Saturday, February 22, 2014

Gifts for St. Patrick's Day celebration!

When I was a child I enjoyed searching for rare four leaf shamrocks. My grandmother always told me that if I could found one it would give me good luck! Sometimes I find one inside my children books very dry and yelowish! She also told me that each leaf has a different meaning: faith, happiness, love and hope. When she was young she worked in agriculture and she knew lots of stories about plants. I don't think she ever heard about tradition in Ireland. She never spoke me about Ireland! Back then I did not know that shamrocks are a symbol for Ireland and St. Patrick’s Day.

Irish people traditionally wear a small bunch of shamrocks on their jackets or caps on this day. There’s an Irish legend that stipulates that St. Patrick used the three leaves shamrock to illustrate the concept of the Trinity (the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit) when trying to convert pagans to Christianity. She never spoke me about leprechauns neither! Little unpleasant and lonely old man dressed as a shoe maker with a hat?! Nahh! They work for Fairies and gather golden coins in a pot! They are also a symbol for Irish. 

In addition to all this there’s the color green. Green is the color of Nature in spring and shamrocks. Ireland is also called an Emerald because green is a constant presence in the country. Several revolutionary groups adopted this color for flags and today it appears on the official tri-color (plus white and orange) Irish flag. 

St. Patrick's Day is celebrated on March 17. The Irish have observed this day as a religious holiday for over a thousand years. In Dublin and Limerick there are huge celebrations. But in USA parades are also a big tradition. The first one was held there when Irish soldiers serving in the English military marched through New York. The sound of bagpipes and drums become popular. Irish immigrants were not very well accepted in America when they travelled there to escape poverty in the mid 19th century. St. Patrick’s Day parades were a moment to unite and show their power.

Today St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated in USA, Australia and Canada. More than 100 St. Patrick's Day parades are held across the United States. New York City and Boston host the biggest celebrations. In Chicago the river is dyed green for some hours! 

Corned beef and cabbage is a traditional St. Patrick's Day dish. I suppose Irish drink beer to go along with it. Although Portugal is a traditional wine producer I do appreciate beer too! We don’t celebrate the occasion in Portugal. But I have some Irish records in my collection: The Pogues, The Dubliners and Luke Kelly. I guess I can cook some corned beef…and get a black Guiness to drink! And get a few shamrocks from the garden! What’s missing, a green t-shirt maybe?! A button? 

What about getting myself some shamrocks' nails coverings? It's a new product from Zazzle and I think it will become very popular! These set of nails are my first customization of the product. What do you think?

 Bellow you can find awesome creations for St. Patrick's Day celebration by a hundred or so talented Zazzle artists. Hand picked one by one by me. Find yourself the perfect gift or inspiration or just browse and have fun. Enjoy!


Green White and Orange Zigzag Pillows
Green White and Orange Zigzag Pillows by designs4you
View other Tricolor Pillows at Zazzle.com
Flag of Ireland Scarf
Flag of Ireland Scarf by ScarebabyScarves
Check out additional scarves at zazzle.com
Elegant green Shamrocks Tie
Elegant green Shamrocks Tie by wierka
Create your own neck ties with zazzle.com
Green trendy hipster mustache greeting card
Green trendy hipster mustache greeting card by MustacheGifts
Check out other Green handlebar mustache Cards at zazzle.com
St. Patrick's Day Ireland Flag Hat Baseball Cap
St. Patrick's Day Ireland Flag Hat Baseball Cap by jamiecreates1
Find other Embroidered Embroidered Hats at zazzle.com
Personalized Irish pub sign Dartboard With Darts
Personalized Irish pub sign Dartboard With Darts by Paddy_O_Doors
Browse Irish pub sign Dartboards online at Zazzle.com
/>
Flag of Ireland Flask
Flag of Ireland Flask by FlagGallery
View Irish Flask online at zazzle
Naughty Irish Girl Tshirt
Naughty Irish Girl Tshirt by HolidayObsessions
Create one-of-a-kind printed tees at zazzle.com
I Need A Beer Pinback Buttons
I Need A Beer Pinback Buttons by NSKINY
View more Funny st patricks day Buttons at zazzle.com
Rub Me For Luck Irish Mugs
Rub Me For Luck Irish Mugs by HolidayObsessions
Browse more Multiple Mugs at Zazzle
Green Beer St. Patrick's Day Party Invitation
Green Beer St. Patrick's Day Party Invitation by windyone
Browse St pats Invitations online at Zazzle.com
Mean Green Drinking Machine Tees
Mean Green Drinking Machine Tees by HolidayObsessions
Check out other Celtic T-Shirts at zazzle.com
St. Patrick's Day Drink Coasters
St. Patrick's Day Drink Coasters by nonstopshop
Look at St Cork Coasters online at Zazzle.com
Irish Pirate Mugs
Irish Pirate Mugs by HolidayObsessions
Look at more Celtic Mugs at zazzle
Ireland Trucker Hat
Ireland Trucker Hat by HolidayObsessions
Design a unique custom hat at Zazzle
St Patrick's Day Coaster
St Patrick's Day Coaster by Jamlanddesigns
Check out other St patrick's day Coasters at zazzle.com
smile Leprechauns Pillows
smile Leprechauns Pillows by yuhrenhuang
Browse Zazzle for a different throw pillow.
Funny Green Beer Phone iPhone 5C Covers
Funny Green Beer Phone iPhone 5C Covers by EYEcase
Find other Funny Casemate Cases at zazzle.com
Luck of the Irish iPhone 5C Case
Luck of the Irish iPhone 5C Case by tigressdragon
Look at more Fairy iPhone Cases at zazzle
Kiss Me I'm Irish Buttons
Kiss Me I'm Irish Buttons by HolidayObsessions
Look at more Celtic Buttons at zazzle
Green Shamrock Damask Throw Pillow
Green Shamrock Damask Throw Pillow by mazireland
Browse Zazzle for a different pillow.
Irish-Stache Button
Irish-Stache Button by creativetaylor
View more Party Buttons at zazzle.com
Happy St Patrick Day Cover For iPhone 5/5S
Happy St Patrick Day Cover For iPhone 5/5S by noboringwhite
See more Saint patricks day Casemate Cases at zazzle.com
Funny Irish Beer Drinking Gifts Post Card
Funny Irish Beer Drinking Gifts Post Card by Funkart
Browse for more postcards from zazzle.com.
Irish Girls Rock Postcards
Irish Girls Rock Postcards by My_Lucky_Charms_Tees
Look at more Irish Postcards at zazzle
Drink mode on St. Patrick's day Post Cards
Drink mode on St. Patrick's day Post Cards by Thinkdifferent
Browse Thinkdifferent Postcards online at Zazzle.com
St Patricks day Pillow
St Patricks day Pillow by digitalcult
View other Patricks Pillows at Zazzle.com
Lucky Lucky Postcard
Lucky Lucky Postcard by apollo335
Browse Lucky Postcards online at Zazzle.com
Irish Mustache and Pipe Postcard
Irish Mustache and Pipe Postcard by HolidayBug
Look at Irish Postcards online at Zazzle.com
Patchwork Shamrocks Tie
Patchwork Shamrocks Tie by HolidayBug
Browse through more neckties from Zazzle.
Irish Quotes Shamrock Jewelry
Irish Quotes Shamrock Jewelry by Shamrockz
View more Shamrock Necklaces at zazzle.com
Irish Chick T Shirt
Irish Chick T Shirt by fightcancertees
Find more Irish T-Shirts at Zazzle
Peace Love Irish Tag For Bags
Peace Love Irish Tag For Bags by LushLaundry
Look at more Peace Luggage Tags at zazzle


I am Irish! Shirts
I am Irish! Shirts by noboringwhite
Get the best custom shirts online at zazzle.com
Posted by at No comments:
Labels:

Thursday, February 13, 2014

The break up!



The whole dialog in this video is made of movie titles - 154 movie titles to be precise. Yes, this couple and their waitress only talk using 154 movie titles. See how many of them you know. Definitely worth the watch!
Posted by at No comments:
Labels:

Saturday, February 8, 2014

Facebook or Google Plus to promote your small business?


Everything changes so fast in the realm of social media. Everyone is saying that Facebook is history. Google Plus is the big thing. What does it matter to me? It matters a lot because I need social media to sell my illustration work. I can make great illustrations but if you don’t know about it I will never sell. And, true, it’s my business! A small business, but quite important to me! I need the small money like lots of other persons to pay my bills. But illustrating it’s what I really enjoy doing. How can I sell my illustrations better from the comfort of my desk? That’s the big question for 2014. Is it a dream? Now! It’s already a reality! But a reality that isn’t perfect. I need to make more sales as Zazzle changed the rules and after a couple of months it's now clear that profits aren't what they used to be.

I started this new blog to promote my new store but it has been difficult to find the time to update it. Blogging is one of my favorite promotion techniques. But it is the social media tools such as Google Plus and Facebook or Twitter that really seems to matter. Even if we read constantly that Facebook is losing users everyday there is still much interaction in it. It seems youngsters left the network. Now it's a 30's and over network.  The secret to the good use of any of these or other platforms is to build a good reputation and solid relationships. Easy to say but not that easy to do…They say that Facebook is for women and Google Plus is for men. I don’t know if that’s correct or not. But my products are mostly women targeted. So I think it would be wise to stick to Facebook as much as I can! Lately I think Facebook users are getting too lazy. They seem to care and respond only to visual posts. Forget links and text-only posts! Oh, and forget also about images that have little or none visual impact. I think people are growing saturated of it all. It’s too much of everything. So in order to make the most of it posts must have immediate appeal. Also I have this feeling that what I post is not seen. Let's not forget that Facebook is a business. They keep changing the rules to make it a better business for themselves not us, the users. That's the reality!

Let’s forget about Facebook for a moment. Every day I read Google Plus, Google plus! That’s why I started a profile there. I am exploring! Experts say Google indexes posts from Google Plus quickly than any other network and that it makes a big difference in search ranking also. In order to get this benefit you must build a strong network and this means what? Good reputation and solid relationships. It’s not that different from what happens in real life. And how you do it? You do it by sharing good content and good quality links to the network. It’s not necessarily a thing about followers as far as I understood. You don’t want to be followed by a crowd in real life, you want to be followed by a selected crowd, people that mean something to you. And, as in real life, you must keep in touch with the crowd or the crowd will forget all about you no matter how good you are. I will try to post something relevant every week. But this isn’t enough, I should be posting every day. 

This is all pretty and clear. Problem is that I, fortunately, have a life! What I find most difficult is to create an engaging experience for the readers. I totally understand why companies hire social media professionals. It’s no simple task. It requires planning and time. You must be creative; you must be able to provide genuine interesting content and feedback. You have to entertain your audience as well! Not too funny, not too serious! You have to use the right keywords everywhere. In the About section and in the title and beginning of the posts. It’s just the same you have been doing while blogging. It's overwhelming when you think about it! But if you have a small business you just have to do it or to get someone doing it for you. Let's meet on Google Plus!
Posted by at No comments:
Labels: , ,

On Valentine's learn about the science of love


What's love from biological point of view?  Unbelievable! The brain of someone in love looks similar to the one of a person on cocaine! Find out what drives love, and why we simply love being in love by watching this great video  called The science of Love.

Posted by at No comments:
Labels:

Friday, February 7, 2014

The Pangea pop-up!




The full lesson is is here and I guarnatee that it's not boring!

Once upon a time there was a supercontinent called Pangaea. South America and Africa broke apart 200 million years ago. But the continents haven't stopped shifting. The continental drift continues! A great lesson by Michael Molina, animation by TED-Ed.
Posted by at No comments:
Labels:

Wednesday, February 5, 2014

The amazing pattern library!



THIS ON GOING PROJECT COMPILES PATTERNS SHARED BY THE MOST TALENTED DESIGNERS OUT THERE FOR YOU TO USE FREELY IN YOUR DESIGNS.


Take a dive into The Amazing Pattern Library!
Posted by at No comments:
Labels:

When two strangers sit in a ball pit!





The Soul Pancake Street Team hits the streets to see what happens when two strangers sit in a ball pit... and talk about life's big questions! Funny and sweet and everything! Watch the video!
Posted by at No comments:
Labels:

Monday, February 3, 2014

In life, you can always choose who you are!


This is a very short documentary for Guinness that features the philosophy of the Sapeurs. Don't miss this great video about the "Sapeurs", people who defy circumstances  of everyday with  "joi de vivre".  
This video was created by London-based advertising agency AMV BBDO. These men are working men. But they are also elegant persons from the Congo who make colorful fashion choices to celebrate the optimism in life. Find out more about The sapeurs, here!

Posted by at No comments:
Labels:

Sunday, February 2, 2014

Valentines and the fascinating color red


In less than two weeks Valentine's Day will be here! Red is now everywhere. Shops are filled with red wrapped goodies, red shapped everything, red, red, red! However many illustrators and designers are using other colors on their Valentine's Day greeting cards and gifts. Just have a look at some greeting cards and Valentine's gifts examples I selected. These Zazzle artists picked dark grey, white, pink and soft blue with tiny red spots. It looks good!









Look at more cards from Zazzle. 


A color circle, based on Red, Yellow and Blue, is traditional in the field of art. Sir Isaac Newton developed the first circular diagram of colors in 1666. Since then many have studied and designed numerous variations of this concept. In traditional color theory, Red, Yellow and Blue are the 3 pigment colors that cannot be mixed or formed by any combination of other colors. All other colors are derived from these 3 hues.

Hence you are sitting at computer desk, remember that in printing, Yellow, Cyan (bright blue), Magenta (blue red), and Black make up all other colors. They are called process colors. On computer or television screens, Red, Green, and Blue make up all other colors. Colors viewed on monitors, computer or television will vary significantly unless calibrated. 

So, imagine this: if you design a big red heart on your laptop and send it to your boyfriend by email what kind of red will he see? Rose red? Strawberry red? Blood red?!!

To communicate a specific hue is quite a problem. Early in the 1900's, Albert Munsell, a professor at an art school in Boston developed a color system which offered a means to name colors. With a published system, people could be specific about which red they were referring. Today Pantone is very popular. Pantone lists colors.

Red has been used to affect our moods and to influence shopping choices because color is an important form of nonverbal communication. Color influences our choices from the clothes we wear to the food we eat. Designers, therefore, cannot afford to treat color lightly. When it comes to design, red grabs attention. It shouts out from the page, the wall!! Red is bold and you do not need to use a lot of it to grab consumers attention. 



Happy Valentine's Day iPod Touch Covers
Happy Valentine's Day iPod Touch Covers by loveshack
View Arrow Casemate Cases online at zazzle


Do You Like Me? Cards
Do You Like Me? Cards by RenImasa
See other Valentine's day Cards at zazzle
I Love You More Than Coffee Valentine Card
I Love You More Than Coffee Valentine Card by beckynimoy
View other Coffee valentine's day Cards at Zazzle.com


Still interested and curious? Follow these links to discover more on the fascinating RED!

Computer hope presents HTML color codes - HTML color codes are hexadecimal triplets representing the colors red, green, and blue. For example, in the the color red, the color code is FF0000, which is '255' red, '0' green, and '0' blue.
Pigments through the ages - Red is the color of fire and blood. Hebrew words for blood and red have the same origin: "dm" means red and "dom" means blood. Blood and fire have both positive and negative connotations: bloodshed, aggression, war, and hate are on one side, and love, warmth and compassion on the other side. In ancient Egypt, red was the color of life and of victory. During celebrations, Egyptians would paint their bodies with red ochre. The normal skin tone of Egyptian men was depicted as red, without any negative connotation.
Pantone, all about it - In 1963, Lawrence Herbert, Pantone's founder, created an innovative system for identifying, matching and communicating colors to solve the problems associated with producing accurate color matches in the graphic arts community. His insight that the spectrum is seen and interpreted differently by each individual led to the innovation of the PANTONE® MATCHING SYSTEM®, a book of standardized color in fan format.
Lots of PSD Tutorials
Redhead and proud! How many redheads do you know? Are you a redhead?
A collection of National Geographic photos about red! - Beautiful photos where red is king!
Colour therapy might help you! - Colour Therapy is a complementary therapy for which there is evidence dating back thousands of years to the ancient cultures of Egypt, China and India. Colour is simply light of varying wavelengths, thus each colour has its own particular wavelength and energy. Colour Therapy is a truly holistic therapy.
Theories about love - What's the difference between love and passion?
Wikipedia on Red
Posted by at 1 comment:
Labels:
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)
Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...