Oliver Jeffers has made an advert for Kinder chocolate!! 

Two of my favourite things together... mMmm!

Stop motion research :o)

Being un-techy, stop motion is an alternative  way on animating that I really like, and that I am more like to be able to use to make something maybe even a little bit impressive (i hope :P). 

By Maya Kurasawa & Haydn Secker  found via Simone Lia

I made it to MADE.

(They should definitely sell t-shirts and totes with this on, or have mini craft sessions called "i made it at MADE")!

Anyway..I made it to MADE! 

So..like a 22 year-old child in a sweet shop, I shopped, got over-excited, and saw more beautiful things than my eyes knew what to do with!! 

I also spoke to, looked at, and -inevitably- bought work by some very kind and talented craftspeople, who made the experience sweeter still. So as promised, here is my personal run-down of some of my favourite work -and people- from Made 11. A BIG thank you to everyone who took the time to talk to me, and allowed me to take photos of their stalls. 

Angela Davies -

  ..a textile and book artist whose beautifully wrapped mini-book I still can't bring myself to open! Angela's work is very subtle, beautiful, and tactile featuring many delicate prints and fabric elements. Her "little books for little notes" bear a motif of a butterfly to symbolise the fragility and fleetingness of thoughts and memories -as with butterflies.

(please click on her name and visit her website).

Cardigan-

..bright, quirky knitwears, and incredibly-made, funny crocheted pieces. These photos don't at all do justice to the quality and skill of the work, so PLEASE check her website too. As you can see I was rather taken by the scarf-wearing seagulls! Also see the site and Kate's twitter for further examples of work, and her original take on some classic British condiments.

Marion Brandis

..I've always had a lot of love for anyone with the patience and skill to make proper mosaics, and Marion Brandis does this BIG style! Her work adorns the walls,floors and benches of hospitals and public parks up and down the country, and you can see further examples of it via her website here.

Lara Sparks

..I also have a long-standing love of machine embroidery (and crockery, but more on that later!). For this reason, and for the fuzzy nostalgia her work produces, I love the work of Lara Sparks. For more perfectly balanced, and brilliantly detailed British-inspired work, take a look at her website.

Belen Gomez

..at some point in the future, I would LOVE to see my work on crockery, and looking as brilliant and natural there as these. Belen also has lovely illustrated greetings cards which can be purchased via her website. (And she sells under the name "Chalk and Cheese"..what a great name?!).

  

Finally, I'd like to direct your attention to:

Joanna Corney -http://joannacorney.co.uk/

Martha Mitchell Design -http://marthamdesign.com/

Rosemary Rose -http://rosemary-rose.co.uk/

Linda Miller -http://www.lindamillerembroideries.co.uk/

(as seen on Kirsties Handmade Britain!)and

Sew Girl -http://sewgirl.co.uk/ (who has a particularly nice "little England" DIY stitch kit).

These are all extremely talented and nice people, who took the time to tell me about what they make, and to just be generally lovely! Please take the time to follow them on Twitter or to browse their sites or shops!

LOOK WHAT I MADE!!

Ok... so in terms of childish excitement....LOOK WHAT I MADE!!! LOOK! LOOK!! 

For any of you un-techy types, this is a cross stitch of a QR Code, basically a barcode which when scanned on a smartphone, links to this blog! Pretty cool huh?!

Here's a bit of the detail:

 The idea is to keep this frame on my stall at craft events, so that people have easy access to this blog. (It also looks pretty cool!). 

Happy birthday Edmond Halley!

Source: Hubblesite.org

How can anyone not believe in God seeing something like that?
What a beautiful solar system we live in :o)


Continuing on the theme, todays google doodle: 

(read about other doodles here)

Happy 335th birthday Edmond Halley!

yum!

..installations from this year's Secret Garden Party. One day I will make it there!

Sketching the time by...

Well munchkins... I have been away on a little excursion (a very nice one!) for the last week, hence few postage. I am however back now, and have been drawing and collecting stories and stuff in the meantime, which I will probably pull out of my sleeve at a later date, like a magician! 

Until then here's Claude and one of his holiday snaps, an amusing side-project I have :P

(Claude at mini Niagara Falls)

TED

TED - "riveting talks by remarkable people" check this out, if it doesn't inspire you it'll make you laugh :) 
Shea Hembrey: How I became 100 artists | Video on TED.com

Wares..

Within the next year we have two exhibitions with uni where we're expected to sell/show our work and wares. Having such a long summer break, I've challenged myself to get ahead of the game now by using this time to experiment and make some things while i'm relaxed and the pressure's off. I'm hoping if this plan works out well, by the time the sales roll around (at least the first one in December) I should have enough stock together -maybe with some spare!- to make the most of the opportunity, and perhaps even make a few pounds!!

With that in mind, here's what i've made in the last few days: 

I really like them!

    

News International

A little something else from the last few weeks. 

Based on the phone tapping scandal- 

A new way for journalists to get quotes, as suggested by my friend Josh (a journalism student!)check out his blog here. 

Winchester

Monday 20th June 

Today I travelled by train -which is always a treat to me - and went to Winchester on a sort of midi-adventure!

Winchester is beautiful, and fitted completely into the posh stereotype I had had of it beforehand... which made it all together a little bit splendid!

As with the Race For Life, I took my camera and collected source material for future work, whimsy, etc. It was a good day!

Images l-r: Winchester Cathedral, Brass band with man bags!!, lampshades in the Cath Kidston store (AMAZING vintage-inspired decor), great bikes!

Emin inspiration...

Following the trip to London and once most memories of Emin-inapropriateness had faded, some mischievous and entertaining ideas appeared in my brain. Not liking to ignore inspiration, I picked up a pen and ended up with these:

     

we're going to Cornwall tomorrow on an inspiration/relaxation trip :) I was researching places to go and came across this logo on the Newquay Zoo website. 

I received the results of my theory unit this week (it went really well :D!) and part of my feedback was to analyse imagery and describe my own practise/work more. 

So here goes - I like this logo because of the continuity that it has despite containing several different elements and textures. I like the softness within it, the roundness of the typography and lines and simple child-like imagery, the interesting use of colours, and the sense of fun that the subtle animal elements give. :)

animation...

..at the end of next year we have to make an animation. Although this is something I've never done as of yet, we saw some of the current level 5's submissions last week, and they were really inspiring. It's a long way off yet but I found this today and if nothing else the technique is simple, and it amused me. Enjoy!

(notes on) biology from ornana films on Vimeo.

Hattie Newman illustration

Paper scene by Hattie Newman for Sony Eco. Check out her website too!

KAPoOooOOOOOOOOooooWW SPLASH!!!

today we made mess with a cola fountain..KAPoOooOOOOOOOOooooWW SPLASH!!! (sorry I can't rotate it :S)

Cote (coat?!) of arms...

other Mother's Day...

... i work part-time in a supermarket, and amongst other things, it kind of increases my hate and real sadness about public holidays (Christmas, valentine's day etc). 


I don't want to sound old and cynical, but I know what real love is like, and what it looks like, and that's why it really irritates me seeing so many people willingly mugged over every year, buying crappy useless stuff for these holidays out of a sense of obligation!


I have this belief that if you really REALLY love someone, you should tell them every day, and show them all the time, in personal, NON-EXPENSIVE (!!) creative little ways, NOT in ways that are hugely expensive or mass-produced!!!


I guess this is probably a really unpopular view (of course, 'cause it means we need to make an effort and get off our asses to organise and do and makes things specially!) but for me that's what the essence and the remnant of these holidays is supposed to be about.... showing people who are special and lovely, that we think that they are special and lovely. 


SO.... with this in mind, for the last 2 years our house has had a kind of alternative mother's day... and today (kind of unimaginatively but it's the only day i could get off work!) we celebrated that! 


As part of other mother's day, we took my mum on a mystery tour and looked around a garden centre and in an aquarium shop and at some tents. Then we had a drink in a pub in the countryside, and took her out for dinner. It was nice, and hopefully let her know in a unique way, that she is unique and pretty special :)


....mush aside, i've started taking my camera out with me in search of "mess" and found some other strange/inspiring/ interesting and curious things that i thought i'd share. :)
Enjoy!  

i went to Ikea today, investigating anti-mess (but mostly looking for nice things :P) and found this in the restaurant... it made me smile!

For more Ikea related silliness, check this out!