Shortcut-O-Rama

I've been reading Smashing Magazine for a while, and have neglected sharing it until now. They've recently posted an excellent list of keyboard shortcuts for various applications (no Adobe products yet). I highly recommend adding them to your must read list. It seems that every time a new post comes out, it receives a star in my Google Reader list.

Share and enjoy!

Freelance Switch - Start Reading Now!

I recently started writing for a new online site by the name of Freelance Switch. Think of it as a very useful resource for all current and future freelancers of the world. So far, there's been great content (mind included, no less), and I anticipate even better things to come. So head on out and take a look!

Bittbox: Tutorials, Freebies, and More

If you like free brushes and tutorials, BittBox is a great place to start. In fact, their post today is a tutorial on how to make your own high-res brushes (it's quite easy and fun once you get the hang of it). Quite a bit (haha) of goodies out there to be had, so get to downloading!

New Link - Veer

I have no idea why I haven't thought to mention this before, but if you are looking for stock photos, or even just inspiration on your next project, head out to Veer and if nothing else, sign up for their fantastic paper catalog.

Yesterday afternoon, I was greeted with a box. In this box is a puzzle. And on the puzzle? A discount code for Veer! Talk about a brilliant marketing idea.

As a quick update: as luck would have it, I quickly found the center of the puzzle and the Veer code. Essentially, you get $100 in free merchandise for spending $500 in the store. Sadly, I won't be picking anything out of that dollar amount anytime soon...

We Are Live: The Purl District

As of this morning, The Purl District and The Purl District Blog are live. There are a couple of tweaks to be made, but overall, I'm pleased with the results. Be sure to visit and check out the goods.

Working On...

Why no posts recently? Well, I've been putting my creative energies into putting the finishing touches on a website project for a company called The Purl District. I'll post the real link soon (although I imagine some of you may be able to figure out the URL ahead of time). Here's a preview of the almost complete (in the sense that the client hasn't given final approval of it) home page:

I'm also coordinating with a possible client, discussing their new website. Samples once I get the go ahead on that project.

New Link - COLOURlovers

Just a quick post today to remark on a new link on the sidebar - COLOURlovers. From their intro:

COLOURlovers™ is a resource that monitors and influences color trends. COLOURlovers gives the people who use color - whether for ad campaigns, product design, or in architectural specification - a place to check out a world of color, compare color palettes, submit news and comments, and read color related articles and interviews.

In other words, some great color compilations that may serve to inspire your next project.

Springtime!

Spring has sprung, and you can tell as my wife has requested a new blog header. A much simpler task this time around. I used one of my Filter Forge filters (Candy Striper) to create the background, and brushes from Designfruit. A couple of extra color changes (gads, I like the ability to switch those on the fly with a GUI) and tada! A new header.

Free Stuff: Ray Box Plus

We just got back from my wife's 30th Birthday Bash in SoCal, and as part of the week long festivities, we went to The Price is Right. You can't really go without having your own special shirts, right? With help from Erin we came up with the above example, and I've stripped out the text and posted two variations of the Ray Box for you to use on whatever project you wish. And for as long as they'll let us have it up, I've got The Price is Right logo for those who are trying to make their own shirt for the last Bob Barker season.

Finally, for those wondering, there is a free variation of The Price is Right font called Pricedown, which you can find here

Share and enjoy!

Ray Box Plus 1

Ray Box Plus 2

The Price is Right Logo

Free Stuff: Frame ScrapPak

Another free ScrapPak: This one is four frames that you can use in for you photos. Each pair is a transparent .png with a slightly different edge (two landscape, two portrait). Want a different color? Drop a comment with the color you'd like to see, and we'll try to upload the variation.

Frame ScrapPak 001

Share and enjoy!

Frame It - Part 2

Just another couple frame examples to tempt before I post the actual kit...

Frame It

Just a little tidbit I'm working on after seeing Andrea's post saying that she really liked these new digital frames she purchased. Taking that as a challenge, I created a couple of my own. I'm going to add a few more flavors before uploading them later this week.

Oooo! - more Designfruit brushes

Leave it to Jason Gaylor (the man behind Designfruit) to once again release a couple of real awe-inspiring brush sets. Make sure to check out his site for two new releases, Japanese Foilage and Valentastic Valentine.

Pop Art Babbies

I recently helped my nephew get his new blog header up, and in keeping with the title, we decided to go with a comic book feel. So rather than drum up old comics, we made Pop Art Eli and with a little comic formatting, the look was complete.

I'll post instructions on the process soon. Easy to do, fun to play with.

Free Stuff: Valentine's ScrapPak

My first free ScrapPak. And just in time for those Valentine's Day projects you've been dreading. In the file is a brush set (love letters, hearts, and a fancy love), a couple of stitched hearts, some striped paper, and a couple of glass heart buttons. I've included a couple of examples in the mix, showing that this could be used for either the male or female persuasion.

Valentine's ScrapPak 001

Share and Enjoy!

Coming Soon...

Now that the Christmas holidays have come and gone, I've started thinking about the next set of brushes I'd like to create so here's a little sample of what's to come.