Wash Day: Photoshop Filters

I’ve been looking for a good reason to buy this fun package of Photoshop image filter effects appropriately named Permanent Press, by Mr. Retro. {LINK} I have a fun vintage-style project in the works and figured it was due time I had some fun of my own in Photoshop. I’m much more Illustrator savvy, but it is easy enough to create an image in Illustrator and simply copy it over onto a Photoshop page as a smart object.

The filters allow you to give your artwork cool effects, from comic book and halftone to letterpress and concert poster and many, many more. Each effect can then be tweeked in dozens of ways. This filter was $99 in download format.

Below is my logo in it’s original state first then as altered with a few of the fun filters all created within a matter of one or two minutes each. And if you think these are cool, wait until you see what it does with photos! Check out the site link above for some great examples.

Photographer Profile: Nina Zhito

Over the years of being married to a fireman, I’ve had the great opportunity to know the woman who sees a different side of my husband than I do. His on-duty side, which she often captures in her amazing photographs.

Nina Zhito, a North Bay press, portrait and event photographer has captured some of Marin and Sonoma counties’ most amazing moments.

This black and white shot of Captain Rick King of the Petaluma Fire Department, taken during a feed mill silo fire, is one of my favorites. My other favorites are over on my JSIM blog.

Nina is represented by Zuma Press, a well-known international agency for photojournalism.

She also offers stock photos, specializing in first responders, lifestyle, and animal images.

These are just a few of her incredible photographs. Nina has covered so many tragic incidents as they occur, but she has also been there to capture more than her share of local service members’ processions and funerals. She would be quick to note that these are hard and stressful days.

To check out more of Nina Zhito’s photography- CLICK HERE.

I’d like to note that the last photograph is of the infamous Kentucky Street Fire in Petaluma. My husband was an off-duty Captain this day and eventually ended up working on that roof during the fire. I witnessed the entire thing from the second story window of a bank next door. It has all been documented in “The Fireman’s Wife”, a Memoir by Susan Farren, who’s husband was seriously injured when hit by a high-powered stream of water from a laddertruck while cutting a vent hole in the roof in the foreground. GREAT shot, Nina!

Working With Fire Departments

You may or may not know that I am married to a fireman. Which, as a graphic designer, puts me into a natural position of designing for the fire department. 2007 was the Petaluma Fire Department’s 150th anniversary. I was asked to design a new patch for the uniforms, with the same design to be used for fire apparatus decals, flags, badges, t-shirts and more.

This same year the department held a firefighters ball. It was a wonderful affair and I was also proud to have designed the poster and program cover.


































Word of mouth has led to other fire department projects such as the Healdsburg Fire Department’s new patch as they also celebrate 150 years of service. Healdsburg is about 45 minutes from here. I was very happy with how it translated from artwork to embroidery.






























Naturally, firefighters have a wacky sense of humor. Here’s a t-shirt design I did a the request of a friend who is with the Sonoma Fire Dept. Apparently, station 2 is pretty laid back! These shirts are not the actual duty shirts, just novelty shirts sold for fundraising.

Most recently I did a re-design for Cloverdale, CA Fire Department. The illustration of the fireman carrying a child to safety is a historical image of the department and they wanted it to be carried over into the new design with a cleaner style than the previous patch.






The new patch, shown here worn by Firefighter/Engineer Anthony Michalek, shows the simplified illustration I created to translate well to embroidery.

One thing I’ll say for sure, I have never had a bad experience working with any fire department, they are the best clients you could ask for.

Recent Logo Designs

I’m catching up on posting a few recent logo designs. What a job I have, designing for the best clients!

Ascendant Company, San Francisco, is the creation of Ray Arata and Chris Kyle, specializing in life skills training, active learning journeys and integrative coaching. Please visit their site by clicking on their name for more information.

Is It Contagious? is the name of a marvelous series of books being produced with kid-friendly information about various diseases and conditions that affect the people in the lives of children. NY Author, Amy Koppelman, while doing logo designer research -ice cream cone in hand- got my name from Ben Van Leeuwen at his Van Leeuwen Artisan Ice Cream truck that she and her kids frequent (see previous post!) Watch for her books on shelves soon. There are 2 logos that represent this information series for kids.


Gifts of Joy is an annual Holiday craft show in Novato, CA presented by Stephanie Sherratt and friends. Some of the proceeds benefit the San Marin & Novato High Safe Grad Nights. Stephenie and I will both be selling our crafted goods at the Petaluma Vintage Holiday Boutique this month.

CLIENT PROJECT: Van Leeuwen Ice Cream Pints

The heat of New York was pleasantly cooled this summer once Ben Van Leeuwen was on the scene! After designing the logo for Van Leeuwen Artisan Ice Cream last Spring, most recently I’ve been finishing up designs for the pint labels for the 10 incredible flavors. Yes, Van Leeuwen is going retail! Just Google the reviews and you’ll get a sense of just how wonderful this ice cream really is. Van Leeuwen’s commitment to using only the finest, and healthiest ingredients available is what sets their product apart from the competition. Customers lined the streets of NY just to get their gourmet fix from the Van Leeuwen Ice Cream truck.

Pint flavors include:
Chocolate, Espresso, Gianduia, Ginger, Hazelnut, Mint Chip, Pistachio, Red Currant, Strawberry and Vanilla.

For more on Van Leeuwen, visit them online HERE!

Colour Lovers

I have a new addiction: Colourlovers.com. Be warned, there’s no turning back.

Seamus Brandon Kiel

Seamus Brandon Kiel (aka: Amos Gajillionaire) and I connected through a craigslist gig posting many months ago regarding Adobe software techniques & business information exchanges and have enjoyed an ongoing email friendship since. Once I saw the work on his websites, I couldn’t wait to share it.

















His Cibachrome fine art photography and his unique (Gajillionaire) collage designs will be on display at the upcoming 33rd Annual San Francisco Open Studios this month. Jeff and I are going to try to make it. What a great date event, don’t you think!


















To see more of Brandon’s amazing photography and intensely vivid eye candy, or to learn more about the Cibachrome process and purchase his fine art prints, please visit his websites: (click on each)
seamuskiel.com and gajillionaire.com

If you love his work as much as I do, please leave a comment below -I am sure he would appreciate reading it. Thank you.

Getting Published

During my earlier career, BK (before kids) I covered the map in different design projects and logos were just one of my specialties. I’ve had the privilege of having my work in several design publications, books and annuals for everything from package design, wine labels and store point-of-sale promotions to business cards and other promotional material. It is always great to be published with client’s work, but when it was my own self promotion, it was all the more exciting.

When I ran the design firm, Holden & Company, at Christmas time I designed and sent out promotional holiday packs that included custom die envelopes that held books with removable gift tags, wrapping paper and string. Here they are featured in one book.

Last year I was thrilled to find that my little red truck had been chosen for inclusion for publication in Logo Lounge 4. Logo Lounge is a phenomenon of the trademark world. Their site is a catalog of nearly 99,000 current logo designs. I have 79 logo designs cataloged on their site. You can visit a bit of the site, there’s plenty to see and read, but membership is required for access to search the logos. They choose from the most current logo submissions for publication of their latest book. This year, the competition was 33,000 logos. I was thrilled to see that one of my designs, Azz & Bzz Apparel, was chosen for LL5.

Here is a shot of the logo section of my book shelf. I don’t think you can’t have too much inspiration.


For more information on getting your work published, visit the website of your favorite book publishers and look for the section Call For Entries.

Local Sculpture, Homegrown Whimsey

“Mom! That truck was a Shark!” my daughter yelled in the car tonight (and I nearly drove off the road!)
Driving through Sebastopol, California, you can expect to hear things like that coming from your kids. That’s because Sebastopol is home to artist Patrick Amiot, who’s brightly painted sculptures consist of most things you’d only find at the landfill. Patrick, in my opinion, is the master of repurposing.
I don’t know Patrick personally, but I have enjoyed his art peppered throughout Sonoma County for years. And until I spotted this red truck on Flickr, my all time favorite was an enormous cartoonish cow, sitting quietly with a half-grin towards the traffic, in a huge roadside pasture along Highway 12. Once in a while, you will notice that the farmer has tucked hay into it’s mouth and the other real cows are eating from it.
To read more about this amazing talent click HERE. For more fabulous photos like the one shown, see the Flickr pics HERE and HERE. You can also go to the website he shares with his artist wife, Brigitte, HERE. And it looks as though soon you’ll be able to get your 2009 calendar HERE!

Red Truck photo courtesy of travelinfool55’s Flickr photostream

My Husband’s Cabernet

He claims he was about to pour it out thinking it had gone bad, but on the urging of his brother, my husband decided to go ahead and bottle his first barrel of Cabernet Sauvignon. Well, unfortunately, it only made 2 cases, because this wine is absolutely incredible.



Saturday morning Jeff came home from the firehouse with a name and a story and by Saturday night the wine was labeled, wax sealed and we were sharing it with friends in Sonoma. (It helps to have a wine label designer in the family.) I printed these leather-simulated labels on my desktop printer onto old typewriter parchment (great texture), spray-adhesived them to another layer of paper, cut to shape and markered the cut edges with brown ink, then debossed spots between the stitching design. They gave a great real-stitched-leather appearance.

Here’s how the back label reads:

2006 CABERNET SAUVIGNON
This inaugural Cabernet Sauvignon was made and cellared in my father’s barn in Sonoma under the watchful eye of a Western Screech Owl. We believe that this owl represents wisdom and helpfulness, as described in early Indian folklore.
I have enjoyed many years with my family creating white wines from my father’s estate Chardonnay vineyard. This first Cabernet Sauvignon is a deep, red wine crafted from the grapes of the Metzger vineyards in Sonoma.
All aspects of the wine-making process are a family affair -from picking, crushing and pressing, to racking, bottling and label design.
I hope that you enjoy this wine as much as I have enjoyed making it.

PS. Had he been serious about bottling these in the first place, he surely would have used traditional Cabernet bottles and not what was on hand for the Chardonnay.

Here’s more husband-leather fun from the past.

No Miami Ink, Just Petaluma Ink Jet

It’s been suggested that I go into tattooing. This is as close as I get. If I’ve designed your logo and you’d like to try it out as a tattoo, I’ll happily ink on THIS bicep. Otherwise, the best I can offer is to put your logo on some flash to take to your local parlor or size it down for THESE. Sorry, I just don’t do needles.

Logo Cookies

It’s not too early to start thinking about the holidays. How delicious of an idea is this? Rolling Pin Productions will decorate cookies with your logo for corporate events, parties or gifts. They even offer photos cookies. Yum! (Photo courtesy of Rolling Pin Productions)

Recent Logo Designs

It’s been a busy summer! Here are a few recent designs that have yet to make my online portfolio.

Sweet Papery is a charming online store that specializes in unique custom rubber stamps and labels.

Desirai Labrada of Lucid Dream Designs is a fabulous web designer that I have had the privilege of working with on a few projects. She also has an Etsy shop designing and selling stationery, cards and more.

Organized Fishing offers a variety of innovative fishing organization products beautifully executed in natural woods as well as other storage solutions.
HomeGreenSolutions.com is an online store offering earth-friendly home, garden and pet product solutions for a safe and healthy environment.