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HomePosts Tagged "roundup"

roundup Tag

Personal, Resources, Roundups

We have ALL been there. Days, weeks, or projects where there’s just nothing to grip onto upstairs. You scour the internet for inspiration, create mind maps and doodle out ideas, but find them all predictable; maybe even a little cliché. You start to question if creativity will ever locate you again, or worse – whether you ever had it to begin with. Oh, and this helpless feeling of creative block always happens at *the* worst possible time. Because it just wouldn’t make sense otherwise. Obviously.

So what can you do? Read on for 5 tips Spence and I have relied on throughout our creative careers to lift ourselves out of that inevitable rut.

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Fonts, Freebies, Hand Lettering, Resources, Roundups, Typography

If you love lettering and are ready to take things up a notch, converting your lettering into a font is a great next step! Not only will you experience typing with YOUR letters for the first time (nothing like it!), you can also sell your font(s) for some extra side hustle cash. But where do you begin? There are different types of software, plugins, automators..the whole process can seem overwhelming. I know it was for me, which is why I put together this clickable font making resources list with the exact software and tools I use to create and sell hand lettered fonts. You can grab it below and also read more about the process. If you’re looking for a full step-by-step course on how to create *and* sell hand lettered fonts, be sure to visit my course here!

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Crafts, Hand Lettering, Products, Resources, Roundups

One of my favorite parts about this year was experimenting with more art supplies than I ever have before. I definitely didn’t love everything I tried, but I do have a list of favorite art supplies from 2016. I thought it would be nice to compile them this week into one nice, review-like list. If you’re looking to try some new ones in 2017, I hope this will help with the decision making. Reading actual (unbiased) user reviews is always so helpful for me, so that’s exactly what I wanted to offer. See the full list below!

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Color, Crafts, Roundups, Textures

On Tuesday, we created extra unique watercolor textures using 3 simple and creative tricks. There’s something about the way colors blend together with water that’s kind of magical. One of my favorite indulgences is searching out abstract, beautifully colored textures and seeing how I can put my own spin on them. To keep those eye candy textures better organized, I’ve even started this pinterest board, too. In a follow up to Tuesday’s tutorial, I wanted to share 8 inspiring watercolor textures to light that extra spark if you needed a creative boost today 😉 I know there’s never a bad day to feast my eyes on these!

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Crafts, Roundups, Textures

On Tuesday, we got crafty with mixing watercolors with diy embossing. In my opinion, this is one the most self-satisfying diy design/craft activities out there. There’s something about watching that embossing powder come to life with heat, and it’s literally eye candy every time. Today I’m sharing 5 simple, (but impressive!) DIY embossing ideas that will give your greeting cards, gift tags, stationery and artwork an extra level of cool. 😉 Read on for step by steps, exact supplies used and photos for each!

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Hand Drawn, Hand Lettering, Products, Resources, Roundups, Typography

I experiment with new materials and supplies constantly for my (traditional) hand lettering. I would actually be scared to know how much time I’ve spent eyeing different hand lettering supplies (and reading their reviews) over on Amazon. I’ve invested in a lot of new ones this year and currently I have 5 favorites that I find myself always returning to and reordering. If you’re just starting out with lettering, or if you’re on the hunt for some new supplies but would like to read a real (almost every day) user review, here are my current top 5 favorite hand lettering supplies (totally unbiased, with no affiliation to any of em) 🙂

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Freebies, Photoshop, Resources, Roundups

In this past Tuesday’s tutorial, we walked through how quick and easy it is to create your own tshirt mockup in Photoshop. Sometimes time can get pretty short, though, and if you’re in a pinch for a nice mockup, luckily there are a bunch of apparel mockup resources peppered into the internet 🙂 This week I’m sharing a roundup of 5 free apparel mockups – (yep, free!) so you can get your mockup on in no time. Extra bonus: many of these sites have plenty of other kinds of mockups, too! Links and preview images below! 👇

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Hand Lettering, Roundups, Typography

With the release of my new class, Bounce Letters: Adding Character to your Hand Lettering this week, I thought it was only right to share a little bit of bounce lettering inspiration! I love how the bounce effect can really be used with any kind of lettering style. From quotes, to pantry labels, to plain old phrases, the addition of a bounce can give something plain or simple a pretty big personality. So grab a pen, paintbrush, marker, or crayon and put your new skills to work because you’re about to get hit with inspiration 😉 Click on any image below to be brought to its source!

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Branding, Resources, Roundups

In Full Time Graphic Design, we go over how a self promotion (a small sendable/gift or leave behind to briefly show the quality and style of your work) can take you far with influencing a potential employer to set up an interview or even get you hired. When I started my very first job out of college, on my very first day of work, the COO stopped by my desk, complimented my work and said he still had the promo I handed them at the job fair I attended months earlier (you can see the self promo I made in this video). So yea, definitely a powerful tool if you can fit it into your budget!

If creating a self promo is something you’re interested in, this week I wanted to share 5 unique and inspiring self promos that all work in different ways to get a designer’s style, skills and personality across quickly to the right person. Along with each piece, I’ve also included a tip to help your own self promos along. See them all below and click on any image to be brought to its source!

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Business, Resources, Roundups, Web Design

Things have changed quite a bit in the last 5 years. Back then, it was perfectly acceptable to attach a pdf (which you had a zillion different variations of) to an email, but that just isn’t the case anymore. Pdf portfolios are a dated way of portfolio delivery on top of taking up valuable space in a potential employer’s inbox. Enter the digital portfolio age where having an online digital portfolio presence is essential for a graphic designer. Luckily, you don’t have to be a programmer or a super nerd to get your work online and looking fine 😉

This week, I’m rounding up options to get your portfolio up as quickly as possible, looking as professional as possible, and collecting some nice SEO in the process. All of the options – free and for a fee – available below!

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Branding, Business, Resources, Roundups

If you had a chance to check out my graphic design story, you heard me mention that I wasn’t asked for my resume in past interviews. I want to clear something up though; that doesn’t mean I didn’t have one ready in case I was asked.

As a creative, a resume takes a big back seat to your actual portfolio, but every interviewer is different, and you want to make sure you’re always prepared, just in case. Because a resume falls so secondary during an interview, I would recommend spending as much time on your portfolio as possible and keeping your resume simple, clean, readable and to the point. This week, I’m rounding up 5 of my favorite *affordable* clean and creative resume templates that provide a terrific base for you to adjust and customize without starting from scratch (time much better spent on your portfolio). See them all below!

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Business, Products, Resources, Roundups

In Tuesday’s video, I shared my graphic design story and today I wanted to share what my current design workspace looks like, as well as some of my favorite desk items that I use every week, if not every day. I’ve definitely gone through my fair share of printers, tablets and computers, so listed below, you’ll find names and links to all of my top picks and why I chose and use what I do 🙂 I hope this helps anyone who may be on the fence with anything desk-related (I did a lot of thorough research before I started adding to cart, so I know how helpful a user review can be). I’m an open book, so if you have any questions about anything listed, feel free to ask!

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