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!