amanda lee dot orgi made this! | amanda lee dot org

I Made This: Deeper Context Logo

amanda_lee — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 02:50:55 +0000

In the past couple of months, I’ve been helping my good friend Jeremy with his startup. Here’s the logo design we worked on:

This is the first logo design that I’ve done that wasn’t super-cutesy and hand-drawn first. The typeface is one of my favorites from the League of Movable Type, and the symbol on the left was Jeremy’s own creation. I’m pleased with how it turned out! Do you all like it?

[A note on Deeper Context: The entire site is still in progress, but seriously, hire this dude. He'll do brilliant work for you.]

I Made This: Tot Dogs website

amanda_lee — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 14:16:10 +0000

One of my clients is a couple that owns several restaurants in the Cincinnati area who are opening a brand-new restaurant concept. We’re holding off on launching a full site until they’re certain when they’re opening, but for the time being, I made a quick placeholder site.

I suggested the email signup form so that we can keep track of the people that want more information about Tot Dogs. After the full site launches, we’ll send an email announcement, and then that list will be our marketing list if we end up doing any email campaigns. [And it goes without saying, if you live in Cincinnati and you're into gourmet hot dogs, you should totally sign up for the list. It'll be neato.]

The logo was done, so it was just a matter of finding a color scheme that worked well with it. I think it looks great. Don’t you?

I Made This: A Glossy Camera Graphic

amanda_lee — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 20:47:26 +0000

Happy Thanksgiving, y’all. I’m still sleeping off my food hangover and battling a tiny throat bug. But I made this last night and wanted to share.

I Made This: Beer Label for the fictional Sparkling Head Brewery

amanda_lee — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 04:40:13 +0000

Made this beer label from this tutorial. It took a couple of days, and I don’t have the hang of Live Paint/Live Trace yet [I traced/painted my face manually]. But I like it. The Halloween color scheme was purely accidental.

I Made This: Brick Letter

amanda_lee — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 05:57:57 +0000

In progress, from this tutorial.

I Made This: An Infographic Inspired by a Confusing Conversation

amanda_lee — Sat, 22 Oct 2011 15:12:48 +0000

I Made This: Panda Riot Logo [from my DREAMS!]

amanda_lee — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 04:19:21 +0000

This drawing popped into my head last night as I was falling asleep, since I was apparently dreaming of Panda Riot. I bolted out of bed and sketched it out quickly, and then drew the full-on version in Illustrator today.

I’d like to expand it further. Maybe the panda needs to be listening to headphones?

Inspiration/I Made This: If You Have ‘Em…

amanda_lee — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 02:23:21 +0000

I’ve been busy. I’m still around, though. There’s more coming, I promise.

Inspiration: 11.11.08

I Made This: CopyCodeCreative

amanda_lee — Fri, 01 Jul 2011 03:27:04 +0000

In the never-ending pursuit of the elusive Grown-Ass Lady Job and/or clients that make me feel like I have it, I’ve put together a simple portfolio site that showcases some of the stuff that I’ve been working on over the past year. Some of it is freelance; some of it is in progress; and lots of it stems directly from my day job. I’m updating all the time with new work, too. Go take a gander. Let me know what you think.

I Made This: Brick Letter

I Made This: Junglee Juice Funtimes

amanda_lee — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 01:56:07 +0000

I’ve been doing some things over the past couple of months to help out some friends with their blogs, and I’m super-stoked to show you guys the first of the lot.

Junglee Juice is written by Janice, a hilarious NYC girl with country roots. Her blog is full of inspirational stuff, fashion, fun NYC-related events, and super-useful tips. [Hangover cures? Covering up the bruises from your sports mishap? She's got you covered, for sure.]

And nope…that isn’t a typo. “Junglee” is a Hindi word that describes wild ladies who aren’t easy to control – headstrong, confident women who refuse to take the common road, and pave their own path along the way. Dazzling, unstoppable women who move with the force of the wilderness behind them. And she’s definitely one of them. Go meet her! She’s awesome.

Guest Post Funtimes: Yes and Yes

I Made This: New Business Cards

amanda_lee — Tue, 31 May 2011 06:04:23 +0000

Same contact info; different design.

I ordered these with a discount code from Overnight Prints, and they look awesome IRL. I had made a bunch by hand, because I’m vain about how awesome my handwriting is, but since I’ve started going to networking events hardcore, I needed to replenish my supply without giving myself tendonitis in the process. [Because nothing says "professionalism" like having to tell someone, "Sorry, I can't shake your hand, because I can't actually move my fingers."]

I Made This: Two Retro-Inspired Circular Thingies

amanda_lee — Wed, 18 May 2011 01:07:53 +0000

Two circular thingies I made using brushstrokes from here and here. Fun times. I think I want to make a composition with this kind of stuff, and then print it and put it on my wall.

I Made This: Hot Dog Illustration

amanda_lee — Mon, 16 May 2011 01:37:20 +0000

This was based on a rejected concept for a logo design I did for a client. I really like the idea, though.

I Made This!, 5.9.2011: McGlasson Farms Logo [Practice]

amanda_lee — Tue, 10 May 2011 02:44:28 +0000

I’m doing some design work for my good friend and bandmate Luke McGlasson. This wasn’t supposed to include any logo design [at least not yet], but during some downtime last week, I decided to make some logos featuring quick illustrations of fruits and veggies for him. I spent about 15 minutes on each, and this turned out to be my best one.

I Made This, 4.22.2011: Minor Leagues signage

amanda_lee — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 22:22:55 +0000

My band is amidst a massive overhaul of our visual identity, spearheaded by the uber-talented Michael Bond of DataWasLost Records. In the meantime, though, I’m making some of my own as an excuse to learn more fun things I can do with Illustrator. This was one of the results. Then I decided that it looked a whole lot like the street where most of us grew up…and that’s not really on brand for us, is it?

I Made This, 4.21.2011: You want to talk some jive?

amanda_lee — Thu, 21 Apr 2011 17:01:51 +0000

[quote courtesy of my talented cousin]

Make It: Caramel Corn

amanda_lee — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 07:53:26 +0000

[source]

Last year, Bandmate Luke gave me eighty pounds of sweet potatoes before Thanksgiving. So every time I had to bring food to an event, it was a sweet potato casserole. This year, sweet potatoes are still to come. So to avoid showing up empt-handed to holiday events, I’ve been making a pretty great caramel popcorn. My boyfriend’s cousin-in-law loved it and asked for the recipe. Here it is, with modifications:

6 quarts popped popcorn [the original recipe said 5, but the caramel-to-corn ratio was really high, so I increased it. I got the best results with the multi-colored popcorn- a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00017LEZC?ie=UTF8&tag=amandaledotor-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00017LEZC">here is two pounds of the kind I used and loved]
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup butter
2 cups brown sugar
5/8 cup white sugar
1/8 cup water [the original recipe called for corn syrup, which I didn't have and I don't like - this was my in-a-pinch substitute, though you can probably use honey. I'll experiment with this another time.
1 cup nuts or granola [I used the latter - yum!]
1 tbsp. vanilla

Preheat the oven to 250°F. Pour popcorn into a greased 9×13 Pyrex cake pan; stir in granola or nuts if you want. Combine salt, butter, brown sugar, white sugar, and water in a saucepan. Heat until it boils; let it boil for five minutes. Add vanilla; pour the mixture over popcorn and stir. Bake in the oven for 60 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. Let it cool before serving. The original recipe said something about storing in an airtight container, but I’ve never had enough leftovers to have to do that.

Have you made this before? Do you have a special holiday dish you always make?

I Love Life I Love You: Shop Update

amanda_lee — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 23:59:36 +0000

First of all, to all my new readers who are here from College Fashion, hi! Thanks for stopping by! I hope you’ll stay awhile!

Just letting you guys know that I just put a TON of stuff into I Love Life I Love You, my Etsy shop. I’ve still got a bunch to go, too, so stop in and getcha some prints/knits/warmfuzzies. If you mention reading my blog, I’ll give you free shipping. Because I love you that much. Wink.

New Prints in I Love Life I Love You!

amanda_lee — Sun, 22 Aug 2010 02:14:19 +0000

I Love Life I Love You [affectionate nickname: ILLILY] is out of its seasonal summer hibernation and springing to life. I’ve posted the rub-off letter prints I made last week, and by the end of the weekend there’ll be a few more [I'm hard at work at the land of Chroneos], in addition to some knitted and crocheted goodies [modeled by all my favorite people. Awesome times!

So, head on over and check it out. If you see anything you love, or you’d like something custom-made, get in touch.

Inspiration: 8.16.2010

amanda_lee — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 22:51:32 +0000

Sounds like today was sucky for a lot of people. [Not me, but I do feel busier than normal.] This is a good thing to keep in mind.

Amanda Lee Loves Typography. So She Makes Her Own.

amanda_lee — Sat, 14 Aug 2010 13:38:14 +0000

So, awhile back, I inherited an enormous amount of rub-off lettering. I used some of them to make Valentines, but really, it just sat in my closet, begging for use. I didn’t want to waste it. Until I decided it was time to use it all. As much of it as possible.

The two larger pieces are on canvas board that Chris had and wasn’t using.

This smaller one is on a manila file divider that they were going to throw away at my old job. I’m working on a couple more like it.

I drew the outlines by hand in pencil using a grid and a straight edge. They’re based on Helvetica, and the question mark is Helvetica Neue bold. I really should have used French curves to get the ampersand and the question mark exactly right, but I don’t think it turned out too bad. I think as I do a few more, I’ll probably print some stencils to tape down on the boards, because my drawing skills are somewhere between zero and sucky.

The rubbing of letters is killer – my right shoulder is sore. I don’t actually have the proper tool for doing it, so I’ve had to use the edge of a fork and press really hard. Who needs a gym membership?

I’m hard at work on a few more. What other symbols/typefaces/images do you think I should do? I’m seriously thinking of making tiny canvases with each of the letters in “Amanda Lee” and then hanging them in my office. I also might take a cue from Wendy Brandes’ swear rings and make a set that spells [or seems to spell] something naughty. I’ll definitely keep you posted.

Do you guys like ‘em? Any suggestions?

Sparkly Heads

amanda_lee — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 03:55:02 +0000

[Sidenote: "sparkly heads" sounds kind of like a nickname that a chick blogger would have for her readers. You know the type I'm talking about - the one who pours glitter on everything and mentions unicorns frequently. I hope this is sufficiently distinct from that, though I have my doubts.]

I think sequins make almost anything better. In fact, I’m considering adding them to my morning oatmeal. [Kidding! Maybe.] So I decided that since my uber-minimal belongings are lacking in objets d’art adorned with things that shimmer and shine, I needed to take matters into my own hands. I had a styrofoam head wig stand that my neighbor had left behind in the apartment next door to my Bushwick digs, and damn it, why wasn’t it sparkly? Well, problem solved.

It went so well, in fact, that I went out and bought two more wig stands and adorned away. And I might be inclined to buy a couple more tomorrow so I can keep going.

These things accompanied me to my Minor Leagues shows this past weekend, adorning our merch table and peeking up from behind my keyboard stand. [Bandmates Ben and Hilly are freaked out by them. Or maybe they're freaked out by the fact that I had the patience to insert approximately 2500 dressmaker's pins into each head for no good reason at all.] And next weekend, when I have some important craft show business to attend to, I’m definitely going to bring these along so they can model some of my sexy knitted hats. Until then, though, they’re going to be hanging out in my kitchen, staring down the cats and anyone who dares take a spoonful of my peanut butter.

Should I add these to my Etsy shop, d’you think? Or would they make it straight onto the Regretsy hall of fame?

No related posts.

I Love Life I Love You Update!

amanda_lee — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 01:31:36 +0000

I’ve just updated my Etsy shop with some new hats and wristwarmers. Check it out!

In addition to the colors and patterns pictured here, you can also special-order any of our pieces in an array of colors [pick your poison], gauges [sock weight yarn through rope-sized yarn], fibers [cotton, acrylic, wool, mixed fiber]. If you have a special request, contact me through my Alchemypage

Finally, I’m proud to announce that if you order a custom item between today and Sunday, February 20, I’ll take 15% off the list price. Just enter the code “BEMINE” in the discount field. See? Don’t let anyone tell you I don’t love you.

Announcing…I Love Life I Love You!

amanda_lee — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 19:08:57 +0000

I’ve spent the past few weeks needling nonstop to get ready to present this to you all—between making a slew of pieces for two different independent stores in the Cincinnati area [woohoo!] and keeping up with the handful of custom orders I’ve had so far this winter, I think I’m finally ready to turn my needlework loose for the Internet. Are you stoked? I certainly am.

I Love Life I Love You’s winter line features a group of handmade hats, wristwarmers, and scarves to keep you warm all winter. In addition, I’ve been culling some vintage pretties that’ll be posted in the next couple of weeks. For now, feast your pretty eyes!

You can buy any of these via my Etsy shop. Visit it here or check out the plug-in on my sidebar to your left. I’d lovelovelove it if you all gave me feedback on the things I’m selling—what do you love? What do you want to see more of? Do you want to order a custom item, or do you have an idea that you think I’d love? Get in touch!

What I Wore: New Year’s Eve 2010

amanda_lee — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 19:00:52 +0000

Dress, vintage Lord and Taylor
Coat, Forever 21
Stockings, Target [American Apparel High Socks layered underneath]
Shoes, Jeffrey Campbell
Gloves and hat, vintage

[Special thanks to Chris for taking these photographs. Also, a huge special thanks to TJ for taking the first round of these photographs on New Year's Eve, amidst broken glass, booziness, and debauchery (photographs which, full disclosure, were taken in a state of intoxication and hence didn't make it onto this post). Both of you rock.]

Additional thoughts:

My dear friend Keeh [say it: Kee-yah] gifted me with a ton of sample-size cosmetics from her tenure as a makeup artist and salesperson. She is way more talented with this stuff than I am, but I did my best. [Details: Korres face primer; CG Smoothers AquaSmooth liquid/powder foundation; Urban Decay Skyscraper Multi-Benefit Mascara; Sephora Khaki Electro eyeliner; Tarte cheek bronzer; Rosebud Salve lip balm.]

I found the hat and the gloves at my favorite thrift shop in Northern Kentucky on December 31. Both of them were half off—a total of five bucks, y’all! The gloves were a particularly proud purchase; since I’ve played piano since such a young age, my hands are enormous, and it’s tremendously difficult to find vintage gloves to fit me. But here they are! After the party, they were filthy, so I’m going to hand-wash them and keep them for special occasions only.

I modified the hat, which was originally solid black, to feature that enormous brown tulle bow so that it would pick up on the brown in the dress and the jacket. I’d purchased several yards of said tulle, plus some in other colors, which will feature prominently in an upcoming homemade dress. Keep your eyes peeled, kiddos.

I bought this dress years ago at a thrift shop in New York. It was originally floor length, which is super-impractical for me, so I hemmed it up a bunch. I’m going to use the leftover white satin to make something else awesome. I held out for a long time in wearing it, because the sequins were sooo bold, but fashion leaves no room for timidity, so I think it’ll be a staple from here on. It needs to be dry cleaned, though—too many spilled drinks and punch, yuck!

My stepmum gave me this jacket. Our tastes are really disparate, but with this gift she and I were in complete agreement—such an awesome piece. I’ve been wearing it nonstop.

I took off my shoes by the end of the night. Nonstop champagne and sexy heels do not a happy New Year make.

What did you guys do on New Year’s Eve? How did you feel the next day?