The Results are in!

Thank you soo much to everyone who entered the photoshoot giveaway! You can always contact DJ to schedule your own shoot, he's a great guy to have photograph you!

I wish we could give you all pretty photos for free! But unfortunately, one can win...


Congrats Megan! You'll be getting an email from us with details!

Happy weekend everyone! Today is my birthday, so I'm about to snack down on some yummy french toast and coffee my man made for me :) Hope everyone has a great Friday!!

Photo Shoot Giveaway!

Yesterday I showed you guys a little bit of the logo process we went through for DJ's logo.
Today he is giving away a free photo shoot to a lucky winner.
But first, I wanted to ask DJ a few questions so we can all get to know him better!







When/how did you first decide to start your photography business?
I have been interested in photography since Jr. high. I found my grandpa's old 35 mm Minolta and fell in love with depth of field when I got my first roll developed. I pursued it in high school, collecting old twins reflexes and In 2009 a friend of mine, Roya Jade (Roya Jade Photography -Chicago), after letting me tag along on a few shoots got me hooked on weddings! I loved being in new environments every weekend, meeting new couples, and capturing the emotion through an artistic perspective. And so in 2009 I opened Daniel James Photography!


What is your favorite thing to photograph? 
I love photographing people! I know its been a successful shoot when I get home and look over all my photos and find the ones that force me to smile or laugh because either the motion of the couple is perfect or the emotion and energy between the two just jumps off the page. I love shooting people because every shoot you get to work with someone knew and everyone's personality comes off differently through the camera. I love capturing that second of laughter or moment of real joy that is totally honest and unique. 


What drives your passion for photography? 
There is something extremely cool about having this tool that can forever remember a split of a second. You can use it for so much. Since high school I would lay down at night and have all these ideas in my head of what would be a great photo, and until I at least attempted it I would go crazy! Photography has become an outlet, an artistic release, and display for myself. Wedding photography is especially cool because you not only get new landscaped and architecture to work with but you get new people, new emotions and new unique personality to work with.

How do you stay inspired? 

I subscribe to lots of fashion and journalism magazines. I also watch a lot of movies. When I was a kid I would pause films at points I thought would make cool movie posters and stills! Today I just stay up on whats new in anything film, photography, painting, design, music etc. I also stay in my Bible. I get all of my inspiration and drive from scripture and the beauty found in a life in pursuit of knowing God. 

So are you ready to enter to WIN? All you have to do is leave a comment below to enter for a chance to receive a free photoshoot from DJ! And check out DJ's site while you're at it. We will announce the winner next week.

Are you engaged? Use it as an engagement shoot! A family needing some great family photos? Use it for a free family session! Whatever your needs for the shoot, if you win you will be able to customize it to your needs. DJ is located in the Southern California area, so keep that in mind before entering :)

Happy Friday friends!!

Winning!

The winner of the Young Swans Designs "California Dreamin" Calendar is...



Yay Amber! Email me at joannanoelwaterfall@gmail.com and we will get you your prize! Congrats!

Giveaway Day!

Hey friends, are you guys ready?


Its a Giveaway! Be excited- cause we're giving away the "California Dreamin" calendar from Deborah Yun of Young Swan Designs. This calendar is created from photos that she has taken all over beautiful California. I think it would be pretty neat to have this thing above my desk, to remind me of the beautiful place I live, and bring a bit of peace during a stressful day.


I love to meet women who run after their dream, and persue it with full force. That is exactly what Deborah has done with her photography.


Deborah answered a few questions below, so we can all see the artist behind the piece. (Makes it more personal and meaningful I think!)

How did Young Swan Designs begin? 

Young Swan Designs began many years ago, although I didn't know it at the time. Like many artists’ journeys, it gradually grew with every act of creative risk, wanderlust and genuine fulfillment. One day I stumbled upon a French term, "atelier," meaning an artist's studio, and it became a new dream to create such a space for myself—a space absolutely dedicated to making something with my hands and then sending it off into the world. The rest unfolded over time, following whispers from my heart... like seeing the magic of black and white film in the dark room, capturing the romantic nostalgia of Paris, or chasing puffy clouds until they have made it through my lens.

In 2010, I started to practice meditation and really began to look inward and focus on figuring out who I am, my ‘true self.’ I decided to quit my job, bought a new lap top and finally built a website to showcase my photos. Since then, I got engaged, moved out of Santa Monica to Fresno, CA, and decided to open an Etsy store. I needed a name for the shop, so my fiancé and I brainstormed for a while. We came up with the name, Young Swan Designs, because we both believe in the potential of each individual, and the idea that we can all turn into a beautiful swan like in the fable of "The Ugly Duckling.” The shop has been open since October 2011, and the process has been a lot of fun!

What causes you to gravitate towards photographing nature?

Patterns! Nature is always changing, revealing an infinite array of patterns, making it a constant source of inspiration. Being from Guam, where it is summer all year round, I grew up without ever experiencing the changing of seasons. This year I enjoyed the beauty of Fall for the first time in Fresno which inspired my Autumn collection on Etsy. I'm currently in Michigan visiting my fiancé's family, and am working on my first Winter series!


What drives your passion for photography? 

As a photographer, I am passionate about being as authentic and prolific as possible. Having a background in Product Design, I have been greatly influenced by Karim Rashid. He has designed over 3,000 products and continues to inspire the next generation of designers. I saw the medium of photography to be best suited to express my personal vision and create as many bodies of work as I can. For a deeper poetic statement I wrote on "Why I Photograph...” read here.

How do you stay inspired?

I see my camera as a treasure box where I get to be an adventurer collecting precious gems. The camera seems to make life more magical. My true inspiration comes from my passion for travel. I want to see the world. And I see the camera as the way to venture around the globe. My Etsy shop is where I get to share my goodies with others, to then ship them back out into the world again! I also love walking through stores with elements of things I love, such as paper goods, cookbooks, gifts, photography and design. My mind brims with ideas and I’m left wondering how these products made it here. It inspires me to make new products and get them on the shelves.


Sometimes when I get into a lull, I watch the commencement speech that Steve Jobs gave to our graduating class at Stanford in '05. It's impossible to not feel inspired after listening to his profound nuggets of wisdom. His speech helped me realize that whenever you feel lost, you aren't really lost; you just forgot what you already knew because things oftentimes get in the way of carving your unique path as an artist. His insights also helped me make some major decisions in my life, such as packing up all of my things in a U-Haul and driving from Palo Alto to Santa Monica, CA to start my life as an independent artist. Here is Steve Jobs’ Commencement Speech in ‘05.

Thanks so much Deborah! Keep pursuing that dream and doing what you love. You can also check out Deborah's portfolio and blog.

To win the calendar, all you have to do is visit Deborah's Etsy shop, and comment below telling us about your favorite piece :) We will announce the winner next week. Good luck and Happy Weekend!!

The Winner!!

Happy Wednesday friends! Its officially the middle of the week and I hope you are all feeling good.
I have an announcement for you all... The winner of the Kelli Murray print!

the results are in, and



Congrats to Lauren Miller! She's got a cute little blog too that I just spent some time browsing.
I'm stoked that you're going to have Kelli's art, send me an email (joannanoelwaterfall@gmail.com)
and we will get you your print!

Thanks for everyone who entered, I hope you'll follow Kelli's blog, and keep up with her work,
just cause its so great and so is she.

giveaway!!

I am beyond excited to announce this week's giveaway...
The amazing Kelli Murray Larson is giving away one of her beautiful prints to a lucky winner!


I discovered and started following Kelli my freshman year of college. I have seen her style morph and change from being a rougher almost street style, to very soft and understated, with neutral tones and textures. I've loved every minute of it. I was a fine arts major when I first found Kelli, and she immediately became (and is still) a HUGE inspiration to me. Not just her style and the way she painted, (and her wonderful clothes, that's another story) what really drew me to her was how she always had a deeper intention in all of her work. There was always something in her paintings that spoke to me.

I was (and STILL am) a huge fan of Jedidiah Clothing Co. where Kelli has been the head designer.
Summer '09 I had the chance to intern at Jedidiah, meet Kelli (I was star struck to say the least)
and work with their fabulous clothing co. I saw that these people had a purpose greater than simply making clothes, they wanted to help the people around them- caring for those in need.

So that is why I love Kelli and Jedidiah- and that is also why I am SO happy to be giving one of you one of her beautiful pieces!


Kelli answered a few questions about her inspiration, her life now as a new mamma, and being
an artist. Enjoy!

Where does your inspiration come from? I am inspired by a lot of things.  But mostly, I am inspired by the people around me, by fashion, blogs, nature & animals, and all things vintage.   A lot of your work seems to have a deeper meaning within it, where would you say this comes from? I love to create with a feeling or an emotion in mind.  Usually that being love, or hope or just happiness.  I am a dreamer at heart and my art is a reflection of who I am.   How has your worked changed since getting married and having a new baby? To be honest, I have not had much time to work as of late :)  Taking care of baby while still working part time is a tricky balance.  But the little amount of personal art I have done since she has entered my world I would say has definitely been softer and more delicate and refined.  I feel like my art continues to trend that way.  I think one day I would like to create a whole line of nursery art. ONE DAY! :) What is the best part about being an artist? While I LOVE the process of actually creating art and taking it from concept to completion, I think the BEST part about being an artist is finding out that my work inspired someone or made a difference in their life in one way or another.  That is the most fulfilling thing and biggest motivator to keep doing what I do. The most difficult? Sometimes I just get plain burnt out.  My job is creative ( I am a graphic designer / merchandiser for a clothing company) and my passion/hobby is creative. So my mind is always on creative overload.  I often have to push aside my work-a-holic tendencies and really live in the moment.  Press "hold" on my art ideas and "to-do" lists and enjoy my everyday life.  i.e my husband, my baby, a good meal.  Balance is key to happiness! How do you stay inspired to create? I guess this goes hand in hand with how I answered the above question.  It's definitely a challenge to constantly create. And it's near impossible to constantly create GOOD. For me, I need time to rest my mind.  Usually it is after a few days of not creating anything at all that I am most excited to start on a project. Thanks so much Kelli! You inspire me and so many others :) You can check out Kelli's blog, Etsy Shop, Lookbook.nu for more goodness :) Winner will be chosen at random on Wednesday! So go comment peeps!

And the Winner Is...

Congrats to the beautiful creative:



You have won a free ticket to the Creative Connection LA event this weekend!
YAY!!! Email me at joannanoelwaterfall@gmail.com for the deets :)

Rachel has a wonderful food blog where she writes amazing recipes- she also has a menu
planning service you can read more about here. I'm stoked to hang with her at the event this
weekend :)

Calling All Creative Ladies!!

So a few things. There's this amazing organization called "Creative Connection."

The purpose is to gather creative ladies together to be friends, encourage and inspire each other.
(You can read more about them here!)

Every month they meet together to chit chat, network, and just be their creative lady selves.
And let me tell you, these events are so much fun! You make a ton of new creative friends,
everyone is encouraging and there to help each other out with their creativity.

I'm a featured designer for the LA meet up this Saturday (Meaning I'm doing all the graphic design for the event) - and I want to offer some creative lady out there a FREE TICKET! Just leave a comment on this blog post to enter, and if you haven't already, head to the Creative Connection Facebook page and like it! Its that easy peasy.

This event is in Manhattan Beach, at the Tea Exchange. 9am-11am. Full of food, tea, and fun.

And remember, if you don't win the free ticket, you can still come and join in on the fun!
Click here to purchase your ticket.

So leave a comment below to join in on the fun! For free! Check the event page for more info on
the event :)

The winner will be announced here tomorrow! Happy Wednesday!!

The Results are IN!

Thanks to everyone who participated in the giveaway,
you guys are awesome and I'm glad you all got the chance
to browse through Angel Court's beautiful stuff.
Well, the results are in, and thanks to random.org we have a winner.



Congrats! Email me your address (joannanoelwaterfall@gmail.com)
and we will send you the necklace delta delta delta :)

(The winner, Jenni has a cute blog I kinda just stalked a bit -
since I stalked I had no choice but to share the link!) Yay Jenni!



On a different note...

I hope you all noticed the little blog refresh happening here!
After talking and getting advice from a ton of creatively smart people,
I was able to make my decision and finalize the logo. Here it is folks:

I wanted the logo to be clean and simple, with a mark I felt
was strong enough to stand by itself without the words to go with it.
I thought seriously about changing the mark to a barrel, instead of
the more obvious water droplets. But because I wanted to
use the mark by itself- a barrel is a bit harder to figure
out what's going on. The droplets are a much quicker read.
I also wanted the logo to have an uplifting vibe, while feeling handcrafted
and approachable. These are all things I want my brand to encompass,
so they had to be shown in the logo!

I hope you guys like it as much as I do. I'm really excited to start making
the switch and incorporating the logo into my little re-brand.
I actually created a Waterfall Creative Facebook page too- you can head
over there and like it if you do so wish :)
My next project is to make the changes and conquer my website!
But thanks for everyone's advice and comments, its fun going through
this whole process together, and it's great to hear the opinions of
others when you're working a one-woman studio!

So thanks everyone and congrats again to our winner, Jenni. 
You're gonna rock that necklace in Germany girl.

Happy Monday!

Angel Court Giveaway!

This giveaway is from Angel Court Jewels.They're giving away one "delta delta delta" necklace-
which was handcrafted in a historic loft in the heart of Mississippi! How cool is that??

I'm a total jeans and t-shirt kind of girl- throw on a few accessories and BAM. You are now
casual with style. This necklace is perfect for just that! It would jazz up any weekend v-neck,
but would also work great in a more formal setting. Valued at $94- it has a vintage brass curb chain
and a lobster claw clasp.


So here's how you enter for a chance to win. Its really easy, promise.

1- Visit Angel Court's online shop. Have some fun browsin.

2- Leave a comment below.

3- Check back on Monday to see if you won! A winner will be chosen at random.
(side note- Monday I'll also show you the final logo for Waterfall Creative!)



I asked Courtney and Angela (the ladies behind Angel Court) a few questions about
running their business and how they stay inspired. Check it out below!

Me: How did Angel Court Jewels begin?

AC: I would like to say over a drink but it was really a lunch date after tennis

that involved a trip to a dumpster downtown. 

Me: What has inspired your "rock and roll" style? 

AC: We both have artistic, talented mothers who gave us the freedom and

taught us how to design and and  create a unique personal stye. Having always

walked to a different beat,  liking everything in our life to have a bit of an edge,

we find ourselves incorporating this style into every aspect of our lives, fashion,

home and entertaining.

Me: What has been the biggest challenge in finding success in your business?

AC: It isn't very sexy but time management. There isn't ever enough hours in the day!

Me: How do you stay motivated?

AC: Its how we evolve everyday in our lives. We don't want to wear the same

things, so why would we want to design the same thing. We are influenced by movies,

music and travel. 

Me: What is the greatest reward of owning and operating Angel Court?

AC: TRAVEL with out question.

Thanks Angela and Courtney! You ladies rock just as much as your jewelry :)



Don't forget to visit their site and leave a comment below! Check back Monday for the
revealing of the winner! Woot woot!

Happy Friday Friends!!