CLEVERcreating - Balance between thinking and doing

8 Fun Ways to Decorate Easter Eggs for Ornaments or Egg Hunts

April 1, 2023April 1, 2023 by Hannie Mommers

The grandchildren are coming for Eastern and I am planning for an Easter egg hunt with them as well as a decoration with eggs. It’s fun to think of different ways to decorate Easter eggs.

A couple of years ago I made the decoration together with them. I had cut eggs from sturdy cardboard and they decorated them on both sides with felt-tip pens. Then we put a hole in it and hung them on 2 cross-linked branches to form a mobile.

They don’t like crafting themselves anymore, unfortunately, so I made the decorations myself and I used real eggs this time.

How to Use Layers in Photoshop to Make a Festive Easter Card

April 1, 2023April 1, 2023 by Hannie Mommers

Using layers in any creative computer program is a marvellous way to enhance our creativity. In this article, I will explain how to use layers in Photoshop, applied to an Easter card.

Once you know how to benefit from working with layers, you can use them for any kind of creative expression.

Besides using them for masking, I often toggle between layers to turn them ‘on’ and ‘off’ so I can judge differences. Making variations and looking at which one pleases me most, is easy that way.

Why is Choosing the Right Font Important to be Competitive?

March 31, 2023March 31, 2023 by Hannie Mommers

Fonts have a look that tells something about the character of the person or company that chose them. For me, that has always been the main reason for the letter choices I made for a client. What should their appearance be?

But fonts have more aspects that influence that choice. It is important to know them in order to choose the right font.

While beautiful or ugly is one of those arguments, it is the least important of all. So, why is choosing the right font important?

What are the Rules of Corporate Identity that Can Stand the Test of Time?

March 27, 2023March 27, 2023 by Hannie Mommers

I was a graphic designer for 35 years, so I had to develop several technical skills over time. When I started in 1985 fax machines were quite new and there were no computers in the offices in the Netherlands.

Most printers had offset, although there were a few that still used letterpress printing. Designs were made on the drawing table. The design drawings were transposed by phototypesetting. And, we can hardly imagine this, there were no mobile phones, let alone the smart ones.

The main conclusion throughout the years was that the techniques may change, yet the rules of corporate identity will not.

How to Get Started with Cyanotype to Create Splendid Blue Prints?

March 23, 2023March 23, 2023 by Hannie Mommers

Some years ago a Dutch friend, Jenny van Diggelen, Blauwwerk, gave me a workshop on Cyanotype Printing. I wasn’t sold right away because I was in the middle of emigrating.

Once in order in my new house, I was once again inspired by the blue colour and the possibilities of cyanotype.

It took some getting used to the Spanish sun and sometimes the sun really shines too bright to make nuanced tests. Which makes experimenting all the more interesting.

How to Make a Booklet by Folding Paper as a Marvellous Gift

March 20, 2023March 20, 2023 by Hannie Mommers

Sometimes the budget is scarce and the wish to make an outstanding item is big. For example, you want to have a great present for a birthday or anniversary. Or you want a gift as a souvenir at a customer meeting, like a friend and I did.

In this article, I explain how to make a booklet by folding it, without the need for any other resources but paper and an A3 printer.

And I show another way of folding a booklet for which you don’t need a printer unless you want to use text.

Is Graphic Design a Good Career? Spoiler Alert: Yes, It Is!

March 17, 2023March 17, 2023 by Hannie Mommers

Nowadays I am retired, yet I have been a graphic designer for 35 years. There hardly was a day I felt reluctant to go to my studio to start my day. It goes without saying that the profession is still part of my heart.

The world has changed hugely in those 35 years, as you can imagine. After all, everything changes all the time.

The question “Is graphic design a good career choice” was frequently asked of me, both by my clients and by students and interns. Despite all the changes, I could always answer with a resounding yes.

Why Is Colour Important in Graphic Design? What Are Practical Applications?

March 13, 2023March 13, 2023 by Hannie Mommers

Colour has a big influence on us. Colour sets our mood and is a way to express ourselves. Colour has a symbolic value, which can be different per culture.

We are warned by colour. Red means beware of danger, while green stands for safety. Fire trucks are red. Sustainable companies often have green as their main colour.

Especially because of its recognizability and emotional value is colour important in graphic design and advertising. As a designer, you can deviate from generally accepted colours, just make sure you have a good reason for it.

4 Modern Art Museums in Valencia that Are Very Worthwhile Exploring

March 10, 2023March 9, 2023 by Hannie Mommers

Several Modern Art museums in Valencia are so worthwhile to visit.

Valencia is one of my favourite cities for a midweek trip. It is only 3 hours by car from my village and offers a huge variety of art, culture, and nature. The latter, in the beautiful botanical garden or in the immediate vicinity with beaches and marshes.

There are all kinds of museums in Valencia, plenty of choices. However, we like modern art the most, so those are the museums we visit more than once.

Until now we went for architecture and art, but a chance conversation with a compatriot during our visit to Bombas Gens has made us aware of the opera and dance culture that can also be experienced in Valencia.