How to fold a large tarp

First step: stand on the tarp.

Second step: wrestle for a while.

Third step: allow one fold then play tug-o-war.

Fourth step: lay down for a round of tug-o-war.

Fifth step: relax from all the strenuous activity.

Design Problem: Bulk Mailing Indicia

Sometimes as a graphic designer I run into problems for which I just don't know the answer. Today's speed bump was a bulk mailing permit stamp to go on envelopes for a non-profit organization. The envelopes were already set to go on press but a last minute client email came in saying WE NEED THIS PLEASE!. It took me a minute to figure out what she wanted but then I realized it's those preprinted squares that say US Postage PAID. Like these:

My envelopes already had a certain style so my head started spinning and came back with: But do they have to look like that? Are they required to be a certain size? Must they be printed in black? All caps? San-serif?

The answer to all those questions is no. The stamp does not have to look exactly like that but it must have certain information and it must be clear and it must be in the upper right hand corner of the envelope. It took me a while to find the answers mainly because I didn't know what to call it. Is it a permit? Yes there is a permit number on there, but all the info for permit was how to apply for one. I had my client's permit number. What about bulk mailing envelope as my search terms. That gave me a huge selection of postage machines for printing postage right in your office, not what I needed. With a little more thought I typed in bulk mail imprint. Aha! It's amazing what you find when you use the lingo the USPS uses. That brought me to this link which has another handy link called "Designing a Permit Imprint." Wow! They actually thought of us designers. It turns out the correct name for it is Permit Imprint Indicia.

Your Permit Imprint Indicia must include the following:
Line 1: Rate Marking.
Line 2: The words “US Postage Paid.”
Line 3: City and state where permit is held.
Line 4: The words “Permit No.” and your permit number.

The key points are:
- It must show your city, state and permit number.
- It may be only four or five lines long.
- It must appear to the upper right of the delivery address. Include a clear space of at least 3/8 inch around the entire indicia and be no smaller than 1/2 inch high and 1/2 inch wide. It must not fall more than 1-1/2 inches below or left from the upper right corner of the envelope.
- Don't make any other design on your envelope that mimics or resembles the bulk mail permit.

I found the frighteningly long list of guidelines here. And my client is happy.

How do I describe these?

Delicious, decadent, desirable, definitely not enough to share, breakfast, lunch and dinner, dreamy. Hello, cupcakes. I love you.

I made this batch of cupcakes and I'm going to make them again and again. They are easy and fabulous. The shiny ganache is rich and beautiful, the cake is moist and light.

The cupcake recipe is adapted from the Chocolate from the Cake Mix Doctor, a fun book my mom gave me a few years ago. I made the Chocolate Midnight Cake. Rather than making a layer cake, I made cupcakes. This recipe made about 18 cupcakes.

1 package plain dark chocolate fudge cake mix
1 cup water
1 cup mayonnaise
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1. Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F.

2. Place the cake mix, water, mayonnaise, eggs and vanilla in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed for 1 minute. Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat 2 minutes more, scraping down the sides again if needed. The batter should look well combined. Divide batter evenly filling cupcake papers about 3/4 full.

3. Bake for 20-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow to cool completely before frosting.

The ganache recipe is from Ratio: The Simple Codes Behind the Craft of Everyday Cooking. Ratio gives you the skeleton of multitudes of recipe basics. Ganache is simply 1 part cream to 1 part chocolate. The real secret behind a fabulous ganache is the chocolate you use. It has to be good, good enough to eat alone, good enough to crave.

8 ounces heavy cream
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped.

1. In a medium sauce pan, bring the cream just to a simmer

2. Place chopped chocolate in a heat safe bowl, pour cream over the chocolate. Wait 5 minutes for the chocolate to soften.

3. Whisk the cream and chocolate until they are completely combined.

4. Allow to cool slightly then pour over cupcakes. Delightful!