Green Cottage Design

As Alison from Class of your own will testify, time is a valuable commodity when you work for yourself…so we don’t allow ourselves any! Rachel & I have been working flat out since Christmas-an enviable position in this climate so we dont complain-but it does mean social media and the blog have to take a backseat!

Our sister business Lancashire Wedding Video has been going from strength to strength. It really is a joy to create every wedding film with a fresh perspective, from Natalie & Morton’s Norwegian wedding shoot to our recent filming for Dan & Sarah in the Lake District, each wedding is unique and we really have become friends with each couple, the testimonials are fantastic and we know we are doing something right spending so much time and attention to make each wedding as individual and artistic as possible. We’ve now upgraded to the latest Sony Nx5′s 1080×1920 broadcast cameras and the quality is stunning, next on the list is a jib and steadycam system…never content to rest on my laurels!

Meanwhile in the land of websites we’ve been so busy with referrals we’ve been in the enviable position of actually turning work away. New websites have include Advanced Silicones who wanted a re-branded image for their relaunch which they are exceedingly happy with.

The new website for Transition Town Clitheroe was in place in time for Beathearder and while not fully populated we made sure it was functional for the launch.

Simtraineruk is now live which offers training and facility’s for fire and emergency training in firestudio and in real life scenarios.

Caravan Carpets & Vinyl’s new website is now live and the orders are coming in thick and fast for Dave (put the fishing on hold for a while) and our new website for Andrew Ashton Estate Agency in Blackburn will be live be live this week with our bespoke php programming for the ultimate in simple to browse house hunting.

We are reshooting the promotional film for Protech Plastic Containers in Birmingham this month due to their rapid expansion and also launching a sister website: petphotographylancashire.co.uk combining both of our passions, animals and photography. We provide holiday care for around 10-15 pets a year from dogs to lizards to horses as part of Rachel’s business, all of them becoming part of the family which isn’t a problem with us both working from home and we decided to work on a business that creates truly unique photographs of the important members of the family on four legs. We have a real affinity with animals of all types and this really comes across in the shots we take, check out Wes the Visler below….

Green Cottage Design have recently won the tender to produce the Transition Town Clitheroe website. Charlie Stephenson of the core group said they were particularly keen to work with a local company promoting a green ethos and utilising CO2 neutral hosting. It was a pleasure to meet with the core group at their monthly meeting and forward ideas for a user friendly site that will help the community get to grips with the issues of peak oil, sustainability and how they too can make a difference.

Lancashire Wedding & Promotional Video, our sister company has been given a marvellous endorsement by Maggie of Two Hearts Wedding Video who choose us to film her son Martin and daughter in law Leannes’ wedding in January-she was even prepared to lose the deposit she had already paid to another company after seeing our work! We are pleased to say the family were so happy with the finished film we have been booked for her son Brads wedding next year, they made Rach and I feel part of the family and we cant wait to get together with them all again.

Exciting new websites for a fire and emergency simulation video company, genealogy research and wedding cars and Retro minis e-commerce website is finally live after a lengthy gestation (and a 1000+ different car parts!)-variety is the spice of life!

Designer Knitting Yarns of  Clitheroe are now the owners of a spanking new website designed by Green Cottage Design with a wealth of resources for all you creative knitters out there. A nice big and bold design with plenty of colour which makes a change from the more corporate and formal commissions, best of luck to Liz and the shop in 2011.

For a designer handbag and accessories please visit Glad Bespoke Accessories, our new website for Sophie Gladwin, a very talented designer based in Leyland who is sure to be on the must have list of the fashionistas in the next few years. Another intriguing design in which I based the website navigation around dangling clothing tags…every website has to be unique!

Many other things in the pipeline hence the delay in posts…some fascinating video commissions coming up soon.

…and now it’s time to finish the brickwork in the bedroom so we don’t have to spend another night sleeping downstairs on the couch…there are disadvantages of working from home!

Rachel & I took a well earned break this month at Cortijo de Rosa in the Spanish Alpujarras and were happy to meet up with Chris & Sarah again to discuss the success of their new website. It’s difficult not to want to keep this wonderful place to ourselves but if you’re looking for the real Spain then this is it…cars pull up in the middle of the main road for people to chat, horses wander about the back streets on their own and authentic tapas come complimentary at the local bars.

I managed to shoot a short HD video promo for Cortijo de Rosa with only my new Canon DSLR and whatever was to hand as a support-not the best of production facilities but it definitely gives people a real sense of the magical location and the authentic accommodation. Dont judge the camerawork too harshly! More information can be found at:  Self Catering Alpujarras or view the video below

Back to work now and sifting through the reams of emails and answer phone messages…

Ok, a bit late but things have been busy!

On September 8th Green Cottage Design and our sub division Lancashire Promotional Video were honoured to have our promotional film for Sabden School children premiered in front of Prince Charles as part of his ‘green living’ initiative in Manchester. The premiere at Gorton Monastery featured school children from Sabden Primary led by the angelic vocals of Samantha Booth. We also recorded Samantha and the children with our own bijou studio facilities (four years as a time served recording studio engineer I’ll have you know!) and the accompanying promotional video to raise awareness of palm oil use is available to view on YouTube here.

Sabden Primary School Performing for Prince Charles with the Green Cottage Design Promotional Video

The children were the highlight of the evening by all accounts and congratulations to Ali at Class of your own for organising and instigating (!) the whole initiative.

Other news includes a substantial commission for product photography from a local heritage product supplier and new websites for a up and coming bespoke handbag and accessory designer, a supremely talented local portrait artist and the now live University of Central Lancashire English as a foreign language website and all in all it’s been a busy few months. Our sister company Lancashire Wedding and Promotional Video has seen a massive growth in commissions which is leading to many happy days trying out the latest high definition filming techniques with camera sliders, dolly systems and time-lapse photography to keep us at the cutting edge of filming techniques.

We’ll try and not to leave is as long before the next post!

The new website for Hardman Wood solicitors, Blackburn went live earlier this month after a complete redesign & a new corporate image from Green Cottage Design. A fresh,modern design was called for & everyone at Hardman Wood were delighted with their new corporate identity. The slideshow for the website required all my macro photography skills to capture the essence of each discipline they cover plus a very nice sepia tint of the exterior of the building (even if I do say so myself).

Some months it all seems to be design work (that’s not to say I miss the reams of coding!): Ribble valley personal fitness required a redesign & photoshoot for their new premises which is well underway; the new Lush Lawns UK website demanded a creative photo shoot with the neighbours kids & garden borrowed for the afternoon; The Tanning Lounge & Beautylicious, Preston required complete logo & promotional material design for their relaunch.

All this & a new website for Pedal Power Clitheroe to service the needs of cycle enthusiasts living in or visiting the Ribble valley : ribblevalleycycling.co.uk which looks like being an extremely popular resource (by the way, congratulations to my brother Pete who competed in the North Lancashire Cycleway & Bowland forest 107km – first race he’s done & came third out of 60).

New design & website commissions for a nationwide artificial grass manufacturer based in Lancashire, Hardman Wood Solicitors  & an established print & design company in Blackburn.

Green Cottage are pleased to announce the continuing expansion of DR Services Crane & Hydraulic hose repair service which has seen them move premises three times in  the last 12 months in order to meet demand, due in no small part to the success of their website optimisation which sees them top of the Internet searches with commissions coming from as far away as Dubai (…and Wales!).

Our best wishes to Gemma at Ribble Valley Personal Fitness who also has changed premises to accommodate demand (leaflet & website design was instrumental we hope) & I look forward to representing the new facilities in the forthcoming literature update.

A special mention to Alison at classofyourown.com who are going international with a marvelous concept involving an interactive eco-friendly design product. Having exchanged emails at 2.00am on numerous occasions I can testify that no one deserves the success more & we wish Allison & Dan the best of luck for the future with class of you own.

Sony-HVR-V1

The good thing about working in the creative field is you get to buy yourself really expensive new toys & justify it because they are essential for your business!

Hence the new addition to the Green Cottage Design filming arsenal the Sony HVR-V1 High Definition Video camera. Slightly smaller than the Z1 this is fast becoming the industry standard for reportage and documentaries with full HD 1080 line resolution & progressive filming mode for the independent filmmakers…am I boring you yet, I could go on…..

Alongside our market leading Sony standard definition VX2001 this enables us to produce live two camera shoots and timecode syncs to further develop the promotional film side (not to mention the bespoke Wedding Filming).

New websites under development for an exclusive ladies fashion shop in the Ribble Valley, Caravan Carpets & Vinyls flooring fitting and an exciting commission for an international company involved in the agricultural field (no pun intended).

Can I leave the computer please? No! Ok, back to work.

Current websites developments for John Lawson Distributors suppliers of an extensive range of tools, fasteners & fixings, an exciting new website for Preston based contemporary artist Sarah Haworth which gives me a chance to flex the creative muscles as did the design for Tracy Haworth Design, a massively talented carpet and flooring designer with designs in situ from King Georges Hall Blackburn to some of the great Galleries and Museum’s throughout the country.

Abacus Office Supplies Blackburn gave me the opportunity to design an ‘abacus’ based theme, and Northern Lights Events promises to be a valuable resource for art and theatre lovers throughout the county.

Rach and I were lucky enough to stay at a wonderful traditional cortijo in the Alpujarras region of Spain last year,  somewhere where you wont get by just by speaking English loudly to make yourself understood!  Chris & Sarah are wonderful hosts & went above and beyond with helping us facilitate the break away so I was more than happy to help them with a new website and optimisation to get them widely recognised and increase their bookings.

The website is still in it’s infancy yet, but is already no. 4 on page one of Google for selfcatering Alpujarras!and in the first week of going live they have received their first booking! If you are trying to find the traditional heart of Spain then this really is the place for you (and the region is home to the world famous Serrano ham) please visit them at selfcateringalpujarras.co.uk.

Since I haven’t done before (& it’s her birthday) I ought to mention Ribblevalleycleaning, the company that Rach started in October last year. Thanks to her website optimisation (!) and all her clients referring her to their friends & neighbours she has now reached the position where she has taken on her first part time member of staff. Glowing testimonials are coming in thick and fast and at this rate she’ll be sitting in one of the chairs on Dragons Den soon! If you would like to have your house the envy of your neighbours give her a call on 01282 7711115.

Plug over. Can I leave the computer now?

Retired Lancashire police dogs benevolent fund assists in the welfare & homing of police dogs retired from active service, sometimes due to being injured in the course of their work or even protecting their handler. They survive soley on donations & fundraising events & I was happy to offer to design their new website free of charge to help increase their profile.

If anyone would like to contact them to offer support, find out more about their work or just buy a calender with some cute puppies in then please call Sheila Maw on 01252 823136.