I totally forgot to mention that a new set of iPhonica icons has been released over at the Iconfactory! iPhonica Volume 4 features twelve new iPhone style desktop gumdrops on the theme of being connected and communicating in our digital life.

This set of application icons includes our favourite software that help us stay in touch, making telephone calls over the internet, using wireless personal area networks, instant messaging, micro-blogging and browsing: Adium, Bluetooth, Chrome, Explorer, Firefox, MSN, Netscape, Opera, Safari, Skype, Twitterrific and iChat.

While you’re at it, be sure to check out iPhonica Volume 3, for more desktop inspiration. A collection of application icons for Apple’s iLife series – it’s been updated with large resources for Leopard and Vista. Featuring application icons for GarageBand, iDVD, iMovie, iPhoto and iWeb.

Tags: iPhonica, iPhone, Leopard, Vista, Mac OS X, Windows, interface, desktop customization, application icons

Detoxing your desktop and keeping it uncluttered is an easy and enjoyable task with Ready Steady Go, the third volume of Luminous folder icons.

With a total of twelve folder icons in shades of red, yellow and green, Ready Steady Go is designed to make it easy to customize your desktop creating a productive desktop, helping you stay focused and organized by color coding your projects. Think of it as a stimulus package for your desktop!

One way to make it easy to manage your projects is to use these folder icons to indicate how urgent a project is. Red for urgent, yellow for medium and green for finished projects. These folder icons are designed to kick start your autumn with an uncluttered, productive and beautiful desktop environment!

Ready Steady Go computer icons were taken on a test run by members of Club Marmalade Moon and as a result I added two more muted yellow folder icons. In the final release of there are four different shades each of red, yellow and green.

I hope Ready Steady Go folder icons help to brighten your desktop and make your work, studies and personal computer projects at once more pleasant and efficient!

Desktop folder icons from the Luminous collection:
Luminous: Ready Steady Go Folder Icons
Luminous: Pink Folder Icons
Luminous: Blue Folder Icons

Related Posts:
Creating an Uncluttered and Productive Desktop Environment With Icons
Four Benefits of Customizing Your Computer Desktop and Making it Personal

Tags: folder icons, Luminous, productivity, declutter, desktop customization

Sweet and sticky like cotton candy or bold and bright like fuchsia? If you love pink, you are in for a desktop party!

This collection of pink computer icons is like haute couture for your desktop! And they can help you stay on top of your projects too!

Luminous Pink Folder Icons come in six shades of pink! From dreamy and pale to hot and daring!

Tags: Luminous, folder icons, Pink October, pink ribbon, Breast Cancer Awareness Month, desktop customization

It’s not too late to invite your computer desktop to the Halloween party!

Every year the Iconfactory puts on its Halloween costume and presents an abundance of computer icons and desktop wallpapers to help you customize your desktop in time for the holiday!

New releases this year include Jack O Lantern, undead folder icons: Nimble Halloween and the 1970’s inspired Retro Masks.
Last but not least, the Halloween themed trash can icon replacement set Trick or Trash with pumpkins, caramel apples and creepy coffins!

As usual, all of the computer icons from the Iconfactory are available both for Mac and Windows or as a handy CandyBar iContainer.

Give your desktop some candy! Browse the crypts for even more Halloween themed desktop art from the Iconfactory!

Tags: Halloween, seasonal, desktop customization

Here are eight Pink Ribbon icons, avatars and buttons in support of October, the Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

These pink ribbons are available both as desktop icons and as avatars as well as images or buttons that can be used for the web.

If you have a blog or a web site and you want to help support the Breast Cancer Awareness Month, you can use these pink ribbon graphics to help promote the charity.

Pink Ribbons come in pink and cerise and are designed in four styles. The styles range from elegance to boldness. From an iPhone inspired style to a watercolor brush stroke style.

So head on over to the freebies section to take your pick of Pink Ribbons!

Tags: pink ribbon, buttons, graphics, Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Pink October, desktop customization

October is the Breast Cancer Awareness Month. I want to show my support for the attempt to increase awareness of the disease and to raise funds for research into its cause, prevention and cure.

So October is pink at Marmalade Moon.

I am creating some pink ribbons, that will be available both as computer icons and avatars and as images that you can use on your blog or web site.

And there will be more surprises... Stay tuned for a pink October!

Related Link:
Pink Ribbon Inc - http://www.pinkribbon.org/

Tags: pink ribbon, Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Pink October, events

This month members of Club Marmalade Moon get a free pre-release of Ready Steady Go Folder Icons to take for a test run! The final icons will be tweaked based on input from members of the Club Marmalade Moon and released to the public. Join Club Marmalade Moon to take these folder icons for a free test spin and be sure to let me know how they work for you!

Tags: productivity, folder icons, Luminous, declutter, usability

Today the August Issue of the Marmalade Monthly is released. This month members of Club Marmalade Moon are in for a fluttering of butterflies as the collection of Picnic Pals expands!

This month’s issue is packed with exclusive desktop goodies. There are butterfly avatars to customize your forums or social networks, your computer log in, or to use as an image for any personal project where you find use for them. A pale yellow Brimstone, a lime green Brimstone and a Common Blue Butterfly.

There is a pre-release of three butterfly computer icons that I plan to release to the public later on this month.

And finally there is a members-only desktop wallpaper with butterflies on a blue summer’s sky!

Join the Club for limited edition desktop art and get your butterfly desktop art too!

Tags: seasonal, nature, summer, bug, Mac OS X, Windows, Vista, social networking, instant messenger, forum, Twitter, desktop customization

Here is a desktop icon of the next generation 3G iPhone, Apple’s beautiful, smartphone with a multi-touch screen, released today.

Did you get your iPhone? Well here is an iPhone icon you can put on your desktop whether or not you were able to get an iPhone.

For those of you who are interested in how the icon was created, I made it entirely in vectors. It was quite interesting to create the realistic look, especially the metal part, with vectors only.

I hope you enjoy it!

Tags: iPhone, Mac OS X, Leopard, Windows, Vista, Apple, realism, desktop customization

Here is my take of the folder icon in Mac OS X Leopard. A minimalist folder icon to help you stay productive with neatly organized projects, and in style too!

This collection of computer icons is the first in a new series of folder icons and comes in shades of blue, from turquoise to violet and with some sand thrown in too. Bringing the beach to your desktop with salty breezes, blue lagoons and the feeling of sand between your toes. So head on over to the freebies section to beautify your desktop with Luminous: Blue Folder Icons.

Stay tuned for the next volume of Luminous Folder Icons either by subscribing to our RSS feed or by joining the club for limited edition desktop art and the Marmalade Monthly or by dropping by the web site!

Tags: Luminous, Aqua, water, folder icons, productivity, declutter, Mac OS X, Leopard, Windows, Vista, desktop customization

Club Marmalade Moon is gathering momentum and it’s already time for the fourth edition of the Marmalade Monthly.

This month club members get a ladybird avatar to customise your chat programmes and computer user accounts. The avatar can be used in forums and other communities, in social networks like FriendFeed, MySpace, SocialThing, Twitter or Facebook and for the image and video sharing communities Flickr and YouTube. The image can also be used in non-commercial projects such as a personal blog or web site.

There are two Ladybug Twitter themes too, in July’s Marmalade Monthly. One of them has a repeatable background pattern with ladybugs that has many uses, it can for example be used on a computer desktop or as a background on a blog.

Do you like to customise your computer desktop? Your digital, social space? Join the Club for free, limited edition desktop art!

Tags: seasonal, nature, pattern, graphics, social networking, instant messenger, forum, Twitter, theme, desktop customization

You may have noticed that we have had some issues on the site due to changes in the backend software. I am relieved to announce that everything is in mint condition again!

If you signed up to Club Marmalade Moon and didn’t hear from me, please sign up again! Also, if you have any trouble with the links in your Marmalade Monthly for June, please drop me a note and I will resend this month’s issue to you.

Since you were kind enough to put up with all the unpleasant bugs I have created an enjoyable one, a ladybug computer icon, who deals with the nasty bugs and gives you luck! So fly on over to the Freebies section to download your Ladybird icon. She’ll keep your desktop clean!

Tags: Mac OS X, Windows, Vista, nature, bug

I been getting lots of requests both for new and updated computer icons in the trendy iPhonica style inspired by the interface of Apple’s hot iPhone with its glossy, bold and stylised home screen icons.

I am glad to announce that I just updated the popular collection “iPhonica Volume 2” to include the large sizes for Mac OS X Leopard and Windows Vista and there will be both more upsized versions of the old favourites as well as some new sets to come!

“iPhonica Volume 2” includes icons for: airplane, calculator, calendar, camera, contact, favorites, notes, rose, snowflake and weather.

So head on over to the Iconfactory to get the updated version of “iPhonica Volume 2”!

Tags: iPhonica, Mac OS X, Windows, Vista, Leopard, iPhone, interface, desktop customization, application icons

I am working on a new set of folder icons inspired by water, light, textures, my water colour paints, translucency, blues and the folders in Mac OS X Leopard.

This all comes together in a series of icons and wallpapers named Luminous.

Bringing a cool water feeling to your desktop during the hot summer months. A beach, dew in the grass in the early morning, a glass of iced water, a rainfall.

In June, members of Club Marmalade Moon, receive the third edition of the Marmalade Monthly.

A preview desktop icon of the new collection of folders that I am working on. There is a version for Windows and one for Mac OS X with lovely large versions for Vista and Leopard.

A Luminous Cerulean desktop calendar for June.

And yes, it is free!

Join the tribe! Sign up today and receive high-quality, limited edition, designer desktop art from Marmalade Moon. Have fun customising your desktop!

Tags: desktop calendar, Luminous, Mac OS X, Leopard, folder icons, Aqua, water, textured, desktop customization

If home is where you lay your hat, and your desktop is where you spend a big chunk of your time, why not take your desktop for an adventure starting off by hanging this gorgeous fedora on your desktop? Adventure is where you find it!

The Month of Adventure presents desktop art on an Indiana Jones theme!

Turn your desktop into Dr. Jones' desktop with Indy's Desk, a stunning and detailed vintage-style desktop picture by Dave Brasgalla. This wallpaper brings dreams of travel and exploration to your desktop!

Customize an adventurous desktop complete with computer icons from Indy's quest for the fabled Lost Ark. Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark by Anthony Piraino which brings you the Indiana Jones' trademark fedora and bullwhip. His notebook, treasure map and of course the treasures!

In anticipation of Lucasfilm & Paramount’s blockbuster series starring Harrison Ford in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull we have launched a month-long tribute to Indiana Jones over at the Iconfactory! The Month of Adventure will see the debut of a set of desktop icons for each movie so we can look forward to The Temple of Doom, Last Crusade, and The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull icon sets released later on this month. The adventure continues all month long!

Related Links:
Dave Brasgalla's personal site and portfolio Pixelhuset
Anthony Pirano's personal site and gallery One-Button Mouse

Tags: film, movie, adventure, travel, vintage, historical, realism, Mac OS X, Leopard, Windows, Vista, Leopard, desktop customization

Spending hours on your computer? How about a spring desktop makeover?

Marmalade Moon has created a new club to belong to. As May approaches, there is one more week to get the April Club Benefits!

I have designed three limited edition floral computer icons exclusively for members of Club Marmalade Moon. A Siberian Scilla. An exquisite tulip with striking, rosy apricot petals suffused with pink! A Pheasant's Eye Daffodil, or Poet's Daffodil.

April's Club Monthly comes as icons for Windows, icons for Mac (with beautiful large resources for Mac OS X Leopard and Windows Vista) and as images for personal use on your blog, website, as an avatar for your computer user account, forums, instant messenger and social networks such as Facebook, Twitter or MySpace. The images are all in png format and available in seven sizes.

Join now to get your free, first-rate, limited edition spring desktop art!

Let your desktop bloom! 

Tags: seasonal, bold, spring, floral, Mac OS X, Leopard, Windows, Vista, instant messenger, social networking, forum, desktop customization

When MacPeople Lite in Japan featured my Soon Spring icons in their Spring 2008 issue I revisited the collection and decided to update the set to include fresh new versions for Mac OS X Leopard and Windows Vista for this weeks release of icons at the Iconfactory.

But it was so much fun to work with these icons that I expanded the collection with five bold, new spring flowers! Inspiration was literally on the doorstep, with a few late Snowdrops and a sea of Scilla on the grassy slope outside the studio. Iris, Daffodils and Pheasant's Eye saluting the sun from the flowerbeds.

When I was designing these flowers I studied them and was fascinated by things I found out. That Iris, in Greek mythology, was the goddess of the rainbow and messenger of the gods. The optical phenomenon iridescence is derived from Iris' name and the fleur-de-lis is a stylized Iris...

Then I read that Pheasant's Eye daffodil, is also called Poet's Daffodil or Narcissus poeticus in latin... Isn't that just irresistable!?

And if you want to get it on paper, that spring is here, you might be interested in the Tulip card over in the shop where there are several cards inspired by spring.

Soon Spring computer icons come with a companion wallpaper: A Sea of Scilla. This desktop picture is available in several sizes for different types of monitors. There are fullscreen, widescreen, iPhone and iPod Touch versions so take your pick!

Last but not least, members of Club Marmalade Moon receive a bonus collection of Soon Spring icons and images for personal use on your blog or website or as avatars for your computer user account, forums, instant messenger and social networks such as Facebook, Twitter or MySpace! Join the club to get your free April release of limited edition desktop art!

Tags: seasonal, floral, nature, spring, bold, Mac OS X, Leopard, Windows, Vista, social networking, Shop Marmalade Moon, desktop customization

It never fails, every year I buy budding bunches of daffodils, when I shop for food at the market. A couple of days later I buy another bunch, soon the dinner table is overflowing with daffodils. And when the daffodils bloom I am startled at how anything can be so - well so very yellow...

As you might have guessed, I am designing some compuer icons and desktop pictures on a spring theme. Bold and colourful like the brave spring blossoms. This spring desktop art will be ready to open its petals on your desktop next week!

Members of Club Marmalade Moon will receive bonus spring desktop art, so join the club to get your April release of limited edition desktop art, if you haven't done so already!

Tags: seasonal, spring, nature, floral, bold, Windows, Mac OS X, Vista, Leopard

I am delighted to announce that my article about how to create 512x512 icons for Mac OS X Leopard has been published at Smashing Magazine!

Smashing Magazine delivers useful, inspirational and innovative information for designers and web-developers and it's a great pleasure for me to contribute to such a creative designer environment!

“In 2000 Apple released the visual theme Aqua, a stunning leap forward in graphical user interface design. At the same time Apple published the Human Interface Guidelines (HIG), a tool for developers and designers that gives a detailed breakdown of the design philosophy behind Aqua. Apple recently updated their Human Interface Guidelines (HIG), to include the way the visual theme Aqua has evolved in Apple's latest operating system, OS X 10.5 Leopard. This is the first update since 2006.”

Aqua: "Gorgeous, artistic icons are an important part of the Mac OS X user experience. Users expect beautiful icons that tell an application’s story in a clear and memorable way". Well, how do icon designers go about creating beautiful icons in 512x512 glory? Leopard and the Updated HIG: A Designer's Guide to Icons examines Aqua's interface. Realism, symbols, silhouettes, transparency, light source and perspective. We take a look at the Dock, Leopard's file browser Cover Flow and the icon sizes. Finally you will find some practical tips on how to scale your art work so that the smaller versions become crisp and clear.

Tags: Apple, Mac OS X, Leopard, usability, interface, gui, realism

Sick of that boring, impersonal, generic computer desktop but not quite sure how to change it and make it yours? The Help Desk is open! Here you you can find out how to use icons to declutter your desktop and create a personal and productive work space.

Step-by-step tutorials walk you through how to save desktop art to your computer with ease and how to change the desktop icons on Mac OS X or how to customize the icons on Windows, how to use system replacement icons as well as how to customise your desktop picture on a Mac or your wallpaper in Windows with just a few clicks. Tutorials both for Windows and Mac.

There is no need to worry about which operating system you are using! These simple steps work in both Windows Vista, Windows XP as well as the classic, older Windows operating systems. Mac users can use these tutorials both to customise Mac OSX Leopard, the previous verisons of Mac OSX and the classic older versions of Mac operating systems.

There is also a printable PDF version that provides a way for you to keep an offline copy or print a copy for later use. Sometimes it can be handy to have a printed version on one's desk, whilst going through the different steps.

It's fun and easy to beautify your desktop! To make your digital working and leisure environment personal, functional, organized, uncluttered, practical, productive, gorgeous, delightful, to give it the look and visual cues you want it to have!

Tags: gui, guide, how-to, desktop customization, productivity, declutter, interface, Mac, Mac OS X, Leopard, Windows, Vista

Well, while I was off to have Easter dinner with my family, the Easter Hare showed up for his last visit for the year! There were paw prints all over the house and he had left a note by my laptop with little odd drawings, scribbles and arrows explaining where all the eggs were...

Here are all the eggs and their locations! If you missed the egg hunt you can download them here.

And there is more! This was just the beginning of fun desktop events here at Marmalade Moon! I am launching a new project for people who like to customize their desktops: Club Marmalade Moon!

Members will receive exclusive, limited edition, designer desktop art that will be free for use in personal projects. You can use the desktop art to decorate your computer desktop. Or your blog or website. You can use it for your computer user account, your forum profile, or instant messenger. You can customise your social network such as Facebook, MySpace, Twitter. Making your digital space personal and beautiful. And it's fun to collect the desktop art too!

Sign up today and be part of the grand opening in April!

Happy Easter!

Tags: interface, Mac OS X, Windows, Leopard, Vista, nature, holiday, events, Easter icon egg hunt