One of the most fun parts of my job is that I get to create hand-painted signs using chalk, paint, and other traditional materials. I think that classic look A-FRAME signs are on of my favorite things to make.
They are a fun, quick(ish), easy(ish) way to let customers know about events and activities. This A-Frame was created to celebrate our anniversary party.
Come celebrate with us!
The A-Frames we use measure 2 x 3 feet. They are sturdy, durable, and reusable. I generally use mostly white chalk and white chalk pens to do the lettering and, depending on the board, add additional colors to highlight aspects of the design.
I am someone who always seems to be creating and working on one project or another; I always try to keep busy and improve upon my skills. I thought it would be fun to challenge myself and try to design something new. I’ve been working on new greeting card and print ideas lately, but I thought it would be nice to get a change of pace. As I have moved recently, I thought it was time for me to update my resume in a creative way. I had two conditions to meet as part of my challenge:
1: To showcase my design skills along with my employment history in one document? I already have a “standard” resume with all the information needed, How hard could it be?
2: Could I create this project using more than one software, perhaps one that I feel I should use more frequently?
The results:
This is what I came up with: an cool updated resume!
I created this project using Adobe Photoshop, Indesign, and Illustrator. The assorted clip art is sourced from vintage royalty-free printed materials. I’ve blurred out some personal information, but you can see that (even without that information) the piece is clear, concise, and informative. I job well done, if I do say so myself!
This Christmas I decided to make most of the gifts I gave to my family and friends. I have tried this a few years ago, but I ended up getting too caught up with work and traveling to make that possible. This year, however, I was successful in making a number of gifts for people. For my brother I made a T-Shirt Quilt of many of his old shirts from when he was young.
My sister’s gifts were a little more complicated. She will soon be living on her own after college, and I thought it would be nice to give her an apron and recipe box to take with her to her new apartment. I love cooking (and making art!) and I thought this could be a fun addition to her kitchen, especially since she isn’t the most seasoned chef. I have a very good friend who is a wonderful chef, and I decided to make her a recipe box as well. The first recipe box fit cards that measured 6.25 x 4 inches, and the second box’s cards were 7 x 3 inches.
The recipe box made for my younger sister
The box is a wooden box from an antique store in my hometown. The word “Recipe” was hand painted on each box by yours truly! The cards were designed digitally and printed on cardstock. When I print more cards, I will likely make the cards double sided and print them on a heavy-weight cardstock. These are nice, but double sided would be better and easier for writing long recipes.
The recipe box I made for my best friend
This second box was for my good friend. The boxes were not the same shape or size (this one was wider, but not as tall as the other one) so I had to design two sets of cards and two sets of dividers. The overall designs are similar, but the layout of the cards are different.
The box is ready to be used! I included some of my favorite recipes in the box to help get her started.
The dividers are for general types of foods: appetizers, salads and soups, main course, desserts, etc. I also included some blank dividers to leave room for other interests. The recipe cards themselves have assorted designs, but they can be separated in to the different food types, ie: all the chevron-patterned cards could be for salads, whereas the design with fruits and jam jars could be for desserts.
All wrapped up and ready to be gifted!
Each box came with 20 recipe cards and 8 dividers. Keep your eyes open for these for sale in my Etsy Shop! I am still sourcing antique/vintage boxes to make in to new recipe boxes.
Well, I’m not actually breaking records, I’m painting on them… As you all know, I love typography and I have an interest in traditional sign painting.
A close up.
This is my newest project: An ornate hand-painted capital “A” on an old record. I painted this last night using acrylic inks on a record that was primed with a matte black spray-paint (the paints don’t adhere well to the vinyl alone). I love it when bright colors come together well on a black background, and I feel I pulled it off here. I can see myself making many, many more of these…
Nothing says summer like a trip to the fair or, if you’re near the beach, visiting the pier. I especially like taking a ride on the Ferris Wheel. Living in Los Angeles, I like visiting Santa Monica to see the pier; taking a shot at the arcades, riding the roller coaster, then taking a spin on the Ferris Wheel, looking out onto the beach. As fun as the other rides are, the Ferris Wheel is my favorite; you get a great view of the ocean and the city.
The photograph on this card was taken on a recent visit to the pier, and I think it makes a splendid card. The colors are fantastic.
Wow, it seems as though it’s been forever since I last posted. Here is what I’ve been working on most recently. I had a lot of fun making these and I expect to be making many more soon!
Fun with typography and movie quotes. Can you guess which movie each quote is from?
Page Redford 