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Newsflash June 2010:

Illustration and logo design for an event by Laurastar
Back in October 2008, I designed an ironboard cover for the international iron system specialist Laurastar. The company liked the female character so much that they decided to use her as a company icon from then on. This June, Laurastar is holding an all-day event for its employees, which they put under the motto "glamour, fashion, and Hollywood". I was very excited to be able to create a Hollywood-inspired update of "Laura", and an appropriately chic logo for the occasion!


These were the "Laura" illustrations from October 2008...


And proudly presenting: "Red Carpet Laura" and the event logo


Re-Branding of my U.S. based wedding illustration company
What have I been up to, you wonder? A lot! As you may have heard, I had to change the business name of my U.S. wedding illustration company (The authority of the region of Champagne, France informed me that I could no longer use the word "Champagne", despite the fact that my business has nothing to do with their beverage). I turned this challenge into an opportunity to re-design and re-brand my company with a new look and sparkle! Astrid Mueller is the new face of Champagne Promises, home to Astrid Mueller Exclusive (personalized wedding illustrations and stationery) and the Astrid Mueller Collection (which will be available in U.S. wedding stationery boutiques shortly).


branding, logo design for the main company as well as its two sub brands


Branding designs for My Wedding Concierge
How do savvy, modern women plan their weddings? By using My Wedding Concierge, an iPhone application designed to help high-end brides plan their weddings on the go!

I assisted My Wedding Concierge's founder, Phyllis Cheung, with branding her company. I created an illustrated character for her to represent My Wedding Concierge and to help communicate its unique place in the wedding industry. Keeping her target market and company vision in mind, we chose to depict not just a bride, but a stylish and polished career woman planning her wedding without missing a beat. To convey this, I designed My Wedding Concierge's illustration with a blend of sophisticated Manhattan socialite chic, a dash of silver screen glamour, and a vintage illustration style.


The feature illustration figure (character design) for My Wedding Concierge

The next step in helping to brand My Wedding Concierge was to create a logo. Designing one that reflected its target customers' cosmopolitan glamour while planning a wedding in the environment of an iPhone was the challenge! To marry these messages, I incorporated the shape of the iPhone into the logo as parentheses and used a modern font in combination with whimsical, traditional wedding touches.


Logo design for the iphone application My Wedding Concierge

For a unique brand appearance, My Wedding Concierge also commissioned me to design bridal avatars which iphone users can choose for their profile in the application:


Avatar illustrations for the iphone application My Wedding Concierge

I also creatd he blog header design for the company's blog, and assisted in the choice of fonts and colors of the website and blog.


Blog header design for My Wedding Concierge

And last but not least, I was My Wedding Concierge commissioned me to design icon graphics for the iphone application itself.


My icon graphic designs for the iphone application My Wedding Concierge


The website of My Wedding Concierge, with the logo and feature illustration I created for them


Blog header design and character design for Assila Events
At Assila Events, every client is a VIP, and to help re-brand owner Alissa Duhon's event planning company, I designed a sassy, professional character, blog header, and Twitter background. The character design serves as brand messenger and helps Assila Events to be memorable and different from competitors, in a professional and unique way.


Character design for Assila Events, featuring the fabulous owner herself!


close-up from the full illustration...


and the full illustration and blog header design on the Assila Events Blog


Editorial illustration for German home decor magazine
The magazine asked me to illustrate a text about storage facilities. As usual, the editorial team loves it when I feature their unique DECO character figure, which I've developed for them. The brief called for a bright color palette, with fashion flavor and eleance, and a dash of humor.


Illustration and character design for German magazine, DECO


Wedding illustrations
Of course I also created more wedding illustrations and stationery for brides and grooms! Visit AstridMuellerExclusive.com to browse my current portfolio!


bespoke wedding illustration, used on the couple's wedding stationery and cake topper


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Newsflash November 2009:

Book Cover Design for Scholastic!
I had the great honor of designing an illustration for one of the most renowned publishing houses in the world – Scholastic! The book, for teenage girls, will be the latest addition in the “Candy Apple” series and will be available in the Spring of 2010.

I designed this book cover for Scholastic

New Illustrations for Fashion Houses and Magazines
In addition to designing for Scholastic, I’ve been busy with:

The STELLA illustration for Swarovski online. She's heading to a U2 concert.

Illustration for German magazine, DECO

But, mainly I have been focusing on spreading the word about my new wedding illustration business, Champagne Promises, based in the U.S.A. I am a sponsor for a contest for brides who are suffering a special hardship and can’t afford their wedding, called San Francisco Dream Wedding Giveaway. I designed the website header, logo and feature illustration of the charity:

Logo and website header design for sfweddinggiveaway.com

I will also be designing the entire wedding stationery for the winning couple. Leading up to the actual wedding are a series of events that present the concept to the press and allow the contestants to meet the wedding vendors. I attended the first press presentation in July, and just recently took part in their October 6 bridal event, at Fort Mason, San Francisco. I’m very excited as this was my first bridal show I attended as a vendor!

My Champagne Promises table at the bridal show in San Francisco. Floral design: www.hautehorticulture.com

To see more pictures of this event, visit my album on my Champagne Promises Facebook fan page or the photo album from the talented wedding photographer, Lilia Ahner.

Since the launch of my new company, I’ve designed wine favor tags, drink menu cards and drink coasters, with logo, pattern design and a personalized wedding illustration for a bride in New York.

Wine favor tags that I designed for Lovleen and Rohit

Check out some other designs I did for professional U.S. wedding vendors:

Logo re-design; feature illustration and blog header design for bridaltweet.com

 

Logo re-design; feature illustration and blog header design for brokeassbride.com

Inspired in New York:
I just spent 6 weeks in New York, getting inspired by fashion shows and top wedding vendors.

Bridal gown designer, Jorge Perez and his new collection

I’ve come to love New York. It is extremely inspiring and I can’t wait to use all of the inspiration in my new designs! If you would like to see more about my new wedding business, Champagne Promises in the future, sign up for my Champagne Promises newsletter here.

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Newsflash August 2009:

New USA-Based Business Launched
Wondering where I have been these past few months? Well, I have some great news to share with you all! I have been busy building a brand new business in the USA! With Champagne Promises LLC, I’m specializing in designs for weddings, especially personalized illustrations of the bride and groom. Modern romantic couples can tell me about themselves, their dream wedding or their love story, and I’ll create a unique illustration just for them. The fun doesn’t stop there - once I create a design for them, I can design a range of wedding accessories with their illustration from wedding stationery to cake toppers, luggage tags, magnets and so much more. Yes, we even ship to Europe!

The timeless “Anne and Peter” illustration, from left to right on: cake topper, save the date magnet, wedding candle, wedding favor tin, invitation, envelope with personalized stamp, table card and wedding menu

Want to truly stand out? Looking for wedding ideas that no one thought of, but everyone will talk about? Dreaming about your modern, romantic wedding that is “totally you”, but don’t know how to personalize it? I can’t wait to come up with a unique design and accessory concept -- just for you!

Illustration “Natalie and Michael”, on a cupcake topper

To browse and order personalized designs and accessories, visit www.ChampagnePromises.com

To shop for "Ready to Order" products, visit our online boutique

I can’t wait to develop a unique “totally you” wedding illustration and keepsakes for you to treasure for years to come!

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Newsflash May 2009:

Astrid's Work Featured on the Cover of HER NASHVILLE
This May, I’ve had the great pleasure to design the cover for HER NASHVILLE magazine. The briefing was to illustrate a "girly-girl". This is what I came up with:

her Nashville magazine May 2009

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Newsflash February 2009:

Happy Valentine's Day!
I hope that everyone has a great Valentine’s Day this year, whether you spend it with friends, curled up with popcorn and a good movie on TV, or sharing spaghetti with that special someone, as in my illustration below for MIGROS MAGAZIN.

MIGROS MAGAZIN Switzerland recently asked me to create three illustrations for their Valentine’s Day coverage.  MIGROS is one of the biggest retailers in the country, so I’m very excited – one of my Illustrations was for the cover!

Valentine's Day image for MIGROS MAGAZIN

I was very honored to receive this kind feedback from the editor of MIGROS MAGAZIN:

Chère Madame, J’ai sous les yeux le numéro 7 de “Migros Magazine” à paraître la semaine prochaine. Je tenais à vous dire combien les dessins que vous nous avez livrés m’ont plu. Je les trouve parfaitement indiqués pour ce thème de la Saint-Valentin. Ils sont sympathiques, originaux, frais, intergénérationnels. Je vous adresse mes remerciements et mes félicitations. Avec mes bons messages! Joël Guillet Rédacteur en chef MIGROS MAGAZINE Limmatplatz 6 Case postale 1751 8031 Zurich

Dear Madam, I have in front of me issue number 7 of “Migros Magazine”, which will be published next week. Allow me to tell you how much I like the designs that you created. I find them perfectly fitted for the topic of St. Valentine. They are friendly, original, fresh, inter-generational. Congratulations. Warm regards, Joël Guillet Rédacteur en chef MIGROS MAGAZINE Limmatplatz 6 Case postale 1751 8031 Zurich

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Newsflash January 2009:

New Illustration Technique
NZZ AM SONNTAG, a distinguished Swiss Sunday newspaper, assigned me to create several illustrations for their style section. The article explained that design and quality products don’t necessarily have to be expensive. For this assignment, I developed a new technique. Do you see the difference?

An illustration for NZZ AM SONNTAG

Newsflash December Update: Unique Wedding Invitation Follows "Save the Date" Card
You may remember the "Save The Date" card I created for this nice couple from Switzerland. This month, I’d like to share with you the full wedding invitation, which builds on the original theme.  As you can see, the card now has an additional illustration inside of the invitation! It reflects the location where the couple will exchange their vows.


The full invitation for a couple from Switzerland

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Newsflash December 2008:

Wellness Mania Illustration
This lady clearly has issues. She’s a woman on a mission: to achieve the perfect sleep, she takes an aroma therapy bath, drinks herbal tea, wears an eye mask, enjoys the scent of aroma candles, and meditates for a good half hour before calling it a night.

My question is: what time of the night does she start all of this?

This Illustration was created for the German magazine DECO.

Illustration for the German magazine DECO

Happy Holidays!
I'd like to wish everyone Happy Holidays, and all the best for 2009! These little angel stickers were published in the German magazine LISA, and shall bring you luck as you begin the New Year.

Angel stickers published in the German magazine LISA

Custom Designed "Save the Date" card
I recently completed this custom-designed "Save the Date" card. The couple featured on the card will be getting married at an island mansion in the Italian part of Switzerland. While this "Save the Date" card features only the couple, the main invitation will feature additional images on the inside, showing the mansion and a stylized illustration of the couple in wedding attire! I will be sure to share the final card once it has been published, so stay tuned!

"Save the Date" Card

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Newsflash November 2008:

Illustration Featured in NZZ AM SONNTAG
An illustration of mine was recently featured by the Swiss Sunday newspaper NZZ AM SONNTAG. My image was supporting an article about HERMES scarves. The article discussed how luxury scarves used to be associated only with rich women, while today they can be fashionably combined with normal clothing pieces and even leather.

Illustration Featured in NZZ AM SONNTAG

Custom Wedding Stationary for a Swiss Couple
This illustration features a stylized interpretation of the couple, and was used for their wedding invitations. The printed card arrived with a neat twist: to keep with the rose petal theme of the design, the printed card had a few real rose petals that would fall out when the card was opened. The couple has told me that they've been getting many phone calls from excited relatives saying how much they love the card!

Custom Wedding Stationary

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Newsflash October 2008:

Collaboration with LAURASTAR – the Worldwide Leader in Ironing Systems
A year after the success of LAURASTAR's first artist-inspired ironing board cover, I was asked to create the artwork for this year's FASHIONCOVER. A limited edition of only 3,000 ironboard covers will be sold worldwide.

The illustration humorously breaks with the stereotypes associated with housework and ironing, by featuring a man doing the ironing while the woman is lounging in the background. The ironing board cover is on sale since September 2008 in authorized LAURASTAR outlets and from their website, www.laurastar.com.


the LAURASTAR Fashionboard 2008


LAURASTAR liked the illustration so much that they adopted my illustration figure as the new feminine emblem of the LAURASTAR brand! I was assigned to create the following postcards for the special LAURA opening event. They were placed as teaser images in the hotel rooms, to set the mood for the official introduction of LAURA and the LAURASTAR Fashionboard 2008.


Postcards with illustration character LAURA for LAURASTAR