New Logo for Handicraft Importing Business

We import and sell (on-line and wholesale) handmade products from artisans from around the world. We are looking for a simple and sohisticated design for this up-scale, global and socially responsible business.

Ripple Arts

I'm looking for a logo that can be used for lifelong branding. It should include the word (Ripple) but also include a graphic representation that can be easily recognizable itself (like the Nike Swoosh). It can be of a ripple or more abstract (maybe a stone that would make a ripple or the shore) Ideally, it will express some of the meaning of a ripple – where the impact/effect of the action expands well beyond the action itself. In terms of my business – the impact of the purchase is not only the beauty of the item itself, but the impact that purchase makes around the world for the artisan that crafted it, their family and the community where they live.

It's very possible that after this contest is finished, I'd use the same designer for the next portions of the project (business cards, etc.)

- The look that I'm striving for is simple and sophisticated. It should be professional yet approachable. It should include the idea of a ripple either as part of the words (maybe above the word ripple with the dot of the ‘i’ being the impact point of a ripple) or separately as a logo. I tend to like things that look hand-drawn. It would also be interesting to incorporate elements that might be included in a lot of art (e.g. glass beads, terra cotta, stone, metal) I'm less inclined to pick anything cartoon-like. But feel free to be creative, I'm open to new ideas.
- I don’t have a particular color in mind but it should look ‘expensive’ and modern. It should also be effective in black and white as well.
- Feel free to play with the capitalization and the inclusion of arts (e.g., ripple arts, Ripple Arts, ripple, Ripple). It might be good to play with the size of the words relative to each other - emphasizing ripple.
- Ultimately, I'll be interested in having a version that I can use in different situations (e.g., just the logo, the logo and the company name, the logo and company name and tagline). But the logo and the company name is the most important right now.
- Finally, I'll need the logo produced in a vector format by Adobe Photoshop or Adobe Illustrator so I can resize without any loss of quality, so final transmittal in both standard web formats (.jpg, .gif or .png) and vector formats (.eps, pdf, or .ai).

- Nothing complicated or cheesy please.
- Nothing too girly or scripty but not manly either