New KatGirl Studio Site Lanched!

I don’t have a new piece of art this week other than the watercolor I did at faire this past weekend for my friend Amy’s Birthday. I do however have a whole new site up! There weren’t really any problems with the old one (other than its small size) but this one fits my current art direction focus (children’s books) better. The old site is still up and can be accessed thru the Treats page from the link entitled “Old Site”. Please take a look at the New KatGirl Studio site and let me know if there are any bugs, issues, or broken links. I checked it myself but I could always use more eyes. The store is not currently up, just so you know because the products have yet to be ordered so check back in the future.

www.katgirl.net

The next thing on the list to do is work on my mini promo book for the SCBWI LA conference and the other printed materials I will need. I also need to finish my contact list, order new biz cards and post cards and send out mailers. Like always its busy busy busy here at KatGirl Studio.

Site Progress & and Class Ring

I have finished all the illustrations for the site and am currently constructing the new KatGirl Studio site in flash. When it’s near completion I’ll post a link so you can beta test the site before it replaces the current site. The current site will still be available for viewing purposes since I have the space. Aside from that I am trying to jump into the MYFX monthly challenge this month in my spare evenings to see if I can finish it in time. If not it will just be another portfolio piece. After the sites done I have to make a bunch of mailers to send out and start working on my mini promo book for the SCBWI conference in LA.

On another note my class ring finally came and its nice shinny and very pretty. Since the Academy’s colors are black and red I chose a garnet and silver (personally I really don’t like gold).

Broken Windshields & Site Progress

Last week seemed soooo long. Apparently I had a chip in my windshield on the driver’s side because when I got my car washed on Wednesday the cool water combined with the hot window resulted in a crack that went from the bottom left corner of the window to nearly the rear view mirror. I called up one place and they said they only fixed window not replaced them and I had to ask “How the hell do you fix a three foot crash in a windshield?” The answer is they don’t. Luckily a local window replacement place had my window (which is odd because my car was never popular in this area) and replaced it the same day.

On another note I cleaned up my computer so I actually have room to do work now. I finished the site mockup layout for the new site so all that’s left is to color and build it in flash. Each page (except the store) will have a different Kiki and all the buttons will roll over to a new picture. I still need to do the about picture but at the moment its not important.

Communities, updates and Poll

Here are the web communities I belong to and how to find me (because someone asked). Please feel free to message me, add me, comment on stuff or just say hi.

Deviant Art~ http://darkkitten8.deviantart.com/
CG Society~ http://www.katgirlstudio.cgsociety.org/
Blogger~ http://katgirlstudio.blogspot.com/
Live Journal~ http://katgirlstudio.livejournal.com/
Tribe~ http://people.tribe.net/eb10a1a5-66fb-4d78-8241-85f6e4d44d88
ImagineFX~ http://community.imaginefx.com/fxpose/katgirl_studios_portfolio/default.aspx
Corel Painter Magazine~ http://www.paintermagazine.co.uk/user/KatGirlStudio
My Space~ http://www.myspace.com/katgirl_studio
Gaia~ KatGirl Studio
twitter~ KatGirl_Studio

And always www.katgirl.net

On a different note I uploaded some new drawings for my site to DA but need your help deciding how to render them so please Vote in the poll http://darkkitten8.deviantart.com/journal/ .

Website, Updates and Why Lulu is Irritating

Been working on the illustrations for my new site design for the KatGirl Studio site which will also be in flash (like the current one) and feature my company mascot Kiki Kitty. It will also have a pay pal enabled shopping cart (since they emailed me back with how to implement it in flash) so people to order prints and the soon to be coming Kiki Kitty plushies. I have also started updating my DA gallery with the last of my Academy work. I also joined 3 new communities this weekend Cosplay, Gaia and the CG Society so if you’re a member of one of those send me a note.

I finally got some intelligent person at lulu to talk to me and admit that their printers screwed up my book. If you don’t have any idea what I’m talking about I will recap. Over a month ago I ordered books from Lulu, I read all the site instructions (that were actually given) and made my books. I read the info on how long it would take and added the shipping time and paid for the faster than normal shipping time so the lasts I would get the books was the Thursday before Fanime. Not only did the books arrive Saturday while I was already at the con, they were in such bag condition they were unsellable. All the artwork was so badly drowned in magenta that the skies were purple in all the day scenes (you don’t even what to know what the others looked like), the blacks of the pages were spotty like someone had colored them with marker, and even though I allowed for page cutting with plenty of bleed there were still white borders on almost ever page that sometimes appeared on the top, bottom binding or outside. Don’t they have quality checks or something, who on earth would let these things pass let allow ship them to me way late? Firstly they tried to say I was my fault but I outwitted the first chick (I mean I do have a degree in illustration) The person I last talked to is like the 5th or 6th I believe, and by talked to I mean emailed since Lulu doesn’t have a customer help line our any line for that matter. The new person said I have to upload all my files again since something on their end messed with my files then email then and the will send me new books. Sounds nice until you add up all the time I’ve spent trying to fix their screw up. As it stands I will most likely never use their services again, if this second printing comes out ok I will continue to offer the book but all new books and printed items I will have printed through a local print shop I found. I met one of the owners already (he’s super nice) and saw a bunch of things that were printed there (most of the businesses in the downtown use them). When I get something printed there expect a review here.

Updates & Being Sick Sucks

As of today KatGirl will update every Monday with a new piece of art, sketch or production concept. If this goes well expect a 3-a-week schedule to soon follow. There will also be a blog post(much like this one) about what I’m up to at the studio.

To all you cool people who came by the KatGirl Studio table at Fanime work on the shiny new KatGirl.net is underway (though you have no visible proof at this moment) once that is complete, prints and other items will become available as promised. There will also be an opt-in yahoo group with a newsletter and such. I still have not resolved the book problem with lulu and so the Netherverse books are still not available at the moment.

On a side note I’m horribly sick (didn’t get out of bed till 3pm yesterday) which sucks. So things are slower going than I had hoped for my first week studio production. After I get well KatGirl studio will have official operating hours from 9-5 though the studio is not open to the public.