Today's Day 7. This Is What I Did On Day 6

Upward and onward with Traci Bunkers 30 Days Of Get Your Art On, FTB, and AJED!  First, here's a peek at yesterday's journal spread.  Then scroll down for the rest of my creative day.

I spent most of yesterday designing and cutting photo frames to spec.  A couple of the books we're making in FTB use vintage cabinet card frames as a key component.  I don't have any vintage photo frames, so I'm making my own.  Since I'm also constructing the album, these frames need to be certain sizes to fit the book.  What I'm making are frame pages, not just frames.  I'll be using high quality art board for these, and I want to make the most economical cuts to use the stock most efficiently.  

Even the most tweakable of the shapes and templates that came bundled with my cutting machine and it's software wouldn't make all the necessary cuts in one pass.  I want one pass.  I spent some time designing the graphics and importing them to software as .svg files.  After an additional nudge here, and a tweak or two there, I finally came up with what I needed:  A variety of custom photo frames that are fully adjustable for future projects of different sizes.  Easy, once I worked out the layout on paper, the designs, and the bugs.  Satisfying, but time consuming.  Also time saving though, because all that work up front translates as work I'll never have to do again!  Still, tedious measurements tend to pull me in two directions, one toward drowsy boredom, and the other toward restless anxiety.  Keeping those demons in check took some effort, but as with all projects that work toward an end, the payoff was worth it!  I can reap the benefits without ever having to do the initial work again!   Whoo hoo!

I won't show you my trial cuts.  They all turned out perfectly well, but just how interesting can it be to look at a bunch of white test frames?  Besides, as I told Julie Fei-Fan Balzer in a comment I left on her blog yesterday, I really hate shooting pics.  When I get started cutting and working on the real deal, I'll show them to you.  

A lot of the time I spent yesterday was in downloading new design software, learning what I needed to wrap my brain around, and using it to design the frame pages.  I've been absent a current copy of AI since I switched from PCs to Macs years ago, and I needed to design some perfectly accurate vector images.  

After more than a year of thinking about it, I finally downloaded Inkscape, and I couldn't be happier!  I was on the fence about whether or not I wanted another Adobe product after the prolonged and mind-numbing  problems their customer sales reps gave me with my last PhotoShop upgrade.  

Over the last couple of years, I  have spent lots of time researching vector software, and have talked with graphic illustrators from around the globe, all of whom were more than willing to share details about why they preferred one software over another.  In the end, it all came down to two.  AI, and Inkscape.  The only advantage that AI held over Inkscape for my particular needs, was its seamless communication with PS and the rest of Adobe's design suite (which I only use when I'm working elsewhere, since I don't own it).  But Inkscape also communicates with PS, usually seamlessly without further steps involved.  I was surprised that most of the professional graphics people I spoke with preferred Inkscape.  If they used other software at work, it was because it was what their employer provided.  And since there's nothing that I need to do that Inkscape can't, and Inkscape is free, Inkscape was the choice.  Now that I've used it, in my opinion it is in many ways better designed than AI.  

So why was I on the fence for so long?  I think I was suspicious of freeware.  But when it came to Inkscape, there was no need.  So if you're looking for sophisticated drawing software, at least stop by their website and check it out before you spend a lot of money on something else.  

This may sound like an advertisement, but it isn't.  It wasn't even meant to be a review.  But if the information helps, use it!

Comments

[Holly]

Hi Barbara. I am impressed that you are making your own cabinet card frames. I can't wait to see them! I understand not liking to take pictures. I am not a big fan of it myself. I just have a little point & shoot camera. I think I am going to skip getting an SLR camera and get a light field camera (www.lytro.com - very interesting) when they come out (of course, that depends on the price point!)

[joanne thieme huffman]

hmmm...I haven't done anything with vectors; I will store this info for future use.

[Linda Cameron]

Your journal pages are so much fun! Reminds me of Kelly Kilmer's journals!

[maggie]

Another inspiring page. Love LOVE Love!!!!!

[Sandra]

First your journal page is big time EYE CANDY! Loved it! Second I never heard of Inkscape. I'm downloading a copy and plan to play. I am a software geek and I've only used AI. Thanks for the info.

[Helen]

Hi Barbara! I'm enjoying your journal pages. And thanks for the heads up on Inkscape. I haven't played with vectors yet, so knowing a FREE software that works so well is a great head start.
Cheers!

[Mary Teall]

I'm a FTB lurker. Haven't started yet cause I bought both classes and Mary Ann told me to start with ROD first so that is what I'm doing. I always do what the teacher says. LOL! Was reading e-mails this evening about the Smash book discussion. Have to tell you the following quote made me smile and I love it, so it is going with my other quotes that will soon be put in a ROD journal.

“Artists create fads. We don't mean to, but when we start doing something awesome, it just occurs naturally.” (Barbara Hagerty)

Thanks for making me smile and have a great weekend!

[Rosie]

LOVE this and thanks for the info - I am going to investigate when I get time!! Mary's comment made me laugh, and your quote is so Barbara!! xo