Another mag in the bag

Post By SpangledFerrett in Design work, Print design

I’ve had the pleasure of providing the art and design for the NZ Archer magazine for over a year now, and we’ve just put the March/April issue to bed. Archery is THE coolest minority sport in New Zealand, and something which I’ve been involved with since I was about 12 years old.

Have you ever tried it? Seriously, have you? If you haven’t, find your nearest club and give it a go. Or, actually, maybe wait until the Spring/Summer comes around and then give it a go, and you’ll see what you’ve been missing all your life. I mean, Katniss is a smart girl after all, and it saved her bacon… Come the Apocalypse my friends, it could be an invaluable skill (OK so you’d need to add bow/arrow making to that list of skills also, but hey, we can dream!)

Currently the magazines are only available in print format – you can subscribe here, but we’re hoping to offer a full colour, interactive version online soon.

Apr 26, 2013 | 0 Comments

EdTech for Export Conference 2013

Post By SpangledFerrett in Design work, Graphic design, Print design

Exporting education technology’s not something I know much about to be honest, but I do know how to take a client’s brief and turn it into something eye catchingly fabulous. So when Grow Wellington came to me needing to jazz up (technical term) an ad for their forthcoming conference, I was pretty excited. They needed a punchy ad that was going to be placed in all the major publications the following week: here’s the core artwork I produced.

It was even more exciting when I opened the Dominion Post business section the following week, and BAM! there’s my artwork emblazoned clean across the front page! It was a proud moment for me as a designer. I love my job!

My artwork for EdTech for Export in Dom Post – March 28th 2013

It’s so satisfying to work on a job and see it blossom before you as your client realizes how useful you can be to them; in the sense of both helping them realize their vision along with the confidence that all the work will be done quickly and well. So when a client emails me at the end of the job with “You’re wonderful, thanks for your energy and design wizardry Gina” you’ll forgive me if I get a bit warm and fuzzy!

Apr 19, 2013 | 0 Comments

Eco living on Waiheke anyone?

Post By SpangledFerrett in Design, Design work, Web design

Another website is unleashed on the world, this one comes with extra green goodness though.

www.ecoliving-waiheke.com is the brainchild of my dear friends Lori and Bruce. Stay with them for a weekend that will change your life as you learn how to live more sustainably, and they tutor you in your choice of a huge range of self-sufficient living principles. Plus Lori is a magnificent cook, and… well, they’re just the best people you could hope to spend a weekend with!

We built the website with me tutoring Lori via Skype on the wonders of WordPress. Not bad I reckon, she’s a smart lady and picked it up a treat. And with the addition of a few custom header graphics, we were all done and ready to go in time for the article in the Herald on Sunday last weekend.

It’s such a pleasure to work with good people, creating interesting and valuable experiences to share with the world. I love my job!

Nov 6, 2012 | 0 Comments

Kanban Rocks

Post By SpangledFerrett in App design, Design

It just makes managing my work flow SO EASY.

Jeez Louise! Busy times here in SpangledFerrett land, not least with the wonder of Kanbanfor1 keeping me nice and busy with the new app available through iTunes! If you don’t have an iPad/iPhone though, don’t despair as we still have the natty old-school boards for you to stand/stick on your desk/wall and keep your work flowing through nicely into the DONE column.

Having been a stalwart board user for a couple of years now (seeing as I kinda came up with the idea) it’s just fantastic to have it all now on my iPad: much more portable, much more accessible, but still just as visual, engaging, and SIMPLE.

But don’t just believe me – try it out for yourself!

Check out the kanbanfor1 app online now

Oct 15, 2012 | 0 Comments

A gig! A gig!

Post By SpangledFerrett in Gigs, Performance, ukulele

Tonight I’m playing my first real, proper gig in what must be at least two years! Excitement! Exclamation marks!!! It’s with a wee ukulele band called The Polly Johnson Set, and basically I was drafted in two weeks ago to fill a very large gap left by a much-loved, but nonetheless departed band member.

So here we are, four rehearsals later, and we’re in the spotlight! Well, perhaps not the spotlight exactly. Maybe just a shady corner of a café… Namely the Mojo Café on Willis Street as part of their Mojo Acoustic night. Music kicks off at 7pm, we’ll be taking to the stage around 8.30pm. If it goes well, there will be sparkles and tassles, and photos! Fingers crossed I don’t mess up my picking. Or my vocals. Or the chords to my OWN SONGS which SURELY I should know by now?! Seriously though, I can’t wait. I love performing (imagine the word love there with little Disney-style animated hearts and birdies fluttering round it) so this is just the best day! And on that note, time for me to be off!

The Polly Johnson Set
Mojo Acoustic Café
Willis Street

From 7pm

$5 on the door to pay the poor musicians

Aug 31, 2012 | 0 Comments

A new website!

Post By SpangledFerrett in Uncategorized

Well, here we go. Finally, I have taken the plunge into the modern age of super-connectivity and online sharing that is a fully functioning web window into my world. Here I intend to share with you the various shenanigans of my creativity: some that earn me money, some that don’t; some that work like a dream, and some that ~~turn into a sweat-soaked nightmare~~ don’t. But be it graphic design wonderment, marketing prowess, sewing success or maybe even a fine multigrain loaf I baked, I will share it with you here. You lucky, lucky things.

Aug 16, 2012 | 0 Comments