Category Archives: CREATIVE

Vistaprint

Yay! the cards for the Vancouver Chocolate Club is here! It was for a discount (as they usually do) and with free shipping promo, came to about $16 with taxes for 100 cards, colour printed on both sides in matte. The sides of the cards were black in some parts which was a slight disappointment. Not sure if they were part of a design from another card that these cards were cut from, or that the black from the back side spills onto the side as the cards are being cut.

If you’re looking for cheap but decent business cards, give Vistaprint a try!

Front and back of business cards

Little black ink on the sides of the cards. Yes, minor but any designer would take note and if it were a profitable/corporate company paying big bucks, this would not be acceptable. However, those projects would likely be done on a press which this could easily be avoided.

I was rushed, and I did make an error. The right hand one is the first one I ordered. I forgot about the bleeds! So stupid of me! Fail as a designer T_T… I redid the file and sent in a brand new order (myself paying for the second batch of course). The ‘preview’ of Vistaprint is a bit basic and crude, sometimes a bit confusing. You can’t really tell the problem on the back, but on the front, you can clearly see that the url is way to close to the bottom. White space is a bit tight on everything though not disastrous. Still with the designer pride, I got the left one which is what it is suppose to look like. Because I noticed the error right away and reordered, the two orders arrived in the same box, eliminating two trips to the UPS store for pickup.

Vancouver School Board: Continuing Education

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Vancouver School Board: Continuing Education

So, you’ve been out of high school for a while. You’ve gone to University or College. You’ve got your major and you’re working, but you want to learn things that you didn’t have the opportunity to. If you’re looking for an affordable way, check out VSB Continuing Ed classes. Many classes are super inexpensive – the cheapest ones I know of in any disciplinary. I’ve taken French 1, German 1 and currently taking Guitar 1 (8 sessions of 2 hours each $120-$150). That makes it about $8 an hour, making it much more affordable than my friend who is taking private guitar lessons for $25 per 30 minutes.

Of course there are pros and cons in learning with a group. For learning a language, it can be good to hear how people speak and interact. However, depending on your level, you may find the class going too slow or too fast for your needs. I found the German class too slow, since I had been teaching myself for a few months prior. Though the class was good review and helped clarify things.

Guitar is the same, though I think it suits my friend to take the private classes as he has never held a guitar or played much music. The Contd. Ed. may be too fast for him. For me, since I took piano lessons and have played around with my brother’s guitar, it’s actually going at a good pace.

Classes are small, usually 8-12 people per class, so it’s a good size.
Because it is a course, scheduling isn’t as flexible as private lessons. However, the teachers are excellent – usually teaching full time in their field, so you’re not getting someone who just knows a bit about the subject.

It’s easy to register online. At the end of the course, you get a certificate stating you’ve completed the course. I don’t think you can really use it for anything, as everyone gets it. Even a guy who almost never came to class got it at the end – actually, in the last class, he just came by to pick it up. LOL.
It’s a good motivational way to get you pumped into the subject, though don’t expect to become good at it just through completing the course. Most of the time, you do have to spend quite a bit outside of class to get a handle on things. Just depends on how good you want to get.

Try it out! There are plenty of courses to choose from!

Chihuly Garden and Glass in Seattle

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305 Harrison St, Seattle, WA 98109

Hours:
Sunday – Thursday: 11am – 8pm
Friday & Saturday: 10am – 8pm

GENERAL ADMISSION *Tickets purchased at the door are $1 more than below stated prices.
Ages 13-64 $19
Senior Ages 65+ $17
Youth Ages 4-12 $12
Child 3 and Under Free

So I had seen several of my friends post photos from Chihuly on Facebook and was amazed each time I saw them. I knew that the next time I went to Seattle, it was a must-go attraction. Unfortunately, for Sheepie who hadn’t seen any photos needed some convincing from me that the $20 admission was going to be worth it. I even said I would go alone and he could wander around outside. LOL. It turns out that he was pretty amazed and loved the place – and he’s a hard to impress guy.

As you can see, lots of great, colourful glass – fantastic for taking photos (but don’t forget to admire them with your own eyes too!). I’d never seen anything like it with glass – the use of colours, light and the scale! Each room you walked into never failed to amaze you.

If you have time, there is a small theatre that shows a film of how the glass are made, including interviews with Chihuly himself.

The exhibit does not end just indoors. Go out into the ‘garden’ to see the glass pieces integrated into the environment. With the lit Space Needle in the background, it’s a beautiful and awing experience.

A must see in Seattle!!!