Tag Archives: promotion

My first online class!

Posted on December 5, 2017 by | Comments Off on My first online class!

About My First Class on Skillshare

My first class is about learning to use Adobe InDesign (which already comes bundled with many Adobe CC accounts) to make beautiful, clean, perfectly aligned contact sheets that are easily edited, updated, and exported to help you sell your work.
I created this course to help de-mystify InDesign. A lot of creatives, artists, and photographers pay for Adobe CC, but are not sure how to take advantage of all the software it brings. So, this is my effort in making Adobe's publishing software work for you. InDesign is a really robust piece of software and the perfect companion for Illustrator and Photoshop when you're looking to put it all together and publish your work.

I created this course to help de-mystify InDesign.
I've used InDesign to produce all kinds of promotional and informational materials throughout the years: business cards, mailers, postcards, booklets, portfolios, and contact sheets.
I focused on contact sheets as a way to explore InDesign and learn concepts that will easily translate to a lot of other projects. If you'd like to learn more, you can check out the class here on Skillshare.
I'd love to hear what you think!! And, if you've never used Skillshare before, here's a link for a  free 2 month trial of their premium membership - the link's limited to the first 10 who use it though, but take advantage while you can!

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Insider Tips: Showing at Printsource

Posted on February 28, 2017 by | Comments Off on Insider Tips: Showing at Printsource


Hello Blog Readers,

Thanks for stopping by! We recently exhibited at Printsource NYC in January with my art collective, Finch & Foxglove, and I wanted to share with you my experience in case you're trying to figure out what tradeshow is best for your work.



- Why Printsource? -
Printsource NYC is known for having apparel industry buyers attend the show to purchase prints for upcoming collections. We have several artists in Finch & Foxglove who have great patterns for apparel, accessories, and home decor and we thought their work would be better served by exhibiting at Printsource (as an alternative to Surtex for example).



- What was it like to exhibit at Printsource? -
The show is 2 days. The venue is cozy and the atmosphere was relaxed, professional and friendly. I found it to be more comfortable than Surtex which can be visually/energetically overwhelming at times. The booths are smaller in general than at Surtex and the prices are more reasonable for the emerging artist.



- What to bring? And, how to sell your work on the show floor. -
Buyers that came to our booth ranged from small one-person shops to mega corporations. This meant we had to be ready for anything! Our exhibit consisted of hanging indoor vinyl banners, covered tables, and lots of prints both printed on paper and on fabric! We had promotional materials to give to potential clients and we had a way of collecting their information to follow up with them.

Selling on the show floor is thrilling! Be ready to take orders with a receipt book so clients have something to take with them as proof of the purchase. Many take the physical paper print with them along with their receipt of purchase. If you're selling digital prints, as most of us are, be ready to send files within 24 to 48 hours. This takes a leap of faith in many cases. We're taught not to give raw files until we're paid, but very few clients paid in cash on the show floor. The rest paid through invoices. Almost all clients wanted to buy the work outright (rather than do category licensing or category buyouts). Be ready with prices that you'll be happy with and don't show work you don't want to sell!

 - Closing Thoughts -
Overall, I really enjoyed Printsource and will definitely exhibit there again. I found the level of clientele matched our work really well and we came away with lots of sales. Compared with Surtex,  which is more of a licensing tradeshow, income from licensing can be slow to trickle in and the initial expense is prohibitive for many emerging artists. Sales from Printsource were either immediately paid or paid within a month of the exhibit (we had just 1 exception to this due to the negotiation process).


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Hello 2016!

Posted on January 5, 2016 by | Comments Off on Hello 2016!
Whoah!  Where did 2015 go?  It just flew by I tell you!
I can't believe it was already a year ago I was sitting at my studio in Munich getting ready to get my illustration career back on track, and here I am now in California ready to launch the sales portion of my career!



In 2016, I hope to make some sales of my artwork as greeting cards and prints, as licenses on products and fabric!  Lots of work to do!  I'll keep you posted... and don't forget, you can always see my most recent work on instagram here.


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Ravelry Indie Designers Gift-Along 2015

Posted on November 17, 2015 by | Comments Off on Ravelry Indie Designers Gift-Along 2015
I can't believe it's November! And, this means it's time for Ravelry's most amazing time of the year for independently published knitting patterns.  This year is no different, and I'm participating as a designer with 14 patterns on sale for 25% off their usual price...



AND, I'm offering a physical prize, too!  I'm offering a giclee (fancy term for high-quality inkjet) print of my knitterly illustration "6 Fabulous English Sheep Breeds".  So, if you're interested in winning it and/or hundreds of other prizes, check out the Ravelry Indie Design Gift-Along page full of information on the super-fun events to come.

  • Prizes
  • Games
  • Contests
  • Knit-alongs
  • Crochet-alongs
  • Machine-Knitalongs

All the details are on the Ravelry Gift-Along page and the magical gift code in order to make your 25% off of my knitting pattern dreams come true is there too!  Have a great time, and I'll see you there!

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Up for Auction: My Print, La Semilla

Posted on January 15, 2014 by | Comments Off on Up for Auction: My Print, La Semilla
Many of you have been long-time followers of my blog, and have probably wondered where my moniker "Adriprints" comes from.  I don't think I've ever explained it here on the blog.  When I was a student, I studied printmaking.  Printmaking was the medium I chose for most of my illustrations.

one of my prints, cicadas
 I especially love(d) etching, drypoint, and most intaglio techniques. I would draw directly on the a copper or zinc plate or transfer illustrations and then work with acid, scribes, rockers, and other tools to develop the plate's surface into an ink-able plate that I could run through a press.

a plexiglas plate with drypoint illustration on it
(photo by Emmy Horstkamp)
Wherever I was, in every stage of my life since then, if I found a printing press nearby, I'd print.  Once I moved to Germany, I found a press, but it was 1.5 hours to and and 1.5 hours back, leaving me with only an hour or two of working time... it was a bit too stressful, but I did manage to print a series even with the limitations.  So, eventually I turned to more immediate mediums like watercolor, graphite, and ink... and then sewing, knitting, and the fiber arts.

Back to the present...

"La Semilla", photo: Emmy Horstkamp
The print that's currently up for bidding is called "La Semilla" and it's from a series called "Los Anones".  It's a pretty personal topic since this series ties closely to my family and my origins. "Los Anones" was the name of an orchard that my family owned in Cuba.  One of the great-uncles was a world traveler and brought back seeds from his travels and would try to grow them in the orchard and this plant, annona squamosa, did really well in Cuba and that's how the orchard got its name.  But, here's the thing, I didn't grow up in Cuba.  I grew up in Florida since my parents were political exiles.  The only physical tie I had to my parents' and grandparents' roots were literally from a tree in my backyard growing up.  It was the only one I knew of its kind - a single anones tree.

photo: wikimedia commons
The print is a botanical illustration of the seed of an anon.  We tried planting the seeds from this tree, but they didn't take.  It hasn't flowered in a while, and I have to ask my mom to see how it's doing.

In any case, my print is now up for sale.  It's the first time I've tried anything like this where an audience can bid what they like for my work.  It's left me a bit vulnerable to say the least.  If small prints are up your alley, and you'd like to make a bid - it's open to worldwide bidders - you can see the auction here.

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Indie Gift-Along Interview 2 of 2: Ambah O’Brien

Posted on December 19, 2013 by | Comments Off on Indie Gift-Along Interview 2 of 2: Ambah O’Brien
As part of Ravelry's Indie Design Gift-Along, I'm interviewing two knitwear designers. In the first interview we met Sarah Jordan (PAKnitWit).  In today's interview we meet Ambah, ambahobrien on Ravelry.

Mirri Collection, Ambah O'Brien

 Hello, Ambah!  Welcome to my blog.  Just in case people don't know who you are... Who are you? Where are you? 
Hello I'm Ambah, and I design under my own name. I am an Australian and live in regional Victoria - about an hour away from Melbourne, in a vibrant artistic community.


Sounds lovely to live in an artistic community.  How did you come to design hand-knits?
I am an artist and always making, knitting has certainly captured my imagination and it makes sense for me to make designs based on my ideas. Initially I made some patterns for fun, to try out ideas, encouraged by a positive response I find myself completely addicted to manifesting my ideas into designs!

easy knitted bangle (free pattern!), Ambah O'Brien

Mirri Cowl, Ambah O'Brien
I love your aesthetic, Ambah!  What inspires your designs? 
I am inspired by everything. A need for an item, for example I wanted to knit my son a hooded jacket. Sometimes a yarn gives rise to an idea - I designed my Dreamy Valentine shawl after inspiration from the beautiful Valentine colorway in some Dream in Color yarn I had. Other times I am inspired by fashion, art, nature - life in general really; ideas pop into my head and I go to sleep dreaming about how to make it.

Maroo Mitts, Ambah O'Brien
Do you find yourself working often in a specific style? 
Not really, I love variety. Though as a new designer perhaps a style will emerge.

Magine Shawl, Ambah O'Brien

What is your favorite part of designing?
I do enjoy the whole process...apart from when I am tearing my hear out over something! Its so exciting when I realize my idea is working.

Who are your design heroes? 
How can I choose, I really find something to admire in everyone. I am fond of Kaffe Fassett's amazing work, I love the creativity and energy of Stephen West, I admire Veera Välimäki's beautiful designs. Gosh that is just a few names when I could easily mention a 100 more!

What do you see yourself doing/exploring in 2014?
I have more color work ideas, as well as being inspired by texture - particularly lace designs. I have a cute child's sweater I am mid process with that I am looking forward to finishing and perhaps some ladies cardigans - a personal favourite garment of mine.

Dreamy Valentine, Ambah O'Brien
I can't wait to see what you come up with in 2014! Thank you for stopping by, Ambah!
If you'd like to see the Ambah's latest work, check out her website: ambah.co.

- - -

And, readers, as a thank you from Ambah, she's giving away one of her patterns which you can see here. So the winner of this giveaway will receive the pattern of their choice from Ambah's collection, but even if you don't win, check out her free patterns:  Tassel Necklace and Easy Knitted Bangle.  They'd make a lovely holiday gift!

To enter the giveaway, use the Rafflecopter Widget below and click to enter. Simple as that! The giveaway ends on Monday.

a Rafflecopter giveaway


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Indie Gift-Along Interview 1 of 2: PAKnitWit

Posted on December 12, 2013 by | Comments Off on Indie Gift-Along Interview 1 of 2: PAKnitWit
Today I'm doing something a little different.  As part of Ravelry's Indie Design Gift-Along, I'm interviewing two knitwear designers. In this first interview, we get to meet Sarah Jordan also known as PAKnitWit on Ravelry!

Mint Chocolate Mitts, Sarah Jordan (photo: © Interweave Knits/Harper Point)

Hi Sarah, and welcome to my blog!  I'm a very curious person, and love to know how others came to this profession... So, I'll start with an easy one.  How did you come to design hand-knits?

I am, admittedly, an obsessed knitter. I learned to knit when I was about 7 years old and was spending a week with my aunt and uncle in Michigan. My aunt had knit for me since I was a baby, and I suppose I expressed enough interest in learning during that week that she put some straight needles and some squeaky orange acrylic in my hands and showed me the basics. I didn't knit much other than simple scarves and the occasional hat until I was in grad school in Philadelphia and lived about a block from Rosie's Yarn Cellar. I was in a pretty intensive grad program, so I started doing a lot of knitting to relieve the stress. I taught myself a lot from the Internet at that point.
After I moved back home and started work, I continued to knit during my evenings and weekends, and that's really when I got good and obsessed, particularly with sock knitting (I'm a self-proclaimed recovering sock addict). During the day, I'm an editor/proofreader for a marketing department, which doesn't have a lot of space for creativity, so I still see knitting as my creative outlet. I also started spinning about six years ago, which has only added to my yarn stash.
I started designing because I got an idea of something I wanted to knit but couldn't find an existing pattern for it. I found that I liked the process so much that I couldn't stop. Most of my designs come about the same way -- I'll get a very specific vision of a item I want to make but am unable to find a pattern out there that looks exactly like the picture in my head. I still wish I had more time to do it (in addition to my full-time job, I have a young daughter, so my time is really limited), but for now, it's something I do to keep my brain working during evenings and weekends.

Newlin Socks, Sarah Jordan

Scullers Socks, Sarah Jordan

And it looks like you've been keeping very busy! 
What inspires your designs?

Inspiration seems to come from everywhere. Sometimes it's from machine-made items that I see on people I pass on the street. Sometimes it's geometric patterns in upholstery or carpeting or wallpaper. Sometimes an image just pops in my head as I'm in that state of half consciousness just before falling asleep (and of course in those instances I have to wake up and jot down some notes so I can remember it the next day). In all cases, I design things that I would want to wear, be they garments or accessories. One technique I can't seem to get away from is stranded colorwork. I love how even with a simple pattern, the knitting looks so much more complex and involved when you add a second color.


Tiled In Cowl, Sarah Jordan
What is your favorite part of designing?

I think my favorite part of designing is starting with an image in my head and then seeing it come to life in yarn. A pretty close second is when someone else knits one of my patterns and loves the finished project.


Who are your design heroes?

I'm really inspired by many other designers, especially those who are so generous with their thoughts and experiences on Ravelry. I feel very lucky to be able to interact with designers like Julia Trice, Nina Machlin Dayton, Marnie MacLean, and Ysolda Teague as easily as I'd interact with a coworker or friend. Honestly, any designer who contributes to the discussions in the Ravelry designer groups is my hero because they're all helping those of us who are (relatively speaking) just getting started.

What do you see yourself doing/exploring in 2014?

As to next year, one of my big goals for myself is to figure out how to use my handspun more often, because frankly it's starting to take over my house! It can be hard to design with handspun because it can be inconsistent and often doesn't fall neatly into the traditional weight categories, so I can see this type of designing resulting in recipe-type projects rather than "normal" patterns. I also want to tackle the long list of patterns that have been on my "to design" list for way too long. I think I may be moving into a cable phase, because some cabled projects are at the top of that list!

Amberson Hat, Sarah Jordan

Sarah, thank you for taking the time and introducing yourself to my blog readers.  Good luck with developing your patterns for your handspun yarns!  Have a Happy Holiday!

Readers, if you'd like to see more of Sarah's work you can find it here on Ravelry, or you can read her blog here: http://paknitwit.blogspot.com/

- - - -

Stay tuned because next week we're having a giveaway and meeting Ambah of Ambah|Knitting Design!

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Indie Design Gift-Along!

Posted on October 28, 2013 by | Comments Off on Indie Design Gift-Along!

Starting Nov. 1st, there's a promotion on all my self-published patterns.  I'm participating in the Ravelry Indie  Designer's Gift-Along promotion where we take 25% off many of our independently published designs.  I've marked all of my self-published designs down 25% with the coupon code "giftalong".  The promotion runs from Nov. 1st to the 15th, and is valid for only my self-published patterns purchased via Ravelry.

My participating patterns can be found here.
The page with all the participating patterns and designers can be found here on Ravelry.

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