It's been a while...

It's been over a month since I last blogged, so I figured its about time I told you what Howabout Creative Solutions have been up to in and around Harrogate. I've been lending my graphic design skills once again to YorkTest Laboratories (lovely client), Clive Sutton, deliciouslyorkshire, Solace and Beaucare Medical. I've also had time to do a little bit of fun stuff for my own benefit, so its with that in mind that I've attached this little poster I did featuring my beautiful daughter.

I can't believe how cold its been of late, but it has meant that sledging has been a fairly regular part of each day for the last couple of weeks. Its been the favoured mode of transport for the school run actually. Talking of school, I've also been helping out there (Richard Taylor that is) with their newsletter and school newspaper (which is written by the kids, and put together by them, with just a helping hand from me and one or two other parents) - its been good fun.

As ever, music plays a key role in my working day, and here's whats been playing recently... The Strokes (Room on Fire), Lamb, Jane's Addiction (early stuff), Alabama 3 and a bit of the mighty Led Zeppelin

Been a fairly busy couple of weeks, hence no blog updates for a while. Been working on various bits and pieces for deliciouslyorkshire, York Test Laboratories and Clive Sutton. As a little sample, here is a Photoshop'd 'before and after' shot used for an invite for one of my clients. Hope you like it...

Sounds lately have included Sly and the Family Stone (currently playing actually), Lloyd Cole, Penguin Café Orchestra and The Cure.

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Well the recent marketing material I produced for York Test Laboratories was very well received, so I hope that's the beginning of a beautiful relationship (professionally speaking of course) and am now onto some advertising for Clive Sutton (in dear old London Town) and the next newsletter for deliciouslyorkshire. Oh and talking to the headmaster of my daughters school (Richard Taylor in Bilton) about doing a newsletter and other bits and pieces for them (freebie of course).

The Howabout hi-fi has been grooving to the likes of The Cure, Sly and the Family Stone and The Clash lately (and Arlo Guthrie too - well I gotta listen to 'Alice's Restaurant' when I've got a daughter called Alice haven't I?!).

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A new week and some new and exciting projects to work on. First off, some tweaks to some visuals I am doing for Blue Stripe Web Design in Harrogate, and then on to some events graphics for Beaucare, also in Harrogate, before moving on to some marketing collateral for York Test Laboratories.

Oh, and the Howabout hi-fi is currently throwing out some top tunes by the Super Furry Animals.

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End of a busy week in which Howabout Creative Solutions have managed to win a new client with the potential for quite a volume of work! V exciting... It does seem like we are becoming a stronger brand in Harrogate and beyond... more details to follow, but for now, over and out...

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Hello world!

I've just joined Twitter - follow me at benthompson70 if you fancy it! Just become a full member of Harrogate B4B too. Been busy working at York for a few days which was very nice, and will be out that way again shortly for a meeting for some potential new business with a new client. V excited about that!

In the meantime, here are a couple of pix for your viewing pleasure. One from the recent holiday at Eweleaze Farm in Dorset (that's me in the middle!) and another of a recent project I did for the Regional Food Group (cover shot of the Food and Drink Alliance brochure).

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Its been a busy couple of weeks for Howabout Creative Solutions since we returned from our holiday 'darn sarf' with an interesting and challenging mix of work including advertising, publication design, exhibition design and a chunky interactive pdf. I've been working on location in Leeds at Savvy, on location in York at Red, as well as burning the midnight oil on a plethora of other projects back home in Harrogate - long may it continue!

The BforB breakfast meetings in Harrogate continue to be interesting and informative (I have already made contact with one or two web designers and have met some wonderful people), and I am pleased to say I have been invited to join as a full member - an opportunity I am more than happy to accept.

Despite all these long hours, and multiple projects to juggle, there has still been time to fill the Harrogate air with some good old noise pollution, this time featuring The Stooges, Rolling Stones, Quantic and those Howabout favourite's, Mudhoney. Oh, and talking of music, I thought the recent BBC programme 'The Wonderful and Frightening World of Mark E Smith' made for some excellent viewing. Subtitles would have come in useful here and there, but there you go...

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Back after a weeks camping in Dorset with old friends from my days in London - had an amazing time and am now refreshed and ready to go again with Howabout Creative Solutions. Already things are looking quite busy with an exhibition stand to do for Beaucare (as well as a hefty catalogue), some work lined up in York with my mate Andy at Red Publications and an enquiry about producing some city maps for the tourist trade. Added to that, the next issue of Solace Focus is imminent, and hopefully some work from OCS too. Could be a busy end to the summer...

On the decks this past week or two... St Etienne, William Orbit, Mudhoney and, err, The Theme from Charlie and Lola...

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I have been busy the last few days creating some concepts for Beaucare for their latest catalogue, which will be going into production soon - it should be an exciting project to be part of. More pressing at the moment is our up and coming camping holiday to Dorset, although it looks like we should be preparing for a wet few days. Never mind, it'll be a welcome few days break before I get back to what I hope will be a busy end to the summer.

(Fleet Foxes, Penguin Café Orchestra and Led Zeppelin have been supplying the sounds in the Howabout studio recently, although my daughter still insists Gorillaz are the best thing since sliced bread).

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I am pleased to have been invited to one of Harrogate's Business for Breakfast networking meetings, which should prove interesting and hopefully beneficial to Howabout Creative Solutions' profile. It's clearly a difficult market out there at the moment, but I remain confident that I can increase my client list and help make Howabout a name to be reckoned with in the Harrogate (and wider) area.

Artists on the Howabout hi-fi recently have included Toots and the Maytals, Bob Marley and Leftfield (oh, and the theme from Lazy Town - thanks Alice, my 4 year old daughter).

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I know, I know, its been a stuttering start to the Howabout blog - the last post was aaaaages ago. Since then I've picked up some work (thanks Beaucare, Regional Food Group and Biskit), been to Glastonbury (thanks Snoop Dogg, Gorillaz and Seasick Steve) and continue to raise the profile of Howabout Creative Solutions.

On the Howabout hifi today - Rolling Stones, Fugazi and Red Hot Chili Peppers (early stuff).

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Here we go!