Merry and Bright

Well, the Christmas crafting, baking and truffle-making are just about over! And, while we still have some finishing touches to put on custom artwork ( oh, and a few Christmas cards to write, stamp and send), we are just about ready to jump on planes, sit in front of fireplaces, drink peppermint hot chocolate with friends and family and...call it a year!

This year has certainly had its bright and shiny moments, but 2010? She is going to sparkle. Here are just a few of the things we are looking forward to in the New Year:

1. our very own art show in downtown Nashville
2. creating new, fun products for our Etsy shop
3. frosted heart cookie day (a.k.a. Valentine's day)
4. paintings from Paris coming to visit us!
5. our BIRTHDAY!!!! (6/15, in case you were wondering)
6. inspiring trips to faraway lands
7. learning how to screen print
8. collaborating creatively with talented friends


So, from all of us at 615 Creative: a very MERRY and bright Christmas and a So-HaPPy-it-SPARKLES New Year!!!

Handmade Christmas Cards for Sale!!!

We've been busy little elves, designing some pretty awesome Christmas Cards to sell on our Etsy shop. Here are some samples.

You can check all 10 designs out at our Etsy shop by clicking here:
http://www.etsy.com/shop/615Creative








Or you can now find our Etsy shop in the right column of the blog!

THANKS for reading our blog and have a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday!

~peace
david

this week we are..............

1. moving forward with custom art pieces

2. creating miniature holiday works of art (a.k.a. Christmas cards)

3. in awe of these creative people

4. pairing sparkly lavender with midnight blue

5. dreaming about filling vintage dishes from here with homemade truffles

6. launching something NEW - stay tuned!!!!

7. hoping to go see this exhibit while in Philly

8. playing with colorful felt, shiny glitter and textured paper

9. making lists...and checking them twice

10. decorating cupcakes with autumnally colored sprinkles

11. feeling thankful. yes, very thankful.

Our Day in the Woods: A Photo Shoot

So, a few posts ago I wrote about a project involving a very talented writer and a lovely new friend. Well, here is what you've been waiting (with baited breath, no doubt) for: The Photos!!

We spent a beautiful afternoon in the woods (actually, a small wooded area of a local park, but one can dream!) of Franklin, TN. We took antique book pages, some twine and wooden clothespins...added a colourful quilt, scattered with intricately patterned books and the scene was for set. Enter Kelli (the aforementioned lovely friend) and Joanne (our dear friend and the talented writer.) And, here's what happened...lots of lovely! The only thing that wasn't wonderful: the mosquitos. Lots of them. But, we survived ..and, even found a poem in their honor. (Behind the scenes tidbit: Joanne is reading it one of the pictures below.)

If you are in need of a photographer, don't hesitate to contact Kelli. I can guarantee that you will be met with amazing creativity, lots of joy and laughter and, the end result will be beautiful, quality product that you will cherish for years to come. We hope to work with her again..and again!

Now, the photos. Enjoy!

A few new projects!

This week we're working on some exciting new projects, specifically, 2 new web design projects, one logo/branding project, custom art, and holiday interior decorating.

JoanneChantelau.com
Joanne is an up-and-coming writer who was in need of a cohesive web presence. We're designing a new site for her and updating her blog to match.

dmarlenejewelry.com
d. marlene jewelry is a new high end jewelry company. They will be focusing their efforts selling their jewelry in spas and salons. We're working on creating their web presence and e-commerce solution.

Live Love International
Live Love International is a non-profit based in Florida. Their mission is to be a resource for individuals and groups who are looking to volunteer internationally. We'll be giving them the branding they need to stand out in the crowd.

We're also busy working on two large custom art pieces. So far we've used red and white paint, wood, and newspapers from Chinatown...I'm excited about these. We'll upload photos when we're done.

Also, don't forget, we're currently providing consultations for Holiday Interior Decorating for only $99. And, if you need it, we can do the decorating too for a good price. Click here to see some examples of our work.

it's beginning to look alot like....

Yup. That's right. We are pulling out the wintry white branches and silver balls, wrapping packages and decking the mantle - all for one day. We are doing a yuletide photo shoot for our holiday interior decorating promo. More on that coming soon...very soon.

We are also busy little elves (sorry, couldn't resist) working on some new Christmas card designs. Bringing three people together, each with their own design style, can be very interesting - and inspiring. What is it they say? "Variety is the spice of life?" Something like that. Well, it certainly enlivens our weekly ideating sessions. These cards will be unlike any others you've seen! Jolly. Colorful. Unique. Lovely. Entertaining. Classic. Modern. Antique. That's right - we do it all. And we look forward to sharing them with you soon. very soon.

To give you a little hint of what our holiday offerings will be like, here are some of the things that are inspiring us lately: woodland themes, teal yarn, antique books, felt and fabric, security envelope designs, shades of blue and green, his breathtaking installations, wooden snowflakes, clear glass and shining silver...just to name a few!

With the current flurry of festivity in air, we may even have to pull out the Bing Crosby Songs of Christmas record before (gulp) Thanksgiving.

Happy (pre)Holidays Everyone!

this week we are.....

1. accessorizing bookcases
2. creating centerpieces out of Kazakh dictionary pages
3. anticipating half price day at Goodwill
4. taking field trips in our hometown
5. preparing to make antique book pages float from a tree
6. loving the deep blue autumn sky
7. playing with new card designs and packaging
8. becoming addicted to inspiring, newly discovered blogs
9. starting to spread the word about holiday decorating packages
10. thinking about old doors as canvases
11. saying hello to October and all the beauty that it holds

Dignitee Apparel

We recently finished an awesome branding and web project for Dignitee Apparel. Not only did we do all the branding and web design for them, but we also did all the designs for their tee shirts. We'll be working very closely with Dignitee in the future...so stay tuned to future blogs.

Here's some of our work...

Branding/Identity

Email Blast


Web Screenshots



Now, you should visit their site and buy some cool shirts that are changing the world.

~peace
david

two projects

Project #1 involves: a spacious living room, Something Blue, a set of fun retro green chairs, a custom-made rustic wooden bar (possibly?), a search for a modern grey couch, a bookshelf, a white shag rug, some pops of red to accent and this talented duo

Project #2 involves: a wide open outdoor space, an antique desk, one very talented writer, book pages floating from a tree, the golden sunlight of a late September and this gifted lovely new friend

All the details and the happy visuals will soon follow...because, as you can see, not only are WE creative - our friends are creative. And, we love working with them.

and......feathers

Whenever the occasion arises for me to wrap a gift, I find myself having to make sure to remember to set aside sufficient time to do so. For me, wrapping a gift is more than a necessary task - it's an art form. No matter what intentions I may have to just "quickly" get it taken care of - I always get carried away in the process of combining colors, textures and shapes to create something that is as beautiful to look at on the outside as the treasure it contains inside. Over the years I have collected all sorts of odds and ends - silky flowers, balls of twine, rolls of string, pieces of vintage ribbon, handmade papers, international ephemera and…...feathers.



Last week it was my dear friend Ronda's birthday. And, this time, the embellishments on the package were more than just a lovely decoration - they were the seeds of a new endeavor. My creative comrade is going to be making adornments for the hair - and, in the near future, you can find them right here. Be sure to keep a look out for them. I have no doubt that they will be lots of fun. Just like Ronda.

Oh, and in case you are wondering (because I know I would be) what was underneath the sky blue paper, colorful strings and floaty feathers : it was an art piece created from a picture I took in Paris, mixed with gold leaf and French newspaper, all collaged on a wooden "canvas" which happened to formerly be part of my bedroom closet door. Don't be alarmed: the rest of that said door is now happily resituated as my headboard and, in its place, hang burnt orange velvety curtains from IKEA. All is well.

The last week of August is here. September's yellow is beginning to peek through the green of a passing summer. The holiday season will be upon us before we know it …and with it: mucho gift wrapping. Need some help? Or want an artful collage to place under your Christmas tree? Let us know. That's what we are here for, because we…yeah, you know…are creative.

kuh-lab-uh-rey-shuhn

Collaboration: having fun making stuff together.

That's what we are are doing. Because WE are creative.

Keep watching...we're just getting started.

Welcome Evan Millard to 615creative!

Well, not really...he's been a part of the team now for several months, but I just made the time to add him to the web site. I know, I'm a bad person. But Evan is not, he's great. Here's a little about him:

Hey there, my name is Evan. If I had a kingdom, its flag would be aqua blue, a brilliant red, and white. My first discovery of design came through the introduction of Legos in my life. I remember asking for Legos every single holiday and playing with them for hours. My favorite dessert would have to be Thai Sticky Rice with Mangos covered with Sweet Coconut Sauce. My favorite city is Savannah, GA. The old world charm and architecture of Savannah is breathtaking! I love the look of a square. I'm passionate about creating designs that reflect a specific purpose or love. I've always wanted to skydive from a plane with my best friend.

See, he's awesome...and he does great work.

Speaking of work, if you need us to work for you, just let us know. It'd be our pleasure.

~peace
david

Hello, My Name is Aimee

This is my very first attempt at blogging. I have always wanted to blog. Or, at least, I thought I did. Then, the opportunity finally presents itself and I freeze. I’ll admit it: I’ve had blog intimidation. Am I creative enough? Interesting enough? Will anyone even read what I am writing? So, our first 615 Creative blog post came from David. It’s a very informed, intelligent diatribe on web “stuff” that I basically know nothing about. More intimidation. Especially for a girl who just wants to write about colour combinations and cupcakes. But, I tell myself (okay, and David told me too) - we need variety. It takes all different kinds of people to make a design group or....all kinds of "different" people, maybe. So, here goes nothing …or everything?

Last week, on 6/15, we had our launch party. It’s okay to pause right now and notice the cleverness of that date. Yes, it was deliberate. So, the lovely and talented Sarah Barlow basically let us turn her apartment upside down and – in a explosion of orange, white and silver accessories, furniture and food – create a party. One of the things we did at the party, by way of introducing ourselves to the world, was to write (non-fiction, of course) stories about ourselves. Since this is my introduction to blog world I thought it would be appropriate to share mine with you. Here is my “story” - and I’m stickin' to it.

“Hello, My name is Aimee. If I had a kingdom its flag would be seafoam green, tangerine and red...today. Tomorrow, it may be canary yellow, turquoise and grey. One of my first artistic expressions (a.k.a. a sign that I was truly a designer at heart) was when I began taking all of the books off my parent's bookshelves to create individual, uniquely decorated ''apartments" for all of my dolls. My current favorite dessert (because it changes as much as my favorite colors) is a cupcake from Ivey Cake. It's pink and it's strawberry and it's called "Big Dreams." I like that name. My favorite city is THE city, New York, and my favorite thing that I've done there (so far) was to walk across the Brooklyn Bridge. My favorite shape is a Lotus Blossom. I love creating atmospheres....especially celebratory ones. I've always wanted to travel from North Africa down to South Africa and visit as many countries on the way as possible!!”

THE END. Or, perhaps I should say, (as I wave goodbye to intimidation..) “Til next time.”

I Hate the "Web 2.0" Design Trend!

First, let me state that I know that Web 2.0 has nothing to do with design, but is more an ideology of communication, connectivity, and collaboration...unfortunately though, many people have confused the issue and have used the term to describe a certain overused and unoriginal design style...and it's that design style that I'm beginning to loathe.

I'm not exactly sure how this childish fixation started, but I'm going to blame Apple and Nintendo, two companies that I, more often than not, like.

Apples' contribution to this design debacle was the beautiful design of it's products followed by the embossing, gradient, and reflection effects in almost all of it's marketing and advertising. Take a brief stroll around their website, www.apple.com, and you'll see what I mean.

I don't hate this design...in fact, I really like it. My problem is that everyone who ever thought they were a designer, both professionals and high schoolers with cracked versions of Photoshop, started copying it because it's so nice. I have to admit, even I have designed a piece like it--two years ago.

Nintendo, in my opinion, added to this trend with the release of the Wii. My problem is not with the gaming system, but with the "bubbly" embossed design of the interface. And, I can't stand the look of the Mii's. I feel like I'm playing with old PlaySkool toys...everything is so circular and round...like Mr. Potato Head. The Mii's make me feel "wii-erd".

Anyway...enough ranting. What can we do? Well, first let's define the problem.

Problem:
Any design containing at least 3 of the following: drop shadow, embossing, reflection, gradients and endless use of rounded corners. I don't think that any of these individual elements are evil...it's the fact that there are so many designers copying this fad and it's really becoming ridiculous. If you look closely, you'll see the largest companies in the world starting to "Web 2.0" their logos, advertising, and web sites. Ugh...trust me, if you look for it, you'll see it.

I'm not sure what exactly the problem is...maybe creatives are becoming lazy--it's easier to recycle design, than to do something original...maybe clients are dictating design--"Oh, can you make the site look like Apple?"...and maybe it's a combination.

Solution:
I know it makes no sense to just hate. I'm not usually a hater and I recognize that I'm not the most creative designer on the planet, I'm just extremely tired of this cliched and overworked fad.

So, it's up to us. If like me, you strive to be a creative designer, then let's be CREATIVE and take back the design of the web.

~peace
david

RESOURCES:
To see a lot of the things I abhor here.
Learn how to be a design mimic here.

Bloggin' Baby...

This is a lame excuse for a first blog...but everyone starts somewhere, right?

~peace
david