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.

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:

Signed, Sealed, Delivered

Recently I placed an ad through my local Freecycle group for cancelled stamps.  I honestly thought it was a futile request in the age of e-mail, Facebook, and cell phones.  Who gets actual mail these days, and who would take the time to save the stamps?

Imagine my surprise when I got two responses from members!  So far one envelope has arrived, and I've already incorporated some into a greeting card:

I received some lovely Nativity-themed stamps from Australia.

There are many others as well, and I've been having fun coming up with ideas for some cheeky note cards:

I'm thinking something along the lines of "Good on ya, Mate" or a simple "G'day" for this card.

Oh, Canada.  "Hoser"?  "Canuck," maybe?

I don't know much about the Netherlands.  Any suggestions for a Dutch-inspired greeting card?

Pride Week!  

(They're queens.  Get it?)

Thanks so much to Martha for sending me these!  I look forward to my second envelope from Joan, which should arrive any day now.  :)

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

The collection of stamps I shared earlier is finally being put to use:

Stencil.

Finished product.

This Christmas card (and others) will be available on Etsy as soon as I can upload some nicer photos.  It's amazing how quickly this year has gone by, isn't it?

In other news, I've been busy sewing some gifts for two baby showers I'll be attending in the coming weeks.  They're so adorable!  I'd love to share them now, but need to keep them a secret for the mom's-to-be.  Once they've been gifted I'll post photos of my handy work.  :)

"Neither rain, nor snow... nor gloom of night"

 

The holidays are quickly approaching, and I'm starting to plan out some future projects.  These used stamps will be part of a greeting card or two.  Check back for some more in progress shots!

I believe you can get me through the night...

One of the worst habits I picked up while at college was pulling all-nighters.  This was usually due to another bad habit I developed: procrastination.  When I started taking classes again, I vowed I would stop doing both.  I can proudly report that the procrastination has thus far been held at bay.  Learning Adobe Dreamweaver CS5 is a fun challenge, and easily keeps my attention for hours.

However, working late into the night is a routine I just can't seem to break.  Something about the wee hours inspires me.  I find myself wanting to work more than usual after 10pm, and get some of my best ideas when I should be sleeping.

Since I don't have to be on a "normal" schedule quite yet (one of the perks of retail work), I'll continue to burn the midnight oil.  At least I have my podcasts to keep me company.  New favorite: Radiolab.

And in case you're wondering, here's a peek at what I've been working on:

The final project for my web layout class is to redesign the Palomar College Graphic Communications Department website.  The professor has hinted that the department may actually use one of our designs.  Here's hoping I get picked!  :)

Wish you were here

I found these old postcards today in my scrapbooking boxes:

A few I'd like to keep, but others would make lovely greeting card artwork.  Looks like I have some brainstorming to do in the next couple weeks.

Wine Cork Bulletin Board

A not-so-little project my sister's been working on for some time.  Can't wait to see the final product!

Finished & More In Progress

Paper with sewn detail.



The "pocket" created by the origami folds are a great place to stash a small piece of candy!


Here's the next card I've been working on:

This one will feature some more stitched detailing besides just that on the background paper.

Dressed up in stitches

A card I'm working on, experimenting with stitching/sewing paper:

(Early) Spring Cleaning

I've been cleaning my hard drive, and keep coming across files from my college days. This is a series of tonal studies done for a computer based painting class using Corel Painter IX:



I haven't used Painter in awhile, and am beginning to become reacquainted with the software. While I enjoy how easy it is to "paint" digitally, I miss actual painting more. My easel and brushes have been sitting in the garage since last May, but I haven't felt the urge to use them until more recently. I think my project this weekend will be making a new palette (I prefer glass palettes, and my old one was unfortunately broken months ago), and finally get going on my mom's Mother's Day gift.

"Do or do not, there is no try."

Almost here...

I'm almost finished with my love-inspired art!



This card is inspired by my new boyfriend, who is a resident of Australia. I'm sure it will resonate with everyone who has ever been in an LDR (Long Distance Relationship) during the past decade or so. While the bulk of our communication is online, I like sending cards and other physical love notes. It's nice to have something to hold or look at when you're missing that someone special.





Here's a detail shot of an origami card I put together. I haven't worked with printed paper in awhile, so it was fun mixing and matching patterns and colors.

I'll be taking better photos and scans of the finished products tomorrow. Right now I need to watch the Opening Ceremonies of the Vancouver Olympic Games!

Love is in the air...

Valentine's Day is right around the corner! To celebrate, I've started working on some fun recycled cards. I started saving the address flaps from my Netflix rentals awhile back, but wasn't sure how I was going to use them. Then a few weeks ago I stumbled upon Netflix Origami, and got some much needed inspiration.

I already have some fun ideas using the heart and swan designs.




I also attempted to make a box, just for fun. Unfortunately it didn't turn out right, so I used that sheet to practice the starched shirt. Since dress shirts don't really scream "Valentine's Day," I may make it into a paper doll for my cousin.

Magazine Haul

I found a listing on my local Freecycle group for free magazines:



The bulk of my raw materials usually come from my uncle, but this load will last well into the new year. I foresee a lot of tearing and sorting in my near future...
A big "Thank You" to Lynda and family for being such voracious periodical readers!


And here's a bit of what I've been working on:



This is part of my first order! Paper bowls make lovely Christmas gifts, so please e-mail me ASAP if you'd like a price sheet: sallymackart [at] yahoo [dot] com.
Once I complete these bowls, I plan to start work on more paper animals.

In Progress...

A little project I'm working on: creating a photo frame from magazine pages.

Staying Busy

I've made myself a schedule that I intend to keep. Every week day I must work on my art in some capacity. Today I worked on framing my paper owl, by preparing mounts and picking out fabric for the background. Tomorrow I will finish up the framing, photograph the finished product, and update my website (For real this time; I swear).

My hope is that by making a schedule and sticking to it, I will become more productive. I also hope to build up a big enough collection of artwork that I can start selling some of my pieces this fall (Anyone in the market for magazine page bowls and animals? They make excellent Christmas gifts!).


Having a mother who sews and is also a fabric pack rat can come in handy.

In Progress...

An update on a previously posted sketch:



Made from magazine pages, adapting paper bowl making techniques.