spark in the news : our history
ADDY
Winner – 3 for 3!
Spark Print Solutions won ADDYs for our three entries – a gold
for our Spark Letterpress brochure, and two silvers for our AIGA Letterpress
Modernized
invitation and single-medium campaign. The awards ceremony took place on
Saturday, February 17.
Spark Stationery Wedding Invitations
Three wedding invitations from Spark Stationery's custom wedding line
have been featured in two prominent bridal magazines. Our Vineyard Rose
invitation was featured in Grace Ormonde Wedding Style magazine's Spring/Summer
2008 issue. Our Kensington and Graceful Orchid invitations were featured
in all of the Brides local magazines such as Brides New York and Brides
Chicago. This is wonderful publicity for the custom wedding line!
Louie Award Winner
Spark Stationery is the recipient of the International Greeting Card Association's
Louie Award, honoring excellence in greeting card design and printing. We
had the top entry in the Romance category for our Sewn Pocket with Message
card.
Spark Print Solutions is primarily operated by Valerie Carlson and Jim Watne. Both possess backgrounds in graphic design which provides them with a keen sense for the needs of their clients.
Having had a small design firm since 1999, we decided to switch gears and focus entirely on stationery in 2004. We officially launched our custom line of invitations and our extensive greeting card line, under the name of Spark Stationery, at the May 2005 National Stationery Show in New York City. As Spark Stationery took off, we refocused our efforts on shaping our company to be more than stationery.
We introduced Spark Letterpress to Sioux Falls, South Dakota, shortly after moving our business to this growing market in April 2006. With the acceptance of letterpress printing in our local market and the desire to become a truly full-service specialty printing company, Spark has now evolved into Spark Print Solutions.
The recent name change reflects our planned leap into the world of digital offset printing and the fact that we can truly provide our clients with a range of print solutions – from letterpress and digital printing to variable data solutions and specialty finishing methods. We love the unique projects that make clients giddy with excitement.
We pride ourselves on having the oldest of printing technology and the newest, and are excited about the possibilities provided by this unique range of in-house equipment we possess.
OUR TEAM
Valerie Carlson
Director of Client Service
Valerie has more than eleven years of experience as a designer, having spent
eight of those years operating her own business. Valerie is the creative force
behind Spark Stationery, and continues to oversee those operations today. She
has a passion for working with creatives to make their designs all that they
can
be
through
her
expertise
in
printing
and
materials. Whether it involves scouring her vast resources for the perfect paper,
or working with Jim to create a custom format, she strives to make her client's
work a success.
Jim Watne
Production Manager
and Press Operator
Jim has more than ten years of experience as a designer, having worked in corporate
design prior to joining forces with Valerie.
Jim makes Valerie's vision happen through his artistic and technical abilities.
A passion for all things mechanical, he took on the challenge of learning how
to use our letterpress equipment simply by doing, researching and reading. (No
client projects were harmed in the educational process!) Jim has a BFA in Graphic
Design
from
the Minneapolis
College of Art and Design.
main 605 221 5997 : fax 866 617 8904 : printing@sparkprintsolutions.com
