear
@arguingwithsignposts:
Just buy a sheet of magnetic material from a sign shop. That’s what I do. Carefully mount the sticker to the sheet and trim it to size. A sheet of the stuff can hold about half a dozen stickers. Works like a charm as long as you remember to take it off before you go thru a carwash.
arguingwithsignposts
@gbear:
thanks, good idea.
gbear
@arguingwithsignposts: Make sure you take the stickers off on really hot days too. I’ve got one that fused with the liftgate on my Vibe. I can’t take it off now.
Luckily it’s not confrontational. It’s a forestry bumpersticker that says ‘Support Your Local Bear’ with a picture of Smokey.
arguingwithsignposts
@gbear:
damned furries are everywhere. :)
SiubhanDuinne
@gbear #28: Stephen Colbert would confront!!