Michele Steffens has worked in the housing industry for nearly 20 years. Her appreciation for art, knowledge of graphic design and the recent decline in business, however, have combined to encourage her to pour her talents into another realm. Accompanying a fresh passion for photography, Steffens is looking to bring some high-flying attention to her new-found creations: personalized banners.
Coastal Point • RYAN SAXTON
Michele Steffens and husband Robert hold a banner designed for their niece’s birthday.
“It all came about when I drove past a banner that was put out for someone’s birthday,” said Steffens. “I looked at it and said to myself, ‘I could do something like that.’”
The fall in the real estate market over the past year has forced her to look elsewhere for a more promising means of business for the time-being.
“With the housing market the way it is now,” she said, “you almost have to reinvent yourself. I had the equipment, and if it’s just sitting around and not being used, you’re not making money.”
Conveniently, the large printer at her home used for house prints and layouts accommodates traditional banner-style paper for her new service.
“I had to come up with something that would allow me to still maintain a lifestyle,” she said. “You’ve just got to do something.”
Working with all the necessary equipment right in her Ocean View home, Steffens can accomplish a multitude of projects in just two to three days. Banners and posters can be formatted to fit nearly any occasion, from special events and open houses to celebrations, such as birthdays, family reunions, graduation, birth announcements and weddings.
“One of the hot things right now is wedding boards,” explained Steffens. “You take a picture of the bride and groom and set it on foamcore to have at the reception so people can sign their names and well-wishes to it.”
Foam backing is also used for large 20-by-40-inch charitable donation checks with a watermark, which Steffens has also created. Banners can run up to 44 inches wide and stretch to nearly any length up to 50 feet, the standard length of a ream of banner paper.
A 2-foot square poster starts at a base price of $45, with minimal graphics needed. Additional artwork and graphics can also influence rates. A banner stretching 3 feet by 9 feet starts around $90. She even supplies the reinforced, stitched edges and metal grommets to help give the banner stability and prevent tearing after it’s hung.
“I’m enjoying working on these banners and posters,” she said. “I get to use my artistic ability a lot. With house designs, it’s so mental. This is much more fun because I’m not stressing over the little things. I like making others happy, too. Everyone enjoys a surprise.”
Steffens has already put her poster design talents to work, assembling a presentation for Indian River High School’s football boosters. In a few months, they plan to pave the school’s promenade beside the concession stand, complete with personalized bricks adorning the walkway. An Indian River graduate herself, Staffens and husband Robert said they are pleased to give back to the school where their son, Derrick, plays football as a freshman.
“That’s why I’m so proud of it,” she said. “You get a little more enthusiasm about it when it’s the same place you attended.”
While her husband supports her work, he admitted he doesn’t have the artistic touch that she possesses. “She’s pretty self-sufficient,” he said. “I’m just here for moral and technical support.”
She’s not sure where the personalized banner business may take her, but Michele Steffens said it’s nice to offer something that no one in the area has, or at least doesn’t appear to provide.
“I’d like to eventually hook up with artists around here,” she said, “and work together with them, showcasing all of our work and talents.”
Just over a year ago, Steffens took her photography online, where people can browse her Internet gallery at www.galleryonthecanal.com. Her photos can also be found at Beach Cottage. Hopefully, she said, next year she will participate in Bethany’s Boardwalk Art Show.
Her photography has also found its way to a calendar, to seasonal greetings cards for the Addy Sea Bed and Breakfast in Bethany Beach and to ads for “Delaware’s Best Places in Town” pamphlet.
For more information about her posters and banners, visit Steffens’ Web site or e-mail her at Michele@galleryonthecanal.com. Customers can also call (302) 381-4820 for additional details.