So here's a concept that I'm trying to develop. I have a tendency to make very linear logos. After the initial sketch of this, I'm leaning towards a more vertical rectangle.
Although, I'm not quite sure how that would look. I like the inspiration of the bag from The Blue Heron Trading Co.
And I really like the frame around it. I don't know. I'm not crazy about my fonts either.
I just thought I'd show you the work in progress.
Here's the Far North Book Club design that I modified earlier this year.
Doesn't it make you wanna curl up with your favourite moose and read The Call of the Wild?
Here's what it really says, because chances are you won't be able to read the small print in this image. It will be blown up significantly. Don't worry.
For nine years Duluth letter carrier Dik LaPine has been making homemade thank you cards for the people on his mail route on Skyline Parkway . These handmade notes with his featured cartoon Eskimos, moose, bears, deer, seals, and sled dogs in cute, comical situations have become a special anticipated tradition for all who are thoughtful enough to remember their letter carrier during the holiday season. After making hundreds of these cards over the years and after much encouragement from the people on his mail route for him to start sharing these cards with the world, Dik and his wife Lynda created Ice Box Cards in January of 2011.
It is the vision of Ice Box Cards to provide a greeting card that allows one to write down his or her own thoughts and expressions within fun, quality cartoon cards without him or her having to write around some professional writer’s gag line. Our cards are intentionally blank. We don’t presume to know what’s in our customer’s heart or even attempt to guess. We are at best artistic stationery. Our goal is not to interfere with a person’s correspondence but to merely enhance it. Our cards are meant to be generic enough so that they could be sent for a variety of reasons to commemorate a variety of events by a variety number of people.
IceBoxCards is no stranger to LaPine Design. There have been posts a plenty about the greeting cards that my father has drawn.
He works on a mail route. When people on his route would give him a gift for Christmas, he would draw them a personal thank you card...even if it took him until April to draw and deliver them all.
After many cards were given out, we finally started scanning them before he gave them to the generous patrons. Here's what they look like after being scanned.
Then they fall into my obsessive-compulsive-skeletal hands. I get rid of the smudges and straighten everything up so that they will look sharp when we have them printed. This particular card took me 1 million years to finish. It was also originally drawn on a card with beveled edges. That posed a problem, but I believe it was eventually conquered. It should be noted, when I close my eyes I see this in negative on the back of my eyelids.
This landscape features Farnuk of the Far North fly fishing in the freezing waters beneath Seven Bridges Road in Duluth, MN. You can click on it to purchase it or one of the other 15 designs that were scanned before they were handed out to a someone special on my dad's mail route.
Hope you've enjoyed this Before & After experience!
Yesterday I was watching Notting Hill as I worked on a project. I always get a kick out of the scene when Anna Scott walks into William Thacker's Travel Book Shop and considers purchasing a book about India that is signed by the author. Here you can watch it if you want.
Or I'll just summarize it for you:
Anna says, "Ooh! Signed by the author I see."
And William replies, "Couldn't stop him. If you can find an unsigned one, it's worth a fortune."
Then some hoodlum who was trying to shoplift has the gall to ask Anna Scott (Julia Roberts) for her autograph. She signs:
"Dear Rufus, You belong in jail. "
That made me think about how odd it is to ask someone for their autograph. I have several items autographed, although I haven't personally asked for all of them. Is it really as weird as it's portrayed in Notting Hill for the person who is signing? It's weird asking. What purpose do these scribbles serve? How famous does one need to be in order for their John Hancock to be worth something? Is there even a market for autographs? It's all rather odd.
For example: My Sondre Lerche t-shirt. I loved this shirt before the autograph. I should have had him sign the album. I've been trying to wash this out ever since because when I wear it, it looks like I had him sign my chest. Take my word, I wasn't wearing it when he signed it.
In his defense, he was so charming and actually conversational. It was one of the best memories and his concert has spoiled all other concert experiences for me.
Here's a shirt that I feel I wasted my money on. I only wore it once...That's one time too many. I won tickets from the local radio station which included an opportunity to meet DC and his band backstage. We were all ushered into a room. I felt like I stuck out like a sore thumb because I wasn't trying to seduce the band members. I just wanted to meet them and possibly gain some advice. While under the watchful eyes of their sultry groupies, DC told me to continue to write and not be afraid to play a gig even if it might not be a paying one. All the band members cordially signed their smudges on the dark shirt although I can't even tell you which one belongs to the Season 7- American Idol Winner.
Ah! Here's a great autograph! I cherish this one. Margaret O' Brien was a famous child actor of the Golden Era. She played the morbid, imaginative Tootie Smith in my favourite Judy Garland film, Meet Me In St. Louis. She danced the cake walk and sang "Under the Bamboo Tree" with the incomparable Ms. Garland. She's the little one that Judy held while she originally sang "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas". I'll give you a second to think about that. Her little ears were among the first in the world to hear that song. I met her at the Judy Garland Festival and she signed this for me. True Story.
Here's an autograph from one of the wee boys who represented the Lollipop Guild. 66 years later and he was still young at heart.
This was signed by Bryan Adams' lead guitarist, Keith Scott after a BA concert. This is a REALLY big deal for me.
This one, not so much.
I got this for Christmas 2 years ago. Isn't it grand? I really need to frame it! Sigh.
I can't find the actual autograph, but here is proof that my dad saw Steven Curtis Chapman back in the day. That little blond boy is Jim Bob ("Uh, Jena, Get a life."). I don't know where I was. I think I would have liked to have been there. SCC was really genuine so I'm told.
I love this one too! SO I have a friend who worked at this little hole-in-the-wall joint that tourists and celebrities frequent in Nashvegas. She waited on the one and only Keith Urban and knew I was a big fan and asked him for his autograph for me. So sweet! And one of the most thoughtful things anyone has ever given me.
Here's another one that someone requested for me. (Drawn by my dad of iceboxcards.com!)
I started listening to Lesley's 45's when I was still in diapers. 'Tis true! She sang the first songs I ever learned. He gave me this card when I was unable to make the concert.
Yeah, this Lesley.
Here's my Sean Bean autograph...
I mean...where he would have signed. I had the book, I had the Sharpie, I had the celeb...I just didn't have the nerve. I mean, why wreck a great memory?
Does the autograph just prove that I saw him? How's this for proof?
Here's an album I could have had signed. I worked with one of these guys for a while, but that would have been a risk to ask him to sign it. That may have been humiliating for both of us. I used to be star struck every time I worked with him knowing that he more than likely had met the members of *NSYNC and BSB. My thirteen year-old-self couldn't handle knowing that. He proved to be a personable and unassuming co-worker over time.
Alright reader, so whose signature do you have? Do you have any weird stories? Do tell. ;)
Did you know you can order a Variety Pack from Ice Box Cards?
'Tis true.
I always like to switch them up. Here's the Winter 2010 Line
And the Winter 2011 Line below should be available any day now. If you click on the image it should direct you to iceboxcards.com if you would like to place a pre-order. ;)
Or you can always order a pack of the same kind. That's okay, too!
Readers of lapine design are getting the first glimpse of the next 8 cards designed by my father.
May I present the Winter 2011 line for Ice Box Cards
30 Split Rock
Something's Fishy
Father & Son Game
Grandma's Little Helper
Mistletoe Magic
Bearily Down the Stream
Seven Bridges - or as I like to call it : The Obsessive Compulsive's Bane of Existance (mainly because of the bricks...and the leaves...and the twigs... BAHHH!!!!)
Agony of Cold Feet
Although my dad illustrated them, I have spent what feels like THOUSANDS of hours editing them and preparing them to be printed.
Minute glitches or specks that were on the originals required a tedious amount of attention, so that's my part in the matter. I smooth out the pixels and make everything look crisp...oh, and I made Santa blush, I guess.
Once they are printed, I would like to have a variety pack giveaway available to my readers. I just have to think of something fun to ask you and wait for the printer!
If you can't wait another millisecond and NEED TO BUY CARDS RIGHT NOW!!!! , you can visit Ice Box Cards.com and order from the original 8 designs which are just as cute, if I might say so myself. ;)
I've been working on the next eight cards for Ice Box Cards. Those designs will be revealed very soon.
In one spare free moment I personalized one illustration for myself.
Here is the original husky, Tika.I re-coloured this to match my favourite breed. This harness would never fly with Snick though...then again if there was food infront of her, she may pull anything.
Illustrations by Dik LaPine of Ice Box Cards
This is my dad. I owe a lot to this man. He inspires me in so many ways and encourages me beyond what I deserve.
He draws cartoons and taught me how to draw by allowing me to look over his shoulder ever since I was a little girl. These are my oldest memories to this day.
He always makes me cards for my birthday. They are priceless to me. You can view and/or purchase more of his cards at http://www.iceboxcards.com/
I drew this for him a couple years ago...just an example of what I've learned from him.
He's fond of many things and finds a way to make those things interesting to me. He brings great music, great poetry, great quotes, & great people to my attention constantly. If he likes it, I'll eventually share his opinion. And he may be the most sentimental person I've ever met.
He loves this li'l lady and my brother and me very much. But most importantly he loves our Saviour and has been an example of His love for us. Thanks for being a phenomenal father!
I re-coloured this to match my favourite breed. This harness would never fly with Snick though...then again if there was food infront of her, she may pull anything.
