Hmph. I know that title should be italicized but I can’t find in my Wordpress where it will allow you make it italic (there’s no place for HTML encoding or formatting of any kind). Oh well. Please forgive me, dear readers who might possibly care (cough, cough). I know I’m the only one who probably cares about such things considering I is (sic) an English major and all.

So I’ve decided to go back through some old work and post it on here so this blog can include more of the graphic design I’ve done over the years. Someday I’ll get that professional site up, but blogging is way more fun. Here’s a cover I did a year or two ago for Jack Weyland’s book entitled Cameron Meets Madison. The publisher had strict instructions to make it similar to his other bestselling works but I wanted it to look a bit fresher and I think it hits the mark. I have not read it — yet — but if you have, let me know your thoughts either here or on goodreads.

I haven’t worked on a book cover for a little while and I’m really enjoying working again. Good thing since I’ve been burned out for nearly a decade. Just kidding - it just has felt like that with four kids and fourteen years. Since my kids are aged 4 to 14 I guess I did have one full decade there, didn’t I?! Well, back to some creative endeavors. This book cover has only been in the works for almost a year… I finally read the book and it’s a fantastic, quick read.

Two more book covers to get done and then it’s VACATION time!!! I’m not loving any of these but here’s what I’m working on today.

Photojojo’s post today is about good business card ideas. I like some of these but I’m not convinced they’re the best I’ve ever seen. Anybody I’ve ever designed business cards for has always been extremely budget conscious - and these days business cards can be had very inexpensively. Custom die cuts and sewing each of 1,000 cards just doesn’t seem worth it to me! I do love seeing other business card ideas, though. The downside is that it always makes me want to redo mine…

I’d never heard of Egg Press before but so glad I ran across them! Cute cards. They also offer this adorable monkey. Check them out here.

Yeah for SPRING! Here goes wishful thinking since it’s still cold and January here in Omaha. I’m anxious for spring - mostly because then I know we will HAVE to be well on our way to Texas. Geesh. This waiting in winter thing is more difficult than I expected - patience schmatience. Very difficult stuff to be in limbo. I’m going to appease my worries with a little spring-like eye candy. The website for the above pics is here and the site includes a blog, craft school and boutique - some of it is still in the works but I’ve seen the magazine. It’s fabulous.

Love the Human Fund card (yes, we’re Seinfeld rerun fans).  Some of the designs are fabulous.  Some of the designs are really not my taste. There’s a huge variety at Cafe Press - and it’s because this site allows you to sell your own cards, calendars and other items and prints on demand - fabulous.  It’s like nouveau Ebay or Etsy but for print!  Me likey!  Check the selection out here and click here if you’re interested in selling designs.  I especially enjoyed browsing the political bumper stickers - wow - eye openers!

Photos attributed to: Big Stock Photo (see right hand column for links and info).

I designed both of these mockups for a client recently. We were feeling green. So — which cover do you think my client chose? The one with the girl or the one with the leaf? Vote for your favorite by leaving a comment and then we’ll compare those results with the one my client actually chose! Could be interesting…

Just received my latest issue and it’s always a lovely surprise in my email. I have been subscribing to Before & After for a very long time. It’s cheap ($24/yr for the online version) and short (easily read!) and is usually stuff I already know but presented in such a way that it gets the creative juices flowing again. This mag would be perfect for any kind of designer: print, web, scrapbook, fabric, you name it! You can check out the mag here and the design blog here. Bonus - the blog is holding a design contest for a boring book! Check it out. It’s all about the ideas, baby…

Field trip to Barnes & Noble last night. Always dangerous, pocketbook-wise. The kids each got to choose a book and I walked out with two issues of a British pub: Photoshop Creative. Very nice! At $15 each, not cheap but great content. I was looking for ideas for a catalog cover on my plate this week. I don’t scrap but, oddly enough, found some of the best cover from the latest issue of Digital Scrapbooking magazine. Who knew? Fun stuff!