design what you want
Archive for July, 2008
Design of the Week (07.25.08)
Jul 25th
Congratulations to Brian Rockwell for being our Design of the Week winner!
Brian created this design for Faith Youth Ministries–based in Winston Salem, North Carolina–for a mission effort to Mawell, Arkansas. The front design has over 23 different layers! His use of subtle ink splatters, one-color clip art, multiple fonts, and the distressed effect create an edgy and hip look you might find at a national specialty store.
For his efforts, Brian will be receiving a special coupon code for a discount on his next purchase from BlueCotton.com!
Keep checking the BlueCotton blog for future Design of the Week winners. If you make creative use of the Design Studio’s many features, it just might be you!
BC Biology Dept. Report: Moths Everywhere!
Jul 24th
We’ve had quite a few moths hanging about our building in the last month or so. Thanks to Michael (graphic designer) and Kyle (website maintenance), we got some stunning pictures of them. As the self-appointed head of the BlueCotton.com Biology Dept., I love being the on-staff specialist prepared to identify the critters that grace (or menace) us with their presence.
The first moth that came our way was the Cecropia Moth (Hyalophora cecropia), the largest moth found in North America. This moth is the member of the large moth family Saturniidae. I measured the wingspan of the one pictured at six inches (average wingspan for the species is 4 3/4″ to 5 7/8″)! As a caterpillar, this furry guy eats foliage of trees and shrubs (e.g. maple, wild cherry, willow) and is found in the Eastern US and Southern Canada. Little did we know, this moth was on its last legs–it died the day after Michael took the photos.
Photo credit: Michael
Matt, one of our graphic designers, noticed two gorgeous Luna Moths (Actias luna) hanging out on his window screen. These large moths are also in the Saturniidae family and are only found in North America. Their common name, Luna, perhaps comes from their typically nocturnal lifestyle or their pale, moonlight color. As a caterpillar, this species feeds on walnut, sweet gum, persimmon and birch foliage. The wingspan on the first (and larger) moth pictured was five inches. I’m glad we got to see these guys up close–apparently Luna moth populations have been threatened by pesticides and other pollution in some areas.
Photo credit: Kyle
The Biology Dept. (all one of me) is always enthusiastic about connecting our natural world to the world in which we work. Hope you enjoyed this blog.
Information sourced from the National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Insects and Spiders (2004) and University of Kentucky’s Entomology website. http://www.ca.uky.edu/entomology/entfacts/ef008.asp
Design of the Week (07.18.08)
Jul 18th
Congratulations to Jenny Ricci for being our first Design of the Week winner!
Jenny works for a non-profit agency called Horizon House that works to help mentally-disabled individuals. Her design, which she created for her organization’s summer picnic, makes very creative use of the Design Studio’s clip art collection and text effects. Making the event’s title–Summer Jam–appear to be the mustard and ketchup on the hot dog was an excellent creative touch!
For her efforts, Jenny will be receiving a special coupon code for a discount on her next purchase from BlueCotton.com!
Keep checking the BlueCotton blog for future Design of the Week winners. If you make creative use of the Design Studio’s many features, it just might be you!
Website Tip: Get Quick Price
Jul 10th
If you’re a price-conscious individual, the first thing on your mind when shopping for a product is probably, “How much is this going to cost me?” We here at BlueCotton respect this point-of-view and want you to have access to such information with very little effort. I introduce to you an oft-overlooked feature of BlueCotton.com–the “Get Quick Price” button.
If you already know how many garments you plan to purchase, and how many colors will be used in your design, getting a quick estimate of your final cost is a trivial process. When you find a garment you would like to customize, just click the “Get Quick Price” button located below the garment photo and description (pictured right).
Doing so will bring up the Quick Price form (pictured left). In this window, simply enter the number of garments you plan to purchase as well as the number of colors that will be used on both the front and back of the garment. After that, just click the “Get Price” button at the bottom of the form.
Now, as you browse our huge selection of screen-printable garments, your customized price-per-garment information–for both white and colored garments–will appear below. Need to change change the quantity or the number of colors for your quote? No problem! Just click the “Change Quick Price” button below the quoted prices and modify the information in the form for new, updated prices!
