Neighborhood Group Newsletter Redesign

This fall I had the opportunity to work with the Field, Regina, Northrup Neighborhood Group to redesign their bi-monthly newsletter, "Close to Home." It was great working with Chris, the group's Communication Committee Chair, especially because he found a new printer that allowed us to redesign in full color at a low price!

First, I reworked the group's logo so that it was easier to read and was a better shape for multiple uses (print, large yard signs, website, etc.):

With the logo refreshed, it was time to tackle the 12-page newsletter. Here's the BEFORE:

Using the FRNNG's signature green, some highlight colors chosen by Chris, and full color photos I was able to give the new design an updated look. The "Close to Home" title remained mostly unchanged in order to maintain consistency for readers, and the neighborhood art was recycled on the back mailing panel to honor the tradition of the publication.  Below is the AFTER:

Because the group doesn't always have many photos to work with, color and interest were added by using blocks of color to call attention to particular stories.  Fonts and headlines were also updated and better organized to help readers navigate the large newsletter.  In addition, the mailing panel was refined with the back panel being used to advertise specific stories inside the issue.

I loved working on this project not only because I love a good "before and after" but also because it allowed me to work creatively with a collaborative client.

Water Bottle Labels

For the past few years I have been working with Harford Glen Water, a water bottling company in Ithaca, NY.  Their local artisan water is drawn from a state-of-the-art aquifer 250 feet below the Finger Lakes region, is bottled at the source, and specialized with personalized bottle labels.  That's where I come in.  I always enjoy working with Harford Glen because of the variety of clients they serve.  I've designed labels for ice cream shops, hockey teams, hardware stores, and more.

Theater Posters

I'm back!  The fact that I haven't posted in over two years is quite embarrassing. However having two jobs, taking classes, and then completing a full-time internship tend to keep one quite busy. OK, enough with the excuses!  The good news is that I have quite a few projects to share.

Over the past year or so I have worked with my friend Lee (an inspiring educator and theater director) to create posters for Armstrong High School theater productions. I look forward to hearing how the final posters are received by the student performers—one time they were such a hit that they began disappearing off the walls of the school (students were taking them home as souvenirs)!

Destination: Florence, Italy

With eight family and friend weddings this summer I was bound to be asked to do at least one invitation design. And here it is! Alyssa and Dan met on a study abroad trip to Florence, Italy, so it was only appropriate that their big day have some Italian flair.

 

The invitation typography mimics a ticket or boarding pass with a romantic edge while the customized "Alyssa and Dan" passport stamp and fleur de lis drive home the Florence theme.

Thank You Reader

So, I have at least one reader (or someone who stumbled across my site) out there that I don't personally know! I got a message from someone wanting more info about the Toy Story baby shower! Here are the additional photos that I promised.  They aren't great because the room was uber-sunny, but it's what I have to remember the day by.

 

The shower was a success and both mommy- and daddy-to-be had a great time!  I still find myself looking for Toy Story stuff while shopping and have to remind myself to move on.

It's a Boy!

Today I am co-hosting a baby shower for my friend, Megan.  It's a co-ed party, and because the daddy-to-be is a HUGE fan of Pixar we went with a Toy Story theme.

The invites were fun to make because I love Toy story too.  I also happen to like doing digital illustrations, and Baby Buzz turned out pretty cute, if I do say so myself!  I will post photos from the event later so that you can see the diaper cake, favors, and decor that match.

Happy Birthday Dad

This is the invitation that I designed for Dad's last birthday (the BIG 5-0). It was fun to take my mom to Paper Depot to pick out paper, and isn't the picture of little Kenny so cute?

 

Happy Birthday Dad, love you!

Read more about how to do your own invites here.

Auggiesaurus

In 2007, I was asked to design a dinosaur for the Diggin' Dinos Citywide Summer Celebration to Honor 100 Years of the Science Museum of Minnesota. My dino was sponsored by Augsburg and lived in Murphy Square located in the center of campus for the summer. Murphy Square, the oldest park in Minneapolis, was also turning 100 that year, and the park and surrounding community became my theme. You can read more about the Auggiesaurus here.

 

 

Creating this dino was the most unique experience I have ever had! It was also a TON of work.  I even made a small model of the dino where I drew out where everything would go before I went to the "paint-off" at the River Center in St. Paul. I spent a few days working on him, and it was rewarding to work side by side with other local artists and their dinos. We all started from the same mold, but it was surprising to see how different they all looked in the end.

That fall, Auggiesaurus was auctioned off with the other dinos and taken away from Augsburg and Murphy Square.  A year or two later my dad saw a green dino on the banks of the Mississippi during a kayaking trip near our home. He couldn't quite tell if it was Auggiesaurus, but I like to believe he has a new home overlooking the great Mississippi.

Studio Art Portfolio

I've been digging back into my old art projects recently, and it has been fun to see what I was busy with a few years ago. It also makes me a bit sad that I don't have time to do this type of work now. After an eight hour day trying to be creative on the computer, I just don't have the brain power to paint a watercolor. Hopefully after I finish my psychology classes I will be able to use some of my free time to get back at it!

A piece of work, like a good song, can bring back some great memories:

 

Eggs was one of my first projects for a drawing class freshman year of college. I was encouraged to enter the piece in the Student Juried Art Show and it got in. It was so exciting to get recognition as a freshman. This piece now hangs in my mom's sewing room, and every time I see it I chuckle because it's just a drawing of eggs.

 

This is another favorite. This was my last drawing for a life drawing class I took the summer after my sophomore year.  I felt like this was the first time I really "got" how to draw a face.  Of course, I don't think I could do one now since I am so out of practice, but it feels good to know that I was capable of this. I call this guy Captain because he reminds me of Captain Hook, and he might just have a hook for his right hand—you never know!

Addicted to Instagram

 

I love instagram... and it's a free iphone app! It doesn't get much better than that. Here are some photos I took on our recent trip to Vegas.

Recollections—Alumni Juried Exhibition

A new show in both campus galleries features the artwork of Auggie alumni. The collection is a great mix of style, medium, texture, and subject.

 

The postcard announcing the juried show was a recent project of mine. Usually designing a postcard with multiple images (that typically don't work well together) is a huge challenge. The art for this show varies in color and style which can make the design process even more of a struggle. However, using small thumbnails of the many images and choosing a highlight color that can be found in many of the thumbs worked well. Even better, each artist in the show has at least one image featured on the postcard and the final product gives the viewer an idea of what to look forward to when visiting the exhibition.

Stop by if you get a chance. The show is open until late October. More information about the exhibition can be found here.

This is Making Me Smile Today

This cutie is posted on my Pinterest on the "Made My Day" board.

 

I am continuing to fall in love with Pinterest. I now have the app for my iPhone so I can browse updated boards on my way to work (Don't worry, I don't drive and Pinterest—I ride public transportation). And I am finding more and more great boards to follow. It's amazing how many laugh-out-loud funny, insanely creative things you can find on the internet.

Featured in the Now

The cover story of the new issue of the Augsburg Now tells the stories of seven Auggies—some international students and other students who studied abroad—all who have global connections. Auggies are truly everywhere!

I designed the layout for the story and am so pleased with how it turned out. The first spread, a full-page map highlighting the students in the story, is my favorite.

 

 

This was such a dynamic layout to work on. It's always exciting to have a design idea/look in your head and be able to realize it on the page.

The Finished Quilt

It's done! And the wedding is today, so it's also safe to post photos...

Wrapped up and ready to present as a gift. Doesn't even require wrapping.

 

This was such a fun project. It is a little bit hard to let this one go, but I know Erin and Nelson will take very good care her!

Again, I know I'm no photographer, so the real thing is stunning (if I do say so myself :) while the photos are just OK. Can't wait to see the reaction from the newlyweds and to boogie the night away at their big party!

Watch Those Auggies SOAR!

Today is the first day of SOAR (summer orientation for first year students) on campus. It's nice to see some energy back on campus and the orientation leaders certainly have no lack of enthusiasm for the start of a new year and a new class of Auggies!

Here's some fun collateral we did for SOAR (those water bottles will come in handy this week!):

 

The wonderful thing about working on a college campus is that in mid-spring when we feel tired and in need of some peace and quiet, the students leave for summer break. By August, however, it's nice to see some young Auggie faces again.

Welcome Class of 2015 Auggies!

Another T-shirt Design

This one is a bit of an old project, but I was waiting for the event to pass before posting and instead forgot all about it. This spring, I designed a t-shirt for the Big Lake High School Grad Party.

 

 

I presented two designs on the theme "Round 'em up, Move 'em out" and the sheriff's badge was the one the committee chose. I haven't had the chance to see a final t-shirt because I didn't coordinate the printing, but I hope to see one walking around Big Lake soon.

Pinterest Anyone?

I just recently got started with Pinterest, and I love it. It's such an easy way to organize your inspiration. Before I was always seeing things on the internet (paintings, decor ideas, recipes, etc.) and then forgetting where I saw them when I was finally ready for a new project. With Pinterest, you just "pin" these pieces of inspiration to your "boards"—and you can have multiple ones!

I don't have full boards yet as I don't get a lot of time to surf the web. I don't expect anyone to really want to follow me for that reason, but for now it is a great tool for me to use. And I do have a few projects that I hope to tackle soon:

 

Left to right:

Chocolate and Peanut Butter Filled Crescent Rolls from For the Love of Cooking

Star Quilt from Quilt It

iPad Cupcakes

Twin Cities Tandem Club

I'm ready to share a freelance project I have been working on lately. It's a bike jersey for the Twin Cities Tandem Club (TCTC)! I have done a few jerseys before using a semi-custom design option with ATAC bike, which really just involves gathering logos and figuring out where to put them. This full custom design for the tandem club was much more fun.

 

 

It was the club's idea to incorporate the "TC" logo of the MN Twins baseball team, and it was fun to give it a biking spin with handle bars and a bike tire.

Below is a photo from this year's MS150 ride (a 150 mile ride from Duluth to the Twin Cities to benefit the National Multiple Sclerosis Society) where you can see how nice even the semi-custom designed jerseys turned out. I can't wait to see the TCTC jerseys!

Wedding Thank You Notecards

The thank you notes I ordered as a shower gift for Erin just arrived! See her invites here.

It's fun to use a wedding invite design as a springboard for other wedding projects (thank yous, programs, table numbers, name plates, the list goes on...)

Quark Monster

Today I was working in Quark and using some keyboard shortcuts. I must have pushed the wrong combination (shift + option + command + K, if you want to meet the monster yourself). A small monster/robot appeared and marched across my screen. He then proceeded to attack my image box and delete it. Weirdest thing ever.