Purple Onion Designs

Creative Team

Finally! Here is the design team call that I have promised you.

Purple Onion Designs is looking for a few new designers for its creative team. We are interested in designers that are able to creatively showcase our stamps within their artwork. Our new team will consist of designers with varying styles and experience from around the world.  Yes, international designers are welcome! If you feel that your artwork will help promote our stamps then please apply.

We are looking for both "team" designers and "guest" designers. The team designer commitment is for one year. The guest designer commitment is for an assigned month. The guest position is for those that would like to be on the design team but realize they are unable to make the commitment every month.

Creative Team Requirements:

Designers are required to submit via email (either a photo or scan) a specified number of projects each month. The projects will normally be yours to keep. They will be used for the Purple Onion Designs gallery and blog. You will also be asked to submit your artwork to various publications. In addition designers are to further promote the stamp line by posting projects in their personal blogs, galleries and other online forums.

The monthly requirement will vary depending on the type and complexity of the artwork submitted. The following is a basic guideline:

• Cards Only - 4 per month
• Layouts Only - 2 per month
• Cards & Layouts - 2 cards & 1 layout per month
• Mini Album or Special Project - 1 per month

Creative Team Benefits, Perks & Awards:

Designers will be given a credit towards stamps each month to create their samples. Extra stamps may be sent at times so specific samples can be made. This is common with new releases or when promoting specific images. Designers may also submit above the monthly requirement to increase their monthly credit.  You will be entitled to additional discounts towards stamps and other products/supplies from time to time. A more detailed explanation will be provided to those making the team.

Submissions:

There is a two part submission process. A designer questionnaire that is to be filled out and emailed to us along with your artwork samples.  Designers making it to the finals will be required to submit additional samples (see below). You can either download the questionnaire here:

Download creative_team_questionnaire.doc

or send an email requesting the questionnaire to us at:

designteam@purpleoniondesigns.com

We will then email you the questionnaire and you can simply copy and paste the information into a new email. Please put "Creative Team Submission" in the subject line when submitting your questionnaire and artwork samples.

Your submission should include 4-6 samples of your best stamped artwork. This can be cards, layouts, or any other stamped project. The samples for the initial submission DO NOT have to include Purple Onion Designs stamps. However, it could be beneficial since this is what we ultimately would like to see. Those making it to the final round will be given Purple Onion Designs stamps to work with.

You can send the samples one of two ways. You can include direct links to your projects posted in online galleries and blogs or attach .jpg files of your artwork to the email. Please note that links to online galleries and blogs should be for each specific project and not your overall gallery. There should be 4-6 separate links provided.

If you prefer to send .jpg files of your artwork then attach files (~100k in size) of each sample individually. Please name the files with your first and last name along with the sample number (e.g. JaneDoe1.jpg, JaneDoe2.jpg, etc.).

The deadline for all submissions is Sunday September 14, 2008. A group of finalists will be then be chosen and sent stamps to work with for a final elimination round. The finalists will then be given two weeks to create a minimum of three more samples using Purple Onion Designs stamps. 

I will be choosing finalists on a rolling basis so feel free to submit before the deadline.

Please post any questions you have to this blog entry. If you have a question then chances are that someone else is wondering the same thing. I will answer the questions in a follow up post in the next few days. If you would rather send an email then please send all questions to:

designteam@purpleoniondesigns.com

I am looking forward to seeing alot of great artwork!!

Inchie in a Pinchie

Once again at the 11th hour I needed to make a few quick cards.  I thought I would make some fun inchies for the cards I needed to do.  Inchies are little 1x1 pieces of artwork (usually stamped) that have been quite popular recently.  I used the ice cream cone and popsicle from the Celebitties Set.  The cards were for Tatum's summer playground counselors so I thought ice cream was appropriate.  I colored them with Copics and gave them a coat of Diamond Glaze.  Isn't it adorable?!

This is what the cards looked like.  I did a few of each.

•   Stamps:  Celebitties
•   Inks:  Adirondack - Pitch Black & Colorbox
•   Copics:  RV02 Sugar Almond Pink, RV10 Pale Pink, RV13  Tender   Pink, E33 Sand, E37 Sepia, C1 Cool Gray No. 1 & 0 Colorless Blender
•   Patterned Paper:  Paper Salon
•   Diamond Glaze 

Color Swatches

I am forever testing out colors on scrap cardstock to see my choices and to match patterned paper.  I do this with all different coloring mediums such as ink pads, markers and colored pencils.  I sometimes keep them but the majority get tossed.  I have been wanting to make complete swatch books of my different coloring mediums.  I finally have tackled my Copic markers. 

I keep a full color chart as a quick reference to see the Copic colors that I own.  I use this so I don't make duplicate purchases.  I wanted something else that I could hold up to patterned paper (and other items) so I could make the best match possible with the colors that I own.  I decide to make a swatch ring.  The tags were cut from a QK tag die and placed on a book ring.  On each tag I drew three lines of color.  The first line is just one layer of color, the second line is two layers and the third is three layers.  This enables me to see the different shades the marker will give me.  I also have written the color name and number on the tag. 

You can see below how I found color matches for the Basic Grey paper I planned on using.

Here are the color choices and the party hat I colored using some of those markers.

You can't tell from this photo but the hat was also colored with some glitter Spica markers and then given a coat of diamond glaze for a shiny wet finish.  If you click on the photo you can see a little glitter.

This is what the color swatch ring looks like.  I keep it hanging over my work table. 

I have started one for my Distress Inks.  I am going to do two versions.  The first is on white cardstock and the other will be on tea stained cardstock (which I use often with these inks).  The tags show a few different ways the ink can be applied.  I have used a stamp, stippling brush, blending tool and direct swiping.  I'll share them when they are finished.  Then its onto my Prismacolors!