What I've been working on...

Hello friends! I haven't been here for awhile and I was feeling a twinge guilty and a lot nostalgic!

So, I'm back! One week before I start my new job in marketing and five days until I see Kate Clements (soon to be Sloan!)!!!

I've been interviewing and getting ready for transition at work, but more importantly (and more AWESOMELY) I've been working on Kate's wedding collateral!

Here's a sneak peek at her colors, and I promise to post more of what I've been working on after approval from the bride.


We've been inspired by the talented Anna Bond and by WPA poster art, so look forward to the outcome!

Goodnight all!

- Posted on the go using BlogPress from my iPad

Bake Me Happy!

These are the initial sketches for a new Columbus Gluten-free Bakery called, "Bake Me Happy"

Wendy, the proprietor, liked the last one on the right but wanted to make tweaks, so here is the second round (just finished moments ago!).

I hope she's happy with one of them. I like the simplicity of the top option, but we'll see what she thinks!

Now, I'm off to work on my cousin's tattoo!

Well, well, well - look who it is...

I'm back!

I want to share a little of what I've been working on lately, so here goes:

This is a sampling of the logos I conjured up for my friend Linda. She needs a new resume and portfolio and liked that mine "have the same theme across all of them" - so I told her that it's because I branded myself and I could brand her too, so I did!

We bought Silver Thread (J.Crew's most recent featured font) and ended up with this look:

I'm pretty pleased with it over all!

Tomorrow (or later tonight) I'll post my "Bake Me Happy" logo sketches!

See you soon, bloggers!

So, I know I keep saying this, but...

I promise a good, picture-y post soon. I'm illegally (not really) writing this from my desk at work in full anticipation of leaving here and heading here:



So, hopefully I'll have even MORE photos and short stories upon my return.

Happy Labor Day!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Easton Square Pl,Columbus,United States

New Post Coming Soon

I PROMISE!

I've been crazy busy - back and forth from Michigan - lots of freelance work - lots of full-time work - et cetera, et cetera.

Anyway - pictures galore SOON ENOUGH!

Here's a sneak peak:

the view from the cabin

brittnay & i feed each other amazing s'mores

jeepin with the girls

The resurrection of a hipster.

LOOK WHAT CAME IN THE MAIL TODAY, HOLMES!!!

BOOM!

POW!

WHIZ!

BANG!

SO EXCITED!!!

My darlingest darling friend Kate sent me a NEW pair of my destroyed sunglasses! Look at my excitement in the photo above!

She sent them in a brown sugar box with a handmade card featuring a sweet message (*you fucking hipster) and a drawing of the glasses on cardstock of a similar color! Totally BRILL!

 SOOOOOOOOO - These came at a PERFECT time. Work this week has not been great, 3 days, 35 hours logged so far. I've been worried about Kelle and her dad, my Jeep was in the shop over the weekend, and one of the biggest influences in Columbus's independent radio scene and a local hero in my mind, Andyman, passed away this week. That has been surprisingly hard. I cry in the car everyday on my way home from work because the whole community is missing him and the DJs at CD101 talk about him all the time and tell great stories. I can't help but wonder, who will keep independent radio alive as well as he did? Who will be as invested in his community as he was in his job and his family like Andy was? As I know all too well, no one will ever fill his shoes – and no one should try, but we can keep his memory and his goals alive.

Anyway, because I've been feeling a little down (but not too far down – I generally have a peppy outlook), these glasses were an even bigger hit for me than they would have been if I'd gotten home at 6 after an awesome day at work driving home with the top off on my newly repaired Jeep. Instead, they have jumpstarted me into a GREAT mindset to head off to my home, well, ONE of my homes (my cabin) this weekend.

I'll be relaxin to the maxin with my NEW AWESOME SUNGLASSES!!!

I told my mom yesterday that I was so excited about going on vacation that I want to pack 6 pairs of sunglasses (I love sunglasses). We'll see how many actually get packed. I'll take a picture and post it later.

I'll also take LOADS of pictures of M!CH!GAN! and post them as well. I hope I get good ones.

PS - I'm taking these up for a raffle at my family reunion:

Mini foods made of Sculpy. Sorry for all the bad incandescent lighting in all of these photos!

See you in a few weeks, friends!

What I'm working on...

Hello all,

So I know it's been some time since I posted anything of substance, so here is... something.

These are just sketches done on my iPad, inspired by doodles created whilst on a conference call at work, but I hope that they will be the beginning of a line of characters I like to call, "Paisley Pets" (a working title). So, here they are:

I'm thinking they can become pretty prints, and they can go on kids' clothes and on totes for folks of all ages. They are obviously just sketches at this point, but I'm excited about what they can become!

I'm also working on some Drummond Island themed designs because it is where my heart resides 80% of the time (probably because I have no significant other – if anyone knows any single AMAZING men, I'm just saying, I could work on THAT too!).

Here's a little peak:

I'll be there in a few weeks, and I plan to post a BUNCH of photos. I want to give my new camera a good workout!

On a serious end note, I received word today that a very good friend's father is not in great health, so anyone who prays (or anything of the like), if you'd just think of her and her father (anonymously, since I'm not naming names!), I'm sure we'd all appreciate it.

Thank you, and GOOD NIGHT!

It is with sadness that I announce

The demise of my favorite sunglasses:



A cheap pair of Faux Bans from Target... I guess that's why you buy the REAL Ray Bans... But at $145 who can do it?!?

I might just have to see if:
a) Target has any more
b) Lenscrafters has the Ray Ban version
AND
c) if my insurance would subsidize their cost... PSYCH!

I love that color. I love those frames. They were rescued once from the Gulf floor and once from the Gap fitting room. They drew the attention of car horns and made perfectly early 90's looking sunglass-mirrors for fluffing my hair after a particularly windy Jeep ride.

They are already missed, however, I can't yet throw them out. Maybe I'll make clever art out of them...

And with that, goodnight (says the girl in plain, black, 6 year old Covergirl frames from her perch in bed with a tear in her eye)!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

I'm just saying...

EVERYONE hates comic sans:

Cavs owner's letter mocked for Comic Sans font

I promise to make a good post soon. I'm working like a dog over here, but there might be time for fun creativity TOMORROW!

"Comic Sans is more feminine than Arial"

So, this might be WAY graphic design insider specific, but today, these words were uttered at a walkthrough (at work - I work in retail as a graphic designer at home office),
"I'm just saying, this font is kind of masculine – I mean don't you think that Comic Sans is more feminine than Arial?"

WHAT? Who uses COMIC SANS?!?

I just couldn't believe it.

When our VP of Marketing looked at her and said, "You want me to use Comic Sans?", you could hear a pin drop. You could also hear me laugh one "HA!" out loud - I couldn't keep it in! I love that he stood there and put her on blast.

PS - we design with Helvetica Neue. It's a workhorse and it's beautiful. I know some people hate it, but it makes everything look finished without a lot of work (leading, kerning, etc). WE DO NOT DESIGN WITH ARIAL.

Smodcast Live!

Last night I saw Smodcast Live with Kevin Smith & Scott Mosier. I really want to blog this for only 2 reasons.

1. It was hilarious. You should download the podcast.

2. I love this picture, taken with Hipstamatic on my phone:



Now, I'm on my way to Florida to see my beautiful Kate! Tchus!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:International Gateway,Columbus,United States

Still alive

Hello!

I've been working like a mad woman and traveling to the likes of Kenosha, Wisconsin (to visit kelle dame). So, I haven't been updating - but I HAVE been scouting locations (for a possible future store), meeting random people, playing with Bailey and garage sale-ing around this weekend. Kelle and I met a man who is selling our dream house (for the future store):

 Please don't call the realtor unless you are buying this house for us. We already cut some woman in Ray Bans talking about how it's super cheap because "I guess we're not in Chicago!" CUT.

Just kidding - no bloodshed, but don't tempt me please.

We did buy some cool books from him, one of which was this:

Over which Kelle screamed "IT'S MADELINE!!!" causing the man to know that she was leaving his property WITH the book. We also bought a rosemary bush and a large glass jug (for home brewing) and after I told Kelle that if her father-in-law starts making hard cider, he'd better call me, the homeowner gave us some of his homemade hard cider (yet to be consumed). I can't wait to live in his house. ;)

Anyway - we also met a cool chick at the farmer's market this morning, from whom we bought these:

Visit her etsy shop or her blog to see more. She was really cool and it seems as though she is traveling from Porland (my beloved Portland), Oregon selling her wares, so if you see her in your neighborhood, say hi!

Okay, this is it. Visit Kelle's blog and etsy shop - we're working hard at them so that we can become a brick & mortar enterprise!

PS - sorry for the crap photos - my camera is in Ohio - my iPhone (3G still for a week or so) is having to suffice!

With love from Kenosha,
Jess

LOOK WHAT I BOUGHT!

So, after years (Years? Years.) of looking for a throw pillow for my bed, a little email from etsy led me to THIS:

This is so brill because it matches my 2 favorite duvets AND I love The Birds (and really, anything Hitchcocky).

I'm in love.

Click here for the shop where you can find some more amazing pillows, like this one:

Of which, I'd buy 2. One for Kelle
and one for Kate.

Beautiful - I cannot WAIT for this mail to arrive.

And let's not even START talking about this:

BOOM.

What I've been working on - outside of work!

So, I've been working on branding Kelle in my spare time - it has been fun, not only because she's one of my oldest friends, but because she let me have free reign and do whatever I wanted for her brand. Normally, with a client I don't know, this would be nightmare–making; however, with Kelle, it allowed me to stretch out my designer skills in a way that I haven't since college. I was able to explore and push and bring it back in and I ended up with several options that we both love.

Here are Kelle's favorites:

And here is a gallery of other calling card options: Kelle's cards

If anyone else wants me to stretch my wings for them, let me know!!!

Have a great day!

Check out my friend:

Thom Glick

Click to Thom's blog featuring illustrations & his most recent post about FLOR using his illustrations on this flooring:

He's kind of amazing... so please check him out!

I want this in real life.

I was looking at my old phone the other day:

And I was inspired – I want to make this happen:

Let's do it!

Grateful for Jeans, BUT...

So, awhile back, the CEO of Charming Shoppes Inc. (Lane Bryant's corporate parent) made it acceptable to wear jeans everyday and everyone's morale shot through the roof.

I think the next morale booster will be instating "Mad Men" style drinking at our desks.

I'm drinking my scotch out of this:

Lane Bryant – Mall of America

Hello friends!

I just wanted to share some photos of the marketing and interior elements that I designed (and worked with vendors to create!) for Lane Bryant's new prototype store at Mall of America.

I'll post some here and for the rest, you can link to my mobile me gallery.

Enjoy!

Here is the window as you come off the escalator/elevator. The glowing logo is a part of the wall, so we had to be creative with what to do to draw attention and make this window cohesive with the rest of the marketing (a fresh–picked spring/summer theme) – so, I added butterflies colored with an array of our signature floral prints for the season.

The window walls below have large vinyl decals with 3–D flowers popping out to add a layer of interest.

The front entrance is simple – I brought the flowers from the window into the interior above the shelves throughout the space.

We also brought the butterflies from the first window into the space and sprinkled them throughout.

Here are more shots of flowers – the center of the store needed something big – so, I made a big statement with this oversized vase of flowers.

 

To call out the different styles of jeans, I added vinyl lettering to the tops of the pant forms around the center table.

The color story in the linen room is black, white and orange, so we kept the same floral/butterfly idea, but had the flowers converted to grey scale and the butterflies became 100% orange.

Throughout the store there are little alcoves with glass shelves, so we created a backdrop to sit behind the glass shelves and tie the space together.

Utilizing the alcoves that flank the Cacique department, we used them to make our "Summer Solutions" statement – clean and straightforward.

As I said before, there are more images, but this is a pretty good overview. However, click here to see the gallery if you just can't get enough.

Thanks for looking!