Thursday, March 29, 2012

It makes the package even more special!

I love love love packaging! I have for as long as I can remember and that is why I specialized in it when I was at Portfolio Center. My packaging idol was always Louise Fili. Complete genius! I even got to meet her when she came to the school for a seminar and that drove my admiration even deeper. After leaving school, I worked for the packaging department of a promotional advertising agency and that led me to promotions, which I kept with until I opened my own small shop. Any graphic designer with a little one man operation in a small city can tell you, specialization is a challenge (especially if you want to eat!) So, packaging didn't become my bread and butter as I hoped it would but I have used my knowledge for the other small businesses I have created. 

I was blessed to have a large amount of beautiful boxes land in my studio as a gift and that got my creative juices flowing for a new label. It coincides with a redesign that was already planned for the new shop name and here is the result! I hope you like the mix of whimsy and rustic elegance that I think is part of all of my pieces. I would love to hear what you think of the new packaging and my new banner!!! Check it here: This Little Pigment with a new avatar to correspond. Please leave me a comment!!

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Good Day Sunshine!

 Welcome spring! I am so excited to see you! I have been pretty busy these last few weeks with all sorts of projects. I ran a 10k with my son which was great, and have been busily working on new pendants for the spring season like this little favorite, a spunky bunny on one side and yummy carrots on the other.
I am starting to paint more watercolors which has been challenging but fun. I would like to create a series of portraits of women. Well, specifically women of history and classic novels that are interesting. The first subject was Marie Antoinette (based partially on portraits of the real Marie, and partially on the movie Marie.) Next up will probably be Frida Kahlo or maybe Georgia O'Keeffe. 
 How about these new favorites! I think I am in love with this particular departure from my watercolors. Hand painted reclaimed plate pendants are my new spring line. I love the graphic nature of these - that really speaks to my graphic design side. They are painted using glass paint and I just love how they look on... especially with the white leather cord. I need to shoot some on a model because the pictures just don't do them justice! I have a fresh batch waiting for me to solder tonight, so check my shop for new ones this week. 


Last thing to chat about is my website. A friend and I had coffee a couple of weeks ago (yes, I occasionally can leave my studio to get out) and she suggested something to me that made me go... "Aaaahaaa! Why didn't I think of that!" I will be redesigning my AndieFreeman.com site to be more user friendly and more of a portal to my other locations on the web so that you will just need to know that one site! Genius! So, a more prominent link to my shop and blog so that you will not need to know how to navigate Etsy to get to my shop. Now, the caveat is that I am fitting in that job among a bunch of others and having to learn a lot on the way, so I will be pleased if I get it completed in time for the fall! I'll keep you in the loop.