Recently, I had the fortunate opportunity to speak to a group of over 100 people at my Quality Contacts networking group at Riverworks in downtown Buffalo. I was invited to showcase my portfolio and, more importantly, talk about a topic I care deeply about: branding. One of the first things I shared with the group …
Business cards 101: design and printing tips
Recently, I’ve come across many entrepreneurs who are just starting out and need a business card. Some go with digital cards, but if you are printing cards and you’re doing it yourself, here are a few important considerations to keep in mind: 1. Correct color formatting Please make sure all of your files are in …
From HTML to Showit: My 25-Year Journey in Web Design
Many might not realize that I first started in the website world back in 1998. I designed many websites while working at a small agency in Chicago, including the site for The Alzheimer’s Association (they are headquartered in Chicago) as well as Experian’s first site (they used to be headquartered in Chicago before moving to …
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Why Starting with Moodboards is Essential for Your Branding Project
Kicking off your branding project with a mood board is an absolute game-changer. It saves a lot of time and drives the creative direction for a project. What is a mood board? The dictionary defines it as: “an arrangement of images, materials, pieces of text, etc. intended to evoke or project a particular style or …
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My latest win with Minted — in time for Grad season!
I am thrilled to announce my latest Editor’s pick with Minted. This card was hand lettered and illustrated in Procreate. I used Minted’s “create a concept” where the copy is provided for the artist. I found out this card also won a special prize in that category. This card works well for any gender and …
My latest win with Minted — in time for Grad season!Read More
Q1 wrapup: New infographics, branding and more
It’s hard for me to believe it’s the end of April. Q1 flew by and we are already a good month into Q2. I never got a chance to get my goals up online for the year, as I dove into 2024 headfirst with a slew of new projects. To recap what I’ve done so …
My latest pattern design for Shein
I submitted more patterns to SheinX late last year and this one was accepted. Getting to see your work on products never gets old! I never would have pictured this on a bikini but I think it works. Check it out on their site, it keeps selling out which is a great sign that others …
2023 End of the Year Recap
With the rush of Christmas behind us, I wanted to take a moment’s pause and recap on my successes of 2023 — and in the spirit of transparency — my failures. Or better called, learning opportunities! Success in my business I FINALLY started sending out a newsletter, I sent 17 newsletters in 2023. My goal …
The Power of Precision: Why Your Logo Design Should be Delivered in Vector Format
In the world of branding, a logo is the visual cornerstone of your business identity. It’s the emblem that encapsulates your values, tells your story, and distinguishes you from the competition. When embarking on the journey of logo design, one crucial decision can significantly impact the quality and versatility of your final product: starting in …
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My daisy pattern for Shein
It’s always so interesting to see what clients will put your artwork on. I never pictured this print on swimwear, but SheinX recently printed my art and printed it on this bikini. The photo has a blue tint to it but the original print is attached. I wish I could see it without the blue …
Getting out of my pattern design rut
Have you ever been stuck in a rut? You know, that feeling when your creative endeavors seem to be running in circles, stuck in a never-ending loop of the same old thing? I’ve been there too, and recently I realized I needed to step up my surface pattern designs. For a while, I found myself …
Betting on Yourself: Lessons from my son
I recently created this hand lettering piece because these words kept ringing in my head: “Bet on Yourself.” It’s the message my son heard in high school from the JUCO (Junior College) coach where he ended up playing baseball this past year. He played three sports in high school and enjoyed them all, but we …
My portfolio review with Brenda Manley
Have you invested in yourself? I finally decided to book a professional portfolio review with agent Brenda Manley, of Brenda Manley Designs. Even though I have a degree in illustration, I have spent the majority of my career working as a graphic designer. The past few years I’ve been specifically concentrating on surface pattern designs …
Featured on Sketch Design Repeat
I’m excited to share that I was selected as the Spotlight Surface Pattern Designer for the month of June on Shannon McNab’s Sketch Design Repeat blog. If you’re not familiar with Shannon, she is an American surface pattern designer living in Dublin, Ireland and has a wealth of experience in the field. She offers courses …
Some of my favorite podcasts
Are you a fan of podcasts? I am a huge listener of podcasts and try to squeeze in as many episodes as possible. I listen while walking my dogs, running errands, doing chores or even while working, particularly on something that doesn’t require tons of brain power. I know many surface pattern designers listen to …
My collaboration with Shein
For those who are not familiar, Shein is a fashion brand known for fast fashion — they turn over their inventory quickly depending upon the season. Shein caters to a trendy, younger demographic (I am NOT their target market) but thankfully, their art directors liked my work. I was able to make a connection with …
How do you plan?
I am participating in Joanne Hawker’s March Meet the Maker® on Instagram and the prompt for the day was planning. It got me thinking on how I plan my time. For years I tried many different planners: from online planners, traditional planners to a large wall planner. But no matter the planner, they key for …
Building Community
Working from home, and working for yourself, can largely be an isolating experience. Isolation became even more pronounced during the pandemic when our lives were forever altered. Even though I have been mostly working for myself for more than a decade, I can get in a rut. I felt that most acutely in January when …
My experience with Minted Design Challenges
I created both baby designs for Minted almost a year apart. In fact, I made over 100 invitation and greeting card designs for Minted in 2022 alone, not to mention numerous surface pattern designs (that’s another post!) I first discovered Minted in 2011. I entered design competitions very sporadically throughout the years, never really taking …
Uppercase Magazine entry
Uppercase Magazine is having a call for entry for their 5th surface pattern design guide. They will select 100 designers to feature in their upcoming guide. I thought I’d give it a try so today I gathered a bunch of my pattern designs. I tried to narrow down 9 that showcased my best work, while …