For the Fun of It - making a new brand

rethinking my approach to products

Hi! My name is Ashlyn Anstee, and I tell stories with words and pictures. Sometimes, that’s picture books (like Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library Select “Hedgehog”), or graphic novels (my series “Shelby and Watts”), and sometimes it’s animation (I’ve directed at places like Warner Bros. and Cartoon Network).

This column, “For the Fun of It”, will also have words and pictures. Sometimes it will be stories, or how-tos, or thoughts. A little bit of everything. Hope you enjoy!

It started with being asked if I’d like to be in a holiday market. More specifically, 826LA’s holiday market! I’ve never done a market before, not selling my own art- I’ve done small booths where I’ve signed books. It put a spark in my head!

A couple of months ago, I started a shop on my website, just a place where I could sell prints and mugs. I had fun, but there was something about it being tied to my name that kept it in a certain style or bracket. Something that’s been interesting to me is the idea of separating out a shop to make it a separate thing- obviously still created by me but the ability to collaborate with other creative people (like my writer husband Grant).

A lot of artists do this- some of my favorites include Mango Town and Liliuhms.

The thing about creating art for sale, or products, is that it can be a different mindset than a narrative piece for a children’s book illustration or a character design. It can have an element of craft (which I love- I used to run crafternoons, which I miss desparately). It’s a piece that ideally people will use, display, or give to a loved one.

So, with all that being said, let’s dive into my brand explorations- I imagine this will be a multi-parter. I’m going to take you step by step with my thought process, and maybe it can inspire you or give you some insight into starting something from scratch.

Picking a Name

The name didn’t need to be the first step- and in fact, I’d probably not suggest making it the first step. I already had a body of work and thoughts about what I wanted to sell, and used that from a jumping off point.

I know from previous personal brand explorations that my work is pretty happy and colorful, celebrates creativity and joy, and has a love of animals. I kept a google doc for a few days where I’d write down name ideas.

It’s good to double check that there’s no big brands that use the name, and make sure your social media handles are (reasonably) available. Same with domains.

Unfortunately, there’s a LOT of handles that are signed up for and not really used, and there’s not much you can do about it. Even if someone hasn’t updated their instagram in 6 years, it’s still theirs. So that’s why I say “reasonable”- if “Fluffnluff” isn’t available, but “Fluff_n_luff” is, that’s pretty alright)

• Joyfetti

• Jouette

• Lucky Prince

• Polka Cat

• Fluffluff 

• Luvfetti

• Confetti 

I was playing with a lot of “confetti” themed words to start. There were a few brands that used Joyfetti, but none which had been active in the last few years. I also was toying with cat words, and fluff (a word which is just fun to say).

After a few iterations, and some help with Grant, I settled on:

• Art and Fluff

Here’s what I like about it- it says Art right in the name, which means you know you’re getting real-artist-art, and not AI. But the Fluff- that means it’s fun. It calls to mind pets, but also silliness, and being joyously extra. It’s my art in a nutshell- serious and silly.

Creating a Logo

Picking a font was a crucial part of my website rebrand. I love having a special font that I can use for headers and for call outs though out a website. I went hunting on Creative Market. The font I found on there for my website was made by Studio Funshop, who is on substack!

Kelli

‘s fonts are amazing- handmade feeling with classical typography charm. I started there, and started screengrabbing options. Once I knew which ones I would want, I’d pay for a license, of course! Support typography artists- they work hard and a good font will carry your brand through a long time.

Getting Feedback

Now it was time for me to get feedbak again. Because I’m just one person, particularly for an ideally more commercial brand, I once again asked Grant. He suggested MIXING fonts, which is normally kind of graphic design no-no (we’ve all seen those posters with six different fonts, at least one of them Curlz).

But- for the brand, and the vibe?? The mixing of fine art and silly cute sweetness? A great vibe.

I iterated some more- graphic design involves a LOT of iteration, and settled on this ampersand version. I liked how it looked longways, and stacked:

So now we have a logo- another week, we’ll focus on COLOR! and website design, and little icons. I’m still working on it!

That’s all for now- I hope you enjoyed it and learned something.

Since I’ve mentioned my dear husband Grant so much this week, I think it’s apt to call him out! He’s a marketing and writing wiz, having worked for the last dozen years in comedy and writing. Please hire him! He also runs a podcast called Sonic Weekly- which is all about Sonic the Hedgehog. I’ve been on it a few times! Subscriiiibe!!!!!

I’ve been starting to look at classes and things for next spring. I’ve signed up for my next Early Childhood Education class (more on that in a future substack- I’m getting my Associate Teacher certification!). But I’d really like some more classes that will get me out of the house & working with my hands. Crafts! 2024 will be the year of crafts. I’ve mentioned a few in previous substacks, but I just discovered These Hands Marker’s Collective! They have a ton of workshops- including a paper maché workshop that I’m signed up for in early December.
Join me in making stuff with your hands!!

ok love u bye