It's been a short while since I've posted, but I will be able to contribute more of my time to my blog very soon. Running a business is by far the hardest thing I've ever done, but it's very rewarding at the same time. I never thought I would work 7 days a week and actually enjoy it. When you are doing something you love, it doesn't feel like a job. I'm not saying that some days won't make you feel like giving up, but it's worth it to be your own boss and do things on your terms.
I've got big things planned for my business. I'm constantly striving to improve my designs and plan to start a few other business ventures shortly. Planning is the hard part for me. Before too long, I'll be making some big changes to my blog. I am currently beginning to rebuild my portfolio, so I will be able to offer logo/branding services within the next month (hopefully). I will also be working on selling some of my designs in the way of printables, patterns, and other products through Etsy or other sites. Big plans take time, so I'll definitely keep everyone updated.
Saturday, March 7, 2015
Monday, February 23, 2015
5 Awesome Sites For Design Freebies
Graphic designers have most likely noticed at some point: this is an expensive line of work. To be successful, you need to have programs to create your masterpieces. The programs designers use are very expensive. With that being said, it's always nice to find ways of cutting the costs without sacrificing quality. I have put together a list of 5 awesome sites for design freebies to use in designs. Make sure to check out the "Terms of Use" on each site as they can differ from product to product.
1. Creative Market
Some may take a look at Creative Market's "Free Goods Of The Week" and think "but there's only 6". That's a great observation, but each Monday they feature a new group of goods. Frankly, their free goods of the week are part of the reason I look forward to Mondays. Their free goods are incredible! It's not like some sites who offer sample versions or only offer their lower quality products. They have had some premium fonts and graphics as their free goods of the week. They have also had premium WordPress themes for free as well. Creative Market is full of quality goods, both free and paid, so it's always a great place to look for your designing needs. Plus, the prices are very reasonable! Check it out!2. Spoon Graphics
I first discovered this site while searching for Photoshop tutorials. Not only did I find some great tutorials, but I also found some great freebies! You can expect to find patterns, textures, logo mockups, and much more. Chris Spooner, the man behind Spoon Graphics, has helped myself and others learn really cool techniques that are useful our designs. If you sign up for Chris's free newsletter, you can keep up to date with his tutorials, freebies, and design deals. Also, when you subscribe to his newsletter, you receive a free resources bundle. Everything on his site is of great quality.3. Pixabay
Pixabay is a great website for public domain pictures to use for your design or web projects. I have used this website often for blog photos and some design projects. This site has everything you could possibly imagine. If variety is what you are looking for, this website is for you. Keep in mind while using Pixabay or a similar site, sometimes people make mistakes and upload copyrighted images. It's still definitely worth checking out.4. GraphicBurger
If you're looking for mock-ups, this site could end up being your best friend. For everyone who doesn't care about awesome mock-ups, don't worry, they have something for you as well. GraphicBurger also has free stock photos, textures, icons, text effects, and more. I've used a lot of their products and have been amazed with the quality. GraphicBurger is definitely a site to check out.
5. Unsplash
I almost didn't believe that these pictures were free to use for anything. I figured that with images of this quality, there would have to be some sort of catch. At this time, the images featured on this site are free to use for whatever. There are all sorts of nature, animal, and other other kinds of photos. Even if you're just needing a new desktop background, this site is for you.Blog post contains affiliate links. For more information, please refer to my Disclosure Policy.
Saturday, February 14, 2015
New Products On Carded Designs
My site, Carded Designs, has been receiving a lot of my attention lately. About a week ago, the only products found in the store were business cards. Within the past week, I have added address labels, tech cases (iPhone, Samsung, and iPad, wedding/bachelorette invites, postcards, and more business card designs. Though it's still a relatively small store, I am proud to see it grow and succeed. It's difficult to have multiple stores to keep up with, but it's a fun experience as well.
I've been asked by a few people why I have chosen to have a separate store from Hawke and Bloom. The people who have asked me that question make a great point; however, it's easier to promote your store on Zazzle if it's a niche store. Hawke and Bloom is not really a niche store. Carded Designs, when completely setup, will be a store that focuses on business cards, greeting cards, wedding invites, and gifts such as tech cases. Carded Designs has more of a focus on both design style and products.
Posted below are a few of my new designs for Carded Designs. Let me know what you think and if there's any products/designs you would like to see in any of my stores, jessletterman@gmail.com.
Business Cards
Purple Multicolored Geometric Business Card by cardeddesigns
Browse for more business card templates at Zazzle
Colorful Pink Multicolored Geometric Business Card by cardeddesigns
Browse Stylists Business Cards online at Zazzle.com
Call Me Modern Chalkboard Business Cards by cardeddesigns
View other Chalkboard Business Cards
Wedding Invitations
Modern Blush Light Aqua Wedding Invitations by cardeddesigns
More Wedding Invitations
Bachelorette Party Invites
Chic Faux Glitter Bachelorette Party Invitations by cardeddesigns
Check out Bachelorette party Invitations online at zazzle
Chic Faux Glitter Bachelorette Party Invitations by cardeddesigns
Check out other Bachelorette party Invitations at zazzle.com
Chic Faux Glitter Bachelorette Party Invitations by cardeddesigns
Look at Bachelorette party Invitations online at Zazzle.com
Save The Dates
Vintage Open Book Save The Date Postcard by cardeddesigns
Make postcards from photos online at zazzle.com
Chalkboard Mason Jar Save the Date Postcard by cardeddesigns
Learn about postcard printing using Zazzle
Blog post contains affiliate links. For more information, please refer to my Disclosure Policy.
Wednesday, February 4, 2015
New Business Cards on Zazzle
I'll be honest. It has been awhile since I have added new business card designs to my Zazzle store, Carded Designs. I've been working hard to get Hawke and Bloom established, so I have not had much time to work on my other stores. Last night, I was in the mood to create some business cards. I've been trying to decide on designs for my own personal business card, so I thought I had better get back into the swing of things design-wise. The problem I have run into is deciding what style I want to go with: modern or vintage. Lucky for my customers, I've now created a wide variety of designs.
Instead of bombarding my readers with every single design I come up with, I'm only going to post 8 of my favorite new business cards. Thank you in advance for looking through my designs. Let me know what you think!
Aqua and Pink Floral Vintage Business Card by cardeddesigns
View more Pink and aqua Business Cards at zazzle.com
Pink and Aqua Ikat Pattern Business Card by cardeddesigns
Shop for Ikat Business Cards online at Zazzle.com
Tuesday, February 3, 2015
Just Add Glitter
Hello everyone! It's been a busy week, so I haven't been able to post as much as I would like. I've been preparing to have my taxes done. Let's face it, taxes are only fun if you get money back. I'm not sure how it will pan out, but let's hope it goes well.
I have been designing quite a bit lately, so if you check out my store Hawke and Bloom , you'll notice a lot of new products. I am pretty sure I went from 600ish to 933 very quickly. That may seem like a lot of products to non-Zazzlers, but I have a lot of catching up to do with other designers who have 50,000+ products. Most of the Zazzlers who have thousands of products have been at this for years. I am sure I could add a ton of products in a short period of time, but I want to ensure that my designs are quality designs.
Growing up, I never was much of a girly girl. I HATED the color pink and didn't really like wearing dresses much either. Blame it on my love for sports. The older I get, the more I have appreciated the girly things in life: pastels, glitter, floral patterns, and yes, even PINK (dresses are still hit and miss with me). Graphic design has helped me shape my likes and dislikes. I used to hate designing girly logos, but now I actually prefer creating beautiful designs. Lately, I have really loved using glitter elements in my designs. Here are some of my new glitter-themed designs (keep in mind that this is faux glitter):
Elegant Aqua Blue Glitter Chevron iPhone 6+ Case Barely There iPhone 6 Plus Case by hawkeandbloom
Browse for another iPhone 6 Plus Case at Zazzle
Mint and Gold Glitter Chevron iPhone 6+ Case Barely There iPhone 6 Plus Case by hawkeandbloom
See more Glitter Casemate Cases at zazzle.com
Pink and Gold Glitter Striped Throw Pillow by hawkeandbloom
Browse other Glittery Pillows
As always, if there's a product you'd like to see in my store or you would like me to create a design in a different color, email me: jessletterman@gmail.com
Blog post contains affiliate links. For more information, please refer to my Disclosure Policy.
Tuesday, January 27, 2015
4 Ways To Avoid Burnout: When Life Hands You Lemons
To say that it has been a long week is an understatement. I had planned to do a lot of designing, but life had other plans. My Great Aunt passed away at the age of 90 last week, so it was definitely important to take time off to be with family. My grandfather had his 88th birthday two days after the funeral, so needless to say, I have been exhausted. I am not one to take naps, but suddenly, I found myself napping instead of designing. I know that I won't be able to catch up on lost sleep, so I have been leaning on my two favorite crutches: coffee and green tea (with local raw honey).
In the midst of everything that occurred last week, I found myself NOT DESIGNING. I have had a solid month or two designing, but it felt really weird not sitting at my desk designing products. The thing that I have to remember is that it's okay to take a break. In fact, I probably needed the break. I had planned on creating a huge Valentine's Day collection, but it hasn't happened yet. As long as life stays calm, I will get it done.
I've put together a list of 4 tips to help you (and me) stay designing when life gets complicated. If you have tips for how you manage, feel free to post them!
1. Sketchbooks & Notebooks
 |
| Photo Credit: Pixabay |
I have to admit, I would be lost without my sketchbook and plethora of notebooks. It's where I keep 95% of my project ideas. The other 5%? I don't take my sketchbook or notebooks with me when I go places, so the next best thing is my iPhone. It must be the old soul in me, but I prefer to write things down with pen and paper. Along with jotting down my ideas, I love to doodle. I'm not the best doodler, but sometimes it helps me come up with some great ideas. If you haven't doodled since you were a child, break out the paper and markers (crayons and colored pencils work, too). Oh, and doodling for your graphic design is popular right now.
2. Design Something Everyday
When life gets crazy, it can be hard to make time to design. I beat myself up over the handful of designs I came up with, but the most important thing is I designed something. I could have easily said "I'm not designing anything" but I didn't. There's no need to stress or feel bad about it. Just do the best you can.3. Plan Ahead
The past week made it hard for me to design. I did some traveling and was busy with family, so I was unable to get on the computer much. Even if you don't have access to a computer, there are some things that you can do to help your graphic design business. Most businesses, both design-related and not, fail due to a lack of planning. It doesn't matter if it's simply brainstorming for ideas, you are still being active in your business. Always try to think ahead and stay up to date on what's happening in the business world. Your business will thank you.4. Stay Inspired
 |
| Photo Credit: Pixabay |
Blog post contains affiliate links. For more information, please refer to my Disclosure Policy.
Thursday, January 22, 2015
5 New Valentine's Day Products On Zazzle
Before I show everyone a few of my store's Valentine's Day products, I have to geek out for a bit. One of my products made the front page of Zazzle! I wasn't paying much attention, but I saw a mug that looked just like mine! I went back and looked. Sure enough it's one of my Valentine's Day mugs! It was so awesome to see it on the front page!
"Who Needs A Valentine? I Have Bacon" T-Shirt by hawkeandbloom
View Valentine's day T-Shirts online at zazzle
Polka Dots and Red Heart iPhone 6 Case by hawkeandbloom
View another iPhone 6 Case at Zazzle
I plan to design several new Valentine's Day themed products this week. I will post the designs as I create them, so feel free to check back in a few days! Is there something you'd like to see in my store? Send me an email.
Blog post contains affiliate links. For more information, please refer to my Disclosure Policy.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)