New Business Cards

I am so jazzed! Just arrived in the mail: samples of my new business card. I designed them via Moo, a fantastic site for printing. When I signed up for a Flickr account I got ten free mini cards and I absolutely love the way they came out. Another plus: their packaging, so cute!



I used a photo I took for my blog on Commonwealth Avenue. My "Sarah hearts grafitti" photo works perfectly for my card and the way I'm putting my portfolio together. I can't wait to order more mini cards and some postcards too.

Welcome To My Office

Where does all the design magic happen? My office, welcome! I'm lucky enough to have a nice, light-filled space with enough room for a giant desk and all the random things I collect. Hanging in the entrance is a very cool tin bird I found in Skaneateles to welcome me every morning.

I like things neat and organized (is that an understatement?) as you can probably tell. One of my recent obsessions was making paper cranes; I still do it because it's very relaxing. I love the story behind the cranes too. I have hundreds now and hung many of them on the ceiling. If I need a break while I'm working I'll turn around to see the birds swaying and to look at my idea boards. I tack anything up there that I get a kick out of.

I like my desk to be pretty clear all the time unless I'm using it to make cards. Stored in the desk I have some special items. There are my harmonicas, the first one was a gift from my dad and I like to keep them handy in case a good jam comes on! I also have a ceramic iguana I got in Barcelona that has sentimental value. I keep lots of pictures of friends and family and mementos I pick up here and there. One of my silliest items is a Gordon's Fisherman bobble head doll that came in the goodie bag of a race I ran. Made absolutely no sense, so of course I love it.

Another favorite are some very pretty matchbook holders. When I first saw them I was drawn to the color and patterns. What else? Just lots and lots of stuff that inspires me in some way, shape or form. My newest addition to the office is the first edition (I think first, can't find this version anywhere online) of the graphic design tome "A History of Graphic Design." I couldn't believe my luck when I came across it! The newest edition is put out by Professor and friend Alston Purvis. I have to say though (if you're reading this sorry Alston) I really like the cover of this book. It's so simple and eye-catching.

So there you have it, in a nut shell, my office. If you need anything designed give me a shout!

100 Posts: Let's Celebrate

Wow! I can't believe that I've already written 100 posts. This blog has turned out to be so much fun. I've used it as an opportunity to research and learn more about design, art, anything that interests me really. I love to talk, talk, talk so this has been a good way to focus some of that energy. I really enjoy that in the process of writing, I've started to see things in a different light and that in turn has helped me to be a better designer.

For my 100th post I thought I'd look back and pick out some of my favorite stories over the past few months (in order of appearance). These posts all stick out to me because in writing them I discovered something new and interesting to me:

Bob Dylan and Paul Rogers
Valspar Paint
National Train Day
Visual Complexity
NYC Transit
Birds About Boston and Brookline
International Poster Gallery
Transit Logos From The West
A Stroll Down Commonwealth Avenue, Boston

Thanks for being a fan of my site. For more of my work be sure to visit my Etsy store often. If you would like to be featured or have an idea for a story please let me know. Keep on reading and I'll keep on blogging!

Etsy Debut: Check It Out!

Exciting news: I've finally launched my Etsy store! What's Etsy you ask?

From the site: "Etsy is an online marketplace for buying & selling all things handmade. Our mission is to enable people to make a living making things, and to reconnect makers with buyers. Our vision is to build a new economy and present a better choice: Buy, Sell, and Live Handmade."

Check it out my store here (please) and don't only visit, but share with friends and buy too! If you're already on Etsy, heart me there!

Making cards has been a hobby of mine for a long time. If you know me, you'll remember "SarMark: a division of something bigger." That always cracked me up (then again I think I was 12 when I came up with it). Anyway, I love decoupage and collage and incorporate these things in my designs. Lately I've been on a fish and bird kick. Here are some pictures of what I have listed and a glamour shot of Cardinal before the card photo shoot:

I Heart My New Embosser

I just received my first embosser and I'm wondering why I've never had one before! This really classes everything up. Mine says "sarahheartsdesign" and I'm using it on cards I'm making. I ordered through the Paper Source (I heart them). Now that I have the embosser, if I want another design all I have to do is order the plate. I can't decide if I should get one with my initials or one with my address, or maybe both!

Frank Furness: Train Station Architect

I was taking the train from NYC last month (so relaxing) and reading Amtrak's magazine when a short little blurb on architect Frank Furness grabbed my attention. With the article was a picture of this pretty station in Wilmington, Delaware:
The station was completed in 1908 and was part of a major upgrade by the Pennsylvania Railroad Company. This year the Friends of Furness are celebrating the station's 100th anniversary. The original 1908 renovation included raised tracks to eliminate dangerous foot and pedestrian crossings (good idea). The design had to support the weight of the tracks and trains above the concourse level and to do this Furness built a grid of steel columns and truss work that was left exposed. I wish I could find pictures of the interior, guess I'll just have to pass through someday. I love train stations, the hustle and bustle and romantic idea of travel that doesn't include a pat down or security check.

I tried to find out more about Furness and his work on different train stations but have come up a little empty handed. Via that A1 source of information Wikipedia, I found the following: "During his career, Furness designed over four hundred buildings including banks, churches, synagogues, railway stations for the Pennsylvania and Baltimore & Ohio railroads, and numerous stone mansions in Philadelphia and along Philadelphia's Main Line, as well as a handful of commissioned houses at the New Jersey seashore, Washington, D.C., New York state, and Chicago, Illinois." I did also find out that there is a biography about Furness and a collection of his works that I'll have to add to my reading list. Until then, happy and relaxing travels to you.

Logan Airport Terminal C

I'm on an airline kick this week. In Terminal C of Logan Airport in Boston there is a wall of mirrors that is very fun to watch people walk by. It's on the top floor, departures, by the Legal Seafood. If you're passing through, walk by to check it out.

In Focus: Dinosaur National Park, UT

One day while in Steamboat Springs, Will and I decided to check out Dinosaur National Park and took a road trip to Utah. Since I was little, I dreamed about being a paleontologist. One summer, for fun, I made dinosaur flash cards, drew pictures on the front, put the latin name on the back along with all other pertinent information, then quizzed myself. Yeah.



So when the opportunity to go to Dinosaur came along, you're darned right I took it! The park covers parts of northeast Utah and northwest Colorado. It's really quite big and there is a lot to see. I'd like to go back sometime to see more. But on this particular day I was out to see dinosaur bones. Unfortunately...there were none. Talk about crestfallen. When we stopped in Dinosaur, CO for information, no one told us that the main attraction, the Quarry Visitor Center, was closed. Big Bummer. OK, there was a temporary visitor center with a couple fossils but I really wanted to see the bones at the quarry! At any rate, the area is really quite beautiful and I would go back again. Now I know not to expect piles of dinosaur bones.

American Airlines Logo: Heart It!

I really have a new appreciation for American Airlines' identity with all the flying I've been doing. It started back in February at Logan Airport with the photo above. And continued at LAX when I saw a hangar for AA with this eagle:
Vignelli Associates designed the AA eagle logo in 1967 and according to Wikipedia:

"American's early liveries varied widely, but a common livery was adopted in the 1930s, featuring an eagle painted on the fuselage. The eagle became a symbol of the company and inspired the name of American Eagle Airlines. Propeller aircraft featured an international orange lightning bolt running down the length of the fuselage, which was replaced by a simpler orange stripe with the introduction of jets.In the late 1960s, American commissioned an industrial designer to develop a new livery. The original design called for a red, white, and blue stripe on the fuselage, and a simple "AA" logo, without an eagle, on the tail. However, American's employees revolted when the livery was made public, and launched a "Save the Eagle" campaign similar to the "Save the Flying Red Horse" campaign at Mobil. Eventually, the designer caved in and created a highly stylized eagle, which remains the company's logo to this day. In 1999, American painted a new Boeing 757 in its 1959 international orange livery. There is a Boeing 737-800 painted in the retro AstroJet livery.American is the only major U.S. airline that leaves the majority of its aircraft surfaces unpainted. This was because C. R. Smith hated painted aircraft, and refused to use any liveries that involved painting the entire plane. Robert "Bob" Crandall later justified the distinctive natural metal finish by noting that less paint reduced the aircraft's weight, thus saving on fuel costs. Eastern Air Lines and US Airways have also maintained unpainted airplanes in the past."I'm a fan of the silver jets (Hi, have we met? I love silver, sparkly things). If you're a fan of AA check out this site for apparel!

The Letter S Part Three

One of my new hobbies has become finding the letter S in unexpected places and I've done it again! This S is from some detail around a window on an old apartment building. I love the flow and the background detail that looks a little like leaves to me.

Favorite Ads For Marathons

While looking through running magazines I came across the following marathon advertisements which I just love. I like the the Twin Cities Marathon ad because of the perspective it takes. Instead of seeing runners from the side or front, it's from above. Unexpected and appreciated! I also like the muted color palette they chose and this swirly pattern that pops up on all of their collateral.

The Eugene Marathon ad rocks because of all the swirly elements, hhmmm, I'm sensing a theme in what I'm attracted to today. That along with the blurred runner, gives movement to the ad. I really like the green color, it just says Oregon and "Unique Eugene." I'd love to run in this race, maybe in 2010 after I'm done with school and in the west.

Morning's First Cup Packaging

I'm not a big tea drinker but the packaging of Morning's First Cup makes me want to start. I spotted this in a specialty shop in New York and have not seen it since. It's hard to find online but I did find this link that sells it. I love the simple box, colors, and silhouette used. On top of all that, each tea bag tag has sayings like "With each sunrise, we start anew," and "I'd like mornings better if they started later." Cute!

In Focus: 17 Mile Drive, Monterey, CA

As promised in my Monterey post, here are some more pictures from my trip, these are from the 17 Mile Drive. Instead of driving the route, I road my bike. The 17 miles turned into over 30 by the time the day was over but it was all worth it. The route has beautiful views of the ocean and I couldn't have had a more perfect day.



I road down to Pebble Beach, had lunch, then road back. I was too tired to make it all the way to Carmel and the road got pretty narrow to bike on too. I was invited to play golf a couple of places along the way, maybe riding the bike in a cute outfit would be the reason for that! This site has a great interactive map where you can see more landmarks along the route. If in the area, I highly recommend checking it out. Happy travels!

Poster Art By Rick Doubleday

Today I thought I'd feature some work by a fellow runner and my professor, Rick Doubleday. Rick was kind enough to share some if his recent poster designs with me. They include a poster commemorating the Sichuan earthquake, a talk he gave in Germany, an upcoming exhibition in Guatemala and an upcoming lecture in Japan. I really love the color choice and layering in the pieces. I especially enjoy the Tama Art poster's use of different patterns.


From Rick's website: "Richard B. Doubleday design is the synthesis of form and content and their interrelationships. My work relies on the knowledge of visual sensitivity, personal vision, intellect and typographic principles to assess each problem and answer with an appropriate solution."


From August 18-29 there will be an exhibition of Rick's work at the Universidad Rafael Landívar, Guatemala, for the 35th Anniversary of the foundation of Architecture and Design Faculty. The poster commemorating the recent Sichuan earthquake in China will appear in two publications and an exhibition, which will coincide with the opening of the Beijing Olympic Games (have you heard I'm obsessed with the Olympics?). Please see his piece in Baseline Magazine number 53, "The Graphic Language of Min Wang: Beijing Olympic Games Graphic Identity and Pictograms."


This fall look for Rick's contribution to the book Jan Tschichold- Master Typographer. I for one am looking forward to the fall when I'll be working with Rick more closely on my graduate thesis project.

A Stroll Down Commonwealth Avenue, Boston

Recently I decided to photograph all sorts of things I saw while walking down Commonwealth Avenue. It's a walk I've taken many, many times but photographing it made me see it in a whole new light. Some of my favorite shots are the ones of different patterns in architecture that I found, "Free High Fives", "Have a Margarita" (don't mind if I do), a banjo box with the quote "Music Makes Life Better" (totally agree), and graffiti of my name in a heart. LOVE IT! I swear I didn't do that, but how fitting that it was done in shiny, silver paint. I'm making that into my business card now via Moo (an unbelievably cool company!). There are seven pages of photos so keep scrolling through and enjoy the stroll!

Wordle Equals Excitingle

I came across Wordle a couple weeks ago via How About Orange. Later that week I opened the Sunday Boston Globe and saw an article that used the site to compare John McCain and Barack Obama's blogs (turns out the word used the most on McCain's blog is Obama...interesting). Now, I think that you should hear about it.



From their site: "Wordle is a toy for generating “word clouds” from text that you provide. The clouds give greater prominence to words that appear more frequently in the source text. You can tweak your clouds with different fonts, layouts, and color schemes. The images you create with Wordle are yours to use however you like. You can print them out, or save them to the Wordle gallery to share with your friends."

For fans of typography, that would be me, this IS a toy! I plugged in the address for my blog and my del.icio.us site then just kept hitting randomize. Fun, fun, fun. It's neat to do this as the main page on my blog changes. When I first started playing around the prominent words had to do with my posts on murals in Brookline.




I didn't realize that on my delicio.us I saved a LOT about Boulder and weddings...I guess from that you can tell what I've been look up the most! Mostly I like this because it takes data and visualizes it. See my post on Visual Complexity for more on infographics.