Catching up on old design work (well, sorta, cause that could take decades and nobody really wants to see all that crap from my beginner years, anyway). This was from October of 2014 so it’s fair game to post.
Category Archives: Design & Publishing
Recent Design Work: OK Mozart’s March Madness 2015
Finished up this week for next March. Yeah, I wrote that correctly. I think it might be the very first time I’ve completed a project so long in advance. I hope it’s a new trend…I could use more “cushion” time on projects! I’m not liking their new logo but that wasn’t my design…yikes. I’m all for change but the old one had so much more authority and classiness to the font selection than this one and I don’t like the ragged right. Oh well! Not my circus, not my monkeys is my motto for 2015!
Favorite George Bernard Shaw Quote
I’m preparing a talk for the Bartlesville chapter of Pilot International (a non-profit organization that raises money for brain injury awareness and other worthy brain related organizations) and I’m using this quote so I thought I’d share it online. I’ve had this quote laminated and hanging on my office desk for, oh, about 23 years now. It is surely one of my all-time favorite quotes and anybody who knows me knows I’m a quote junkie. You can view my quote board on Pinterest here.
What I Designed Today: Writing & designing for RunHaven
So excited to announce a new venture with RunHaven as a writer AND designer for their site. Here’s my first graphic that I did for them. I’m only showing 2 of 4 formats here but you get the idea (one for each specific social media size). Be sure to pop over to their site and check it out!!! Background image: halfpoint/Bigstock.
What I Designed Today: A poster for Lemon Tart by Josi Kilpack
It’s been a long time since I blogged. Almost a year, in fact. I’ve missed it! In my time away, I’ve done many things and learned quite a bit. Let’s see how much of that I can get documented down the road but, for now, here’s some recent work I completed for Theater Bartlesville — even though I’m no longer serving on their board this year. Last year was so much fun, not to mention meeting some pretty amazing people, but I simply don’t have time to do it again. I won’t be doing most of their items but as a huge Josi Kilpack fan, this poster design I just couldn’t resist. Can’t wait to meet her at the fundraiser. And, for all you font nerds out there like me, the font is My Aunt Celia and you can buy it at MyFonts.
What I Designed Today: Boo Juice – FREE Download – Halloween Ghost Stickers for Capri Sun & Pouch Drinks
FREE DOWNLOAD. So easy and cute. I was making 20 for Ben’s class party but we had two extra packages of Capri Sun drinks and I knew I might run short at the church trunk-or-treat tonight so I fixed them up! Good thing, too, as we ran out of goodies and all the Boo Juice went first! They were a hit! If you click on the pic of the file, you can download the file from Flickr.
What I Designed Today: Banner Ads for The Artful Ewe
I love knitting. I love banner ads – so small and easy, right? Well, sometimes the small size can be really constraining. I left the ribbon-like banner at the top of one of the ads so perhaps the white space above would set it apart from other banner ads. Anyway – it’s yarn! What’s not to love?
What I Designed Today: Billboard Artwork for “The Real Inspector Hound” for Theater Bartlesville
Final billboard.
Final poster.
I ran a test vote on Facebook with my 777 friends and the red poster won out over the sideways-text white one by a thin margin. We’re using the red poster with the spyglass from one of the others. Good combo. This made the billboard much easier to do!
What I Designed Today: Poster Artwork for The Real Inspector Hound for Theater Bartlesville
Theater Bartlesville’s next play is “The Real Inspector Hound”. These are my first drafts. Which would you choose?
What I Designed Today: Steam Train Tickets
A steam train engineer requested tickets for an upcoming birthday party for a local Steam Train No. 940. He wanted a punch card for the kids to use for the party. I love trains!
What I Designed Today: Play Titles
The artwork for the next three plays at Bartlesville Theater hasn’t even been started but I needed to get the play titles in the brochure and I didn’t want plain, old, boring text, so I whipped these up as fast as I could this morning. Which is your favorite? I love Illustrator more and more each day (the more I actually learn how to use it!). I finally gave in to Adobe Illustrator CC and I am loving it.
Radio Interview for The Trip to Bountiful
Left to right: Joe Sears, Charlie Taraboletti, Marilyn Johnson (along with Amity Hollenbaugh in the background, who really runs everything)
I arranged my first radio spot for Theater Bartlesville with Bartlesville Radio KWON — 1400 AM or 100.3 FM on the dial. I wasn’t nervous until it was OVER. I chose to sit in the back and not say anything but when the interviewer, Charlie Taraboletti, asked for dates, nobody else had them so I had to step up to the microphone. I had a frog in my throat (of course!) but I think it went well and, more importantly, I hope Bartlesville peeps will turn out for the show and buy some tickets! Many are thinking the theater will be sold out this year, so be sure to get your tickets while you can at 918-336-1900. Online ticketing at www.theaterbartlesville.com is not available but will be coming soon.
UPDATE 9/6/13: I’ve been told the radio interview is recorded and available online at Bartlesville Radio! Hallelujah! We can all bask in my frog-in-the-throat moment. Oh, well, at least Marilyn and Joe sound great!
What I Designed Today: “Ticket” Business Cards for Theater Bartlesville
As part of my new duties on the Board of Directors for Theater Bartlesville, I was able to create a new logo and update their business cards. I love the new cards because they look like a ticket. Did I need a custom die from the printer for this? Nope. Non-profit = cheap as possible. I ordered $18 business cards, on sale, from Vistaprint (I sprung for their new, premium glossy cardstock option) and with rush shipping (another $10), my grand total was $28 for the cards. I went to my new FAVORITE local printer who was willing to drill the holes in the edges with a standard punch for me — how nice is that?! If you happen to need printing and you live near Bartlesville, go see Shawn Roberts…fantastic printer, quality and pricing.
What I Designed Today: Theater Bartlesville’s The Trip to Bountiful – Billboard Design Progression
I thought you might like to see the progression of this particular billboard. The artistic director, Joe Sears, of Greater Tuna fame (Aunt Pearl? Tony nominee? Ring any bells?), created the yellow background and silhouette with watercolors on vellum and I scanned the artwork in and adjusted everything for print. It’s been 20 years since I designed a billboard. That makes me sound really, really old but the first time I did one, I was only 22. You do the math. I’m not a dinosaur…yet. Billboard design can be tricky but it’s nice to know the technology has improved enough to where an accurate color proof is available on the same vinyl they use to put up on the actual billboard. It was only $35 extra for the proof, and yellow can also be tricky, so I figured it was worth it. If all went well, we’d have an extra 2.5 x 4′ banner for the front window of the theater. The yellow turned out fine so it was a win, win!
In other news, I’ve been elected Marketing Director for the local community theater: Theater Bartlesville. It’s going to be a fun way for me to make more local connections in the printing and publishing industry, as well as the arts. It’s a great board this year so I’ve already met some fantastic, intelligent, kind people. This won’t kill me for a year term, right?!
What I Designed Today: Climbing Logo
Here’s what I did today: which would you choose?