tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52930664305104510222024-03-05T19:50:32.510-07:00darcylea design blogDarcy Hinrichshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09468490387919883409noreply@blogger.comBlogger80125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293066430510451022.post-37871845591893923602012-03-25T23:46:00.000-06:002012-03-25T23:46:49.060-06:00UnmaskedI had the honor of designing the invitations for this year’s prom for Potter-Dix High School (of course, my son, Ethan, sort of volunteered me! LOL) When I found out that the theme was a masquerade ball, I was excited about it. I originally was just voicing a few things out there such as getting masks and packaging them inside shallow boxes with a simple but elegant invitation. But, based on the budget, I realized that the shallow boxes were quickly eliminated and I had to come up with another idea. I also started thinking about the masks and how, while we could find some generic ones for little to nothing, I really wanted to do something spectacular. I remembered a friend, Marc Myer, had offered to help with some laser-cutting projects in the past and the idea to custom design a mask blossomed. So I contacted Marc and asked if he’d be interested to help me on the project. I was worried about the budget because it really didn’t have much wiggle room outside covering the costs of materials. But Marc went above and beyond and totally worked with me on it despite the budget limitations. On top of that, it was a very quick turnaround and I can’t possibly express my gratitude to him in getting them all done as fast as he did. I may have come up with the design for the masks but since it was a new experience, there were some ropes I had to learn and Marc was great helping me with it. Also, the laser-cutting was really what made this piece so beautiful and unique.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAYe6zMlvVtiboG846eYLfOcYREdkUrVBMuCQ5mPFM9m3dNSqB5nkBeNpk7Scq1DydNTEMS9Y9ucl7J_ckPjyCJLZfQGOEcoJp5ShGqCu5FGA0hqnMgFeX2yx3BCh_LBOD12FuC9c1zXQ/s1600/maskset1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAYe6zMlvVtiboG846eYLfOcYREdkUrVBMuCQ5mPFM9m3dNSqB5nkBeNpk7Scq1DydNTEMS9Y9ucl7J_ckPjyCJLZfQGOEcoJp5ShGqCu5FGA0hqnMgFeX2yx3BCh_LBOD12FuC9c1zXQ/s400/maskset1.jpg" width="298" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT8_gHyqWOok4B0Q6twdinZb0rnuUyaEaqTLaauaFcmWYozDtjZBJzAPzYiJq54aMEtQ-ZKFKKx_rhHX206HQY2RN5bvF9rq6XsRg0cE6VliS_AVotHSPyxzU-EzvigsmW5PaeXttf1jw/s1600/mask1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT8_gHyqWOok4B0Q6twdinZb0rnuUyaEaqTLaauaFcmWYozDtjZBJzAPzYiJq54aMEtQ-ZKFKKx_rhHX206HQY2RN5bvF9rq6XsRg0cE6VliS_AVotHSPyxzU-EzvigsmW5PaeXttf1jw/s400/mask1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Since the shallow boxes were way too expensive, I had to try and figure out what else we might be able to come up with to hold the invitations and the laser-cut masks. I looked at envelopes and thought about creating wraparound-labels. But then I remembered that I had a template for a pillow-pack and was able to resize it to suit the size needs I had for the invites and masks. I printed all of the pillow-packs and invites out on some heavy-duty natural cardstock from Stampin’ UP! and hand trimmed, scored, folded and assembled them all myself. My wrists were a bit achy for a few days, but when all of the pieces came together, it was well worth it!<br />
The Junior Class at Potter-Dix High School loved the mask design so much that they enlarged the design and painted it as their backdrop for photos during prom. What an awesome surprise to see that! I was (still am) so very honored by this. It turned out so beautiful and I am very happy that I was able to contribute to such an important high school experience. It really touched my heart!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgctu5fyVVVPlxxl3p7stUzT-9IoIHdvR42Pu4RV9DableV8LbflefcmcmGnVAQLrIIuBCkvTR4YJaVvGbmbVbobuOY0CFIE1XE26nhx2YGyrS6Y2R4oBXJWkKg7SPOxUdpFt-c8ILhq-g/s1600/422877_10150582285347452_625097451_9057287_223938619_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgctu5fyVVVPlxxl3p7stUzT-9IoIHdvR42Pu4RV9DableV8LbflefcmcmGnVAQLrIIuBCkvTR4YJaVvGbmbVbobuOY0CFIE1XE26nhx2YGyrS6Y2R4oBXJWkKg7SPOxUdpFt-c8ILhq-g/s400/422877_10150582285347452_625097451_9057287_223938619_n.jpg" width="400" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> The only thing that could have (and did) beat that moment was while I was taking a break from tending to filling the punch bowl, my son came and asked me to dance with him. To a slow song. At prom. I’ll never forget that. It was definitely a special moment to me, he’ll never ever know. <img alt=";)" class="wp-smiley" src="http://s1.wp.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_wink.gif?m=1336659725g" /></div>Darcy Hinrichshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09468490387919883409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293066430510451022.post-79928297263048095612012-01-29T22:03:00.000-07:002012-01-29T22:03:42.580-07:00Well, Tickle Our Whiskers....<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNsCgIIbQ6Tvcg3Twxtx2QuTfcuVVQ4gEe1lnXBQ_b55WOYNgC5DeeCh-cblrn5jZlHrw0SPUJ6TbKFPFrvu8VsDyrYKMDho6QDgh3HbQyZBovxKit_7XheN6BdEHsxi1rYvLNmCaHK-E/s1600/invite.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="287" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNsCgIIbQ6Tvcg3Twxtx2QuTfcuVVQ4gEe1lnXBQ_b55WOYNgC5DeeCh-cblrn5jZlHrw0SPUJ6TbKFPFrvu8VsDyrYKMDho6QDgh3HbQyZBovxKit_7XheN6BdEHsxi1rYvLNmCaHK-E/s400/invite.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
My little girl is growing up way way too fast! It's official, she's now a teenager. I can't believe how fast time has flown by. It seems like yesterday, we were celebrating her 10th birthday with fun Taylor Swift backstage passes that I made for the invites (which are still my favorite!) That experience was awesome but there is something to be said about the craziness of thirteen-year old girls! Oh my! My daughter chose to have a 'Mustache Bash' as her theme. What a crazy girl! It is a fun fad that seems to have hit everywhere but I never would have imagined my daughter wanting to have a party revolving around facial hair! But it was a blast!<br />
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I created the invites with my daughter instructing me what she wanted much like an art director. LOL She wanted her invites to have a mustache that her friends could cut out if they wanted and we also added a funny QR-code that we loaded with a funny YouTube video called "The Mustache Rap"! Granted, I am not sure how many of her friends had the capabilities to scan the code, but she insisted that it would be fun to add.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpzppyoETwehA6IEjFqcx0k85RmZMwzCTte2IH3Atny6-wTyUD3PJ8EzaJMegATPt0dXHztvbhgG4zAtMZ_PUQwQbU5hglaMI34UrHJu-u7SOiPAiykmti4JiJA8Gkd4w0mwRTHRpgaew/s1600/funnyfaces.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpzppyoETwehA6IEjFqcx0k85RmZMwzCTte2IH3Atny6-wTyUD3PJ8EzaJMegATPt0dXHztvbhgG4zAtMZ_PUQwQbU5hglaMI34UrHJu-u7SOiPAiykmti4JiJA8Gkd4w0mwRTHRpgaew/s1600/funnyfaces.jpg" /></a></div><br />
I don't know about the rest of you but I am addicted to Pinterest. There are so many awesome things on there...fun recipes, inspirational quotes, ideas for design, fashion tips, party ideas, etc. I just LOVE it! Anyhow, I found so many great ideas for photo props on there. I really wish that I had a machine to custom laser cut because I could have done some really amazing things! But in any case, I think that considering, I did a pretty bang-up job and the girls absolutely loved playing with the props and taking photos. Of course, I also added some other fun props like feather boas, a big puffy hat, sunglasses, wigs...the girls had a blast!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit98R9LjJRJomAtN5CP0BUA3yzaBSktZIYk7YPLNpaGjK3FXXgCIrgXhXWya2NNLBtRisG2_Usl31DGC4-mnb9Jlpucftf3eSc4fouGafhTUUvYOI6NAno7W94Pwtltvv-zTU3xybYW0Q/s1600/rainbowcake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit98R9LjJRJomAtN5CP0BUA3yzaBSktZIYk7YPLNpaGjK3FXXgCIrgXhXWya2NNLBtRisG2_Usl31DGC4-mnb9Jlpucftf3eSc4fouGafhTUUvYOI6NAno7W94Pwtltvv-zTU3xybYW0Q/s1600/rainbowcake.jpg" /></a></div><br />
The cake turned out pretty awesome, too...especially considering that MOI made it! Yes, ME! LOL I saw an idea a few years ago to make a really bold rainbow colored cake and had wanted to do it since but just hadn't until now. I decided that it would be so cool to make a cake in the shape of a mustache and use black frosting (which was very interesting watching the kids eat, by the way!) and then cut into it to reveal a blast of bold color! It was awesome! I am so proud of myself! hahahaha The goody bags were white lunch sacks that featured bow ties and I also cut out mustaches and punched a hole where I threaded a bendy straw through and inserted into the back of the bags. It turned out so cute! My daughter said that this was probably her most favorite birthday ever! When a mom puts as much work into a party like this, that really makes you feel great to hear words like that! :)<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih4ilU1a8Y21JvgsBfIL_us2gWjgY05kdKclAjBNmwnjl1HIlOeSY-DwVzxBhtn6WLa37SnpNuvMnJIjGLhwu2MDC0hF-qHgYbpM9ltv1GdnK-JQ5-xNb17ar0E1n1nDh8npts5E-Ku3g/s1600/408290_10150469627472452_625097451_8729767_1623336585_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih4ilU1a8Y21JvgsBfIL_us2gWjgY05kdKclAjBNmwnjl1HIlOeSY-DwVzxBhtn6WLa37SnpNuvMnJIjGLhwu2MDC0hF-qHgYbpM9ltv1GdnK-JQ5-xNb17ar0E1n1nDh8npts5E-Ku3g/s400/408290_10150469627472452_625097451_8729767_1623336585_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Darcy Hinrichshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09468490387919883409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293066430510451022.post-64855931429270371732012-01-10T23:41:00.000-07:002012-01-10T23:41:08.038-07:00Goodbye, 2011! Hello, 2012!I haven't posted on here for awhile...we've been so busy with work, football, basketball, school concerts, and a bunch of other things that I just haven't had a chance to really do much on the computer aside from my regular 8-5. I will say that I am pretty glad to put 2011 behind us. I won't say it was a horrible year but it really wasn't the best. But I have high hopes for 2012! I've been thinking a lot about some goals I have and want to see myself working towards this year. And if I can stay focused and motivated, I think some great things can definitely happen!<br />
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I thought I'd share my Christmas card design. I didn't get to send out as many as I had hoped, but I guess that considering all that I had going on, I am pretty happy that I got anything designed in the first place! I was very tempted to go out and just buy a box of cards somewhere. But this little voice kept saying "Blasphemy! You're a designer! Not only that but a stationery designer!" So I made a point to come up with something to stuff a sock in the mouth of that little voice! LOL One thing that I will note about my design- I was so angry with all the commercialism around this year. It seemed so "in your face" this year and it drove me crazy. Commercials spit out gawdy jewelry commercials and tacky car commercials. And Best Buy probably had the WORST. Game On, Santa??? Really??? Shame on them!!! So anyhow, I was thinking about the Grinch and how he learned that there was more to Christmas than what he thought there was...more to it than one could buy from a store. So that's the direction I took. The inside of the card read, "May the true meaning of Christmas give you the strength and love throughout the year!"<br />
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In any case, I hope that everyone had a great holiday season! And I am happy to say that while I enjoyed every bit of mine, I am so very glad that it is OVER! LOL<br />
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Currently, I am working on a fun project for my daughter's 13th birthday. She has been bothering me for months that she wanted to have a Mustache party. I was going to let her have one around Halloween but that ended up not happening. So I promised she could have one for her birthday. We just finished up her invites tonight and I am in the process of creating stuff for her party. It's going to be so much fun! I am actually excited to see it all pull together! I will post pics from her party in a couple of weeks! Stay tuned!Darcy Hinrichshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09468490387919883409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293066430510451022.post-90913428626017358152011-09-27T08:50:00.003-06:002011-09-27T09:38:38.497-06:00Sundance Wedding: Kelly & Marvin<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlIyTsLlUn3y3mVPtO6ohMan-8YgWAbwQqd-eC8LgaiQGH8lLxXutI7XCps891MXmlnVXyVOl6rRGKFv-RWNxEdO6lA8QT5tiv17451YWj5OdomXp_-V-t3sQNnCYDDfTBQi5b4asOCzk/s1600/cake.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlIyTsLlUn3y3mVPtO6ohMan-8YgWAbwQqd-eC8LgaiQGH8lLxXutI7XCps891MXmlnVXyVOl6rRGKFv-RWNxEdO6lA8QT5tiv17451YWj5OdomXp_-V-t3sQNnCYDDfTBQi5b4asOCzk/s400/cake.JPG" width="400" /> </a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I recently went to Salt Lake City and helped a very dear friend, Kelly Parke, with her wedding. She was in the middle of moving from across the country among other things and had so much stuff going on, I offered to help with flowers and decor. Her colors were soft and pretty- peach, coral, eggplant with hints of blue and she loved the idea of incorporating lace into the details. Trying to save on the budget, I used various sizes of mason jars and wrapped lace around the top. It's amazing the versatility that mason jars offer! We used them for vases for flowers and also placed tealights in the smaller jars. They turned out so pretty! I also used paper doilies to make lacy buntings that hung by the cake table and also the </span><span style="font-size: small;">hors d'oeuvres table. I loved these. Very simple, inexpensive but I think it really added that special touch. Kelly's bouquet and her attendants' flowers turned out gorgeous. I am really proud at how beautiful and fabulous they were. The groom and all his men sported pretty little boutonnieres, too. The cake was made by <a href="http://www.onesweetslice.com/">One Sweet Slice</a> in Salt Lake City. They did a beautiful job. The cake was absolutely gorgeous! I had the nerve-wracking job of getting it safely to the resort. I was so worried it was going to tip over and was very relieved when we finally arrived at the resort and the cake was safely carried out of my vehicle and inside. Whew! </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Kelly's mother could not attend the wedding due to health reasons, unfortunately, but because we live in such an awesome digital age, they were able to skype her in so she could watch as though she were there. I know it meant the world to my friend for her mom to be there and even though she couldn't be there in person, it was so nice to see that they were still able to bring her there virtually. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">The ceremony and reception were fairly short but sweet. It was in a very beautiful location, at the <a href="http://www.sundanceresort.com/">Sundance Resort</a> the with gorgeous mountain backdrops, the smell of crisp mountain air. I couldn't have picked a better setting! The only thing that I could have wished for was more time to have spent there! Kimber Tabor did the photography for Kelly & Marvin (no...these are not her photos because I am sure hers turned out far better than mine!) and I want to send a special shout out to everyone who was so great helping me set things up and tear things down, especially Dale, Amey, Tristan, Bekah, Neleigh, Jack, Jon and Kristal. Your help was very much appreciated and helped make the day magical for Kelly & Marvin! Thank you!!!</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Prep work for centerpieces. Don't they look so beautiful all together like that?</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Reserved seating at the ceremony</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNEYZQw1dgHZYSiV3jICU9eUniLqPat3LNo5ppflAZUb34LXFtjYR_2-ZBIL2TDC4q1aaimKkh6k2EazQlqnnoEVS6JNpifuvMssTcevkpZTuM3oq0BP9LJ7TVbN2Tg5mNZ7tfLWxbdBc/s1600/photo.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNEYZQw1dgHZYSiV3jICU9eUniLqPat3LNo5ppflAZUb34LXFtjYR_2-ZBIL2TDC4q1aaimKkh6k2EazQlqnnoEVS6JNpifuvMssTcevkpZTuM3oq0BP9LJ7TVbN2Tg5mNZ7tfLWxbdBc/s400/photo.JPG" width="298" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Kelly's bouquet- this turned out so very beautiful!</span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhujoXnxuAltvB_HefiK0cyEQp3vEEv6pQWLGgPQs7p8H_fMowpjqp3g8LEGpKdm7brEzQCiqmhBMSVJHq9GyAVCIWJd1Pf22sDMRAhUwCdNV42npKsCmW4wIxRqVYHfOMPOYOdlBwW5K8/s1600/happygirls.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhujoXnxuAltvB_HefiK0cyEQp3vEEv6pQWLGgPQs7p8H_fMowpjqp3g8LEGpKdm7brEzQCiqmhBMSVJHq9GyAVCIWJd1Pf22sDMRAhUwCdNV42npKsCmW4wIxRqVYHfOMPOYOdlBwW5K8/s400/happygirls.JPG" width="400" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Kelly with her two daughters- one of my most favorite photos from the day!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVv0Se5pkzxNUd6IG6akcN_i6V-LYRRiZ8lFPLXUbV8X4nEjmH7TotHlGeCBItcDZbLbx-3OdRkHy6XXXnQFB5qpBusezIWTe3rgfNt9b6KJNi6LnUXKIdgKhktxMCmVlujsEECOSc6Fw/s1600/flowers1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVv0Se5pkzxNUd6IG6akcN_i6V-LYRRiZ8lFPLXUbV8X4nEjmH7TotHlGeCBItcDZbLbx-3OdRkHy6XXXnQFB5qpBusezIWTe3rgfNt9b6KJNi6LnUXKIdgKhktxMCmVlujsEECOSc6Fw/s400/flowers1.JPG" width="400" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Table centerpieces</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiAlP54LCEzJ02iDlhR5TlLkVzC0LOMBmoKcEvGFeS2aJZ-NNOURwk2hJcZ5S_37B1nuGdJlHsDmukcIZL7qAeNlRperlNAml-oSAvyo4zB41Gw9PpCTFI_1fG16X8XPPZMy1sdEExOTg/s1600/waterbottles.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiAlP54LCEzJ02iDlhR5TlLkVzC0LOMBmoKcEvGFeS2aJZ-NNOURwk2hJcZ5S_37B1nuGdJlHsDmukcIZL7qAeNlRperlNAml-oSAvyo4zB41Gw9PpCTFI_1fG16X8XPPZMy1sdEExOTg/s400/waterbottles.JPG" width="400" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Pretty little water bottles</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2aCpYT94u5AF-g-4EHk2_6L3iK0ClupxU97vtBIj2J15NSPQTTXIJexq83sreFfYOBdVaDEUgg2DO47xSx6obciMSFhoLZn-qUJrfRG8NoCHqZfagBMx9AV_dtJIy9mrpvhyphenhyphentA9Mr5No/s1600/flowers4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2aCpYT94u5AF-g-4EHk2_6L3iK0ClupxU97vtBIj2J15NSPQTTXIJexq83sreFfYOBdVaDEUgg2DO47xSx6obciMSFhoLZn-qUJrfRG8NoCHqZfagBMx9AV_dtJIy9mrpvhyphenhyphentA9Mr5No/s400/flowers4.JPG" width="400" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Table centerpieces</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjol4TJYiwxcJfOtXZ8IcJIwwmyL1hWQoC3jGhTUQFz8rQW4jA7SQTgTXrZ6XQT7sm9OygCv8usFcd8LrpK79FVQuSzQHYfRrGovB9BqVNaRm1M7Ehm3woEgVxyGuk7dYidD3XPnyDxIhE/s1600/cakecutting.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjol4TJYiwxcJfOtXZ8IcJIwwmyL1hWQoC3jGhTUQFz8rQW4jA7SQTgTXrZ6XQT7sm9OygCv8usFcd8LrpK79FVQuSzQHYfRrGovB9BqVNaRm1M7Ehm3woEgVxyGuk7dYidD3XPnyDxIhE/s400/cakecutting.JPG" width="400" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Cake cutting!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6c4koCvu9mbGZUFboFRmmgJKJZ4_iCUPbXw1nKAr8xw4GtDx3boq9IO2arMXXCuuYkYBzY5trPQz4R29qGuE8zwvtqLRpwA9yv1euBlZh-Yx-jQ4mQvjLkLkb_3bXtk6MvvrZtJ47d4k/s1600/creek.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6c4koCvu9mbGZUFboFRmmgJKJZ4_iCUPbXw1nKAr8xw4GtDx3boq9IO2arMXXCuuYkYBzY5trPQz4R29qGuE8zwvtqLRpwA9yv1euBlZh-Yx-jQ4mQvjLkLkb_3bXtk6MvvrZtJ47d4k/s400/creek.JPG" width="298" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Beautiful!</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPC_1higqbg4bUnz3puSsrI0ZWZ7OIH8VjgQiusgdNDMSN_Y0bGls6Q6zSBDWgBCgIpvh_iMPNZvJOyv0PFRc8538RTgiq31r3TXnmHxdwWnCmquNz8kdPZReScwHrGJS17kfYzavJeww/s1600/stairs.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPC_1higqbg4bUnz3puSsrI0ZWZ7OIH8VjgQiusgdNDMSN_Y0bGls6Q6zSBDWgBCgIpvh_iMPNZvJOyv0PFRc8538RTgiq31r3TXnmHxdwWnCmquNz8kdPZReScwHrGJS17kfYzavJeww/s400/stairs.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I wish Kelly and her new husband, Marvin, much happiness and love as they move forward in their new lives together. I am so very glad that I was able to share such an important day with them and am honored that Kelly included me in the planning of her big day and trusted in me to bring elements that could make her day more special. </span></div>Darcy Hinrichshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09468490387919883409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293066430510451022.post-8452294291706031632011-09-01T16:49:00.002-06:002011-09-01T16:53:22.835-06:00Don't be Angry! It's a Party!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMR1kUY6e_SO9lI9Oi1kc5RFf9W8Y8hjBheQaw6hxGjiO0iRWfjthzej-h3qTGUId7tgM2Ui20_0ykXBdIvSVVibMXO_08EAAfz8mEjiS7baCLAjGcTjk-NvwnMp4Ek4Rz9ZfwTlNdhbI/s1600/290274_10150745777215411_288210640410_20172811_1517751_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMR1kUY6e_SO9lI9Oi1kc5RFf9W8Y8hjBheQaw6hxGjiO0iRWfjthzej-h3qTGUId7tgM2Ui20_0ykXBdIvSVVibMXO_08EAAfz8mEjiS7baCLAjGcTjk-NvwnMp4Ek4Rz9ZfwTlNdhbI/s320/290274_10150745777215411_288210640410_20172811_1517751_o.jpg" width="239" /></a></div>So it's been awhile since I posted anything on here. (I know, I know...) But I have had one busy schedule and it seems as though my blog tends to get put on the backburner a lot.<br />
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Anyhow, I wanted to share this fun birthday party with you...my niece just turned 5 a couple of weeks ago and is totally into Angry Birds (but who isn't?! LOL) So she wanted an Angry Bird party. So I stepped in and helped make it happen! I designed the invitations for her party, made mini candybar wrappers, water bottle labels, goody bag tags....I found some free vector images off the internet for <a href="http://www.freevectorsdaily.com/angry-birds-vector/">Angry Birds</a> to help make it possible. My sister bought some cupcake toppers and liners from Etsy before I had the chance to really look into making them. Oh well...I printed them out and used a scalloped circle punch which worked really nice. The toppers looked cute on the cupcakes my sister made. (Who thought they looked very Christmas-y until everything was pulled together! LOL) I used the little green pig images for the mini candybar wrappers. They turned out so cute...a bowl full of naughty green pigs! I printed out a bunch of different birds and pigs at various sizes and hung them up along with balloons. Since the theme consists of pretty much primary colors, it was easy to find things like table cloths, napkins, plates and napkins, etc. to pull it together. For food, my sister and brother-in-law whipped up some yummy shish-kabobs and hot dogs and brats. We also served Green Pig Punch to the kids. My sister also bought a blue bird pinata that the kids were able to take a whack at and bust apart. I think it was a success!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPhyB_Q8HMJzST2TVu3wOxUSco5q7l-fREAAjn-KLUjVs4y1yKWRutc0gWAQGqamN2ZOVNGVdHhDslqAqpMxwcBpnJXyWk5uMPvP1Hk9fxZ9NtVXmHbsdGWwrczKvXAoJSmu3KSmNZouM/s1600/290274_10150745777220411_288210640410_20172812_2985519_o.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPhyB_Q8HMJzST2TVu3wOxUSco5q7l-fREAAjn-KLUjVs4y1yKWRutc0gWAQGqamN2ZOVNGVdHhDslqAqpMxwcBpnJXyWk5uMPvP1Hk9fxZ9NtVXmHbsdGWwrczKvXAoJSmu3KSmNZouM/s320/290274_10150745777220411_288210640410_20172812_2985519_o.jpg" width="320" /> </a></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYUDrMsCdQsCnpCDkqqTUTHyWGi5P9TJmVUPotfkMNCpEFsUB6IDWNWTwnUm2nAHU5ApUPZvT19WJfiI7HChmqvCrqPiCuTOuhlEHNk9Bhc-SvKZd8f22kCVaSeB91D-6EzXaffn0yDPk/s1600/290274_10150745777225411_288210640410_20172813_3116745_o.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYUDrMsCdQsCnpCDkqqTUTHyWGi5P9TJmVUPotfkMNCpEFsUB6IDWNWTwnUm2nAHU5ApUPZvT19WJfiI7HChmqvCrqPiCuTOuhlEHNk9Bhc-SvKZd8f22kCVaSeB91D-6EzXaffn0yDPk/s320/290274_10150745777225411_288210640410_20172813_3116745_o.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOi5XR0PIT3HzOyWvKhQAtgX0M911A3-Bg1cl_9CHjelP2oVMYSDXVeVBQ8ao2RTda_hkX0vi81ero-sVNQCiD1nKr4PXIwVQxgU4hdFMxTnbOxjtzjwlBsvUn9m6Y2pz3wlra_RI3wpk/s1600/290274_10150745777235411_288210640410_20172815_6040686_o.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOi5XR0PIT3HzOyWvKhQAtgX0M911A3-Bg1cl_9CHjelP2oVMYSDXVeVBQ8ao2RTda_hkX0vi81ero-sVNQCiD1nKr4PXIwVQxgU4hdFMxTnbOxjtzjwlBsvUn9m6Y2pz3wlra_RI3wpk/s320/290274_10150745777235411_288210640410_20172815_6040686_o.jpg" width="239" /></a></div>Darcy Hinrichshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09468490387919883409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293066430510451022.post-76659117253617198042011-06-10T14:17:00.002-06:002011-06-10T14:23:17.762-06:00It's Just FUN...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg97pynVraNGzTOoCzuGi6qp2-DtA6kzNPDBBMPfNklZ2lvbNVoLrUkKCJbRtWudSi72csJKTFc04Vpv1DMRDcP25cSbc7iboNpH6d_pfU-aD3bi4l-cTFRydR1hz82VWvdsZdXAnKq7Kc/s1600/ghandi-l.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.n8w.com/image/art/is_stress_ruining_your_life/"><img border="0" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2S3IsNcqzfia_EyiX0rl4Lp3LGwntHk7PM18CKU4MlDJGrgjBimRdNcyA2o77JJZ_TcZoK3sZ69-jvK6ChXbVoP4B_aiRwzXnnU_oLSpLRASbhAOhMlTCDRwAV8clbKKzCwFpa_g8yGQ/s320/is_stress_ruining_your_life-l.png" width="320" /></a></div><br />
I haven't posted anything on my blog for awhile. I've just been so super crazy busy that I honestly haven't had a free moment to really get it done. And while I would love to write a novel about all the stuff I've been doing, things I have been working on, I really just want to keep this light and fun and try to get back into the groove of posting stuff...and I really want to try and incorporate work that inspires me, stuff that I love, information that I think is worth sharing, and so forth. With that said...I want to share some work by one of my favorite illustrators: <a href="http://www.n8w.com/newweb/index.php">Nate Williams</a> (Note: the above image on the right side actually feels like my life right now if that helps you to visualize the craziness!!! I need to make it more like the image on the left side!!!)<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.n8w.com/newweb/image/art/the_weathersteins/"><img border="0" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdkVJ6PXi8vLGWnIS11bIgZLjpb2rB7zlocFjDk3cUrRcQf0qpbgfeQ0x5PsC6xBUt-Yft5q8-MaRR8L-hfxwprvjYcan5uZlyisWqP9sRs1E2YnEBOyOyA0Jg9fUSPKyhgnjGa07CC8U/s320/the_weathersteins-l.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.n8w.com/image/art/brooks_running_shoes/"><img border="0" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwjcNxjQfVDHQZ3WSReNRO7De00oWy5txCjhnnekpd0lBGY8LYLgbClVQMuKILYuE7eUVjnYf-jWwsyDe-YmswJJGTGSzlJorCqsahM3nTrkBmUHkS-BAcL8RLuDzPFYPYvtC2CjTABz0/s320/brooks_running_shoes-l.png" width="320" /></a></div><br />
I think that one of my most favorite things about Nate Williams' work is that its loose, free, and just plain ol' fun! I love looking at his work. I love how crazy it is, wacky and wild. I look at some of my little doodles and sketches and I can see how some of his work has reflected on me. I say that as a compliment to Nate, of course! Well, I hope it is a compliment....<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.n8w.com/image/art/ghandi/"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg97pynVraNGzTOoCzuGi6qp2-DtA6kzNPDBBMPfNklZ2lvbNVoLrUkKCJbRtWudSi72csJKTFc04Vpv1DMRDcP25cSbc7iboNpH6d_pfU-aD3bi4l-cTFRydR1hz82VWvdsZdXAnKq7Kc/s320/ghandi-l.png" width="231" /></a></div><br />
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Anyhow- it's Friday and it's mid-afternoon. I needed a break and this was perfect. I was actually looking at Nate's site and I found this image of the boy with the chalkboard relating to bullying. This gripped me because my own kids have had to deal with some bullying this year. Not on the physical or aggressive level but more on the emotional, psychological level. And no matter how it comes, bullying just, well, sucks. But I love this illustration by Nate Williams because it sort of turns things around and pokes fun at the mean bullies. (and I have to laugh and wonder but is it just me or do most illustrations of bullies always seem to portray these portly, freckle-faced, pig-nosed, snaggle-tooth boys with striped shirts? Just a funny observation...)<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.n8w.com/image/art/hand_drawn_chalkboard/"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitP9S70G7dMjwLL5DmzSbt72ubu4PJNEIKop7Vsy7N-FHf_rH3ZpwV4G7IAtVfRL_Btd1UGPg_432sRJtFat1JhXIbGDkevTchpWxiZnYXMEaAv4pWLSVwLFxHsAL5er6buc5AwiDQeJE/s320/hand_drawn_chalkboard-l.png" width="320" /></a></div>Darcy Hinrichshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09468490387919883409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293066430510451022.post-81505048676908775062011-04-22T09:34:00.000-06:002011-04-22T09:34:26.318-06:00Gift CertificatesThis last week, I donated some items to the Potter-Dix High School Music Dept. for a fundraiser that was held during a concert that they put on. Various items were raffled off. I donated 3 gift certificates valued at $20 each that ended up getting bundled with some greeting card sets and a few other misc. items. I have a feeling that because of the way that they were bundled with other items, the gift certificates weren't really noticed or taken into much account. So I wanted to mention something about it on here in hopes that whoever won the gift certificates will know this and will take advantage of them. I'd hate for them to be undervalued and tossed aside! So if you are one of the lucky winners, please contact me!Darcy Hinrichshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09468490387919883409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293066430510451022.post-5830872234032052012011-04-13T12:05:00.000-06:002011-04-13T12:05:28.394-06:00Duck, Duck, TWO!This weekend is my niece, Christine's second birthday party. I can't believe she's going to be two! But then again, I can't believe that my oldest is sixteen! (yes...I said SIXTEEN. <gasp!>)</gasp!><br />
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Anyhow...I just wanted to share this cute lil duckie invite that I made for Christine. Simple and sweet. I wonder how much her mom and dad would appreciate me bringing her a real duckie? Mwahahahaha...<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFJscnxlnvnraHu06lmR1UQGyZbsuQsonAZCOeiAThpTYfoLKlAR7SJnzWhax8ihnC1-WXfLwy7nhY9AVwN_Z7A_KnLf5MaFPgiSHQ-gFuD5m7jVltnqSaoc9aarN6HotdSv6WDblP44s/s1600/Christine_Two_blur.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFJscnxlnvnraHu06lmR1UQGyZbsuQsonAZCOeiAThpTYfoLKlAR7SJnzWhax8ihnC1-WXfLwy7nhY9AVwN_Z7A_KnLf5MaFPgiSHQ-gFuD5m7jVltnqSaoc9aarN6HotdSv6WDblP44s/s400/Christine_Two_blur.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>Darcy Hinrichshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09468490387919883409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293066430510451022.post-87987439427103556592011-04-11T16:59:00.002-06:002011-04-11T17:02:57.699-06:00Letterpress Fun @ Meadowlark Creative<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOgO9t5ErcSn8LMiX6qZhpB2BFrgtzIzoDkFCrersoSyD-tx1p97fYWNnfUEwmZb8D-89y6vQHqVXpBFXahj3mUEuNpn1hYdTtEkpleKkOP0jThrHsDBouPtX62RovrXCEO_RD436mTmo/s1600/Picture+9.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOgO9t5ErcSn8LMiX6qZhpB2BFrgtzIzoDkFCrersoSyD-tx1p97fYWNnfUEwmZb8D-89y6vQHqVXpBFXahj3mUEuNpn1hYdTtEkpleKkOP0jThrHsDBouPtX62RovrXCEO_RD436mTmo/s320/Picture+9.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo courtesy of Meadowlark Creative</td></tr>
</tbody></table>I had the opportunity to attend a small letterpress workshop at <a href="http://meadowlarkcreative.com/">Meadowlark Creative</a> in Fort Collins, CO this past Saturday. I've been a longtime fan of letterpress and have been wanting to find someone near me that offered workshops or would at least allow me to visit and watch. I asked around and most of the places I contacted either didn't respond or I got emails suggesting I apply for an internship. Well, as much as I would love to do an internship, considering that I am a busy mom of four, work full-time and live 3 hours from the printshops that gave me the suggestions...it just isn't a feasible option for me. Luckily, when I found Meadowlark Creative and asked, they were much more receptive to the workshop idea. And when they scheduled workshops, they contacted me and let me know so I could jump in. And I did...and am I so glad of it!<br />
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Meadowlark Creative was receptive when I asked to use my own design work to create plates for the business card workshop I chose to attend. I revamped my design for my business card a bit and as much as I loved my previous letterpress cards, I really wanted to redo them for this workshop. My new cards were printed using a blind pass for the woodgrain and then a second pass in metallic purplish color. I really really love how they turned out. They're gorgeous! <br />
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And...I still want to get my very own letterpress shop and this workshop definitely enhanced that desire. In the meantime, I really do want to jump on any opportunity that comes my way (and that I can seek out) to do more hands-on letterpress work like this. I am so very grateful to Shelby at Meadowlark Creative for working with me on these cards. I am so thankful for this workshop that she put together and I really hope that I can work with her some more in the future. My head is already thinking up ideas for another letterpress project down the road...it would be fun! <span style="font-size: x-small;">(photos courtesy of <a href="http://www.meadowlarkcreative.com/">Meadowlark Creative</a>)</span><br />
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</div>Darcy Hinrichshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09468490387919883409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293066430510451022.post-44935575395080193982011-04-07T15:46:00.003-06:002011-04-07T15:53:53.479-06:00Okay, NOW I have iPad envy!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF0SHD_yaZwL8fy_9stF0KkNM8rsM7AjxJV8stBrPV8-h8zaYw1DIzg52M8pbFVXXpYz8f0ndg0SPKwz5JTrAKUOl99nfyloY8tyEaGWgD0a3CP3kmm205626qng6Mpley28NIp8tMEGw/s1600/apple-ipad-3-million.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF0SHD_yaZwL8fy_9stF0KkNM8rsM7AjxJV8stBrPV8-h8zaYw1DIzg52M8pbFVXXpYz8f0ndg0SPKwz5JTrAKUOl99nfyloY8tyEaGWgD0a3CP3kmm205626qng6Mpley28NIp8tMEGw/s320/apple-ipad-3-million.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
I will admit that I've wanted an iPad for quite some time. Well, since they came out, actually. But I just couldn't ever justify spending the money on what seemed like a big iTouch. I have an iTouch. Love it. It's my most favorite gadget I own. I use it every single day for so many different things. When I'm lazy and don't feel like sitting behind a computer at home, I'll use it to check email or social networking. But I use it for other things, too. Recipes, games, calculator, address book, to take photos (and I have a lot of different really cool camera apps!), even record videos. I also have my music on there as well as a few movies and tv shows. But even with the justification of how much I use my iTouch and how handy it is, I just haven't been able to bring myself to splurge on an iPad. One of the biggest drawbacks has been it's size. Why would I give up my handy iTouch that I can run with, stick in my pocket and go for something that would definitely be more cumbersome? I have relatives that own iPads. Even my mom has an iPad. The screens are bigger but other than that, to me they have just seemed like giant iTouches.<br />
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But lately, I have been hearing of more and more people investing in iPads to use at work with all of the new handy apps that are now available out there for multitude of things. People are using them to show portfolios. And today, I saw this video (below) of a guy using an app to sketch. And I mean REALLY sketch as if on paper...but with the functionality of a program like Photoshop with layers. There have been times where I have thought how handy it would be to be able to have "layers" in my sketchbook when I have tried something and wished I wouldn't have. There is no Ctrl+Z in a paper sketchbook. Wait, I take that back. There is...it's called an eraser. But there are times that even an eraser won't work. And it is THIS app...THIS functionality that has me sold. I want an iPad now. I have a multitude of sketchbooks laying around. I have never been one to use just one sketchbook and use it page by page to the very end. I've been more like grabbing a sketchbook, opening to a blank page and sketching. I have sticky notes and office memos with sketches and doodles all over. Wouldn't it be awesome if I were to utilize an iPad to take over? I could sketch on the iPad and if I want to take it further, I have it digitally ready....<br />
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The next dilemma...I need to start saving up now, don't I?!<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="306" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/4usR3DiMAik" title="YouTube video player" width="490"></iframe>Darcy Hinrichshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09468490387919883409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293066430510451022.post-53678045501153346122011-04-07T01:03:00.000-06:002011-04-07T01:03:16.240-06:00Vegas Love, Love, Love...I just recently finished up designs for a very old and very dear friend, Lisa and her fiance, Steve. They are getting married in Vegas in May but then having a big reception in June for most of those who would be unable to attend their Vegas wedding. (And as much as I would LOVE to go to their Vegas wedding, especially since I've never been there...I am going to be one of those who will have to help celebrate at their reception...) Anyhow- I am very honored that they came to me to design their invites for their special day as it really meant a lot to me!<br />
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The invitations and reception cards were designed to replicate playing cards. The designs feature fancy flourishes, a beautiful script font that is both elegant and sassy, and colors that are rich and vibrant. They are printed on a beautiful linen cover stock and trimed with rounded corners. I wanted to give the pieces a more sophisticated look and feel with the linen paper. I think that it was a perfect choice. The envelopes are French Paper Poptone in Razzleberry with customized labels to match the invitations.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_xGvjD3EAXTKJkULJhZf7g_B2JoSi5sV46Htd3VEoQYii8P0RiP67d6_TPr2q1M2E0iKO5Dir7N4LO2iO0rkPqMGun4QjJy0le93v0QE1QbJhIEgQvpwtBF7vnYZ08AizkinrGykKITM/s1600/DSC03452.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_xGvjD3EAXTKJkULJhZf7g_B2JoSi5sV46Htd3VEoQYii8P0RiP67d6_TPr2q1M2E0iKO5Dir7N4LO2iO0rkPqMGun4QjJy0le93v0QE1QbJhIEgQvpwtBF7vnYZ08AizkinrGykKITM/s400/DSC03452.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>Darcy Hinrichshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09468490387919883409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293066430510451022.post-76251777039376252522011-03-29T22:15:00.000-06:002011-03-29T22:15:03.181-06:00"There's a Song in my Heart..."A very near and dear friend of mine's son is soon to get married and I was very honored that they came to me to design their wedding invitations. I loved working on this set. I wasn't sure about how well the color combination would work without it being too hard-edged but I am really happy with the results. She's a music education major and he plays a guitar. I really wanted to create a set that reflected them as a couple. They really liked the idea of incorporating a tree with a carved heart into the design but also wanted to find a way to also incorporate music such as a guitar. I really wanted to make it a bit more playful and modern and incorporated fun use of type and colors. The invitations, response cards and reception cards were all printed on Neenah Classic Crest 100#C in Avon White. I chose this paper specifically for the quality I knew I could get from printing on it. I wanted the colors to be bold and vibrant and really stand out. I needed the design to look crisp and clean with sharp details. And I was not disappointed. I think that they are beautiful!<br />
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The envelopes are French Paper Poptone in Black Licorice. I created a wraparound label for the invitation envelope to match the design of the invitation. The smaller envelope for the response card has a standard label that I also created a coordinating design for.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGOg6YyZgvsllUVc-a9Kt-0PThcT0znnsomAB5CAKaSKl_IW9U1r7ncYBvnb48ac0ZHrxOfQU5ovESevGPlj6eDBRjmlJV2Uh9TGwSCC7NIHIqAp3mBWabTtNAjvl_sgtbUtF3zila5oE/s1600/DSC03444.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGOg6YyZgvsllUVc-a9Kt-0PThcT0znnsomAB5CAKaSKl_IW9U1r7ncYBvnb48ac0ZHrxOfQU5ovESevGPlj6eDBRjmlJV2Uh9TGwSCC7NIHIqAp3mBWabTtNAjvl_sgtbUtF3zila5oE/s400/DSC03444.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>Darcy Hinrichshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09468490387919883409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293066430510451022.post-27011218758447696902011-03-02T10:26:00.000-07:002011-03-02T10:26:44.308-07:00Harry Potter and the Deathly PillowsWell, not really "Deathly"- actually, I think that these are quite sweet. I am a huge Harry Potter fan and so I love these, naturally. I just really wish that I had a place I could put them! But how can I not mention them on here? I wish I had the skills to sew. I see stuff that would be so much fun to create...I am really good at coming up with ideas and I think that putting together concepts, patterns, etc. might not be so bad. It's the execution where I have to use a sewing machine, needles and thread where I fail. And trust me, it isn't without shame to my mom and grandma because I know that they tried...but let me draw it for you. That, I can do! ;)<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Anyhow- these sweet Harry Potter themed pillows, featuring <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/68703435/boy-wizard-pillow">Harry</a>, <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/68704762/red-head-wizard-pillow">Ron</a> and <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/68704071/girl-wizard-pillow?ref=v1_other_2">Hermione</a>, were created by <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/wdkimmy">Pantoufle de Verry by Kim Gadbois</a>. She has some other amazing pillows as well as original artwork on her <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/wdkimmy">Etsy shop</a> as well. Thanks for bringing joy to this Harry Potter lovin' heart today. If I had one of those pillows, I'd squeeze it right now!Darcy Hinrichshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09468490387919883409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293066430510451022.post-15591875735248771212011-02-09T15:48:00.000-07:002011-02-09T15:48:53.343-07:00"Be my Passionista"Okay- in order to uphold my promise to myself to try and keep up with blog posts and also because it is nearing Valentine's Day, I decided that I would share a pretty find. I ran across <a href="http://www.meadowlarkcreative.com/">Meadowlark Creative </a>awhile back when I was looking at trying to find someone somewhat "local" to me that offered letterpress printing and would be willing to show me a few ins & outs of the whole process. The gal that runs the show there was very open-minded at the idea of hosting a workshop...and I really hope she does because I'd love to make it.<br />
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Anyhow- I just wanted to share these with you...some awesome letterpress notecards and coasters made by <a href="http://www.meadowlarkcreative.com/">Meadowlark Creative</a>. They're very beautifully done. I love the doily/lace feel and the wittiness of the quotes. Perfect combo, in my opinion! If someone sent one of these to me, I'd definitely be their "passionista"! <hint, hint=""> You can check out Meadowlark Creative's Etsy Shop <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/meadowlarkcreative">here</a>...</hint,><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAJhI-9Rkg3vS2ApdugQcD_-MV7rRFHGJJcy8ONXSpww68qhN2JdIqaywqDpCqJ9UHsIR8Q1q5unBkGj55_3_QG4k0oTl1_hwAV9V98AbaQEgtKeAIj33iuRWqC7DN8eL-KBXzmyFsEBQ/s1600/il_570xN.119642418.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAJhI-9Rkg3vS2ApdugQcD_-MV7rRFHGJJcy8ONXSpww68qhN2JdIqaywqDpCqJ9UHsIR8Q1q5unBkGj55_3_QG4k0oTl1_hwAV9V98AbaQEgtKeAIj33iuRWqC7DN8eL-KBXzmyFsEBQ/s400/il_570xN.119642418.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Darcy Hinrichshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09468490387919883409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293066430510451022.post-30009377243784884772011-01-31T11:46:00.002-07:002011-01-31T11:48:40.448-07:00Champagne Wishes...I decided to revisit some wedding invitations that I created several months ago and share. I was approached by a gal off of Etsy to create wedding invitations for pocketfolds. She had seen some Save-The-Dates that I had created and really loved the design so much that she wanted her whole invitation set created in it's fashion. Her colors were Chocolate Brown, Chartreuse and Cream. I am biased, I realize, but I really feel that the whole set turned out beautiful. I really wish that I could have been sent one so I could have an actual printed piece for my portfolio and to show others interested in my work, but I didn't get one. But that's okay....I have the original files and may try printing some just to have on hand for that reason. I really do want to build myself up more as an invitation designer and so I can definitely see the benefit of this. I absolutely love designing invitations and all the coordinating pieces to go with. It's the kind of work that I can work way into the early hours of the morning, go without sleep, food, etc. It becomes almost an obsessive thing. I love it THAT much. It gives me about as much pleasure as a day at a theme park...which I love.<br />
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Okay- so my next point is that I am currently working on some new designs for some new clients and I cannot wait to share! It's almost like waiting for Santa to come. I know I have to wait but I am so excited that there are moments where I want to burst! And there are moments where I just want to stare at my screen in adoration with what I've created and somehow imbed the design onto my eyes forever. Okay, okay, okay...that sounded pretty intense but I do love some of this stuff I've been working on and I hope that when I can finally share it with you, you will love it, too!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglq941yDHMzCPpDFE-4wyrmidiJ8pJgiqNkQXCVGlugeeJT6DALw_zJgrarIizbJ822W9d2lJ_j3vp1dC7uvbzcuUhMv1qj7Ix9IpfzHIHOYzss-Md3bYY0cdwvZ8PUOISjzV1DCpACOU/s1600/PocketfoldInvite2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglq941yDHMzCPpDFE-4wyrmidiJ8pJgiqNkQXCVGlugeeJT6DALw_zJgrarIizbJ822W9d2lJ_j3vp1dC7uvbzcuUhMv1qj7Ix9IpfzHIHOYzss-Md3bYY0cdwvZ8PUOISjzV1DCpACOU/s1600/PocketfoldInvite2.jpg" /></a></div>Darcy Hinrichshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09468490387919883409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293066430510451022.post-1096965247962799112011-01-21T10:40:00.000-07:002011-01-21T10:40:10.292-07:00Follow the Golden Rule!So I am really wanting to try and make an effort and post more on a regular basis...even if no one reads this, it helps me to think about things that inspire me and it's a shame I haven't been consistent in my posts in the past. I might have a treasury of goodness by now!<br />
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Anyhow- I ran across some awesome work done by<a href="http://www.studioonfire.com/"> Studio on Fire</a>. I've seen their work before quite a few times and actually, I think I have mentioned them in a post before. But no mattah....I want to talk about them again. They inspire me.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwMSXAaftfRdZMx7wEDARbtf9s792TexIZVZDSYlQGblzscMJXX9sqiEg6uP0k3pNEWyeeNx-u1dlLKVVPaR8kVcFBDBCCALVtX80VLAaRQNaSlrqan9rZvxmrcNOFF4Ycz_TqaCjTQ8o/s1600/00000_SOF_goldenrule_poster4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwMSXAaftfRdZMx7wEDARbtf9s792TexIZVZDSYlQGblzscMJXX9sqiEg6uP0k3pNEWyeeNx-u1dlLKVVPaR8kVcFBDBCCALVtX80VLAaRQNaSlrqan9rZvxmrcNOFF4Ycz_TqaCjTQ8o/s400/00000_SOF_goldenrule_poster4.jpg" width="298" /></a></div>I found this <a href="http://www.studioonfire.com/design-services/golden-rule-poster/">awesome print done in letterpress</a>, a collaboration between a young blooming illustrator, Koen and his dad. I just love it. I love every aspect of it. It's a simple concept and illustrated quite well- a 6 year old totally understands the message! Definitely a print I'd love to have and hang up and hope to spread that same great message. The colors are bright and cheery. I also love the fact that this was a collaboration between a father and his young son...I love that the dad brought his son in on a project like this and was able to share his trade with him. I have worked with my kids on some projects in the past. My 14 year old son actually helped create the concept for my husband's logo for his construction business. And I know that when the subject comes up, my son is very proud of his contribution. Including kids in projects means so much to them and so I love seeing projects that are created with collaboration of children.Darcy Hinrichshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09468490387919883409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293066430510451022.post-2380828213026373432011-01-13T08:44:00.002-07:002011-01-13T08:45:07.002-07:00Peace, Love & Desserts...YUMMM!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV3QbXRSGv4IAbNEcSN4M52joUaChs3eBOoM82XtVwfrlQAEaO1WTb93awfBmnpbK50_qsHfOrGRVwrRvmqjy2wZtHaiFjvI1KaLZN51UxHGxPjQq_em_ZAEz_4CejDCZY1zA9qPklP3I/s1600/Picture+1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV3QbXRSGv4IAbNEcSN4M52joUaChs3eBOoM82XtVwfrlQAEaO1WTb93awfBmnpbK50_qsHfOrGRVwrRvmqjy2wZtHaiFjvI1KaLZN51UxHGxPjQq_em_ZAEz_4CejDCZY1zA9qPklP3I/s320/Picture+1.png" width="160" /></a></div>When I saw the logo design for <a href="http://www.peaceloveanddesserts.com/">Peace, Love & Desserts</a> when reading a newsletter from HOW Design, I couldn't help but fall in love with it. It is one of the winners from the <a href="http://howdesign.com/2011logodesignawards/?r=HWJKbl011211">2011 HOW Logo Design Awards</a> and I definitely agree that it was a good one to pick! I love the messy/organic look because it really does relate well to the kind of company that it is and also speaks well to the audience. It's yummy! I love the color choices for the design, as well. The company's website is a simple one-pager but it is really straight forward as far as what they offer. I'm sitting here practically drooling and close to licking my monitor. Okay, maybe not that far....but it all does look simply delish!!!! Why oh why can't they deliver to Nebraska? I want a cupcake now!!!! <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0jkBkBaJmxLlyqNN9WWHfwU8oeRJ3udQNOegiSo5UvRqBsUpHB-4wLc1_32soSQqIj-gXKA1ZpTYetFy154AsZTrpWnr7CPonSL5TWtbxgcV6Y-yDe93b0U2yp2H8oIgA4wQ_gMXz74g/s1600/Picture+4.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="130" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0jkBkBaJmxLlyqNN9WWHfwU8oeRJ3udQNOegiSo5UvRqBsUpHB-4wLc1_32soSQqIj-gXKA1ZpTYetFy154AsZTrpWnr7CPonSL5TWtbxgcV6Y-yDe93b0U2yp2H8oIgA4wQ_gMXz74g/s200/Picture+4.png" width="200" /></a></div>Darcy Hinrichshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09468490387919883409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293066430510451022.post-287298103770128072011-01-07T09:43:00.001-07:002011-01-07T09:44:29.439-07:00Have Yourself a Happy, Letterpressed Year<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/61172079/2011-letterpress-calendar-sale"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCdEHN6yqaABXx8A4lMh9M6xAznrajQt7kGhXaIENxnbGSEaUzhpqo4eu3BbrMac38ljKfVFTGNI4el_eDP74837aO_vZVEaKviGYuzvFYUlhIlQN6Ya620pCLnubEsvycu-NI6qB6f2U/s400/il_570xN.190703926.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
How is this new year treating you so far? It's only a week in but I really feel that this year is going to be far better than 2010! So, what better to start the year off but with a new calendar? Out with 2010 and in with 2011!<br />
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I decided that I would share a letterpress calendar project that I was given a great opportunity to work on with 12 other designers from around the USA and also from Canada. We were each assigned a month to create an illustration for. The results turned out beautiful! My month was July- I created an illustration based of an image of my grandmother in her younger days. Most people think of fireworks, the Fourth of July...I wanted to try and bring some familiar associations but present it in a different way. I felt that it would be fun to focus on the image of a beautiful woman and give her firecracker status. Overall, this project was a lot of fun to work on and I really love each and every designer's illustrations. I am so very glad that I got to be a part of this project and hope that I can be included in future projects like this down the road!<br />
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OH- There are still a few calendars left that you can buy and they are on sale now for $20 from <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/61172079/2011-letterpress-calendar-sale">JHPapers</a>, which is a $5 savings! Get one now before they run out as they will never be reprinted again! You won't regret it!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/61172079/2011-letterpress-calendar-sale"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7SdpzXqNDOZwEMKHK5dV1qGAP6NhHlODNKZl0zW-mak9guWZ4KazQM4yBXztWFhQgGuRdNZ-ycf59eNRho8K62W8ZuEMZ2jFPQ4ojcT2oNMxx_vMs0n12GLDtLk74yldxcFm7ZlU-QvI/s320/il_570xN.190703927.jpg" width="246" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/61172079/2011-letterpress-calendar-sale"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga6BxktZhcfrzDgDisF8SzVVVouMSQ_V3os5FtGKB5EqjW0C_phH0OicHyq4GbYlFjPu8xet8gj3eZ3gXbsWLYAtaGxHAL5kDKnCk26Nl8RHhjneAq6h22Rgz_F7c5WKvSkohv8lCIoB0/s400/il_570xN.190703928.jpg" width="266" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtEoPS3M_ID1rkiq9Pedc_yq_mFMZpQ5QvEAQwFs7SMx4MOVxXygfXPzM0BHfmjBHgms7GqNBgmdqlZaIsn_uIObQNlIV6yCZUx_vux9fIzEqdlEC4wmKLsRu0eDlpQRywR_3Ln0SauRA/s400/il_570xN.190703929.jpg" width="266" /> </div><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/61172079/2011-letterpress-calendar-sale"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBS8BGdPgTCj25db5IWV-Btm0W0jnv9ObUFI5iu_WtqqOBz9tTUlpNdDSiBRKdnkQQlxK9SLf8bBrhOxLSX0D07TyIHMA5dc4zVryAeX1LrbJ-OrI1VddSPXwqvvdbpNC6Mcb4La_g8Mo/s400/il_570xN.190703930.jpg" width="266" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Photos courtesy of <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/61172079/2011-letterpress-calendar-sale">Jane Hancock Papers</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Darcy Hinrichshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09468490387919883409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293066430510451022.post-48296765233682253962011-01-04T15:34:00.000-07:002011-01-04T15:34:26.889-07:00How to Eat an Angry BirdOkay. I couldn't help but to post this. I recently became an Angry Birds fan a couple of months ago and I won't lie, it's addictive! Whenever I found myself waiting around for anything, it seemed like I was completely obsessed with knocking out those green pigs with flying birds! A friend of mine posted a link on facebook for these edible cake toppers featuring <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/65263181/edible-angry-birds-toppers">Angry Bird characters</a>, made by <a href="http://artisancakecompany.com/">Artisan Cake Company</a> and are available on their <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/artisancakecompany?ref=seller_info">Etsy shop</a>. These are so great, I'd hate to eat them, though! There are other great edibles for cakes & cupcakes featured on <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/artisancakecompany?ref=seller_info">Artisan Cake Company's Etsy shop</a>. I am making them a favorite!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrfJBOT7gljFuccOSB8VFBY7CRpNJtIgMYcId9LqGOwwrIQzq0w-1YDML1IDFyX3IDJmBiBmYO21bx6TwKPfcJ7kqbVERsTnNaCjS7WBZxFHETqWQ23-ASqaTFQeYDK2ABgqUGxwtjnog/s1600/il_570xN.205604273.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="221" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrfJBOT7gljFuccOSB8VFBY7CRpNJtIgMYcId9LqGOwwrIQzq0w-1YDML1IDFyX3IDJmBiBmYO21bx6TwKPfcJ7kqbVERsTnNaCjS7WBZxFHETqWQ23-ASqaTFQeYDK2ABgqUGxwtjnog/s320/il_570xN.205604273.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Darcy Hinrichshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09468490387919883409noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293066430510451022.post-9364860952910744772011-01-02T23:15:00.001-07:002011-01-02T23:52:21.364-07:00Welcome, Welcome 2011!I don't know about any of you but I am happy to welcome 2011 and try to put 2010 behind me. I'm not going to lie- while there definitely were some pretty awesome moments in 2010 that I will cherish for always, there were a lot of very trying and tough times for my family and I that I am happy to put behind us. A lot of big life lessons learned and while times were tough, I do feel that it did bring my family closer together and taught us some bigger morals in life and reprioritize a few things. And with that- I am actually very hopeful for what 2011 might bless us with!<br />
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I have to admit, I am not the most consistent blogger. I have proven that. But it isn't because I haven't wanted to, more that I haven't made it a priority over other things that consumed my life, especially in 2010. But I am going to give it an earnest try to be more consistent for 2011. I want to really put focus on not only things that I am doing but also things that interest me and inspire me, hoping that maybe it might be of interest to others out there...and also serve to inspire you as well. <br />
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As far as new things on my to-do list, I have one, possibly two wedding invitation ensembles to design and I couldn't be more excited! They're both for very good friends of my family and it's an honor that they have come to me with the opportunities to help make their days more special! I am also working on The Sketchbook Project and hoping I can get it all done in time and mailed/postmarked by the deadline. <wish luck!="" me=""> </wish><br />
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In any case...it's getting rather late and I have to be at work tomorrow...Time to jump into the new year and ROCK IT! So I am gonna need a good night's sleep!!!Darcy Hinrichshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09468490387919883409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293066430510451022.post-32967113488087281582010-10-19T22:39:00.003-06:002010-10-19T23:31:41.155-06:00Re-ConnectedSo...we just recently moved and it actually was quite an ordeal. Little did I know until we moved in that the house was in a hole where, despite only being a mere few miles outside city limits, was a complete dead-zone. Spotty cell service and no internet. A guy actually mentioned "dial-up" and I threw up in my mouth. I've been spoiled by high speed wireless internet and I have been stomping around this place like a brat not getting her way. I just could not and would not accept it. With the technology that we have out there now...I just could not believe how impossibly hard some places made it sound. I got crazy thoughts of getting super long ethernet cords to string from town (we're talking roughly 5 miles of cord, no less...), selling an organ to pay for a tower to be put up where I could get signal from direct line of site (cuz for selling an organ, that tower would be in my back yard, of course), putting up a really super tall pole with pieces of tin mounted to it, Dr. Brown style (think Back to the Future) hoping for some super jiggawatts or whatever to beam me that magic internet connection....desperate thoughts, I'm telling you...desperate! There was quite a few mentions of satellite internet but I had heard about it being slow, dragging, having horrible restrictions, etc. I was told to avoid satellite internet like the plague. But finally, after several weeks of phone calls, begging, pleading, making people scout our location for any possibilities, tears of rage and frustration...I finally broke down and succumbed to the big and terrible satellite internet gods. It was not an easy choice. It really wasn't. There are two: Wild Blue and Hughesnet. Comparing apples to apples, and also the big fact that my sister actually works for the company (and yes, she is biased and kept putting it under my nose like a mom trying to get her kid to eat their brussel sprouts) I went with Wild Blue. The tech guy came out to my house and after a few hours of grueling setup time, mostly sitting around waiting for stuff to "connect" and sharing that idle small talk, I finally got hooked up! So far...so good. Granted, I did try setting up my wireless router and it doesn't seem to be cooperating...BUT other than that, I am actually pretty impressed with Wild Blue so far. It's not lightning fast like my high-speed wireless in town was like but it's really not horrible bad. Actually, comparing it to internet at work, it's quite decent.<br /><br />So anyhow....now that I am done sharing with you my dilemma of getting "connected" I guess I should talk about a few other things going on. Now that the major stress of getting moved is done and we are gradually working at getting settled in our new place, I am ready to start getting back into the mode I was before the whole deal of moving took place. I was working on a new site redesign and I am still wanting to get that done but it was one of those things that had to take a backseat for awhile. While I would love to jump right in and get it done, realistically, I know it's not going to happen overnight. But soon. Very soon.<br /><br />Other than that, I do have a fabulous couple to design Save The Dates, Wedding invites and all that goes with for. I am so very thrilled! I have known the groom since he was about 2 or 3 years old- it doesn't seem possible for him to be grown up and getting married already! But I am super excited about it all and have been fun playing with ideas for them.<br /><br />I just recently picked up a job creating ads for a company that creates guides for airports around the country. I have worked on a few ads so far and have a few more to work on. I am really hoping that it proves to be consistent and reliable work. So far, so good! And it makes it possible for me to work from home in the evenings and weekends doing design work which is a way better opportunity than working at Walmart. (Which I did a stunt doing for a couple of months just to try and earn some extra money to put towards getting a few bills paid off, saving towards a family vacation and paying off that evil aunt Sallie Mae who I'll be paying off until I'm like 96 years old....) But I did learn some interesting things while working there....thinking designer-ly, I couldn't help but think about how horrible some package design concepts are when it comes to apparel. Socks & Underwear have to be the worst! And who puts children's pajamas in a thin cardboard box to hang up on a wall?! Actually, to be honest, I was quite surprised that those things didn't get massacred. I dreaded the idea of coming into work to find that a bunch of them had been dismantled. Fortunately, I saw only a few casualties while there. But seriously...the designer in me wasn't lost to the relentless folding and hanging that I experienced there. In some ways, I do feel that it helped me. I thought about new things that I'd never thought about before. I thought not only about the pretty container that something might come in. I thought about functionality. I thought about practicality. I thought about how well something might recycle. I thought about durability. I thought about organization....visual stimulus. For those things, I have no regrets whatsoever for my adventure as a sales associate. What I won't miss: the stink eye looks from customers, rude teenagers, the surprises of empty pregnancy test boxes stuffed amongst stacks of folded tee shirts or jeans, sunflower seeds spit all over the floor, having to argue with customers about trying on UNDERWEAR, etc. You've been to Walmart, I don't have to elaborate more. LOL<br /><br />Anyhow- it is late and I am rambling. Perhaps not the most inspiring post. Maybe funny. Or sad. I guess it depends on how you look at it! But really, despite all the stuff that I have been through over the past few months, I have a lot to be greatful for. The "funny" stuff just enriches my soul and makes me stronger (or perhaps more crazy which is probably most true). Now that I have internet and I have stuff to keep the creative monster well fed for awhile, I suppose the spoiled little brat in me that stomps around throwing tantrums might sit in time-out for awhile. But dang, I am sure that my family will miss her.....Darcy Hinrichshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09468490387919883409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293066430510451022.post-88261343088067215132010-06-16T20:20:00.003-06:002010-06-17T08:25:20.206-06:00More Notes...60 Days to Better Productivity by Pamela Bryan<br /><br />Ask yourself: If I had more time, I'd...<br /><br />IF YOU DON'T DO THE WORK YOU LOVE, YOU'LL BURN OUT...YOU'LL LOSE PASSION & JOY!<br /><br />CHANGE WHAT YOU DO:<br />Why does productivity matter?<br />-Business survival<br />-Deliver Increased Value<br />-You Choose:<br /><ul><li> Same $$$ in less time ....OR...</li><li> More $$$ in same time</li></ul>-Ship more often<br />-Reduce Stress<br /><br />MORE GENIUS WORK = HIGHER PRODUCTIVITY<br />But what does genius work feel like???<br /><ul><li>Happy</li><li>Engaging</li><li>Uplifting</li><li>Time stops</li></ul><br />Why doesn't genius work happen more often?<br /><ul><li>Inherited structure</li><li>Never thought about it</li><li>Don't know how to change</li><li>Don't believe change is possible</li></ul><br />STEP 1: Thinking BIG<br />•I wish...<br />What do you wish for???<br /><br />STEP 2: Define Your Genius Work<br />•Your genius work can ONLY be done by YOU.<br />List your genius work and compare notes with others:<br /><ul><li>highest impact results</li><li>meaningful</li><li>you are proud</li><li>gift</li></ul><br />Moments of Genius (From '<a href="http://www.domoregreatwork.com/">Do More Great Work</a>'):<br />6 GREAT MOMENTS IN YOUR CAREER:<br /><ul><li>Feelings (How did you feel?)</li><li>Behavior (How did you act?)</li><li>Your Role (Who was involved?)</li><li>Look For Themes</li></ul><br />Measuring Your Mojo- by Goldsmith<br /><br />Professional Mojo:<ul><li>Motivation</li><li>Knowledge</li><li>Ability</li><li>Confidence</li><li>Authenticity</li></ul>Personal Mojo:<br /><ul><li>Happiness</li><li>Reward</li><li>Meaning</li><li>Learning</li><li>Gratitude</li></ul><a href="http://www.mojothebook.com/">You can download app for iPhone/iTouch at mojobook.com<br /></a><br />FOCUS FOR TODAY:<br />What 3 areas of focus & activities would be the best use of my time today?<br /><br />STEP 4: Find Time<br /><ul><li>How are you spending your time?</li><li>Delegate- Quick & Easy</li><li>Must Be Done/Good Work (Gold Mine of Time)</li></ul>What is your day like???<br /><br />STEP 5: Secrets to the 'Must Be Done' List<br />GOAL: Eliminate BAD work & streamline process<br /><br />STEP 6: Make Time<br />8 Steps for Effective Delegation:<br />1. Schedule a meeting<br />2. Define scope of delegation<br /><ul><li>Single task</li><li>Whole process</li><li>Function with a process</li></ul>3. The Basics<br /><ul><li>Why?</li><li>Where does it fit?</li><li>Expected outcome?</li><li>Standards?</li></ul>4. Share the process in writing & discuss<br />5. Ground rules for your involvement<br /><ul><li>Sole authority- clients handle</li><li>When clients need your input</li></ul>6. Training needed<br />7. Level of Authority<br />8. Set status review time<br /><br />TOP 4 DELEGATION TRAPS:<br /><ul><li>Expecting perfection</li><li>Assuming understanding</li><li>Interfering</li><li>Failing to follow up & congratulate</li></ul>Darcy Hinrichshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09468490387919883409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293066430510451022.post-88407900302320217932010-06-15T22:14:00.002-06:002010-06-15T23:14:14.586-06:00Notes from HOW Design ConferencePlease forgive me if my notes here are a little bit rough but I figure that it's better to get the information out there for those interested than to not post it at all.<br /><br /><a href="http://designersobriety.com/2010/06/life-kerning%E2%84%A2-where-life-and-creativity-meet/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Life Kerning- Justin Ahrens</span></a><br /><br />•Don't be an island, find wisdom from others.<br />-Find people who are familiar with the industry & enroll them as advisors (3 is a good number)<br />-Make a special criteria (such as meeting on a regular basis...like once a month)<br /><br />"<span style="font-family:georgia, bookman old style, palatino linotype, book antiqua, palatino, trebuchet ms, helvetica, garamond, sans-serif, arial, verdana, avante garde, century gothic, comic sans ms, times, times new roman, serif;">I don't think much of a man who is not wiser today than he was yesterday." ~Abraham Lincoln</span><br /><br />•Have a set of rules to stick to because you are probably the problem<br />•Accountability<br />•Family Morale (both families....your family at home and your work family)<br /><br />THE 3 F's: FUN FAME FORTUNE<br />When considering a project, consider these three things:<br />-Will it be profitable?<br />-Will it be FUN?<br />-Will it attrack other work?<br />*The project MUST qualify for at least two of these qualities above!<br /><br />Links:<br /><a href="http://www.sethgodin.com">Linchpin by Seth Godin</a> (there were probably 3 speakers at conference that mentioned/referred this book)<br /><a href="http://www.37signals.com/rework">www.37signals.com/rework</a><br /><a href="http://www.donmilleris.com">www.donmilleris.com</a><br /><br />******************************************************************************************<br /><a href="http://debbiemillman.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Why We Brand, Why We Buy by Debbie Millman</span></a><br /><br />A little bit of history...we designed for function to make our lives easier.<br />Branding- physical impression of ownership<br /><br />Branding as we know it originated in late 19th century with the advent of packaged goods.<br /><br />5 WAVES OF MODERN BRANDING:<br /><br />•Wave 1: Brands as guarantors of consistency<br />•Wave 2: Brands as guarantors of quality (Could not mislead or decieve. First time that safety is factored into branding. Metaphor in branding.)<br />•Wave 3: Brands as expressive statements (acceptance, trendsetting...Debbie talked about how she wanted Levi's and her mom got a pair of green corduroy Levi's and she proudly wore them because of the label...definitely a story I can relate to coming from a home where my mom made most of our clothes or we got outdated hand-me-downs!)<br />•Wave 4: Brands as an experience (ex: Nike, MTV, Starbucks...)<br /> -Brand loyalty develops<br /> -We have a significant collective tendency<br /> -We feel safer & secure<br /><br />"GIVEN THE CHOICE, A BABY WILL CHOOSE THE CONNECTION WITH THEIR MOTHER OVER FOOD."<br /><br />•Wave 5: Limbic brands (brands as guarantors of connection)<br /> -Our brains have invented ways to connect<br />(ex: facebook, twitter, linkedin, myspace, YouTube, etc.)<br /><br />"WE HAVE THE POWER TO EITHER FURTHER OUR HUMANITY OR DESTROY IT."<br /><br />Don't forget to check out Debbie's new book: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1600613217?ie=UTF8&tag=debbmill-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1600613217">Look Both Ways</a><br />******************************************************************************************<br /><a href="http://www.hotstudio.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Don't Go It Alone: Using Collaboration to Solve Creative Design Problems by Maria Giudice</span></a><br /><br />Download this presentation: <a href="http://www.hotstudio.com/#/presentations/hotpresentations/">www.hotstudio.com/#/presentations/hotpresentations/</a><br /><br />"The Obsessive Collaborator"<br /><br />Who should you collaborate with?<br />-Clients: creates stakeholder buy-in, streamlines the design process<br />-Project Team: provides multi-disciplinary perspectives<br />-Customers<br />-Wild Card<br /><br />Collaboration has to have a goal and it has to have an outcome.<br />Facilitation Tips:<br />•Appoint a facilitator, a scribe and a photographer<br />•Stay neutral<br />•Keep focus<br />•Don't allow any one person to dominate<br />•Involve the quiet participants<br />•Actively Listen!<br />•Summarize periodically<br /><br />Brainstorm Rules:<br />•One conversation at a time<br />•Go for Quantity!!!<br />•Be visual<br />•Go for WILD IDEAS!<br />•Don't forget FOOD!<br /><br />Tools & Methods for Collaboration:<br />#1- Get Physical & Tactile (get everyone out of their chairs, make them do something, get them involved!)<br />*GIANT POST-IT NOTEPADS ROCK!!!*<br /><br />#2- Think Out Loud<br /> *Mind-mapping- words connect, leads you on a path to ideas you might not have though of,<br /> non-judgmental<br /> *Identifying Challenges- strategy, project scope, timeline, communication, implementation,<br /> politics, technology, team expertise<br />WHAT ARE THE FEARS AND WHY???????????<br /><br />#3- Communicate Visually<br /> *Touchy-Feely (bring in stuff & lay out for people to look at, pick up, feel, etc.)<br /> - Clients pick up pieces that speak to them, related to what they want or like in relation to<br /> their design goals from you.<br /> *Back to Basics (let the client come in to help create using basic art supplies)<br /> -Why'd they pick that color?, Why do they like that shape?<br /> - Familiar Tools: paper, scissors, crayons, glue, etc.<br /> -Use legos for layout design- can ease feeling of intimidation plus Legos are more FUN!<br /><br />#4- Share the Road<br /> *Card sorting (let client organize word/symbol cards as they want on their site...<br /> *Brand Attribute Exercise<br /> -Yes, No & Maybe answers to keyword cards<br /> -Is it Useful? Is it Descriptive? Is it Colorful?<br /> -Use Templates (more fun to cut & paste than to draw)<br /> -Use Worksheets (fill out/answer questions)<br /><br />#5- Prioritize & Synthesize<br /> *Set Limits & Prioritize (limit # of words in exercise to narrow down to....)<br /> *Dot Voting (casting your vote for an idea using dot stickers like currency)<br /> *Mood Boards (collaging colors, layouts, specific theme/idea, type, special treatments, etc.)<br /><br />TAKE TEAM PHOTOS OF HAPPY CLIENTS- THEY FEEL PART OF THE SOLUTION<br /><br />How to Cultivate a Creative Culture:<br />•Environment<br /> -Resources<br /> -Social Spaces<br /> -Fun Colors/Shapes<br /> -Free to Express Yourself<br /><br />•Be Spontaneous & Have Fun<br /> -ex: 15 minutes to design a T-shirt for fun<br /> -Playing role games (store/computer/customer)<br /> -Energizing<br /><br />•Everyone is a Contributor<br />Iterate & Evolve<br /> -Don't stay still<br /> -Be open to change<br /> -Educate yourself<br /><br />****************************************************************************************<br /><br />Please come back as I have MORE to post! But saying how it is now past 11pm, I am going to give my eyes and fingers a rest for the night. See ya tomorrow!Darcy Hinrichshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09468490387919883409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293066430510451022.post-70463443873408504652010-06-13T19:43:00.002-06:002010-06-13T20:26:51.534-06:00HOW Design Conference: Pre-Conf. WorkshopsSo, I decided to sign up for the pre-conference workshops at HOW Design Conference this year. It was like only an extra $50, so I figured, why not? A la carte, they were like $175 each so I figured it was worth the bargain. Originally, I had signed up for Splash of Flash and then the one on CSS. But the more I thought about it, the less I wanted to take the CSS workshop. I figured that what I needed to learn would have to be more extensive than what any 3-hour workshop could provide. I probably should have considered this with the Flash workshop, too, but decided to stick with it. I ended up taking the Splash of Flash workshop in the morning and then went to Chaos to Clarity workshop in the afternoon.<br /><br />So here's the thing with the Splash of Flash workshop- at first, I was taking notes and trying to keep up with the speaker. There were a lot of really cool things that he showed us in Flash and it was enlightening to me considering that I'd never really done anything in that application. So there were a few "a-ha" moments where I felt that lightbulb go on. But on most part, I really felt that it got either too advanced for someone like me or that it ended up being more of a showcase for CS5 and a few other programs, which I do not have. And actually, before I took the workshop I had decided that I was going to make myself learn Flash and CSS via Lynda.com and so by the time I was done with this workshop, I really wish I would have chosen a different workshop to go to. For what I got out of it, I think that I would have benefited more doing something else. But that's just my own personal take on it.<br /><br />I was actually really excited to be taking the Chaos to Clarity workshop. I had actually met the speakers: RaShelle, Judah and Eric the day before when Kelly and I were in the convention center getting our registration done. So I was really enthused after talking to them about their workshop and how it could help me as far as where to start making a business plan, setting goals, etc. We were paired up with a partner and had to ask each other questions throughout, getting to know each other and helping to realize some things that we might not have thought about before. The one thing that I really wanted to focus on with this workshop was ME and what I am passionate about- the whole reason why I chose to take this workshop instead of the CSS workshop. I rely heavy on my day job as it is what pays my bills but I have to admit that it's hard to feel passionate about a job where I feel as though my potential will never be realized. I'm tired of trying to fight my way up in the corporate world to a position that would earn me more respect within the company only to feel as though I just haven't made any real progress. I think that there are a lot of people within the company who still see me as the Data Admin Tech that I started out as way back when and don't realize or acknowledge that I actually have two degrees in art and design. So the idea of this particular workshop was very appealing to me. I am ready to get more serious about the kind of work that I am passionate about. In this workshop, I learned about creating a business plan with a vision statement, values and also a mission statement. I also learned about planning milestones and a road map for my career and the action steps, support structures, systems and resources to help make it happen. I even got up a couple of times to share my story and suggest a few things. I really felt that this was a very valuable workshop with what I not only was able to take away from it but also, hopefully, what I was also able to contribute to it. There was a drawing for a couple of one-on-one career coaching with RaShelle and Judah but I didn't win. But- I am seriously thinking about how I could find a way to get their input on a few things as I roll along. I think it'd be well worth it!Darcy Hinrichshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09468490387919883409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293066430510451022.post-79539622693097829692010-06-13T18:38:00.006-06:002010-06-13T19:42:48.696-06:00Day 1- HOW Conference: Dinner & Design<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3oVUuFkD3ZUVSjHyXwnEvfPtp28Xerrjqd8sabIaPd4rs9LH4xrUNV7uhlAjnsQ1Qn3wvPZRm6F8jLkfLbvQvzCA3BnwLW1hyphenhyphenC3L9nJyR4_Rig5fQNZHVDvim8QvxEsr0vbq-FsO-hOY/s1600/29773_398136509386_783854386_4374785_3556676_n.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3oVUuFkD3ZUVSjHyXwnEvfPtp28Xerrjqd8sabIaPd4rs9LH4xrUNV7uhlAjnsQ1Qn3wvPZRm6F8jLkfLbvQvzCA3BnwLW1hyphenhyphenC3L9nJyR4_Rig5fQNZHVDvim8QvxEsr0vbq-FsO-hOY/s320/29773_398136509386_783854386_4374785_3556676_n.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5482434393502362594" border="0" /></a>I can't believe that it's been over a week and I apologize for not posting this sooner...I've had one crazy week and getting some good computer time to do updates and such just weren't in the cards for me! But despite my lateness, I still want to post some great things I took away from my time in Denver at the HOW Design Conference. Even though conference didn't officially start for me until Sunday morning, June 6th, I made plans with a bunch of designer friends to meet up for dinner on Saturday night, June 5th at Wynkoop Brewery in downtown Denver. It was kind of crazy because I was riding with Kelly Parke from Parke Creative (she was staying with me at my sister's for the week) and the time on her clock was off and I was thinking we had plenty of time and were going to be there early. So I get this call from Cortney Christensen saying that he was already there waiting and I thought, "Wow- that guy's early!" When I mentioned it to Kelly, she laughed and informed me her clock was off and that was when I realized we were going to be there just-in-the-nick-of-time! Go figure...leave it to me to be fashionably late, right? But it was all good. We got there and found a nice gathering of old and new friends combined. Despite the place being rather warm and muggy (apparently they didn't believe it was hot enough there for air conditioning) it was still a really nice venue and their wait staff was top-notch and super accommodating. And for those who know me, I am not a beer drinking gal. I mentioned this to the waiter and decided to try a draft- he suggested one to me and it really wasn't all that bad. It was beer but it was probably one of the best tasting beers I've ever had. I just wish I could remember what it was called. Huh.<br />But anyhow- we had a lot of fun conversing about design. There were a few people who came to the dinner that weren't there for the HOW Design Conference but were there for the Creative Freelancer Conference, which is put on by the same people. So it was interesting to hear about what was going on with those sessions and such, too. Business cards were exchanged, the newest HOWiezine (HZ14) was passed around for everyone to see. It really was a great night and I am so very glad that so many people were able to make it!<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOba8bxOKCkJzWbFz5XxcAM_so-HbdZuR6Egmf_Q4olwVYPd6vBR2TGVmSSqwvql2vmjUR9hK1kLDLFIEtNBo6R-BtqkAgv63Vb5Lm0h3WoCiGafvUTNoIPIc-pbm2SU72PBHRBcZppuI/s1600/29773_398136449386_783854386_4374781_3058089_n.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOba8bxOKCkJzWbFz5XxcAM_so-HbdZuR6Egmf_Q4olwVYPd6vBR2TGVmSSqwvql2vmjUR9hK1kLDLFIEtNBo6R-BtqkAgv63Vb5Lm0h3WoCiGafvUTNoIPIc-pbm2SU72PBHRBcZppuI/s320/29773_398136449386_783854386_4374781_3058089_n.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5482434377885383810" border="0" /></a><br /> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijgZ__yEkCfNRFA6BmETEkwUNQIZXnDXKEfnxjKxoAPfzIgyUh8g9PlLvkOid6ULiF3iRgCtHSR4LoTsoNf8JTLGnD2IxmNvcH3JCAhlQtyr2Q0hyphenhyphenSuUXkfFN9bQxN1w_7A51cvosWllE/s1600/29773_398136479386_783854386_4374783_7936598_n.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijgZ__yEkCfNRFA6BmETEkwUNQIZXnDXKEfnxjKxoAPfzIgyUh8g9PlLvkOid6ULiF3iRgCtHSR4LoTsoNf8JTLGnD2IxmNvcH3JCAhlQtyr2Q0hyphenhyphenSuUXkfFN9bQxN1w_7A51cvosWllE/s320/29773_398136479386_783854386_4374783_7936598_n.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5482434390346886210" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /> </span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMVdYbWO-C3aMxf8NODitS7AfK0LI1NvqkDDXU6qO3JdEBP7wm-2amx8txJsJt_U4AwYSyFMPYdzk4d-ralwlSlymfMuQ15jmGg52ZjxiaLAFjX7Bo09RDkaBJxykC7eB3sQ2RgbYsvTE/s1600/29773_398135629386_783854386_4374762_1484946_n.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMVdYbWO-C3aMxf8NODitS7AfK0LI1NvqkDDXU6qO3JdEBP7wm-2amx8txJsJt_U4AwYSyFMPYdzk4d-ralwlSlymfMuQ15jmGg52ZjxiaLAFjX7Bo09RDkaBJxykC7eB3sQ2RgbYsvTE/s320/29773_398135629386_783854386_4374762_1484946_n.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5482434163050876994" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /> </span></div> <div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv0qX7d5aWXmIt7GtTyqT7yA-MMTWLppn1nXISq7cKgtvm8dBMP-vdL7HFFz3kPvaXGLqyUDbwvfdU0Dyr1WjG9tYaiB8Zltv-M4xH36EAXChLwl5wGY3Ld5qz9sZq80ho0lX31NJnO58/s1600/29773_398135649386_783854386_4374764_5881307_n.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv0qX7d5aWXmIt7GtTyqT7yA-MMTWLppn1nXISq7cKgtvm8dBMP-vdL7HFFz3kPvaXGLqyUDbwvfdU0Dyr1WjG9tYaiB8Zltv-M4xH36EAXChLwl5wGY3Ld5qz9sZq80ho0lX31NJnO58/s320/29773_398135649386_783854386_4374764_5881307_n.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5482434158614486834" border="0" /></a><br /></div> <div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgDAJPSHfo4pV7HpTiEe2TjiKPiOkgkMgC7RtkDc3TDWjVhsgaV332G9m0E3Zu3VKVwfW1gRGxNVrMGnR0e0ooLgZENntfNTOcuQxsURZuRTfhDq-fnHE47By7fzjPvrxCta5ZGo5uWpg/s1600/29773_398135624386_783854386_4374761_3374962_n.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgDAJPSHfo4pV7HpTiEe2TjiKPiOkgkMgC7RtkDc3TDWjVhsgaV332G9m0E3Zu3VKVwfW1gRGxNVrMGnR0e0ooLgZENntfNTOcuQxsURZuRTfhDq-fnHE47By7fzjPvrxCta5ZGo5uWpg/s320/29773_398135624386_783854386_4374761_3374962_n.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5482434145501296770" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /> </span></div> <div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA1UO4OjYJ9Wujd6uDISfG-HCyhLtdbybtCyN8LL9_vL4uJ4CLPiJ7Tkw5UsGQZbNOp4-g1o3x5UTqLi7uHx2kGBfy6HDeSl6QZdLGQWJzqgr8O61ALodiVzqfw7Nkzy-mj2Lu9dhE3W0/s1600/29773_398135614386_783854386_4374760_925474_n.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA1UO4OjYJ9Wujd6uDISfG-HCyhLtdbybtCyN8LL9_vL4uJ4CLPiJ7Tkw5UsGQZbNOp4-g1o3x5UTqLi7uHx2kGBfy6HDeSl6QZdLGQWJzqgr8O61ALodiVzqfw7Nkzy-mj2Lu9dhE3W0/s320/29773_398135614386_783854386_4374760_925474_n.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5482434134793214594" border="0" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">All photos courtesy of Missy Bergen. She Rocks!<br /></div>Darcy Hinrichshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09468490387919883409noreply@blogger.com0