A Little Something to Say …

I'm feeling a bit sappy today. I'm counting my blessings. I have a great family and friends, and I truly appreciate my clients and the amazing people I work with in this industry.

Things to check out :
Pink Ink Studios - Talented group of designers. Great resource for photographers.
Eye Candy Workshops - Already into photography? Just beginning? Life changing experience.
Eye Candy Actions - If you swoon over vintage and all things pretty.
On the Spot Studios - Tiffany is an extremely talented logo designer and a total sweetheart.
Flowers: My sister continues to inspire and amaze me with her talent.
Eliza's Library: Because everyone should become aware of rare neurological diseases. The smallest people can make the biggest difference.
Just because: One of my favorites … love the movie, love the music and I'd pay good money for Summer Finn's wardrobe.

Have a great weekend!
** Image from when we had beautiful November weather. I really, really want the rain and fog to disappear!

Here Comes the Sun

Has it been uber-dreary where you live? I don't think I've seen the sun in weeks! I told my daughter that it appears we've up and moved to Forks! Yes, we both read the Twilight books last year :)

I'm showing off Nakia's new set. It's bright and cheery … taking the place of much needed sunshine! We've pulled it all together and she's ready to roll! I've come to the conclusion that it makes me a little sad to finish projects. I truly have a "what if I never speak to them again" moment as I send off the last email with the files. I feel like I always end up knowing more about my clients and their lives and how they're doing. I always wonder about the final product too … how did it look when it printed? Do your clients love it? What images did you choose? Did you find awesome coordinating packaging? See … you think I'm happy to finish up but I think about your work for a long time. Thank you Nakia!

Tahlia's Set and a little MadiLu Update

Happy Monday to everyone! Actually, it's not all it's cracked up to be … I've got quite a workload, a meeting and four kids who have been cooped up far too long. We just did the "everyone run around as fast as you can" outside for a bit. Hoping fresh air brings long naps!

Posting Tahlia's set today. I really like the colors. She's got all kinds of awesome cards … business cards, referral cards, rep cards and even bookmarks that can potentially act as a card. They all coordinate, but each one has a bit of a different look. Lots of ways to reach your target audience! Thanks Tahlia :)

So … the little MadiLu update. A bit about myself. I strongly dislike two things … waiting on something and money. If you know me, you can attest to how true this is. I hate billing design clients (I feel guilty) and I hate paying bills (I feel guilty b/c I often forget and am late). I had a heart-to-heart with my husband this weekend. He's so smart and since he doesn't check my blog it's totally cool to put that out there!

Here's the scoop and both go hand-in-hand with my pet peeves.

1. Wait List - I've got a bit of a list going. I need to be fair to all of my clients and give each project 100% of my attention. I will only be starting on new logos and marketing sets beginning February 10 … not too far away. If we've been in contact prior to today, please don't worry. You're on my list. If you'd like to get something started, please contact me and I will add you to the list for February.

2. Money - I swear this gives me a stomachache and I've been debating for quite some time. Here goes … as photographers, I read and find great value in discussions regarding pricing. I wholeheartedly believe people should find the value in your work, but you also have to value yourself.

Based on the number of hours I spend on my projects, I will be raising my rates. Please don't head for the hills … not much, just a little but enough for me to justify time spent away from my family. New rates will go into effect March 1, 2010. If you contact me to schedule your project before that time, you will be locked into current rates. At this time I don't publish my rates on my blog. It's a lengthy description because I don't quote per piece and I like to make sure you know what you're getting.

Rates for custom logos will remain the same – $125. Please feel free to email or ask me any questions.
kimdrury@gmail.com or kim@madiludesigns.com

Have a great week!

For Erin …

Erin is one busy lady! Not only is she a nurse, but she's also a mom and runs her photography business. She let me in on her secret late one night … she never sleeps. Neither do I and I enjoyed our late night chats. :)

Moving on … Erin and I started with her logo and moved on with the rest of her set. We did referral cards in addition to her regular business cards. These are great for passing on to current clients and should provide the incentive to help get your name out there. They always say word of mouth is great advertising.

Thanks Erin … loved working with you and wish you all the best!

Catching Up …

Wow! It's been a crazy week. Last week I designed, designed and well, designed. Left Saturday to head to Nashville to the Imaging USA conference. It was amazing. Yes, it's for photographers, but as a designer I was on the hunt for new products and to find the best printer to refer my clients to. Photographers, do you have any idea how many albums are out there?? Wow is all I can say!

I met some great people. I had some of my templates in the Savvy Photographer booth. There were a few of us in there. Marsha was promoting The Savvy Sisterhood Workshop … awesome opportunity. I loved meeting Marsha and her sister Ann … both photographers and super nice people. Lori Nordstrom was also promoting her workshops and her camera straps. My husband's family business employs engineers. These guys think things through … they think EVERYTHING through. These camera straps were developed by a photographer and an engineer and let's just say they rock. If you are in the market for a new strap, check out Pepper straps. Your camera isn't going anywhere :)

I gave a presentation last night to the Greater St. Louis PPA. We discussed logos, marketing material and branding. It was a small, informal presentation and such a good experience. I enjoyed meeting that group. If you are in the St. Louis area and involved in photography, I'd check it out. Many, many resources.

So, I'm back. I'm not settled, but I'm crawling into my hole and designing my heart out. I'm getting a bit of a list for custom logos and sets. If you are interested or even thinking about doing one soon, please let me know so I can get you worked into my schedule.

Sorry for the long post and lack of pics … I'll be sharing a few new sets this week! I'm also going to post several premade logos I've got. I need to revamp my blog (shout out to Nancy at Monkey Tails), update my website and such … isn't January supposed to be a slow month?

Take care!

New Beginnings

Even though I dislike January and the winter weather, it's always nice to have a fresh beginning to the year. New ideas, new resolutions and hopefully finding ways to improve upon the last year.

Today is officially my first day back to work after the holidays. Although many of you noticed I worked during the break :) Definitely one of my resolutions for 2010. Not to work less, but to work more efficiently and give myself back some of the time I'm missing with my children.

My new working hours will be on Monday through Thursday, 8:00-3:00 CST. I will check email in the evenings, but it may be the next morning before I get back to you. I do play catch up on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays and there is a good chance you'll hear from me … I just don't want to commit. I know many of my clients are in different time zones and even on different continents. No worries … I'll work with you to make sure everything is taken care of. I'm just trying to get everyone, including myself, on a better schedule this year. I love to create and design, but if I don't set limits for myself, I won't take a break and sometimes it makes me not such a nice mom and wife … aka tired and crabby!

I'm working on a lot of projects … lots of great things to come. Gearing up for Imaging USA in Nashville, TN next week. I'll be in the booth with the Savvy Photographer. I'm excited to meet new people and see what new things are on the horizon.

Cheers to a great year!