[ProjectComplete] Due August 3rd - Logo Design for Crystal Cottage Studio-$225

[Shelly]

(Admin code added by Palmer - 8SR63190SD4445636, 97D505221H3265935)

Hi All!

We are looking for a logo for our eBay store Crystal Cottage Studio. We sell fine gemstone beads and 18k gold findings for high end jewelry designers and hobbyists. You can see our eBay store at: Crystal Cottage Studio (http://stores.ebay.com/Crystal-Cottage-Studio_W0QQssPageNameZl2QQtZkm) to get an idea of our current style and what we sell.

We had a contest last month for the logo for our webstore SapphireGarden.com and were were thrilled with the exquisite logo designed by Carol Taldo. http://www.designoutpost.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=62576&stc=1

Crystal Cottage Studio will become the sister store to Sapphire Garden. We are planning to drive traffic from eBay to our website so the logo for Crystal Cottage Studio will need to work well with the beautiful logo that Carol designed. I don't know quite how that will be accomplished, but we're hoping the brilliant minds here will come up with the perfect solution.

This logo needs to be professional looking but can be perhaps a bit less corporate than the SapphireGarden logo since we are well established on eBay and have already deleloped trust in that market.

The logo needs to have the words Crystal Cottage Studio. Our tagline is going to be Exquisite Gemstone Beads (same as for SapphireGarden). The tagline might be included, but not necessarily.

We tend to like blues, greens, aquas. We are not married to those colors, but they are also in the Sapphire Garden logo, so perhaps best to stick with them.

The feel we are going for is elegant, creative, feminine, beautiful.

We will be using this logo on our webstore, auctions, and also on invoices, coupons etc., both print and web.

Somewhere in the header on our eBay store we will have the words:
In the heart of Sapphire Garden lies Crystal Cottage just to get people used to sapphire garden and associate it with crystal cottage. So it might help to think along the lines of a crystal cottage nestled in a garden for the imagery. It doesn't have to be a direct representation of that, but just to set the mood. I don't know if that helps or not.

Our service provider is already working on the website and eBay template so the sooner we can get a logo design, the better. If we decide to end the contest early, we'll give you guys at least a day's notice.

We're looking forward to seeing your ideas!

[BlueCherryGraphics]

v1

Hi Shelly: per your request via private message, here is the butterfly icon.

[Shelly]

Thanks so much for entering Jennifer, I was hoping you would. :flowers:

I like the butterfly a lot. I don't really want this logo to be as "corporate" as the other one so I think perhaps lighter, slightly brighter colors would work out on this one if you could revise it a bit. I do, however, really like the aqua blue you used here on the lower wing. I don't care for the darker green. Maybe a peridot (kind of yellow green) color might work?

I would like the letters to make a bit more of a statement. A little softer colors (maybe even the same color as the sapphire garden logo) and just a bit more personality, somehow, so they are memorable. I'm thinking if we keep the color family the same, the font doesn't have to be the same. (I do like the word "studio" less emphasized the way you have done it)

Is there a way to make the butterfly more a part of the lettering or interact with them in some way? I'm hoping you have some ideas for that.

[Shelly]

Just wondering if I have supplied enough information? :unsure:

If you need to ask questions, please feel free to do so.

If you are thinking about entering and just haven't had a chance to get to it yet, could you let me know? (I see those contests that get cancelled due to lack of interest and start worrying!) Thanks!

[gig]

v1 :)

[Shelly]

Hi Gig!
Thanks for your entry! I think I would like a bit more of a graphic element to the logo and I think I would like the words to not all have equal emphasis.

CrystalCottage is our eBay id, so I would like those words to be more prominent than the word Studio. If you have other ideas we would love to see them.

[gig]

Hi Shelly, thank you for your feedback. Here I try more illustrated logo :)

[Blesseville]

http://www.medigraph.net/do/ccs1.jpg

[Blesseville]

http://www.medigraph.net/do/ccs2.jpg

[Shelly]

Gig,
Thanks for the revision. I like this much better. I like these colors. I also like the word studio at the bottom with the neat little designs in color gradients beside the word studio. The graphic I also like better than the first one, but this is still not quite the direction I want to go.

I would like the graphic element to be something that makes sense with the words. Maybe even a cottage. I'm not sure.

[Shelly]

Medigraph, Thanks for the entries! I like these colors, but these are also not quite the direction I want to go. I'm looking for something a bit less corporate than Version 1 and a bit more complex than version 2. Something a little softer, I think. Maybe somthing ghosted in or watermarked looking. I'm not sure the correct terms for that. Would love to see any other ideas you have.

[Shelly]

:oops:Everyone: Apparently I scared you guys off with my last post! Sorry! I'm going to try to give some more direction to see if we can get somewhere. I'm in a time crunch so hopefully this will be more helpful than the last info I gave you!

I have been working on some header ideas. The primary use of this logo is on the website. I'm thinking of using a photograph with it...I'll post a very primitive beginning idea with our SapphireGarden logo just to give you an idea. The Crystal Cottage logo would be displayed in a similar way. I've cut around this badly...I don't have good software, it will all be cleaned up and hopefully will give you an idea of the environment where the logo will be displayed.

Thanks!

[Shelly]

I know this is a tough project. I'm extending the deadline to Thursday August 3rd and adding $50 to the prize money for a total of $225. I appreciate the hard work and patience all the designers have shown.
We do need the logo fast, but ultimately it's more important to get the right one. Thanks so much everyone!

[gig]

Hi, I try cottage theme and try to put it in the gemstones :)

*in my v2, the jewelry represent of "C" in Crystal Cottage

[Shelly]

Hi Gig,
This is pretty cool. :) I like that it goes with the words and the jewel doorway is neat too. The colors are awesome. I think I would like to see it without the shadow around the letters and maybe some alternate fonts. Thank you, very nice, we will definitely consider this one.

[Shelly]

Gig,
One more request: Andrew thinks the beads on the top (the roof) don't read well as beads. Can you make one of the beads have a "sparkle"? Maybe if they were a bit darker color too, so the sparkle would show up.
Thanks!

[castell]

Hello Shelly,

I am glad to see you back with another great contest. :)

Here a concept that links with the logo for sapphire garden.

http://www.visualadv.net/projects/other/crystalc1.gif

Castell

[gig]

Hi Shelly,
thank you for feedbacks.

here is my revision, alternate in font type also more sparkle in beads :)

[Shelly]

Hi Castell!

Welcome home! I hope you had a wonderful trip!

I'm so happy you are back and here to participate!

I like the colors in this design. This house image isn't really saying cottage to me. I think it's a neat idea, but I'm going for something softer and less corporate in this logo.

More ideas:
I'm thinking along the lines of a Thomas Kinkade style cottage feel (gag! I can hardly get that out...not my favorite artist, but the feel is what I'm after).

I have a butterfly in much of my marketing material for Crystal Cottage Studio so a butterfly or dragonfly might also make good imagery...the cottage also is great because it makes sense with the words. Of course if you can work in crystals or gems that makes it even better.

I would like the design to tie in well with the SapphireGarden logo, but that's not necessarily my number one consideration.

Hope that helps!

[Shelly]

Hi Gig!
Thanks so much for the revisions. I like the font in your first version better. I'm looking for something a little softer with maybe some curves. I'm not sure how that will work with the symmetry of your design, but if possible, I'd like to see something with a bit more flow to it.

I like the sparkles. :) I think they may be getting a little lost in the green, though. Maybe if the beads were all the deeper blue color the contrast would help the sparkle show up.

Andrew is still not loving the beads for the roof...I'm hoping if the sparkle shows up more, he might feel they look more like gems. (he keeps saying they look like jelly beans.)

His other idea is to have the words Crystal Cottage form the roof, with studio below as the base of the cottage. I'm not sure if that would work or not.

[gig]

Hi Shelly, thank you for feedbacks.
Here I try to change the shape, size and color of the beads and also the sparkle.

I don't think so if you want the words Crystal Cottage Studio to shaping a cottage.

[Shelly]

Gig,
:yes: I like this! I'll check with Andrew and see if he likes it better.

[Shelly]

Gig,
We are in agreement. Andrew and I are both very pleased with the revisions you made to the cottage. Thank you! The graphic is great.

Andrew would like to see a version with the picture between the words crystal and cottage. I would still like to see some alternate fonts. I think I would like larger first letters or perhaps some font that is a bit more script like. I would like the font to have a bit of whimsy since the cottage has a bit of an enchanted look to it. If you have the time, I think this would help us make up our minds. We are getting very close to what we want here. We so appreciate your continued efforts.

[gig]

Thank you for feedback.
Here I try two different fonts for Crystal Cottage, and put the picture between words :)

[Shelly]

Hi, Gig.

Shelly & I both like your font alternate #1 here. However, we seem to still prefer the graphic with the cottage on top (revison 3C) rather than in the middle. However, I was wondering if you could try a slight variation for me on that design (3C) with the new (alternate #1) font?

I would like the gemstone roof to be a bit less steep & extend all the way across the crystal cottage name. Also, remove the two 'squiggle' graphic walls from the cottage and leave only the large gem graphic element under the gemstone roof. One last request - could you take the tool line that runs across the center of 'studio' and actually ghost that, just a bit thicker (and maybe in the blue?) through the word 'studio' but behind the 'studio' letters so they remain uncut.

What I am trying to achieve with this revision is the suggestion that the entire text is forming the base & walls of the cottage and only the roof & attic window are the gems.

Feel free to play with the scale of the roof and gem window vs the text as you see fit. Whatever proportion ends up looking like the best balance to you to create a total cottage from all the elements together.

Thanks!
Andrew

[gig]

Hi, I prefer no. 2 :)

[Shelly]

Hi Gig,
Thank you for all your hard work! I think we have enough to go on. I prefer the layout from version 3C with the font from Version 3D- font Alternate #1. If you feel like doing that, great, we'd love to see it, if not, that's ok too, we have enough to go on to tell the layout and the font we like. We so appreciate you going through the alternatives with us. It really helps so much.

[Shelly]

We are going to let this contest run through the third. We do like Gig's design a lot, we think it's great, but we would still be interested in seeing other ideas if you guys have them.
Thanks!

[nhr]

Hello:

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b92/nhrdesign/DO/CrystalCottageStudio_nhr.png

[nhr]

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b92/nhrdesign/DO/CrystalCottageStudio2_nhr.png

Thank you.

[gig]

Hi, I like to do this :)

[Shelly]

Nhr,
Thank you so much for entering! Both of these designs are clean and beautiful. I like the colors a lot. The spheres are reminding me a bit of balls (like the kind you play pool with). I'm wondering if a line coming out...as if they were strung beads, could be worked in.

Looking at your work from your website, I really like how you sometimes create the letters from the picture (like the pub logo and the high and low logo). I'm wondering if you could play with that a bit. I'm listing some suggested images you could try below if you are up to it and any spark an idea.

Imagery we would be interested in seeing:

~beads (of course) :~)

~cottage or cottage related imagery (an actual cottage, a garden gate etc)

~garden or garden related imagery (flowers, butterflies, bees, dragonfly, etc)

~Any of the above imagery combined with gemstones or beads

Don't know if that helps, hope so!

[Shelly]

:) This is beautiful, Gig. Thank you so much.

[nhr]

Thank you very much, Shelly :)
New design coming...

[nhr]

:)

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b92/nhrdesign/DO/CrystalCottageStudio3_nhr.png

Thank you.

[Shelly]

:flowers: We declare Gig the winner, we love your last version 3f.
We may want to tweak the colors just a bit, but mostly it is just perfect. It's simply beautiful. Thank you so much for all your hard work, tweaks and revisions to get it just right. We are impressed by your professionalism, your attitude and your skill.

Thank you so much everyone who participated! We really saw some lovely designs and good ideas. Nhr, thank you for this last idea, we really liked how the stem of the crystal flower was part of the words and also the flower itself. Castell, as always, it is wonderful to see your work and just to interact with you, you are a pleasure. Jennifer, thank you for submitting the beautiful crystal butterfly, we really wanted to see that one work out, but the lettering was not what we had in mind. Medigraph, thank you too for subitting two designs. You are a pleasure to work with as well.

Thank you everyone for another successful contest with a wonderful result.

[Shelly]

Gig, I'm not really sure if we will like it better, but could we see one version with just slightly lighter colors...more of a turquoise aqua for the lettering for example? In fact, maybe only the font with the slightly lighter color and leave the rest. We may go back to this color combo that you have now, but would like to see a softer one before we make up our minds for sure.
Thanks!

[gig]

Hi Shelly,
thank you for choosing my design (finally :) )
I'll make some revision soon

[gig]

Hi Shelly, here is the revision, the text crystalcottage is lighter aqua

[Shelly]

Oh! Pretty pretty!!! I love this, Gig. I like what you did on the gems on the roof too...they sparkle even more now, the whole thing pops! I'll show Andrew when he gets home to see what he thinks.

Thank you! You are awesome! :D

[Shelly]

Gig,

:yes: Andrew looked at this last night and he loves this too. It's perfect!

One last question: Last night I was also looking at our eBay store and some of the space constraints where we are able to place logos. Many of them are long and narrow. Would it be possible to also get the files for Version 3D (font alt 1)? That one would fit better in some of the spaces allotted. I think eventually we will be able to work around their space constraints and use the other logo exclusively, but for now, in some applications, a narrow one will fit better. Let me know if this is ok.

The guy that is working on our website would like .psd files. I'm not sure what other types of files we will need. Probably jpg and if possible a file with a transparent background? Any other files you think we might eventually need would be appreciated. I don't know a lot about the different types.
Oh, we would like the B&W one too for print and invoices.

We really love this logo, Gig. Thank you so much for your work, creativity and willingness to make revisions. :blush: We are just thrilled with the result. I can't wait to start using our beautiful new logo!

[gig]

Hi Shelly,
okay I will provide you one version of 3D-1 and will upload today :)

[Shelly]

Great, Gig!
Thanks for letting us get files for both. We really appreciate it.

[gig]

Hi Shelly, files sent :)
please read your pm..

[Shelly]

:clap:Thanks, Gig! We love it!

[Palmer]

Moved to the Revisions Forum. Sorry for the delay :)