because sometimes words are not enough

I like being creative. In fact, I love it. It is a part of who I am, so when I started Redbud, I don't think I really thought about how difficult it might be to be creative for a living. I'm not gonna lie, it carries a little bit of pressure! Most of my designs are for people I don't know personally, yet each design must reflect each client's personality, and, especially in the case of a blog design, their life. I sometimes find myself lacking inspiration, and it is in these moments that I turn to music (my favorite Pandora stations to design to being Beyonce, the Weepies, Meiko, Patsy Cline...), a favorite site, or in the following cases, a clients' inspiration or mood board.

Jamie was one of my first blog design clients, and she was the first to make a mood board for me. She gathered images that captured not only her, but also the colors and overall feel that she had in mind for her blog design.

Jamie's board

and her design

Jamie has sent many of her friends my way, and a couple of them have followed her lead and created a mood board of their own. Amy felt the first design I presented to her didn't quite fit, so I suggested she create a mood board. She ended up having a lot of fun with it, and, in the end, we ended up with a design she loved. Success!

Amy's board

and her final design

Lindsay Ann sent her board first thing. It was extremely helpful to have from the get-go, and helped me capture her personality although we have never met in person.

Lindsay Ann's board

and her blog design

Kate didn't create a mood board for me, but she did decide to show me what she wanted for her sweet baby's announcements, instead of just tell me. She liked the feel of Amy Butler's Faded China line of fabric, specifically, Grey Lacework.

(photo via amybutlerdesign.com)

And here is baby Eydie's announcement (is she not SOOO cute?!!)

 Mood boards can come in handy for many occasions, whether you are planning a party, designing a room in your home, or putting together an outfit for a special occasion. To put a mood board together, you could use a website like Scrapblog, or, especially if you are into fashion, you could check out Polyvore.

This is, of course, not something that I expect from all of my clients, but it is something to think about if you are thinking of getting your hands on a Redbud design. Speaking of, I'm off to create another. Thanks for checking in with what is going on at Redbud!