Last year, I stopped taking on design work and put all my focus into designing products for my society6 & etsy shops. And to be honest, I really started to miss it. Working with people to help bring their ideas to life is so fun and really rewarding.

So when Jess reached out a few months back asking for a new logo, I was excited to help.








Jess moved back to the country and is embracing newlywed life on a cattle farm and wanted the new logo to reflect that. She started with a new blog theme and for the logo, she wanted to use her parents barn (hello, it's gorgeous!) as inspiration for the new look. We used a mix of serif & sans serif fonts (the main typeface is sans serif to keep it modern) and to bring it all together we paired hand-drawn elements to give it an organic, rustic feel.

Hop on over to her blog or instagram to say hello and get a peek at day-to-day life on the farm!
She's also got an Etsy shop filled with cozy, hand-knitted throws & scarves!



As I mentioned above, I really did miss designing logos and brand work. If you have a blog or small shop and want a new logo, please reach out! I'm opening up a few spots for custom design work (no wordpress websites), so feel free to contact me if you think we'd be a good fit!

Not really a post I wanted to write today (or ever), but after finding my work stolen for the third time, it was time to address it. And I know the saying "imitation is the sincerest form of flattery" but it doesn't really feel good when your EXACT design is ripped off.

It’s nothing new to be inspired by another artists work. I’m inspired by amazing designers all the time, but there’s a huge difference between being influenced and completely ripping off someone's work. I’m not even talking about copying or when a design looks eerily similar. Yeah, that's not very cool either, but I think most designers have been there, on both sides. I’m mainly talking about knowingly lifting someone's design and claiming credit as your own. It's even worse when you profit from it. It's just wrong on so many levels!





For me personally, I don’t mind if you create something similar (not exact) to mine and use it for your own personal use. Of course, I’d love for you to purchase my products, because my little shop helps support my family. If you’re creative and crafty and I can inspire you, that’s great! Giving me proper credit or a link to my site is always appreciated too. But when someone crosses the line, and sells it commercially, I am not cool with that! I will report you (on Etsy, Zazzle, etc.) and take legal action, if necessary. As kids we're taught that stealing is wrong. It's not any different when your an adult or artist... you just don't do it! It’s wrong to claim and sell work that you didn’t spend time working on.

I have found my work stolen on 3 different occasions (that I know of) and it really sucks. In these instances they weren't even a copycat issue, they were blatant theft of my exact designs. The thief's literally used my free printable tag files (twice) and then I also found a few of my floral patterns (from Society6) being sold on larger site. I design things with heart and passion and so much time and effort goes into my work! Especially when I offer something for FREE, don't go around trying to sell and profit for your gain! It's just wrong and  when karma comes around, I hope it's not nice to you!


Please, don’t be "that" person.
You can be inspired, but please don't steal.


photo by dillon shook on unsplash

Guys, I opened an Etsy shop! Now you can get my prints as printables for only $5!!

And yes, I know I'm pretty late to the Etsy game and there are already tons of people selling printables, but I'm still super excited to offer this as an affordable option to buy my designs.

Change.

It was really that simple. I needed a fresh start.

I started blogging way back in 2010 as Creative Index. (If you made the jump from over there, thank you!) :) It was just a place to catalog my thoughts and connect with other creatives. There was no real thought behind the name and I definitely didn't think of it as a brand”... it was just my little corner of the web to ramble on and play with blog designs.

During one of my blogging ruts, I decided to open my Society6 shop. I had some prints I designed so I thought I would create an account and sell them to make some extra money! (If you’re unfamiliar, Society6 helps independent artists sell their work. S6 will print/ship items for you and you get a % of the sale.) I didn't have any real expectations and my first 3 months I only made $36! I thought about throwing in the towel, but I didn't. I just kept swimming ;)

Hello, hello!! You do not need to adjust your screen. I promise that you’re in the right place. The blogging hiatus is finally over!

Welcome to Union Shore! My new online space for all things creative, inspiring & fun! I took a long blogging break last year I finally feel like I'm ready to try again! Creative Index had a good run (almost 6 years!), but I'm honestly ready to put it in the past. I thought long and hard about changing the name and it’s something I believe my heart and business needed. (more on the re-brand coming soon)