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OK, so it's been quite a while since I've written a post. But it's been such a nice Summer, I'm sure that you preferred being outside having fun, rather than at a computer reading this blog!
I recently had an opportunity to work on a very creative assignment. I do a lot of work recreating logos and artwork by tracing a low-resolution image (either manually or automatically). But in this instance I just had a rough photo of a plaque taken on an angle to go by, so I had to create it freehand. (Although, I did trace the loon from a photo.) I was able to take advantage of some advanced tools in Adobe Illustrator that I usually don't get a chance to use. It took some time, but it was a lot of fun to create!
I just wanted to highlight the latest cover of Machine Quilting Unlimited. This fantastic image is actually a quilt created by Carol Ann Sinnreich! I love designing a cover around great artwork like this. I thought the whole issue came out exceptionally well, due to the excellent quilts and writing. For more information on this issue and MQU in general, see www.mqumag.com.
There is a beach on Lake Winnipesaukee just a half mile down the street from our house. Yesterday evening the wind was kicking up the white caps and the clouds were lit up by a beautiful sunset. Here are a couple photos to give you an idea of what it was like:
Last week, I attended an excellent sales and marketing seminar sponsored by the Wolfeboro Chamber. It emphasized, among other things, the importance of educating and keeping in touch with clients and potential clients. A great way to do this is through a regular newsletter, either in print or by e-mail. One of my clients who was at the seminar was so excited about this idea, that we met right after to discuss designing a printed newsletter for his business right away. After a few days, he had written up some great articles. I turned the project around in less than a day and the newsletter is being printed today. He was thrilled with the design which you can see here.
This project emphasizes that an effective newsletter can be written, designed and printed within a short time frame. Of course, to be effective, it will be important to maintain your newsletter schedule, be it monthly or quarterly. In order to assure this, you may want to write some articles ahead of schedule. And don't forget to send the newsletter to as many contacts as possible -- existing clients, prospective clients and targeted leads.
If you think that a newsletter could help your business, please contact JLM Graphics for more information.
As promised, here is a sample page from the finished quilt pattern catalog. The design is basic, but the challenge was to create an editable layout, so that new patterns could be inserted in alphabetical order. This was done by "anchoring" each pattern graphic to the pattern name below it. That way, when a new pattern is inserted, all the other patterns "flow" to the next box and retain their order. After the layout was complete, I created an alphabetical index of all the patterns in each section. I had a lot of fun putting this together. It was more technical that most of my projects and required me to use some software features that I don't normally use. To see the entire catalog, go to www.debrageissler.com/catalog_download.php.
With today's software, creating your own newsletter, catalog or other publication can be easy. But sometimes a different design or layout system can save you money on the printing or make future editing less time consuming. If you have a publication that you produce, and have a problem that needs solving, I would love to take a look.
Last week, I was able to attend MQX 2010 in Providence, RI. JLM Graphics has been designing, composing and printing the show publications and marketing materials for this show for over 5 years. It has been exciting to watch this show grow to become a nationally-recognized event and it's been a joy to work with the founders, Janet-Lee and Mary. As always, the quilts displayed at the show this year were incredible works of art! Next year, MQX will have two shows, one in Providence and one in Portland, Oregon! You can find out more by going to www.MQXShow.com. I've included a photo of a 12 foot by 12 foot banner for the event that JLM designed and managed the production of.
And I haven't forgotten about the pattern catalog I mentioned last month. I will have more on that shortly.
Sorry about the long stretch between posts. I'm still getting used to keeping up with the new blog.
A few weeks ago, a quilt pattern designer was referred to me by one of my clients. She wanted to revamp her catalog, which is organized into rows and columns of patterns on each page. She has over a thousand digitized patterns and needed a way to easily insert new patterns into the catalog in alphabetical order and have all the other patterns and their captions reflow automatically. This has been a fun challenge for me and we are still working on it. We will let you know how the final piece comes out -- stay tuned!
One of the most enjoyable projects that I work on is Machine Quilting Unlimited magazine. It is an 80 page, bi-monthly, full-color publication full of machine quilting news, techniques, artists, designers, and products. The quilts displayed in the magazine never cease to amaze me and are truly works of art. Last week I finished designing the March 2010 issue. The cover is shown here. You can view the table of contents and editor's letter of this issue by clicking here.
Learn more about Machine Quilting Unlimited at www.mqumag.com.
I went to my first Wolfeboro Area Chamber of Commerce event last night. It was generously hosted by Linda's Flowers and Plants. Everyone was very welcoming and I even won one of Linda's beautiful rose arrangements! It looks really nice in our new home -- thank you! I look forward to meeting more members at future Chamber events.
Welcome to the new JLM Graphics blog. From time to time, I will post a new project, photo or other information to let you know recent goings on at JLM Graphics. I hope that you enjoy it and that it helps you see what we've been up to.
For starters, we have moved to a new location in Wolfeboro, NH. I still have a strong connection in our previous hometown of Epping, NH and will continue to service many clients in that area. Our new location is near New Hampshire's largest lake, Lake Winnipesaukee. We are close to XC ski trails, beaches, hiking and good roads for cycling. The community here is very welcoming and friendly.
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