Amy Locurto
Living Locurto is published by Amy Locurto, a designer, stylist and mom of two from Dallas, Texas.
What started in July 2008 as a blog about creative things I did at home with my children, Living Locurto has since turned into a top craft and party blog with great resource for moms. Today you will find my original ideas and designs, hundreds of free printables, weekly menu plans, recipes, party ideas and DIY crafts.
With a Fine Arts degree in Graphic Design, I am also busy with my design firm Atomic Egg, specializing in corporate branding.
You can find fun party supplies in my shop, Printables by Amy.
In addition, I love photography and am co-founder of a popular photography website I Heart Faces and helped build a large photography community of women and a forum with over 13,500 members. We’re excited to be hosting our very own photography show on My Craft Channel this fall!
Follow me on Twitter, Google+ & Facebook.
If you are interested in collaborating on a design project or booking Amy for an event, please visit the PR Inquiry page here.
Contact
Have a question? Please scroll down to see the FAQ’s before emailing.
Consulting Services for Businesses and Creative Entrepreneurs
I want to thank you for all the helpful information! Our session was really beneficial. I have been working on the suggestions you gave me and am seeing some good results. Thanks again for all your advice!!
Tabitha Parker, A Thousand Words Photography
Talk to me about any of these subjects. I’d be happy to mentor or consult you if time allows.
- How to utilize Twitter and Facebook to gain customers.
- Simple SEO tips for new bloggers.
- Help with making money from blogging or ideas for gaining more traffic.
- Ideas on how to turn your handmade products into a thriving online business.
- Ideas for crafters and photographers. What’s hot now and what could make you stand out from the crowd.
- Ideas for working from home. (I’m full of them- just ask my friends!)
- How to get started in the graphic design business.
Initial consultation is $50 for a 30-40 minute phone conversation, plus a follow up email with a re-cap, links and assignments.
FAQ’s
What printer do you use?
I love my Canon i9900. This is great for my design comps since it prints up to 13″x19″. I’ve had this for about 6 years and never had a problem. I also have 2 other printers… an HP Laserjet 5000 and a Canon MP 460.
What paper do you use?
My favorite paper is Red River Paper, they specialize in ink jet papers. The 60lb Polar Matte is awesome, it produces really bright images.
I also really like double sided matte paper for when I print on both sides. Epson and Staples brands are both good. You can always find several packages of sticker paper on my shelves as well.
What were you doing when you decided to create your own business?
I started my career as an Art Director for Fossil in the early ’90s. I was in charge of photography styling and design for the catalog, designed watches, belt buckles, key fobs, and packaging, and even worked on some design for the retail stores. Then the internet boom came, so I moved into a career focused mainly on internet design and marketing materials for large businesses.
Photo by Keli Hoskins.
How do you do all that you do?
I don’t sleep much! Seriously… I only get about 5 hours of shut eye a night. My husband helps out a lot too:-)
What is your favorite pastime besides arts and crafts?
I LOVE playing tennis, photography, reading and traveling. Hip Hop dance class is a blast too.
How do you make your printables? Are they original drawings or stock? How can I do what you do myself?
All of my designs are original and usually hand drawn, then scanned and traced in Adobe Illustrator. I have gotten pretty good with drawing directly in Illustrator, so some designs I whip out pretty quickly.
Unless you’re a professional designer, you don’t need Illustrator. I’m on the hunt for affordable drawing programs because I get this question so much. Right now, I have been recommending Photoshop Elements. You can download free trials of Adobe programs at Adobe.com. You can also try these online programs… aviary.com and inkscape.org.
See my equipment and recommended products here.
How do you stay so organized?
I AM NOT an organized person! I just have good ideas for organizing. I have good intentions of staying organized, but never follow through:-) It’s the artist in me that works best in clutter I guess.
hi! i am planning a star wars lego birthday party for my son and i love the printables you have on here for the star wars graduation. i thought some of them would work perfectly for a birthday also. but every time i try to download them, it says i need a password. i tried to enter the one i received when i subscribed to the email list, but it didn’t work. could you help please? i’d love to use these! thank you so much!
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I just have to say i LOVE your site. You have so many great ideas and I really appreciate you sharing them. Also, yes…I spent many summers at Falls Creek. Makes me wish I still lived in the area so that my own kids could share the experience.
Thanks again!!
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I was trying to customise the Lego Star wars luggage tags and I cannot get rid of the little + at the bottom right corner of the text box…perhaps it’s an adobe thing i don’t know about….please advise
You are very creative….great site – very user friendly
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Hi Amy!! Love your stuff…included it in my Valentine Round-Up today…thanks for sharing your talents!!
your fellow Dallas blogger!
xo. Cassie
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Love your blog. Looks like you’re keeping busy…. 5 hours sleep a night, really? I couldn’t survive on that
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We are having a toy drive on December 6 and I was wondering if you would be able to use the toys that we collect? I know your website says November 30. If not that is fine, there are many other places to donate. Your website just caught my eye.
Thank you,
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We are getting ready for back-to-school time. I need to make some girl tags for lunch boxes and backpacks. I loved your Lego Star Wars tags for boys a while back, but do you have any suggestion for girls? Free or paid?
Thanks!!
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Amy Reply:
July 26th, 2010 at 11:56 am
@Karen,
In my free printables section, I have an entire section with back to school freebies.
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Hey Amy! I’m going to order a laptop sticker on SticViews since it comes so highly recommended by you! What size template do you use? (I usually work in photoshop) to make sure that the image is the right size?
Thanks for any advice you can give on how to make sure I get a good looking skin!
Kendall
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Amy Reply:
February 25th, 2010 at 2:18 pm
@Kendall,
it depends on the size of your laptop. I just measure mine and make it that size. I’m sure they have standard sizes on their site. I’ve made mine a 300 dpi jpg in photoshop. The higher resolution, the better quality. If you have questions, just email or twitter them. They are very helpful:-)
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Hi Amy,
LOVE you site! Just wanted to know if I can share some of your stuff with my readers, giving credit and links of course back to you?
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Amy,
I love your blog and want to know how I can get my website mentioned.
http://www.StickyLife.com went live in July and has all kinds of cool products available for customers to design and personalized.
We have been trying to build awareness and improve our search engine ranking.
Your feedback would be much appreciated.
Best Regards -
Nathaniel Fisher
StickyLife.com
1.800.356.8904
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Amy WOW this site is awsome, im not really sure how i got hear but i must say again WOW!!! i could have used stuff like this when i was raising my kids 10 years ago. the meals alone would have save me a lot of work. i would say good luck but i dont think luck had anything to do with this wonderful site! Thanks You.
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I somehow stumbled upon your blog and I love it
I love photography and I love graphic design – although I’m not good at either… yet! Haha.
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I was wondering what part of Texas you’re in? I’m just a few files outside of Houston.
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hello it is test. WinRAR provides the full RAR and ZIP file support, can decompress CAB, GZIP, ACE and other archive formats.
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I love your blog. I think I could spend hours looking at your work. Got her through Just Something I Made! You creative ladies are fabulous! Your home is beautiful as well and I’m so jealous you are able to spend full time on your creative work. I dabble a little on the side when I have time from mommie duties and my full-time job!
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I ALWAYS KNEW YOU WOLD BLOW US ALL AWAY SOME DAY & YOU HAVE! LOVE THE SITE & ALL YOU HAVE DONE!
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Love your site. So happy that I came across it. I found you through a comment that you left on the Inspired Room. I’m from Ok and currently live in Oklahoma as well. Will be visiting you more often for sure. I am a crafty person myself, but don’t get to doing the crafty stuff that I’d like to be doing. I really need to make that more of a priority though.
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Hi Amy, I saw your ‘Gifts of Grace’ program and thought I’d let you know that I am the owner of a Toy company called Kidlink, Inc.. We produce “Fundoodies” card games for kids and we are partnered with CARE.org in order to raise money for families sufferring from poverty around the globe. Please check out the site and see if you’d like to link up with me. I’d be happy to exchange links with you and support your mission since it is congruent with my own. Thanks and have a super day! You can reach me on my cell anytime after 2:00 today @ 715-417-2470. Beth Fischer
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I found you off Whittaker Woman. Great idea for the minnie pumpkin! I was coordinator of our MOPS group in Florence, SC for a couple of years. What city are you in? Am I allowed to ask that? Also when was your perfect summer on HH? I grew up there so I was wondering if it was working there in college during a summer.
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Hi Amy! Finally looking at your website. It’s awesome! Seems like you stay very busy and your kids are gorgeous!! Does Rocky need a girlfriend? I know of a very lovely tabby named Mia who is looking for love…..
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Where are we with our spouses on the celebrity couples that would be fun to hang out with???!!!! We would rock your world girlfriend!!!!!!!!!!! Miss you! P.S. Happy Belated Bday!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Well Ms. L, I am impressed. No wonder I haven’t seen you on the tennis court! Sounds like you’ve been a busy bee. S has grown since I saw her playing baby Jesus. In the words of Gayle King, I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE your blog. Take care!
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Hello Amy,
I found your blog via WordPress.com. I find that your blog looks quite interesting especially with your creative mind to make your home look much lovely. I am in the same shoe that one of my goal is to make my home look more modern and lovely. I have saved your blog in my favorites.
I also have home businesses, which I take care of. I am a single mother to a 4 years old boy, who is a preschooler.
Just a thought to leave a comment to let you know that I stopped by your blog. You are also welcome to check my blog out and let me know what you think.
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Found you via Donna’s blog. I just got my first Mac…someone gave me their year old laptop….I’m loving it. I need to still buy a few programs…trying to decide between Microsoft office 2008 for mac or imac….what are your thoughts on that?
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You seem very cheerful, and a creative person, happy go lucky.
ur blogs r superb
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