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Custom design, Illustrations and surface patterns

creating vibrant artwork to brighten your brand or product

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Running a freelance design business

Business card layout by creative designer, Ellen Morse, Buffalo NY

Business cards 101: design and printing tips

March 21, 2025 //  by ellen//  Leave a Comment

Recently, I’ve come across many entrepreneurs who are just starting out and need a business card. Some go with digital cards, but if you are printing cards and you’re doing it yourself, here are a few important considerations to keep in mind: 1. Correct color formatting Please make sure all of your files are in …

Business cards 101: design and printing tipsRead More

Category: Design business, Printed marketing materials, Printed marketing materials, Running a freelance design business, women-owned businessTag: Buffalo graphic design, business card layout, business cards Buffalo

Grow with the flow phrase handlettered by Ellen Morse

Q1 wrapup: New infographics, branding and more

April 25, 2024 //  by ellen//  Leave a Comment

It’s hard for me to believe it’s the end of April. Q1 flew by and we are already a good month into Q2. I never got a chance to get my goals up online for the year, as I dove into 2024 headfirst with a slew of new projects. To recap what I’ve done so …

Q1 wrapup: New infographics, branding and moreRead More

Category: Brand Building, Design business, entrepreneurship, Logo Design, perserverance, Printed marketing materials, Running a freelance design business, surface pattern design, The business of freelance design, women-owned businessTag: freelance graphic design, handlettering, infographics, website design

2023 recap graphic with illustrated patterned background by Ellen Morse

2023 End of the Year Recap

December 26, 2023 //  by ellen//  Leave a Comment

With the rush of Christmas behind us, I wanted to take a moment’s pause and recap on my successes of 2023 — and in the spirit of transparency — my failures. Or better called, learning opportunities! Success in my business I FINALLY started sending out a newsletter, I sent 17 newsletters in 2023. My goal …

2023 End of the Year RecapRead More

Category: Brand Building, Design business, entrepreneurship, Logo Design, Running a freelance design business, surface pattern design, The business of freelance design, women-owned businessTag: Surface Pattern Design

Bet on yourself handlettering designed by Ellen Morse

Betting on Yourself: Lessons from my son

October 11, 2023 //  by ellen//  1 Comment

I recently created this hand lettering piece because these words kept ringing in my head: “Bet on Yourself.” It’s the message my son heard in high school from the JUCO (Junior College) coach where he ended up playing baseball this past year. He played three sports in high school and enjoyed them all, but we …

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Category: entrepreneurship, perseverance, Running a freelance design businessTag: baseball is life, baseballmetaphor, bet on yourself, entrepreneurship, handletteringpractice, rangers, rookie, straightuptexas, texasrangers, trustyourgut, trustyourinstincts

illustration of girl with flowers by Ellen Morse

My portfolio review with Brenda Manley

June 27, 2023 //  by ellen//  2 Comments

Have you invested in yourself? I finally decided to book a professional portfolio review with agent Brenda Manley, of Brenda Manley Designs. Even though I have a degree in illustration, I have spent the majority of my career working as a graphic designer. The past few years I’ve been specifically concentrating on surface pattern designs …

My portfolio review with Brenda ManleyRead More

Category: Design business, Illustration, Running a freelance design business, surface pattern design, The business of freelance design, women-owned businessTag: Brenda Manley, growth mindset, invest in yourself, portfolio consulation, portfolio review, Surface Pattern Design

Ellen Morse, Sketch Design Repeat's featured designer for month of June 2023

Featured on Sketch Design Repeat

June 20, 2023 //  by ellen//  Leave a Comment

I’m excited to share that I was selected as the Spotlight Surface Pattern Designer for the month of June on Shannon McNab’s Sketch Design Repeat blog. If you’re not familiar with Shannon, she is an American surface pattern designer living in Dublin, Ireland and has a wealth of experience in the field. She offers courses …

Featured on Sketch Design RepeatRead More

Category: Design business, Running a freelance design business, surface pattern design, The business of freelance designTag: designer, illustration, Surface Pattern Design

Some of my favorite podcasts

May 29, 2023 //  by ellen//  Leave a Comment

Are you a fan of podcasts? I am a huge listener of podcasts and try to squeeze in as many episodes as possible. I listen while walking my dogs, running errands, doing chores or even while working, particularly on something that doesn’t require tons of brain power. I know many surface pattern designers listen to …

Some of my favorite podcastsRead More

Category: Design business, podcasts, Running a freelance design business, The business of freelance design

a page from my planner

How do you plan?

March 11, 2023 //  by ellen//  Leave a Comment

I am participating in Joanne Hawker’s March Meet the Maker® on Instagram and the prompt for the day was planning. It got me thinking on how I plan my time. For years I tried many different planners: from online planners, traditional planners to a large wall planner. But no matter the planner, they key for …

How do you plan?Read More

Category: Running a freelance design business, The business of freelance design, women-owned businessTag: daily habits, goal setting, planning, time management

hope handlettered with flower pattern background

Building Community

February 12, 2023 //  by ellen//  4 Comments

Working from home, and working for yourself, can largely be an isolating experience. Isolation became even more pronounced during the pandemic when our lives were forever altered. Even though I have been mostly working for myself for more than a decade, I can get in a rut. I felt that most acutely in January when …

Building CommunityRead More

Category: community building, Running a freelance design business, The business of freelance design, women-owned businessTag: artists meeting others, community, freelance design, making connections, running a freelance business, work from home, work from home artist, work from home mom

girl power hand lettered by Ellen Morse

Coaching and setting goals

May 13, 2022 //  by ellen//  Leave a Comment

It’s been some time since I worked with a coach. If you’re not already doing so, I highly recommend doing this for your business, or any personal goals you might have. The best part about coaching for me is accountability. This is huge! If you are going to workout, meeting a friend for a run …

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Category: Coaching, Running a freelance design business, The business of freelance design, women-owned businessTag: business goals, coaching, personal development, professional coaching, running a business

2022 hand lettering Ellen Morse

New Year…reflections and goals

January 1, 2022 //  by ellen//  Leave a Comment

It’s January 1: A time to look back on the previous year and make resolutions or goals for the new year. Thinking back on my business in 2021, I tend to get frustrated that I’m not further along but I have to remind myself where I started. I began drawing pretty regularly again in March …

New Year…reflections and goalsRead More

Category: Running a freelance design business, surface pattern design, The business of freelance design, women-owned businessTag: 2022 goals, Bonnie Christine, design business, pattern design, repeat patterns, running a business, Shop, Surface Pattern Design

repeat pattern Ellen Morse

Review of Bonnie Christine’s Immersion

September 10, 2021 //  by ellen//  2 Comments

I have been out of school for a lot of years. The past 18 I’ve spent getting my kids through their schooling! Now I have an senior in high school and a sophomore in college. Out of necessity, the world went online during COVID-19. After witnessing online learning with my kids, having every client meeting …

Review of Bonnie Christine’s ImmersionRead More

Category: Running a freelance design business, surface pattern design, The business of freelance design, women-owned businessTag: Adobe Illustrator, Bonnie Christine, Immersion, repeat patterns, Surface Pattern Design

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email: ellen@ellenmorseoriginals.com

text/voice: 716.697.1854

Recent Posts

  • Why Branding Is So Much More Than a Logo
  • Business cards 101: design and printing tips
  • From HTML to Showit: My 25-Year Journey in Web Design

Visit my Etsy shop for prints, stationery, stickers and more!

My Spoonflower shop is where you’ll find my fabric, wallpaper and home decor.

My Society 6 shop is where you can see more of my patterns on products you use everyday!

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