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LOVE YOUR INVITATIONS & CARDS

    At PurpleTrail we are lucky enough to have an intern this season! Yazmine is a student interested in graphic design and through her school, was able to set up an internship with our design team.  We all were immediately taken with Yazmine.  She’s smart, creative, confident, and easy going.  We are impressed by the work she’s been doing and thought it was time to show her off.  Please meet our intern, Yazmine.
    Background:
    Born and raised here in Washington, I spent most of my childhood between Federal Way and Tacoma; the rest of it was spent horseback riding, and in a program designed for the top 1% of America’s children (In 4-5th grade), intellectually. I moved to where I am living now — Bellevue — prior to starting Middle School, and have been living here ever since. I currently am attending Bellevue Big Picture High School, Freshman year, and this school is actually the reason I am able to intern here at PurpleTrail. I personally chose to intern here mainly because I’m naturally inclined towards computers, and creative fields of work; and while Graphic Design was definitely something that I knew about, I had never gone so far as trying it out for myself.
    Design Style that I Love:
    I am really into modern-like designs. You could most definitely say that I have an affinity for the clean-cut, fresh way that modern designs work, and it really instigates the thought that even simplicity can because formal, or elegant at times, if the designer is skilled enough. I also really enjoy whimsical, cartoon-filled designs. Honestly the youthful, easygoing way that they work are most refreshing, in which these designs accomplish doing so, by excellent use of embellishments.
    What Inspires Me:
    Definitely the versatility and diversity of the world. Through fashion, food, art, language — even the environment; the trees, the color of the sky… the sound of the rain, the smell of the air. There’s so many different things that I believe our planet offers to ourselves as artists, to use as our own inspiration, or focus — I find it easy to lose myself in it. I also find other artists inspiring; for example, what they accomplished, or what their past history was like. More or less, their life.
    Interests Outside of Graphic Design:
    Rather than Graphic Design, I have quite a few hobbies and pastimes. Many would agree that I am almost never seen without my headphones on, and this is simply because I have a huge passion for music. Learning how each aspect creates the final product is seriously intriguing; the singer’s single voice isn’t the only contender in part of creating the finished product; and how there are different layers of sound that are added on top of one another. I really started to think about these sorts of things once I made it into the 2011 WMEA (Washington Music Educators Association), when I was in 8th grade, because it opened up questions and thoughts I had never ventured. However, I definitely have other interests outside of music — these include, reading, writing, video/computer gaming, painting, drawing, and exploring. One could seriously say that I like to “escape”.
    Random Facts About Myself:
    1. My birthday lands on a Filipino/Spanish holiday that is translated to “Day of the Dead” or “All Souls Day”
    2. I plan to visit London, and move to Japan, later in my life.
    3. I usually come across as edgy, but I love pastels, lace, and frills.
    Here are a few designs that Yazmine has designed for PurpleTrail’s Graduation category.
    1. Traditional Graduation Announcement
    A design that, I believe has accomplished perfect balance. I really enjoy this layout, because it is very appealing to the eyes, and the text doesn’t allow much of a strain on the reader’s eyes. The simple black-and-white flow of the coloring also keeps an elegant, sophisticated look without having to go too far, and the placement of words lets the eyes travel naturally through the announcement.
    2. Graduate Circle Announcement
    One of my tries at adding a brilliant splash of color, that I found to be a complete success. The grey and white colors let the watermelon red to really stand out on the card, and the back uses a fun striped pattern to give a bit more of life into the design. Regardless, the name on the back is still clear and easy to read, and the overall look of the card is very clean, yet, refreshing both at the same time.
    3. Graduation Floral Beauty
    Another try at a bright color in my cards. I really love this bright orange that I decided to use, and there’s just a perfect amount of it, while letting the picture also take some of the attention as well — something I try to do in my designs. The script-like font, and leafy embellishments for this announcement give this design just the laid-back feeling that every whimsical should have.
    4. Colorful Graduation Announcement
    For this card I really tried to match the actual colors listed in the defaulted graduation text, as, I tried to have some fun with the lines, and add for variation in size and color to give some excitement, and allow the page to pop without too much of a yellow background, and, I really do love making the year on the card the largest piece of text, with a word underneath it, and a simple line. I believe it brings it all together just by doing so.
    Thanks Yazmine!  We look forward to seeing more great things from you!


    Comments

    Out design team is made up of some amazing graphic designers.  This week we are showing off Erin.  She shares a little insight into her experience, her design style, and some of her favorite designs she has created for PurpleTrail.

    Background:

    I’ve lived in the greater northwest all my life, just north of Seattle in the city of Bothell. I went to the University of Iowa my freshmen year playing collegiate soccer, then transferred to Central Washington University where I received a BFA in Graphic Design and a Business Administration minor in 2010. My interests throughout college design courses were, advertising design, branding, and designing stationary. I have been enjoying this exciting opportunity to work at PurpleTrail, and gaining the experience and knowledge to grow as a designer.

    Design Style you love:

    The styles I am most drawn to are simplistic and clean. Having space throughout a design, and letting the type not only be the information but the design itself creating a great look and feel. I also enjoy the use of patterns and textures incorporated into designs whether it’s a whimsical or modern style.

    What inspires you?

    Living in Washington, inspiration is all around, from Seattle’s diverse culture, and having nature at your backdoor, you have no choice but to take it all in. Also, according to the other designers at PurpleTrail, I have a Pottery Barn-esque style, so Pottery Barn must be an inspiration to me.

    Interests outside of graphic design:

    When I am not designing, you can usually find me walking around Greenlake, going to the gym, or finding new places to explore. Other hobbies I enjoy are: scrapbooking, photography, camping and reading a book once in awhile.

    3 Random facts about you:

    1. I want to visit Italy and Australia and New Zealand… someday.

    2. I’m addicted to reality television.

    3. I love to bake, and starting to make cakes with fondant. Watch out Cake Boss!

    Some of Erin’s favorite designs:

    1. Vintage Rose Photo Girl Baby Announcement

    I love this design because the line quality in the flowers give it a vintage look and feel, and then having the adorable picture just puts the finishing touch on the overall design. I added the white bar through the center to add the information and the text is done in clean and simple fonts. Using plain colors to go with the simplistic quality of the overall design.

    2. Sophisticated Pink and Brown

    Similar in style to the vintage rose, but the softness of the pink and brown bring this announcement to life. I love using varying fonts, and I think using Chopin script for the name, added a unique break in the information. I wanted to use a simple font for all the other copy so it matched the delicate feel of this announcement. The white flourish then gives it a nice addition of color that really makes the invitation pop.

    3. Special Delivery Baby Boy

    I am known for my ability to make something out of nothing. I wanted this stork to be all white, because I had a vision of what I wanted this invitation to look like. I created the bag the stork is carrying so it matched. I used textures, varying fonts, and color to break up the information and this will always be one of my favorites that I have designed.

    4. Soft Pink Bubbles Bridal Shower

    This is a popular bridal shower invitation at PurpleTrail.  I used the background of bubbles, because it has a fun and girly quality that a lot of women obviously love. I used colors from the background to choose the two boxes that go across the center. I wanted to use white as the font color because I think white has a purity color to it that just looks amazing when its against certain colors. By varying the fonts, the overall look of the invitation is elegant, sophisticated but fun!

    5. Top Secret Santa Red

    This design was just recently created for our holiday party invitation section, which I am so excited about; it was hard to choose just one favorite. After designing at PurpleTrail for some time, I have started to become even more creative with what you have and the tools at my disposal. I created this “Top Secret” look by using shapes and textures. Once I created my box, and put in the type, I used a crackle texture and a ripped edge texture. The overall look has a postal feel, and a top-secret message inside, great for festive holiday parties.

    Thanks Erin!

     


    Comments

    Do you ever wonder who is behind our beautifully designed party invitations, greeting cards and announcements?  It’s because at PurpleTrail, we have an amazing design team and we want you to meet them! This week we’ll get to know Esther, our lead designer.  Here’s a little bit about her design background, what inspires her and some of her favorite designs she’s created for PurpleTrail.

    BACKGROUND:  I grew up in Southern California but have lived many other places since.  I graduated from Minneapolis College of Art and design with a BFA in Illustration.  I was really interested in both product design and illustration, and I’ve been lucky enough to work in both fields.  I’ve illustrated children’s books, created textiles, designed graphics for apparel and taught.  Of course one of my favorite things has been designing stationary!

    DESIGN STYLES:  I am really drawn to whimsical,cute and quirky styles in design, anything that incorporates pattern or hand lettering and illustration.  I also love a good classic and traditional letterpress design or things that look like they are inspired from something retro or antique.

    WHAT INSPIRES ME:  Walking down the street inspires me…I live in a very diverse neighborhood and I love walking out my door and seeing all the different types of people who live there.  Also, all of the posters, street art and graffiti really keep me inspired.  I love traveling, magazines, textiles and patterns, looking at other great designers or going to any museum.

    INTERESTS:  I am completely captivated by the Northwest so if I’m not designing or illustrating, you can probably find me hiking or exploring all that the Seattle area has to offer.  I love travel and road trips.  And some other hobbies include belly dancing, yoga and photography.

    RANDOM FACTS:
    1. I have visited every state in the U.S. except for Alaska (I’m planning to go in the next couple years hopefully!)
    2.  I have two cats, Jesper and Shredder and a dog named Steve.
    3. I just got married on top of a mountain!

    FAV DESIGNS:

    Garden In Bloom (Set) Wedding Invitation

    Garden In Bloom (Set) Wedding Invitation

    I like this design because it's simple, classic and elegant. It is perfect for a sophisticated bride.

    Modern Blue And Green Floral Wedding Invite

    Modern Blue And Green Floral Wedding Invite

    A more modern take on wedding…I love these bright pops of color and the screen print look.

    Pink Diagonal Stripes With Gray Ribbon Bridal Shower Invite

    Pink Diagonal Stripes With Gray Ribbon Bridal Shower Invite

    This is a cute, trendy Couples Shower invitation that is simple and sweet.

    Bear On Moon Baby Blue Baby Shower Invite

    Bear On Moon Baby Blue Baby Shower Invite

    Who couldn't love this adorably cuddly bear?

    Safari Animals (Set) Baby Shower Invite

    Safari Animals (Set) Baby Shower Invite

    This baby shower invite could be used for a boy or girl or gender neutral.

    Cute Halloween Animals Halloween Birthday Party Invitation

    Cute Halloween Animals Halloween Birthday Party Invitation

    A unique Halloween design, this could also be used for a halloween baby shower!

    Thanks Esther!


    Comments

    It’s time to meet another one of PurpleTrail’s fabulous designers.  This week we get to know Sarah. Read on to find out a little more about Sarah and what inspires her work at PurpleTrail.

    Background: I’m originally from Alabama and moved here in my teens. I graduated from Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle this past May with a BFA from the Design department. While attending Cornish, I worked for the Theater Department for a year and half creating posters for various productions. During my Senior year I also worked with Choral Arts to create their 2010-2011 season collateral. PurpleTrail is my first job since graduation.

    Design Style(s) you love: I really enjoy the work of the husband and wife team behind “Eight Hour Day” because their design aesthetic incorporates a certain sweetness, nostalgic touches and complex details that all come together in their final product. Jessica Hische is also someone I look up to for her design aesthetic and incredible lettering abilities. She seems to have a wonderful business sense as well, which is inspiring to me as a recent graduate.

    What inspires you? Handmade things and fine craftsmanship always inspire me because you can really tell someone loves and enjoys what they do. It’s hard for that kind of positive energy not to rub off on you and fuel your creativity.

    Interests outside of graphic design: I enjoy learning about all things food related. There are many websites and blogs I follow regularly for both their recipe ideas and beautiful photography like pioneerwoman.com and katheats.com. I like spending time in the outdoors and exercising as this gives me time to relax and gather my thoughts. Because I commute by bus, I also have a lot of time to read a variety of interesting books.

    3. Random facts about you: One day I hope to travel to Italy, Greece and France. I’m a reality show junkie and love Jane Austen movies.

    Here are some of the designs Sarah has created for PurpleTrail and a little bit about each one.

    1. Spooktacular Halloween Birthday Card
    Fall is my favorite season, so I had a lot of fun creating designs for the Halloween category. I think this is a great example of how you can mix and match embellishments in the design center to create a fun and unique card. I used some spooky black grass, adorably dressed trick-or-treaters, and a dark blue background to allow the pale blue stars to stand out. I kept the front simple to allow the type to breathe and gave the user plenty of room on the back to add party details.
    2. Pink Bun in the Oven Baby Shower Invite
    “Baby Shower Invitations” was a very fun category to work on because I was able to use some of the many embellishments we spent a week creating. It’s simple and sweet, which is how I’d describe my overall design aesthetic.
    3. Blue and White Wintry Wedding Invitation
    The reason this card is one of my favorite is because of the color combination-tiffany blue and gray. Even though it’s a winter-themed wedding invitation, I feel warm and cozy when I look at it because of the sweet and ornate ampersand combined with the illustrative birds and trees.
    4.Elegant and Simple Wedding Invitation
    I really enjoy this design because it combines my love of whimsical illustration (even though I’m not the artist of this particular embellishment) with simple and clean typography. It’s also very simple for any user to personalize for their wedding which is something I always try to keep in mind when designing.
    5. Let’s Celebrate Wedding Anniversary Invitation
    There aren’t any fancy bells or whistles going on in this invitation, but the bold punch of color and minimal script type make this card one of my favorites.
    6. Yellow Toy Airplane Gender Neutral Baby Shower Invite
    I enjoy all things handmade so the layered affect I was able to achieve for this baby shower invitations makes it one of  my favorites. It’s another example of how you can combine a variety of embellishments to express your personal style.
    Thank you Sarah for sharing these beautiful designs!


    Comments

    At PurpleTrail we are proud of our design team and love the diversity each of them brings to our collections.  We think they are pretty great thought that we should spotlight each of them so you can get to know them a little better.  This week we interviewed Leila, a Houston native who is loving all the inspiration she finds in Seattle.

    Background: Originally from Houston, Leila is a transplant to Seattle with a BS in Interior Design. Leila has worked in a variety of career fields but she always was looking for a creative outlet.  She has consistently been drawn to the creative world. She worked at the Seattle Design Center but was laid off. After they lay off, she then pursued graphic design and has been happily indulging her passion for design ever since. Leila says that her worst day in design better her than best day in any other type of job she’s had. She really enjoys challenge of design. She loves trying to come up with something that hasn’t been done before and putting her stamp on it.  The thing she enjoys about working at PurpleTrail is the collaboration factor and camaraderie.  Coming to work and bouncing ideas off with the design team helps keep things fresh and fun.

    Design Style: Overall, Leila is drawn to modern design.  She likes clean lines and simple typography. She says, “You don’t need a lot of fluff- to do simple well is not easy. To allow the design it’s space and learning to pull yourself back marks the difference between a designer and someone who just like designs. Letting a design breathe takes a certain amount of control.”.

    What inspires you? From an interior design perspective the Bauhaus movement really inspired Leila.  She finds inspiration in organic style and likes to add a little warmth to modern design and move away from its tendency toward being hard and stark.

    Interests outside of Graphic and Interior Design: Leila describes herself as an adventurous spirit.  She loves to travel and learning about different cultures.  She enjoys being in nature and can be found hiking and camping with her husband in her downtime.  She loves living in Seattle because there are so many beautiful places to just get out and enjoy the scenery.

    3 Random facts: Leila was born with different name but her mother changed it five minutes after she was born.  She lived in Alaska for 2 years and she is a self proclaimed horrible dancer with no rhythm.

    We asked Lelia to put together a few of her favorite designs that she has created using the PurpleTrail Design Center and to share what she loves about them.

    Classic Pale Yellow Wedding Invite

    Classic Pale Yellow Wedding Invite

    I really like the hierarchy in this one. The names take center stage all the information is listed and there is still room for everything to breathe! (there I go with the space thing!)

    Aqua and Tan Wedding Invite

    Aqua and Tan Wedding Invite

    This is one of my favorites! I love the bold color combination and this is probably my favorite font (Rockwell) that is available on ptdc now. This looks like it would be a fun wedding to attend and I love that spirit!

    Chocolate and Pink Vintage Bachelorette Party Invitation

    Chocolate and Pink Vintage Bachelorette Party Invitation

    This one is a bit of a departure from my typical style, it's a little sweeter. I liked this because it has an interiors element to it. Also even though there is not alot of space, all the pertinent details are listed and everything has room to breathe!!

    Modern Family

    Modern Family

    This one is short sweet and to the point. I love this simplicity and I love playing with icons!

    Sweet and Simple Photo Birth Announcement

    Sweet and Simple Photo Birth Announcement

    Cute babies make anything look good, right! This is one of our new designs in our Baby boy announcements section it was really fun to create new looks for this.

    Purple and Black Classic Reunion Invitation

    Purple and Black Classic Reunion Invitation

    This is something I love to do. Block text in varying sizes and fonts. I love that the information takes center stage and doesn't rely on unnecessary embellishments.

     


    Comments

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