Joce Creative Blog

2011-12-15T22:58:00.000-04:00

Hark it's Bark Christmas Cards

For the past couple years, I've been teaming up with super talented writer, Kathy Mercure, of WriteNow Communications to say “thanks for your support” to our clients. This year we went a little ‘nuts’ and used not only our copywriting and design talents, but our culinary expertise as well (Kathy's dad owned a bakery :-) The Recipes are included below for you to try! Super Easy!

We played with the fact that "everyone" gets chocolate for Christmas (cookies too)... So the front of the card reads:

OMG I can't believe
another supplier gave us chocolate for Christmas.
But wait...This isn’t just any chocolate...
HARK it's BARK

Make sure you read the "nutritional information". Happy Holidays everyone!

The Recipes

I’ll Be Home for Chicken Bones
(A Joce and Kathy Original)

An Atlantic Canada favourite meets the creaminess of white chocolate!
4 cups white chocolate chips
2 cups Ganong Chicken Bones candy, crushed

Line cookie sheet with parchment paper, or a light spray of cooking oil. Melt chocolate over a double boiler, or in a microwave. Stir in Chicken Bones pieces (don’t over-stir, or the chocolate will brown from the candy). Spread in prepared cookie sheet. Sprinkle with more crushed Chicken Bones. Allow to set in cool place for 2 hours before cutting into pieces.

So This is Skorbits
Milk chocolate and Skor candy can only be improved with addition of pecans…

4 cups milk chocolate chips
2 cups Skor candy chips
1 cup pecan pieces

Line cookie sheet with parchment paper, or a light spray of cooking oil. Melt chocolate over a double boiler, or in a microwave. Stir in Skorbits and pecans. Spread in prepared cookie sheet. Sprinkle with Skorbits and pecans. Allow to set in cool place for 2 hours before cutting into pieces.

Nuttin’ for Christmas
Dark, rich chocolate combined with the salty tang of cashews.

4 cups good quality semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 cups salted cashews, chopped

Line cookie sheet with parchment paper, or a light spray of cooking oil. Melt chocolate over a double boiler, or in a microwave. Stir in cashew pieces. Spread in prepared cookie sheet. Sprinkle with more chopped cashews. Allow to set in cool place for 2 hours before cutting into pieces.

O Chocolate Slab

Makes 36 cookies

These dark, fat patties of chocolate shortbread are exuberantly topped with festive sprinkles. (adapted from Nigella Lawson)

1 cup soft butter
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder

Icing:
2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups icing sugar
1/4 cup boiling water, from a kettle
1 tsp vanilla extract
Christmas sprinkles

Preheat the oven to 325°F and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Put all cookie ingredients into a food processor and process until a soft, sticky dough forms. Pinch off pieces about 1 tbsp in size, roll into balls, then slightly flatten into fat discs as you place them on your cookies sheet. Bake for 15 minutes; cookies will continue to cook as they cool. They will look slightly cracked on top. Let cookies sit for 15 minutes before transferring the cookies with their sheet of parchment to a surface you can use to drizzle. Meanwhile, put the cocoa powder, confectioners' sugar, water and vanilla extract into a small saucepan and whisk over a low heat until everything is smoothly combined. When the cookies are cooler, drizzle each one with a teaspoon of chocolate glaze, using the back of the spoon to help spread the mixture. After you've iced about 6 cookies, scatter with some of the Christmas sprinkles before the glaze sets. Continue until all the cookies are topped. Allow to completely cool and the frosting to harden before putting away. (But you can eat them immediately!)

O Holy Pfeffernüsse

Makes about 48 cookies

A traditional German Christmas cookie, pfeffernüsse (fe-fa-noss-h) meaning “pepper nuts”, these are incredibly spicy and flavourful – a sure hit.

1/2 cup candied lemon or orange peel
1 tbsp all-purpose flour
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup ground pecans
1 tsp each ground cardamom and cinnamon
1/2 tsp each baking soda, ground nutmeg, allspice and cloves
1/4 tsp each salt and pepper
2 eggs
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup icing sugar

In a food processor, whirl 1 tbsp flour with peel until ground, scraping down sides occasionally. Set aside. In a medium bowl, stir 2 cups flour with pecans, cardamom, cinnamon, baking soda, nutmeg, allspice, cloves, salt and pepper. Set aside. In a large bowl, using a stand mixer, beat eggs with granulated and brown sugars for 3 minutes. Gradually add in flour mixture, then candied peel mixture. Continue until mixture forms a ball. Remove and press dough into a disc, then wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 8 hours or overnight, to allow flavours to develop. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line baking trays with parchment paper. Pinch off about 1 tbsp dough and roll into a ball, then roll between hands into a log, making the ends thinner; finally bending into a crescent shape. Continue with remaining dough, spacing about 1 inch apart on baking sheet. If your hands will get sticky, rinse them under warm water to remove dough. Bake about 12 to 15 minutes, until cookies are lightly golden. Allow to cool slightly before dusting with icing sugar. Cool completely.

O Come All Ye Shortbread (Lemon)

Makes about 2 dozen cookies

1 cup soft butter
1 cup icing sugar zest of 2 lemons
2 cups all-purpose flour

Preheat oven to 325°F. Cream butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl; beat in lemon zest. Stir in flour a little at a time, until dough starts to hold together. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead lightly to form a disk. If the batter is very sticky, add a little more flour. Roll out to about 1/4-inch or slightly thicker with a lightly floured rolling pin. Cut into shapes with a sharp knife or cookie cutters. Arrange on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until just lightly browned on the bottoms. Cool on wire racks. Store in an airtight container.

2011-11-18T15:34:00.001-04:00

logo design

I recently had the opportunity to work on an identity for Matt LeBlanc Art. Matt is a wonderfully talented abstract artist from Dieppe, New Brunswick. In September of 2010, Matt painted 200 paintings in 6 months, and raised $38,000 for the fight against cancer. Needless to say, it was an honour to work on his identity.

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It was really fun to play with colour with another recent identity I designed for Cake Pop Lane. Go to www.cakepoplane.com to see the creative designs by Corinne Sutej. Photos by Robert Watson Photography.

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This identity for speaker Darlene Smith of Mind Flip was fun & a huge change from her previous look. It's a great example of how simplicity just "works".

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Here are other logos and identities I've created over the years. Logos should be simple, memorable and clean. You shouldn't need 3d glasses to read them.

2011-08-23T16:57:00.000-03:00

print

Here are some posters I created in honour of the late Jack Layton.
Thanks for everything you did for Canada.

It's funny how the world of print almost seems to be disappearing with the onset of the web. But really, how many things do you really want to read on screen?

2010-12-16T23:07:00.006-04:00

self promo cards

Here is my most recent "corporate" Christmas card. This year I teamed up with writer, Kathy Mercure of Writenow Communications. We thought it would be fun to make gift tags for your BFF, your Bro, and even your pet. Each pack contains 16 coordinating tags with fun messages inside.

These are sets of cards I designed for my clients a couple years ago. All of the characters were illustrated using only the elements found within my logo.

Personal greeting cards

I really find it hard to bring myself to buy a card. So usually, a day before a member of my family turns another year older, I'm on my computer making a card. I can't help it :) Here's one I created for my twin sister this year, and also a Christmas Card for my own family a few years back.

Fold. Fold. This is a Holiday card that I designed while at Hudson Design. It was printed on a dark green card stock, with a silver ink. Laid flat, it was a circle, wishing the world peace; folded it became a star. Tedious to fold but fun to receive. The second is a concept for a holiday card for Schaerer Consulting, an Environmental Consultant in Moncton, NB.

2010-06-26T20:21:00.002-03:00

television

This is an Atlantic Windows tv commercial that I art directed while at SGCI. The concept of the windows filling in the Coliseum and Tower of Pisa was an unexpected but beautiful contrast that complimented the print campaign. Even with a limited budget, it really cut through the competition and became a memorable campaign. The concept is still carried through today, in newer tv spots.

Atlantic Windows

30 Sec Coliseum & 30 Pisa tv

Art Director Jocelyne Saulnier

Copywriter Melissa Lombard

Designed while at SGCI, Produced at Filet, Halifax

2010-03-15T20:18:00.003-03:00

retail

At Hawk I was fortunate to work on packaging projects for Cavendish and Royale. Cavendish was looking for a package design for their new, homestyle, skin-on low fat french fries. The packaging needed to feel fresh, and natural; a leap from the typical bold, colourful packaging. The product received the 2009 Canadian Grand Prix New Product Award™.

Royale needed new packaging for their 3ply ultra brand. As a brand, Royale continues to be a strong competitor with Cashmere and Charmin. It's hard not to love those cute, white kittens; they just say, softness.

2010-03-12T11:12:00.005-04:00

newspaper

I love the opportunity to work on a newspaper ad. The first two ads were done while I was at SGCI. The Cecil d's ads were small, simple, fun and the client had great feedback from them. Next is a recruitment ad we ran for a copywriter; we ended up getting just the right brain for us. I also worked on many newspaper campaigns for Aliant Mobility. For this campaign, we used quirky, fun names of Atlantic Canada to promote Aliant's coverage campaign. Finally McInnes Cooper, a law firm, allowed us to do clean, black, white & red ads that really reproduced well in newsprint and mirrored their modern office space.