Mainstay Where your heart belongs

Its been a little bit

Hey guys!
I know its been a while since i have written and i promised i would blog over the summer (to a certain extent) so here you go! Summer has been going quite well for me! It started out with a trip to Charolotte for a week.  While we were there we went to the 2010 Coca-Cola 600! For those of you who dont know what or whom that is, its a NASCAR race.  We had a great time with family and friends!  After that my family had invited a friend of mine from North Dakota to come down and stay with us for a week or so. Well, she came last week and we did everything.  She had never been to South Carolina, so it was quite a change for her (being from North Dakota and all).  When she got out of the car her glasses fogged up from the humidity.  Ya, its a BIT different from North Dakota here is South Carolina (lol).  We had a great time, we took her to all the historical sights we could think of, as well as the beach a few times, downtown a few times, and of course fed her some serisous southern food!  It was awesome!

I havent been able to do much design work over the summer, since i dont have my Mac yet and all, as well as my software (by the way CS5 def came out a few months ago and i really really want it!).  But I have been doing some small stuff that i can work out just by sketching, for random events and people.  So, i wouldnt say my skills are in check, but they are getting there.  The plan is to work as much as i can for the rest of the summer as to save up for school expences (tuition and books) as well as my laptop (Macbook Pro).  So hopefully things will turn out well, and i will be able to accomplish this task.  But, it works out how it works out and its in Gods hands so Im not too worried about it. Okay, well this is about all i have for you right now.  Enjoy summer!

Peace Out!

The days are beginning to get warmer, and breezy.  Summer is coming! In South Carolina Spring goes by like the wind, and before we know it Summer has arrived.  The long sunny days are coming.  I love the freedom summer brings. School has come to an end for most and people are taking vacations and spending time outdoors with their families.  There is nothing better than this. Finals week is coming to a close for me, i have finished my two important finals (English and Math) as of today.  What i mean by important is that i actually had to take a test or write papers for three hours.  The only two i have left are design finals on Saturday and then again on tuesday afternoon.  After that school will be over and everyone will be going their seperate ways.  Its bitter-sweet in the end, because some of the people leaving are not returning next semester.  But, I am learning more and more every day that things happen for a reason, and that their is a season for everything.  Sometimes God brings people into our lives just for a season to teach us something that no one else could.  Then they leave as quick as they came, like the wind almost.  I thank God for all these blessings He has put in my life, each and every one of them has taught me many things.  I have learned so much this semester it is unreal, and I cherish every moment of it.
Peace Out <3

End of the Semester :(

These are my last logos that i did for this semester....hope u like them.  So, this is the official last week of school...period. Finals are this week and then we all part ways for the summer time.  I'm going to actually miss it alot, the classes, the business, the people...I'm gonna miss it all.  My second semester has been trivial, but very good, and I'm glad i got through it.  It was a great experience.  Our last projects were the paper on how a computer works and the logo competitions.  I have finished the logo competitions but im still working on the paper.  They are both due by saturday, and im set to finish them on time.  These design classes have been great, i have learned so much its incredible.  I feel really comfortable using illustrator as well as all the standard programs on a computer.  I really am proud of all of the class for getting through this semester, we did a great job and we worked hard and had a TON of fun! I'm going to miss all of the awesome friends i have made. Hopefully over the summer i will be able to work more and save up for a few things.  I want to try and get a job that deals with designing and such, but we'll see what happens.  I'll try to blog over the summer some too :)
Peace Out!

Logo maniacs!!!

So, the above logos are my designs for a web agency called Sticky Lizard.  For our last assignment in Design Class we were instructed to pick three logo contests to enter into on 99 designs website.  I chose to enter into one for Sticky Lizard, and Violeto Flowers (which is a flower company).  I have to do one more but im not sure which to pick.  I really enjoyed doing both of these, they taught me alot more about logo design.  When i decide on my next logo ill post it up here.  The rest of my week is going to hectic to the extream! I have a huge research paper to write before monday and it has to have at least 5 sources.  Then on top of that i have another research paper for design class where we have to basically write a paper that is 10-20 pages long and describe what goes on in a computer from the time u start it up to the time you shut it down.  So, i will def be doing that tomorrow some.  And! on top of that i have a math test tomorrow that i am going to be studing for tonight while i babysit.  So this should be a fun and eventful week (just kidding).
Peace Out (if i ever make it back)

Little monsters!

This week has been great so far! I gave an oral presentation monday morning for english, and it went really well.  However today, i finished our basic shapes project...which i will post sometime tomorrow or thursday when im in class. After i was done with that, our professor assigned us a new project.  The task is to create our own little animated monster using illustrator! They are all soo cute!! I decided to sketch my ideas out before i actually started and i might do more than one.  But, i chose to do a little green monster with a blue eye and red shoes. He has one eye and he is fuzzy and happy!  I think i want to make a stuffed animal out of him when im done :). So anyway, i got through about half of the little monster project today and the other half ill finish in the first class on thursday or tomorrow.  After im dont ill post a picture of him so you guys can see :) I cant beleive that we only have 2 weeks of school left before the end of the semester! Im going to be officially done with my freshman year! This is crazy!
Peace Out!

Tuesday i ran into some serious difficulties on our assignment. We were given several tutorials to finish.  I started on one that teaches us to make a wooden-like background for a sign.  And well....I HATE IT!!! or it hates me, i cant figure it out.  I'm stuck at one spot and i just cant get past it.  I'm work'in at it but it really is annoying me.  Hopefully ill pick up on it soon.  Anyway, yesterday i got sunburn for the first time this spring.  It hurts! I spent a great portion of the day outside studying with Sarah by the lake in the middle of campus.  I was studying for my Art Apree test which was today.  Then we had lunch afterward, and then i went home.  It got really really hot outside yesterday but it was really nice.  On the agenda today was math class, the art test (which i think i did really good on btw) and then after my first design class I am going to the writing lab to get my paper looked over for tomorrow.  I'm a little nervous about that, but i think ill be okay.  Anyway, today isnt looking too good anyway with some other stuff that is going on outside of school, but ill get through it okay.
Peace Out!

Warmer Days

This past week is final showing the colors of spring, or as we south carolinians call it early summer.  The heat is rising, and the weather is beautiful! Its perfect time for going to the beach! Only, finals are around the corner and we also have to start doing this little thing called studing.  So, right now im writing papers for everything!  Hoping to turn in two projects for my Art Apree class a little early which would help alot.  Today in Design and Technology, Professor gave us our last assignment.  When he told us it was our last one, i immediatly assumed it was going to be a huge project, and it was.  We have to do a Design paper on how a computer system works, from the time that you boot it up till the time you open a file.  This is going to be a bit strenous on me because i dont know everything about computers.  As well as that, we were given three tutorials for our visual design class.  These type of tutorials are really alot of fun.  We are learning how to work more with Adobe Illustrator, but now its more in depth.  We are learning how to make signs with destressed text, which is incredibly fun!  These are due soon, but i dont know when, he didnt say i dont think. Mhmm. Ya, well anyway if im lucky me and Sarah will  be going to the beach to study tomorrow because we want to make studing more fun.  So if she is able then we will be leavin from school tomorrow with our books ready in hand to study Art Apree, Goverment, History, and Math.  So its going to be a fun day!
Peace Out!

Three weeks

Today i realized that we have three weeks of school left. THREE WEEKS!!?? Time flies by so fast these days!  Sometimes i wish it would all just slow down!  Well as far as projects go, I finished my Bridge Program project.  Instead of just one logo i did two different logos that are similar.  I like the way they turned out, i just dont know if that is what they are looking for or not.  Hopefully, mine will be good enough.  We had to be finished with that logo before the end of class today.  Professor assigned a new project today that most of us worked on during the last class.  We are learning about hte distress tool.  What it does is it takes text (like words) and makes them look weatherd. Its a really cool tool, and I could see how it would come in handy for certain things. Anyway, i started on that and have been playing around with it trying to learn more about it.  I finally made a schedule for my week so that i am completely organized.  Its soo helpful to have it planned out so that i know exactly what i need to accomplish each day.  The coolest thing that has happend this week is that my best friend has come down to visit for Easter!  She has perfect timing, cause I was really starting to miss her alot.  Easter sunday is this sunday, and Im really excited to celebrate what happend on that day.  My Lord and Savior rose from the dead after three days.  This is so meaningful because not only did He rise from the dead, but three days before Jesus died on a cross to save my sins, and save my soul from its deserved destination.  For this I am forever grateful, and will forever worship my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Peace Out

Sara Lee is a Champion!

I promised to put up the logos that I have been working on it class for the past week, so here they are.  Sara Lee (yes, the bread) and Champion, a popular sports brand.  I don't really care for the two i did for Sara Lee, but i really like the way Champion turned out.  Now that i think about it, i really don't know why i chose these two logos to remake.  Maybe I was hungry and Sara Lee sounded good, and I was thinking about sports or something and Champion came to mind. Who knows.  It was a great project to learn from.  I don't know how well i did ( I probably didn't do that well), but i know i learned a lot and that is like 90% of the point of the project I'm sure.  Our next project is to create a logo for the Bridge Program at our school.  Hopefully I'll do well on this one because I was actually in the Bridge Program last semester, so i know a little something about it.  We were instructed to use the Arthur Ravenel Bridge in some way shape or form.  So, this should really be fun! 
I don't really have any immediate ideas for this one...yet...but im sure i will in a few because I'm about to start on it.  I hope this one turns out better than the last few I have done.  I need to improve, and i know i can.  It will only take time.  So, i hope you enjoy looking at the stuff I have been working on!
Peace Out!

Logos and Springtime Woes

So, I wasnt able to make it to the lab to finish my logos today.  I havent been feeling to well the past few days.  Springtime is amazing, and i absolutly love the weather it brings, but, it also brings this little yellow powdery stuff called POLLEN!  And for some reason, pollen really doesnt like me too much.  I mean, i dont really know what i did to make it hate me so much.  Anyway, it brings it wrath upon me in the form of sneezing, sore throat, red itchy eyes, as well as sinus headaches.  So, it has been kind of difficult to deal with over the weekend.  As far as the logos go, i am really almost finished, just a few little things i need to touch up which i can do before class starts tomorrow.  So, im not really too worried about it.  I have taken the Sara Lee logo and used the same font. The only thing i added to this logo is the sillouette of a piece of bread placed behing it off to the side a little.  Its simple, but i think it will do.  For the Champion logo, i have outlined a track runners shoe in the "ready-set-go" posistion next to the text.  I also changed the font of the word and it looks really cool!  I've decided that im gonna go into the lab more often just to work around with Illustrator.  Im going to take my Adobe CS4 book with me and do some of the things in the book, just so i can learn more about it.  I really want to know all i can about that program, and until i get my new laptop i have to go to the mac lab at school for it.  Hopefully ill get really good with that program as well as the rest of the programs. I want to know as much as i can about them.
Peace Out!

Design and healthcare

This past week has been full of events! Earlier this week the President (of the U.S) passed the Healthcare Reform Bill.  So everyone was in a riot about that all week long, and i assume so for many more to come.  This bill is going to change alot of things for Americans, but I'm not too worried about it.  My faith is in someone much stronger and more powerful that any Healthcare Bill.  My faith rests in My Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and for that I am unafraid.  So with that being said, this week as far as school goes has gone smoothly as well.  I had a math test and an Art test that i got back and i got a 94 on both of them which is amazing!  In Design classes we are currently redoing some popular logos.  This should help us and give us practice for the future.  Our professor also gave a lecture on design techniques for us to think about which was very informative to me.  I learned alot about designing logos just through that lecture. He taught us about how "less is more" alot of the time when it comes to designing logos.  As an avid artist i tend to add alot of detail to things, because i am used to it.  But, with logos you dont really need all the lines and detail work.  Something that can be simple enough to be seen and recognized from a distance, is best.  I personally will have to work on this, but i know i can do it.  Anyway, the logos i have chosen to "redo" are Champion, ( which is a popular athletic brand) and Sara Lee, (....she makes bread....).  Theses two logos must be finished before class on tuesday.  Needless to say, i will be in the lab on monday working on the finishing touches to these logo reconstructions.  On monday when they are finished, i will make sure to put a picture of them up on my blog so that you guys can see them!
Peace Out!

Its been a looooooooong time!

Alright, so i realize i havent blogged in quite a while and i figured i should catch you guys up to speed. So after spring break which was a week ago, we gave our presentations. I dont know if i talked about our last assignment, so if i havent ill tell you again. We were instructed to give a 7-12minute presentation on the progression of computers and technology. We each had to pick a topic to show. I chose Hard Drives. So before we left for spring break we all worked like every day in the lab on this project. We researched, practiced presenting, and putting together our slides before we left. So when we came back last week everyone gave their presentations either on tuesday or on thursday. I put alot of time into mine, and i hope it went well. I was one of the last people to go, but i think i did okay except for the fact that i went over time a little bit. OOPS! Oh well, it doesnt matter now, i think i did okay. So we start classes back tomorrow morning, and I dont think im ready for it yet, i need a longer weekend!
Peace Out!

Public Speaking :(

Okay, so turns out that i decided to do 2 different logos for the SCCA project.  I wasnt sure which one to use so im using both.  I went with these two because they are simple.  The SCCA will probably use the logo they choose for patches for their wardens and stuff so they would need an easy patch to embroider.  So that was part of the reason i chose to do simpler logos.  Now that these two are done we were assigned a huge power point project for the week after spring break.  We are to do a 10 minute presentation on something that has advanced computers and technology...i chose to do mine on the hard drive.  This should be a really good project to do, because i will learn from my research.  I have always liked doing research on things i don't know much about.  We also have to give a speech along with the presentation...that is going to be the icky part.  I hate public speaking, i really really hate public speaking!! But, i will do it anyway.  So ya, that is what is comin up in my near future...if i dont die first (just kidding).
Peace out!!

This is the creation we all made in class for the illustrator tutorial that we did. It was a great learning experience!! We had to go through all kinds of stuff to put this logo together, and they all turned out great! We learned about how to use and create swatches in illustrator (creating our own colors).  Working with color was great!  And making this logo was a great way to intro into designing logos.  Since we did this tutorial before we did the logos for Mr. Sparkle, and the SCCA, it made it alot easier to create the logos.  I was able to create some of my own colors for my logos and make different patterns.  Hopefully we will be doing some more of this soon, so that we can learn even more about illustrator.
Peace out!!

Summer Opportunities

So, I thought it might be cool if i blogged about what i might be doing this summer.  I have a few of really amazing friends who own a sign company here in Charleston.  They have been asking me for years if i would like to come and work with them for a summer or something.  So, i have finally decided that i may end up doing something like that this summer, if they want me to. It would be a great opportunity to work with them and learn more about his field of Graphic Design.  I would also be able to work with the skills i have learned over the past year in College.  I want to get some practice for what i will be doing in the future , and this would be a great way for me to start.  If not this, i will be working during the summer at my current job at Chick-fil-a.  This summer is going to be amazing, but im gonna miss my school friends sooo much!!! Im really enjoying college (if you couldnt already tell) and i hope that the next 3 years dont go by too fast.
Peace out!!!

Midterm!!!!!!! :)

So its midterm already!!!!! I cant believe that we are half way through our semester!! I have learned soo much about design and computers and other stuff in these classes its crazy!! And the thing is, i cant wait till next year to learn more! So far midterm grades are looking pretty good actually.  My hardest classes are English and math, but they are going okay as well.  Of course my favorites are my two design classes. The other day i took out my Adobe Illustrator book and started messing around with some of the things in that book, on illustrator.  It was a great learning experience, i defiantly learn better when i figure stuff out on my own.  Not only do i learn better that way, but i also remember things better when i have to figure it out myself.  These classes are really teaching me a lot about design, and i am loving every step of the way.  I'm gonna miss this year when it ends, but next year is going to be amazing I'm sure!
-Peace out!!

Carolina Corrections Logo :)

This past week was soooo busy!! I am going to put up all the projects I have done probably sometime later on so that you guys can see them. I have recently just finished up my logo for the South Carolina Correction Association. It looks okay, but its was really difficult to find an idea. I looked everywhere, i thought about using handcuffs or a courthouse but after we talked to a woman who is on the board of he SCCA and she told us not to do anything that would show them (the SCCA) in a negative light.  So, handcuffs, guns, jail cells, and other things were out of the question...so the picture on the side is what i came up with. Its simple, but then again it cant be that complicated because they will be using the logo for embroidered patches and other things that cant have too much detail.  This project was alot of fun, and it isnt officially over until tomorrow so i may work some more on it tomorrow sometime.  This next week coming up is going to be full of business...but i look forward to coming to my design classes every week!
Peace Out!!!

Mr. Sparkle Shines!!!

So, this is my Mr. Sparkle logo, that i worked on for a couple weeks for Mr. Sparkles Glass Restoration Company.  I would love to be able to work on it some more, and i might get that chance, but we will see.  But for right now we are working on logos for the South Carolina Correctional Association.  This one is going to be slightly more tricky than the other logo we did.  I have a few ideas, hopefully one of them will work out. When this next logo is finished i will be sure to post it up. These logos are getting to be so much fun to do! Keep your eye out for my next blog, I will start putting up pictures of all my past projects! Peace Out!!!

Logomania!

I have become a logo-maniac! (if that is even a word?).  We have been creating logos for all sorts of different organizations! Our first one was for Mr. Sparkles Glass restoration company.  I completed mine, and it looks okay, but i still hope that i can work on it some more. It was a lot of fun!!! In our first design class we started some power point tutorials.  This was nice to get to do these again, because i have worked with power point a lot, but i haven't done it in a while.  So it was a good refresher.  I finished mine in the first class period, which was nice because i wouldn't have to do it later.  Anyway, we are starting a few more logos pretty soon, so this is getting really fun! I love designing these things!  I learn so much just messing around with these design programs, and i really like them a lot!  For now, i am leaving, but i will blog again soon!
-Beka :)

The Creative Juices Are Flow'in!

Well, its been a while since i last wrote, but i have some awesome things to report to you!  The project we have been working on for our first design class has been using the program Excel.  This program lets you create and keep up with budget lists and any other kind of list you may need to use.  It is really useful for documenting and keeping track of money and other things.  We did a huge tutorial learning how to use Excel, and we have just completed it.  I learned alot about he program, i had taken a computer class in high school, but i think doing it again helped refresh me on how to use it.  Also, in our second design class we have been working on a Illustrator Tutorial for a logo.  It was really fun to do, i learned a lot about different tools and things I can use while creating a logo or anything on illustrator for that matter.  I finished mine up earlier today, and we will all be starting a new project in our next class.  This project was given to us by one of my professors friends who is starting up a glass restoration company.  He is asking for a logo for his new companies website.  So, what we are going to do, is each of us design a logo for the company, and one of ours will be chosen as the official logo after they are done.  This is going to be so much fun! As soon as i read the regulations for the logo my mind was flooded with ideas! This is going to be my favorite yet!
Peace Out!
-Beka

New week = new projects

Graphic Design is getting more and more fun as I go into this field. I am learning so much about different software, and its really really fun! This week we started a new project in Visual Communications class (our first design class).  We started working on basic programs on computers. First we are going through the Excel program. This program is especially helpful for making tables and charts for a business.  As of today our assignment was to go take a bunch of tests and go through a bunch of "walk-throughs" to learn more about how to work the program. This project is due next week on tuesday. I am already halfway done so I will definatly be done with this project on time. On top of this we are finishing up our Illustration project. I am about three quarters of the way through with it, and it is due on thursday before class starts. Woah!!! Yes, it will be a squeeze to get it finished but i will make it happen somehow. My plan to to work on it all day tomorrow, and get it done. These projects are getting more complicated but its all part of the process. I heard rumored from my professor that we might be attempting a logo for our next project. YAY!!! This is going to be so much fun!
-Beka  :)

Preparing for the upcoming week

At the tail end of last weeks design classes, we started a new project. This project is still and illustrator project, but its gonna be AMAZING because we are now using color, instead of black and white! I am using a picture of a yellow and blue Lamborgini (and i probably spelt that horribly wrong), and it is awesome! The project is to take a picture of something (prof suggested a car) and turn it into an illustration. There are a lot of little things we have to remeber to do this project, but it will be good for us in the end. Last thursday we turned in our brochure projects, i think mine was okay. I guess i will find out soon. We had to pick a country and make a brochure advertising a trip to that country. I chose to do mine on Egypt. I really dont know why i chose that country, but i read alot of interesting things about it while looking for information. Starting a new week tomorrow is gonna be fun, but hard. But, i like a challenge, so this should be fun!

Long days ahead

So, on monday morning i spent 5 long ruthless hours staring at a computer screen. Why you may ask? Because i found out last thursday that i had to restart my illustrator project over. I spent at least a weeks worth of work on this project and i had to redo it. So after english class on monday i went to the "secret lair" (as some call it) to complete this task. After a long five hours i had finally completely redone my illustrator project. This project was called the "less is more" project. We each picked a picture of something ( my choice was the inside cockpit of a jet simulator). We created an outline of this project using the illustrator pen tool. Then we resized it two more times, each time moving in closer to the picture. So that in the end we had three stages, the first was the actual picture, the second a closer and more detailed shot of the picture. Thirdly we zoomed in even closer, and made this last step the most detailed. It was a great project, i really enjoyed it! I really could see myself doing alot of this stuff as a occupation...its super exciting!

Graphic Design and automobiles

The past few days has had its ups and downs. Today was a great day, all classes went well, and grades are looking good! Design classes went smoother today as well. In our first design class of the day we learned about how to write our resume. This is a really handy thing to have for the future. So we are all working on that in our first class. In between classes a not so eventful thing happend. While design went well today, there were other parts of the day that didnt go so well. When i was getting ready to leave for home, i realized my car battery had died. This was just great. So i frantically called my awesome cousin (Kyle) to come jump the battery for me. Sure enough he had it done in a flash (because he is cool like that). So I was really thankful for him being there to help, he's a good cousin. In our Technology and design class we are still working with Adobe Illustrator. This project is harder that the projects before, but it is alot of fun. The class as a whole is starting to really get into this project. Like I said in a few blogs earlier, this project was giving me a lot of trouble, but now that I am getting the hang of the program, I find myself really liking it. When i learn the program completely I will be able to do alot of cool and amazing stuff with it! That is so exciting!

I've found my profession

This morning was a rush! After attending a few classes (one of them starting at the obscene hour of 8am), I went to my Design classes. I have to say, by far these two classes are my favorite. Not only do i get to work at what i love doing, but i get to hang out with some of the awesomest people in the world, my classmates. These Graphic Design classes are like no other class i have ever taken for school at Charleston Southern University. Yes, we are learning hard and challenging stuff, but we are doing it together, its almost like taking classes with another extension of my family (one of these students is actually an extension of my family, crazy enough). This is one of the aspects of these classes i love most. This afternoon in Technology and Design, we started working with Adobe Illustrator. This program is amazing! I love working with it so far. But one thing is for sure, its not as easy as it may seem. I really struggled for a while on todays project, but i finally i kind of got the hang of it. As i go through this process i am assured that this is what God wants me to do in life. Im sure this skill will take much time to perfect, but when i get really good at it, im sure it will be a blast!

Beginning the next semester in college

School just started back up! Some of you might think that I am crazy for being excited about returning to college, and maybe thats true. This last semester was a whirlwind of excitement! I went from being a freshman at Charleston Southern University who had not even the slightest clue what to expect at college, to being a freshman who is really enjoying her life at CSU.
I started my first semester at college majoring in Graphic Design. Before I tell of my experience in this major I will tell you a little about me and why i chose Graphic Design as my major. I have always been the creative child in the family, and being such my parents really encouraged me to do alot of artistic things. After a few years of learning about art i fell in love with it! From that time on it was almost impossible to find me doing something other than drawing or painting.
Throughout highschool i took many differant art classes to better my skill. When it came time for me to chose a major for college i looked into different things that could involve my artistic abilities, and i came across Graphic Design. After reading up on what this major and occupation was about, i knew it was for me.
So here I am at college in my second semester of Graphic Design class, and though this may sound cheesy, I wouldnt rather be doing anything else!