Showing posts with label poster design. Show all posts
Showing posts with label poster design. Show all posts

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

rock the vote

Hey knuckleheads!

I entered an art contest through AuburnArt.com! It's a store in Auburn (and yes, the store name is Auburnart.com) in a sweet location right next door to Toomer's Drugs. 



That is prime real estate, y'all. They had a contest where you could enter up to 5 pieces of art in three categories, All Artists All In, Southern by the Grace of Art, and Toomer's Tradition. I submitted several, including the Auburn heart string art, the orange and blue all over string art, the big ol' Alabama string art, barn wood bamas, and the you are beAUtiful print. 

To refresh your memory: 

I Heart Auburn string art


Big ol' Alabama String Art


all over orange and blue string art


barnwood bamas (I couldn't find the original pic.. this one is from my website).


And the ever popular print, you are beAUtiful. 


The winner gets to show their pieces in AuburnArt!!! 

And guess what??!?

YOU CAN HELP ME WIN! Just go like AuburnArt.com on Facebook! <-- the link will take you there. Then click VOTE HERE to vote! Mine are all on the front page. Easy peasy lemon squeezy. You have to like the page to vote! 

There is a share button next to the entries, so I will be sharing them on my Facebook page for easy access for all y'all. Normally I wouldn't be pushing this so hard, but I believe in a spirit that is not afraid (to self promote). HA! That's from the Auburn Creed, for those not in the know. 

So vote now and vote often (YOU CAN VOTE MORE THAN ONCE A DAY, CAN YOU BELIEVE IT?!). Share with people too! I would just EXPLODE WITH HAPPINESS to win this! Let's be honest, I need to have the excuse to use "winning" and "Auburn" in the same sentence again! THANKS THANKS THANKS in advance to everyone who helps out! 

EEEEEE! 

(^I really make that noise in real life when I'm super excited, btw)



Monday, August 13, 2012

you is mean

ENOUGH WITH THE INSPIRATIONAL POSTERS! 

Just kidding.. there's a chance I'll make one in the next few weeks. But for now, I have made a downgrading poster. 
you is mean, you is dumb, you is unimportant.

HILARIOUS! 

I have been selling lots of goodies on Etsy, along with trying to beef up inventory for the art show, soooooo I'll go on and apologize in advance for some of these short posts coming up. 

The art show has a silent auction this Thursday at Rogue Tavern here in Birmingham. It's called the Preamble. Everybody needs to come! Here's a link to the fb event. One of the stained string arts is up for sale! It starts at 5:30pm, so I'll be walking from work (snaps for working downtown). 

Hope to see you there!

Wednesday, August 8, 2012

framed

Ok, before the post, I have a scenario and question. I bought a new Macbook this weekend. I honestly went to the Apple store to see if it was part of the tax free weekend (it wasn't), and was going consider getting one if it was. Well let me tell you... it was like being in a pet store, holding a puppy, and then knowing that you can't just leave him there! "I NEED TO BRING HIM HOME RIGHT NOW" is what I believe flashed through my mind.. So I did. Before you go thinking I'm frivolous and throwing money around all willy nilly, you should know that my old Macbook is on it's last leg, so I've been considering buying one for a while.. It is slowly taking longer and longer to edit pictures in Photoshop due to loading issues, and my Illustrator will shut down without warning (and without saving my work). So as a person who depends on this beautiful machine as part of my job (duh, I consider Fish + Line Design a job), I figured it's better safe than sorry to replace it (I cannot be without a computer.. I would totally be SOL if the old one crashed).

So I opted out of having Apple move my files over, because I do not need all my old files from school, and it's my understanding that they do a complete dump to the new computer if you let them do that.. So I brought it home to do myself. The first thing I did was try to load my Adobe Creative Suite 3 onto the new Macbook.. and it won't load. I even have the original discs and it won't load. I have Lion OS on the Mac (as opposed to the newest Mountain Lion). I googled solutions and a lot of people had this problem. I loaded Java (which apparently didn't come standard) but it still has failed. Has anyone run into this? I feel like some of my INDS ladies (or gent) may have gotten a new computer and tried to do the same thing. Please please let me know! I called Apple Care and they referred me to Adobe who won't help since I have an outdated version.  I have an appointment with the Apple store genius bar tomorrow so fingers crossed! I just figured I would throw this out there just in case there was a simple fix. I realllllly don't want to have to pay to update the software. CS6 is crazy expensive. From what I can tell from the message boards is people have eventually gotten it to work, but they're all just a bit different circumstances than mine (like they just updated the OS rather than having a new computer so CS was already loaded on the computer). Any advice would be appreciated!

OK. Onto the post!

I edited some colors on my prints, yall! And before you go thinkin' I paid $$$ for these mats and frames, I'll let you in on my secret..


I buy matted frames from thrift stores and paint them. They are usually $2 and below!! What a deal!!!!!

Exhibit A: 


You might find this, look at the back and think "oh nos, I can't get the back off".


But it's nothing a little exacto knife can't fix! I just cut right next to the frame. The professionals who frame things place these on there to cover up the ugly metal holders, picture tape, etc. so it really is only there for looks. 


There are these tiny staples around the edges that are fold down over the picture backing. I simply shove my flathead screwdriver under them and lift up. Be a bit careful because of the glass.


Of course the one I was using as an example had the staples going through the foam backing. This usually doesn't happen, fyi.


After that, just push the glass from the front to remove all the pieces. The picture is usually taped to the mat, so remove it, and then spray paint all the pieces you want! 

Sometimes I leave the mat as is, and sometimes I paint it.


I went with some bright colors this go around. I actually chose the paint colors before changing the print colors. 

I'm digging this kelly green.


This is one of the mats I painted along with the Lil Wayne print (it's for sale in the Etsy shop, yall!). 


The back doesn't look too bad with the paper removed, now does it?


Now this color was hard to photograph. I used the neon pink spray paint, but it was a matte finish (as opposed to glossy that I usually use). I do not recommend this using this type of spray paint.. it took TONS of coats. I think it's made for posters (to stand out for yard sales I guess). You can kind of see the label in the dining room pic above, but I have forgotten what it's called.. thorry. I do know that it was in the specialty spray paint section.


I also spiced it up a bit by painting the edges gold (with a brush so I didn't have to tape and spray).


It's on the inside edge as well! 


I used neon green on the other two, just like I did on the one for the art show back in May. I'll be taking these babies to Artwalk! September 7 and 8th in Bham (in case you forgot). 


Now, I don't want to start a bidding war, but I am willing to give away these pieces I removed from the frames...


Yes, that is a duck swimming past a dock, and a cat who is waiting to give you a daisy. Who wants 'em?! 

Monday, August 6, 2012

hoot hoot!

I am a night owl, yall. It's about 1:30am, and I just posted a bunch of stuff on Etsy, and thought I'd let everyone know! 


I added more prints (some that I had at the art show back in May) and I am also starting to add thrift store finds. First up was the horse head bookends. I have more thrift store finds that I haven't even shown you yet (if you can believe it!) that will be listed soon.  


Don't worry, I will introduce everything on the blog before throwing them out to the world. We are, after all, BFFs. 

In bloggie design news, I added the huge Etsy link button on the right over there. I also edited the Fish + Line Design button at the top, so now it actually goes to a page on the blog with some info rather than going directly to the Fish + Line Design site. 

Just tryin' to make things easier up in this B. 


You're welcome. 

Tuesday, May 22, 2012

side porch before

So here's my side porch area. It's so dinky. The actual porch is about 5 ft wide and 9 ft long.


I clearly neglect this space. It's just so small that when I'm grilling while people are over, no one wants to hang out over here because there's not a lot of space nor is there a place to sit. I am going to fix that. The people who lived here before me left that propane grill towards the back there. Does anyone want it? There's no tank with it, and we all know charcoal is my grilling choice (as seen here with my awesome blue grill). 


There's also some sort of dog bed back there. I can't remember if it's from a past roommate, or if it was there when I moved in. This clearly isn't the space for it. The leaves need to go too.


This monstrosity is a grill that is built into the porch. It clearly has fallen over. It is huge. I can't decide if I want to "restore" it (aka sit it back upright) or if I want to remove it. It's actually a gas grill and has a line that runs into it from the post that holds it up. I won't ever use it.. but I feel like it's sort of a kitschy part of the house. Kitschy means tacky, btw.. but sometimes I like kitschy. Like the hunter green and aqua tile in the downstairs bathroom (I need to show yall that..) 

ANYHOW, thoughts?


I was clearly grilling out while taking these below pictures, and I made what I've been referring to as MEATAPALOOZA. Tons of chicken and four steaks. I'll have leftovers for DAYS (except for Wednesday, when the most important palooza event arrives. I do not want leftovers on my bday). 


Sunday afternoon I started clearing out the DUMB RIVER ROCKS. You know, like playground rocks..

Here is just a small sampling..


Below are the best before and after shots I took. My plan is to remove the railings on the deck, and lay brick pavers from the chain link fence to the deck. Then I'll be able to slap some furniture on the flat surface the pavers create. HOW LUXURIOUS! 


I removed all that grass to the left. It doesn't look like much, but I moved a lot of rocks as well. 


There's still a lot more to be done.


Oh what's that underneath there? BRICKS! 


And here are stepping stones with a random one turned at a diagonal.. weird. 


It's going to take some elbow grease to dig those puppies up. I'll be slowly working on it after work. I'm hoping to get it finished before the temp breaks into the triple digits.. And it is close to it down here in the south.. we're flirting with the upper 90s this week. 

WOOF.

 Another project of the weekend: I took my prints and put them in a frame to photograph for Etsy. Right now, the You Are Beautiful prints are the only ones posted, but I'm working on editing the rest! 



The pups modeled for a bit as well..



Six years old, and they still got it! 

I'll keep everyone posted on the porch progress. July 4th is the deadline I'm giving myself. Cross your fingers! 

Friday, May 18, 2012

love loud

I made a new poster. Sometimes I am just sitting here, reading a magazine, watching tv, and an idea pops in my head, and I have to create whatever I'm thinking right that second. This "Love Loud" just popped in my head.


I don't really know how I thought this up... I really like layering semi-transparent words, so I just picked Love Loud. Not for some romantical mushiness..

but mainly because it looks good in a square. Aka, the letters are all about the same width.


I made the square one first, then made the vertical.


Le sigh. Are you ready to see more house projects on the bloggie? I KNOW I AM! This is how I feel with house projects, art projects, stationery orders, the 9-5 job, and life: 


I've clearly dropped the ball when it comes to house projects. I usually like to show a full complete project in a post, but the one I have coming up is going to take a couple weeks to finish, so I'll probably break it up into a couple of entries. 

I'm going to redo my side porch area (it's where the grills are outside). Right now the actual porch is TINY. Like 5'x9'. So I'm going to open it up! I'll take some before pictures for everyone this weekend! 


Monday, May 14, 2012

new prints & my brand!

Prints prints prints! 

I shared some of these on facebook as I made them, but some I created the day of the art show. 

This one is by far my favorite. The words are from the song "Home" by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros. They are one of my favvvvorites! I found this frame at a thrift store, and spray painted it (duh). I need to buy stock in spray paint.. Neon is big nowadays, and I really dig this chartreuse color (I believe it's Rustoleum's Key Lime color). I'm going to have to make several more things with this shade because I love the way it POPS. 


I found these two frames at the thrift store as well, but I left them alone. Well that's a lie, I sprayed the mats (I believe they were a heinous burgundy color). 


Here's a close up of the Love print. You can read it as "all you need is love" or "love is all you need". Aww, thanks for that, Beatles! 

PS: That line is NOT suppose to be on there.. I was using it to crop the image, and I didn't take it off before I saved it.. 


I posted this saying on facebook with an actual picture of beer, because let's be honest, I'm usually having a couple while I'm working on projects. Somehow they tend to sneak into the corners of pictures.. whoops! 
I also included these prints that have been featured on the bloggie before: 

The Avett Brothers print: 
 And of course, I included the You Are Beautiful prints.

Do you see them all sprinkled around below? 


I'm working on getting these on Etsy for you fine people to order! They're only ten dolla! Holla! 

OK, I have something SERIOUS to bring up. I am having an identity crisis.

with.

my brand.

MY BRAND!


(Please tell me you thought of this commercial where she says: look, look with your special eyes..)

ANYHOW, back to the issue. 

For those who don't know, I made a little business for my graphic design stuff (invitations, stationery, etc.) and named it Fish + Line Design. Fish for my last name Herring, and line like the drawing element.. well clearly now I'm expanding into more artsy things with the string art and the barnwood creations. And of course furniture that you've seen here on the bloggie (which I'm hoping to start making for other people). Since I've started taking this show on the road (with the art show and whatnot), I feel like Fish + Line Design doesn't encompass everything. 

SOOOO, I need help with a new name. The LLC I created is under the name Rachel Herring Designs (I've just been DBA Fish + Line Design), which I'm seriously considering, but..

it's boring. 

I want something funny, like I like what I'm Herring! If my biz-nass had anything to do with sound, I would name it after the bloggie. But it doesn't. 

I only have one requirement, and it's that the word fish or Herring be in the name so I can use my signature fish logo. 



Ready? 

GO! 

I'm serious about this y'all. Leave a comment, post on fb, gchat, text, call me, beep me. Smoke signals. Carrier pigeon. Let me know your ideas!