I've decided to play with a new way to offer my services.
Etsy!

I've been playing with the idea for a while, then suddenly got a jolt of motivation to actually sit down and write up all the descriptions and specifics.

With all the shop owners going to my etsy page, it's the perfect place to display design work catered to small business owners. I love etsy and what it stands for and the people I have met through there are just great! To have te opportinity to possibly work with them and create some cool things along the way, yep I think that's the route I'm going to take.

I'm all about new things and opportunity. Most people on etsy are also on other social media sites and have blogs, so that is the perfect place to promote my social media design skills. However, I don't want people to think I am only catering to etsy seller's. Since everything i work on is fully custom, (eventually I'll get into template work) I still have the option to contact me directly and ask about somehting you want done. : )

I'm always up for new things so let's see where this takes me! 

 

~ Samantha

iPhone Non-Photography

Let me just say how much I have been addicted to photography apps on the iPhone.
It seems every week I'm playing with a new one. I love taking pictures, but I always forget my camera. It's especially handy for me because I am all about documenting my life. So I never miss those general life photo ops anymore! : ) Plus I love sending picture messages.

There are so many cool new ways to display iPhone photos now too. Since Instagram, there are about a dozen new businesses that cater to printing, mounting, etc, your Instagram photos.

This is my little break down of my favorite iPhone Photo apps for the non-photographer and apps to play with those photos.

Instagram

It's just the best invention ever. For me at least. The filters are just so cool that I created some Photoshop Actions of my own to kind of replicate the feel to some of my non-iPhone photography. The best thing about this is after having my 1st iPhone for a month, I ended up losing it in Philly. Yea, good one. But all weekend, the girls were making fun of me cause every 3 secs I would pull out the phone, yell Instagram! and take 300 photos of the outside of Paper Source. On our way home after a weekend filled with photos and no more phone, my depression lightened up just a bit, cause I then realized Instagram doesn't even have an option to NOT make the photo public. All my photos were saved on my Instagram profile. : ) Thank you!

 

Hubba Hubba

This app is just real fun to play with. I have so many photos of my beagle dressed up it's not even funny. 

SigNote. 

I didn't really understand this one at first, I just liked the cute App Button : )
Once I really started playing with it. I realized just HOW awesome this app was. Not only can you add drawings / text to your photos that you can choose from a library of cool hand drawn things. But you could also change the color, erase elements. and here's the best one. Draw your own stuff and save it to the library!
That just blew my mind. haha. 

Pici Booth. 

I've always loved the photo booth pictures, and have always regretted not taking more every time I was at the mall when I was younger. I think I would feel weird going into one now as a college student. This app is perfect cause I don't have to feel so awkward: )

Postagram. 

I haven't actually ordered from here yet. But I plan to! What they do is make postcards of your instagram (or any square) photo. You can send them to people, or yourself. There's a little message on the left, and the photo even pops out of the rest of the card so you can frame, or whatever. Cool huh?

Postal Pix. 

This app is actually a shop where you can purchase your instagram (or any square) photos! They are sooo cheap too and the quality comes out great!
I bought 45 4x4 photos and WITH shipping it came to $15. That's what I'm talking about. This is also what I'm assuming a lot of people use when creating Instagram walls. I did and just ordered my second batch : )

 Some of my best photography has been done with my iPhone and these apps! But I don't mind! As long as I have something to remember good times by and something pretty at that. : )

     
~ Samantha

I wish every week was Spring Break

Even though I still have a lot going on, I feel like I can breathe!
I've been focusing more on my school designs.
(normally I can't stand the way they end up) But I think this is a good semester.

my first 'pretend' stamp design was a nice new experience!
I like the research behind new projects.
They always turn out better and I gain, not only something fun to show off but, some good knowledge of a new process.  

Underground Film Festival Poster, Schedule, & Ticket. This right here is the perfect example why I need the Silhouette Cameo : ) Cutting scalloped edges by hand just sucks. haha    ~~~
I've also been doing some real fun American Pickers stuff with GreenBeing and the Scranton State School for the Deaf.
Here
and  Here

I ended up with a new studio space too!  

 

---

It really is all about the space you have for yourself. I've gone so long with working downstairs on my couch listening to my room mates harmonize every song. Which I love, don't get me wrong! But then I get addicted to instagramming their every move and looking at 'Silly Likes' images on Facebook.