Category Archives: Design & Publishing

What I Designed Today: Billboards for Adam & Kizzie at OK Mozart’s Ambler Hall

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Adam & Kizzie are coming to Bartlesville and it’s going to be a fantastic night of music at OK Mozart’s Ambler Hall.  This is a new direction for OK Mozart’s music selection and this duo with their gospel, blues, rock-n-roll and jazz sound are sure to please.  I can’t wait to hear how they sound in Ambler Hall.  If you’re local, info & tix are at okmozart.com.

Technically I designed these billboards a little over two weeks ago.  The traditional billboard goes up tomorrow and I hope to add a shot of that from the street as well.

Traditional billboard

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Digital billboard

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Digital billboard from the street

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What I Designed Today: Logo Guide for Bartlesville’s Ambler Hall

by Sparkbark | 1 Comment

It’s not a full-on style guide but it’s a step in the right direction with a usage guide for the most common scenarios for a logo.  I’m so excited about some of the concerts coming up at Ambler Hall!  Check out Adam & Kizzie — they’re coming in November.  For more details, visit OK Mozart on the web.

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What I Designed Today: 2015 Bartlesville Oklahoma Stake Women’s Conference Invitations

by Sparkbark | 8 Comments

These invitations use some lovely artwork of a young woman in armor originally created by Judy Cooley.  She graciously gave us permission to use them for our stake events (auxiliary conference and women’s conference) this year.  I love the ENLISTED adaptation of her work.  You can find more of her work if you search for Judy Cooley Deseret Book and Altus Fine Art.

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I’m excited that the service project this year is collecting or creating slippers for women at the Claremore Safenet Shelter (for women who suffer from domestic abuse or sexual assault).  2015stakersconfinvite1back

What I Designed Today, err…weeks ago: Father’s Day Poster & Coupons for La Fiesta

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There’s a Mexican restaurant in Bartlesville, La Fiesta, that I’ve never been to — not because it’s not popular but because when we stayed in the hotel that shares it’s parking lot (while our home was under construction), we witnessed the chef puking out back then go back in.  The next night we witnessed an ambulance take away a customer.  We kind of figured that was an omen and wrote the restaurant off without ever actually trying it.  I found it interesting, then, that I was tempted to go when I was requested to design these coupons for Father’s Day.  I was relieved it was on Sunday because that eliminated my temptation altogether since we try our best to not eat out on the Sabbath Day.  I just may have to try it another time, though!

Here’s the original link to pieces of stock art by CharlieZ.  I like my adaptation and his stock art did make it very easy.

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Quotes about the Holy Ghost

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I had used these quotes a few years ago for a youth conference talk and I resurrected them (Ha!  See what I did there?!) for a Relief Society lesson this past Sunday.  Just thought I’d share them online, mostly so I don’t have to hunt them down on my hard drive if I ever want to use them again.

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What I Designed Today: Recreated a Farrier Logo

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All design work isn’t fun or glamorous.  Scratch that.  MOST design work isn’t fun or glamorous at all because it’s the actual do-this-to-get-paid variety of work (even if it’s ugly).  Take this project:  I was asked to recreate a farrier’s logo for a 73″ wide banner.  It wasn’t difficult to do but it took time to redraw in Illustrator and get it right.  There was no using any sort of conceptual design skills — just rote recreation of a graphical element.  The project used my expertise of Illustrator but I had no creative liberty whatsoever, which is fine.  It pays the bills.  Just like any other occupation, graphic design is work — and work I’m grateful and blessed to have!  After all, there are worse ways to make a living…

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What I Designed Today: Social Media Contest for Tate Boys Tire

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One of Bartlesville’s finest local establishments, Tate Boys Tire, is running a social media contest and I was asked to design their promotional signs for print and online/web.  If you want to enter the contest, go to the Tate Boys Facebook Page and just like and share the image!

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What I Designed Today: L’Amore D’Italia Program for OK Mozart

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The program for OK Mozart’s L’Amore d’Italia Ball is a smaller, 4-page, 1-fold piece.  I love the interior and it printed nicely on a heavy linen stock thanks to Bartlesville’s best print shop.  It turned out just lovely!  Osage Casinos sponsored the event and the mask picure on the cover was taken by local artist Gary Gibson.

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What I Designed Today: Print Shop Docs with Horrible Fonts

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I’m loving the interesting flow of work coming from Bartlesville’s local print shop.  There is, however, the problem of recreating things to print EXACTLY as a client requests — but that is ugly as all get-out.  It nearly killed me the other day to save a print-ready file using the Hobo font.  The project here called for Rage Italic and a graphic with lines that I absolutely do not understand (It’s so abstract, it could mean anything!).  Kill me now.  But, such is the life of a print shop — the client’s requests always come first!  And if you are the client and you happen to read this:  take it from an experienced designer — it’s time for an update on your logo and materials. You don’t even have to hire me.  Just, for the love of all that’s holy, refresh your brand.

Exhibit A:  Rage Italic in all its horrific 1980s glory — letterhead and envelopes.  Because a small town rec center is nothing if not thorough.
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What I Designed Today: Bartlesville’s 2 Plus 1 Show Concert Poster

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lawsonposter2There’s a great little print shop here in Bartlesville, aptly named Bartlesville Print Shop.  The owner is a smart man.  He hired a talented young girl who is his right-hand-woman most days.  The girl is on a sabbatical for school or something (I forget; let’s face it, I can barely keep track of my own life) and even though I swore off taking additional work for the summer, I decided I could spare a month or so and help out the print shop on an as-needed, contract basis.  It’s kind of fun having a print shop as a client — which is actually a first for me.  It’s a never-ending stream of varied work!  It definitely keeps me on my toes.  This poster was designed a few days ago and by the next time I stopped into the shop, he had them printed and ready to go — such a great printer.  Seriously, if you don’t have a favorite local printer like ours in Bartlesville, go find one!  A good printer makes ALL the difference…

What I Designed Today: Interchangeable B&W Newspaper Ads

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So, these are quite simple but since they’re only 2″ wide and they pack a lot of info, it is important to make them readable but still stand out on the entire huge newspaper print page full of black and white!  Enter the diagonally cropped picture.  It really works!  It adds just enough visual “movement” to help the ad stand out on the static page and draw the eye of the reader.  Take a look and see which is your favorite.  These 8 ads are being printed in a series in the Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise newspaper, based on which performer is coming up next chronologically.

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What I Designed Today: OK Mozart Kids’ Events Poster & T-Shirt

by Sparkbark | 2 Comments

These are similar to the Fun Run poster and t-shirt because it should have the same look but be independent. The Fun Run T-Shirt is going to be printed on sapphire blue so the t-shirt I’m suggesting here is to be printed on neon yellow. If it’s not in the budget this year, perhaps next. Bright colors are so much fun for t-shirts, especially for kids!

Poster design:

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T-Shirt design:

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What I Designed Today: Stake Conference Invitation

by Sparkbark | 3 Comments

I designed this stake conference invitation for the first semiannual conference of the Bartlesville, Oklahoma Stake!  So nice of the stake presidency to put out an official invitation like this.  I hope it helps boost attendance and clarifies meeting times, attendance and info for all involved.  I tried to make it  match the ward mission plan and the stake mission plan that I had created earlier.  I’d better watch out or the stake will have inadvertently created its own press kit and style guide soon!  Kidding…

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What I Designed Today: 2015 OK Mozart Festival Poster

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