Stacy Amoo-Mensah

Show Us Your Workspace: Name Your Design

Monday, May 3, 2010

by Stacy Amoo-Mensah of Name Your Design

Hi there! This is Stacy again. For those of you who don’t know me very well, I need to preface this post by giving you three pieces of information.

I am the mother of three boys.
I spend the majority of my “work” time designing a line of stationery for tinyprints and filling orders for my online business, Name Your Design. I also work with several brides a month creating custom wedding invitations in my little paper studio.
I do all of this from home.

Any of you that happen to be blessed with boys know the type of energy and activity that they can bring to your home. Basically, our entire house has become their playground… wrestling matches on the family room floor, soccer games in the hallway, tag around the dining room table, etc. There is, however, ONE room in our house that is just for me, and it’s my little studio/office/workspace.

(read more…)

Free Download: Modern Number Print

Friday, March 26, 2010

by Stacy Amoo-Mensah of Name Your Design

Hi there! It’s Stacy again. I’m not sure about you, but in my house, we are READY for Spring. Living in Chicago is quite a tease this time of year. We can have five days of warm sunshine followed by two days of snow! We’ve been cooped up long enough, and I’m looking forward to more time outside, enjoying the pretty Spring palette that will soon be painting our neighborhood.

With that said, I created a fun and vibrant 8×10 art print just for OMHG readers. I’m a huge fan of orange, and to me, this print just screams sunshine! We could all use a little bit of that now, couldn’t we?

Simply download and print this 8 x 10 art print onto a sturdy piece of 8.5 x 11 cardstock (also available in pink and blue). The design is sized at 8 x 10 which leaves a margin perfect for framing. Enjoy!

Please note: Images are for personal use only and may not be used for commercial purposes.

Taking a Giant Leap

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

by Stacy Amoo-Mensah of Name Your Design and Le Papier Boutique

Hi there! My name is Stacy, and six years ago I was teaching kindergarten. Today I own two creative businesses and have an exclusive brand of stationery on tiny*prints.

I’ve known Sara for a little over a year and was thrilled when she asked me to be one of OMHG’s monthly contributors! I only wish there was a resource such as this when I was trying to break into the stationery business over six years ago, as it would have saved me hours and hours of research time.

I am, by no means, an expert. However, I have learned a bit about running my creative businesses through good old-fashioned hard work and dedication and am happy to share some of my insight with you.

With that said, the most frequent question I get about my career is, “How in the world do you go from a kindergarten teacher to a graphic designer?” (read more…)

what we know for sure {part 2 of 2}

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Today’s post focuses on growing a small business. Below is a compilation of advice from a few of the Oh My! Handmade Goodness contributors.

Old school truth: Every business needs a USP (unique selling proposition). What’s yours? (Nicole Morell)
Deliver within your stated production time and offer excellent customer service! In this fast past world, it seems CS has taken a back seat. Be an expert at customer service and your customers will come back. (Stacy Amoo-Mensah)
Find out what your customers want by asking for feedback and ideas. You’ll be surprised at how many are interested in contributing (especially if you offer a nice incentive or coupon for their help). (Stacy Amoo-Mensah)
(read more…)

what we know for sure {part 1 of 2}

Monday, February 15, 2010

by Sara Tams of sarah + abraham

I’ve noticed lately that every time the topic of my home-based, online business comes up with a new acquaintance, I start out by answering the same few questions about what I do, how it works, etc., and by the end of the conversation I’m cheering on this new friend, encouraging her to follow her passion and start her own business.

I started thinking about the advice that I find myself sharing over and over, and I asked a few of the other contributors here at Oh My! Handmade Goodness what her best tips are for anyone who’s thinking about starting an online business. Below is a compilation of everyone’s advice (tomorrow’s post will focus on growing a small business).

Make sure what you choose to do is something you LOVE! Running your own business is hard work, and it helps to be obsessed with your job. (Arianne Foulks)
Do your research and know your competition. (Stacy Amoo-Mensah)
Be true to your own style. It’s ok to look at others for inspiration, but make sure you are truly plugged into YOU! Don’t try to copy the trends, they always fade. (Stacy Altiery)
(read more…)