This year I decided to get back into the handmade gift giving tradition, and for Christmas designed passes to NYC themed excursions for my parents – A girls night out on Broadway for Mom and a quest for the best pizza for Dad.

Not too long after the holidays was Mr. Asa Alger’s birthday and still in the adventure themed gift giving mood, I put together a small gift box of pirate empheria, complete with ‘treasure map’ below.

So why should you care about my adorable gift giving skills? Because I spent some of my ‘free time’ to sit down and create something with a new design style I’ve wanted to practice. Then no more than a week later I was able to take what I had just learned, and get paid for doing it.

I think Writer Ray Bradbury puts it best – “I know you’ve heard it a thousand times before. But it’s true - hard work pays off. If you want to be good, you have to practice, practice, practice. If you don’t love something, then don’t do it.”

In typical K. Nicole fashion, I’ve broken the year into a list – with just a few of my favorite (and new!) projects I want to share with you now, along with a ton of links to past posts and other collaborations. Happy New Year everyone!

Photo editing and layout design (Meg Wachter Photography). It’s a little over a year since really getting into my freelance business and I’m happy to share that I’ve finally (finally finally) started settling into my niche. I’ll always try to keep doing just a little bit of everything but where my little freelance heart really lies is in photo editing and layout design. The perfect combination of all that I love in one project package – Meg Wachter’s Photographic Portfolio being my most recent. So internet? Send me those portfolios and I’ll snaz the shit out of them (professionally speaking).

Past photo editing work can be found at ‘Dumias Interior Design’, ‘Elene Cassis Spring Lookbook’, and all over the Big Leo website. And for previous collaborations with Meg, check out the GAGC Magazine – Issue One.

Dirty Work (Our Motion is Stop). Ah OMIS, the project that just never ends The final release is still off in the distance but it still makes my favorite list of the year because I just love projects that get my hands dirty. Give me a studio, Mod Podge and wire cutters (ok, I might need more than just that) and I’ll be the happiest girl alive. This coming year, there is going to be a whole lot more of crafty K. Nicole going on and I cannot wait.

Photography (Instagram <3). At my roots I’m a photographer (shh don’t tell my clients), and though I don’t shoot as much as I used to I can’t help getting that urge when I see something that spikes my interest. Not too long ago I discovered Instagram and with it I’ve been able to get enough of a fix to keep my alter ego at bay. This coming year I hope to figure out a way to make better use of the hundreds of sometimes mocked but 100% worth it faux film photographs I take each month (this is the part where you wish me luck – I’ll need it).

Past photography work can be found at ‘Hello Photographer - Pt 1 & Pt 2‘, ‘Urban Exploration‘, ‘Chasing Light in Prague‘, and ‘Hello West Virginia‘. And for everything that didn’t make it to my blog you can follow me on instagram @helloknicole or check out uploads to my Tumblr. 

Big Leo. You know that best friend in Philadelphia that you don’t hang out with as much anymore but when you do it’s always an amazing time? Big Leo’s that best friend, Philadelphia is actually DUMBO, and hangout is actually work but you get the idea. I’ve been with them since I moved into the city and I hope this coming year brings just as many new collaborations as the last!

Past Big Leo work can be found at ‘My Little Orange Book & a Little Bit of Everything Else.’ or check out the site in action at BigLeo.com

 Production (Kids with Candy). Remeber when I said I have an alter ego? I lied. I have at least twenty – producing being another one of them. I’ve always been the “let make shit happen” type, so it’s no surprise that PA work is such a thrill for me. I’ve said it a million times and I’ll say it again, the ladies of Kids With Candy are superstars and I love that I’ve spent so much of last year working with them. Who knows, I could see myself getting into this stuff full-time (just don’t tell them that). Fingers crossed for even more adventures this year!

The above shot is from a location scout with Casey for awesome production job I worked on that I cant wait to share with you! Past KWC encounters can be found at ‘A Tribe So Fresh’, ‘MAC & Alexandra Vidal Lookbook’ and ‘Hey Girl Hey – Behind the Scenes.’ And while you’re at it check out their production site and collaboration site aswell.



PS. I have a new blog and website coming soon which will ooze 2012 awesomeness. Can’t wait!

Hello Photographer Alter Ego - Part 1 if you missed it.

But if I learned anything from my 160,000 dollar education is moments are fleeting and compositions are everywhere – and all it takes sometimes is a 300 dollar phone to capture them.

By the way, I’m on instagram (duh) @ helloknicole – follow me. And if your a photographer looking for someone to edit and sequence your work – hire me. Pt 2 coming out later this week

And in less illegal updates, if you missed it last week I now have a collaborator profile on Kids With Candy, YAY! Check me out along with all the other awesomely talented artists and projects on the website. Hopefully more collaborations on the way soon.

Earlier this week the first issue of Got A Girl Crush Magazine dropped, giving all of you the inside look at some really freaking cool ladies AND my first extensive editorial design project.

“After 8 months of planning, execution, and hard work, we’re so very proud to launch our first issue of Got a Girl Crush Magazine! It’s 50 pages of photos and interviews with ladies who we think are doing amazing things in our own backyards. We’ve made it available in print and online, so you can enjoy it anyway you like. 

From the bottom of our hearts, we want to give thanks to K. Nicole Murtagh and Lisa Butterworth because without their help, this publication really might have never seen the light of day. We’d also like to thank our contributors Erin Crist, Erin Griffith, and Natalie Snoyman for sharing their crushes with us, and Erin Wengrovius for the stunning handpainted cover. And of course, all of the amazing ladies who made this happen: Anne Marsen, Carolyn Pennypacker Riggs, Frankie Rose, Jeana Sohn, Jenny Slate, Kristen Wentrcek, Lisa Congdon, Lola Camacho Micu, Michelle Tarantelli, Serena Mitnik-Miller.” 

-Meg Wachter & Andrea Cheng (the ladies behind GAGC)

Flip through the digital copy online here and checkout the HQ for more lovely lady crushes.  <3 xo!

“My Little Orange Book” is cute, compact, and now available to the masses! See the full preview over at Blurb and then head over to Big Leo’s new website to see more of the artists work.

Thought that was all? Puuhhlease, I’m just getting started. Earlier this month was the annual Big Leo Bash and in keeping with the fun sprit we launched a Facebook contest, complete with prizes, a party invite, and this cute web announcement:

But Big Leo hasn’t been the only thing keeping me busy. Apart from a few projects that are still in the works, I’ve been collaborating with the lovely ladies of Got A Girl Crush on their first print issue that will be coming out so so soon (but here’s a sneak peek until then, shhh).

Work aside, I’ve participated in the “24 Portraits in 24 Hours” project by photographer Meg Wachter (one of those lovely ladies) and have these awesome new portraits to show for it Special thanks to designer Asa Alger, who’s doodling talents made the awesomeness of the pictures even more possible. (Go give his new blog and crazy face-making mug some love.)

And as always, I’ve been photographing the hell out of all the rest of my adventures. More updates later this week!
xo

Hit up KWC for the rest of the story and if your itching for more link clicking (oh yeah!) check out this fun little interview I did for the Huffington Post.