Overbury Ink

I post most of my finds as links on Twitter, but I started this blog as I was getting requests from folks to repost those finds. Here’s a list of some highlights from the last few days:

Aug 2nd:

You as An Action Figure
Japanese toymaker Bandai Co. is making you into an action figure. ‘Jibun Damashii,’ the customized dolls, were unveiled at the Tokyo Toy Show in July. Send the company a photo of yourself and they will recreate your mug onto a lifelike action figure face.Guerrilla Art: Cupcake street art installations http://tinyurl.com/cp4dao

Your mug

You as a cool tricked out hero

Some Do’s and Don’ts for raising babies

If you’re a parent, or ever spent a modicum amount of time with an infant, you’ll see the humour in these pics. According to the original blog: “the pictures seem to be from a book by David and Kelly Sopp. All credits go to them, for the marvelous book! If you like it, you can buy it on Amazon, as it would make a great gift: http://www.amazon.com/Safe-Baby-Handling-Tips-David/dp/0762424915

Aug 1
22 Very Useful Adobe Illustrator Tutorials
As mentioned above, there are 22 tutorials, so check the post for the full list.

Use Adobe Illustrator to Create a Clean Website Layout

Design with Swirls and Flourishes

Tips for Working with the Gradient Mesh Tool In Illustrator

Create a Themed Repeating Pattern in Illustrator

The Basics of Clipping Paths and Opacity Masks

Doodle Style Tutorial in Adobe Illustrator

Steampunk monkey cigarette card set
Did I mention I’m into steampunk? It crops up from time to time. This is a find by Damian Smith of Kryptographik (via BoingBoing.net) for a set of Steampunk monkey cigarette card set. What is a cigarette card set any way? Can wiser souls explain to me please? But I like the simian steampunk designs. The post on BoingBoing has all the artist info.

Steampunk Monkey

The 15 Creepiest Vintage Ads Of All Time

I’ll be making my therapist rich with these ads. Some are just so disturbing – baby accidents, domestic abuse, hari kari ham – oh my! What was going on during those board meetings to think these are the best ways to hawk these products? To quote the blog: “What do murder, pedophilia, suicide and a baby tiger have in common? They have all been used to sell stuff in these amazingly disturbing vintage ads!” Check out all 15 ads here

How To Use Bacon To Make Your Life Incredible And Amazing – imgbit.com
Well, that title just peaks for itself doesn’t it? Click the image for the full size version in the original post.

10 Excellent Services To Get Feedback For Your Design Works | Inspired Magazine
This is a list of some useful services to help you make sure your design is going where it’s supposed to:

Five Second Test

Concept Feedback

Design Critique

Usabilla

Feedback Army

Concept Feedback

The whole list is here
July 31
6 Crazy discoveries Science can’t yet explain

Cracked.com always has some choice lists of wild things. I recommend them for their great posts and comments. This list includes:
The Giant Stone Balls of Costa Rica
The Baghdad Batteries
The Baigong Pipes

It’s just nuts – go read it here

Excuse me – there’s a freeway in my building

The Inquisitor reported: “So this is what happens when you have two stubborn parties come together. The Hanshin Expressway takes a shortcut through the 5th and 7th floors of the Fukushima Gate Tower; also known as the Bee Hive. Apparently back in 1992; when this conglomeration of road and building came together, the building owner wanted to tear down the old building and rebuild. However the city planners had already allocated that space for the expressway.

This is the agreement they came to when neither party wanted to change their plans.”

If you are a packaging designer, you need to get to know JoAnn Hines aka: the Packaging Diva.@packagingdiva

JoAnn is a packaging consultant with more than 30 years global packaging experience and expertise. She has a comprehensive command of the power of branding, design and merchandising on packaging and how it can influence the consumer to buy or not.

She has traveled the world speaking on packaging trends and technologies at the major packaging trade shows and she works as an independent consultant. She has built her own brands: Packaging Diva and Packaging University.

This means she knows what’s hot in packaging. Trends you need to look out for that could impact your product.

In her post: “Twitter Packaging People You Should Know” on July 27, she has included me among so many brilliant and innovative packaging designers. I’m thrilled and honoured that she has included me on her list.

A small bit about my design background: Over the past fifteen years I have been involved in the fields of Graphic Design, Illustration, Art Direction and Art Instruction. My projects include advertising, packaging, product development for beauty care and cosmetics, fashion, print and press.

I’ve developed products for companies such as Revlon, Almay, Walgreens, CVS, Walmart US & Canada, Shoppers Drugmart, Loblaws, LaSenza, Splendid Chocolates, and Serenita and La Temperance Spas.

In 2006 I branched out with my own design company: OverburyArts and launched my own brand of natural personal care products: Hint of Eden.

In 2009 – Hint of Eden is a finalist in the Chamber of Commerce Awards for Eco-Sustainable Production and Design

Find JoAnn’s Blog at: www.packaginguniversity.com