Taylor Designs

I finished a logo for a company in Canada that completes 3D conceptual designs for commercial and industrial sectors. Very easy to communicate with this company and would definitely do business with them again.
The logo went through many phases, but I started with three fairly bare-bones samples to just get a feel for the look they were seeking. After a number of more samples, we were getting close. Then, just a few more tweaks and we got it. I'm so happy to complete something that the customer is proud of and that will get the company recognition.
One thing that I'm passionate about is really listening to what the customer wants, the look he/she is going for and the image he/she wants portrayed to his/her customers. It's not my logo afterall, it's their unique look and that is all that matters. I look forward to my next adventure. God is good!

freelance

I'm beginning to realize that the art of freelance can be a frustrating one. But, I'm still trucking along, and seeing what comes my way. I continue to place bids on ifreelance.com and have a promising possibility as of late. However, due to the fact that I cannot get onto ifreelance's website, I cannot retrieve a certain email address to email my conceptual designs to my prospect. Deep breaths...

Texture

I spent an hour outside today as my kids played in the background and searched through the digital eye of my camera for TEXTURE. What I found surprised me a little only because it's the everyday objects in nature that I either step on or over each time I go to the garage. Every time I rush my daughter into the van past these little wonders (natural or manmade), I'm missing out on a fantastic texture to use as an overlay in photoshop. I took photos of my corn stalk out in the front yard that covers our bird feeder. Even a half dried up flower on the side of our house looks beautiful up close with it's very Autumn color of burnt burgandy pointed tips. When I zoom in I see something I never would have noticed before. Tiny spider webs are delicately woven in between the leaves. Dried leaves in a pile, cracked cement, even the soft suede of my daughters blue boot are all fantastic textures that I'm excited to incorporate into my next photographic design. I think I'll take my camera with me everywhere now and hopefully not look at anything the same way.

Fonts Are My Friend

Practice makes perfect. Play around fonts, but be careful. Too many different fonts can make your design look cluttered. A good general rule of thumb is to stick to two styles - one in serif and the other in sans serif. Utilize bold, italics, sizes, and colors of the text to add dimension to the look.
There are literally thousands of free fonts online that can be downloaded to a mac or a pc easily. Do some research to find the one that is going to fit the piece. (ie, you don't want to use Times Roman if you're designing a logo for a Children's clothing store). 

Triathlete

This weekend I will compete in my very first Triathlon. I've always been intrigued by the thought of doing one, but never thought it was in my grasp. I was never a runner. Honestly, when I first started training, I could go about 2 blocks before I was winded. Now I can run 3.5 MILES. Biking was never anything I was too excited about and now I can easily bike 10 miles! Yea, it hurts, but I now know that I was never giving my body enough credit. The swim is what I signed on for. THAT's the part I was always the most excited about. I LOVE THE WATER. I love the freedom of swimming in a lake or ocean or river or even a pool. I swam a 1/2 mile in 22 minutes the other day and that was in a pool where I had to keep doing flip turns. I'm excited to find out if I do it faster in a lake where there's nothing stopping me. I'm a little nervous about the # of people kicking me and swimming over me, but I've trained as best I can and now it's go time.
I've come to know myself in a different way through this training. I have realized that I AM AN ATHLETE. My aches and pains are no longer an excuse to not exercise, they are a reason to get out and run. I feel better after I exercise. My excuse of "Oh I had arthritis when I was little" is null and void. I am a new woman and I am proud of who I've become this year. I'm lean and strong and fast and nothing is going to stop me from finishing my race. Nothing is going to stop me from doing another one next year. I'M PUMPED!
I'm trying not to toot my own horn with all this, but I'm FREAKIN' EXCITED!

My newest article on helium.com

I just wrote this tonight - I need to remember, thank you to Jeremy - to stick to things that I am passionate about. The words come a lot easier that way. I wrote this one tonight in a short amount of time. Was only supposed to be 400 words, so it's a short one. Click on the link below to see it.

http://www.helium.com/items/1293215-should-you-let-your-child-drink-alcohol-from-your-glass