Here we go ... the holidays season shifts into high gear and social media is humming -- good information for all online users, designers and marketers :
* 11-point checklist for a healthy social media strategy
* Young People Not Quite Ready for Twitter Primetime
* 26 Tips for Managing a Social Media Community
* The 10 Keys to Optimizing Facebook Engagement
* 4 Ways to Improve Your Google+ Engagement
.... and the continuing world of social media and networking November 7, 2012

This issue was a lot of fun to put together -- there are some really great exhibitions going on -- and history prooves just as creative as today! Follow along with this edition of Creative Tidbits:
* New Exhibition Explores Influence Of Punk Movement On Art And Graphic
* Iconic graphic designer Vaughan Oliver on Visceral Pleasures
* Students putting color back into drab Main Street building
* Behold, The Phaidon Archive of Graphic Design
* Selling Design in 1942
... and more ! November 6, 2012

Well, if you're like me, you've probably had your fill of politics and the elections. So this morning, when my rep at Dover gave me these leads, it occurred to me it's time to have a little fun! If nothing else, just looking at these may provide some relief from all the hype! Yes, it's the Political Inaction Figures and Inaction Circus . . . November 2, 2012

01 November: Designing Holidays
02 Photoshop Tutorial : Simulating Photoshop 3D Text
03 Photoshop Tutorial: Create a Custom Photoshop Brush Set
04 The Adobe Illustrator CS6 WOW! Book
05 Gallery, Field Trip : Photo Manipulation at its very best!
06 Transform your Photos and Videos into Professional Pencil Drawings
07 Books : Extraordinary gifts you'll make by hand
08 Wedding Photography: Snapshots to Great Shots
09 60 seconds: 100 Things Every Designer Needs to Know About People
10 Photo Sense: The Easiest Photo Editing Software for Mac and iOS
11 Kick off the Holidays with Painting Apps for iPad
12 60 seconds : Fun with politics (for once!)
13 Social Media Update : into the holidays
14 Design - CREATIVE Tidbits : from Vignelli to PANTONE
15 Web Design Update October
16 November Thanks for all you do November 1, 2012

You know that once the elections are over things will settle back in to normal -- except with the holidays coming on, the buy season shifts into high gear and social media can be a real boost -- good information for all online users, designers and marketers :
* The best day of the week for brands to tweet and update Facebook
* 5 things more important than Facebook page engagement
* 7 goals of successful community management strategy
* 7 Tips for Creating a Social Media Plan
* What's your social media strategy?
.... and the continuing world of social media and networking October 31, 2012

Insatiable Genius has released PencilFX 1.0, its new photo effects app for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. Unrivaled by current methods, PencilFX transforms your photos and videos into realistically rendered images and sequences that are comparable only to professional pencil drawings. While maintaining the clarity of the original image, PencilFX gives you ability to create a truly unique result. October 31, 2012

Books make great gifts, I think we can all agree. But you've heard the saying "teach a man to fish, you feed a village". These books teach you how to make some extraordinary gift items from paper objects to books, to cards. Arm yourself with these and you can make stunning gifts for everyone! :
* The Practical Step-by-Step Guide to Making Pop-Ups & Novelty Cards
* 500 Handmade Books: Inspiring Interpretations of a Timeless Form
* Painted Paper: Techniques & Projects for Handmade Books & Cards
* Pop-Up: Everything You Need to Create Your Own Pop-Up Book
* Creative Cards: 40 Projects for Invitations, Cards, Gifts
* Handmade Holiday Cards from 20th-Century Artists
* Simple and Stunning : Handmade Art Nouveau Cards
* Cards that Pop Up, Flip & Slide
... and more ! October 30, 2012

Creativity can come when you least suspect it. These are extra juicy idea-starters! Follow along with this edition of Creative Tidbits:
* This is New York: Massimo Vignelli on Childhood, Discipline, and Design
* Legend: Harry Potter's Graphic Designers Launch Fine Art Prints
* GDUSA Reader Survey: Stock Imagery is a Designer's Best Friend
* PANTONE SkinTone Guide Launched for Matching Skin Tones
* A Deluge of Design
... and more ! October 30, 2012

Most of the time there are any number of ways to accomplish the same effect. Those of you who do not have a version of Photoshop with 3D, or do not have 3D capabilities, this great tutorial from Artorius Design shows you how to do it in most other programs! October 29, 2012

Photo Sense is a powerful, but very easy to use photo editing software for Mac OS and iOS ... it's designed to make photographs more attractive quickly and easily, without spending a lot of time and money on learning, purchasing, and using professional photo manipulation software. October 28, 2012