Diversions

A New Year and a New Creative You - Give Away WINNER!

2011-01-24T08:11:00.000-08:00

We have a winner! I'll be sending out a book to Kim who entered both by commenting on the blog and by liking the new Diversion Design page on FB. Thanks Kim and thanks to everyone who participated! I hope to be able to do this more in the future and revive this blog in a fun way!

The Sketchbook Project 2011 - Almost done!

2011-01-14T13:44:00.000-08:00

Four of my favorite sketchbook pages from The Sketchbook Project 2011 It's almost time for The Sketchbook Project to be mailed off and begin it's tour around the country! Due to inclement weather nation-wide, the postmark deadline has been pushed back to January 18th, which gives me the entire 3-day weekend to finish up and get everything in order! I have had my sketchbook for a very VERY long

A New Year and a New Creative You - Give Away!

2011-01-13T14:00:00.000-08:00

Welcome to 2011. As a way to start this new year off with creative haste, I have found a lovely book to share with one lucky winner! Kaleidoscope: Ideas and Projects to Spark Your Creativity by Suzanne Simanaitis is a great book to get your creative energy in high gear this year. Check out Kaleidoscope on Amazon and you can see a preview of the book on Google Books as well. How do you win?

Think Geek's Zombie Selection...

2010-11-04T13:18:00.000-07:00

To add to the Zombie mania, I came across this craziness today while surfing through things on ThinkGeek.com - who on earth would pay $89 for this Garden Zombie? I dunno, but I do think it's awesomely funny. ThinkGeek :: Garden Zombie I do, however, think that $39 might be a fair price for this awesome Zombie cookie jar! ThinkGeek :: Zombie Cookie Jar What about this cool plush

Who need Vampires when you Got Zombies?

2010-11-03T09:01:00.000-07:00

Now that the big Vampire kick is evening out, Zombies are everywhere! Why are they so much fun to draw? In our Monday afternoon staff meeting, I drew the two lovely zombies below while we talked about whatever it is we talk about in staff meetings. It's pretty much expected that me and the other designers sit around and draw while we listen to other's reports. It's like High School History class

Mmmm Brains...And Doodles Swap #7!

2010-11-02T07:46:00.000-07:00

The latest round of Doodles were due right before Halloween this year. The theme was perfect for some possible Halloween doodles - Nightmares/Dreams. I really went for more of the nightmarish evil side of things. All of my doodles ended up pretty gruesome except for 4 of my 8 zombies that were more cartoon-like and funny. These 4 zombies were much more horrific looking and a lot of fun to draw.

The Sketchbook Project

2010-10-22T12:43:00.000-07:00

A long, long time ago I signed up to be a part of The Sketchbook Project. It's the great group project where artists from all around the world submit sketchbooks that will tour the United States for people to view. After the tour has concluded, the sketchbooks will enter the permanent collection of The Brooklyn Art Library. I got my sketchbook way ahead of time because I knew I would need all

The Return of the 'Zine

2010-06-15T07:05:00.000-07:00

After a hiatus and period of reorganization, the HOW forums HOWieZine is back with issue #14: Coffee. As an occasional coffee drinker, I didn't have a lot of strong feelings about the subject, so my 'Zine pages do not have a lot of concept behind them - they are just visual contributions to the whole of the theme. I think that is what I like about this project - in the end you have a visual

Fridays with Fiona & Friday : Kittens going "Nuts"

2010-05-14T08:00:00.001-07:00

Friday & Fiona have been with us for almost an entire month now! Here is some video from May 7th. Friday & Fiona both went nuts for packing peanuts! They loved playing in the box and batting after packing peanuts on the floor. Enjoy :)

Crafty Headbands

2010-05-14T08:00:00.000-07:00

Here is my first attempt at making my own crafty headband. I ordered some more feathers so I could experiment some more. The feathers available at the local craft stores are pretty boring! This is just peacock feathers and some blue-dye feathers. I needed a couple more peacock feathers to really get the density of feathers that I wanted, but the pad I glued them to is black and it blends with my

"The Letterpress" from Lifestyle Crafts - My Review & Experiment

2010-05-13T06:40:00.000-07:00

Last year Lifestyle Crafts released "The Letterpress" Machine much to the chagrin of many letterpress owners. When I heard about the machine, the only thing I wanted to know is if you could make your own custom plates. I didn't really care for the idea of creating presses from the same pool of "clip art" that everyone else on the planet would be using.Why I bought "The Letterpress"I checked out

Fridays with Fiona & Friday : Introduction

2010-05-07T12:51:00.000-07:00

As some of you may know, our beloved cat, Figaro passed away this March leaving a gaping hollow spot in our hearts. Our quiet home needed a cat, so we adopted not one, but TWO. Here are my sweet lovely kittens, Friday and Fiona! I've been going home everyday at lunchtime to check on the kittens just to make sure they are staying out of trouble. They like to get on our kitchen table. That is a

Book Review: The Artist in the Office by Summer Pierre

2010-05-04T13:44:00.000-07:00

This book is the most useful quick read you can ever invest in. It took me half an hour to read it, but I already want to re-read it. The Artist in the Office - How to Creatively Survive and Thrive Seven Days a Week is one of those books that just "gets me" and I immediately thought of at least a half a dozen of other people who I know would love it and understand it.In the book, Summer Pierre

Typography and Doodling

2010-04-30T07:53:00.000-07:00

We just finished another amazing doodle swap over at The Doodle Swap Project. Round five was the largest group yet - forty in total! This round (the first ever themed round) was themed "hand-drawn typography". I have to admit, it wasn't my first choice, but it really opened up a whole new level of doodling for me. I really, really enjoyed this and I am STILL thinking about words I would love to

The Art of Butch Anthony

2010-04-29T11:41:00.000-07:00

Butch Anthony of Seale, Alabama may be my new home decor hero. On his 80-acre homestead he creates art, architecture and curiosity. Not only is this place his home, but it's also the "Alabama Museum of Wonder" and home to the Doo-Nanny folk art festival each and every March since 1996.His self-built, log cabin home is a thing of beauty. The raw wood paired with stark white walls and unique

"Me Time" for Creatives

2010-04-28T08:24:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I really have my stuff together, but sometimes I feel so overwhelmed with daily life. Get up. Rush to work. Work for 8-9 hours. Run errands. Go home. Do chores. Relax for about 2 hours. Sleep. Being a creative being, that routine can only sustain me for so long and then I need to DO something. I have a instinct to create or talk about creativity and if I don't have an outlet, I get a

I miss you, Blog.

2010-04-27T14:16:00.001-07:00

I miss my blog. Facebook has lured me to it's dark side with it's quick to publish options and almost instant gratification. When I get notifications that someone "likes" my status or I get emails that someone commented on a photo, I know folks are listening. There is no doubt that Facebook's constant stream of information is a great way to share what is going on in your life or your work.It's

My 2nd Etsy Item! SPECIAL OFFER

2010-01-11T14:40:00.000-08:00

I recently added my 2nd Etsy item to my shop just in time for Valentines Day. This set of 4 friendship & love cards includes some artwork from my 2010 calendar as well as 2 new illustrations. I think these cards would be fun to give to friends or that special someone any time of the year! Each card is 4.25"x5.5" (A2) and the set includes 4 matching pink envelopes. They are printed on high quality

Adopt A Pet This Christmas

2009-12-16T11:42:00.000-08:00

The animal group FoCAS (Friends of Cullman Animal Shelter) in Cullman, Alabama asked me to design a Christmas T-shirt for them to wear in the local Christmas parade. Animals are my soft spot, and since I have worked with them on T-shirts designs before, I knew it to be a pleasure! Donating time to help a cause that I love is always a treat. I was so glad to help them!

More images from my 2010 "We Belong Together" Calendar

2009-12-12T09:56:00.000-08:00

I updated my Etsy page to include some better photographs of my calendar! Hopefully these will compliment my product a little better!Group shot of the loose calendar pages.Hanging in my office.Details of the illustrations.

We Belong Together (2010 Printable Wall Calendar)

2009-12-10T06:19:00.000-08:00

Wow, I'm making my first venture into the world of Etsy a little late in the holiday season, however, I thought I would just jump in the best way I can at the last minute rather than wait for another holiday season to totally pass me by.My 2010 "We Belong Together" printable pdf wall calendar is available on Etsy! This little calendar features 12 original illustrations by yours truly. It's a

It was a BEAUTIFUL Fall day!

2009-11-29T19:47:00.001-08:00

And I have the photos to prove it. Check out my set on flickr here.

Free from Diversions: Christmas Owl Ornament Pattern

2009-11-23T07:07:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone! As the holidays approach, I start feeling crafty! I get some extra time off near the holidays and always want to pull my sewing bags out! Over the weekend, I was working on a few felt ornaments in the style that I made last year and decided to try something new. I just cut this cute little owl out of felt and began stitching! Afterwards, I was really pleased, so I scanned in the

Photoshop Tutorial : The HDR Effect in Photoshop

2009-11-06T13:17:00.000-08:00

I'm not sure why, but I've always assumed that a lot of the high contrast, high detail photography was straight from the camera. But, I've learned that a lot of these fashion magazine style photos are enhanced by shooting a series of images with various rages of shadow/highlight. Those are merged into one High Dynamic Range Photo. Typically these HDR images are shot using the RAW file format on

Diversion Design gets a Facelift

2009-09-14T08:13:00.001-07:00

After sticking with the identity I created for myself in college, I decided it was time to freshen up my look. I think the biggest challenge that a designer will ever face is designing their own identity. It's something that defines you and is very close to you. It's something that brands you and your work and shows the world what you are all about. It's hard to find one symbol that sums up what

Hatch Show Print Workshop

2009-07-22T07:08:00.000-07:00

It's been a while because I've been a busy little designer! Last week, my coworkers and I managed to get ourselves a day-pass (thanks to Tamye Riggs!) to TypeCon 2009. So, we signed up for a workshop on Thursday and a full day of sessions on Friday.Thursday's Hatch Show Print workshop was SO MUCH FUN! We met up at Portfolio Center in Atlanta at 9am and printed until around 4pm! It was a long day

Doodle Swap Round #2

2009-06-13T11:36:00.000-07:00

The second round of doodle swapping is coming to a close! Doodles are beginning to show up in mailboxes and on the Web! Here's an over-view of all my doodles. Once again, I decided to challenge myself to be in ALL the groups, so I had 20 doodles to produce. Here are 19 of them - I somehow counted incorrectly, so one last-minute doodle is missing from this group of scans. Oddly, these doodles went

Creative Paw - Volunteering the Creative

2009-05-13T11:10:00.000-07:00

If you know me, then you know how much I love animals. When Creative Paw, a network of creative professionals who are willing to work pro bono for animal welfare causes, began in 2007 I was really happy to become a part.There are lots of volunteers, but probably not many needy organizations who know about these services, so I haven't been approached about volunteering until last week.A group

HomeStudio Pendants are awesome!

2009-05-12T08:47:00.000-07:00

I found HomeStudio pendants on Etsy a few weeks ago and passed on the link to some of my friends. A friend here at work ended up buying several and giving them away for mother's day presents! I finally followed up on my own tip and bought 4 of my own! I really love these and they would make fantastic gifts. I've been showing them off and giving the link out to other girls at work who are pretty

Doodles are Here!

2009-04-14T12:02:00.000-07:00

The first ever doodle swap has begun to deliver some very nice doodles to my mailbox! So far I have received 4 out of 16 doodles. I finished my doodling over the weekend, spending 5 and a half hours on water-coloring 16 small doodles! I am really glad this was started and very grateful to all the participants. I hope this helps foster the spirit of doodling and drawing in all of us again. I can't

Great Etsy find: HomeStudio

2009-03-31T11:41:00.000-07:00

During a little Web surfing expedition this weekend, I found these incredible scrabble tile pendants by HomeStudio. There are so many different styles to choose from and they are only $7.50 per pendant! These are definitely going on my wish list. I could have a new pendant for every outfit!Images copyright of HomeStudio.

Happy Friday 13th! We have Winners!

2009-03-13T06:28:00.000-07:00

Thanks so much to everyone for participating! I'm glad you could all celebrate with me! :) We have winners: Gloria (2) and Whimsical Creations (13) - lucky 13! How perfect could that be!For any of you that may be interested in my 2010 calendar, please follow my blog to get updates!I would also like to thank Candis at Paper Shop Ink, Traci at serendipityfactory.com, and Blog Giveaways for getting

My 5 Year Blogiversary Give-Away!

2009-03-06T14:23:00.000-08:00

March 12th marks 5 years in the blogging world! To celebrate, I am previewing one of the illustrations for my 2010 desktop calendar (my 2008 calendar).You can WIN this print by telling me: What's the luckiest thing that's ever happened to you?Make sure you leave a contact email in the comments.I will be giving away 2, 8x10 digital prints. I will select winners at random and announce them on my

Designer Trading Cards - The Doodle Swap

2009-02-25T08:15:00.000-08:00

Find some artist trading card packs of paper from Strathmore in my campus art supply store inspired me to start a "doodle swap" among designers I know who like to dabble with drawing doodles. How cool would it be to own tiny little original pieces of art by people I admire?As of this premiere round of doodle swapping, we have no theme, but if the interest is there, we could add a theme to each

Something I've Been Having Fun With

2009-02-22T13:38:00.000-08:00

I really like watercolors. They are kind of fun to work with. Even though they don't give the richest colors, watercolors are portable and easy to work with. I like the fact that they aren't messy. Anyways, this little doodle turned full color with my handy water-color kit...

Hoo Hearts U?

2009-02-12T14:12:00.000-08:00

I do! Yes, I do. I heart my blog readers. I hope you all have a wonderful Valentines day.This is a card I created last year during a creative team meeting I was in charge of here at work. We spread out tons and tons of plain paper, patterned paper, and magazines with the goal of making a Valentine using only the cut paper technique. This was my creation! Since I never posted it last year, I

Artist Spotlight: Amber Alexander

2009-02-09T09:32:00.000-08:00

Art titles from L-R: "Moxy", "Watching the Canary", "Byron", "The Candy Hedge", "Cherry Blossom", and "Tea and Cake"I am in love with these prints by Amber Alexander! I found her on Etsy today while I was searching for Valentines Day related items. Her prints (taken from her original paintings) are typically 8x10's and sell for a great price of around $18.00. I love the whimsical yet dramatic

Vintage Tablecloth Inspiration

2009-01-27T14:08:00.001-08:00

Yesterday, as my mom was going through some family heirlooms that had been boxed away for quite some time, she found a old table cloth from the 1940's and I fell in love with it immediately! I'm not sure how table linens of the present have become to sterile and boring, but I much prefer the vibrant, feminine and fun aspect of vintage tablecloths. I was inspired to find other vintage patterns

Exercise Your Color Creativity

2009-01-22T12:59:00.000-08:00

In our office we meet (or try at least!) once a week and do some type of creative activity for one hour. Each week we take turns taking charge of the activity. I try to come up with something that gives us a break from our day-to-day tasks. This week my exercise was inspired by my previous post.I created an exercise that can easily be completed by a small group in 30-40 minutes with 20-30 minutes

I'm a Colour Lover

2009-01-21T13:11:00.000-08:00

I found the most awesome site the other day. If you are like me, I get inspired just seeing certain colors together. You've got to check out www.colourlovers.com. You can browse through hundreds of thousands of unique color combinations, make your own, favorite others that you are intrigued by and even download desktop wallpaper of color palettes you have created. You can even upload images to

My Favorite Photo Ever

2009-01-16T09:42:00.000-08:00

"Kitchen Window"When I was getting my home office set up, I was going through lots of boxes of memorabilia and I found this little gem of a photo. This has got to be my favorite photo ever. This was taken with an old 35mm that was my mom's. I was a kid and I was just fooling around with some film that was leftover in the camera. I took this photo of a moth sitting on the kitchen window. You can

Things To Do:

2009-01-15T13:35:00.000-08:00

The new blog look is coming along well!! Jeope, you were right. I ended up taking that doodle, modifying, and looky! A new blog banner! I'm lovin' it. This template tweaking thing was a challenge for me. I still don't know what half the things in my template really do. I need to check it out on a PC and different browsers to make sure it looks okay from there. Here is a list of things I must do

Testing: Please Excuse the Ugliness

2009-01-14T09:18:00.000-08:00

I'm in the process of picking out a new template and adjusting it how I want! I'm in the testing phase. Basically, I change a piece of code, hit preview, then see what that did...memorize that function and then go on to the next. I'm not super familiar with this kind of code, but I do like the wider format with 3 columns!

Blog Doodle

2009-01-13T14:14:00.000-08:00

I started working on some art for my upcoming blogiversary give-away and while doing that, I started playing with this little design. I'm not sure where this came from, but it is mostly just a doodle! It's kind of a strange style, but there is something about it I like!

Update in Progress.

2009-01-12T14:02:00.000-08:00

Just to let you know why my blog is looking so plain.I need to get this blog moved over to the newest blogger templates so I can add more features (like the ability to follow this blog, customizable lists, etc.). The links need updated and organized. I need some new art too. I can work on designing/drawing a new header!Hopefully, I will have this up and running soon. My 5 year bloggiversary is

Very Cool: Giclee Prints by 64 Colors

2009-01-12T11:51:00.000-08:00

While exploring www.bigcartel.com, I found the shop "64 Colors" and I am in love with these prints! Go check out their shop. If you buy one, I'll be very jealous! :)

Where was all this Inspiration a month ago?

2009-01-09T08:24:00.001-08:00

Before Christmas I was desperate to come up with some ideas for a 2009 Calendar. I loved working on that project last year and wanted to do it again this year, but nothing was coming to me. I couldn't come up with anything I wanted to try and draw or anything that seemed even half way original.So, here I am and out of the blue I just started doodling straight from my Wacom to the screen and here

Stress and the Creative Mind

2008-12-08T06:20:00.000-08:00

I think we would all agree that every person handles stress in a different way--if for no other reason than our sources of stress vary. This time of year, we all face similar stresses brought on by the holidays, but as a creative person, I find this time of year unrelenting.Creative people impose stress on themselves with fun, creative things all year long, but at Christmas time, there are so

modishblog.com Giveaway!

2008-11-22T07:07:00.000-08:00

To all you hand-made fans out there, check out modishblog.com's latest giveaway and enter for a chance to win $800 worth of hand-made goodness! I've checked out almost all the sponsors and there are some amazing things being given away this time! Oh, I hope I win! :) Click here to go to the Modish blog and enter.

The Art of Matte Stephens

2008-11-11T07:02:00.000-08:00

During my random googling session of "Gocco" this morning, I found the most amazing Gocco owl by Matte Stephens on velocity.com.Matte Stephens is a 34 year old self-taught artist from Boaz, Alabama. He draws his inspiration from the lifestyle of the 1940s and 50s. His work is truly amazing! I'm loving that he obviously loves cats (his own cats are his inspiration behind most of his cat art) and

Q&A - Tag You're It

2008-10-28T11:36:00.000-07:00

This was on Mel's blog and even though I wasn't tagged, I liked it because it was a very design-related Q&A! See the bottom of my list for who I have tagged!Favorite artist/designer: Charley Harper comes to mind.I love to create using: paperWhat inspires me: The world around me, Japanese design, etsy, and the incredibly talented and ambitious people I have met in the field of design.Favorite

My Love List

2008-10-28T10:59:00.000-07:00

Melissa over at www.operationnice.com has posted her weekly nice assignment and I loved it so much, I had to participate. Check out her assignment and the site! I love my husband for always telling people that I am talented and amazing - it makes me blush sometimes, but I'm always so happy that someone believes in me so much. I love my mom for being such a nice and nurturing mother. I love my dad

Vacation pics! Carnival Western Caribbean Cruise

2008-10-21T06:45:00.001-07:00

I'm finally getting a chance to blog about my cruise last month! I have been exceptionally busy since long before we went on vacation, so I without further ado, let's take a look at the Caribbean!Who: Me & my huband Patrick and some friends from SavannahWhat: Carnival Cruise ship Glory bound to the Western CaribbeanWhen: September 6th, 2008Where: Cozumel, Honduras, Belize, the BahamasWhy: Because

A Dozen Things I Would Rather be Doing.

2008-09-25T11:46:00.000-07:00

Instead, I have to be at work :(I would rather be at home cleaning.I would rather be designing on my 2009 calendar.I would rather hang out with my husband & cat.I would rather be organizing my studio at home.I would rather be going through my vacation photos/video.I would rather be working on some of my current 1/4 finished craft projects.I would rather be doing something similar to this

It's been a while! Vacation Time!

2008-09-04T06:46:00.000-07:00

This has been the busiest summer of my life. I am hoping that the vacation I am about to go on will be the end-cap of the last few months and then I can settle into a nice, relaxed pace again. I can't wait to get back to my creative free-time again and make and design some fun things.We leave port out of Cape Canaveral on Saturday for a 7 day cruise in the Western Caribbean. GO AWAY HURRICANES!

Movin' on Up!

2008-07-29T13:42:00.000-07:00

It's amazing how the little things make such a big difference. I am so grateful for little things like an 'fridge with an icemaker and actual crisper drawers that work! I was taking a shower this morning and I was just so happy that there was a drain cover! So, I thought that my excitement over my recent move could best be summed up in two lists. One list of things I love about my new place, and

Tiger Encounter at the Alabama Gulft Coast Zoo

2008-07-23T11:36:00.001-07:00

Wow. I'm so glad that we were able to have this opportunity! It really is one of those once-in-a-lifetime sort of things. I truly love animals; They are as beautiful as they are amazing. Sheena and I posing (sorta) for the camera.When we arrived at the zoo, I was unsure how the tiger encounter was set up. I was surprised at how generous the zoo was with their program - Patrick and I had Sheena,

A Little Design Humor

2008-07-22T08:59:00.001-07:00

While I'm busy working like mad (1 designer down, 1 designer on vacation), packing my entire 3 bedroom apartment up to move to a new place, AND working on consulting/freelance jobs, I thought I would post this little jewel. Tiger photos to come!

Baby Announcements

2008-07-17T07:20:00.000-07:00

My very good friend recently asked me if I would design baby announcements for her 2nd child. I was pretty excited! I love to do stuff like this - it's a fun diversion from my day-to-day work. I asked her if she wanted something elegant or something fun. She thought she might like a fun announcement that matched the baby's room.I bought some 5"x7" envelofolds© by envelopments© ('adobe' was the

Studio, Sweet Studio! Office Re-design Unleashed.

2008-07-14T06:18:00.000-07:00

I finally have my office "together" enough to blog about it! I have had it painted brown for AGES now, but it took a while for my furniture to arrive (Ikea was cheap, but it took FOREVER to arrive!), then it took a while to unpack everything, then it took a while for me to get the time to decorate. There is always so much stuff going on that it has been hard for me to devote time to my office

I heart Tigers.

2008-07-11T07:42:00.000-07:00

My tiger encounter is set for July 19th at 2pm! I'm so excited. I can't even remember where I found this site, but I am so glad that I did. I've always wanted the chance to interact with a tiger. Patrick and I get to play with 20lb tiger cub, Sheena, for 30 minutes! I'm taking lots of photos and hopefully I'll get to bring a flip-cam along as well! Visit www.alabamagulfcoastzoo.com for more

Follow Me!

2008-07-08T11:40:00.001-07:00

I'm blogging about twitter. Once upon a time, that sentence would have been complete nonsense. Now, I'm going to go twitter about blogging about twitter... *ahem*Follow me!

It's Been Almost a Month! Time for an Update!

2008-07-07T12:33:00.000-07:00

WOW. It's been almost an entire month since I have touched my blog. Could this summer be any more hectic?So, what has been going on?My mom moved to Alabama! She arrived in Auburn June 3 weeks ago and I've been busy helping her get settled in. It's so great to have her here so close to me! She has a business partner/manager for her motel in Colorado and things are going well. She can spend some

Beach Trip #1 & #2

2008-06-08T17:13:00.001-07:00

Ahhh, it's summer! Okay, so technically, it is still spring, but come to southern Alabama and tell me if it doesn't FEEL like summer! Our first beach trip was over Memorial Day weekend. We got out to the shore very early and watched the dusky morning clouds fade to a gorgeous blue sky. We found a nice little American flag laying on the beach and put it on display.We just couldn't stay away, so

News - Quick Updates!

2008-04-23T11:16:00.000-07:00

2008 UPAA Symposium My fellow designer, Tracey Newell, and I will be presenting a Photoshop tips & tricks seminar for the 2008 University Photographer’s of Association of American (UPAA) Symposi... [more] My fellow designer, Tracey Newell, and I (pictured) will be presenting a Photoshop tips & tricks seminar for the 2008 University Photographer’s of Association of American (UPAA) Symposium

Circa 2000

2008-04-01T08:04:00.001-07:00

It's hard to believe this photo is 8 years old! I really loved my Manic Panic© red hair. I kept this streak for over a year, I think until I finally covered it with a more natural tone of brownish red. This photo is from the first few days, but as it grew out, it actually looked even cooler. This photo is a little bright from the flash, but the color was actually very, very dark red...it blended

I got the Fever!

2008-03-21T08:59:00.001-07:00

I really enjoy when I get to work on fun things like invitations. Here is the front of an invite I just finished up and the RSVP card that goes along. I love this client! I got Spring Fever just by designing this one!

Fun FYI : Photoshop Disasters Blog

2008-03-13T08:23:00.000-07:00

Speaking of being a Photoshop nerd, I admit I am somewhat of a photoshop-touch-up-aholic. At least I'm pretty good at it. There really should be a 12-step program for these people though! Check out this blog : Photoshop Disasters<--Did someone get a little carried away with the cloning tool? "Hey, there's a hole i that girl's stomach". (taken from photoshopdisasters.blogspot.com)

I'm a Photoshop NERD.

2008-02-28T11:56:00.001-08:00

So, my friend Saad got married last December. Saad moved to Seattle recently and he isn't the best at staying in touch, so when I FINALLY got to see some wedding photos, I was so happy! I can remember back in '01 when I met Saad I had helped him scan photos from his older sisters wedding. Her wedding (like Saad's) was a traditional wedding held in Pakistan. I believe they usually last 3 days?

Sweets for Everyone!

2008-02-26T08:11:00.000-08:00

Hand-sewn goodness! I've got plans for these little, stuffed treats. Hopefully I'll get all my ducks in a row soon. I just need to do a little shopping first!

Howiezine 11 : Alphabet / Diversion Mary Typeface

2008-02-20T12:29:00.001-08:00

Another great 'zine has been designed & delivered! HOWiezine 11 : Alphabet arrived just yesterday and I must say I am still so impressed with this effort. Eleven hand-made, limited edition 'zines over a couple of years time is a great feat for any group of artists. I was impressed by the number of participants this time!This 'zine theme was "Alphabet", so I offered up my handwriting as a

Workspaces : My Studio is Finally Organized!

2008-02-07T16:27:00.001-08:00

Granted, some people might look at the following images and say "She needs to organize". To those people, I would say "If you could have only seen this mess a few months ago, you'd call this room 'Heaven'". I still have stacks of things and I honestly just have too much stuff for one room, but here is my previously miserable and un-functional studio re-organized and relatively clutter free! I can

My First Scrapbook

2008-01-27T11:59:00.000-08:00

Last fall I decided that I wanted to make a scrapbook to give as a Christmas gift to my mother. Having pretty much all of the family photographs in my posession, the possibilities were really pretty wide open. After some time, I decided I wanted the whole book to be about me, my mom, and my grandmother. Sort of an all-girls theme. While I was making her a book, I figured I would go ahead and

Daily Obsessions

2008-01-22T12:46:00.000-08:00

You know it's funny, my friend & fellow designer, Mel mentioned in her latest blog about the whirlwind of endless possibilities that are going on in her brain. It must be catching because I have been down-right ANTSY with the neat to do things. I've been putting my need to sew, paint, and design things aside until I can get my office/studio in order. I've almost completed that task, but yesterday

Raw Canvas

2008-01-08T19:22:00.001-08:00

I was recently asked to paint a rather large banner for the local chapter of the Gamma Phi Beta sorority. I accepted the job and at first they wanted me to paint directly onto the wall. No problem, until I found out the "wall" was about 10 feet off the ground! I would have had to paint it on a ladder. Eek.Good thing the local art shop sells canvas by the yard at a reasonable price! I talked them

Holi-Daze

2008-01-08T19:09:00.000-08:00

Happy 2008 everyone! I'm finally back to blogging again after a very busy holiday season.Christmas was GREAT. I really had a great time relaxing and spending time with Patrick. We really had blast with our new "toys" on Christmas. Patrick got a record player as one of his gifts so we enjoyed some old-school christmas music on vinyl. It was by far my favorite Christmas music of the season! I got

And we have a Winner!

2007-12-13T18:11:00.001-08:00

Lauren is the winner of my 2008 Desk Calendar! WooHoo! I'll be contacting Lauren ASAP. Thanks to everyone who commented and participated! :) Contests are fun!

Win a 2008 Desktop Calendar!

2007-12-08T18:22:00.000-08:00

Several of my crafty cohorts (mel & RJ) have been holding drawings for prizes via their blogs and since I finally have something to offer up, I thought I would hold one myself! All you have to do is leave a comment on this blog entry and answer the following question : "What is your favorite holiday tradition and why?"I will randomly select a name out of a hat on Thursday, December 13th after 6pm

12 month Calendar Done!

2007-12-04T12:42:00.000-08:00

Yay! I finally got this thing finished. I may tweak one or two things, but only minor stuff. Now, I just have to print, cut & assemble! Click for a closer look!June is dedicated to my father who passed away in 2006. June is father's day and he loved to go fishing :)

7 months to go!

2007-11-17T17:13:00.001-08:00

5 months designed and 7 more to go. Here is another preview. These are my favorite months so far! I'm really stuck on what to do for August and September. Fall begins in September, but August is just late summer... It's a tough month. Click for a better detail.

Wacom Tablets ROCK.

2007-11-15T13:45:00.000-08:00

I just got a Wacom, 6x8" tablet today for work. It really rocks. I totally need on of these for home. I love the pen tool and the mouse is great too...tons better than the stupid Apple Mighty Mouse. I love Apple, but that mouse has got to go!I really love how the pen tool has a "right click". When you use your other hand to do key commands on your keyboard you can really rock in Adobe

Paint by Number Art is Kind of Cool.

2007-11-14T11:05:00.000-08:00

I was online doing a little image research when I happened upon a vintage Paint By Number for sale on Ebay. For some odd reason I decided to search for "vintage paint by numbers" on ebay and found some intriguing stuff!I guess the simplification of image really appeals to me from a graphic standpoint. Created primarily in the 1950's, Paint by Number sets aren't too far away from Charles S.

Look! It's my cat, Figaro! :)

2007-11-13T06:26:00.000-08:00

I had one of those CVS disposable video cameras for a recent trip to visit family. I tagged on a couple of little videos of my silly cat - who is never silly for the camera - and all of his many toes. He's really a sweet cat. Very dependent, unlike the true nature of cats. Check out Figaro Kittenpants in his video debut!

Holiday Preview

2007-11-12T12:49:00.001-08:00

For Christmas this year, I decided I would try something a little more fun and more practical than just a card. Here is a little preview! I plan on producing 2008 desktop calendars. They will be 5"x5.5" and placed in a CD-style,plastic calendar holder. I got a good deal on the holders and now I've just got to finish up my months! I'm pretty excited about this. I may have to purchase some more

In the Spirit of Thanksgiving

2007-11-11T12:35:00.000-08:00

On someone else's blog I saw another ning group called "30 Days of Thanks" in honor of the holiday of Thanksgiving. I thought I would take a moment and talk about giving thanks.First off, let me say that I believe whole-heartedly in being thankful. When I pray, I do not ask for things, I say thank you for what I have. I figure in the long run, If I am thankful for what I have, God will give me

Great Place for Neat Stuff

2007-11-08T14:55:00.000-08:00

Need a unique gift this holiday season? Check out : www.spoonsisters.com! I especially like the 3-D Doodle Pad, The edge-lovers brownie pan, and the doggie pencil sharpener!

Color is my Plaything

2007-11-07T12:03:00.000-08:00

In keeping with my goal of making more of my blog posts design related or creatively inspired, I decided to use my stumble feature to do a little design related Web surfing. A few clicks in, I came upon dailycolorscheme.com - a beta Web site that looks like it was last updated sometimes in 2006. I thought the concept was a neat idea, so right there and then, I decided that I would make color my

It's Needle & Thread Time!

2007-11-06T11:07:00.001-08:00

Lately I have had the incredible urge to sew things. Seeing as how I still haven't acquired a sewing machine, I am left with the old-fashioned hand method which can be fun, but very tedious. A few weeks ago, I picked up this little gem, The Cute Book, by Aranzi Aronzo and Anne Ishii, at my local Barnes & Noble store. All you need is a few pieces of felt and a needle & thread and you're off!My

NaBloPoMo - National Blog Posting Month

2007-11-06T09:35:00.000-08:00

As I was taking my usual tour through my favorite blogs this morning, I was happily surprised to see that Mel over as Melissahead Yabberings has been a busy little blogger! She's been infected by the NaBloPoMo group over at ning. As a glutton for something else to add to my daily "to do" list, I decided to sign up! Basically, you make it your goal to post every day in the month of November! This

Halloween!

2007-11-01T07:20:00.000-07:00

Happy day-after-Halloween! I miss being a kid and the excitement of Halloween. This year, we had a party at work. I was surprised at how many people participated. Even if it was just to wear a mask and hang around. I dressed as Dead Riding Hood. I was pretty much the only person who tried to look scary! But, thats okay. My deathly makeup turned out well! Here is me with my coworker - she had on

My First Camping Trip!

2007-10-22T08:09:00.000-07:00

My first camping trip was a total success! I'm glad to say that I do like camping!We arrived at FDR State Park after dark on Friday night. Our first challenge was to actually assemble the tent in the dark! It wasn't easy! Once we finally got our tent up and our sleep gear gathered, it was time to start our fire and make some traditional campfire food - hot dogs. I think it was nearly midnight by

A Savannah Wedding

2007-10-01T17:34:00.001-07:00

Our good friend Jeremy got married this past weekend in Savannah, GA. Patrick was asked to be one of the groomsmen. We had such a great time! Jeremy is a great guy and we are both so happy he's found a nice girl. Attending this wedding was like a little mini-vacation. A nice room in a cool town surrounded by laughter and friends. The whole extended weekend was nothing but not-stop laughing. I got

We've got the moves!

2007-09-25T08:27:00.001-07:00

Star in Your Own JibJab! It's Free!Look at us go! :) Don't you like my cute little 1920's bob?

More Puppies to Draw!

2007-09-20T11:54:00.001-07:00

I like drawing animals. I don't know why, but it comes so much easier than drawing people. Maybe I just need to practice people more.... The reference photo for this drawing came from cuteoverload.com - one of my favorite sites!

Figaro Wears a Tie - Dr. Figaro Fancypants

2007-09-05T12:56:00.000-07:00

In honor of my cat, Figaro, who is under the weather and spending the night at the vet's office I will post these very entertaining images of Mr. Fancypants in his brand new cat sized tie purchased from Target ;) Doesn't he look so official?I have pet separation anxiety.

More Baby Shower Gifts

2007-08-22T08:01:00.001-07:00

3 people in my husbands office are going to have babies and I get to have practice at my crafty painting skills. Here is the first of the baby gifts! They will be having a daughter named Madeline and calling her Maddie. These are pretty fun and easy to make...I am excited that one couple is having a boy. That will be something different to paint! And the other couple is having a girl, but they

Old Polaroids

2007-07-18T06:33:00.001-07:00

Here's a scan of an old polaroid I found. What the heck am I doing?The funny thing is that I act pretty much the same way now as I did then :)

Hi, I get to draw Puppies for a living

2007-07-13T11:38:00.000-07:00

Okay, not really, but no one seems to mind when I draw at work, so why not?! I found this little puppy on www.cuteoverload.com and decided a puppy would be fun to draw! Seriously, I never thought it would turn out so well!Click on Angel, the puppy, to see all the details.Here is the original image from which I drew! You can find Angel on her owner's flickr page!http://www.flickr.com/photos/cynr/

Lizards are fun to draw

2007-07-12T06:30:00.000-07:00

Scaley animals are fun to draw. Some sketchbook frogs from Tommy Kane's Web site, gave me the idea to find a nice, lizard from google images and start drawing the little guy. I have 2 versions on here... one I scanned before I added more detail. My original plan was to "document" the addition of details, but I think I am going to stop now... I like the lizard "as is".Click each image for all the

I'm Hardly Danny Gregory or Tommy Kane...

2007-06-28T13:15:00.000-07:00

Here are my first postable sketches rendered from my newly found inspiration to sketch again! My office is boring, so I turned to drawing images I saw on cuteoverload.com - Danny Gregory had mentioned that sometimes he will pause his Television and draw what is on-screen so, drawing from a photograph is the same idea...I've also included the images from cuteoverload.com that inspired my