Here's the sign at the end of the Artists' Alley (La Galleria).
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
How to Make a Sign - Part 2
It would have been best to use 1/2" treated plywood, but I didn't have it, and I didn't want to deal with the weight. So I used what I had: 1/4" plywood, primed with Kilz Outdoor formula, and an outdoor latex on the front and an oil based paint on the backside.
To counter warping and give the sign visual weight, on the back of each panel I used 1"x3" boards at the top and 1"x2" boards along the sides and bottom - I left them long to act as the legs of the sign. Everything was glued and screwed in to make it sturdy. The top wood was bigger to accomodate the door hinges that I used. The stabilizers on the back were installed after I painted the front, and the back painted after the glue dried. A light-weight chain was attached to cup hooks on the inside angle, to keep the sign from splaying out too much.
After sketching everything out with pencil on the painted boards, I painted the store name in burgundy, similar to the highlight color of my shop. (The back-ground mild gray was similar in tone to my main interior color. This way, the sign strongly mimics the shop colors.)
The dark grey paint for the back of the boards I used on the front for body text, and for highlighting the arrow and word "GOLD". Since I was aiming for pedestrians, not car traffic, I designed for a more leisurely comprehension speed. But I made sure all the important information was there: services provided, hours of operation and phone number. The address was not important, so long as viewers knew which way to turn at the end of the alleyway.
Thank goodness I remembered to paint the arrow the correct direction for the back panel of the sign!
I learned from the first panel that standing over the sign to paint was a pain in the back. In my garage I have a stool on wheels, so I used that for the 2nd board - that's why it looks like I was painting at odd angles to the sign.
To give a feeling of completeness to the design, I sponged a border on each panel in the gold color that I painted the word "GOLD" and the arrow body color.
All in all, I did this in one day and four evenings, and spent just over $30 in materials that I didn't already own. Much better than the $120+ for just a commercial sign frame without even any graphics!
I'll post photos of the finished sign next time.
To counter warping and give the sign visual weight, on the back of each panel I used 1"x3" boards at the top and 1"x2" boards along the sides and bottom - I left them long to act as the legs of the sign. Everything was glued and screwed in to make it sturdy. The top wood was bigger to accomodate the door hinges that I used. The stabilizers on the back were installed after I painted the front, and the back painted after the glue dried. A light-weight chain was attached to cup hooks on the inside angle, to keep the sign from splaying out too much.
After sketching everything out with pencil on the painted boards, I painted the store name in burgundy, similar to the highlight color of my shop. (The back-ground mild gray was similar in tone to my main interior color. This way, the sign strongly mimics the shop colors.)
The dark grey paint for the back of the boards I used on the front for body text, and for highlighting the arrow and word "GOLD". Since I was aiming for pedestrians, not car traffic, I designed for a more leisurely comprehension speed. But I made sure all the important information was there: services provided, hours of operation and phone number. The address was not important, so long as viewers knew which way to turn at the end of the alleyway.
Thank goodness I remembered to paint the arrow the correct direction for the back panel of the sign!
I learned from the first panel that standing over the sign to paint was a pain in the back. In my garage I have a stool on wheels, so I used that for the 2nd board - that's why it looks like I was painting at odd angles to the sign.
To give a feeling of completeness to the design, I sponged a border on each panel in the gold color that I painted the word "GOLD" and the arrow body color.
All in all, I did this in one day and four evenings, and spent just over $30 in materials that I didn't already own. Much better than the $120+ for just a commercial sign frame without even any graphics!
I'll post photos of the finished sign next time.
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
How to Make a Sign - Part 1
A friend of mine from the Orchid jewelry forum (www.ganoksin.com) visited me from Columbus, OH. Gustavo gave me a quick lesson on sign painting and construction.(See his website at http:// beechwoldcustomjewelry.com/ Beechwold_Custom_ Jewelry.html) Armed with this information, I made my own while properly supervised by my cat Roxy Hart.
I started with a generalized layout with my logotype scaled for the 3'x2' sign. By cutting out an elipse shape from card stock I was able to draw in guide lines, then sketch the store name based on the layout.
I decided not to use the font I had selected for the text. Instead, I used it as a placement guide for the lettering (and to help me spell things right!).
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Filigree project
Being the proprietor of a newly opened store, I find I have lots of time on my hands (witness this blog). The upside of this is that I have plenty of time for fun projects, inventory, practice on all sorts of things you can't do to the customers' jewelry.
My mom really admires my filigree work, so she commissioned me to create a pendant for her that would be a display for her strange diamond. Just over a carat, it measures 7.6mm x 3.4mm; not likely any commercial setting would work. Since it was rather yellow (the cert said J, but I think that was generous) we decided to use 18k yellow gold as the frame and setting. Might as well as make it really really yellow, right?
Since I had a limited budget and only 10 inches of 18k wire (16 gauge) for the frame, I made it in sterling silver first. Made lots of shapes until I found a combination that worked. That's about where the planning on this ended - it took on a life of its own, and nothing turned out like I expected.
After a comedy of errors I'm too proud to reveal, I got the diamond set. Turned out the gold made the diamond look whiter rather than yellower. Depends on the light... Then I realized I'd forgotten to take into account the bail, and all the 18k wire was gone, DANG! Thank goodness I had a short strip of 18k bezel wire, 26g.
I had just seen Luis Moreno's video about making a bail, so I borrowed the idea. Worked out pretty nicely, and made everything hang gracefully (the setting had moved down, but it looks better that way).
Just for fun I got out my UV flashlight and found the diamond fluoresces a lovely blue-violet.
Even though it's a month early, HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MOM!
My mom really admires my filigree work, so she commissioned me to create a pendant for her that would be a display for her strange diamond. Just over a carat, it measures 7.6mm x 3.4mm; not likely any commercial setting would work. Since it was rather yellow (the cert said J, but I think that was generous) we decided to use 18k yellow gold as the frame and setting. Might as well as make it really really yellow, right?
Since I had a limited budget and only 10 inches of 18k wire (16 gauge) for the frame, I made it in sterling silver first. Made lots of shapes until I found a combination that worked. That's about where the planning on this ended - it took on a life of its own, and nothing turned out like I expected.
After a comedy of errors I'm too proud to reveal, I got the diamond set. Turned out the gold made the diamond look whiter rather than yellower. Depends on the light... Then I realized I'd forgotten to take into account the bail, and all the 18k wire was gone, DANG! Thank goodness I had a short strip of 18k bezel wire, 26g.
I had just seen Luis Moreno's video about making a bail, so I borrowed the idea. Worked out pretty nicely, and made everything hang gracefully (the setting had moved down, but it looks better that way).
Just for fun I got out my UV flashlight and found the diamond fluoresces a lovely blue-violet.
Even though it's a month early, HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MOM!
Customer Antics - The Princess
Customers are great people. They help you earn your living, provide comic relief, teach you something about yourself and sometimes provide examples of what *not* to do.
Lady from Big South FL City (BSFLC) walks in on a hot day, wearing cheap jewelry and a cap marked "Princess". She wanted some jewelry cleaned; handed me her bracelets and an anklet. Then proceeded to tell me how to run my business and why it would benefit me to do art shows in BSFLC.
Next she quizzed me on my personal life: age? married? kids? I sidestepped the questions and finally said that I don't bring my personal life to the shop.
About then the timer on the ultrasonic chimed, giving me a blessed distraction. I steamed everything, gave it a quick shine and brought the jewelry to the counter, on a velvet tray.
Without a word, she extended her wrist, clearly expecting me to put her jewelry back on her. That I could live with until she said, "So how are you going to put on my anklet? Can I put my foot up on the counter?" (She was serious!)
I was flabbergasted - I mean, just the thought of it made me cringe and want to go wash my hands again. I put on my best stern school-marm face and said, "Oh, you can't do that - what would all my other customers think?!?"
Either she came to her senses or decided it wasn't worth pursuing. She put on her own anklet and left.
It made me wonder if she got away with it down in BSFLC or not?
Lady from Big South FL City (BSFLC) walks in on a hot day, wearing cheap jewelry and a cap marked "Princess". She wanted some jewelry cleaned; handed me her bracelets and an anklet. Then proceeded to tell me how to run my business and why it would benefit me to do art shows in BSFLC.
Next she quizzed me on my personal life: age? married? kids? I sidestepped the questions and finally said that I don't bring my personal life to the shop.
About then the timer on the ultrasonic chimed, giving me a blessed distraction. I steamed everything, gave it a quick shine and brought the jewelry to the counter, on a velvet tray.
Without a word, she extended her wrist, clearly expecting me to put her jewelry back on her. That I could live with until she said, "So how are you going to put on my anklet? Can I put my foot up on the counter?" (She was serious!)
I was flabbergasted - I mean, just the thought of it made me cringe and want to go wash my hands again. I put on my best stern school-marm face and said, "Oh, you can't do that - what would all my other customers think?!?"
Either she came to her senses or decided it wasn't worth pursuing. She put on her own anklet and left.
It made me wonder if she got away with it down in BSFLC or not?
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