Ciera Design Studio

Brand identity and design solutions for creative businesses and passionate entrepreneurs

Coast to Coast: Maps [Friday Favorites]

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Living in New England has the amazing perk of easy travel. So many incredible destinations in close proximity! Each weekend my boyfriend and I just jump in the car and head to places like New York, Martha’s Vineyard and the coast of Maine. We have friends and family all over so we don’t spend a ton on hotel rooms.

While traveling I find myself looking at a lot of maps since I’m not familiar with most of the places. I can’t get enough of all of these beautifully designed maps and city inspired posters! I have the Boston and New Orleans Ork posters. They are great for learning a new city or for keeping your hometown closeby.

Maps

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Maps3

Maps4

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1 American Flags Map by These are Things //  2 Typographic Logotypes by Albin Holmqvist //  3 Philadelphia Neighborhoods by Ork Posters //  4 Typographic Logotypes by Albin Holmqvist //  5 American Atlas by Brainstorm Print + Design

Father’s Day Card DIY

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If you haven’t made a card for your dad yet, you still have time! I decided to make this card from one of my Golden Half prints. A photo of you and your dad together would be really great for this project!

Father's Day DIY Card

Father's Day DIY

Father's Day DIY Card

I’d love to see a photo if you make a card for your dad. My dad does not use a computer, so I don’t have to worry about him seeing this early!

Optidge Logo Design

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Optidge Logo and Business Cards

Danny Gavin of Optidge Internet Marketing came to me with his vision of creating a new identity for his growing company. The logo was to embody the unique side of his company, while also looking professional and trustworthy. With his education and growing experience, Danny is confident in his ability to deliver positive results. However, with his relatively brief time in the industry, a professional logo was needed for the company to stand out in the ever growing internet marketing industry. Danny’s knowledge is in demand by businesses large and small and now his company has a strong logo to identify his services in memorable way.

Moorea Seal [Much Love Monday]

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Today I’d like to share with you the jewelry of Moorea Seal. Her Etsy shop is filled with gorgeous carefully crafted pieces. My favorites are the raw stone rings. I also find myself going to her shop to admire the amazing photographs of her products! Don’t you just love these photos?

mooreaRing

mooreaEarings

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mooreaNecklaces

MooreaProducts

A Manhattan Crawfish Boil

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Last weekend I met up with my best friend, Megan, in Manhattan to attend the LSU Annual Crawfish boil. It was in New York, but it was definitely stocked with Louisiana goodness! Crawfish, jambalaya, Abita beer and a bunch of LSU alumni! It was at The Boat Basin Café on The Hudson River which is centered below a hollow traffic rotary. It was perfect weather and an amazing taste of home.

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Boston Photo Tour – Part 2 [Beacon Hill]

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My Boston Photo Tour brings us to the charming neighborhood of Beacon Hill. It is a 19th-century residential neighborhood of Federal-style row houses known for its beautiful doors, brass door knockers, decorative iron work, window boxes, hidden gardens, gas-lit streets and brick sidewalks. In 1962 Beacon Hill was designated a National Historic Landmark which means the architecture is protected by restrictive regulations that does not allow changes to any visible part of a structure without the approval of an architectural commission. The narrow streets of this whimsical neighborhood are so much fun to explore!

Boston Tour Header - Beacon Hill

Beacon Hill Red Door

Beacon Hill Iron Door

Beacon Hill Window Box

Beacon Hill Apartment

Beacon Hill Red Door

Beacon Hill Building

Beacon Hill Ancor Gate and Address

View all photos from my Boston Photo Tour. Subscribe to the Ciera Design RSS feed or follow me on Twitter so you don’t miss out on Part 3!

Vineyard Days: Fog, Sun, Fun

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Z and I took a weekend trip to Martha’s Vineyard for Memorial Day. On our one beach day the fog was so thick you could barely see the people a few yards away. It was kinda creepy, but a lot of fun. We also had an amazing evening at Lambert’s Cove Inn & Restaurant. One of the best meals I have ever had, and that means a lot coming from a New Orleans girl. I just love the photos that Z and I got from the weekend!

Takin' Photos. Martha's Vineyard.

Photos 1-4 by Zander White //  5-7 by Ciera Holzenthal

Yoga Postcard Designs

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Promotional and schedule postcards that I designed for Shanti Yoga Shala. I love how the rounded corners turned out, they really added a great element to the cards while still keeping them simple.

Yoga Postcard Design

Yoga Postcard Design

Please contact me if you are interested in postcards for your business.

Tiny Succulent Gardens [Friday Favorites]

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A new favorite on Etsy is Woodland Belle. They make amazing tiny succulent garden jewelry so that you can have your very own collection of succulents, nestled in a sterling silver setting. Each realistic succulent is meticulously hand crafted  from a plastic compound and “planted” in a sterling silver pendant. How beautiful!

Succulent Garden

Brand Spotlight: Trader Joe’s

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What is it about Trader Joe’s that keeps you going back despite the crowded aisles and long check-out lines? For some, it is the amazing prices and the quality ingredients. Personally, I frequent the store to peruse the shelves filled with their beautiful private-label packaging.

Like most grocery stores, Trader Joe’s has their own generic line. Unlike the majority, I actually love the packaging of the store brand! With their close attention to detail, Trader Joe’s continues to dispel the cheap and generic store-brand stigma and creates an irresistible shopping experience. A great example of how good design and a consistent brand identity can lead to success.

image credits: rootbeer – pasta – chocolate tin – milk chocolate – tuna – sugar

Longing for Jazz Fest

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I have always loved Jazz Fest. It makes me happy like nothing else in the world. If you have never been, you should try to make it as soon as possible!

Jazz Fest Collage 1Jazz Fest Collage 2

Photos from Zander, my sister and my parents. I’m going to post more photos that my mom scanned for me later, I can’t resist!

Nip Chop Shirt Design

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A few of my friends have this inside joke “Nip Chop” and I thought it deserved a shirt. When I finally got to hand them out everyone laughed all night over them, it was great! I can’t wait to get stared on the next one for them.

Nip Chop Shirt Design

Happy Earth Day! [Friday Flickr Favorites]

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Earth Day is a day that is intended to inspire awareness and appreciation for the Earth’s natural environment.

A few simple things you can do:
– donate your old electronics and unwanted items or have a garage sale
– take the bus, ride your bike or carpool
– replace your light bulbs with energy efficient ones
– donate money to your favorite green cause

And here are some amazing Earth Day inspired photos to get you motivated!

Have you made any Earth Day resolutions for 2011? Share what you’ve done or plan to do for Earth Day below!

Click here for photo credit details and more Earth Day inspired photos.

Design Featured in PaperSpecs Gallery!

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What great news for a Monday! A job that I produced in December is featured in the PaperSpecs Gallery! Head on over and check it out, leave a comment or rate the design!

Rose Crescent is a New Orleans based software design company that provides world-class business-focused, goal-oriented systems with exceptional quality, stability and usability. The name of the company was inspired by Rose Crescent, a street in Cambridge, England and the city of New Orleans, which is also known as The Crescent City. The goal was to create an identity that is clean and simple as well as references the origin of the name and conveys the utility and reliability of the brand. The crescent petals scattered in an irregular way on the business card give a sense of the logo being a solution to a scattered problem.

 

A Passion for Pizza

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We got a new pizza stone that fits perfectly into our mini oven. The pizza came out great, as always when Z cooks, and I had a blast documenting the process!

 

 

 

 

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