Author Archives: lettersandfeathers

Writing and Editing Resume and Portfolio

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Typewriter keys—photo by Peter Lewicki on Unsplash

Writing and Editing Experience

  • Published Author, 2012 to Present. Has a vigorous creative writing practice and has published numerous poems and short stores. Is currently working on a three-part novel series.  View all publications at her creative writing blog, Letters and Feathers.
  • Content Writer, Editor, and Blogger with the Sierra College Marketing Department, 2016 to Present. Writing and editing content for print and online use. Imposing mechanical and stylistic consistency. Designing web pages and writing and editing social media content. Creating the new Sierra blog and writing the premiere articles, including conducting interviews. Writing press releases. Working with many ongoing projects and departments while staying organized and meeting deadlines. See portfolio below.
  • Freelance editor, 2016 to present. Has edited everything from science fiction novels to literary magazines to research papers.

Writing and Editing Education

  • Copyediting Certificate from UC San Diego, 120 class hours, Jan. 2016 to Jan. 2017. An expert in grammar and maintaining stylistic consistency. Adept at performing structural and line edits. Cumulative GPA: 4.0.
  • Numerous Courses in English and Writing, 2005 to Present. An important component of her undergraduate education from Rutgers University, where she graduated in 2005 with a 3.95 GPA. Continues to take courses and workshops for professional development through Sierra College, Sierra Writers, Coursera, and more.

A chalkboard with "portfolio" written on it. Photo by rawpixel.com on Unsplash.

Writing and Editing Portfolio

Creative Writing Samples

Blogs and Press Release for Sierra College

Web Pages for Sierra College

Rachel rewrote and redesigned many, many web pages for Sierra College. Here are just a few examples:

Printed Material for Sierra College

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Graphic Design Portfolio

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From APP design, stickers, labels, and business cards, I have a wide range of design products. Click on any image to start a slideshow and read image notes:

Design for KVMR, Bumper Sticker, 2015. Program Used: Illustrator and hand-drawn illustrations. Notes: This sticker, used as a promotional item, is found on the cars of KVMR listeners far and wide.
Design for KVMR, Live Streaming APP, 2015. Program Used: Illustrator. Notes: My most widely-distributed design work, available on iTunes and Google Play.
Design for HAALo, Business Card Series, 2014–2015. Program Used: InDesign and hand-drawn illustrations. Notes: Custom illustrations and color palettes for each card.
Digital Painting Final, “Intergalactic Cephalopod,” 2016. Program Used: Corel Painter.
Design for Rachel Rose Studios Product Labels, 2014–2015. Program Used: InDesign and hand-drawn illustrations. Notes: These are my product labels for my line of vapor balm.
Winner of the Sierra College Poster Contest, 2015. Program used: InDesign with hand-drawn illustrations.
Design for Rachel Rose Studios Product Labels, 2014–2015. Program Used: InDesign and hand-drawn illustrations. Notes: These are my product labels for my line of bug spray.
Design for Highly Delectable, Product Labels, 2017. Program Used: InDesign. Notes: Incorporated and improved on existing logo design and typography to create a clean and professional label.

Branding Collateral: KVMR Portfolio

In 2015, I had a semester-long internship with KVMR. I designed the front-end of their mobile APP (see above portfolio), stickers, flyers, advertisements for print and web, a CD cover, and more. I still do freelance work for KVMR, and recently created a car magnet for them based on 1950s motel signs.

As you can see, I designed a wide range of collateral items for this company.

Click on any image to start a slideshow and read image notes:

Car Magnet, 2017. Program used: Illustrator.
Illustration for Membership Drive. Program used: Photoshop and Hand-Drawn Illustration.
In-House Sign. Program Used: Photoshop.
Website and Social Media Advertisement. Program Used: InDesign.
Website Advertisement on the KVMR site.
Website and Social Media Advertisement. Program Used: InDesign.
Website and Social Media Advertisement. Program Used: InDesign.
Design for Pint Glass. Program Used: InDesign and Hand-Drawn Illustration.
CD Covers. Program Used: Illustrator.
Website and Social Media Advertisement. Program Used: InDesign.
Website and Social Media Advertisement. Program Used: InDesign.
Website and Social Media Advertisement. Program Used: InDesign.
Holiday Card and Wine Label Design. Program Used: InDesign.

Label Design

Label design is one of my specialties. I work with a lot of local businesses to create, redesign, and update product labels.

highly-delectable-label

Design for Highly Delectable, Product Labels, 2017. Program Used: InDesign. Notes: Incorporated and improved on existing logo design and typography to create a clean and professional label.

I have a lot of experience creating logos and labels, and I specialize in working with small businesses, holistic healthcare companies, and creative individuals. My clients often exclaim that I have created designs that express their visions exactly. In the example below, I redesigned a logo and label concept for her product line that really captured her product.

Photo Courtesy of Dela Luna Herbals, https://www.etsy.com/shop/delaLunaHerbals

Design for Dela Luna Herbals, Product Labels, 2017. Program Used: InDesign. Notes: Updated logo and typography to create a clean and professional label. Photo Courtesy of Dela Luna Herbals.

Contact me to see if I can help you with your graphic design needs.

75% of all Etsy Sales go to Charity, TODAY ONLY

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Today only, 75% of all proceeds from my Etsy shop will go to Women of Worth, the local Women’s Shelter in my town.

Now is a great time to get your holiday gifts for a good cause. Stocking Stuffers start at just $2.

Buy:

  • Paintings
  • Photography
  • Drawings
  • Coasters
  • Decorative tiles
  • Stickers
  • Organic body care

Offer ends at midnight tonight, Dec. 6.

Visit Rachel Rose Studios on Etsy. Buy art for charity.

Art for Charity at my Etsy Shop, Plus a Coupon :)

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Art for Charity

Between now and the winter holidays, I am donating 50% of all my Etsy proceeds to Women of Worth, the local Women’s Shelter in my town.

I’m listing new items every day, including original paintings, drawings, Giclee reproductions, organic body care, stickers, and more, with prices that can fit any budget. Here’s a sampling of some of the goodies below:

Magdalena, Painting
Electrified Nimbus, Painting
Light Bird, Painting
Funky Punk, Indie Sticker
My First Wife, Painting
Hand and Eye, Painting
Eat This, Indie Sticker
Organic Body Care Mermaid Sugar Scrub
The Time I Arrested Your Gnome at Burning Man, Painting
All You Need is Love, Indie Sticker
Funky Face Indie Sticker
Tiger Ninja, Painting

Awesome Coupon

I also have a special coupon for my blog followers to save $2 on any order over $10:

Save $2 off art, stickers, and body care. Code: THANKSGIVING

Save $2 off any purchase of art, stickers, and herbal products. 50% of proceeds go to charity. Code: THANKSGIVING

About the Charity

50% of the proceeds from all my Etsy sales will go to Women of Worth. Here is a bit about them:

“Women of Worth is a 501 (c)(3) community benefit nonprofit organization founded in 2001 by Sandy Schmidt, a domestic violence survivor. Women of Worth provides assistance to local non-profits, extending the support for victims of domestic violence and families in crisis. Women of Worth provides no-cost services in Nevada and Placer counties.”

Women of Worth also runs Hetty’s Haven:

“Hetty’s Haven provides a transitional shelter for women and women with children escaping domestic violence human/sex trafficking and sexual assault. Enables women to build strength, confidence and trust along their journey to a safe new life.”

To find out more about Women of Worth or to donate directly, please visit their website.

Free Gift Wrapping and Card with all Purchases

I can wrap your gift and include a hand-written note to your recipient at no extra charge upon request. Please let me know if you would like this option upon checkout, and be sure to include what you would like on your gift card.

With Gratitude

I’m thankful for all of you wonderful people out there.

Wishing you a marvelous holiday season,

Rachel Teferet

Visit Rachel Rose Studios on Etsy. Buy art for charity.

Art Award at Juried Student Exhibition

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Hello friends! I wanted to announce that on March 18th—my birthday no less—I received the Pioneer Award for a piece at the Juried Student Art Exhibition at Sierra College!

A bit of history: last year, my poster design was chosen out of many in a contest to represent the student art show:

Design with original illustration for Sierra College poster contest

Design with original illustration for Sierra College poster contest

That was a huge honor for me. Not only did I win a small monetary prize, but the dean of the art department told me that I would make an awesome graphic designer. I hold those words near and dear to my heart—especially during exam times!

Last year, I also had a piece selected by a jury for the student show:

"Death and the Sun," 18x24 Hand-Burnished Print

“Death and the Sun,” 18×24 Hand-Burnished Print

These Juried shows are tough to get into, so I was honored to have a piece accepted. In fact, I had done a whole solo show of my hand-burnished prints a few months prior to the student show; if you are interested in my process, you can check out this nifty little youtube of me making the art:

And now, fast forward to the present!
For this year’s show, I was honored to have all three of my submissions accepted, which really blew me away. It is really hard to get into these shows, and the judges are known to be picky. Here are my three paintings:

artpromo-2015studentshowWhen I looked around at all the submissions to the show, I saw that there was some serious competition. I thought to myself, just getting three pieces into the show was reward enough, and I tried not to hope against hope that I might win an award.

I was absolutely flabbergasted when my name was called, and stunned when I received the Pioneer Art Club Award for my painting, “Birdcage.” Not only did I receive a monetary award, but I also was gifted with a year’s membership to the Pioneer Art Club.

birdcage-winner

I am so grateful to Sierra College and the Pioneer Arts Club for renewing and inspiring my painting and design creativity! And thanks to all my readers and friends who have supported me throughout my creative journey:)

Cover Design for “No Punchline” By Jeff Suwak

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no-punchline

Cover for “No Punchline.” Copyright Jeff Suwak, 2014

I had the pleasure of designing the book cover for Jeff Suwak’s short story, “No Punchline:
Or, The Night Chale Thayer Blew his Head off at the Punch Drunk Comedy Club.” This was a really exciting project. Not only do I resonate with Jeff’s writing, but I found the subject of this short story to be particularly interesting. There is darkness in it, but also lightheartedness; humor, as well as extreme human pain and suffering; and tenderness juxtaposed with violence.

For the design, Jeff wanted a very simple approach where images were used minimally, if at all—an approach that relied more on typography to get the feel of the novel across. I can’t tell you how excited I was to get my hands on this project!

 

My crazy studio as I worked on "No Punchline"

My crazy studio as I worked on “No Punchline”

Over the course of a few weeks, I sketched out thumbnails and drafts, created multiple layouts, and finally narrowed the design down to the final image. In the end, I created the cover by hand using pen and ink on medium textured paper. There is something about Jeff’s short story—the humanness of it all, the suffering, the immediacy of it—that made doing the artwork by hand very important.

I am so pleased with the result, and I know that Jeff Suwak is too. Not only has he been a great client to work for, but I am so thrilled that my artwork is being used for such a fabulous story. Jeff has this habit of just knocking my socks off with his writing, and this story is no exception. I really encourage you all to go and give it a read—you’ll be glad that you did!

If you need some convincing, go ahead and read my Amazon review:

Jeff Suwak is a mad genius. I have been chewing over the meaning of this short story for about two months now, and it has still got me thinking. I think the topic is especially germane given the recent suicide of comedian Robin Williams. What is the purpose of life? Why are we here? And what happens when something so insanely irrational occurs that logic fails and we suddenly get the joke?

Gritty, poignant, and darkly funny, this is the kind of story that I keep returning to, and I find new meaning in it every time.

What I love about all of Suwak’s work is that good and evil are never as black and white as we think. We are taken beyond a shallow, mundane understanding, beyond logic itself, and are given something more real and meaningful than we had thought possible.

If you haven’t read Suwak’s work yet, you are in for a real treat.

Go read Jeff’s story at: http://www.amazon.com/No-Punchline-Night-Thayer-Comedy-ebook/dp/B00JNXMPVM

Jeff Suwak: best client ever:) Thanks again Jeff!

From Facebook. Jeff Suwak is the best client ever:) Thanks again Jeff!

Rachel Rose Studios

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A Painter by Birth and Designer by Trade

portrait-croppedRachel Rose Teferet graduated from Rutgers University in 2005 with a BA in Fine Arts and earned dual Post-Baccalaureate Certificates in Graphic Design and Illustration at Sierra College in 2016. She has been designing WordPress websites since 2009. She loves to create: logos, product labels, CD’s and album covers, book covers, illustrations, flyers and posters, business cards and promotional items, and more. Rachel is also an intrepid herbalist, avid hiker, Sudoku whiz, and published author

Graphic Design Specialties

Rachel combines graphic design with original illustrations. She also excels at redesigning company branding including logos, labels, and packaging.

Web Design Specialties

 Rachel is a ninja at editing website content to boost readability and SEO (Search Engine Optimization). She builds WordPress websites to fit her client’s specific needs and budgets, has a firm grasp of basic coding language (HTML5 and CSS), and most of all, she loves taking the frustration out of technology!

Content Editing

Rachel is a published author and accomplished editor. Whether your content is designed for print or for the web, she can help make your words shine. Content editing is available for an additional rate. You can visit her author’s blog here.

Clients

Alternative Healers and Holistic Businesses

Rachel has worked with so many fantastic alternative healers and businesses, including:

Rachel knows the alternative healing business inside and out, having been involved in the alternative healing community for the past decade, and volunteering as both a herbalist for three years and as a graphic and web designer for four years at HAALo (Healing Alternatives for All Locals).

Creative Entrepreneurs and Progressive Businesses

Rachel is a free-thinker and creative person, so she intuitively understands the needs of creative individuals and businesses. Here are some of her previous clients:

Learn more by visiting the portfolio page, and feel free to ask any questions via the contact form.

Web Design Portfolio

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What I Offer:

  • An artist’s eye for putting together a robust website
  • You can learn how to maintain your website yourself if you so desire
  • I will optimize your content’s SEO (Search Engine Optimization)
  • I can boost your content’s readability and accessibility
Harvesting Vitality Homepage

One of my most recent redesigns still in process. I helped this alternative healer update her website, redesign her entire site, and am currently helping her update her e-commerce and content.

 

pilates.jpg

I’m especially proud of this site. We overhauled this site completely. Now everything is clearly and beautifully laid out, and easy for the client to edit.

 

sierrawriters.jpg

Sierra Writers needed a site redesign fast and on a tight budget. Their old site was having problems, and they needed a fresh look at an affordable price. I customized a free theme for them to save them money and helped them update their content and their look according to their budget.

 

spiritfarmer

This acupuncturist wanted a new look without spending a lot of money. I customized a simple, free theme and helped her edit her web content for a stronger presence.

Continue reading →

Fine Art Portfolio

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“That Time I Arrested Your Gnome at Burning Man,” Ink on Paper, 18×20, Copyright 2014
“Solar Jelly,” Acrylic on Canvass, 10×10, Copyright 2014
“Beis”, Ink on Paper, 18×20 Copyright 2014
“My Sister,” Ink on Paper, Copyright 2014
“My First Wife,” Ink on Paper, 18×20, Copyright 2014
“The Visit,” Ink on Paper, 8×10, Copyright 2014
“Electrified Nimbus,” Ink on Paper, Copyright 2014

Hire me for illustration and fine art work. It could be the perfect gift or an eye-catching book cover. Contact me for more details.