New Blog Layout -- Red Poppy!

Well, with August already here, I thought what better way to close out my last month of summer than with a new blog layout.  So a few clicks here and there in Photoshop and Squarespace and... Ta Dah!  It is certainly different, and I know the sidebar needs some overhauling, but I am pretty pleased with how things turned out.  The navigation is more or less the same (just relocated above), so old visitors should have no problem finding their way around.  It can get hard to innovate when you need to keep a certain amount of criteria consistant for the sake of branding.  Hopefully, I can start offering some website redesigns for others in my graphic shop, Origraphix, on Zibbet! I have had limited luck selling banners, so it might be time to branch out into some new types of graphics...

Anyhow, I would love to get your feedback!  What do you like or what can I do better?

I finished six new types of dolls that I am planning on photographing tomorow -- stay tuned origami lovers! 

My Graphic Design Project & Contest

As some of you are aware already, these past few weeks have been incredibly busy on a number of fronts.  One of the biggest things preoccupying my mind is my decision to open up a graphic design shop to compliment my origami work.  I have always received many compliments on my work for this website and others, and I decided that this was just one more way for me to get my name out there.  I am not sure how easy it will be to successfully run two shops, but I hope I am up to the challenge.

The decision was a stroke of fate!  Zibbet.com was hosting a graphic design competition over at 99 designs.  I worked really hard day and night to create entries and I am really pleased that one of my designs won!!  Several of my banners will be featured in Zibbet's new banner generator.  I bit the bullet, bought a yearly premium account for my new adventure "Origraphix" (that combines my passion for "origami" with "graphics"), and set off on yet another new online journey.  The contest win has given me the seed money I needed to get started with this and things have been going well so far.  I am working on a series of premade sets, but I have custom listings available if you cannot wait!  In order to expand my portfolio, I have also started a contest for Premium Zibbet Shops for a SHOP MAKEOVER!  (See the button on the right-hand side!)

I have had several entires so far, but if you could get the word out, that would be amazing.  I will keep you all updated as I go!  I have not stopped folding origami, but sometimes it is nice to have a different way to flex my creative juices!

New Blog Layout: Black, White, & Red All Over

Surprise!  As you can clearly see, I have implemented a new blog layout.  I have been working on this one for a few days now and I am pretty pleased with how things are looking!  (Then again, I think I always feel that way when I have a new toy to play with...)

The content is still here, but some things have changed; some for the sake of simplicity, others for the sake of speed.  The first thing you will notice is that I have done away with the Google, Facebook, and NetworkedBlog widgets on the sidebar.  I know some users may be frustrated with that choice, but I hope to move them to a different page.  When all was said and done, a lot of those features seem popular for Blogger blogs, but I had to really think about why I moved over to Squarespace to begin with.  I wanted a website and a portfolio.  UmeOrigami.com was really meant to be that central hub where people could learn about what I do and find examples of my work.  I'm a little tired of the crazy "follower" race that all of this social networking has become.  Am I still a part of all of those networks?  Of course I am! But I do not think you all seriously care about how popular this blog is if you enjoy reading it.  In the top right corner, you will see some new buttons that will connect you to my RSS feed, Facebook, Twitter, and Flickr.

I guess a part of me wanted to really bring this site back to basics.  It is something I am working on in my own life as well.  I think this blog has a unique look and I want to keep things that way and give people a reason to come here.  I don't think it is good if it is just seen as just another crafty blog or just another place where you can spam your page link in the comment section.  I really enjoy reading what you have to say, and I am looking forward to continued days of intellectual exchange, feedback, and give and take.  If that comes with a little pluggage, then that will not hurt either of us!  Please enjoy this new iteration of UmeOrigami.com.

New Blog Layout! Dreaming in Mauve

After several hours at the computer without food, I managed to find that elusive spark of creativity that has been hiding from me lately.  I slaved over Photoshop and Squarespace and I am unveiling my latest web creation.  I am not sure why I made a "mauve" theme, but I think it is pretty easy on the eyes.  I made a vector version of my bookmark doll Mariko (*points to the right*) and she is the star of the show for now.  I want to make mini versions that people can use as linking buttons. (Wouldn't that be oh-so-cute?)

I loved my last layout, but I've been feeling a bit blue lately and I needed something perkier than the smokey grey.  So, I dug deep and I got in touch with my girly side!  And apparently my girly side is in love with muted colors...  They always say that you can rate a personality by which colors they feel closest to.  I wonder what the colors here say about me?

Anyhow, back to the task at hand.  Long time readers will probably notice some slight differences in the placement of things.  I promise that all of the old information is there, just in new places!  The navigation is now on the left hand side and you can find your way around the site from there.  I have also added a facebook widget so if you are not following our fan page, you can easily do so from the blog.  I also added some archives along the bottom left if you need a blast from the past.

I would love to get some feedback on the new look!  Good, bad, ugly -- you can tell me.  Did you prefer the smoke n' mirrors layout?  Is this new layout too confusing?  Do you think Mariko is giving you funny looks?  Let me know.

New Site Layout: Smoke n' Mirrors

As many of you probably know, I am a glutton for change.  I am lucky I can sit through a book without flitting from one to the next.  It is a bad habit in many ways, but sometimes it has crazy creative results... like the new layout!  I was staring at my shop and rearranging some items and I realized that I have a severe lack of blue and green in my inventory.  At that moment I declared to myself that I would make a conscious effort to include more blue in my work...

30 minutes later, the new banner for my Etsy shop was born!  And then after some great feedback on the forum, I decided to extend this new blu-evolution to my blog.  I think it looks nice!  It keeps the "logo" that I worked so hard on, but brings together one of my favorite dolls with my penchant for monochrome and greyscale.  The only tinge of blue left in Aoi (whose name, 青い, means "blue" in Japanese) is the bottom layer of his kimono and the pretty cloud design.  Please drop a line and let me know what you think (even if your opinion is that you liked the previous version better).  It is dark and mysterious... and I dub thee "Smoke n' Mirrors."

You'll notice a few more changes around the site as well.  I added more information to the "About" section include a photo of myself despite my better judgment.  Some crazy blogger friend of mine said, "Christina, people want to connect with you!  Put more personal information on there!" and so I have.  I also put links to various sites on which I have been featured and my "Best Of" posts.  I have also rearranged the sidebar a bit to take advantage of Squarespace's new social media widgets for Flickr and Twitter.  I think they add some extra oomph to the grey-ness of the site.

Off to finish these bookmarks someone commissioned and then onto this paper I have been procrastinating on.  Your feedback means the world to me, so please let me know what you think!