Jessica Herbig Creative

Crazy Busy!

2011-10-10T17:47:00.000-07:00

Wow! I hadn't realized it's been 2 months and some change since we last connected! It's funny when life gets in the way and the days just keep going by without a chance to post! I've had some very exciting developments in the past few months.

{List of Exciting Developments}:

1. YES! I am on Pinterest! And I LOVE LOVE LOVE IT!

2. Landed a repeat account that has the potential to
develop into a full time thing......DO I WANT THAT? yes!

3. I am on Pinterest!

4. I have been retailing my knitting
(not exactly print-design related, but exciting none-the-less)

5. This isn't a development YET where I live,
but who is ready for THIS?!:

Between getting ready for a new baby in the house (IN TWO WEEKS!) I've been establishing myself in the Creative Community in our area. I have many leads from living here previously, and one of those connections came through in a big way! So needless to say, one thing turned into another thing, and into another thing, and I've learned the art of balancing work-at-home life and my home-life. But I still would like to know how people do this and stay sane!

The other night, my husband had JUST walked in the door from work, still in uniform, and I kissed him goodbye with hardly an explanation, and took off for a coffee date with girlfriends. Needless to say he was a little confused. But I had to get out. RIGHT THEN. And it was good. Really good. Salted Caramel Mocha minus the calories good.

Services Postcard

2011-08-05T20:23:00.000-07:00

We're here to stay people! Sure, there are boxes everywhere, but my office is unpacked, and we're ready to roll! So is my promotional postcard. I'll have a bigger post in a few! But if you want to leave some love for me, well, I'd sure appreciate it! Anything you'd like to see included before I print and mail?

~Jessica

Big Plans!

2011-07-20T20:42:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone!

We are settling into the Inland Northwest! North Idaho, the 51st State. Or it should be! We are SO happy to be back in the area, and things are falling into place.

We saw a BUNCH of horrible rentals, but just today found a really cute 3 Bd/1.5 Ba that is going to work perfectly for us! It came down to "Will we be happy here for at least a year?" The answer was YES! Not much for a yard, which was high on my list for my 2 boys, but there are a few parks in walking distance, so that made up for that. Hubbins is not a city boy, but he took the "if you're happy here, I'm happy here too" approach. Thanks babe! That's part of why I love you SO MUCH!

Creatively, I have much in the works. Settling into town, and starting to dream up ideas for growing my business is tops on my list. I have this huge urge to contribute to the family coffers, even being a full time mom, and then baking another baby on top of everything else!

Once again, this is about what I feel like right now:

I'm hoping things settle down really soon. I'll be previewing my promotional postcards soon, as well as announcing a giveaway of some SUPER CUTE custom recipe cards, to bring out the mama-jama in all of us! Or as a friend calls it, the "Becky-Homecky". Hold me to it! What would all of you like to see on a design for a recipe card? What inspires you to create?

The Good Life

2011-07-11T10:58:00.000-07:00

My husband is Wonderful with a capital "W". I've always known this, but today I'm able to take a minute to be grateful. He's working his tail off so that I can stay at home, and work from home, and spend time with our son.

Like right now, I'm drinking an iced coffee, recipe courtesy of The Pioneer Woman, a couple logo ideas stewing on screen, and my little Mr. Mr. is running around outside within eyesight shooting his "water soakers" at every little bug that dares to get in his way. Oh, to be 2. (We call them water soakers because he also has a fascination with guns, and guns are not allowed to be pointed at people EVER, while water soakers can.....see how that can get confusing?)

Courtesy of Flickr. Love the tranquility in this photo,
with the promise of some excitement in the clouds!

And I just had to take a peaceful minute to let you all know, before the reality of a day at home sets in and I'm swamped with the dishes, lunchtime, bathtime, dinnertime, naptime, and various "clean up all of the potty accidents" times.

~Jess

Exodus of Re-Branding. Take 2

2011-06-29T15:26:00.000-07:00

The wind is blowing. My little Mr. Mr. is nearing the end of his naptime.

I am re-branding. Again.

I have a problem.

I mean, really, a PROBLEM, with a capital P.

Here's my problem. I LOVE color, I LOVE designs, and I can't have one design for myself. Why is that a problem? Well....how am I supposed to let everyone know who I am and what I do, if one minute I look like the lady at the bank, but I moonlight at the nearest Kon-Tiki?

Help me stay on track people! I am re-branding. This WILL be the last time. (Until my business base is established, that is.) I am going with this, I will make business cards, and letterhead, and a blog header, and some stickers at Moo. The stickers are amazing.

(And if you go to Moo, and happen to check out their blog, and leave a comment,
go ahead and give a kickback that you heard of them from me. That'd be spectacular.)

So check this out:

I've found that if I can design within a business card parameter, the logo generally figures itself out, and makes it easier to apply to my paper collateral. Weird, I know, but it works for me.

I will also be revising my list of services in the coming ~~years~~ weeks, so check back if there is something special you'd have me in mind for. I specialize in design for print, but I am slowly letting myself be pulled into web. I've been resisting since I've been in college. I know it's the newest coolest stuff, but I just have too much fun with the printing presses.

My favorite Piece of Eye Candy!

2011-05-25T17:38:00.000-07:00

You guys are going to DIE when you see this door. Ready?

AAAH! I LOVE it! And since hubbins and I are a little bitten by the home buying bug, this may be a reality for us soon! Love it!

No Posts Since February!

2011-05-19T14:19:00.000-07:00

Geez. No wonder no one reads this anymore! Well, I've been a LITTLE distracted. We found out at the end of January that we're expecting! I'm due in November, just a scant week before my little Mr. Mr.'s 3rd Birthday. Way to go with the planning?! Eek! Yep, and we're STILL traveling, so my last few months have been filled with the details and possibilities of what can and will happen realistically in the coming months.

Suffice it to say.....every other area of my life has suffered a little as we've worked out the details. And since every other area of my life is changing, so shall my blog. I'm working on a website for my creative business, so this blog is going to be less business minded and a little more creative. Eye candy, for instance, is a designers best friend.

If my hubbins had to choose between diamonds and the latest design software/hardware, the romantic in him would go with diamonds, and I'd swoon, and probably cry a little. If the practical side of him kicked in and he went with the usable, oh my goodness, I'd be in heaven. I love my laptop, my mighty mouse, my Wacom Tablet, and my software. I use them DAILY, and my dream of a creative firm is going to take flight on those basic "necessities". I'll keep ya posted.

~Jess

A little Thursday Fun

2011-02-03T11:17:00.000-08:00

Here's a little bit of fun for your Thursday. I had a couple minutes or RARE free time while my little Mr. Mr. was taking a nap and threw this together. It's probably representative of the week we've had!

ENJOY!

What I Do When I am Bored

2011-02-02T07:03:00.000-08:00

Have you ever seen those things on Facebook. You know, THOSE things.... the posts about how if you're bored, just go to Flickr and pick a random picture, then go to a quote page and pick a random quote, then go to Wikipedia and pick a random article title, then put them together in Photoshop and that will be your first album cover when you get famous?

Haha. I didn't think so.

But I have.

Wikipedia gave me an article called Cambria Hills. A city in California.

Flickr gave me a picture of some beer kegs. A very artistic picture no less.

And the last quote on the quotations page, on the very last 4 words, gave me my album name.

Check it out!

It's just for fun, but kinda cool, no?

Outdoor Inspiration

2011-01-24T13:49:00.000-08:00

In the past year, we have seen A LOT of water. A LOT. We were on the Oregon Coast in Brookings for quite awhile. It is SO soothing to look at water crash onto sand beaches when it's a blustery 50 degrees outside. I LOVED it! Even though we were in a travel trailer, I could take my little Mr. Mr. across the street and to an ocean overlook and watch the big waves. It was SO peaceful!

And then we were in Elma, WA. Not right on the water, but we could drive to Seattle, and we did, quite frequently. And you know what Seattle is famous for! That's right, the PIER! LOVED that pier! All the noise, and the smells (only a few bad ones). It was so great! I'm a closet city girl.

And then we were in a few other places where there was no water. But as of YESTERDAY, we have landed just north of Othello, WA on the Potholes Reservoir. And the view is AMAZING! Our cabin overlooks the water from the dining area, and we get to watch the sunsets and the duck hunters. AND, to make it all authentic, there's signs everywhere that say, "We'll pluck your duck for a buck!" No joke! Hilarious! And really, this picture doesn't do the view justice. I just took it with my phone. Out the window. Yeah, cause it's cold, (and that's how I roll.)

Creatively Creating for a Giveaway!

2011-01-21T15:36:00.000-08:00

There is something so SATISFYING for me to create something tangible. I get a kick out of designing for print, don't get me wrong, but I think it has something to do with the cold winter months that has me turning to knitting. It's so WARM, and FUZZY, and when I finally get finished with something I just LOVE LOVE LOVE it in all it's messed up glory.

PLUS it helps that I've had a ton of friends having babies lately so i've been making super cute little hats for their little ones. And they're babies so they can't say they hate it! I am by no means an expert. I YouTube knitting videos when I get to a stitch I don't know, or sometimes I don't even have a clue what they're talking about. Then I Google it and THEN YouTube it! Here's a look at some of the cute stuff I've done lately.

So here's the fun part! I have pictures of 5 things that I've knitted. I'd like you all to leave a comment telling me which ones were from a pattern, and which ones I just made up as I went along! 1 point for each right answer, and 1 bonus point if you can tell me which pattern which ones were made from! So get to searching! In the event of a tie I will throw scraps of paper in a basket and pick blindly, and the winner will get a FREE custom design for web! No websites, something along the lines of a banner or blog button. Get to it!

Feeling the Winter DULLdrums

2011-01-18T22:17:00.000-08:00

Lately, we've been hit from every side with every scenario possible that could "sink our ship". Our "ship" is a 26 ft. travel trailer. My hubbins, "El Capitan", me "El Capitan Dos" and our "First Mate", have been given a run for our money. Hubbins had to go to climbing school, and left last Saturday before First Mate woke up. That started the whole thing.

My 2 year old First Mate misses his dad. LIKE CRAZY. And wont let me out of his sight. That was 11 DAYS AGO! So first we had subzero temperatures that threatened our water pipes into our trailer, but I got those thawed out.

Then everything turned to 3 inches of ice and made even walking treacherous, which led to us being cooped up in our ship for DAYS. DAYS!

The First Mate started getting his 2 year old molars while being cooped up in our 26 ft. ship. Read: CRANKY. No sleep for us. And he started acting like the little girl on Despicable Me when she grabs onto Gru's leg and won't let go. No, seriously.

Then I discovered some leaks in the roof. No biggie, nothing much I can do but sop up the water until El Capitan gets home. I won't climb onto that roof for nothing short of the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow if the rainbow lands smack dab on the middle of our trailer roof.

A couple days ago the furnace started making a grinding noise. And then stopped. Completely. I thought our ship was going to be filled with poisonous gas and blow up. So I turned off the heat supply, moved into a spare bedroom at my uncle's house with First Mate, and had our trailer towed to a fix-it shop. Thank God it's still under warranty.

Hubbins is STILL at climbing school. Until tomorrow he's 9 hours away on the coast, with his little red Honda Civic. And the timing belt just broke in it. I'm not joking. I couldn't make this up if I tried. He's on the phone with me, driving back to the barracks for dinner after climbing power poles all day, and it breaks.

So, I'm securing a babysitter, driving our truck to meet him in the Tri-Cities, where he's getting a ride and a tow from another apprentice, and we'll drag it back here. That car has been a money-pit. He bought it in college, did a little bit of work to it (and by that I mean my dad, the amazing mechanic, because his daughter was madly in love with this handsome baseball player, did work on it) and it ran great until a few years ago, when the engine blew. We replaced the engine, and have less than 20,000 on it, and now the timing belt bent the engine into more figure eights than an anorexic Chinese gymnast. (No offense to Chinese Gymnasts, I'm extremely jealous of your flexibility is all)

So that's where we're at. That's why no posts. This is our life.

Oh! And POTTY TRAINING! Don't even get me STARTED on potty training! Little boy pee STINKS. it STINKS!

ITS TIME FOR CHRISTMAS CARDS!

2010-10-27T08:45:00.000-07:00

hahahahaha. Mine will have a trailer on them! Yep, a vintage, cartoon trailer, and then a picture of yours truly with the two men in my life standing outside of said trailer....doing something funny. I'd love some ideas!

Here's our trailer!

We were going to go with hick, because actually....we are hickish and it wouldn't take any effort to dress up and black out some teeth, but I'm open to anything! We did happen to take a nice family picture....that I'll include in the inside, because with all the traveling we do, we don't get to see family that often! And we wouldn't want them to forget what we look like, would we?

Here's that family picture...before editing. (jk I edited out a light fixture and got rid of some under eye circles before I showed you this)

Our little mister mister is cute, right? He won't sit still for anything. It's why I love him so much. Actually I was just joking. This won't be the picture, but it's the same lighting as the picture I'm actually going to use, so when I get all done and reveal it, you can be totally surprised!

How Lazy Can I Be?

2010-10-19T14:19:00.000-07:00

Well....pretty lazy! Work is picking up, and Reagan is being even MORE rambunctious than usual, and I forgot I'm supposed to be getting better at blogging! If this keeps up....maybe I should just drop it, huh? Nah....

So remember my logo for BC^2? Well, through that, I got a job doing a logo design for a new BBQ Association starting up in the Coeur d' Alene, Idaho area. It's called the West Slope BBQ Association. Check it out! They'll be competing in the Idaho State Championships in January. Watch for them, and try out their food! It really is amazing if you like to lick BBQ off your fingers and feel really really full. Check out more about WSBA here.

Here's what we've finalized for WSBA:

(and yes, those are Porterhouse mountains. No, you can only dream of them)

What am I Doing?!

2010-09-23T08:43:00.000-07:00

Another poster, this time for my home team, the Lady Wampus Cat Volleyball Team! Thank you sponsors!

I did a little reminiscing, but never once did I wish I was back out on that court. Those girls would eat me alive at my "old" age. Haha.
Once you have a kid....nothing's the same.
'Nuff Said.

Without further ado, here it is:

Happy Vintage-y Birthday!

2010-08-23T13:05:00.000-07:00

Oh Dad.... we've been through a lot. So for your 50th birthday, I'm going to squeal to everyone in Blogland, yes I said Blogland Dad, it's the place I go when Reagan's sleeping to maintain some sanity in my hectic life right now. Anyways, I'm going to squeal to all of them what we're doing for your 50th birthday! Why am I telling them? Because you aren't computer-savvy enough to find your oldest daughters blog online, so you'll never know!

Here's the invite!

OMG! I just mailed these today.... and I didn't put the DATE on them! ugh!!!!! I double and triple checked everything.

Epic Fail.

This post just got ruined. I really did just see that and am not pretending for dramatic effect. Dang. Well I'll just have mom tell everyone who DOES call to rsvp that we didn't put the date on there to MAKE people call to find out when it is. That way those that show up on his actual birthday don't get cake. Um, yeah, that's it. Dang.

(Disclaimer: This in no way should reflect on my skills as a designer.... I've had a naughty 2 year old and my anniversary week this week and am a little loopy from it all.)

Nuts over Paisley!

2010-07-29T09:18:00.000-07:00

I go through creative spurts. I'm sure I've talked about this before. I'll love a certain style for like, 2 weeks, then find something new to obsess over. This week, and maybe next, it's PAISLEY! woop woop!

Check out this eye candy!

And this! I love these colors together!

And how cute for a little girl! Pink and black and pops of brown... Screams "Princess"!

This might be my favorite! Brown, sage green, black, lots of breathing space...*sigh*

Pictures Courtesy of Etsy

I won an AWARD?!

2010-07-24T12:35:00.000-07:00

Wow. I'm a little stunned. I never thought the work I did for a local furniture company would get taken outside the area...to a regional conference...

A FURNITURE CONFERENCE!

I love furniture. It stems from having to live in a travel trailer that comes completely furnished, so there's no need to buy anything. But that makes me want to! But I digress.

Here's the ad!

I couldn't put this up until it ran in the local paper. The boss man is so funny. Overly Super secretive about sales strategies and such. Confidentiality and the whole bit. But he took this ad with him to a furniture dealers conference, entered it into a "Most original idea" contest and it won!

Which is a little funny because this ad is normally "Way outside the box" for his tastes and what he wants for the image of the store. He wanted me to change it, and I used the classic words, "You should really trust me on this one". He did, and I'm glad it paid off for him! I'm glad we were able to shake things up a bit and get his store (and me) some recognition!

Be Inspired...BY EVERYTHING!

2010-07-14T07:34:00.000-07:00

I'm not working on anything that I can talk about right now...
(Cue the ominous music)

BUT I cruise the internet every day looking for more inspiration. And I find it EVERYWHERE! I find it on shabby vintage blogs, like Twig, or on clothing websites, like Ruche, or even in the graphics in some of the cartoons that my little man "R" likes to watch!

Stuff like this:

Courtesy of Etsy, another treasure trove of homemade goodies

Or This:

Courtesy of Ruche. When I look at clothing as inspiration, I'm looking at the colors and patterns. For example, I made a plaid background for a new project that I may share if it turns out on screen like I want it to in my head, using this vest as inspiration.

Thats all for today. Back to the grindstone for me! Little "R" fell out of bed this morning at 6:30 am, right over his bumpers and right over the side of his bunk, so it's been touch and go with his moods this morning. Lots and lots of love and hands on attention should fix that! *I hope*

Another Filling Station Project

2010-07-01T20:06:00.000-07:00

I had a RAD poster to create for The Filling Station Youth Center this week. It was one of those "Um, we have an event on the 11th what can you show us by tomorrow-ish" type of deals. For some reason....I LOVE those projects! Some good work generally turns out from those rush jobs. Here's what I came up with:

Cool right? Notice the new logo in the bottom right corner!!

Yep, that was a previous project.

Um...and you guys don't know about the food that comes out of the kitchen at this place. IT'S TO DIE FOR! Notice how I highlighted "Dessert Included"?? The lady who normally cooks also cooks on a weekly and sometimes daily basis for an ARMY of teenage kids and she is AMAZING! I've never had anything bad come from her kitchen, and I ate MANY MANY meals there, so I can only imagine what types of desserts will come out of there for this event.....mmmm.

~Jess

Sorry Isn't Good Enough

2010-06-14T12:12:00.000-07:00

Can I make a mid-years Resolution?

I, Jessica Herbig, will NOT let moving get in the way of my blogging,
OR my work that I need to do to blog about it!

That being said, here's what I've been working on!

What is BC^2 you ask? Well.......

Brown Chicken Brown Cow!
(Say it, you know you want to! Bowchicawowwow!)

My cheffy friend in Coeur d' Alene started a competition BBQ team, to compete over the Father's Day Weekend. And they're good. Really good. I'm drooling thinking about pork butts and ribs and steaks and...and...and...yeah, you get the picture. And because he's cool like that, he wanted the logo to be vague, so that when someone asks (like you did) what BC^2 stands for, his 3-man team can sing out, "Brown Chicken Brown Cow!" Good luck boys!

~Jess

TWIG'S WINNING DESIGN

2010-04-29T16:48:00.000-07:00

Oh my gosh... OH. MY. GOSH. Yep. Gosh. I came for a week to babysit my parents dog while they went on vacation, then we found out Nate was getting laid off...so I prepared to be there until we got the travel trailer moved to a new location. Well, week after week the layoff wasn't happening, but I kept staying here, not wanting Reagan to be shuttled back and forth so much. UGH. It's been a month, give or take, and the trailer is now here but Nate is working in Washington until Mid-May. Alone. We're staying in the trailer...in...GASP...Clark Fork. Nothing like home, right?

Right now I'm sitting in front of the library stealing hi-speed wifi so I can finally blog, and Reagan is being a good boy reading a book in the back seat!

Now the real reason I wanted to urgently let ya'll know about. Or is it y'all Jana? I dunno, either way, this is the sweet sweet design Jana from Twig won in my first giveaway. It's for her Vintage Whites Market happening in Somers, MT in May. Check it out if you're in the area. Should be a good time! And the exciting thing is..I THINK I'LL BE IN THE AREA!! WOOP WOOP!

And here it is!

No New Projects = No New Inspiration!

2010-03-29T14:07:00.000-07:00

The ho-hum days of design. I should have a ton of side projects to work on.....but I really don't. Why? Because it's been one of those months...The type where Reagan is teething and testing authority to the max, and I have no energy for anything else at the end of the day.

(photos.com)

What's in the works with me these days...

Graduation Invite

Personal Business Card Design

A SINGLE Newspaper Ad

Ho...Hum...

I am HOPING in the next few days/weeks/months to get some baby shower invites to design!

I need someone to let me design them a LOGO. I LOVE LOGOS. And the academic geek in me wanted to follow that statement with (AND ETHOS....) But I didn't. Why? Because have you ever heard of an academic artistic design-minded individual? Well now you have.

And for fun...I will probably redesign the blog. So if you come here, and it's completely different, don't freak out and call the FBI, I'm not missing, just playing hide-and-peek.

Oh, and one last thing..I'm going to house-sit for my parents and their monstrous 100 lb. german shepherd, Gauge, for a whole week. In the event that I make it out of it alive, you'll hear from me after next week, because my parents live in a place with no cell phone service, and the slowest internet connection in the world. I bet Antarctica gets faster service than them. But it's gorgeous! And if it's sunny then I will hike with Reagan and the dog and take lots of pictures to show you upon my return!

Did Ya Miss Me?!

2010-03-22T13:26:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the tardiness! THIS cute little peanut is the reason. Meet Adrian Xavier Torres, my sister's new addition to the family! (P.S. can't see it too well but check out the fabric on this chair I'm sitting in. My mom's in the process of recovering and restoring it, because she's a genius with upholstery, and i LOVE it! I'm going to design some wallpaper like it!)

I intended to just go up for the weekend to Idaho and visit the family and relax and enjoy a standard sized shower...then SURPRISE there my sister was with the Peanut, so I had to stay! And over a week later I decided to leave before my parents were overloaded with 2 little boys in the house. Here's my inspiration this week (BUT NOT THE ONLY REASON I'VE GOT BABIES ON THE BRAIN!):

This is my little man Reagan with his new cousin, Adrian. Despite the sheer look of terror on his face, he actually really dug his cousin. When we were patting his back, (Peanut's, not Reagan's), he would truck on over and try to help! Or try to launch him from Adrian's bouncy chair while he was hanging out in it, or whatever he could do to get into trouble!

On a fantastic side note, I visited my old adviser at the college I went to in Coeur d' Alene, and was offered a part time teaching position in the Graphic Design Department! Stay tuned for details on that little gem of information!

Change is in the air People!

2010-03-04T16:44:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone from LOVE{R}LY DESIGNS. I thought it was time to try out something new, and this is what I came up with ~~today~~ after much thought.

What do you think? Here is my vision...

Me: (walking into a print shop to get my logo thrown on some paper) "So what colors do you have on the press today?"

Press Dude: "They're sweet. I've got 377 and 227 all inked up and ready to go" (For those of you wondering if I've lost my marbles, those numbers are PMS 377 and PMS 227, the Pantone Matching System, which is a way of insuring that when you go to two different print shops to get something printed, they can match the color EXACTLY so you don't end up with brown and blue from the same design. Sweet, yeah? Oh, and 377 is olive green, and 227 is a magenta, my two fave colors of the moment together.)

Me: "Sounds good to me."

I like the spontaneity of not having set colors for my logo. There's just too many ways to combine them all! I'm going to have to have a really strong brand though to get away with this.... hmmm, something for me to think about as I start throwing work out there!

So let me know what you think about this, or any ideas you have for my exodus of rebranding.

Love you guys, thanks for reading!

Jessica

Great Graphic Design

2010-03-03T18:58:00.000-08:00

Of COURSE "G" is for Graphic Design. There's other things, of course. G-roller, Gangsta, Gangly Gaggles of Geese, but for ME, GRAPHIC DESIGN is tops! I know, hard to beat Gangsta, but I sure try!

Absolutely

Graphic Design

I love everything about it. The colors, the possibilities, even the textures! Oh my gosh, like a homemade cotton paper that feels so silky and GLAMOUROUS, or the magenta and olive color combo that drives me wild! I love paisley and stripes, and everything nice!

So "G" is for Graphic Design. And a fun little fact. Did you know that GREEN is a color people either love or absolutely hate? There's not really an in-between for most people.

I'll end it with this cute little number from littlelionstudio.com. It's AMAZING!

I'm participating in Jenny Matlock's AlphabeThursday! Check out her blog, it's super cute and full of all the stuff most of us think but rarely say, plus some stuff we don't!

Finalized Filling Station T-shirt Design

2010-02-23T17:58:00.000-08:00

Just got the go-ahead for this T-shirt design. And the cool place that its for is worth taking a look at. They don't know I'm sending you to their website, but it's a very very worthy cause and it benefits the youth of the small town that I'm from. My little brother and sister call that place home, as well as 90% of the kids middle school thru high school. It's called The Filling Station, and you can find them here. Again, that's right here.

Go check them out and learn more about them, and if you feel moved to donate to them, all the better! Mark and Pen are good friends of mine. They baptized me in the Lake when I was 16, and have been a part of my family for even longer than that. They have a heart for the youth of the small community of Clark Fork, and any money donated to them goes towards finishing the youth center.

I am participating in Jenny Matlock's Alphabe-Thursday. Check her out!

May I have the envelope...PLEASE?

2010-02-12T09:57:00.000-08:00

Soooooo. This is it.

The big moment.

The winner of my first blog is about the be announced.

But first a word from our sponsors. But it may take awhile, because our sponsors are currently also sponsoring the Winter Olympics, so hold onto your love{r}ly socks, or fabulously painted toes, and sit tight while they get here from Vancouver. Remember, border security is ridiculously tight these days.

...

KIDDING! Ok, there were 8 legit entries into my giveaway. 8! That's about 8 more than I figured, so I'm really excited! I hopped on over to random.org and used their integer generator. Inputted all the numbers, well...you know how that works, and the number that popped up was.......

That means, JANA FROM TWIG! COME ON DOWN! YOU'RE MY VERY FIRST WINNER! WOOOO!

So, 24 hours to claim your prize, email me at jessicaherbig@gmail.com, and we'll get to work!

Thanks guys for playing! This has been a lot of fun, when we get Jana's design figured out, I'll post it, and we'll get on with this fun business of giving stuff away!

More Portfolio Stuff!

2010-02-09T08:38:00.000-08:00

Here's another Shower Invite, done in the same style as the baby shower invite, and coincidentally, hosted by the same person! We kept her very busy that year! It's a half fold, like the baby shower invite, mailable by standard post.

Design Freebies Anyone?!

2010-02-08T12:54:00.000-08:00

Alright...whew, I'm nervous. This is my first giveaway. Normally when I've never done something before, I google it and figure out how. In this case...I'm winging it!

But, to get the ball rolling, I need to share a picture of my son, Reagan. Feel sorry for the little guy, because last night, after the Superbowl, he decided to celebrate by faceplanting off his highchair into the table, and ended up with a goose egg the size of a golfball, right in the middle of his forehead. So we were up until 10 pm with him making sure he didn't have a concussion!

Back to the giveaway! Now I'm not so nervous.

So. This. Is. What. I'm. Thinking.

This giveaway will be of one custom design, NO WEBSITE DESIGN OR CODING on this one. Let's limit this to:

Banners
Sidebar Buttons
Notecards, Recipe Cards, and the like
Business Cards
1 Advertisement for Print

I think that should do it.

Now. How to enter. You MUST be a follower and leave a comment, and in that comment tell me what you want designed for you, and give me an idea for my next giveaway. Simple, easy-peasy.

Giveaway will end on Thursday at midnight (the midnight between Thursday and Friday, not Wednesday and Thursday). I will announce the winner on Friday, of course during Reagan's naptime. The winner will be chosen with a random number generator, and you will then have 24 hours to contact me to discuss what you want made ESPECIALLY FOR YOU!

Simple enough? So get going!

I've modified this post to participate in Jenny Matlock's Alphabe-Thursday, so more people have the chance to view my blog and giveaways!

Time To Put My Money Where My Mouth Is!

2010-02-07T10:24:00.000-08:00

Ok, time to commence with the giveaways! YAAY! I'm so excited. Thanks to Jana at Twig, probably with more props than I'm giving here, I now have 13 followers, and counting! Faster than I ever thought possible! That means, I HAVE TO GET MY BUTT IN GEAR! Time to design my heart out for one lucky winner!

BUT....BUT....BUT.... It is Sunday. And it is Superbowl Sunday. AND...I love the Superbowl, even though I don't watch most football games. So I will figure out my rules, and methods of madness, and post tomorrow during Reagan's nap, as to what, and when, and where!

In the meantime, be thinking about what you would LOVE to have designed for you, as that will be part of the post you must post when entering. (I know that much!) And be prepared to give me some grace. This IS my first giveaway, after all!

A picture to meditate on! From my hometown!

Baby Shower Invite

2010-02-05T12:33:00.000-08:00

When Reagan decided to grace us with his PRESENCE, my friends decided to grace me with PRESENTS, so we had a baby shower! Even though I designed the cards, they were all fill in the blank so there was some surprise!

I am slowly adding to my portfolio as I find the files on my computer. Look back often for more examples of my work!

Giveaways are in the Air!! and on the feet!

2010-02-02T20:05:00.001-08:00

I am so excited for you guys to see these slippers! French Press Knits is giving away a pair of her amazing felted slippers! Head on over to her blog or Etsy shop and check them out!

But don't follow, because then that's more competition for me in this giveaway. Or wait until after February 5th to follow, or if you didn't know about the giveaway, and already follow, just sit tight until the winner is announced! Kidding! But seriously, check these out. They're awesome!

Free Work?

2010-01-31T10:41:00.001-08:00

So I think I have a good idea.

Free Design Work.

Yep, that's right. FREE, like F-R-E-E. As giveaways. I think this would only work with some more followers, or else Twig would win every time right now, and her stuff is beautiful already and not in need of help. (I don't think), but of picking a follower at random via the "paper in the hat" procedure, and designing some kind of marketing collateral for them.

Sidebar buttons
Banners
Print Ready paper flyers
Advertisements for print or web
Business Card designs
Logo design. YES I would give away a logo design. (That's quite the prize, IMHO)
No websites. I hate making complete websites though I am quite capable. I hate them so much I charge for each and every one of them.

So, if you think this is a good idea, or a great idea, or a crapshoot, let me know. If you like it, tell everyone you know about it, and if I can get 10 followers, I will commence with the free design giveaways. If I can get 10 followers, I will post the rules, which I have to think about. 1 design, be it logo, banner, ad, etc., and it will be emailed in a print or web ready format to the winner to do with what they wish! Have a great day!

Things that Inspire Me to WAIT

2010-01-26T14:10:00.000-08:00

There are times that I see things, sometimes LOTS of things, that make me want to drop everything and MAKE something. Create an invitation, paint a picture, draw a new pattern. Most of the time these things just drop into my lap.

And then I have to WAIT. Wait until Reagan goes down for a nap, (because he knows when I'm not giving him my full attention, and he wants it all in the worst way) or WAIT for Nate to get home so that I can have uninterrupted time. Or just WAIT in general. I am NOT the world's most patient person.

(**I LOVE THESE STINKIN BIRDS, AND THESE COLOR COMBINATIONS ARE AMAZING!)

These are the things that I have to WAIT to play with. But the ideas are coming. And stewing, and hopefully weeding out all the bad ones by themselves so I don't have to worry about it!

(**The slippers are the most amazing wool felted knit slippers by French Press Knits.**)

Senior Pictures

2009-12-03T10:23:00.000-08:00

This Post will be DELETED after it is viewed by the subject. Thanks!

What I'm Working on Now...

2009-11-12T16:55:00.000-08:00

This is the lull after the storm for me...... I pump out ads bi-monthly for a newspaper in Sandpoint, Idaho, and it is fast and furious when they're coming at me, but now that is done until next time, and I have absolutely nothing on my plate! So I'd like some suggestions on what I should do in the meantime when I have nothing else going on!

I'm open to free projects that will get me some advertising, stuff to build my portfolio, etc! I have a wealth of nature all around me to pick from for inspiration, but not much locally in the way of good design that I've found to glean information from. Any ideas?

Jess

This is what I get to wake up to every day:

New Work = Nostalgia!

2009-10-27T12:02:00.000-07:00

This is a poster created for the Clark Fork High School Varsity Football team advertising game nights & posted locally. I did the photography and design.

A Quick Update

2009-10-27T10:35:00.000-07:00

Ok so a lot has happened in a month, so I thought I'd update!

I just bit the bullet and purchased a new MacBook Pro. It's a pretty amazing tool, and just means that I'm that much more mobile when it comes to meeting with clients and getting things done! No business-owner wants to admit this, but technically now I can work anywhere, anytime, with the convenience of WiFi. Don't take that as a license to get pushy!! Deadlines and proof dates still apply to preserve my life outside work! Also, now that I'm so mobile, this is a good time to let everyone know that I'm currently working out of town, very very far out of town. My husband's job moved him to Brookings, Oregon for a few months, so for a little while we'll be living in a travel trailer on the Oregon Coast!

Here's a picture of some landscape on the ocean that I did one day when I couldn't get motivated to work on any ads that I have to do! I guess I was influenced by some chinese brush paintings I saw, but then I got off on a tangent and this is what happened!

Portfolio Review

2009-09-15T09:57:00.000-07:00

Here are a few samples of my work. For a high-quality .pdf portfolio please email me at jessicaherbig@gmail.com and I will forward you a copy of my work! Thanks!

Full Color 8.5" x 11" brochure to advertise a new degree offering at Montana State University - Billings

Corporate Brochure Mailer for Billings Mustangs Semi-Professional Baseball Team

Online PURL (Personalized URL) Website Template

Services Provided

2009-08-21T16:06:00.000-07:00

Business Marketing Collateral
Ad Design
Custom Wedding Invitations and Wedding Packages
Postcards
Special Occasion Notecards
Direct Mail Pieces
Flyers
Real Estate Info Packets
Brochure Design
Amateur Photography
Senior Portraits
Product Photography

And Much More! Send me an email if you don't see what you need listed and we can talk!

Best Ways to Get Ahold of Me!

2009-08-21T13:01:00.000-07:00

Email, Phone, and Blogger! Just leave a comment on here, or a message in my mail or on my phone, and I will get back to you ASAP. Thanks!

jessicaherbig@gmail.com

208.255.9648

jessicaherbig.blogspot.com

The Dreaded Question... How Much Do You Charge?

2009-08-21T12:43:00.000-07:00

Hourly Rate:

$40 for general design. (This includes newspaper ads, magazine ads, typesetting, etc.)

$20 for revisions to existing ads.

Flat Fees:

$250 - Business Identity and Collateral. (Logo Design, Business Card & Letterhead)

*This list and my capabilities are subject to change and addition as I acquire new skillsets. Discounts may be given for repeat business.

I really feel like a designer has the freedom to work within a customer's budget 99.9% of the time. I also feel like after checking around the Sandpoint area and seeing other business' prices for hourly work, that after $40/hr. you are paying for their name, and not the quality of the work being done. Less than that and it seems the work suffers and a designer is tempted to inflate the billing to make a little extra. The average around Sandpoint seems to be $75/hr.

I work from home, and am in the habit of setting up business meetings at local coffee shops should I need to meet a new customer or someone interested in hiring me for a project. In most cases I buy the coffee! Also, I communicate well through email until a project reaches the point that a hard copy proof and face to face meeting (and some coffee!) is needed.

I am flexible as far as price goes. My quotes are by no means the say-all end-all. I am willing to bid a full project and stick to the price if I am given full disclosure on which to base my prices.

In short . . . I am a local professionally trained designer that's just trying to make some money and pay some bills! I advertise on free venues such as SandpointOnline and Craigslist, and use Blogger instead of a conventional website to keep costs down for myself and my customers.

Jessica Herbig Creative

Crazy Busy!

Services Postcard

Big Plans!

The Good Life

Exodus of Re-Branding. Take 2

My favorite Piece of Eye Candy!

No Posts Since February!

A little Thursday Fun

What I Do When I am Bored

Outdoor Inspiration

Creatively Creating for a Giveaway!

Feeling the Winter DULLdrums

ITS TIME FOR CHRISTMAS CARDS!

How Lazy Can I Be?

What am I Doing?!

Happy Vintage-y Birthday!

Nuts over Paisley!

I won an AWARD?!

Be Inspired...BY EVERYTHING!

Another Filling Station Project

Sorry Isn't Good Enough

TWIG'S WINNING DESIGN

No New Projects = No New Inspiration!

Did Ya Miss Me?!

Change is in the air People!

Great Graphic Design

Finalized Filling Station T-shirt Design

May I have the envelope...PLEASE?

More Portfolio Stuff!

Design Freebies Anyone?!

Time To Put My Money Where My Mouth Is!

Baby Shower Invite

Giveaways are in the Air!! *and on the feet!*

Free Work?

Things that Inspire Me to WAIT

Senior Pictures

What I'm Working on Now...

New Work = Nostalgia!

A Quick Update

Portfolio Review

Services Provided

Best Ways to Get Ahold of Me!

The Dreaded Question... How Much Do You Charge?

Giveaways are in the Air!! and on the feet!