Fun with Photo Invitations

Photo Invitations have always been a popular choice among parents when it comes to announcing the latest addition in the family. After all, nothing can be more beautiful as your newborn's first smile. Photo invites are not just limited to photo birth announcements alone. I've personally used photo birthday invitations before and loved how you can keep it as a memento of your child's first birthday celebration.

Looking at CardsShoppe, you'll see that a photo invitation can be used for a wide range of events. From your best friend's 30th birthday to baptism to wedding invitation and graduation announcements. I found a great idea from http://www.cardsshoppe.com about using an embarrassing or hilarious picture from the past and use it as a shower invite for a friend of mine who's tying the knot. Of course, she has good sense of humor so it will definitely work to her advantage. We can just personalize any of the unique designs available by modifying the colors, words and of course, adding one of her "fun" photos back in our wild days.

 

Technorati Tags: Invitations,Announcements,Personalized Stationery,Greeting Cards,Thank You Cards,Photo Stationery,Party,Baby

One Satisfied Client

I just received the final payment for a design job that I finished recently. The client was very happy with the new design and appreciative on the way I coded the page. The pay isn't much if you consider how long it took me to convert the page. I'm still working my way with valid xhtml/css so everything is still new but equally exciting. It feels so good whenever I make my clients happy. I love my job and I treat each design project as if it's mine. My favorite projects are website makeovers because they are usually so outdated and I have this need to help them see that there's so much that they can do with their web sites. So now, when they say that they are attracting more customers, their search engine placements are better or simply love the new look, I feel that I made a difference and therefore, consider myself a success.

Work work work

Let's see what's on my plate today:

1. Design two new web site mockups for a client.
2. Convert a chosen design for another client.
3. Post new xhtml/css to-dos on our internal community.
4. Create a flash slideshow for an actor's website.
5. Study how to create a spray paint can effect in flash.

Whew. I hope I can finish one of them at least.

Designing for Friends

I've been receiving so many design projects lately. Most of them are pro bono of course, either a favor for a friend or a close relative. There's the birthday invites and now, a graphic design to be printed on promotional pens. My sister-in-law is organizing her company's annual Employee Night party and needed to cut down on several suppliers to fit the budget. Instead of paying someone to do the design for the pens, I volunteered to make them then we'll just buy the pens in bulk in Divisoria. She immediately said yes (who wouldn't) and told me how she will never forget my kindness LOL. Honestly, I love designing stuff for my friends. It just makes the designs more beautiful because I designed them for love, not money.

Backyardigans Invite

I was assigned to design the party invitations for my godson's first birthday party. The theme is Backyardigans so I'm searching the web for free artworks that I can use (similar below).

I'm so excited to design the invites because I have so many ideas that I want to use. And since the parent is a close friend of mine, I'm feeling slightly pressured to do an excellent job. I hope they won't be disappointed though. I initially planned on doing a pop up invite but figured it will be too hard to replicate for 100 guests. Besides, I'm doing this for free and I just don't have the luxury to cut, fold and paste 100 invites. I managed to convince my friend to just go with a simple two-fold card so we can easily re-create them. Wish us luck! Now, off to find that artwork.

Designs and Trash

I need to design a logo. The problem is my creative juices have totally gone dry. I just have no idea how to start. I've visited my favorite websites but none of them were even close to inspiring me. Well, except for this cool page where they teach you how to buy a bus, (see chalkboard effect on the way the notes were written), I couldn't, for the life of me design a logo. I tried to incorporate the style of the chalkboard but ended up having a design so similar it borders on plagiarism. So no, thank you. I'd just have to try again.

Scrapping

I've started scrapping again. Thanks to Aggie's scrapping magazines. I'm learning tons of stuff from the mags that I just can't wait to get started. The layouts there are so inspiring too. I showed some of them to The Husband but he just pretended to look interested. Typical! LOL. I hope this time I can finish Sandy's first year baby book. I'm still on her 5th month page. Sigh. I know. Lazy me. She's turning three this year so I have tons of months to catch up on. It sucks when you feel so creative but just can't find time to express it because of work. I'll just have to find time. I can't postpone it any longer. Not when my ideas are flowing like crazy.

Design your own shirt

Found this Tshirt Printing website that lets you design T-shirts online. You can choose the shirt style from long sleeves, shorts sleeves, tank tops and sleeveless. The color options are huge and the sizes range from small to XXL. You can also use the artworks available from the Tshirt printing site or upload your own design. There's an option to write words using different fonts, add names and numbers so you can use it to design for a team uniform. Aside from that, this Tshirt printing site also sells various apparel from baseball jerseys, woven shirts, headwear, fleese, children's and even mugs.

Something work related

Since we're launching a new campaign next month, my boss wanted me to design a fun logo especially for that campaign. He's planning to give out imprinted promotional products to our existing clients with hopes of getting more sign ups. The thing is I hate designing vector artworks. I'm very good with Photoshop and it's too bad that it can only do bitmaps. Illustrator and Fireworks still scare me but I have no choice. I need to improve my skills so I won't ever have to face this hurdle in the future again.

Site Seeing

I really like the design of this real estate website selling Branson lots. I was just browsing for inspiration when I came across their site. The color scheme is just so right for the properties that they are selling - earthy, nature, calm. How I wish we can have a getaway there and stay in one of their comfortable cabins. I love staying in cabins because you're much closer to nature as opposed to being cooped up in a hotel. Anyway, enough blabbing. I need to take notes from this site so I can come up with a mockup for this new website that I'm working on.

What's Cookin'

I recently bagged a design project for a new real estate website. The client mentioned the Wilmington real estate website as one of the sites that he liked. He said the functionality and the navigations are easy and the application forms are visible on every page. My concern though is if I can deliver the programming end. My skills with online forms are so basic so I might convince him to let me hire a programmer to work on the more complicated sections.

Site Hop

I like the design of this assisted living software website. I was just browsing for some ideas for a caring facility website when I came across eldermark.com. Whenever I start designing a website, I usually check similar sites first for conceptualization purposes. I find it easier that way especially if I'm starting a website from scratch. It's a great way to familiarize myself with the types of services offered and what kind of elements are needed to make the site work.

Losing sleep

I can't sleep. Got a new design request and the ideas are just swimming in my head, waiting to be transformed. I'm on my best on these kind of moments when all I can see are colors, photos and boxes connecting with each other. This is how I design, how I make a living. I'm so lucky to be getting paid doing what I love.

A Beautiful Life

I've been doing well on my design projects. Just last week, I received two quote requests, one for an agent selling Arizona real estate and another one a brochure for a fitness company. I can't believe I'm receiving lots of projects lately. I guess I have my website to thank for. Ever since I finished my portfolio site, design requests have been coming in regularly. I have the best of both worlds. Doing what I love, and getting paid to do it.

Celebrating in style

An old boss is commissioning me to design some engagement announcements for her eldest who's planning to tie the knot next year. She didn't give me a lot of details and just said, "surprise me". Well, I honestly have no idea so I'll have to research exactly what this kind of announcement does. It's rare in the Philippines to celebrate engagements because we usually go all out in the wedding itself. It happens in the movies yes, when the filthy rich dad suddenly cuts the music demanding attention from everybody. He will then proudly announce that his beautiful daughter and some right hand CEO/equally rich/handsome but black-hearted guy are engaged. LOL. I've been seeing too many movies. If you're one of these people, please know that I'm not making fun of you. I'm all for celebrating your decision to get married.

Gone Dry

There's so much stuff to do this week. My mom is going to participate in a bridal fair to showcase her bridal gowns on the 26th. She asked me to design some business cards for her but no matter what I do, I just can't think of any design right now. It's too bad that my creative juice decided to get AWOL this week. We'll probably need about 100 pcs per design IF I can come up with a design at all. Let's just hope, for my mom's sake, that tomorrow will be a creative day. Her logo is ready and all I need to do is add some swirls and curves as a background. Well, what do you know, I already have an idea after all.

One less item from my to-do list

My new portfolio is up! I applied the current web 2.0 style just to prove to myself that I can do it. There are no requirements for web 2.0 but you could easily recognize them. Examples are 3d gradients, transparent or mac-looking buttons, big font size, reflective and shiny surfaces, and lots of white spaces. I know they all tend to look the same but what the heck! It's so clean and easy to the eyes.



I'm so used to heavy graphics and heavy table-laden pages that I can do them in my sleep. (See my old portfolio here.) However, tables are a thing of the past and I know I should start keeping up with the younger and better web designers out there. (yiikes!) I've been struggling for months on creating a web site using CSS only. Now, I am so proud to say that my new site is free of tables and passed the W3C validator! In short, I am soooo updated, new, fresh and definitely IN. Finally!

I'm probably not making any sense here. You might not get the point but if you're a web designer (and an oldie), the way you code and present your portfolio is very important if you're trying to impress prospective clients. So to my old designer friends, say goodbye to your < tables > and welcome the < divs >.

Now if only I can keep it up for my future site projects.