MissAmyDesigns

RSS Feed Homepage

Articles: 1, 2, 3, 4

Flash Website - Very Basic
2009-09-01 00:58:00
Here's a pretty badly executed flash website that I did a couple days ago. I followed this flash website tutorial which was easy to follow, except that some of the measurements seem to be off. It might have just been me though - I was lazy about this one. I just wanted to finish it. I didn't worry too much about making it pretty. Or symmetrical. Or easy to look at.
More About: Website , Flash , Basic

Rock Star Design - Tutorial
2009-08-18 18:55:00
Here's a great tutorial on creating a bright yet grungy rock band/music web page. I banged this out over a couple lunch hours & below is what I ended up with. Click it to see the larger version.Click here for the Rock Band Layout tutorial from WebDesign .org by author victor.
More About: Rock Star , Tutorial , Star

Paradise Gulfcoast
2009-08-17 18:09:00
Here is a recent site we just completed for a client. That lovely design is all mine! I'm rather proud, of course.If you click through to the site you'll see that the photos in the header rotate through a bunch of photos picked by the client. There's also some database driven action for the informational pages & Featured Properties.All in all, I really enjoyed working on this one: the design came together quite nicely & the client was very easy to work with.
More About: Paradise

Back to Blogging
2009-08-14 22:27:00
I decided to start blogging about my design adventures again! I'll be updating you with all the new things I've learned, including links to the tutorials I learn them from. Also, I'll occasionally highlight some new client work as it launches.I'm hoping I can keep up with it. As you can see, I wrote numerous entries before letting the blog go to seed for a while. But I will try not to let that happen this time around. I am really looking forward to sharing what I learn in my professional life. Hopefully it will benefit others as well!Also, in the past, I didn't always stick to the subject. I am now more likely to do that as I have been writing about my fashion/shopping/regular life over at my blog MissAmyShops.com.Thanks for reading & please stop by again soon!
More About: Blogging , Back

Website Mockup #2
2008-08-14 17:52:00
So, I'm still jazzed about the mockup project I started. Whew, made it to the second week and everthing.I'm noticing a trend so far with these - I'm tending to a minimal style so far. I'll try to mix it up next week & not be so simple. Promise.Anyway, here it is - click on it to see the full size version:
More About: Website

Website Mockup #1
2008-08-08 18:15:00
I was so excited about this idea I knocked one out very quickly so I could get it up for anyone who is watching.I usually don't work with vectors as my main images, so, this was out of the usual for me & I really dig it! Click the image to see it at full size.
More About: Website

Baby Bunny
2008-02-24 20:42:00
Last weekend we rescued a baby bunny. Our dogs were trying to get to it & we got it before they did. They may not have meant any harm but even if they were to pick it up with their mouths it could have been punctured & gotten infected very easily.Anyway, we got him & brought him inside the house & put him in a box with waded up paper towels and some fresh salad to munch on. I called my dad, since he is the expert on all things wild. He said he has tried to keep wild rabbits before & they just refuse to eat while in captivity & will die.I so wanted to keep the bunny. He was so tiny - he fit in my palm. But I did a little research online & found that my dad knew what he was talking about. You are never supposed to keep wild animals - it's actually against the law. Who knew? Plus the likelihood of keeping a wild bunny alive in captivity is next to nil.So, we let him go. He slipped right under the fence into the brush. We haven't seen him since, so I am tak...
More About: Baby , Bunny

Pandora & Netflix
2008-02-17 19:42:00
My two favorite things lately to escape my hectic life:#1. Pandora .com - An online (and free!) radio station built to accomodate your tastes. So far I have stations for: Cake, Tori Amos, Tracy Chapman and Joss Stone type music. It is way too cool. I found it while stumbling - stumbleupon.com (another favorite time waster).#2. Netflix .com - As many of you know, I'm sure, Netflix offers a watch now option on many of its movies if you are a subscriber. It's awesome because I don't have to waste the shipping time to see those really kind of crappy movies that I insist on watching - nobody knows why, especially not me. But I got a couple under my belt the other night - Brooklyn Rules (with the adorable Freddie Prinze Jr.) and Undead or Alive (a western/zombedy - eek - with Chris Kattan). My seven thousand movie long list is now 2 shorter. Yay!Well, it is Sunday & I must attend to my duties. Catcha later!

New Recipes!
2008-02-09 18:14:00
I finally got a couple new Weight Watchers friendly recipes up in the Recipe Portfolio. Cruise on over & check it out!
More About: Recipes

A Quick Brag
2008-02-08 15:38:00
I just got this message from a buyer on ebay."Good Morning, Just want to let you know receipt of the crop jacket in yesterday's mail. FANTASTIC item. Left feedback on ebay and thanks again for the listing. Enjoy your weekend, Bernie"Just wanted to share. I'm always soooo happy when the buyer is happy.
More About: Quick , Brag

The Update
2008-02-07 18:01:00
Not much is going on here. The list follows:I am involved in the Relay for Life through my job at IntegrityNETworx.com. We will be raising money for the American Cancer Society from now until April, when the Relay actually happens. If you would like to contribute, please contact me through my form.At home: we found a leak in our master bathroom, so now are participating in an unplanned remodel. I finally decided on tile two days ago. Now, just waiting for shower valves & my husband to start in on those & adding walls back to the space. I'll post before, during & after photos once we're "there".Also, he got my cabinets installed - yay! They are beautiful. Now we just need to finalize with a bar for hangers and adding the knobs. Eventually I will paint & our mini-makeover will be complete!I missed my Bellydance class this week - I've been really worn down. I hope I didn't miss too much. The next 5-week cycle starts next week - yay! I might have to treat myself to a new ...
More About: Update

Getting My Stuff Together
2008-01-15 18:11:00
So much has been happening. I am finally getting my stuff together on my website. Please check it out as my portfolios are all coming together (slowly).My web design one is nearly up to date.I've started the Recipes-Snacks & Recipes-Desserts. These are weight watchers specific so far & I anticipate that to continue. They have such great recipes - I will also provide links to buy the books/magazines if possible.I'll be working on the flash one soon - they are all listed but I'll be adding photos & links.Other than that little flurry of activity, I started my frugality new years new thing whatever.I'm keeping track of my husband's & my expenditures on a calender (by hand!) :) to track spending & hopefully eliminate unnecessaries. However, this becomes challenging when we have new baby to greet or a friend's birthday or a dinner with friends. This is where a lot of my money goes. Then there's also unforseen necessaries, such as the battery charger we bought t...
More About: Stuff , My Stuff

Money Woes
2008-01-03 00:52:00
Well, it's that time of the year again. That time where we are all broke thanks to the holidays and we are coming up on tax time. I'm not sure if we will get anything back this time since my husband was working for cash which we will have to claim. I hope I'm wrong.I suppose I should come up with a strict budget and stick to it. It's so hard though with almost all costs rising. As soon as you set a price of $100 for the weekly grocery budget, the true cost becomes $125 or $150. And as it is, my budget is pretty bare bones until you count my shopping and my husband's beer expenditures.So, obviously that's what we need to cut out. I am planning to start taking bellydancing classes next Tuesday & that will have to be my fitness & entertainment budget for a while. The class is only one night a week but I plan to try to work out with videos at home a couple times a week as well to supplement. I guess that might be one of the cheaper hobbies I could have.Well, I will work u...
More About: Money

Custom Bags!!!
2007-12-31 19:06:00
Once in a while I am going to be showcasing products that I have found on & offline that I adore &/or use the heck out of. Today is one of those lucky days:Below are a couple photos of some very nice custom bags found at LilDivaHandbags.com.Above is one of the Diva's messanger bags. I really like it in the damask pattern for those of us wanting a slightly more classic look.I love the fact that LilDiva is a small, local business. Her blog is a great honest view of a cottage business. Below is a picture of one of her brand new hobo handbags. The great geometric print rocks with all kinds of clothes, from jeans & a tee to a nice work outfit!
More About: Bags , Custom

Weigh-in
2007-12-20 00:31:00
Last night I finally hit my 10% goal at Weight Watchers.There are a lot of goals associated with the program - coming back a second week, losing 5 lbs, 10lbs, etc..., staying on the program for 16 weeks, losing 10% of your initial body weight, your final goal, among others...Anyway, it's taken me 26 weeks of diligence on the program to reach this goal. And I have had many setbacks - my weight loss record shows my two steps forward & then one step back pattern. I am so glad to have finally made it, but I like to remember that it's not a race and there is no real finish line. Even when I get to my goal weight I will have to keep an eye on myself so I don't gain the weight back yet again.I spent a lot of time getting up to my heavy weight - it's ok if I take some time to take it off. And also, every tiny step makes me a tiny bit healthier.Below are photos. The first is me at my heaviest weight. I had lost 20lbs on my own & slowly gained it back & then some. This was tak...

New News
2007-11-20 23:40:00
Hi all!I haven't written in a while & wanted you to know the blogs aren't dead.Well, not all of them, anyway.Currently, I am redesigning my site to include only this blog, since updating the full 8 quickly became overwhelming.I've decided that I need to focus on my design skills and maybe even get back to the easel soon. Thus the slimming down. I also may restart my belly-dancing classes after the new year, but will keep you posted on that.I still am losing weight, but am just trying to get through the holidays without gaining, for now. And I am still trying my hand at being frugal. I may begin writing an anti-shopping blog, or one about breaking the addiction, as I need to attempt it.But, anyway, all in all, I will blog about all the same subjects, just all in one place for now.Things that have happened lately:My second 29th birthday happened a couple weeks ago. Ugh, bring on the gray hairs!I saw Tori Amos in concert last weekend. I love that woman!I am currently plann...
More About: News

Gridline and Gridline Fading Effects
2007-10-01 01:35:00
This is an effect I learned a while back - defining patterns. I actually kinda forgot how to do it so I followed this gridline/defining pattern tutorial. It is truly very simple and there are lots of things you can do with this technique.One, for instance, follows here. I went ahead and did the next tutorial that teaches how to use masks to fade the scanlines, for a very stylistic technique that you see on a lot of websites. I for one am glad to have learned it, as I know that I will be able to use it a lot.So, see the photo below for the finished product and then click here for the gridline fading tutorial. This one should not be missed!
More About: Effects

Here's a Sphere
2007-10-01 01:32:00
This sphere was super easy to make with use of a few filters. I love how it looks like a transparent bubble! It's be-u-te-ful!See the tutorial here!
More About: Sphere

Pottery Party
2007-09-23 20:03:00
A couple of Fridays ago I had the pleasure of joining my very good friend L at a party she hosted at The Pottery Garden in Ft. Myers. I got to hang out with some cool & very interesting chicks & make a plate in a finish that I adore! (That's my friend's hand on the left!)The party commenced as we arrived one by one bringing our various treats - wine (always important), chips, dip, veggies and other foods to tempt our taste buds. I brought those yummy Oreo snack cakes, fruit and a gourmet nut mixture. Tres sophisticated - I know!The people who work there helped us and held our various hands throughout the evening. They were super helpful and fun. We weren't all sure about what we were doing, but they guided us through with our various projects.This particular girl knew exactly what she wanted and she had a plan! She brought with her a scaled copy of the USA in order to recreate it on a tiny magnet. Talk about detail oriented. You can see she's focused in this photo! Below...
More About: Party

Technorati Claim Post
2007-09-23 04:19:00
Hi all! I'm finally signing up for Technorati & here's a link I need to put here to Unleash the Spiders! Technorati Profile
More About: Post

Eroded Text
2007-09-09 22:37:00
Another really cool effect. I like this so much. I may have to use it in a web design soon!Tutorial here!
More About: Text

Eroded Text
2007-09-09 22:37:00
Another really cool effect. I like this so much. I may have to use it in a web design soon!Tutorial here!
More About: Text

Eye Color Change
2007-09-09 22:30:00
There's lots of ways to changes colors in graphic files in Photoshop.Here's a new one I just learned involving a color fill, gaussion blur and layer overlay. Check out the tutorial here.
More About: Color , Change

Eye Color Change
2007-09-09 22:30:00
There's lots of ways to changes colors in graphic files in Photoshop.Here's a new one I just learned involving a color fill, gaussion blur and layer overlay. Check out the tutorial here.
More About: Color , Change , Chang , Chan , Eye Color

Displaced Text
2007-09-02 00:52:00
This is an interesting displaced text effect I just learned on WebDesign.org which is my favorite place for Photoshop & other tutorials. I started going through the archives & have learned so much in the past few months that I didn't know. I've also found other ways to do stuff that I already knew how to do.This technique would be good for making those low-tech spam foiler graphics that you use within a form sometimes. Check out the tutorial here.
More About: Text

Displaced Text
2007-09-02 00:52:00
This is an interesting displaced text effect I just learned on WebDesign.org which is my favorite place for Photoshop & other tutorials. I started going through the archives & have learned so much in the past few months that I didn't know. I've also found other ways to do stuff that I already knew how to do.This technique would be good for making those low-tech spam foiler graphics that you use within a form sometimes. Check out the tutorial here.
More About: Text

First official post to the new MissAmyDesigns
2007-08-28 02:32:00
Here it is. I designed this site & think it's pretty darn cool. I hope you enjoy it too.I'm trying to take my designs a little more seriously and ramp them up a bit. This was a nice project to stretch that muscle.
More About: Post , Official , Designs

First official post to the new MissAmyDesigns
2007-08-28 02:32:00
Here it is. I designed this site & think it's pretty darn cool. I hope you enjoy it too.I'm trying to take my designs a little more seriously and ramp them up a bit. This was a nice project to stretch that muscle.
More About: Post , Official

New Direction
2007-08-20 21:33:00
It sure has been a while. I've kind of gotten off the jewelry design thing. I don't know; I'm just so scattered it seems like I take up a new hobby every 6 months or so.Job wise I used to change jobs every two years or less. I've worked: clothing stores, shoe store, a couple opticals, an accounting office, several faux finishing/painting companies, a tile painting company, the GAP, a movie store, for a photographer, as a Document Control Technician and finally a web designer (where I have been now for almost 3 years!).In high school I was very focused on art and fashion, later I went to cosmotology school, was studying to be an optician after that.I've also attempted my hand at several businesses - faux painting, closet organizing, jewelry making/selling and virtual assisting (which was actually quite successful, but rather hectic). I've also sold avon & I now sell frequently on ebay.Other things I've tried: art classes (again recently), jewelry making (classes again), karate...
More About: Dire , Direction , Rect

New Direction
2007-08-20 21:33:00
It sure has been a while. I've kind of gotten off the jewelry design thing. I don't know; I'm just so scattered it seems like I take up a new hobby every 6 months or so.Job wise I used to change jobs every two years or less. I've worked: clothing stores, shoe store, a couple opticals, an accounting office, several faux finishing/painting companies, a tile painting company, the GAP, a movie store, for a photographer, as a Document Control Technician and finally a web designer (where I have been now for almost 3 years!).In high school I was very focused on art and fashion, later I went to cosmotology school, was studying to be an optician after that.I've also attempted my hand at several businesses - faux painting, closet organizing, jewelry making/selling and virtual assisting (which was actually quite successful, but rather hectic). I've also sold avon & I now sell frequently on ebay.Other things I've tried: art classes (again recently), jewelry making (classes again), karate...