LOGO: IN PROGRESS

Bonjour, y'all! This is Lori's daughter, Kami, again with some of the logo designs I've been working on. Lori made it back Stateside this morning and you'll be hearing from her again next week.

You may recognize the logo above from the top of the blog. This is a logo I threw together for Lori ages ago and both of us agree that it's time for an update.

This is what my digital artboard looked like while working on the project.

Since Lori wants to go with Lori LaBerge Designs for her rebranding, my mind quickly went to the acronym LLD.

I wanted to come up with a way to combine the letters so I drew out the script above. While I like it, it may be a bit too formal and frilly for the more geometric designs in Lori's art.

I was also interested in seeing how I could piece letters in other types of fonts together. I found that the logo design above turned out a bit more like a monogram you might see on a fancy bath towel rather than a brand logo.

I chose to continue the circle theme but only using the L - on its own, the circle with the L looked a bit lonely so I added the brand name to the design. A nice thing about this particular design is that the fonts of the "L" and "Lori LaBerge Designs" can be easily modified to better suit Lori's taste.

I continued with my circular design for a bit longer, this time going back to the "LLD." I find that often times using a lowercase font can give your logo or text a completely different feel, as is very much the case above. This is also a great example of how different fonts drastically change the look of a design.

I also wanted to try a much more modern design; I selected a colored square and placed the lowercase letters in white inside of it. If the logo is placed alongside a piece of art, the color of the square can be quickly changed.

An example business card design using the square "lld" logo.

I also tested out a few designs using the full "Lori LaBerge Designs" text rather than an acronym. Given the geometric nature of so much of Lori's art, I chose a hexagon with thick dark lines to surround the text in the logo above.

Another example business card using this logo. I've continued the thick dark lines throughout the design.

Creating so many designs has shown me how frequently I clutch to my first creative idea, which often limits my creativity. Giving myself a push to create something drastically different than my previous design has been a great exercise - and it's resulted in some great ideas. Give yourself an excuse to explore your own creativity and have a great day!

GUEST BLOG: COLORS OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

Hello, readers! I'm Lori's daughter, Kami, and I'll be guest blogging for Lori while she's enjoying the sights, sounds, smells, and tastes of Scotland. After studying Art History and Library Science in North Carolina, I've recently relocated to sunny Santa Monica, CA. I'm now working for a small law firm as a research and graphics consultant while exploring the beautiful landscapes of Southern California.

 

C'est moi!

Many of Lori's inspirations come from her surroundings - shapes, color, texture. My first thought when she asked me to guest blog for her was to share images and colors of things that inspire me near my own home.

There's a lot of shipping in the area - I loved the juxtaposition of container ship and dainty sailboat (along with great colors) I saw when I was touring the USS Iowa in LA County.

"Where the turf meets the surf" is the Del Mar race track. Big hats, cash bets, and horses all around! The pinks and yellows of the flowers were a wonderful addition to the paddock area.

LA is known for its smog - the tiny dot of white in the center of this image is the space shuttle Endeavor as it made its grand entrance into LA. A monochromatic (yet beautiful) day.

I took a train ride down to the San Diego area and was incredibly excited to learn the tracks follow the coast! The purple-blues and yellow highlights of the water were amazing.

Succulents, as you might imagine, are very popular in Southern California, primarily because they don't use much (expensive!) water. I loved the texture and pink tips on this one.

You have to love the red and white of the Brentwood Country Mart.

Again, Brentwood Country Mart! Live greenery, the red walls with white trim, and plethora of wonderful shops make Brentwood Country Mart one of my favorite stops - I'm lucky to live so close!

What Southern California adventure is complete without seeing the sun set over the Pacific?

This photo was taken only a few minutes later than the previous. It's amazing to see the differences in color a few minutes make - the red hues made a grand appearance after the sun set below the horizon.

Look at the colors around you and think about how they make you feel, how they inspire you. Colors you see in a plant or on a building could become the basis for your next artistic creation or even a decor project in your home!

Next week I'll be sharing some logo design ideas. Lori asked me to create a logo for Lori LaBerge Designs in my free time so I'm going to share some of my initial designs with you. Until then, as my mom would say, have a great day!

TABLE RUGS, COLOR, THEN VACATION!

Table rugs, 10 X 13, Lori LaBerge  2012

This week saw the completion of two more table rugs.  For these two, vertical stripes were added on the lower section for a slight change of design.  I tend to veer toward painting the metal parts in a shade of gold, but it just did not fit with the green rug, so I switched over to silver.

Wingnuts stitched to hooking

Coupling nuts (I'm learning all kinds of hardware terms!) stitched to hooking.

While shopping this week, I came across a great book on color. "Can't Fail Color Schemes" by Amy Wax.  The link is to Amazon which has it through third party sellers. Barnes and Nobles has the book available new here.

The book has sections on color meaning and perception, how light affects color and great photos of rooms decorated with various color schemes.

There is an explanation of why each color is used in the room in combination with the other colors. Though the book is on color in interior design, there is no reason why these color combinations could not be used in artwork.

Kami LaBerge, my daughter, will be guest blogging from Los Angeles the next couple of weeks, as my husband and I have set up house sitters and pet sitters and are headed off to Scotland to celebrate our 29th anniversary.   Next week, she will be writing on the colors of Southern California.  She has a bachelor's degree in Art History and a master's degree in Library Science.

I am busy making lists of galleries and woolen mills along with the castles and pubs we plan to visit, so there should be plenty to report on when I get back.  Think back to the wonderful vacations you've had or those in your future and have a great day.

TABLE RUGS FOR DECOR

Yellow table rug, 10" X 13" linen, wool, metal, Lori LaBerge  2012

This week has been a wonderful combination of dyeing, hooking, whipping edges, stitching metal to fiber and designing.   I love the table rugs.   They are wonderful for displaying pottery and look great on coffee tables, sofa tables and chests.  The rugs will be available for purchase at the Carolina Designer Craftsmen show in November.

Full view

The whipped edges were finally finished this week.   After the edges were finished, the various hardware parts purchased last week were poured onto the studio table.   Decisions were made as to which metal parts would go on which rug, then the parts were scraped and painted according to what was needed for the design.

Red table rug, linen, wool metal,10" X 13", Lori LaBerge 2012

Full view

I also purchased some art this week.  My husband and I took a ride toward Banner Elk, passed a little gallery and had to turn around to go take a peek inside.   I'm so glad we did as we had the chance to meet Sally Nooney.  The gallery was full of her paintings, fused glass and jewelry. She was a delight to visit with and we talked about art, painting, glass and rug hooking for at least an hour.

Now at home on an entry wall, fused glass, "The Forest" by Sally Nooney

I love exploring back roads and finding little gems like Sally's gallery. Enjoy a weekend ride near your home, explore new places for art and have a great day.

TABLE RUGS IN PROGRESS, BOOK IN RUG HOOKING MAGAZINE

Table rugs in progress.  Lori LaBerge  2012  Hooking, whipping edges and embellishing the rugs still need to be completed.

This week I started work on a series of table rugs which will measure approximately 9" X 12" each.  They would also look wonderful framed if one wishes.  The rugs will be created in a variety of colors and based on the same design.   I also had the chance to do some dyeing this week:

Colors dyed for use on future table rugs.  

The table rugs will be embellished with metal so a trip to the hardware store was in order to search for items to add to the rugs.  When not at home, a good place to find me is in the hardware or electrical section of Lowe's, Home Depot or the local Trustworthy hardware store.  I love those places!

Items waiting to be scraped, cleaned, painted or used as is in work.

I had received an e-mail from the editor of Rug Hooking magazine, Debra Smith, a while back asking for permission to place my book in their "Good Reads" section.

It is in the September/October issue and they did a wonderful write-up on it. Information on ordering the book can be found here.  As I was going through the issue, an article I really enjoyed  was one by Diane Krys.  She combines knitting and rug hooking in a wonderful way and I can't wait to see more of her work.  

Think about how you can create different combinations in whatever your work, hobby or project may be and have a great day.

REUSE OF FOUND ITEMS, COMMISSIONED RUG ARRIVES

"Deception of Beauty", 18 1/2"  X  34 3/4",  Lori LaBerge  2012

"Deception of Beauty" has finished the hooking and embellishing stage and is ready for edging and hanging work.  It's funny how projects change as you work on them. My original plan was to have wires protrude through the center of the piece, but as the work progressed I found myself acquiring various objects found throughout the house.  Some old washers, leftover strands of whipping yarn, and part of an old chain were positioned on the hooked work.  It seemed like with these items in hand, the piece basically finished itself.

Close-up, "Deception of Beauty"  Lori LaBerge 2012

The piece works on the premise that beauty can be deceiving.  The old items used were painted and otherwise improved upon, creating a sense of the new.  The viewer does not see the original appearance of the items or what lies behind the "make-up".  He or she has to determine where the deception comes in.

On another note, the middle of the week held a surprise.   I received notice that the rug my husband and I had commissioned from Alicia Keshishian had arrived.  Not only was the rug done, but Alicia was in town and delivered it herself!

Photo provided by Alicia Keshishian of weavers working on our rug.

Alicia drove over to the house with Laurey Masterton, who was in Alicia's color class at Penland with me.   Laurey runs a restaurant in Asheville, NC.  She is also working on a cookbook with recipes revolving around honey.  Keep an eye out for it on her website.

My husband Pete, myself, and Alicia.  We were excited as the rug was rolled out.  The colors were perfect and the design adds a terrific sense of style to the room.

The rug on its own.  Just beautiful.  The target in the lower left corner is for my husband, who is a competitive shooter and was captain of the U.S. Highpower Rifle Team for seven years and Individual National Champion in 1991.

As the first part of this week's blog was about reuse, I can't sign off without mentioning the Surplus section of Alicia's website.  It is here that she makes use of excess yarns by creating smaller rugs.  

Find some items in your home that are normally put to waste, think about how you may be able to put them to use and have a great day.

BACK TO RUG HOOKING

It's back to the familiar after two weeks of weaving.  While I am planning to continue weaving in my spare time and work on ways to combine it with rug hooking, it felt good to work out a new design, throw wool in the dyepot, cut strips, and hook away.

"Deception of Beauty" in progress  Lori LaBerge  2012

The design above is a continuation of the idea I worked with in weaving class.  This theme will carry through in a new grouping of wall hangings and table rugs.  They will be hooked in an 8-cut, which will be new for me as I usually work in 6 and 4-cuts. The plan to somehow incorporate metal or hardware with these is in the back of my mind.  I will see if or how that develops as hooking continues.  It is fun just working on this as I go along, not feeling I have to stick hard and fast to my original plan.

Close-up of "Deception of Beauty" in progress   Lori LaBerge   2012

The table rugs will be based on sections of the larger pieces, though they may vary in color. I can envision the above close-up holding its own (perhaps reversed) as a beautiful compliment to the right piece of contemporary pottery.

Try working in a grouping or series, look at your previous work, see where your ideas take you and have a great day.