Presentation

I had my Capstone presentation this past Tuesday and I think it went great! It was really nice to get some feedback and things resolved as well as to see that I was on the right track with my packaging ideas, logo and aesthetic. I am so excited to finalize my tree ideas and to get started on gathering the wood and materials I need for that. I really love the way the line is coming out and it makes me proud that the product is something I would buy and really enjoy. I also like the fact that I have handcrafted a lot of things, like the flowers. I feel like I am on the right track and although I know that next semester will inevitable be hectic...I think that I will be have so much more time to focus in on my Capstone! Oh over break I am going to also refine my logo and hopefully create the case for the makeup brushes, and work on the box that the lien will fit in as well as "naming" or coming up with the story behind each set.

Gotta love the Fam!

So Sunday, as I was working on my flowers,  my mother-in-law commented that if she could do anything to help just let her know so I casually mentioned to her that I am on the look-out for lip-gloss containers and nail polish containers that have brushed metal lids. Today she sent me the link to an awesome website MakingCosmetics.com and would you believe it they had just what I needed-well the lip gloss that is and some lip pencils so lips down....nail polish to go! aw yea it is actually a mascara tube but who cares:)

Ta Da!!!! she also had the best idea to fill up my eyeshadow containers with candle wax and then just top them off with the eyeshadow to save time and money.

tree plans

So I think I have found a way to create a tree. My husband and I sat down and sketched out some ideas and then began discussing what was feasible. Some of our first ideas included overlapping plywood to create bark textures, but that would end up taking forever and we couldn't figure out how to create tree limbs from that. So the idea I am focused in on now is creating strips of the plywood and cutting them out to create an entire tree silhouette with some boards sticking out further to place my products on. I know plywood sounds cheap looking but I was surprised when he brought a sample home it actually is really pale and pretty and doesn't need much done to it, it is also very smooth. But my second favorite idea is creating a flat tree silhouette with branches, against the wall or against the one brick post thats ticks out in the gallery, and using the sewing pattern to create paper flower balls and attach them to the branches to create 3D foliage. O.K. sounds crazy but in the sketches it turned out pretty cool. Also, found out that my grandparents have a bicycle that is 40 or so years old-I need to go check it out but I am praying that it has either a banana seat or a basket on the front-hope it's in o.k. condition!

the flower balls that would make up the foliage on the tree would look like this-except out of sewing patterns...and they would be layered.

exploring

So I have been exploring flower making. Currently the flowers I have been making have been out of paper, the thicker scrap-booking paper and then the extremely thin yet inexpensive sewing patterns. I enjoy the looks of both the papers but they are both tricky to work with so my next task is fabric flowers. I started looking at linen fabric to make flowers out of, because I feel like the texture and the colors work well with my other fabric, but I found the muslin to be just as attractive and again, much cheaper at like a dollar a yard. I also found a few new ways to construct flowers with wire instead of sewing them which I will try out soon. And I tried to order the blue velvet ribbon I found online but they are temporarily out stock in the width I was looking for so I am holding off on that for now. I have been on the search for brushed metal tops that would work for nail polish bottles as well as lip gloss containers and right now it's looking like ALMAY cosmetics is my best option. They have a mascara tube that I might be able to take the top off of and glue onto whichever nail polish bottle I like, but I am still working on the logistics of that. I also found an ALMAY lip stick case that is tall and thin and is clear as well as has some brushed metal elements but I need to try and dig out the lipstick from it, because the colors aren't that great.

here is the mascara top, it looks more metallic in person

Mail!

I have already gotten my tins and now my brushes came in, and my fabric should be in its way! It is helping me so much to have tangible objects to play around with and be able to visualize how everything will fit together as a unit. The brushes look a lot more expensive than they were and I like that they are very soft and a natural brown hair instead of the black you always see. The flower came out successfully for the first try and I think that I will try and make it have more layers next time to make it fluffier/have more dimension to it. That was the consensus when I showed it to people. I used the pearl center and I like the looks of that too, but I def. need to start cranking those out in all shapes and sizes. I also will be ordering nail polish bottles asap and once the fabric is in I will be diving into the label design as well as continue to work on packaging.

tins:)

so I got my tins last night that I ordered and I am pumped-they were form specialty bottle and they are gorgeous. There is the perfect size for my eyeshadow AND my blush-plus they were only like 63 cents a pop. They really look nice. Now if I my fabric and brushes would just come. So wish me good luck on my flower tomorrow! I got pearl and wooden buttons for centers the other day so I have options.

Tins

So I found a great supplier of metal tins-Specialty Bottle-and the great part about them is they have metal tins with clear tops-BUT-they only have them in the smaller sizes which I am not sure will work for my blush. Also you can order one-offs from them so I ordered samples (and they were all under a dollar a piece) So here is my dilema-I think it is necessary to see the colors you are buying so how do I make the blush tins work or do I need to keep searching for larger tins with clear tops. Also if I am packaging my makeup in brown boxes-how do I allow for the buyer to see the colors? These are things I am pondering.I am also considering making the cosmetics line a package deal like you buy a box and it's filled with maybe one or two lip options, a blush and six eyeshadows-I don't know this might be a ridiculous idea. I am planning on making a paper flower this week, and it will probably be out of sewing patterns. So we'll see how it holds up/how easy it is to make because I would love for them to be al over the tree I am creating. And about the tree-my husband is bringing home pieces of scrap wood so I can see what is available and really start to sketch out what I want my display to be.

logo

I have been designing various versions of my logo for my cosmetics line, which will be named Elliot Elaine...ta da!  I have been focusing a lot on old style monograms and the mix of typewriter typefaces and more elaborate-handwritten typefaces. I am pretty happy with what I have created so far, putting the E into different containers and playing with the handwritten feel of the entire name in the logo. This definitely fits with Anthro's esthetic. I do however want to try and get handwriting from a few people I know because I feel like the typefaces I am finding maybe aren't going to cut it. I really enjoy the look of a mix between cursive and print. I am also searching for paper and cloth patterns to incorporate in my design and am keeping my eye out for things to collect and maybe ad to a book to display along with my project-so it's picture taking time!

trees!

O.k. not exactly what the display would look like, but you get the idea.

packaging

So the presentation went well and I feel like I have a much clearer idea of my project. I have been browsing Anthropology's website to look at their cues for typography, textures, and colors. I also have looked at their "accessories" section of their website and I found soap, lotion, and makeup bags, but no makeup!!!! This makes me so excited because now I can go ahead with the cosmetics line for them. I also looked at the lotion and soap packaging there and there was a lot of use of flowers on labels and paper wrapping of the soaps which fits right in with my ideas. I am playing around with the idea of limiting my cosmetics line to things like eyeshadows, nail polish, lips, and maybe blush, since it will be the unique colors that consumers would be attracted to. I don't see many women buying their foundation at Anthropology. I will be calling the packaging companies soon and asking for samples.I also talked to my husband about ideas for display in the final project and I think I want to have the make-up be displayed in a tree. I envision the tree to be made from maybe unexpected things or different combinations of "scrap wood". I am still sketching out the idea but I think it would tie in with Anthropology's overall esthetic and make for a wicked cool display in the Art Show. I also envision an old school banana seat bike at the bottom of the tree with a basket on the front, either with some of the makeup in it or if I create any printed materials, to display those.

ready to get started

I present my capstone project today and am hoping to get some great feedback so that I can really start designing. I was getting so excited about it just creating my powerpoint. I am currently trying to hone down the name of the cosmetics company and came up with the idea of stylecrush. I was thinking about certain females whom I admire for there style, and came up with the idea. I think it is a neat idea for my cosmetics line since makeup is always driven by fashion and vice versa. I am trying to find the patterned paper I want to create my flowers from and am having a hard time but, I did find another, clearer example of what I would want them to look like.

I think the flower in the bottom middle has bicycles as a pattern!

flowers

So here is a flower I found while looking up vintage flower patterns for inspiration for my cosmetics line. I found a blog online that shows you step by step how to make these flowers. They are made from old sewing patterns which I think is so cool. Obviously this flower is a little Victorian in style but I would love to incorporate flowers like this in my package design except with patterned, more colorful paper. I think they could be gorgeous on top of boxes and as a keepsake that you could wear as a pin or in your hair or just collect. I think this idea could also lead to a great cosmetics display, which I am also researching. I have taken pictures of cosmetics displays and also have looked them up online and they really are very stagnant, linear, and boring, so I am looking forward to exploring displays further. And still no luck on a name!

naming

I have been mind mapping a lot and thinking about what I might want to call my cosmetics line and the name that keeps coming up is "dust". I think it could be a really unique name for a cosmetics line and I am really drawn to it but I just need to think about what it says about the line and what reactions people/consumers might have to it. Also I love sweet peas and think that that could be a possible name for the line, BUT I think it sounds too young and makes me think of young girls. Oh yeah I also am playing around with my last name (Dye might be a cool twist to the concept of makeup) or it could be completely corny-we'll see.

inspiration

Here is one of the looks I am taking inspiration from.

I feel so much better after class yesterday. I am excited about exploring new ways to display my cosmetics line (shelving, pop-outs, etc). I also found some great fashion images to inspire me. I really am liking the pale flowery patterns on top of bright or bold colors. I do want to incorporate the animal print but I am seeing it as more of a texture than a full out pattern. I am liking cool greens and pale yellows as well as pinks, blues, and purples. 

I really am drawn to this color palette for eyeshadows.

window displays

i like how eclectic this window display is, with the antique table and plants adding to the atmosphere of the display

i like how bright and colorful these two window displays are, also i like the set-up of the one on the right-how cool would that be to mirror my display off of this-like a peek into someones vanity

MAC leopard,lol not the computer

Here is a picture form the felines collection by MAC. This particular photo is for the Leopard look. Hmmm.....exotic animals? sounds like my initial idea!

frustration!

So I know what I like-and what kind of makeup I think is cool, but how do I turn that into a unique enough of a product to do my capstone on?  I really think that there should be a more affordable line of cosmetics for women my age, that is always on top of the new colors and trends and is LONG lasting, b/c we are always busy. And how many times do you have to reapply your makeup in the evening b/c you want to go out but you put it on at 7 a.m. when you got up, or your nail polish is already chipping from the night before! I also think it would be interesting to go with a makeup brand that is all powders, like Chelsea was saying about her moroccan makeup. I think that is extremely unique, it's just so hard because there are so many cosmetics products out there and it's like every good idea has been done already! Plus I have only gotten two replies to my question on facebook about what women wished was different about makeup:( welp back to researching makeup on macy's website.

dieline

aw yea I also checked out some really sweet packaging products for cosmetics and beauty supplies at dieline-I freaking love design. I'm pretty sure I could look at that website forever. There are such great ideas and inspiration, I just need to find that niche for my product/project that's going to make in unique and MINE! Also, went to Urban Outfitters this weekend and I am considering using that type of style for my cosmetics line.

e-mail

Just e-mailed myself for the week of the Senior Show-I know I will be going nuts then but I will be pumped to graduate. It will be really cool to have all my friends and family see my work, esp. the ones who don't understand what graphic design entails or what I could do with my degree. Ah, wonder what my project will turn into...started looking at really unique window displays(good food for thought.)

Ah Senior Year!

Wow! I am so busy already, I am worried about fitting this capstone into my hectic schedule but at the same time I can't wait to get started:)

Proposals!

Wow! Everybody has such great ideas. This Senior Show will be the best one yet. I really enjoy hearing what everyone is passionate about. It makes me wonder a little bit if my ideas are that good and what my project will turn into by the end of the year-i guess there's only one way to find out:)

First Week of Senior Year:)

I am really excited to start my Senior year and finally graduate with a design degree! I have two great ideas for my Capstone-the hard part will be deciding which one to do. Lot's of hard work ahead but it will be worth it.