Winter Wonderland

Wishing you all a wonderful holiday season!!!! Here is a great

 before and after from our window styling files this year.

 This is the window at  Queen Bee Creations in Portland Oregon

Before

After

 Queen Bee created the back drop ( which is also one of their prints and available as bags etc..)
UP Design Lounge  did the design, created the props and did the installation.

Shop Window Styling 101: Where to start.....

Here's a visual step by step tutorial on how I go through the process designing and creating a new window display.
What you need:

• a photo of the shop window you are going to design
• tracing paper
• 2x binder clips
• pencil
• ruler 
• color pencils 
• eraser (just in case)

Gather the tools.
I use a mechanical pencil, this one is from
 Muji *one of  my favorite stores. 

A photo of the window.....

tracing paper ( available at office depot)

place tracing paper over photo...

......and secure with binder clips

user your mechanical pencil to draw the outline of the window
onto the tracing paper.....

......take the tracing paper off.....

....now start drawing in fixtures or furniture you might have
on your mind  or  that already exist in the window.

add sketches of props....

and more ideas.... like painting a frame drawn on the window
 with a glass marker

and more layers and more layers .....
Here I bring in the color pencils ;)
I usually do this whole process  2 or 3 times
until I have my visual picture completed.
After that I go into prop design...........
(See my next post coming out  in the end of November:
Shop Window Styling 101: creating props )

GOOD LUCK !!!
And feel free to ask me any question ...

*Ullika*

Visual Merchandising : explained

"Visual merchandising is a major factor often overlooked

in the success or failure of a retail store. It is

second only to effective customer relations.

Visual merchandising can be defined as everything the

customer sees, both exterior and interior, that creates a

positive image of a business and results in attention,

interest, desire and action on the part of the customer. A

story can be told that communicates to the prospective

customer what the store is all about. It includes the

dramatic presentation of merchandise as well as other

important, subtle features that create the store’s overall atmosphere."

(source) 

 

Effective visual merchandising does not need to

cost much. The cost for this display was less

than $40 in materials and about 1.5 hours in man power.

5 Things: Inspiration

5 things you need to create labels  with for you store or gifts

5 things I gathered that dear friends gave to me 

 5 things that I arranged

Props and such

For affordable ways to find  props and materials especially for the Holidays, in Portland (PDX) I go to SCRAP. This place is amazing, you can find anything form picture frames, card board, leather, craft material in all shapes and form, fabric, paint etc... and loads of it in bulk. SCRAP is a non profit  and there mission is to inspire creative reuse and environmentally sustainable behavior by providing educational programs and affordable materials to the community. What is you favorite place to go to for affordable props and such in your city ????

Handmade Tags a Special way to Communicate !!!

A product without a price is a crime! 

That is what I learned  from my previous employer and I have to agree.

 But for me it is more than just the price it is making it exiting and

 memorable for your customers.  Details matter and this is one of them.

Handmade unique tags for your shop have a instant WOW effect, so

here are a few examples for inspiration: 

with cute drawings

good to know

artful

informative

all these where created @spielwerktoys.com