Otterly Ridiculous

Backstory at the top, jump to the bottom for instructions. If I've talked to you recently you probably know that I'm going to be an aunt soon! Okay, not actually an aunt, but a really cool cousin who is just so excited that she can't resist calling herself "auntie Em." It'll be up to little Harper if I keep that title, but until she can talk I declare myself a pseudo aunt with no shame. Anyway, with pseudo aunt status comes great pseudo aunt responsibility, aka buying her cute things and making sure she knows she's as loved as possible even when she's a tiny little bundle of cuteness who's only responsibility in life is to eat and sleep. Lucky for her, aunt Emily loves getting crafty and has been hard at work while we wait for her arrival. My absolute favorite gift for Harper so far is for her Toy Story nursery. Pinterest is full of inspiration for Toy Story nurseries and many include large Etch-a-Sketch wall decorations, but honestly a ...

Hello! It's been a while since I made a blog post, partially because my blog was created for a class and partially because I just couldn't think of anything I wanted to share. But now that I'm settling into the professional world I'm finding myself wanting to get back into creating projects by hand again, after spending all day working on a computer, getting back to making something tangible is so relaxing. Most of the time when I make something new I just share it on my Instagram  and Facebook pages, but while I was working on a project this weekend I thought about how cool it would be to get to share a detailed process of how I make some of my favorite things so others can enjoy making them as well! I'm going to try to make these how-to posts every time I feel inspired to do so, not necessarily on a schedule like your typical blog. Just like everything in the art world I hope to provide some tools and inspiration, but don't be afraid to go off the beaten p...

I was scrolling through Pinterest, admiring all of the design inspiration and work from other artists, when I came across the history of the ampersand . I was inspired, so I compiled a list of beautiful renditions of everyone's favorite design icon. Enjoy!

Ask a modern woman what size she wears and you’re likely to get an answer that sounds something like “ummm, between a __ and a ___, it depends.” And that sucks. Not that it isn’t hard buying clothes if you’re a guy, but the sizing for men is much more streamlined and well, logical. But in order to understand the differences in sizing and the psychological impact it has on people, we have to understand how we got where we are today. Standard sizes didn’t used to exist, everything was custom sewn and made for you. For most, clothes were made at home. It wasn’t until the Great Depression that a sizing system came into play. At that time people couldn’t afford to eat, so buying fabric wasn’t their first priority. Also at this time the industrial techniques were improving, making it easier than ever for companies to mass produce products cheaply. And by the end of the second World War sewing your own clothes was out and off the rack was the new norm. This created the need for a sizin...

In the U.S.A. we tend to eat whatever is cheap, quick and tastes good. Ramen combines all three of these qualities. At 25 cents or less for prepackaged ramen, virtually anyone can purchase it. And in comparison to other prepackaged noodle dishes ramen is just as filling at a fraction of the price. Speed also is not an issue since the only steps are to boil a noodle block in water and add a flavor packet. The most enjoyable part of any food, however, is eating it. And even prepackaged ramen is tasty enough to cure any noodle craving. For many Americans prepackaged Ramen is all they know, but where did the dish come from? Ramen noodles originated in China, however, the ramen dish we all know today originated in Japan in the early 1900s. It is made of very simple elements which make it extremely versatile, a sort of “blank canvas” for chefs. This is cause for much creativity, even in it's early days. This caused it to become very popular and spread throughout Asia. The major ...

“Boy Meets World” is a show that originally ran on ABC on Friday nights from September of 1993 through May of 2000. While it was popular during the original run, it has developed a huge following through reruns. I vaguely remember watching it when I was very young, but I did not truly appreciate or understand it until my middle and high school years. Every weekday after I got off the bus I would watch a few episodes on ABC Family, I developed a love for the characters and the lessons they learned. Apparently, I was not the only one because Disney felt confident to make a revamp called “Girl Meets World” which ran for three seasons on the Disney Channel. Even though I have seen every episode at least five or six times, I knew there had to be some behind-the-scenes facts I did not know. So, I set out to find them. If you are a fan like me this may clear up a few discrepancies in the show. If you are not, why are you still here? Go watch some “Boy Meets World,” I left a one of my fav...

One of the most important elements of a brand identity is matching what the company or organization is about. Arguably the most vital parts of an identity is the logo. Organizations ebb and flow to meet the needs of their customers, which means their overall structure and goals may change over time. This can lead to rebrands, evaluations of the current identity and overhauls of visual messaging to better match where the business is and where it is heading. Rebrands can be extreme, such as the recent Ohio Northern University identity, or so subtle you barely notice. A large change is often necessary if visual communication has been neglected for too long or the organization changes direction. When a company just needs a small refresh, however, the goal is to make changes as subtle as possible. Here are three major company logo updates that you may not have noticed. Facebook This change happened back in 2015 and was a simple typeface change. Spotify Did you not...