the Sarti Design blog

feature project: LOTE Less Stress

2009-02-04T16:18:00.000-08:00

This project was for a new curriculum series for Living on the Edge... the goal for the imagery was to conflict with the title so that the curriculum title really popped.

feature project: BURP

2009-01-27T14:55:00.001-08:00

Something out of the ordinary I designed was this brochure for Baby U R Precious (BURP)
For this project I had to create a print piece based on the clients' already established website and logo, then educate the reader about the services and products that BURP has to offer.
I actually got to touch and feel the product and it feels really really good (my kids are also featured in the brochure in bath robes!)... a highly recommended product as a gift for any Mom's of young kids out there!

flying to Mojave

2009-01-19T21:05:00.000-08:00

I had a great chance to fly out to Mojave this weekend. The flight path took us from Orange County, right over downtown LA, then out into the desert area. After flying into Lancaster Airport for some breakfast, we took off again and headed towards Mojave Airport, which is a plane "graveyard" for unused or retired commercial planes. It was fun to see it from above, but I wished we were able to go for a wander around the area on foot. It was a very cool place though, and in the middle of nowhere. It was a great day for flying and while flying over Palmdale you could see all the way out to Catalina Island... I took some pics below...

feature project: god rules

2009-01-16T09:42:00.000-08:00

This project was for a children's ministry curriculum series where they walked through the 10 commandments. The client was looking at teaching through a "kids point of view", so I was able to take my own shots of the student they used for the video teaching and then work my own photography into the design. While I liked the picture of the student from their point of view, I was really impressed with how well the rug turned out on the floor as part of the shoot!

logo from long ago

2009-01-14T12:25:00.000-08:00

I was looking through some church websites yesterday and stumbled across AsburyChurch.org
I had remembered creating a logo for this church nearly four years ago and it was great to see that they are still using it!
The icon in the logo still works for me, and doesn't feel dated at all, which can be easy to do if you're not careful!

featured project: MP3's at LOTE

2009-01-08T15:08:00.000-08:00

I worked up this promotional piece for livingontheedge.org to be distributed both by email and as a feature on their homepage.

yes, i know christmas is over

2009-01-05T14:36:00.000-08:00

I took down the Christmas lights, and the Christmas tree is on the side of the road, waiting to be picked up with the garbage tomorrow... I even bought discount Christmas paraphernalia at Home Depot. So, I figure it's time to highlight a couple of Christmasey (sp?) designs.

This first design was for a Children's themed Christmas series. I actually ripped all the paper myself and shot the background before applying the text and trimmings. The white space had to be right to allow the theme to breathe through the design, and a real "blocky" font had to be used so that the title didn't get lost in the background.

This second design was for an adult audience, focusing on the Gifts of Christmas. USing the B&W picture method with the red present box was a simple and classy way to help communicate the theme, without getting caught up with too many other design elements.

sarti design blog - back strong in 2009

2008-12-19T11:55:00.000-08:00

My solid blog promise to you is that the blog will be back in 2009... check this space in nearly January for some Featured Projects I have been working on in Nov/Dec, as well as some hits from the past!

Have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Leigh Sarti

Exterior Interior Design

2008-10-13T14:41:00.001-07:00

This wall is going up at our house right now. It's not actual brick,
but it sure looks like it. I'll post another pic after it's finished.

featured project: kids small groups

2008-10-13T09:34:00.000-07:00

I just finished up this project last month and wanted to share a few different facets of the overall design, starting today with the curriculum notebook covers. There are eight books in total with the age o the user ranging from Pre-K to 6th Grade. The style was broken up into two sections with a younger design feel and older design feel. The younger covers were a more illustrative concept based around "local adventure" and were all created in Illustrator. The older covers were more image-driven and based around "global adventure". More to come from the KSG design project!

featured project: bff

2008-09-29T14:14:00.000-07:00

The Children's Ministry at Saddleback are going through a church-wide campaign called 40 Days of Love. They retooled the kid's curriculum to be called BFF (which I love!) I had the privilege of working through the design of this series based on a cell phone screen. The challenge with this design was featuring the BFF so that it was the prominent part of the design, without just looking like a hunking huge Zac Morris cell-phone as the entire design! I think it was balanced out great by the boy and contrasted well with the brick wall and slick blue floor (of the Refinery building).

Some Design Inspiration

2008-09-21T22:25:00.001-07:00

I love opening up a cold "hecho in Mexico" glass bottle of Coke before
tackling a new creative idea!

back from blogcation

2008-09-21T01:02:00.000-07:00

I just returned from a little vacation to Australia for a family wedding... lovely trip... my kids were the cutest ever as pageboy and flowergirl... I even managed a few work days with a client in Australia touring their factory (see picture above, a prize for what the machine is making!).
I'll be posting some new projects and photos in the coming week as I get back in the swing of things!

featured project: simply amazing

2008-08-28T09:21:00.001-07:00

I have been working on another multi-church event in Visalia, CA much like this event.
For this project I needed to create a poster with a totally different feel, but still utilizing the same main image of the featured entertainer Danny Ray... the differentiation came through the font choices and the vibrant red background.

featured project: FUEL Bulletin

2008-08-24T23:43:00.000-07:00

I have been working on some "bulletin shells" for South Charleston First Church of the Nazarene (how's that for a long church name?!)
Working from the colors and energy of the FUEL logo (that i had designed previously) the goal of this design was something that continued the branding effort for FUEL, utilizing aspects of the current logo and expanding that with pictures, new texture and reformatted ministry information.

Need something similar for your ministry?! Let me know!

featured project: saddleback intern ministry ad

2008-08-19T21:48:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I had blogged about a photoshoot I did for the new Saddleback Church Intern Ministry ad. Well, the photo shoot egg has now hatched and out came the advertisement below!

featured project: LOTE Ads

2008-08-19T21:45:00.000-07:00

just finished working on these web ads for LOTE.org - Living on the Edge.
If you are looking for some great resources for small groups or personal discipleships, you should check out lote.org!

three open doors

2008-08-19T21:41:00.000-07:00

I made a couple of web banners for Open Doors USA. They are a great organisation whose purpose is to help persecuted Christians around the world. You cn check them out at http://opendoorsusa.org/

featured project - the great illusion

2008-08-19T07:31:00.001-07:00

I just finished this project with a group of churches up in Visalia, CA for a combined Jr High Overnighter Event. They were looking for an old French circus feel - this look is achieved through the colors, typeface and matte feel.

featured project: cmi

2008-08-01T15:28:00.000-07:00

I am just finishing up a branding project for Cornerstone Media International (CMI) and wanted to share this project with you.
The goal with this design was to focus on an iconic base for CMI that was built into the logo, but wasn't simply the acronym... the play button and radio waves deliver a simple picture of exactly what the purpose of CMI is, which is to deliver your message to the world.

photoshoot for new ad

2008-07-30T15:39:00.000-07:00

This week I am working on some new advertising for the Intern Ministry at Saddleback... here are some shots from the shoot... can't tell you what the end product will be yet, but I'll be sure to blog about it when it is done.
My part-time model is Josh Pease (in case you are wondering)

from the picture archive: paris street lights

2008-07-29T23:09:00.001-07:00

Here are a couple of photos I just stumbled across from a trip back in 2006 - I loved this set of street lights, and the sun was just breaking through the clouds, which made for a brilliant backdrop. It was taken in Place Vendome, not too far north of the Louvre.

bbq design

2008-07-24T21:11:00.000-07:00

I couldn't help but take some shots of these two different times I have bbq'd in the past few weeks... the asparagus is a beautiful design. Thanks God!

In case you are curios - one set of shots is Pork Chops, and the other is Lamb Chops. I like lamb chops.

{look} out

2008-07-18T10:40:00.000-07:00

{look} up

2008-07-17T19:30:00.001-07:00

{look} near and far

2008-07-17T12:35:00.001-07:00

{look} within

2008-07-16T21:44:00.000-07:00

{look} around

2008-07-16T10:43:00.002-07:00

{look} different

2008-07-16T10:43:00.001-07:00

{look} for

2008-07-15T23:22:00.001-07:00

{look} project

2008-07-15T23:05:00.000-07:00

I had the privilege this year again of designing the look (for lack of a better turn) for the PDYM Student Leadership Conference. The theme this year is LOOK so we created an overarching {look} brand and then seven feature images for each general session that has a LOOK theme to it... as the sessions roll out over the week I will post the feature image for each.
What we did with each feature image is print up a postcard for each, enough for all the students attending.. then at the end of the session they have a chance to respond to the message by writing a postcard to themselves. As they leave the session we have a mailbox they can put them in and over the coming months we will mail the postcards as a reminder of the lessons they learned and a reminder of their conference experience!

where am i at 8am on Friday, July 11th

2008-07-11T08:06:00.000-07:00

To those familiar with the world of Mac you think that I would be at an Apple store in a lovely line waiting to pick up my new iPhone 3G.
Well, the truth is at 7:15am I drove down to the local AT&T store thinking maybe there were a few Apple geeks in line, surely all the hardcore ones lined up for the first iPhone and wouldn't be so excited about this new release.
Apparently I was wrong.
There was a line of nearly 100 people at the tiny At&T store on El Toro Rd... not lined up at a sexy Apple store, but in sleeping bags outside the form of the Petco which is where the line snakes around to as it builds.
Needless to say I am at Corner Bakery, about 500 yards away, enjoying free wireless, a couch, a coffee and a cinnamon roll.
The truth is I love convenience more than a new gadget. I don't know if this is a good character trait or not, only time will tell.
I figure, hey I've waited this long, I can wait another day or two. I'll keep you posted. Back to my cinnamon roll before it gets cold.

a free book: The Alchemist

2008-07-09T09:13:00.001-07:00

Just discovered this morning that on iTunes they are giving away the AudioBook "The Alchemist" as a Free Download.
I love this book, it's simplicity and storyline based on "where your heart is your treasure is also".
Go to iTunes, download the AudioBook and enjoy a great story.

feature project: Bella's Recycling Wall

2008-07-03T22:31:00.000-07:00

This was a fun design.. highlighting my daughter's desire to recycle and tell a story about it... piece of cake!
We did a custom shoot with a whole bunch of bottles she had collected and the rest is design history.
Bella loves to go to the Refinery and see her wall nowadays... let me know and she can organize a personal tour for you!

feature project: Grow Wall

2008-06-26T22:28:00.000-07:00

The idea for this wall was a graphic representation for Discipleship. The plasma TV was going to be a fixture, so the design had to be weaved in and around the TV. The idea was to integrate the TV into the trunk of a tree and then have the growth branches coming out of the sides and top of the TV.
For the actual application on the wall I had a painter come in and paint the tree and background on the wall, then the words were designed as a decal that was applied... the final touch was a frame I made from an old fence that had it's color blend with the trunk. Playing on the TV is a whole range of looping growth and discipleship images (it is a TV/DVD combo).
Add a nice red chair and a coffee table and presto, a wall design!

feature project: Shape For Ministry Wall

2008-06-23T22:21:00.000-07:00

This was a "last-minute" project that covered a wall area and wrapped around an elevator!
The goal for this wall was to tell the story of a high-school girl who had found her niche in serving, then encourage others to follow her lead.
I used a little texture on the wall to set it apart, but kept with the main colors of the building with the texture color. I didn't want to waste the space above the elevator, but it was too high for the body text , so I just "bit into" that area a little to utilize the space.
Megan (the story subject) was kind enough to meet us in person at the Refinery and ironically enough I actually took her picture in the exact same spot that she was life-size on the design!
Thanks Megan for your story, I hope it touches others and encourages them to find their shape for serving others.

feature project: Hoops of Hope Wall

2008-06-21T22:23:00.000-07:00

The Refinery Student Ministry Building has now officially opened at Saddleback Church and I had the privilege of designing a number of different "feature walls" in the building... I am going to blog about these in the coming week.
The first wall I wanted to feature is the "Hoops of Hope Wall".
The goal for this wall was to tell the basic story of Hoops of Hope, make it eye-catching, and also educate people about how you can get involved.
-We told the story using two mediums, the text on the wall, and through a 12 minute CBS feature on Hoops of Hope looped on the DVD player.
-We made it eye-catching using a few 3D elements such as a fully size mounted basketball hoop, spacers on the info poster and the DVD player.
-We made it educational and current by creating a 24x36 interchangeable poster that highlights the current years' events. This way the information can stay relevant as well as flexible.

officially geeky (i think)

2008-06-09T10:47:00.000-07:00

I am keeping up with a Gizmodo LiveBlog of the WWDC to hear the announcement of the new iPhone. Does this make me more geeky or more like an anxious new iPhone purchaser?! (or both)

featured project: summer spectacular

2008-06-04T11:40:00.001-07:00

This is a project I am still putting different finishing touches on - the direction was a "kid-friendly" art direction, with movement and excitement... this is just part of a big picture design including shirts, name-badges, posters and set-design.

design of the day: think!

2008-05-21T16:10:00.001-07:00

I have been working on some concepts with this "frozen brain"... thought I would share one with you. The heart behind this design is to get Christians to "switch-on" their brains and think about some of the key issues facing us. Are you thinking?!

project sneak-peek: ksg

2008-05-20T10:48:00.001-07:00

I have been working on different elements of this project over the last month... the idea here is to create some "stamp-like" icons to incorporate in the logo design and then to integrate these into promotional design elements. I have some examples below and will feature the "full" design next month hopefully.

a whole new kind of design

2008-05-07T22:51:00.001-07:00

This is Lola - a unique design and the main reason I haven't blogged in the last week!
I will be back to full blog strength by the end of the week. I promise!
Leigh (the proud new Dad)

wednesday thoughts

2008-04-30T12:00:00.000-07:00

A collection of blog-worthy thoughts and such!
- True story, the other week I was at a restaurant and the waiter said to me "the sauteed bananas are off the hook!" Seriously, who says that? What's the weirdest thing a waiter ever said to you about the food they serve?

- Found out Fox is doing some 24-esque webisodes with a new character called "The Rookie", complete with 24 film crew and musical score - it's pretty cool and you can see it at http://www.fox.com/24/degreerookie/index.htm

- Tomorrow (we hope) Jana and I are excited to welcome baby Lola into this world! Plenty of pictures to follow, I am sure, as well as a lieftime of love.

featured project: PDYM Conference Notebook

2008-04-21T08:32:00.000-07:00

I have jjust finished this years' notebook for PDYM conferences and the first regional conference was this weekend just gone... I really liked the "cool" temperature of the front cover!

featured project: PDCM'08

2008-04-17T12:26:00.000-07:00

I have been working on the different design elements for PDCM'08 (Saddleback Church Children's Ministry Conference) for a while now, creating the original logo, t-shirts, frisbees, and even a circular die-cut promo card... we have now moved on to advertising for the conference and have just launched this look inside the CMS of SaddlebackResources.com
Click Here for more info about the conference

watched by millions: hoops of hope

2008-04-14T11:21:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday, just before tip-off of the UCLA v Memphis Final Four NCAA Basketball game CBS featured a 12-minute documentary on Austin Gutwein and Hoops of Hope.
If you didn't see it, you need to stop, take 12 minutes off and watch this...
Hoops of Hope - Pt.1
Hoops of Hope - Pt.2
This feature was narrated by Ashley Judd and was seen by nearly 11 million viewers last Saturday! Warning: you may want to grab a tissue before playing the video.

Sarti Design has been proud to partner with Hoops of Hope since it's inception - creating their logo, marketing pieces, shirts and other creative aspects.
We look forward to continuing our partnership with Hoops of Hope in 2008 and well into the future!

workin' hard

2008-04-12T00:02:00.000-07:00

I have been toiling away at not one, but two projects that are over 40 pages long in this last week, and haven't been able to save a lot of time for things of blog worthiness.

Here is one little entry to keep you going 'til next week when I am back in the swing of things...
Last weekend I had to drive to Northern California, and on the way driving on the 5 in Castaic, I noticed a hotel on the side of the freeway that had a large LED screen advertising key words and rates and such. The screen read "Romantic".
OK, so if you have to advertise that your hotel is romantic, then it probably isn't.
And, even if it was, and you were taking your wife there and she read "Romantic" on the sign, your stay there probably won't be romantic. Lesson over.

in progress: a catalog

2008-04-03T12:58:00.000-07:00

Been working hard on this project all week, thought I would give you a peek at what I have been up to (below).

Favorite Photoshop tools for this project:
Polygonic Lassoo Tool
Magnetic Lassoo Tool
Quick Selection Tool

another inspiration for me...

2008-03-31T13:04:00.000-07:00

design inspiration

2008-03-31T10:46:00.000-07:00

Sometimes sitting in front of the computer, nothing can inspire you better than a good song, or a great album!
When I am looking to get stuck into a new design it's hard to overlook OK Computer by Radiohead.

It's been 11 years since this album came out - but it is still amazing and always gets me in the mood for some sweet Photoshopping!

What's your album of inspiration?

gradient infusion

2008-03-27T09:22:00.000-07:00

The new Celebrate Recovery website has just been launched!
I am now working on promotional material for their upcoming Summit and this year am slowly "updating" essentially the same design as the previous years' conference.
I like to call this years' design a "gradient infusion" as we are adding gradient elements that first appeared on their new site into their printed promotional material. I feel it has given their overall look some freshness, without losing their current identity. I have some examples below...

photoshop awesomeness

2008-03-26T14:53:00.000-07:00

I thought I knew almost all there was to Photoshop.
Yesterday I went to an intensive Photoshop seminar called Maximum Photoshop Tour
I now know I don't know everything about Photoshop!

It was great, and I highly recommend it for the intermediate to advanced Photoshop Users. If you are just getting started in "the Shop" I wouldn't recommend as a lot would probably not be useful, or fully understandable.

As a side note: I enjoyed some sweet Photoshop humor all day with my friends Jaime and Brian.

nyc - days 2 & 3

2008-03-18T17:20:00.001-07:00

No classic ice-skating moments today, but plenty of subway trains, a few rats, some good Little Italy pizza and plenty of great New York characters. I found time for a little work here and there, and just like that, it's time to come home! Here a re a few shots from out and about...

favorites of nyc - day 1

2008-03-16T14:04:00.000-07:00

A real highlight in the NYC on Day 1 of this trip was going to the new(ish) Apple store on 59th Street & 5th Avenue. The place was an absolute zoo and I couldn't get within 10ft of a computer, but the entrance (spiral stairs) and layout was sweet. It could be the Apple Mecca, or iMecca.
But the TRUE highlight was to be found at the Wollman Ice Rink in Central Park. It was one man, we called him Kelmscott Kevin, with track pants, a necklace, and mullet to match. He didn't just skate, he excerskated. He had a great leg-lift (as you can see below) and just once pulled out a move we called "the corkscrew" where he shimmied his leg around. It was totally unnecessary and beautiful at the same time.

bloggin' in the NYC

2008-03-14T15:16:00.000-07:00

I am heading to New York tonight for a couple of days catching up with old friends from Australia (and yes, NYC is a logical place for people from Australia to meet up.)
I am sure I'll be blogging my adventures, so stay tuned.

P.S. - on TV today (MTV HD) they had BoyzIIMen playing a concert at the Great Wall of China. Do you think someone at MTV marketing thought about the two must unlikely things to combine (R&B and the Ming Dynasty) and made it into a special concert?!

P.P.S. - i took that photo (above) a few years ago in NYC. I am hoping to get a better one this time...

just came up with this...

2008-03-14T11:52:00.000-07:00

I was working away at this design this morning and as one of my concepts came up with this little logo mark. I really like it, and thought I would share it with you!
Sharing is caring. Enjoy.

taking flight - part two

2008-03-11T15:22:00.000-07:00

Had the chance again this weekend to take a flight around the l.a. area... this time our destination was Santa Monica Municipal Airport, which took us on a flight path around downtown LA, over Dodger Stadium and on the way home we took a special flight path corridor right over the top of LAX which was very cool. Oh, and we made it back alive! Below are some pics...

Flying over Dodger Stadium (sorry, bad shot!)

Looking over the 101 and Hollywood Hills

Bad Guys Van and getaway plane from the 70's?

Plane of choice, the Cessna N51515

Santa Monica Pier just after take-off

Santa Monica looking toward Malibu

Santa Monica Airport on the foreground looking east

LAX from overhead

featured website: ministryflix.com

2008-03-11T09:30:00.000-07:00

Don't know if you have heard of this new website offering visual resources to churches... it is called www.ministryflix.com
They just officially launched their company this week - I encourage you to take a look around at their site and see if they can be a help to your ministry!

featured project: the revelation

2008-03-06T15:00:00.000-08:00

I have been working on this design for a client over the last week, and am really happy with the direction... from colors, to overall metaphor development.
Question: Do you NOT know what the featured image is (the grey thing in the middle)?
I am just curious...

Charlie finally makes it to L.A.

2008-03-04T22:00:00.001-08:00

I was at LAX today picking up a friend flying on the QF 11 flight from Sydney to LAX.
As my buddy was waiting to go through customs he had Charlie Pace (Dominic Monaghan) in front of him and was able to catch a quick shot of him with the camera phone. It's great to see that he finally made the journey from Sydney to Los Angeles and arrive safely.
Extra points if you can guess what he is listening to on his headphones.
You guessed it right, You All Everybody, by DriveShaft.

call me!

2008-02-29T10:52:00.000-08:00

Are you reading my blog? (sorry, this is a bit rhetorical at this moment in time)
Need to ask me a quick graphic design question, or need a quick quote on an upcoming project?

Call me, for free, using Grand Central! Just click on the Call Me! button on the left-hand nav and we can chat... exciting I know!

Leigh

featured project: hoops of hope

2008-02-28T14:23:00.000-08:00

I know I have featured different work done for them in the past, but I love this organization, and doing promotional work for them is also fun, knowing the I can help make a difference alongside them...
The design below is an small 4x6 promo to get in the hands of youth leaders, helping educate them about the basics of Hoops of Hope, as well as be a hook for them to get their students involved.

cincinnati hi-lo

2008-02-26T21:37:00.000-08:00

Hi - the cool stage with soft lighting (thought the middle video projectors needed calibrating) and Timmy T. Timmons rockin' it on the acuostic.

Lo - the dreary view of the Cincy from our dreary hotel, complete with foggy windows!

leigh from cincinnati: part 2

2008-02-23T14:40:00.000-08:00

I admit, I haven't really been able to take in much of the conference, as compared to the regular conference attender. I did get to catch the most part of the Friday Night General Session and can be seen at various times of the day wandering the convention center halls with a 1 & 3 year old!
Here are a couple of observations as I go about my day...

-Group has done a really good job with signage this year. All the rooms for breakouts and other sessions are super-clear, with engaging graphics, colors, and easy to read typefaces. Sure it seems like something like that should be a no-brainer, but think how many times you've been "lost" wandering around different conferences in the past!

-I am not sure if this is intentional or not, but all the vendors for the various ministries and organizations have not been accosting me as I walk the halls. This is a sigh of relief as opposed to other exhibitors at conferences. And it's not just because I have kids with me, I have taken them places in the past and they end up with more crap/marketing propganda than I can fit in the stroller!

-The stage are in the main conference meeting area is very warm with colors and lighting, and nice and open so that if you sit on the side you don't feel left out. I would have liked to see it a little higher, but it works really good and suits the conversational climate they are looking to create for the conference.

-I thought Tony Dungy did a great job chatting last night... it was super simple, straight forward and suited his character. If he had come in and been over-excited, over-charismatic and sensationalistic it just would have seem forced. He kept to himself, and I admire him for being himself in the first place!

-Someone put a kink in the ethernet cable that runs into Cincinnati. It took 10hrs to download an episode of LOST on iTunes!

-I am looking forward to Jake's latest rap-video tonight. I love song, I love creative song, and love Jake's creativity.... I'll let you know my thoughts later (like as if they count for anything!)

leigh fron cincinnati - part 1

2008-02-21T21:44:00.000-08:00

We finally pulled into the Northern Kentucky/Cincinnati Airport about 7:30pm local time.

For those wondering, the 16 month old boy (Leighton) did great. On the first flight he was busy, but funny and not too loud. The second flight was one of those tiny jets, 3 seats to each row. Three things happened. 1) he tore off part of the little pamphlet explaining what to do in an emergency. I am glad we didn't go down, as I was missing crucial info from this pamphlet. 2) he fell asleep before take-off and woke-up just before landing. Perfect! 3) i forgot we were in a miniature plane and had him on my lap, lifted him up to adjust positioning and slammed his head on the overhead bins. Everyone looked around, some were in shock, some laughed (Jana). he didn't even flinch.

It was snowy, rainy, and frozen cold in Cincinnati when we got there. There was a shortage of taxis because of the terrible road conditions. Icy, dangerous. We didn't even get out of the airport before seeing someone in a rental car already crashed up over the curb on a turn. I laughed, because it was my favorite rental car, the Chevy HHR. Later that night, talking to Jake and Josh I laughed even more, as it turns out it was actually those guys who crashed up on the curb. This could be a combination of slippery roads, California driver and HHR.

Wow, a great start to the Cincinnati Adventure. Tomorrow I will blog about the Millenium Hotel, with the wireless internet speed of the year 1999.

blog'n'stuff

2008-02-20T14:21:00.001-08:00

Our whole family is going to be at the NYMC in Cincinnati this weekend (starting tomorrow). Jana (my wife) is going to be speaking at a couple of workshops as well as doing a live podcast with Doug Fields & Friends! I will be blogging here and there at the National Youth Ministry Conference. Some of my topics may or may not include:
-the American cultural hotbed city of Cincinnati
-taking a 16-month old boy on an airplane from Orange County to Cincinnati, via Houston
-design opinions of the mainstage/conference area/notebook
-more opinions on vendors and products available
-random digital camera images from indoors (it's too cold there outside)
-taking a 16-month old boy back on an airplane to Orange County from Cincinnati, via Houston

pics from Kauai

2008-02-19T09:52:00.000-08:00

I had a great time getting up early in Kauai (because of the time-change it was really easy!) and making the most of the morning light and great weather. You can view the entire collection of holiday images here.
If you are wanting to get prints of any of these before I put them up for sale on iStock, let me know, they can go up to 16x20.

Enjoy!

back from blogcation

2008-02-17T12:12:00.000-08:00

Took a little blogcation/vacation for the last week... in beautiful Hanalei Bay.
Some highlights included:
Java Kai Coffee Shop
Watching big-wave surfers getting towed in and out by jet-ski
Early morning photography
Catching up with some old friends
Seeing Bethany Hamilton catch a few waves at Pinetrees

I have a bunch of pics I will upload to my site later this week!

featured project: generous conference

2008-02-05T14:40:00.001-08:00

I just finished this featured project for the upcoming Generous Church Summit on Feb 11-12 in Atlanta, GA.
I loved the purpose of the summit, so it was fun as a designer to take that and create a look based on the theme. I was able to take the (self-named) "generosity bucket-splash" and work it through the conference notebook, multimedia, and other elements.

i like this church website

2008-02-05T14:33:00.000-08:00

I was checking out this church's website last week - the church is located in my hometown of Perth, Western Australia.
I was impressed with it's "image-first" approach to navigation and it creates excitement in a fresh way. Just thought I would share it with you.
Here is a link to the actual site: http://riverviewchurch.com.au/

only 8 hours to go!

2008-01-31T12:41:00.000-08:00

Yes, only 8hrs until we all get to witness a new season of LOST!
I haven't been this excited about a Television Series starting up a season since the last season of Beverly Hills 90210!

going to NYMC Ohio? Need organization?

2008-01-30T16:54:00.000-08:00

If you answered "yes" to both those questions then I highly recommend you attending a workshop led by Jana Sarti titled "Behind the Scenes— Must-Have Administrative Skills"
It works... check me out, I am organized!

Here is the longer synopsis:
As youth leaders you are responsible for not only running an effective ministry, but running an efficient ministry. If you are a youth worker who loves the people more than the details - this workshop might be helpful to you. We will talk about a variety of things from time management to ministry management. You will walk a way with "Get it Done Plan" that fits your ministry needs based on your personality and skills.

jump in the logopond

2008-01-28T14:51:00.000-08:00

If you are looking for some inspiration on a brand/logo design - jump in the pond at www.logopond.com. It's a great place to look at other creative ideas, and you can maybe snap up an idea or two as you visit and digest other peoples ideas!

in progress: CelebrateRecovery.com

2008-01-25T11:24:00.000-08:00

Below are some sneak-peak snapshots of the new Celebrate Recovery web-site I am developing... it'll be exciting to roll out this new site, hopefully some time in February, which will have a sweet new way to Find A Group (over 1300) in your area!
Stay tuned...

do you love fonts?

2008-01-24T10:14:00.000-08:00

If you love discussing the finer (or not so finer) points of Helvetica, or are a fan of ITC Zapf International, then www.ilovetypography.com will be a site you will enjoy.
If you simply like fonts, please don't visit, this is a site for lovers.

featured project: storm weekend promo

2008-01-23T09:11:00.000-08:00

Just finished up this mail-out piece for Storm Student Ministry. I just finished an Identity Package for them (blogged about it here) and it was fun to take the logo design to the next level and base a promotional piece around it. I have posted a snapshot of the brochure below for you to view.

quietness and creativity

2008-01-21T10:13:00.000-08:00

Sometimes you need the iPod blasting with some new Jimmy Eat World to get inspired as you work on a project, and sometimes you need a quiet place, no music, and no computer to re-energize your creativity.
I found a new quiet spot last week - only 11 minutes from my office!
If you live around Mission Viejo and need to escape, I highly recommend the Silverado Cafe out in Silverado Canyon (take santiago Canyon Rd past Cook's Corner).
They are open for breakfast and lunch, it's super cheap, really friend;y, and mostly quiet. I loved it! Best of all, I was re-energized after my breakfast there, ready for a day of "being creative".

concepts for "wired"

2008-01-18T12:07:00.000-08:00

I have been working on some concepts for a new logo for a client. WIRED is the name of the ministry, just thought I would share these digi-sketches...

allstars - a timeline

2008-01-16T09:58:00.001-08:00

I've been working for a few years now with AllSTARS Children's Ministry and last week thought it would be good to review the work I have been doing for their teaching series... so I put together a little visual timeline below and thought I would share it with the world!

one sweet flight

2008-01-14T11:31:00.000-08:00

Had a great opportunity this weekend to take a flight with one of my friends who is a pilot... we took off at Fullerton "airport", cruised over Santiago Canyon towards our house and Saddleback Church, then continued past the coast and over to Catalina Island, where there is the "airport in the sky", a tiny airport constructed at the top of a hill at 1600ft elevation.
It was a great experience, first thing in the morning, with great visibility and no wind or turbulence. We enjoyed some breakfast at the tranquil Catalina Airport Cafe before heading back towards the mainland over Long Beach Harbor, Knotts Berry Farm, then a smooth landing back at Fullerton.
It was also great to see the development of the Student Zone at Saddleback Church from above... the building looks huge!
I have a few pics below and a whole web page of pics here

me looking good, for a great cause!

2008-01-10T21:38:00.001-08:00

featured project: the element tampa

2008-01-10T10:04:00.000-08:00

Just finished working on the logo and identity for Element Student Ministry - I featured some options for the logo in this earlier post
Here is a look at the business cards created for this project...

looks good, for a great cause

2008-01-05T13:30:00.000-08:00

Over the last couple of years I have twice had the opportunity to travel on mission to Myanmar (formerly known as Burma), to experience a different land, with different people, that seems to be frozen in time (that time being the 1960's).
You may not be too familiar with Myanmar - it sights, it's people, or it's oppressive military government - maybe you heard about the protests by the people there back in September this year and the government crackdowns and killing of innocent civilians, and even peaceful Buddhist monks. You can learn more about Myanmar here

I am working to raise awareness for Boxes for Burma, you can go to their mini-site to learn more.
The bottom line is that it is a great cause that needs help raising awareness.

This is where you come in! You can buy one of these shirts below and help the cause.
You can buy them "in-person" from me for $10 (just email me if you are a local (around Mission Viejo)
If you need one shipped out to you the total cost is $20, you can just email me and we will figure out size, shipping address, payment etc...

Looks good, and for a great cause!

some more from the road...

2008-01-01T21:42:00.000-08:00

pictures from the road

2007-12-31T20:05:00.000-08:00

Below are some pics from a family vacation up to the Napa Valley area in California!

branded: pdym

2007-12-20T14:47:00.000-08:00

Just finished extending the Purpose Driven Youth Ministry 2008 Collection, with the revision of the Student Ministry Logo and PDYM Regional Conferences logo.

As we were refining these designs, our goal was to create two designs that were distinctly different, but that had a few common variables so that you could tell they were related! Cousins, but not kissing cousins.

You can find more info about both of these events at pdymblog.com

some photos from the road

2007-12-18T11:24:00.000-08:00

Cruising through Northern Arizona (Sedona), thought I would share some pics from the road!

living on the edge - christmas style

2007-12-12T12:10:00.000-08:00

Looking for a discount on some leadership resources?
I just finished this little design for some Christmas discounts from LOTE.org
You can check out the sale here

featured project: coastland tampa

2007-12-11T09:49:00.000-08:00

We are just putting the final touches on this logo design, and will soon be applying this to some collateral for the Identity Package... I'll be sure to show you the whole Identity Package put together once it is completed...

featured project: storm student church

2007-12-06T09:09:00.000-08:00

Just finished on this branding project for Storm Student Church in Mcallen, TX.
It's not often I work with red, green, and blue in a design, but felt the colors balanced out the type nicely!

"I can do that in my sleep"

2007-12-05T09:20:00.000-08:00

You know that old term " I could do that in my sleep"?
Apparently it is true, as I can be humorous in my sleep.
Here is how my wife recalled it (I can't remember, I was asleep)
Jana (waking me up): "Leigh you're dreaming."
Leigh (in my sleep): "I know, I'm McDreamy"

Then I went back to my dream. I can tell jokes in my sleep.

christmas card design

2007-12-03T10:43:00.001-08:00

I was looking to do something a little different for our family Christmas card this year... after some inspiration from Flight of the Conchords, I came up with this little design below!

got a miserable job?

2007-11-30T09:55:00.000-08:00

A few months ago at Catalyst I really enjoyed Patrick Lencioni who was one of the main communicators... he talked about his new book "The Three Signs of a Miserable Job", discussing Irrelevance, Anonymity, and Immeasurement. It was really interesting and thought it would be a great help to people working on a team. You can find more info at www.tablegroup.com/

from the archives: am i good enough?

2007-11-28T10:39:00.000-08:00

This design was for a series at Carmel Baptist Church in North Carolina... the idea was a student-friendly design that had an exam feel to the application. Below are some samples of graphic applications for this series.

photoshop that image online

2007-11-27T13:15:00.000-08:00

If you don't want to shell out the money for Photoshop, but want to do some simple editing on those pictures for a sermon illustration or cool background, Firefox has some good news for you!
They have released an Add-On called Picnik that enables to you to do simple manipulation of images within your Internet Browser, on a PC or a Mac.
You can download the add-on for Firefox here.

If you are already using this add-on, let me know what you think of it!

welcome back to blogging

2007-11-27T13:14:00.001-08:00

sorry, the triptofen (spelling?) from the turkey last Thursday really affected my blogging and creative skills... leaving me virtually useless laying on the couch watching football. It wore off after putting Christmas lights up at my house.
I am back!

you + 1 orphan

2007-11-20T09:45:00.000-08:00

I just finished working on these two brochures for the HIV/AIDS Initiative and Orphan Ministries at Saddleback Church and thought I would show you the finished product!
The goal here was to raise awareness for these two ministries and educate people on action steps they can take to serve with these ministries. The objective of the design was to create a similar look, using some similar elements, but also to have enough differentiating them. Kind of like cousins, but not of the kissing kind!

graphic ark

2007-11-16T11:33:00.001-08:00

I have been working with a client in this last week, they are doing a series on the Ark of the Covenant, and were looking for some quality graphic representation of the series name.
I have never worked on any designs with the Ark, and hope Moses isn't rolling in his grave now because of it!

a fresh Christmas

2007-11-15T11:00:00.000-08:00

I have been working on this design with a client for the last couple of weeks... they were looking for some less traditional design to visually communicate the Christmas message, based from the title "The Miracle Child". We still wanted to keep some Christmassy (sp?) undertones and the red played this out perfectly! (in my humble opinion)

Feliz Navidad!

featured project: first calvary id package

2007-11-12T11:34:00.000-08:00

Just finished up the final touches for the First Calvary Baptist Church Identity Package, thought I'd give you a look... I am really happy with the colors and iconography of this design!