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Feature: Logo Design
2008-01-22 18:11:00
All Points Solutions is a growing company that provides wellness solutions. They are backed by a large venture firm called ITV Ventures. Both entities are fueled by a just the facts approach in the realm of health and information.So there would be no sparkly looks for them! The design had to be sleek and serious but not dull. I avoided the usual wellness motifs through the use of color in the logo instead of trees or apples or flowers or something:-). The simple square shapes and colors suggest sun, sky and earth without an actual picture to that effect. It has a strong, corporate-modern, and clean look.
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A Little Lifestyle for Your Tuesday.
2008-01-22 18:08:00
I came across these yummy yummy items from Narcisco Rodriguez, BrunoFrisoni, and some other uber-expensive designer...They are all over $300, don't worry. The most expensive shoes I have are a pair of Zanotti heels that retailed around $400, but you better believe I got them at a sample sale for waaaaay less!I will admit that I am a fan of Italian shoes that cost more than they should. :-)I wondered: Will I always have no choice but to pay for Italian stilletos in cash? When will this endless cycle of budgets and waiting until I have enough to purchase something end? It's taken over my life!That's when I came across this startling piece of news from Yahoo Finance!Now, we no longer have to sigh and pass these shoes by, or worse - attend sample sales as I have done. We can have everything we want and need right now! Sounds exciting? Well, here's how!Introducing....The 401K Debit Card!!!!That's right! We've spent all that time scrimping and saving (and developing the discip...
More About: Lifestyle , Tuesday

Mini Ad Campaign
2008-01-22 16:48:00
visit SkySisterCouture.com
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Saturday's Stroll: Widgets
2008-01-19 20:58:00
How much is your blog worth? According to Technorati, there's a blog out there worth $6,220,101.72 - and that isn't the highest one. One of my favorite reads, Clutch Magazine, is worth over $139,000. Mine is trotting along at around $2,200. These figures are based upon keywords and links. My blog has little advertising compared to blogs worth even $10,000+! What they don't measure: actual content, readers, outside business resulting from operating a blog. (How can they?) It's an interesting widget though!______________________PayPal has launched the PayPal Storefront Widget, a web based widget that allows anyone to embed a store widget on a web site. The Storefront widget offers a seamless e-commerce platform for those wishing to sell anything on their site, such as t-shirts, CD?s or other items. Users can set the widget to ?sold out? or ?sorry we?re closed? from the central control panel, and comes standard with a sharing option; visitors are able to grab the html for th...
More About: Widgets , Saturday

What Happened This Week
2008-01-18 16:33:00
Ninapilar.com HAS FINALLY LAUNCHED!!! Take a look.1. Worked on a few projects including an E-Book Manual, diet book cover, and a custom MySpace design for celebrity makeup artist Tia Dantzler. Finished up 2 book layouts!2. Did a little shopping for spring things. Overall, new (commercial) looks for Spring '08 weren't speaking to me. So I plan to wear lots of simple shift dresses, and find a few pairs of pants I saw (and liked), and thank my lucky stars I have a decent basic wardrobe. I'll need it!3. Made some new contacts, and got an article to be featured in an online mag. More on that later!4. Read some interesting things:Uproar over Cloned Food? Copy ThatThe U.S. will be the first country to approve food from cloned animals. But consumer groups and some in Congress are up in arms. Read...The Best American Sparkling WinesAmerican sparkling wines are surprisingly good. Even more surprising, the best stuff is priced between $15 and $30. No, I'm sorry, but you may not call ...
More About: News , Web Design , Design , Events

Question of the Week: Which networks have had an actual effect on your bott
2008-01-14 20:43:00
"I'd like to know your experiences relative to favorable networking sites that have improved your bottom line and not wasted your time . . ."(SkySister) In an ideal world, there would be one magic online network where we could all sign on and make the right contacts immediately! The right colleagues and the right clients for each business would be online at the right moments. The Clients would "virtually" jump up and down upon our arrival, throwing payments at us and exclaiming, "Where has your business been all my life?"I haven't come across that ideal world with the magic online network, but I have come across a few places with with either potential for or a current base of Clients and Contacts for varied businesses. We (the Studio "Skycrew") are building a list of networks and resources we've found to have the most potential for quality Contacts and Clients. We're also opening the listings to suggestions from everyone! I refer to it as a mini-site since it's just gettin...
More About: Design , Question , Networks , Network , Week

FUN CONTEST for Your Business!
2008-01-14 18:35:00
I've turned into a networking junkie over the last few months, and with good reason - it works! I've decided to add a little twist to my efforts by hosting a contest over a few of the networks that I've joined! Scroll to the end of the post to see which networks I've included, and here is what you'll see in all of the forums (if you know of a network that may benefit from the contest, post it in the comments section!):I'm looking to start a fun contest in order to introduce my services to this network:Sky Sister Studio is a House of Concept Design . Clients are those who are looking for an unusual perspective in branding, promoting, and expressing their businesses: sleek, glamourous, and logical design. Sky Sister Studio offers High-End web, print, textile, and wearable art design services.Print DesignWeb Design Custom MySpace DesignPublishing Support: Book Layout, Illustration, and Cover DesignInfrastructureSky Sister CoutureTextile DesignCustom AnimationSo...The contest invo...
More About: Contest , Business , Welcome

A Brand New Car for $2500?
2008-01-13 22:36:00
NEW DELHI (AP) - India's Tata Motors on Thursday unveiled the world's cheapest car, bringing new mobility within the reach of tens of millions of people and nightmares to environmentalists, traffic engineers and safety advocates.Company Chairman Ratan Tata, introducing the Nano - price tag $2,500 - during India's main auto show, drove onto a stage in a white version of the tiny four-door subcompact, his head nearly scraping the roof.With a snub nose and a sloping roof, it can fit five people - if they squeeze. And the basic version is spare: there's no radio, no passenger-side mirror and only one windshield wiper. If you want air conditioning to cope with India's brutal summers, you need to get the deluxe version.But it's cheap. The Nano's closest competitor here is the Maruti 800, a four-door that sells for nearly twice as much.Read more
More About: Brand

Up and Running: 1 Down, 2 to Go!
2008-01-08 07:21:00
Presenting LuxeSister.com!LuxeSister.com's current objective is to create a perpetual list of awesome networks! The focus is on quality (in terms of areas of interest), and not necessarily quantity. There is so much information on the web that sometimes it can get overwhelming! Networking is known to be crucial in business, and so the more networks we join, the more access we have to current information and opinions! The list includes those networks that have been of some interest to me - for information, meeting contacts, extra-ordinary social scenes, and connecting with potential clients and partners!Send LuxeSister.com what's worked for you, and it may be posted on the site with a link to you!Take a look around - it'll only take a minute or few. This is the perpetual list of interesting networks and forums for business and lifestyle. Look, join, and recommend!
More About: News , Web Design , Design , Running , Events

News from the Studio!
2008-01-08 03:43:00
Oooh!"Thoughts of glamour immortalized" will include my illustrations (hand/fashion, vector, and mixed media. My influences and unusual projects will be showcased in a sleek and simple design. Yummy. "Mistress Me" the debut novel by the Authoress Venesha has an official release date set for February 14, 2008! Get a copy on Amazon and see Sky Sister Studio 's design in action! (The book has won 3 awards, which is probably another reason to pick one up!)We're in the home stretch of the design of skysisterstudio.com...soon it won't just be pointed to this blog! Yay! The new quick address for the blog will be skysisterblog.com.
More About: News , Web Design , Design

Happy New Year!
2008-01-02 03:22:00
While most of the people around the world are still burping up a small reminder of the last New Year ?s resolutions, it is time to make New Year?s resolutions once again. Why do people make New Year?s resolutions? Well people make New Year?s resolution because they try to be and in fact can become a much better human being. I would like to bet that everybody knows someone who seems to be just perfect ? for them that person forever looks tremendous; a person who dedicates plenty of time to both his family as well as career; a person whose house always seems spotless, whose children are perfectly obedient! People must wonder how they manage to do it all... Well, let's stop wondering about it and do something! And it?s the perfect time to make a small New Year?s resolution to become a bit more confident in business and life, and always more organized! Back to reality...it's hard to follow the New Year?s resolutions! Here's how I'm starting out: 1. BE REALISTIC. A lot of peopl...
More About: Happy , Happy New Year

Saturday's Stroll: The Pocket Prediction Mirror.
2007-12-30 04:51:00
From: "Wanted: Better Financial Tools in the New Year"How this mirror works: This device would immediately tell you how much an item you plan to purchase on a credit card will cost if you only pay the minimum balance. Something like, "Mirror , mirror in my hand, will this $500 chair really cost a grand?" The mirror would respond: "Actually, 11-hundred-53. And you don't need a new chair to watch TV. Instead, go jogging, it's healthier -- and free."
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What do You think of this Site?
2007-12-26 14:24:00
Would you share your budding business ideas?With whom? Family? Friends? The world? (Your potential competition?)The owners if this new site had this to say about their concept (word for word, no edits):"WE ARE CREATING A NEW WEBSITE FOR BUSINESS IDEAS AND WE NEED YOUR BUSINESS IDEAS have you ever thought that you have some good business ideas and wondered if they are worth anything? If you have some business ideas that you are willing to share with the community and maybe find a buyer, please go to WWW.HELIXBANK.COM and have them posted www.Helixbank.com is a website that will serve everyone that has a business idea and would like to market it globally. we are looking to build a full sized community that will be dependent on other users submitting business ideas and selling them whatever they will be worth. Please feel free to upload your business idea and maybe someone will pay you for it. see you on www.HELIXBANK.com "www.helixbank.com
More About: Site

Sign of the Times...Sad but Humourous.
2007-12-26 03:30:00
Sliding U.S. Dollar Packs a Wallop to Wallets WorldwideThe dollar, once one of the world's strongest currencies, has fallen dramatically in recent years -- a development impacting attitudes from corporate boardrooms to the sets of music videos where artists are choosing to flash the euro over American cash.Read the article here.
More About: Sign , Times , The Times , Sign of the Times

Question of the Week: What's the Easiest Way to Invoice?
2007-12-26 01:54:00
The potential customer base for entrepreneurs/small business owners/operators is global, and so the way that invoicing is approached should reflect this modern phenomenon. So when one of my clients asked me if they should send Word documents or PDF's etc. I said, "no way." While a PDF can be a tool for information, when it comes to collecting payment, I recommend a service such as PayPal. There's a reason why it's one of the top payment processing services in the world - it's easy and extremely inexpensive. There are no upfront costs, and my favorite part is that I can download a detailed record of all transactions - one less step in recordkeeping!Here's a quick video on opening an account:VideoJug: How To Open A PayPal Account
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Question of the Week: How do you handle the Potentials: Clients, Partners,
2007-12-18 00:06:00
(image from WikiMedia Commons)There's always this awesome feeling when a potential client contacts me and compliments some aspect of the Studio portfolio. After basking in that for a moment, it's time to get to business. The business of screening. Many people are experts at screening their phone calls, but are they experts at screening clients?The Client is new in business. The Client is a seasoned businessperson. Or somewhere in the middle. The one thing they all have in common is that I don't know what is going through their head when I initially hear from them.Then there are the potential Partners - for both short and long-term projects. This is a newer issue to me because I am in the midst of expanding Sky Sister Studio. And with that comes an even deeper love affair with the concept of networking! So (in addition to person to person networking efforts) I join different networking sites and I have some really positive experiences. I've spoken to people who have beco...
More About: Question , Clients , Week , Handle

Saturday's Stroll: Watch Out!
2007-12-16 18:58:00
Yes, it's about 2 years overdue, but I've finally decided I've had enough of pulling out the cell phone to read the time. Over it. (haha) So, I am hunting for a watch! I've found out that I'm kind of picky when it comes to the look - I don't want to wear that diamond face celeb "blingy" one. (who would I be kidding?) I don't want a pink one. I don't want one that's too round or too square, not too cutesy or too manly. Well, maybe bordering on a men's watch. Men's watches tend to look more like watches and less like...something silly. In the range I'm willing to pay anyway. That's a big factor I'm finding - Movado has an awesome women's line, but I'm not looking in that range. It's like the cheaper a women's watch is, the sillier the design becomes!Correct me if I'm wrong; if you see anything that contradicts my opinion, leave a comment!So here's an idea of what's in my taste (something solid looking and chic in a strange way):Ideal in the Surreal World(...
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What do people think when they hear your name?
2007-12-12 19:16:00
Brand is the concept of you or your company? what people think when they hear your name. What has complicated brand in the Internet age is that individuals now have a ready means to develop and promote their personal brands.Your Name and Your business name - there is no longer a separation when it comes to association - personal brand and professional brand are intertwined. Almost anything you say or do, whether on behalf of the company brand or not, affects the company brand in ways small and large. This new perspective on brands should affect our thinking of it.It can be used to our advantage, however. One of my favorite examples is the fact that we don't have to have a traditional perspective on naming and "theme-ing" our businesses! A Letter Pink'd is an editing service that will have its official launch in 2008. The owner already has a following because she is known for her "obsession" with the color pink, and her attention to detail. Her personal brand and business brand ...
More About: Design , People , Network , Hear

My Profile on Business Women Online!
2007-12-12 18:58:00
Read the full survey here!
More About: News , Business , Women , Events , Network

This Past Weekend: New Networks!
2007-12-10 15:33:00
Visit Black Business Women OnlineConnecting Black.com: Where Black Professionals ConnectI am finding these sites to be a very interesting source of information, and I have found that many ethnic groups are opening profiles here, so don't let that deter you!
More About: Networks , Weekend , Past

This Week's Bestseller
2007-12-07 18:51:00
The Weekend Chic Ring in GreenPart of the Spring 2008 "Treat Me" Collectioncouture@skysisterstudio.com
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First Look: Industrial Glamour Collection for Summer 08
2007-12-06 18:34:00
(Click to enlarge)The Industrial Glamour RingAvailable for pre-order at:couture@skysisterstudio.com
More About: Summer

New Orleans ths Month.
2007-12-05 19:42:00
The holiday season always gives me this surreal feeling of happiness with all of the beautiful glowing displays, shiny ribbons and colorful packages. This article, however, gave me a more real feeling of happiness as far as the future of many people whose lives have been put on hold for a few years...(from the New York Times)By ROBIN POGREBIN Published: December 3, 2007 Thom Mayne of Morphosis in Los Angeles designed a house that would float if the city floods. James Timberlake of KieranTimberlake Associates in Philadelphia created a house with native vines climbing up the side walls to provide shade and coolness. Steven B. Bingler of Concordia in New Orleans envisioned a house with wide front steps ideal for a traditional crawfish boil. Go to Complete Coverage » Enlarge This Image James Timberlake added cooling vines climbing up the side of his building. Those are three of the designs by 13 architecture firms commissioned by the actor Bra...
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Reco Chapple, Menswear Designer.
2007-12-05 18:50:00
The Latest Installment: Ad Campaigns for Fall/Winter 07/08The typography and placement of it was key in order to make the name/brand stand out without distracting from the design of the garments and the art of the shots themselves!Mens wear Designer : Reco ChapplePhotographer: Leslie Andrews

What I just ordered...
2007-11-30 17:54:00
I LOVE Lush Cosmetics!!!!!!!!!!! I often stop there in Orlando International Airport when I'm on my way somewhere and it's like this tiny super gourmet candy shoppe (yes, the "shop" with the "pe" at the end, HAHA). They are into the whole organic, cruelty-free thing which is fabulous on its own, and the handmade products are simply phenomenal. They saved my naturally extremely curly hair (I stretch the time between relaxers as much as possible) with their pre-shampoo treatment and then the shampoo - both smell GREAT (and I don't have to wonder if the products are going to give me health problems down the line like many products marketed for "African American hair" since they tend to have hormones...that's another story). Anyway. If you're looking for something to end the frizz and moisturize then I suggest you try them out. The even take PayPal which makes them uber-chic. Shop: lush.comCynthia Sylvia Stout Shampoo, $25Jasmine & Henna Fluff Eaze, $20

Question of the Week: Simple Web Edits
2007-11-16 16:42:00
Q: I want to add a pdf link/pdf with my specials for the holidays. How do I do that on my site?A: Upload the pdf using the FTP client/transferring program into the same area as the rest of the files,then it will have an assigned address/link. Then, download the html portion of the appropriate page, open it up in Dreamweaver or another html editor (or you can also open it in Notepad) and add the link and the proper html to the area you would like the link to be displayed. If you don't know the proper html then you can use this guide as a reference:http://www.w3.org/MarkUp/Guide/ If you need help beyond this, just do a little research...just do what I do when I don't know something: Google it! heheSky Sister
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A Holidaze Ad Campaign.
2007-11-16 16:29:00
The project: the owner of a boutique wanted a campaign to show off the anticipated best sellers for the holiday season; you're looking at some of the proofs. So we put together combinations of different collections, and I sketched it right from the Muses who wore them. Awesome! My personal favorite is the black cashmere blend sweater for the "airport" campaign. It speaks to me since I am making the holiday trek like millions of others!
More About: Design , Campaign

Raw Sketches of the Moment
2007-11-15 19:59:00
Above: the original sketch for "Get Me to the Church" fashion sketchBelow:1. Concept sketch for an upcoming clothing company2. Original sketch for next installment of A Design Aspect: Weddings: With This Ring: A Wedding Series
More About: Sketches , Moment , Etch

Graphic Misconceptions.
2007-11-13 23:50:00
?It looks different on my screen.?A client might ask for a specific Pantone colour from their Pantone book. The designer sets the file exactly as is required, yet when the client sees an example on their computer monitor they are disappointed that the colour isn?t the same.Brightness, contrast, colour settings? all monitors have them. Unless two monitors are calibrating to the exact same settings then the colours will always appear different. The best way to colour-match is using printed proofs, and even then, your choice of paper can critically affect the colour of your printed product.?Can you use the image from the website for our brochure??Sourcing images can be very time-consuming. Many clients will believe that an image they find online is perfect for their print job. However, in order to look clear, web images must have a resolution of 72 dots per inch (dpi). Print work, on the other hand, requires images to have a resolution of at least 300 dpi.Anyone responsible for marketi...
More About: Design , Logo , Graphic , Misconceptions

Some of the Latest Projects...
2007-11-13 22:43:00
I've been swamped with business card requests, and usually clients exert TOTAL control over the placement of information...not so fun for a designer. (Not a complaint (hehe), I totally understand the control issue!) But once in a while, one comes along with an open mind, and the results are awesome. This client just started an editing and copy writing venture and wanted to mix her fun side (through the color pink) with the very serious business of writing. The look couldn't be too playful, but if it was too corporate the logo and business card wouldn't stand out. I think we struck a balance!Stay tuned for the website...it's about a week away!
More About: Design , Projects , Logo , Some