Here's our sign - I'm guessing they haven't seen this one before. Keep your fingers crossed that we get circled...and that we win the 100 lottery tickets - that might come in handy with how slow work has been over the summer. ;)
I'll keep ya posted.
Circle Me Bert
We're headed to the Twins game tomorrow night with the kids along with 4 other families - we'll have a total of 10 kids ranging in age from 2 to 6 years old. I came across this picture of Bert Blyleven and figured I'd have some fun with it.
Here's our sign - I'm guessing they haven't seen this one before. Keep your fingers crossed that we get circled...and that we win the 100 lottery tickets - that might come in handy with how slow work has been over the summer. ;)
I'll keep ya posted.
Here's our sign - I'm guessing they haven't seen this one before. Keep your fingers crossed that we get circled...and that we win the 100 lottery tickets - that might come in handy with how slow work has been over the summer. ;)
I'll keep ya posted.
Latest Projects
Summer is proving to be challenging once again as I try to find time to work with "the fam" home. I love summer, but a part of me secretly can't wait for school to start. :)
My workload has picked up a bit, which is great. This past week I finished up an ad that will be in the Vikings GameDay program. Yes, I know...now I look like a traitor, participating in something that has to do with the "enemy". Go Pack, go!
Over the past couple of weeks I've been working on this product offerings sheet for another client. They have some existing brochures, so what I had to do was match the design and then I also did the product photography. I'm happy to report that it is in fact possible to do a photo shoot while holding a crying 2-year-old...these images are the proof. :) This one took a while and was quite a challenge trying to figure out how to get everything to fit! But thankfully it's done now and the client is happy.
I'm still working on some other projects for Northwest Eye and Normandale Community College, along with a few other smaller projects. Somehow I've been managing to keep my head above water, even though there are days where I feel like I'm SOOOO behind! Thank goodness for my "real" work hours - between 9pm and 2am. Don't know what I'd do without 'em!
My workload has picked up a bit, which is great. This past week I finished up an ad that will be in the Vikings GameDay program. Yes, I know...now I look like a traitor, participating in something that has to do with the "enemy". Go Pack, go!
Over the past couple of weeks I've been working on this product offerings sheet for another client. They have some existing brochures, so what I had to do was match the design and then I also did the product photography. I'm happy to report that it is in fact possible to do a photo shoot while holding a crying 2-year-old...these images are the proof. :) This one took a while and was quite a challenge trying to figure out how to get everything to fit! But thankfully it's done now and the client is happy.
I'm still working on some other projects for Northwest Eye and Normandale Community College, along with a few other smaller projects. Somehow I've been managing to keep my head above water, even though there are days where I feel like I'm SOOOO behind! Thank goodness for my "real" work hours - between 9pm and 2am. Don't know what I'd do without 'em!
The Big 2-5
We've hit a major milestone - 25 posts for my Libby Design blog. That leaves me no choice but to do something wild and crazy in celebration...like list 25 random things either about myself or my business for your reading pleasure. Here goes nothin'...
1) My middle name is Rebecca.
2) My desk usually has at least one sippy cup on it and remnants of various snack items from the kids at any given time.
3) This morning I sat at a Caribou in St. Louis Park for an hour and fifteen minutes waiting for a new client to show up - while she sat at the Caribou across the freeway for an hour and fifteen minutes waiting for some mysterious designer who contacted her out of the blue to show up. We've rescheduled for Wednesday - and have narrowed down the SPECIFIC Caribou we'll be meeting at. :p
4) My first dog's name was Chumley - she was a St. Bernard who died after being attacked by a porcupine. RIP Chumley.
5) I love Cherry Coke.
6) At my last dentist visit I had 3 cavities...probably from Cherry Coke.
7) When I was little I was absolutely IN LOVE with John from C.H.I.P.S. Now I look back and wow, was he a complete dork or what?
8) I'm two months behind in entering my business expenses into my expenses spreadsheet.
9) Chad is actually my second husband - when I was 7 my brother Aaron married myself and Jeremy Day behind the Lilac bushes at First Baptist Church in Cannon Falls, MN - the very church my parents were married at. Unfortunately, that marriage only last about 2 hours until church was over.
10) I sometimes catch myself singing songs from "Barney" or "The Wiggles" as I'm working. Today it was a song from "Elmo's Potty Time"...."Put your body on the potty 'cause it's POTTY TIME!!!!!" (Imagine that being sung in the voice of Elmo's Dad)
11) Growing up I thought my Dad was related to McGyver because he could fix anything...and he kind of looked like him, too.
12) This past weekend I realized that my son has inherited one of my best features...my double jointed arms. Yes!
13) I have 1,824 songs in my iTunes library.
14) I love funky socks.
15) All I want for Christmas is...a gift card for socks from this website.
16) I'm the proud owner of a black 70s tie-around-the-neck pant suit that is complete with rainbow stripes running down the side AND a matching belt. Bring on the Halloween parties - can't wait to break that thing out again.
17) I recently got new glasses after having the same pair for WAY too long. When the eye doctor checked the prescription of my old glasses and compared it with my new prescription she said, "Wow, you haven't been driving with these on, have you?". I look at her and said, "
18) Last night I was thrown out trying to stretch one of my hits in our softball game into a triple. Crap, if only I had slid.
19) One of my most prized possessions is my "Poison's Greatest Hits" CD.
20) I haven't balanced my checkbook in over 6 months. Thank you online banking.
21) The only thing I ate today was a chicken burrito from Chipotle.
22) I love Dwight Schrute.
23) I sometimes play with the Dukes of Hazard car that sits on the ledge next to my desk.
24) Spam makes makes my skin crawl...or at least the idea of it does - I've never actually tasted it.
25) I have 3 meetings with "new potential" clients lined up over the course of this week, including the one I rescheduled as a result of the Caribou crisis this morning.
There you have it ladies and gentlemen - 25 fabulous things you probably really didn't care to know. Hope the next 25 posts are as incredible and out-of-this world as the first 25 have been. Peace out.
Update on "The Search"
I've had a few people ask how "the search" has been going for new clients/work. My hard work has paid off...at least a little. Right now I've got meetings lined up with Razr Marketing, Misaki Marketing, and GMS Communications. I've also been in touch with several other places, but haven't actually set meetings up with them yet. It's been nice to hear feedback from many of the creative agencies in the Twin Cities area on the quality of my portfolio after they've reviewed my website. If nothing else my "search" has been productive in the sense that I'm getting my name out there. Keep your fingers crossed that some of these new contacts turn into great clients! Stay tuned.
Searching for more
Hello to my five faithful readers (especially you, Mom)! I apologize for not being a good blogger - my failure to post over the past month has been partially due to my own personal laziness, but also in part due to the slowing economy. Things have slowed down quite a bit for the time being, so what better time to continue the on-going search for more work and new clients! I spent a good chunk of last week following up with places I contacted a while back and then also contacting some new places I'd been wanting to contact. After sending out 50+ emails, I finally got a few responses. I've got an interview set up with Razr Marketing, and then I had a couple of other places contact me about upcoming projects. Today my search will continue! I'm sure other freelancers in my position would be anxious about the uncertainty of when things will pick up again, but for some reason I've come to really enjoy these times because it's almost like another form of problem-solving, seeking out new contacts and new work. Yes, I know that sounds odd. But it's exciting to think about all the opportunities out there that I haven't yet found. I'm sure my faith is a big reason why I don't automatically switch into "panic mode" when things slow down a bit. We've really seen some amazing things happen since I left my corporate job back in Jan. 07, and I honestly have no idea where we'd be if I was still there. Yikes! I'm thoroughly enjoying the flexibility of working from home, even though there are other challenges that rear their ugly heads often enough.
While things have been a little slow, I've managed to keep a steady trickle of work flowing. Over the past month, I wrapped up the last of our Planting the Flag campaign materials for NorthRidge, I've done a direct mail piece for a new client - Entrust Mortgage, a newspaper ad for another client, some concept package design for General Mills, a design concept for a patient folder for Northwest Eye, and a few other projects. It's been a nice mix of things, which is always nice.
That's all for now...back to searching!
While things have been a little slow, I've managed to keep a steady trickle of work flowing. Over the past month, I wrapped up the last of our Planting the Flag campaign materials for NorthRidge, I've done a direct mail piece for a new client - Entrust Mortgage, a newspaper ad for another client, some concept package design for General Mills, a design concept for a patient folder for Northwest Eye, and a few other projects. It's been a nice mix of things, which is always nice.
That's all for now...back to searching!
Planting the Flag Campaign
Well, seeing as how it's been over a month since I last posted, I figured I should at least throw out a quick update to all my loyal readers. Because there are so many of you.
Here goes ...
The past month has pretty much been dedicated to our church Giving Campaign. Not quite sure how, but I ended up as the one and only person responsible for all the promotional and print materials. Nice! It's been a lot of work, but it's been pretty cool to be tied in so closely with all that's going on. Our church is in the process of trying to purchase some land, so all of our literature and promo pieces focus on our theme for the campaign "Planting the Flag". Below are some of the pieces I've been working on:
Planting the Flag Logo
Planting the Flag Overview Brochure (size: 7.5" x 10" – 16 pages)
Planting the Flag Banquet Invitation & RSVP Card
Planting the Flag Magnet (party favor for our Celebration Banquet – size: 2.5" x 3.5")
Planting the Flag Commitment Card (size: 4" x 9.25")
Planting the Flag Prayer Devotional Cover (size: 8.5" x 5.5")
Planting the Flag Dessert Fellowship Postcard Invitation (size: 8.5" x 5.5")
Planting the Flag Communication Template Sheet (size: 8.5" x 11")
Along with the pieces shown above there have also been lots of other smaller things I've been working on for the campaign – stickers for the Children's Ministry collection bank project & Planting the Flag Play-doh project, graphics for DVD presentations on Planting the Flag, Commitment checks for the youth group to write out their donations for the Planting the Flag campaign...there are more, but I won't bore you with all of them. Case in point, it's been a BUSY past several weeks, but looking back it's been a great experience. I've had the opportunity to work closely with many people from our church who I didn't know all that well, and more importantly, I've been able to use my gifts and talents to glorify God as we as a church seek to further His kingdom here on earth. Can't beat that!
My "real" job has also been keeping me busy with miscellaneous projects such as business card designs, brochures, package design concepts for General Mills, etc. Always something to do ... and as I always say, never a dull moment!
Here goes ...
The past month has pretty much been dedicated to our church Giving Campaign. Not quite sure how, but I ended up as the one and only person responsible for all the promotional and print materials. Nice! It's been a lot of work, but it's been pretty cool to be tied in so closely with all that's going on. Our church is in the process of trying to purchase some land, so all of our literature and promo pieces focus on our theme for the campaign "Planting the Flag". Below are some of the pieces I've been working on:
Planting the Flag Logo
Planting the Flag Overview Brochure (size: 7.5" x 10" – 16 pages)
Planting the Flag Banquet Invitation & RSVP Card
Planting the Flag Magnet (party favor for our Celebration Banquet – size: 2.5" x 3.5")
Planting the Flag Commitment Card (size: 4" x 9.25")
Planting the Flag Prayer Devotional Cover (size: 8.5" x 5.5")
Planting the Flag Dessert Fellowship Postcard Invitation (size: 8.5" x 5.5")
Planting the Flag Communication Template Sheet (size: 8.5" x 11")
Along with the pieces shown above there have also been lots of other smaller things I've been working on for the campaign – stickers for the Children's Ministry collection bank project & Planting the Flag Play-doh project, graphics for DVD presentations on Planting the Flag, Commitment checks for the youth group to write out their donations for the Planting the Flag campaign...there are more, but I won't bore you with all of them. Case in point, it's been a BUSY past several weeks, but looking back it's been a great experience. I've had the opportunity to work closely with many people from our church who I didn't know all that well, and more importantly, I've been able to use my gifts and talents to glorify God as we as a church seek to further His kingdom here on earth. Can't beat that!
My "real" job has also been keeping me busy with miscellaneous projects such as business card designs, brochures, package design concepts for General Mills, etc. Always something to do ... and as I always say, never a dull moment!
Multitasking is what I do!
Hello to all five of you loyal readers of "Life In The Basement". It's been a while since I posted, but there's been a lot going on. So many new projects...so little time to post about them. Here's a brief re-cap of what I've been working on:
Chick Soles™ – A new line of women's shoe inserts
This project has been a lot of fun so far. The deadlines have been pretty insane, but it's been good. Basically the company who makes Toasty Feet inserts is coming out with a new line specifically targeted at women. These inserts will be the first of their kind in that they'll be designed for use in dress shoes (in other words they'll be for the kinds of shoes I always think "look" cute, but I'd never buy them because they've gotta be so incredibly uncomfortable).
My part of this project has been developing various package designs. We're still in the early stages, but it's going well. Once we get the package design done we'll be moving on to doing signage that will be on endcaps and display headers where these products are sold. Right now Wal-mart has said they'll let Polar Wrap (the client) market these new inserts in a good chunk of their stores nationwide. If they do well (hopefully as a result of the fabulous packaging!), then they'll renegotiate the terms of their contract for marketing and carrying this product. Check out this cool site I found while I was doing some research for this project.
Northwest Eye Clinic – Rebranding
A few months back I re-did the logo for Northwest Eye Clinic. They are changing their name to just Northwest Eye in hopes it will be a better name to use as an umbrella for all the various services they provide. At any rate, recently I've been working on designs for business cards, letterhead, envelopes, prescription cards, referral cards, you name it, I've been working on it. My gut tells me this is going to be a pretty long, drawn out process, but in the end it'll be exciting to see all the finished pieces!
This and That –
I've had a lot of random, smaller projects I've been working on, too. Some of those include:
• Newspaper ads
• Direct mailer postcards
• Custom PowerPoint presentation designs
• Logo designs
• Trade Show graphics (posters, table displays, etc.)
• T-shirt designs
Another big thing that's been taking up a LOT of my time is the Giving Campaign at our church. Somehow I ended up being the "communications contact". I've got so many things going on with that I can't even see straight. That's pretty much another full-time job. Ouch! But in the end it'll all be worth it...I hope. It's been fun getting to know some of the different people who are on the various teams working with us.
That's all for now...back to multitasking – the thing I (try to) do best!
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