StudioM | Featured Designer on INKD

I popped onto inkd.com this afternoon to see what was new and exciting...and apparently it's me! How funny - of all the design they've featured my work on their home page for the time being. Thanks, INKD! I love you, too. (If you haven't checked them out yet, you really should. You can find out more here.)

Send yourself to time out.

When you’re a kid, the worst 4 words in the world are ‘Go to time out!’ Maybe the 5th worst word is ‘NOW.’ Once you grow up and take on the burden of everlasting busyness, all you want is someone to say that to you.

That’s exactly what Time Out Massage can help you with.
The massage theapist and owner, Denise Mastenbrook, was a co-worker of mine before shifting career goals. When she made the annoucement, I was truly devistated to loose her as a work friend, but secretly (or not so secretly) thrilled that I just might get to be one of the people she could practice on. Sign me up! And that she did. I was a loyal ‘homework helper’ while Denise was going through the massage therapy program and now I am a loyal client. What I love is that she is one of my loyal clients, too!



When she started up her official massage therapy business, I got to help with the branding and other printed pieces. Now, Denise has also entered blogland (as well as facebook, but that’s old news). We got her blog up and running a couple of weeks ago and now it’s ready for you! Subscribe or follow and stay up-to-date on massage specials, health and welness advice and other super valuable information about you + your body.

Denise is seriously one of the smartest people I know. Trust me, you want to glean as much as you can from her big brains via her blog. Or, even better, go see her in person. Go to Time Out. Now.

Contact Info:

Denise Mastenbrook

503-522-9701

timeoutmassage@yahoo.com

What she offers:
+ Swedish

+ Deep Tissue

+ Cranial Sacral

+ Trigger Point

+ Chair Massage

Ahhhhh....

Quote | Shaker Lesson

Who Let The Girls Out!? 2009

Newport, Washington is a quaint little town of 2,015 on the border between Washington and Idaho just west of the Pend Oreille River. It was a river port town that started booming in the late 1800s with public docks, a ferry, a general store, a post office, a dry goods store, a hotel and several saloons.*

These days, Newport boasts some of those same things plus seven very special shops that have joined together to create a superb shopping experience (see below passport for full list of shops)...Who Let The Girls Out!? premiered in September of 2007. The second annual event was hosted this past weekend.

Since I’ve helped with the event marketing both years (and have been working closely with Shanty) but couldn’t make it last year, I decided there was no way I was going to miss out on the fun this time around. So we packed up and headed out to Newport bright and early Saturday morning with our cameras and credit cards close at hand. (Wink, wink.)

What we found was just charming. Each shop was open and bustling with ladies chatting about the latest fashion trends, cooking gadgets and gardening tips. There was coffee, champagne, cookies, cinnamon rolls, cucumber water and oh my goodness. It was all cute, cute, cute.

These ladies are redefining Newport. Cheers to all of you with entrepreneural spirits, good taste and drive to work hard at what you love. (And what we all love, too: shopping!) I’m sure the 19th century Newport business owners would be proud. I think they might just say, “Who in the world let these girls out!?”

If you squint can’t you imagine what it might have looked like in the 1800s?!

The ladies are staying busy and we’ll have more to show for it very, very soon. Stay tuned....

*Historical info from www.newportoldtownchamber.org

The Mission: Eliminate bad hair days.

Perfect Look is one of my clients. I've been working with them for almost exactly three years. Each month they have a special promotion that is advertised in-store. But, just because I'm an advocate of frequent haircuts and purchases of hair product, I'm bringing the promotion straight to you:

These are a few designs I worked up to make the offer stand out on the shelves in the shops.

I've also been working on a web redesign, but it's all still top secret. I'll certainly spread the word once it's complete. Meanwhile, you can go to the current Perfect Look website to find the location nearest you, print off coupons and complete the mission to eliminate bad hair days.

Baby Showers & Business

In October of 2007 a few of my girlfriends and I took a road trip to Spokane, WA for our college roommate's baby shower. There were all the usual things there: adorable cupcakes (yum!), blind-folded baby food taste-testing games (yuck!) and lots of gifts (yay!). Of course, one of those gifts was from me. At some point in the afternoon I heard someone ask, "Who wrapped this gift!?" and overhead one of my girlfriends say my name. The woman asking was Maggie Christie. She immediately approached me and questioned, "What do you do?". Once I answered, "I'm a designer...", she exclaimed, "I need you!"

Maggie was working on a new business venture: a small boutique in Newport, Washington. Long story short, she's more than pulled it off. Almost two years later she's the owner of an adorable shop called Shanty filled with goodies for your home + closet. Plus a cafe. Who could ask for more?

And what designer could ask for a more perfect client? Seriously. I love Shanty. And I really love Maggie. (No surprise there: I've raved before...) We've created some really fun stuff together:

1. The logo

2. The business cards and tags

(And gift cards and coffee cards!)

3. Promotional postcards

4. Advertisements

And last, but not least, the real reason for this entire post....to announce:

6. A newly-designed web page!

7. And a newly-designed blog!

Delve in and enjoy. There will certainly be more to come. 

The moral of the story: Baby showers can be good for business. Who knew!?

Adobe Workshop

Today I attended an event at the Portland Art Museum hosted by Adobe and Bridgetown Printing. And it was fabulous! An Adobe expert came in and showed us the ins & outs of the new Adobe Creative Suite (CS4). Now, I haven't been able to cough up the funds needed to purchase my own upgrade, but I certainly can't wait until I can! Wow. There is a lot to admire coming from Adobe right now. Like spring-loaded keyboard shortcuts. Screen sharing. Separations Preview. Sensitive scaling. Multiple art boards in Illustrator. The list goes on and on. And on. When asked how they've acquired all of these wonderful attributes, the Adobe representative responded, 'Pixel dust.' It really is magic.

Thanks for coming up with the perfect equation for a Wednesday morning workshop, Adobe and Bridgetown. It's much appreciated.

Psssst....if you happen to have printing needs, I highly recommend Bridgetown. And I'm partial to my rep, of course. Let me know if you need a referral and I'll happily share his contact information with you.

A Jewish Calendar of Festive Foods | Sneak Peek

Since December of 2008, I've been working with the author of this unique cookbook, Jane Portnoy, to create a professional and practical book design. But the beginnings of this book came long before I entered the picture. Jane is Assistant Professor of Clinical Ophthamology at the University of Pennsylvania. Which probably makes you think, "Sheesh. How in the world does she have time to write and publish a book?" Great question. I still haven't figured that one out! What I do know is that this project is a lifelong dream of hers. One tends to make time for those sorts of things.

Here's an excerpt from the introduction:

"I began collecting recipes from my mother’s friends when I was about twelve. At first, I collected only desserts. Then, whenever I encountered a special dish, I asked for the recipe. Recipes therefore became much more than food, but also links to special people, places, and memories. And that to me is the real meaning of tradition — taking the best of what you know and linking it to the future. To do this in the context of the Jewish calendar is a rare and special privilege. " (Copy courtesy of Jane Portnoy)

So there you have it. A Jewish Calendar of Festive Foods is an intelligent combination of the traditional foods and calendar of the rich Jewish heritage. Jane and her husband, Marshall, have done a fabulous job articulating all of the details of the lunar calendar.

Jane commissioned an illustrator who had caught her eye, Robin Reikes, to work on custom images for each holiday. Here are partials from a couple of my personal favorites:

(Images courtesy of Robin Reikes.)

Contact her at kindheartedwoman@me.com with illustration inquiries.

Jane and I have spent hours and hours researching self-publishing, working on design and making sure the book will really work for those who will use it. We still have a lot of work to do, but we're getting close, so I couldn't help but share this little sneak peek. I myself can't wait to see the finished product. And, of course....try my hand at Matzah Balls, Jewish Apple Cake, Schnecken, Sweet & Sour Cabbage Rolls,  Mandelbrot....you get the idea.

Get your kitchen ready and stay tuned.

Amanda's Wedding Shoppe - Now on theknot.com

Check out her pretty page here:

Amanda's Wedding Shoppe