This was a brochure I made up for one of my plan designs when I was focusing on my drafting business. I really need to update my ‘Plans by Marcy’ website. With the ‘new’ housing market being so slow, I’ve been busy with my books and haven’t put the time into tweaking my information and/or adding new plans to my portfolio. Unlike most of my piers, I think color should be used in plans. I not only use color in my brochures, but draw the actual plans in color too. Unfortunately, when I post my drawings on my website, I have to turn them into JPEG files, which distorts the original colors used in my AutoCadd program.
The sample below was printed on 8-1/2″ x 11″ card stock. At one point I was making quite a few similar fliers to hand out and post locally. It seems though, when I’m drafting these days, I am either doing custom jobs, room additions, or renovations. Business in the housing market is sad at the moment, thus my focus has been on my books instead.
A brochure I'd made up for a Craigslist Advertizement.
Below is a sample page from one of my plans. I draw them in color and when printed, they come out much nicer than they look on the computer screen. Being shown on 24″ x 36″ paper helps bring out the details much better than you can see here in these examples.
Page 2 from a 3 page plan set
orples 
Wow! These are pretty impressive.
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Thank you. This is one of the plans on my website, but I really need to go to the site and do a major update. Things are slow in the housing market, and I stay so busy with other things, I’ve not taken the time to update my information. I want to take a day or two, and revamp the entire site when time allows. Thanks for stopping in for a peek. 🙂
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Wow! Now that is very interesting! I love watching hubby as well when he draws up house plans like this, but he does it for fun only. 🙂
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When I was raising my boys, I designed pre-fabricated roof trusses. Then, since 2005, I have been drawing house plans, but nobody seems to be building much for some reason … hmmm, maybe the crash in the housing market? Seriously, I thought when people started building again, they’d want simple,yet comfortable plans. But things are still incredibly slow, so I am trying to get my books on the market until things pick up. If my books take off, I may never go back to drafting and design. I leave that decision to the man upstairs. For now, I’m taking things one day at a time. As always, thanks for stopping by.
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Goodness so that’s what you do, very impressive !
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I just wish there were a decent housing market, Gilly. Right now it is a sad story. ;( Thanks for the visit!
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Really Impressive! I do the initial 2D Cad drawings for my design projects . Usually outsource the final 3D rendered drawings and perspectives! Your sets look cool!
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My program is a 2D program, but I make 3-D models of everything I do by turning my buildings to be sure that everything fits. I did enough plan take-offs prior to drawing plans to know that things don’t always fit, if you’re not careful. Plus, once I make a model, I can squeeze the 3-D views in the bare spots to accentuate my plans a bit. Thanks again for stopping by Madhu. 🙂
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WOW! Very impressive. Here is one for the girls. I believe this is a hard field for woman so I will keep you and your business in prayer.
BE ENCOURAGED! BE BLESSED!
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Thank you. I designed pre-fab roof trusses for 19 years before I began drawing house plans. I’ve had my share of men and their biased outlooks of women in the field, but I was good at truss design, so in the end, most of my clients quit worrying about gender. Right now, there’s no market, which is the thing that’s hurting me. Hopefully my books will take off, in which case, I’ll sell my stock plans only (with revisions per request) and call it a day. 🙂
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Nice post Orples this one is masterpiece work 🙂
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Thank you Jake. You flatter me so. Thank you for stopping by as well. 🙂
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Your talent runs deep, my friend!
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Thank you Hook. I wish there was a healthy market for plans, but at the moment, that’s not the case. ;( . Maybe it will turn out to be a blessing in disguise, if my books take off. I’m an optimist, ain’t I? LOL.
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impressive work, orples.
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Thank you. The print copy looks a whole lot better than the screen shot. I wish I could get the colors right for computer presentation. Thanks for stopping by. 🙂
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The use of colour is a great idea. It really adds excitement to the plans. It makes me want to take that design and use it NOW!
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That is one of 27 completed plans on my website. I have a lot more designs that I’ve not drawn the blueprints for. I may if the housing market picks up …. unless my books do well, in which case, I will focus my efforts on them instead. Thank you for stopping by and taking the time to comment, Susan. 😉
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I also like the way you use color in your work. Great post.
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Thank you. Thank you for stopping by as well. 🙂
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Wow! I’m so impressed by all your talent. Is there anything you can’t do? I like that you use color in your designs. Who wants to do what everyone else does, anyway? You succeed by doing your own thing, differently than everybody else. As you well know. Love your post, and great entry for the theme.
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I designed roof trusses for 19 years, and color coded my roof layouts. My customers loved it. So when I went into business for myself, I decided to use color in my plans as well. Some customers (the ones I had before the housing market went bust) were pleased with my colored plans. Then again, some didn’t/don’t take me seriously, because they don’t feel it ‘looks’ professional. I like using color, so I do, unless someone specifically asks for black and white. Thanks for the kudos. I’m glad you enjoyed this, as I hesitated to post it. I need to update my website, but time slides by on me and days turn into weeks, into months, etc. My books have kept me busy lately, unless I have custom work, which takes priority (for the time being).
I’ve been out and about visiting here and there today on the blogs, but have not left many comments. I’m backed up in my blogging. I don’t know where you find the time, Dear. I do so appreciate your stopping by. I am going to finish visiting in the morning. It appears another day has slipped by. Where does the time go? I hope your job is going well for you. 🙂
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Wow … I can only agree with the above! Impressive work! That must be really fun too, to design homes…
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Designing houses can be fun, but it can also be tedious. I’ve always loved Architecture. Although, I keep my stock stuff really simple, practical, and affordable, for those that would like would like to own a home, less a gigantic mortgage payment. I try to focus on the plan, and then concentrate on the shell after the fact. I just wish I had more custom work right now. I really should, at least, update my website in the meantime. Thank you for dropping by. I am glad that you liked the plan I choose to present here.
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Hi Marcy,
Wow, this post certainly fits the theme of design. 🙂
I stand in line behind all the others who commented…you are so very talented! How lovely…and impressive. It is wonderful to see a woman in this field that is usually dominated by men!
I’m sorry the housing market has put a damper on your work…but, as my daughter always says, everything happens for a reason. Perhaps the path for your creativity leads in a different direction now. 🙂
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Thank you Vivian for the encouragement. I think sometimes when one door closes, another opens. With the housing marketing being so slow, I’ve had more time to focus on my books. When I wrote my first book “How Orples Came To Be”, I set it aside because I simply didn’t have time to focus on illustrating it. Since then, I’ve illustrated it, edited it, and published the book. Right now, I’m working on the second book, (The Orples Make A Tree Home) in the series, soon to be published. Once I get that one on the market, I’ll be reworking the third book in the series (The Orples Learn To Read). I have that book written ( it still needs professional editing) and the illustrations are finished, but I’ll need to tweak the pages once I get the edited copy back. Once I’ve gotten the first three books on the market, I am hoping they will catch on and I will be able to add more titles to continue the orple adventures. All of books are positive and meant to encourage children, incorporating manners and are embedded with subtle little lessons in life. Maybe, I am meant to change directions. I learned long ago, sometimes you just have to “Let go and let God”, so to speak. For now, I’m surviving on hope that things will turn out. So again, I thank you for your encouragement. Every little bit helps. 🙂
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I too agree with all the other comments…how fabulously talented you are. i hope you stick with the writing though as i think that is just too special for it to not shine in the world
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Thank you so much Jo. I do have a good feeling about my books. My major setback is I know nothing about marketing and getting the book out there. I am sure in time, I’ll learn. After I get the first 3 books published, I’ll have something to market. I think the books will do better as a series. If they do well, then I will of course, add more books and adventures. In the meantime, I am still drafting to earn money where I can, when I can. You encouragement is very uplifting. Thank you for your kind words.
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