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Thankful Thursday : Adobe Integration

Posted on February 28, 2013 by quaddeucedesign

Greetings on this fine Thursday! Is it cold where you are?? It was 35 degrees at my house this morning, with no hope of getting out of the 30′s (or at least low 40′s) for the next few days. For a girl that’s adamantly adverse to being cold, I have my sights set on spring today. Think warm happy thoughts, think warm happy thoughts… Anyway, moving on!

Things have been busier for me these last few weeks. With swapping to a new full-time gig and with several new projects in the works, today I’m appreciative of the programs that help me make the most of my design time. Namely, the Adobe Creative Suite! Having been the standard for design software for years, it includes such programs as Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign, and depending on what version of the suite you get, you may also receive Dreamweaver, Flash, Final Cut Pro, etc. Me? I specialize in print, so the main three are pretty much all I need, though I still have plans to learn web design and Dreamweaver. (For the bucket list, you know.)

I still remember installing the original Creative Suite on my new computer (PC!) back in college. I thought it was hot stuff, not having to buy each program separately and all. Then two years ago I upgraded (finally) to an iMac, and was super-excited to get the latest version, Creative Suite 5 Designer’s Edition! Of course, now they’re up to version 6, but I’ve not splurged on that one yet. I’m still exploring all the fun features of version 5! (The “content aware” fill feature in Photoshop? Dreamy! Yes, I’m a design dork. Google it. I promise you’ll be amazed.)

Oh, Creative Suite 6, one day you shall be all mine!!

What I love most about the Creative Suite, and the reason it helps my productivity so much, is because the programs are designed to work together. Not that you can’t use them with other softwares, because you absolutely can. Think of it this way, though: it’s like a good hair styling regimen. You can mix and match your brands (come on, most of us do, myself included), but when you stick with one brand’s products, they just work. It’s because they’re engineered to work together. Many of the tools found in Photoshop can also be found in Illustrator and InDesign, and work similarly between the three programs. Each program is designed for it’s specific purpose (Photoshop for image editing, Illustrator for drawing, and InDesign for layouts), but when used in conjunction with each other, well, the sky’s the limit!

Thank you for tolerating my designer nerd-speak today. I’m a little sad about how much of my life revolves around computers, softwares and technology, but even so, they still get me excited!

Thankful Thursday : Opportunities

Posted on February 15, 2013 by quaddeucedesign

As I sit down to write today’s Thankful Thursday post, I find myself a little overwhelmed. (So much, that I’m a day behind in posting this!) Sooooooooo many good things have happened in my life lately that I’m having a terrible time choosing just one to talk about today. As much as I want to share everything at once, for the sake of attention spans, I will confine my joy-sharing to a single topic.

The Lord works in mysterious ways. No doubt about it. His ways are not our ways. Everything that’s happened to me lately is because of Him, because “every good and perfect gift is from above and comes down from the father,” (James 1:17), and also because none of it came about from my own efforts. Yesterday was my last day at my current full-time gig. After five long years of production work, I’m finally moving to a creative design position. (No, I don’t mind you all knowing that I work full time in addition to running Quad Deuce. It’s because I have a full-time job to pay the bulk of my expenses that I have the freedom to concentrate on creativity, giving you truly unique and personal stationery, instead of worrying how I’m going to make ends meet.)

A couple years ago I searched desperately to find a better job, one that allowed me to use & grow my designer “chops,” but nothing came of those searches other than a couple of first round interviews. Disappointing, for sure, but that’s also when I felt God pushing me to start my own business. In October 2011, Quad Deuce Design was born! Now that I’d found my creative outlet and new direction, I didn’t feel the need to continue searching for another full-time gig.

At the first of the year a local stationery friend of mine (who I never would have met were it not for Quad Deuce) announced she & her husband were moving to New York City. How exciting for them!! I remembered us talking about our respective jobs back when we first met early last year, and I remembered her describing how much she loved the work she did and the company she worked for. So when I heard in January she was leaving, after congratulating her on the big move, I asked her to pass along the job info when it was posted, which she happily did. Lo and behold, I was called for an interview! And a couple weeks later, I had the job!!

As I mentioned, I wasn’t looking for this opportunity. I was resigned to stay where I was, and to continue to build this business that God has given me. But He had other plans! This new job will allow me to use more of my design skills (consistently), and will also free up more time & resources to work on stationery projects. Truly a blessing! One I could never enjoy without His provision.

Thankful Thursday : Colorful Dye

Posted on January 31, 2013 by quaddeucedesign

When I sit down to write these Thankful Thursday posts each week, I don’t have a plan. I don’t have a pre-written “Things I’m Thankful For” list that I pick & choose from like a buffet. I do this for a reason. If these posts aren’t planned, it forces me to really think about the things in the past week (or two) that I’m truly thankful for. And I’m loving how it makes me appreciate things I might not otherwise think about.

For example, this week I’m incredibly thankful for hair dye, and more importantly, my wonderfully talented hairstylist, Kendra. I like to tell people that she has the “Midas Touch” of hair styling, because she’s golden. Every time I leave her chair I love my hair even more than the last time I was there. She’s particularly great with color. I once saw her do an ombre dye job (from light brown to dark) that turned out phenomenal: no harsh lines, a perfect even-ness to the gradient… She knocked it out of the park! Typically she puts 3-4 shades in my hair, and it always turns out to be the perfect blend, whether natural tones or bold. We put funky orange streaks in my hair last winter, and they looked phenomenal! (They were later transformed into the bright red color you see in my head shots.) Let’s just say that my creative expression goes beyond merely paper. :)

Now, please don’t misunderstand me: I love my natural color. Somewhere underneath it all is a shade of deep brown, with lots (and I’m not joking: LOTS) of grey & white mixed in. I’m 29 years old and yes, I have an obscene amount of grey hair for my age. However I feel like I’ve earned every one of them, whether through the gift of genetics or through surviving the trials of life. There’s a Proverb that says “Gray hair is a crown of splendor,” (Proverbs 16:31a) and sometimes I feel like I’ve been honored too much. Haha! I’ve decided to keep coloring my hair for the foreseeable future simply because I’m enjoying the change. I’m looking forward, though, to one day saying goodbye to the dye and letting the greyness shine. I’m hoping my hair turns a nice shade of silver, but I suppose I’ll just have to take what I get.

Just for kicks, a collage of my hairstyles over the last two years, the good, bad and ugly alike. The bottom center picture was taken last weekend, just to prove that I do indeed have white hair underneath all that dye (no, that is NOT the light reflecting!). Bottom right is how it looks now. Brunette again for the first time in a long time!

What are you thankful for this Thursday? What things have happened to you this week that deserve a moment of reflection & appreciation? Please share in the comments! I’d love to hear about ‘em. :)

Thankful Thursday : Work

Posted on January 24, 2013 by quaddeucedesign

So, did you notice? That big blank space on the calendar last week? Yep, that was me, completely forgetting about last week’s Thankful Thursday. In fact, I was so busy last week that I didn’t think about it at all until very late on Thursday night, and I still had so much on my plate that I just couldn’t get it done. My apologies.

However, that brings me to what I’m thankful for this week : work. Clients. Projects. I’m so thankful for each of you that have trusted me to translate your events and stories into paper realities. I truly enjoy the variety of requests that you bring my way. Keeps me challenged, and exercising my design muscles. :) Last week, I was working on a travel-themed Save the Date, a tropical cocktail party invitation, a sympathy card (a first for me) and some personal stationery. I LOVE the variety!

I know in this economy, even though it is slowly getting better, it is still a gift to have a job, even a meager one. To be able to do what I love for a living, well, I’m blessed so far beyond what I deserve. I do not take this career for granted. Nor do I take any client for granted. It is because of them, because of you, that I am so blessed. Thank you!

Red and White Lace Bridal Shower

Posted on January 14, 2013 by quaddeucedesign

This past summer I had the privilege of working with the fabulous Katie Pethuyne of Lucky Penny Events to design a really special bridal shower… for my sister-in-law! The shower was held in the heat of the summer, July 14th, for my brother’s side of the family to attend (her family is from Alabama, and ours is here in Tennessee… mostly). Alicia being a more traditional southern girl, full of grace, hospitality and sweetness, I wanted to throw her a small party to reflect her wonderful qualities. Their wedding colors were red & white, so Katie and I built on those colors to create a homemade dessert buffet complete with lace, fresh-cut flowers and a vintage Coca-Cola crate. For pictures of the setup, click here.

Today I’m going to share with you the invitations I designed for the shower. Building on the lace theme (lace was a major part of her wedding dress, too), I used a scan of an actual piece of lace as the main element of the design. Then I paired a bold calligraphy font to highlight their names with a light, airy block font for the remainder of the text. I felt the balance was just right to say “summer sweet.”

We included a separate “directions” card since the guests would be driving from all directions, and the location was a bit off the beaten path.

I also created “advice cards” for guest to write down their most sage marriage advice. The cards also featured the red lace motif, and were gathered together in an album for Alicia & Matthew to read later. Unfortunately, I did not have all my ducks in a row and did not get a proper picture of them to share with you. (tsk, tsk) :( But I assure you, they were equally cute. :)

I love designing shower invitations. They tend to be slightly less formal, and I find the themes you all come up with are quite creative! You can find more examples of my work, bridal shower and otherwise, on my website, here.

Thankful Thursday : U. S. Postal Service

Posted on January 10, 2013 by quaddeucedesign

Ah, the United States Postal Service! Such a storied history… from guys riding horseback for miles and miles across all terrain to today’s ginormous network of clerks, sorters, drivers and deliverers… all for the purpose of delivering messages and packages from one person to another.

Photo from University of Washington Digital Libraries.

I’m thankful for USPS for a few reasons. One, they give me a job! Haha! Without the post office, how would my clients send their beautiful paper pretties from one coast to the other? Forgive me, but an electronic evite will never take the place of a lovely paper invitation. It’s like comparing apples and potatoes.

Two, because I like to send (and receive!) handwritten notes : thank you notes, hello notes, hope you’re feeling better notes, holiday greetings and sentiments, and long letters rambling on for pages about nothing at all. Email has its purpose, for information that needs to be sent quickly and/or clearly (Faxes? Yuck.) But who hasn’t adored receiving a note in their mailbox from an old friend? A Christmas card with pictures of your family? A cheeky birthday card from that person who knows you a little too well?

One of my note cards from my Etsy shop!

And three, because I’ve grown to love online shopping. It saves me the stress and gas money of going from store to store to find that one thing that I’m looking for. Online shopping usually allows me to find a better product, and sometimes even at a better price. Now, guaranteed I do my research and only buy from reputable companies (Yay, Amazon!), and so far (knock on wood) I’ve not had any identity or bank problems. But without the USPS — and it’s comptetition — these great deals would be much fewer and farther between.

We’ve all had our experiences with the postal service, both good and bad. Yes, a couple years ago they lost a wedding dress that I’d ordered on eBay (partly my fault; my address was out of date). But on the other hand, a few days ago they delivered some DVD’s I ordered in less than 48 hours… on a weekend! Say what you will, but I believe the people who work in our postal system work very hard for the money, and do the best they possibly can.

Photo via BusinessWeek.com

Send a letter! You’ll surprise a friend with your thoughtfulness AND support local jobs at the same time!

Also, don’t forget that the postal rates increase on Sunday, January 27! So stock up on those Forever stamps now, because they’ll be good to use, well, forever!

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