Recently in Graphic Designer Category

Marcy Pellegrino, President and Creative Director of Sassi Concepts & Design Inc. creates everything from packaging, product concept development through to production. They also design and execute retail creative, websites, logos, brochures, stationary, branding, collateral, albums, and much more. Marcy creates custom high-end, specialty A-lister event invitations designed by the client, for the client (TM). This includes galas and various occasions.

Some of Marcy's clients are Sony Records, Real Simple Magazine & TV and Manhattan's own PR and Event Production company, Sugarcamp Productions, Kristen Manolis and Company Productions, LLC, and many more.

"My career began working in the field of art direction at various agencies from print to TV from which I was able to build my extensive portfolio. As an Award Winning creative person with a great deal of drive, it seemed the next logical step for me to take the knowledge I learned from my experience in NYC and launch it into a company of my own, Sassi Concepts & Designs, Inc.--with the obvious goal to help brand others," says Marcy. "As a creative person, I wanted to push beyond advertising elements I had worked with in the past. I found so many clients in need of branding aspects such as logos, costumed stationary and invitations that it was simply a natural fit to expand my company to include these types of designs and art direction. This allows me and my company Sassi Concepts and Designs, Inc. to be as creative as possible while our clients receive the ultimate in personal attention that is needed in these situations."

"I was inspired to move forward with custom creative, whether it be with hi-end fabric, art directed design, foil stamping or whatnot, while I was planning my own wedding. I created our invitations and produced the event. I learned to approach it all from an advertising standpoint keeping the concept throughout. I always loved the idea of art directing and designing customized creative for all occasions, whether it be invitations for image related events, personal occasions, or corporate events, etc. It bothered me that many websites claimed to customize invites while really they were encouraging their consumers to simply pick a limited font, paper and color. To me, that is not truly customized."

"Since all of Sassi Concepts & Designs Inc.'s creative is unique to each client, nothing is mainstream. However, many of my clients prefer clean and elegant and at times want to steer away from that which is too complex, but rather improve on what might be considered "plain" with the usage of unique papers and materials. I have found elements such as expensive handmade papers, fabrics from Europe, items that need to be assembled and adhered to the invitations, die cuts to cards and stationary, etc are wonderful ways to embellish what might otherwise be simple. We also can create extensively creative invitations when a client has a large budget, as well."

"Sassi Concepts & Designs Inc.'s favorite experience is when our clients let us push as far as we want with regard to creativity via their suggestions and ours alike. We encourage them to own the idea and be part of it, after all, they need to stand behind it as much as we need to! We love getting carte blanche on creative projects!"

"I felt a huge, positive impact was created via the invitation Sassi Concepts and Designs, Inc. created for the Avon Breast Cancer Fundraiser Event. It was very conceptually thought-out! Current news or plans for the future Currently we are working with brides and grooms alike and corporate events as well. We have much in the works for this up coming year and plan on adding a lot of Sass to the latest event invitations. In the future we would love to expand into the West Coast and have another advertising boutique in Miami as we are already working so close into NYC."
 
Visit www.sassiconceptsanddesigns.com

Kathy Piersall, owner of A Blue Moon Arts LLC in Tulsa, Oklahoma was recently awarded an American Graphic Design Award for the logo she created last year for TYPro's (Tulsa's Young Professionals) Diversity and Dialogue (D2) event. 

Kathy provides graphic design for a range of clients. Many of her clients are in fields such as gourmet food, gifts, apparel and other "lifestyle" products and services whose target audience is largely female. She lives in midtown Tulsa with her husband Mark. Kathy is a native of Bartlesville, OK. Luckily, her parents gave her lots of blank paper and crayons to draw with. She knew from an early age that she wanted to work for herself in a creative field. She earned a BFA in 1988 from the Visual Communications program of the University of Kansas. She gained experience as a full-time employee and occasional freelancer in in-house art departments and design studios until a layoff provided her with the opening to become a full-time solopreneur in late 2000. She worked for clients in a variety of fields as she gradually realized that her most satisfying projects were done for clients whose products and services were geared to appeal to women.

"The joy of applying my creative skills and artistic training to meet real-world goals such as increasing sales for my clients," says Kathy. "I live for the look in a client's eyes when we have arrived at a logo that sums up their business perfectly. They realize that their company now has a distinctive "graphic personality" that they will be proud to use in all of their marketing efforts for years to come, and that sets them apart from their competition in a positive way."

Kathy plans to continue to focus on solving creative challenges for clients in gourmet food/specialty beverage, fashion and similar field.  Kathy has an award-winning series of limited-edition prints based on fairy tales available at http://www.abluemoonarts.com perfect for Valentine's Day gifts.

Visit http://www.abluemoonarts.com.  Tulsa, Oklahoma

I am a huge fan of Wendy Lynn Sefcik, graphic designer and illustrator.  I met Wendy about two years ago.  She designed a darling girl to advertise my boutique, My Chic Things. I own T-shirts, coffee mugs and stationary clad with the special girl she designed for me I recently asked Wendy to tell me about her road to success and about her business, Broken Box Designs.

"Art has always been a passion of mine. I've loved drawing since I was very little and knew by about 9th grade that I would pursue art as a career. I got my bachelor's degree in Fine and Applied Arts/ Major in Graphic Design, from The University of Akron. Out of college I worked for McGraw-Hill Children's Publishing. The company moved, so I switched jobs and became the Art Director at J.Marco Catalog (www.jmarco.com). After 9/11 my husband decided to join the Army so we moved to Fort Benning, Georgia for his training. I quit my job and started Broken Box Designs in late '05. Since then, I've absolutely loved my job and where that road has taken us. I'm able to work from home, be my own boss, while having the most creative freedom that I've ever had. Most of my clients are small business owners, authors and small companies. I love the close relationships I've been able to develop with them and that each new project poses a new creative direction and style."
 
"My inspirations come from my obsession with color, nature, my imagination, current trends/styles and fashions. I'm always drawing or doodling something and keeping an eye out for new ideas and inspirations. I would say my best selling "items" are my custom illustrations. Either hand drawn or digitally rendered, I love to share the ideas that I imagine with clients to enhance their company!"  

Wendy is currently moving back "home" to Ohio and continuing her job as owner/designer/illustrator for her company, Broken Box Designs. "I look forward to expanding my client base and most of all to just keep designing and drawing! I hope to hire an assitant/entry level designer in the near future, so that I can expand and grow more.... while maintaining the one-on-one attention that I believe is very important to give to clients. In addition to working closely with clients... One of my personal goals for 2009 is to illustrate and finish a children's book that I wrote. I'm very grateful that I can say "I love my job" and the work I do... and have lots of ideas and plans that I look forward to every day." 

Visit www.brokenboxdesigns.com