Books I've Read, 2011

+Gertrude Bell: Queen of the Desert, Shaper of Nations by Georgina Howell (More famous than 'Lawrence of Arabia' in her time, but nobody's made a movie about her. Sad.)
+The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (reread)
+Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins (reread)
+Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins (reread)
+Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void by Mary Roach
+Across the Universe by Beth Revis
+Different Seasons by Stephen King (I only read "Rita Hayworth & the Shawshank Redemption" and "The Body," but I think it counts as reading a King book. Especially since these were, in my opinion, his two best movies.)
+The Maze Runner by James Dashner
+Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451: The Authorized Adaptation by Tim Hamilton (A good graphic novel, but the original is just too complex for this format to do it justice.)
+From Hell by Alan Moore & Eddie Campbell (I found the chapter notes more intriguing than the actual story. Not a great sign.)
+The Scorch Trials by James Dashner (Why do I have to wait until August for the final book? I need to know how this ends NOW!!!)
+All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque (reread)
+Definitely Dead by Charlaine Harris (So, somehow I skipped the previous book in this series. :/ )
+All Together Dead by Charlaine Harris (OK, I didn't skip a book. I just have a terrible memory.)
+Water For Elephants by Sara Gruen
+Unfamiliar Fishes by Sarah Vowell
+Delirium by Lauren Oliver
+Bossypants by Tina Fey
+Uglies by Scott Westerfeld (Interesting beginning to this series. Will definitely be continuing it.)
+Matched by Ally Condie (Yet another series I am anxiously awaiting the next installment of...)
+Specials by Scott Westerfeld (My first borrowed book using my new Australian library card!.)
+Fables: Legends in Exile by Willingham, Medina, Leialoha, & Hamilton
+Fables: Animal Farm by Willingham, Buckingham, & Leialoha
+Enclave by Ann Aguirre
+Fables: Storybook Love by Willingham, Buckingham, & Leialoha
+Luxe by Anna Godberson
+Fables: March of the Wooden Soldiers by Willingham, Buckingham, Hamilton, Leialoha, & Russell
+From Dead to Worse by Charlaine Harris




Best Books: I always enjoy Mary Roach, and Packing for Mars is just as funny and interesting as her previous books.  I know non-fiction isn't for everyone, but I definitely recommend her to even the most ardent fiction lovers.  Tina Fey's Bossypants is another humorous gem.  All Quiet on the Western Front has always been one of my favorites, but it's not exactly an uplifting story.


Worst Book: This year's list doesn't have any real losers, but there were a couple disappointments.  As a Jack the Ripper buff, I was looking forward to reading From Hell.  While the story itself was only OK, I found the chapter notes very intriguing and often quite funny.  The graphic novel version of Fahrenheit 451 was also a bit disappointing.  This is another of my favorite novels, and though the artwork was 
great, I feel the story is just too complex for this format.


Looking forward to in 2012: As a fan of the Harry Potter series, I know the agony of waiting for the next installment of a series to be published.  So you'd think I'd avoid newly published series in order to avoid this, but it seems like I'm drawn to them like Harry to the Mirror of Erised.  (Seriously though, is every young adult novel these days part of a series?  Sometimes it's nice to read a book and be finished with the story at the end.)  Across the Universe, Delirium, Enclave, Luxe, and Matched all have just released or soon-to-be-released sequels I plan on reading.  I also need to read the final installment of The Maze Runner series, and I'll probably continue with some Sookie Stackhouse books.  They are light, entertaining palette cleansers, and vastly more interesting than the True Blood TV series.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

Between work, school, and family time I've been very very busy.  However, I did take a little time off to browse Etsy and create some holiday themed Treasuries.  Hope they get you in the Christmas spirit!

Blue Christmas

May All Your Christmases Be White

 Candy Cane

 

RIP Steve Jobs

What can I say about Steve Jobs that hasn't already been said?  He was an innovator, a visionary, an unapologetic "tech geek."  But to me he will always be the man who brought Pixar to life: seeing the potential of computer animation, and helping to create many of my fondest childhood (and adulthood) movie-going experiences.

He will be missed.

Steve Jobs, 1955-2011

G'Day Mate

My move to Sydney has thus far been smooth.  All the big items on my to-do list are completed: unpacking, getting a library card, and finding a job.  And even though I'm a little homesick at times, I'm starting to adjust to life here.

On the Etsy front, things are slowly taking off.  I've made two more sales, to some very cute couples.  Back in July I created a custom save the date template for a couple in Florida, and just two days ago I sold a magazine bowl as a first anniversary gift from a husband to his wife.

Maybe Australia is my good luck charm?  :)

On hold

This blog is going to have less activity than usual.  I'm busy finishing up the summer semester, packing for a short family trip to New England, and--most excitingly-- preparing to move to Australia in August.

So bear with me, and look forward to fun photos and new artwork inspired by the land Down Under!

Something new...

After filling several sketchbook pages and playing around on Photoshop, I've decided to finally put my graphic design skills to use on Etsy.  I am now offering wedding save the dates, invitations, and thank yous.  These are customized digital files that can be printed via an online company (such as MOO or Vistaprint) or at home.  Only one design is available now, but I have several others that will be ready this week (they just need a bit more finessing before they're ready).

 Postcard save the date

A special thanks to photographer Alex Siebenthal, for allowing me to use her images for the samples!

Social Connectivity Domination

I've added a new social networking site to my online presence (as if it isn't large enough already): Pinterest!

My sister told me about the site weeks ago, but I've just gotten around to signing up today.  It's a cool way to organize my online finds, and a great way to find inspiration.  Definitely check it out, and follow me if you like!

New Etsy Items

I've finally been able to create and list some new Etsy items.  Along with some more magazine bowls, I've also added some new postage stamp cards:

PRIDE

LOVE

 HOI!

G'DAY

See America First

The spring semester is wrapping up.  Here's what I've been working on for the past week or so:

 Yosemite

 Yellowstone

The assignment was to create a single poster, but I conceived my project as a series.  Each poster focuses on a specific National Park within the system, but advertises all parks through the slogan "See America First."  Yosemite is what I've turned in, and Yellowstone is just for fun.

Unfortunately I had to use images found online, due to a lack of personal source material.  However, my boyfriend and I are planning a cross-country road trip next summer, and I hope to visit a few parks on the way.  Once I have my own images to work with, I plan to create a couple more posters as portfolio pieces.

I'm also finishing up a small Flash portfolio for my ActionScript class.  I plan on posting that as well, provided I can get all the coding to work correctly!

This is what it sounds like when the doves cry

My website work has taken a backseat to class assignments.  Thankfully the semester is almost over and I'll be back on track soon.  In the meantime, here's what I've been working on this week:

The class assignment was to create a CD package.  Usually these assignments come quickly, but this time I just wasn't into it.  It took me a week to finally decide which artist/band I wanted to design for, and a day of scrapped concepts before inspiration struck.

My biggest problem was over-thinking it.  I originally sketched a collage-style cover with portraits, doves, and that nifty symbol Prince used to go by.  It didn't work.  So after much frustration I did the only thing I could: listen to The Very Best of Prince on a loop.  That worked.

All-in-all I'm pretty happy with how these pieces turned out.  They have a gritty/epic/mysterious feel that invokes Prince's music without using an image of the artist himself.  The overall technique was borrowed from an online Photoshop tutorial I found months ago, with a few tweaks to suit my needs.  It's a cool effect that I can definitely use again.

It's business time

Received my Moo mini-cards last week!  Cannot wait to include them with my Etsy items.  :)

Website Design, Take 2

Just when I thought I had my new design hammered down, I had a fresh burst of creativity.  My original design is being set aside in favor of a cleaner concept.

This was my original design.  I liked the idea of using a large photo as the background.  I chose Lomography shots I'd taken, and planned to use a different shot on each sub-page.

Homepage with witty introduction (I'm still refining the copy.)

Concept for Bio sub-page

While I do like this design, I think it would work better for a photography portfolio.  I may still create this site as a web portfolio piece.  I really love the concept, and would love to use the images I chose in some context.  If anyone out there loves this, please send me an e-mail-- this could be your new site!

My latest design is a lot cleaner, simpler, and more representative of my work.  I'm still playing with proportions, but this is what I've come up with so far:

(The light pink vertical rectangles are guides, not part of the design.)

Eventually I will create a Flash enabled version of this site to showcase those skills.  ActionScript is beginning to make some sense, but I'm still waiting for it to really click.  

Meanwhile, I've started going through my work to chose which images to include in the portfolio section.  There were obvious noes, and a good handful of yeses.  The maybes are where I'm having trouble.  I'm trying very hard to be objective about my choices.  Just because I like them it doesn't mean they're a good portfolio piece.  I've also been extra creative lately, so there are pieces in the works that may make the final cut.  This is a happy problem, though.  There are some pieces on my website now that I'm not 100% proud of, but included anyway.  A big mistake I won't be making this time around!

Designing All Day

My website is long overdue for a redesign.  I built it years ago before I knew anything about creating a web page from scratch.  iWeb was the only program I had at my disposal, and while it's very user friendly (gotta love Mac software), it's far from perfect.  Throw in my disregard for file naming conventions, ignorance of SEO, and underdeveloped design style, and you've got yourself a real mess.  OK, maybe not a mess per se, but certainly not a site I'm proud of today.  Now that I have an arsenal of software and online resources, I'm ready to create a proper online portfolio.

My newest favorite is imgr, an online image color tool.  Simply upload an image, pick how many colors you want to generate, and voila!  imgr creates a customized color swatch based on your original pic.  I've used it a couple times already, and love it.  It's a great way to supplement color schemes I've already chosen, or to pick out colors within a photo that I didn't catch.

Above is a swatch I created for my website redesign.  Just a little too autumnal for my tastes, but adding a contrasting blue or purple might fix that.

Did I mention...

...I made my first Etsy sale this month?  Well, I did!


I know it's only one sale, but it's still exciting.  It's nice to know my hard work is paying off (no matter how slowly).  This, Treasury mentions, and hearts from fellow Etsy users are a wonderful little pick-me-up when I'm feeling down.  They also inspire me to keep creating.


So THANK YOU to my online support system!  :)

For Sale

Recycled Magazine Bowl inspired by Valentine's Day (Unfortunately I was too busy to post it prior to 2/14.  Or am I extremely early for Breast Cancer Awareness month?)

Recycled Magazine Bowl, also inspired by Valentine's Day.

Set of 2 Recycled Magazine Bowls inspired by sunsets on the beach.  Now you can have a matching pair for beside tables, book shelves, or to give as gifts!

Moo!

Just received a free business card sample from Moo.  Verdict: I love them!  I plan on ordering a pack to promote my Etsy shop within in the next month, and will work on a design for personal business cards in the future.

 

These are the standard business cards, printed on recycled paper.  I love the paper stock, but may opt for smaller sized mini-cards for the final product.  My final cards will also have a more customized back, with a short shop statement in addition to contact information.

The Moo site is also filled with wonderful inspiration.  I've been browsing samples of others work, and my head is filled with ideas for postcards, greeting cards, stickers...  So many great items from a wonderful company!

In Progress

The blog has been light on photos as of late, so I thought I'd post an update on a long overdue project:

Feeling the Love

I'd like to announce that I am now on Twitter.  This is something I never thought I'd say.  Joining was a class requirement (Designing for the Social Web, so it makes sense), so I figured that at least I could say it wasn't my idea.

However, I'm only a few days in, and already (begrudgingly) seeing some benefits to joining.  I already have followers I do not know in real life who found me because of our shared interest in Etsy.  And, I've received two more Treasury inclusions due to the added exposure:  Origami Heart Card, featured in "With Love, Your Secret Admirer" and Purple & Yellow Magazine Bowl in "Pounce!"

So.... Twitter is useful.  Go figure.  Feel free to follow me, @artofsallymack.  My feed is also available in the righthand navigation bar.  I'll admit that it's nothing special right now, but check in for Etsy shop news and discounts in the future.

So much to do...

Several weeks have passed since the end of the fall semester, and I'm just now realizing that I neglected to post a link to my Flash final.  The assignment was to create a website promoting something, so I chose to create a version of my current website.  I'm working on redesigning my site, and may possible incorporate some Flash elements.  While my assignment is still a little rough, it was a great learning and brainstorming exercise!

Currently I am gearing up for Spring classes (starting tomorrow-- yikes!) and stocking my Etsy shop.  I'm focusing on making more staple items, brainstorming new ideas, and finally designing business cards.  Then time for a full-on promotional blitz!