And now for a little bit more of our story. Sometimes the best way to get an idea about something is through simple accounting. Add it up, see what shakes out, and read the story between the lines. With apologies to Harper’s Index, we give you StickerGiant by the Numbers.

Years in operation:  12

First sticker sold (on our first sticker site, whatpresident.com):  He Is Not My President

Most recent favorite sticker printed:  Culture Couture (blog post coming soon!)

First office location:  Fischer family basement, Longmont, Colorado

Estimated square footage of first office:  500

Current location:  Hygiene, Colorado

Estimated square footage of current operation:  5,000

Number of office moves:  1

Number of expansions: 4

Number of employees: 16

Full time employees:  13

Part time employees:  3

Employee with longest tenure:  Maureen (8 years!)

Approximate number of repeat customers: 75,000

Average sticker print run:  1,000

Minimum number of print runs a month:  2,000

Miles of sticker substrate used per month:  20

Estimated solar and/or wind power usage based on percentage of monthly consumption: 100

Average number of packages sent per day:  225

Busiest month (on average): September

Most memorable media moment of 2011:  Jeopardy! answer

Most recent press mention: Wall Street Journal

For the uninitiated, Spark R&D—the splitboard binding company—just might blow your mind. No pun intended!

Spark R&D is rider owned and operated, dedicated to pushing innovation in the sport of splitboarding, since 2005. With a view of the Bridger Mountains from our shop, we design and build splitboard bindings and accessories with backcountry performance coming first. All of the products are manufactured and/or assembled in a small shop in Bozeman, Montana USA. From machining to anodizing, laser engraving to assembly–everything is done by a skilled team of workers who are also passionate splitboarders. In-house design and manufacturing capabilities allow our products to quickly evolve and provides us the flexibility to cater to niche customers within the splitboarding market. Spark R&D continues to step it up; seeking perfection based on customer needs and rider feedback, keeping pace with the rapidly expanding splitboarding community.

“Spark” indeed! This stuff is exciting. What’s all the hizzle? The relatively new technology of splitboarding is so efficient, so clever, so elegant of a solution to the “what goes down can’t always go up” conundrum that frankly, we’re feeling a little giddy. Tingly, even! Ski up; snowboard down. It’s fantastic!

Makes us think of 3-2-1 Contact (you know, the moment when everything happens?). Or feel some of the child-like enthusiasm—minus the bitterness—of George Costanza. “This is huge!”

The Texas Atomic Iron Commission doesn’t blow things up or work on top secret projects named for cocktails—but they do make amazingly beautiful artwork out of one of earth’s heaviest substances.

The Texas Atomic Iron Commission is a collaborative organization that brings together universities, industry, students and artists. The exhibition features cast iron sculptures by eleven Texas artists: Dan Askew, Robbie Barber, Geoff Broderick, Erin Cunningham, Kurt Dyrhaug, Amy Gerhauser, Jack Gron, Butch (Meredith) Jack, Bill Raney, Greg Reuter, and Tanya Synar.

They’ve had recent exhibits at Baylor University, University of Texas, and Texas Women’s University. (Yes, that last one is a thing and no, you don’t have to be a woman to go there. Long story.)

Their show at Baylor wrapped up with a “pour.” That’s where you heat iron to 2700 degrees Farenheit and ever so carefully pour the molten danger liquid into a mold to create a form. In this case, sculpture. Keep in mind that water boils at 212. Don’t panic! But we do suggest wearing protective gear. Or letting the professionals handle it.

The guys from Dash City Skyline are putting the pop in punk. Or is it the punk in pop? Whichever way round, this fine fivesome from Pittsburgh are working it and have recently released their first EP. Way to go!

Since August 2009 a storm has been brewing…the storm of Dash City Skyline. Originally formed in August of 2009 by guitarist Brandon Erskine, DCS has been mixing up their own brand of pop-punk, drawing on influences far and wide in their quest for greatness. Though held back by the loss of their original bassist and lack of a strong lead singer through much of 2010, DCS is now ready to step out f…rom the shadows and leap to the front of the music scene. With the addition of lead singer Ryan Battles in late 2010 to the strong core of Dillon Carey on drums and the dual guitar attack of Brandon Erskine and Pat Englert, DCS has just finished their first studio EP, “GET SOME!”, and are currently filling up their show schedule for Fall/Winter 2011.

Well these kids claim they’re “the kinda guys you don’t want to introduce to your parents.” Fair enough. But, boys, you never knew lovin’ til you tasted Mama StickerGiant’s home cookin’. So…um, good. She even does health food so delicious, you won’t believe it’s not life-threatening! Trust us, you want to meet her.

Laptop plastered with boy band ephemera but now you’re on tour with Phish? Sometimes it’s time for a refresh, even with stickers. Here’s a quickie video demonstration of how to remove old stickers from a laptop cover. Remember, it’s just a suggestion!

Supplies: gauze pads, lens cleaner,  Zippo lighter fluid, stiff plastic card, and a blow dryer.

4 easy steps:
1. Heat the sticker surface with the blow dryer.
2. Scrape the edge with the card and peel sticker off.
3. Clean up adhesive residue with gauze pads and lighter fluid.
4. Clean up again with lens cleaner.

Viola! Two less stickers and no sticky residue!

Disclaimer that we hope is legally binding—Kids: Get Mom and Dad to help you do this! Mom and Dad: We’re sorry for telling the kids about lighter fluid.

From webinars to Virtual Study Groups™, the folks at Peach New Media want to make it easy to share the wealth. The wealth of knowledge, of course.

At Peach New Media we believe that transferring knowledge makes us better people. Telling stories, sharing experiences, and teaching others is what makes the human race great, and we’re passionate about helping you share your story. We believe that technology should help to enhance your message, and we’d like to take your hand and help you along the way. Peach offers a wide range of full-service and do-it-yourself products and services to help you reach more people with your content. In all the complexities of social media, online learning, and the technological world we live in: simple is refreshing.

And the best part? They call themselves “the Peaches” and have 6 dogs on staff! How cute is that?

Okay, speaking of cute, but have you guys seen the video of dogs barking the “Imperial March” from Star Wars? ZOMG! LOL! ROFL! BOW WOW! It’s literally blowing our minds with its pure and simple canine cuteness. Because like the Peaches say, “simple is refreshing.” Also hilarious!

Shutterstock is like a photograph superstore: shelves and aisles of royalty-free stock photography, as far as the eye can see. More than 17,000,000 images (that’s over 17 million groovy pictures…ZOMG!). All online, of course. Plus they have video footage!

Shutterstock is the largest subscription-based stock photo agency in the world. Every day we add thousands of photographs, illustrations, and vectors to our outstanding collection of premium, royalty-free images. Select the subscription plan that’s best for you and start downloading today.

Now, for the uninitiated, royalty-free doesn’t mean free free. It means the copyright holder of something like, say, a photograph doesn’t require a fee to use it. Come on, who’s going to just hand you an awesome shot of a cute kid doing complicated chart things on a blackboard? Quality costs, friend. And what, you ask, is “stock” photography?

Stock photography is existing photography that can be used for print and web ads, in books and magazines, in news, on websites, in brochures and packaging, and in a large number of custom applications, according to the licensing terms to which the photographer and buyer have agreed. Using an image that already exists saves the purchaser the time and expense of a custom photo shoot.

The trick is to make sure the same images aren’t used over and over (makes you look cheap and lazy). And, if you’re the model, you’re okay with how your image will be used. Cuz you never know when your mug might put you in a compromising position. Right, Joey?

Like the Moscow Mule, Singapore Sling, and London Fog, the phrase “Kentucky Royalty” might make one think of a potent libation (bourbon) served in a fancy glass. But today’s sticker story is about Kentucky Royalty, the sock company. Specifically, the sock company that’s “fueled by the power of alpaca.”

Dedicated to energizing lives through the superior effectiveness of alpaca-powered performance socks. Alpaca fleece is naturally hypoallegenic and extremely smooth to the touch. Unlike most fibers, alpaca fleece is hollow enabling maximum thermalcapacity. It is also unusually strong and continues to insulate even when wet. We combine these naturally fabulous qualities of alpaca with the latest in sock technology, superior ingredients plus great design equals success. We buy all of our alpaca fleece from US family farms.  The fleece is spun and knitted into socks at US mills.

You know, an alpaca. That funny-looking taller-than-a-goat creature that looks like a camel crossed with the Shaggy D.A. No, you’re thinking of a llama. Alpacas came from South America, but unlike their baggage-toting llama brethren, this camelid is bred for its coat, not its flesh. And they’ve got a sweet, cuddly temperament. Much less volatile than those perma-grumps, the dromedaries. What is it with those guys? All they do is chug water and gripe about the weather.

Ahhhh, the first sip of the first cup of coffee of the day. Over here, it’s the best part of the day. Some might say we’re a little freakish about our coffee but really it’s just a matter of timing. IS IT READY YET? And then there’s Growers First, an organization that takes your morning jolt more than a little seriously.

Ever wonder where your coffee comes from? We do. And for more than a decade, Growers First has been working closely with rural farming families in the mountains of southern Mexico and Central America to enhance their livelihood, assist them in becoming productive contributors to society and, of course, produce high quality coffee beans! Through Growers First’s unique Traceable-Transformation technology, consumers and supporters of Growers First can see exactly where their coffee comes from, learn about the farming families who grew it and how Growers First facilitates their transformation out of poverty.

Who thought we could love coffee even more? We love their “do good, do well, repeat” mantra. If only the whole world thought the same…

Although it appears some people do, in the most surprising places. We just read an article about the Broncos’ genuflecting quarterback, Tim Tebow. Say what you want about his persistence and end zone posturing, he seems like a decent guy in an arena where the term “do-gooder” doesn’t get a lot of play. Plus he’s spawned  a national fad that’s replaced planking. Thanks, buddy!  If only his good works could have extended into  yesterday’s game against the Patriots. And we thought charity began at home. Zing!

Is Tony Pitch Comics the only online comic about soccer? Could be…how cool is that? We’re loving the high energy feeling of this manga-styled cyber strip. It’s almost like you’re on the field! But, you know, you’re on the field and good at the sport your parents made you sign up for—and not a bench rider like some people we know. *ahem*

On or off the field Tony Pitch eats, sleeps, and breaths the North Park Warriors. No matter what is happening he just can’t get the game of soccer out of his mind. His family thinks he has been lost forever but his dad tells him often “Just practice and keep up your grades and focus on your goals.” His life revolves around soccer and that’s what he lives for. This is about his voyage….. the trials and tribulations that all student athletes go through to fulfill their goals. Every athlete who has been successful endures many of the things that Tony and his team will undergo. His adventures will inspire and show you absolute real life situations as well as teach proper soccer techniques. Welcome to the exciting, dynamic journey of Tony Pitch and the North Park Warriors.

Go, team! WWCBGT? (what would Comic Book Guy think?) You know, Comic Book Guy. The well-fed, fourth wall-breaking, Klingon-speaking, socially challenged character on The Simpsons who’s smarter than you. Voiced by the amazingly talented and easy-on-the-eyes Hank Azaria, he’s one of our favorite characters on the longest-running show in America. Because, you know, we’ve all met someone just like him!

If you find yourself in Seattle’s Denny Triangle neighborhood and you’re looking for some “real-time social networking, minus the trolls” as well as a good cuppa, head on over to Motore Coffee.

All roads lead to Motore! Actually, parking can be a pain. Nevertheless, thanks for the virtual visit. Since 2005, our goal has been to consistently provide exceptional coffee, espresso, pastries, tea, panini, beer and wine. We pride ourselves on our quality and service. We source all of our products from local businesses. This guarantees the ultimate in taste bud experience. Furthermore, we enjoy receiving and acting upon feedback from the community in which we serve. We have implemented many ideas, big and small, from our fabulous customers.

Wait, no trolls in Seattle? Surely there are a few. Because last time we checked the comments section of…anything on the Internet, there were trolls a-plenty. Not to be confused with troll dolls—which are so ugly they’re cute—these opinionated folk delight in disruption, inflammation, and unpleasantness. Hm. Kind of sounds like a bad rash, doesn’t it? Anybody know a good doctor?

Tired of the same-old, same-old in your closet? Look to Born To B for a breath of fashionably fresh air.

All art is drawn by The Owner, Joaquin M Rosas. Art driven and Influenced by Music–Born To B _ Is Up Next! VIBE Magazine spoke and Born To B answered. [VIBE Magazine (2009, January) WACK ATTACK!! -pg.88] “Over-embellished apparel  like Ed Hardy and Christian Audigier: Please STOP. PLEASE.” B To B Is Taking It Back To The Basics. Simple Yet Tasteful, Effortless Style. “THIS IS HOW I LIVE” That’s the Born To B Trademark. Everything I design, I Feel and Am. That’s where The Phrase comes in, and I Believe Millions Will Relate.

We’re digging that California Bear hoodie! And while we usually say to each their own when it comes to sartorial choices, we have to agree with VIBE on this one. Maybe it’s the unrelenting “uniform” approach to dressing that has us craving some kind of originality. Cuz buddy, if half the dudes in the club are “expressing themselves” in the same outfit you are, um, perhaps it’s time for a longer look in the mirror.

Just ask Bill Cunningham. You, know, the octogenarian photographer for the New York Times who rides his bike all over Manhattan, looking for the fashionably daring. This guy’s so good, they made a movie about him. Sometimes the storyteller is the story, you know? And sometimes, there’s this guy. Well done, brave sir!

Open Shift PaaS by Red Hat Cloud embraces computing’s New Wave, albeit without the day-glo colors and synthesizer riffs. We’re talking about the cloud, people!

OpenShift is a portfolio of free, portable cloud services for deploying and managing applications in the cloud. Currently there are two application deployment services offered as part of OpenShift; Express & Flex. Express is a free, cloud-based application platform for Java, Perl, PHP, Python, and Ruby applications delivered in a shared-hosting model. With just a few commands you’ll be able to deploy your application to the cloud. Flex is a cloud-based application platform for Java EE and PHP. Applications can be deployed on middleware components such as JBoss and Tomcat. Flex is an ideal platform for those who require a greater degree of control and choice over their middleware components with valuable features including versioning, monitoring and auto-scaling.

In civilian-speak, that means they offer the next generation in open source software, which means everyone shares the technology for free. And instead of the software living on some developer’s computer, it lives in the cloud. Kind of dreamy, isn’t it? It is a little fantasy-like. You see, in the wild west of the internets there are white hats and there are black hats. And then there’s Red Hat. When they rode into town, everything changed. That’s right: yesterday’s cowboys are today’s code jockeys.

P.S. You’re wondering what PaaS means, aren’t you? And you can’t stop thinking about dying Easter eggs? We get you, but you’re a little off the mark. It’s still cool, but not quite as messy.

The whole purpose of the StickerGiant blog is to share sticker stories. To date, this has pretty much been focused on our customers. We love the fascinating variety of businesses and individuals who come to us, again and again, for their sticker needs. Thanks, guys!

Turns out, we get as shy as a freshman at a Sadie Hawkins when talking about ourselves. Room for improvement! Which is why every Friday, we’re going to use this space to tell a little bit of our story.

So, to begin: Here’s a picture of one of several giant telephone posts we had to install out back* to beef up our power supply. Of course, we’ve plastered it with stickers! (Like this exhibit in Australia, stickers seem to bring out the kid in all of us).

And for those of you still reading, a few facts about StickerGiant:

• We employ more than a dozen people from the community.
• We deliver outstanding customer service and a quality product.
• We rely on alternative energy and buy from suppliers who do, too.
• We are active members of our hometown of Hygiene, Colorado (elev. 5,095 feet).

*Don’t be fooled by the pole-barn appearance! Sure it’s modest, but so was Patagonia’s first office and look at what they’ve accomplished. We’ve already come a long way from our days in a basement. But that’s another story….stay tuned!

Another of our clever, crafty, DIY customers has struck again (we are none of these things and bow down before those who not only can, but do)—this time with a couple of our National Football League stickers.

The Green Growler Craft Beer Grocery presents a whole new twist to taking a trip to the grocery store. The good folks at Green Growler work toward “supporting local breweries, home brew and the craft beer revolution in Westchester, NY and the Lower Hudson Valley.” They even got a mention in the New York Times!

We LOVE the idea of a beer grocery store! Fill up a growler, pick up some home brewing supplies, and check out the latest in craft brew creation. They even sell snacks that go with beer (just think about that for a second: ’tis a thing of beauty). For some people, this place might become a temple of sorts. If Homer Simpson was a real guy, he’d say it was heaven on earth.

So remember, if you need the basics (quart of milk, loaf of bread, stick of buttah)….head on down to your local corner store.. But if you need a beer….well, you know what to do!

How are you set for limited edition Vans shoes? Or a box of chocolates that looks like the solar system? What about a carbon fiber Ferrari? If it toes the line between the ridiculous and the sublime, then you’ll find it on Fancy.

Fancy is part store, blog, magazine and wishlist. It’s a place to discover great stuff, to curate a collection of things you love, to get updates on your favorite brands and stores and to share your discoveries. Use it to create a catalog of your favorite things around the web and around the world. When you find something you love somewhere on the web, Fancy it.

Well, fancy that! Seriously, we could scroll through this site for hours. Beautiful photography, unusual creations, covetable items. Yup, sounds like a great way to spend an afternoon instead of filing our TPS reports.

We are completely taken by that Ferrari F40, by the way. Wow. Some might take issue with covering a $1.6M car with carbon fiber film (um, hi, it’s like a giant sticker!), but you know it makes all the other cars in the garage jealous.

Let’s hear it for Olympic athlete and all-around good guy, Steve Mesler. You may remember him from Team Night Train, which won the gold medal in the 2010 Winter Olympic Games. More importantly, he’s the co-founder of Classroom Champions, which has the goal to:

To connect students in high-need schools with top performing athletes in order to motivate them to recognize their potential, set goals and dream big, while educating them in the practical use of communications technology. Not all kids have the benefit of strong role models who encourage them to envision for themselves a bright and successful future. Classrooms Champions aims to address these issues and many more by using our Olympians and Paralympians as role models for success and goal setting while increasing students’ digital literacy.

It’s for the children? Of course StickerGiant was happy to pitch in and donate some stickers!

(Image source: via Twitter.)

H&S Performance says, “Bring on the power!” As committed addicts to the need for power plus speed (we’ll never forget our first V8 engine…RIP, old friend), our reply is, “BRING IT!”

H&S Performance was founded with a desire to create better products for the diesel performance and racing industry.  Located in St. George, Utah, H&S Performance got its start by designing the first ever DPF Delete exhaust system for the 2007.5 + Dodge Ram 6.7L.  Since its humble beginnings, H&S has emerged as the industry leader in performance tuners and exhaust products for late model Dodge Cummins, GM Duramax, and Ford Powerstrokes. H&S Performance is committed to delivering you the highest quality parts and service.  Through countless hours of research and development, each of our products have been designed with YOU, the end-user, in mind.  From cutting edge tuners, to high quality exhaust products, you can always count on H&S to deliver the products you need!

Okay, so now we want a diesel truck so we can trick it out for racing. Even if all you’re doing is cruising the strip to best that creep who stole your gal in high school, a souped-up sled can do a lot for a guy’s self esteem. Or a girl’s. Hey, no judgement here. Come on, you know you want to.

Fasten your seatbelts, movie-goers, because this is going to be one heck of a ride. The Art of FLIGHT puts the “move” in movie.

Did you know that the 119th chemical element in the periodic table is aL, Audum Live? It’s a chemical that gets released in that one part of your brain that makes you want to score a good deal on things you purchase.

Well, we’re only half kidding. If you’re in the Chicago area and are looking for “Daily Deals…with a live music twist,” then check Audum Live before you go out and spend too much money. Deals and steals, people!

Are you ready for another science lesson? Okay, maybe computer science. Stop squinting at that scattered-looking image: it’s neither an op art trick nor a sticker-printing mishap. It’s a QR code (here comes the learning part). QR codes are 2-dimensional bar codes that can be read quickly by a scanner or even an app on your smartphone. Any kind of information can be embedded in a QR code, from tracking numbers to URLs to phone numbers.

So the next time that creepy guy at the coffee shop bugs you for your number, send him a QR code. Just make it  for the time and temperature number at the bank downtown, instead. Dis! That, good people, is a 21st century Heisman.

Chain Station is a 4-piece, high-energy, get ‘em out on the dance floor stringband from Denver. Originally from the Midwest, they’ve quickly amassed a rabid fan-base in the Colorado Mountains and Front Range, hungry for the catchy and lyrically-poignant original material pouring forth from this prolific group of capable musicians. Their live shows have become that of legend, with energy and stage antics that guarantee one hell of a night out. Equally comfortable rocking a packed club, playing backyard BBQ’s, or providing tasteful mountain music for your wedding, this band does it all…with style. Please see the contact info to pack a venue in your neck of the woods.

Can’t wait til their next show! Oh, the picture? Just a little something we shot in between sticker printing and trips to the post office. Sure, dangling from a helicopter above the Rockies is risky business, but no mission is impossible for us. It’s all about our endless love for the customer, dig? BTW, StickerGiant doesn’t use a stunt double. As if! Tom Cruise isn’t the only one who does his own tricks around here.

With a host of websites at her command and a busy blog life, TrishaLyn is getting it done. We wonder, does this gal ever sleep?

Trisha Lyn Fawver, also known around the web as TrishaLyn, has been online since 1999. Trisha’s been blogging personally since 2004 on various platforms such as LiveJournal and MySpace….Trisha has also been a speaker at affiliate industry conferences such as Affiliate Summit, Affiliate Convention, and the Social Media Marketing Summit. Her articles have also appeared in FeedFront Magazine and on MarketingPilgrim.com….She blogs about her career, performance marketing, social media, and various other marketing methods. She started this blog in August 2007 to help fellow newbie marketers and bloggers through their struggles in getting started with their career and to share some tips of the trade that she’s picked up.

And we’ve teamed up with her to offer a sticker special to her readers. Why?

I loved the excellent quality laptop-friendly stickers we had made from StickerGiant for our Get Noticed Fast panel a few years ago at Affiliate Summit East 2009, which solidified my status of “big fan” of StickerGiant.com, specifically.

Aw shucks, we’re flattered! Thanks, Trisha! And thank you for choosing StickerGiant!

P.S. Wouldn’t that background image make the cutest wallpaper for a baby’s room? It could be something special for the very, very junior social media set.

Fayettechill is the “the new meaning of relax” at least in the Ozarks.

The company’s founder, Mo Elliott, created the clothing company that reflects a relaxed lifestyle that he wanted to live by, while being inspired by the Ozark Mountains “easy livin” vibe and scenic surroundings.  Fayettechill products showcase the leisurely things in life with a classic style while focusing on quality, comfort and originality. It’s about taking life slowly. Being with friends, kicking back, and popping the top off a cold one. Sitting on the porch and watching a sunset. Here at Fayettechill we like the good things in life, and we know you do, too.

For those who missed it, Fayettechill is a play on Fayetteville, home to the University of Arkansas and the state’s third-largest city.

Aaaaahhh. Just what we need during the busy holiday season: relaxation. If only we could go for a hike in the Boston Mountains. Reckon we’ll have to settle for a lap around the office for our kick-back fix. That spot over by the copier, between the filing cabinet and the empty boxes? Pure Zen!