Journal shots...

Yesterday I started photographing objects for my journal title pages, not exactly how I envisaged them, but I think they look ok! 

Final Stamps revisited...

final final stamp designs!

Stamp designs in context

So I blogged a little while ago about my final postage stamp designs, after some reconsideration ive altered one of the stamps so they flow better as a collection...

show your mum...

Russell Hancock, a young designer, came into University to talk to us about his work, freelancing and being self employed. I found his talk so so useful. As some people know, I am interested in ‘going it alone’, and I have of late been debating with myself about the sort of money you charge people. Russell summed my feelings up by saying, he used to feel bad about charging people. How can I charge people money for something that I find really interesting and fun? He said to put this aside and assess the work we are doing for free and work that we are charging for. 

Russell’s work was really good stuff and it seemed that his passion for the subject had got him return work and a string off clients. I really related to Russell as he brought up some interesting topics, such as ‘showing your mum’. I don’t know about anyone else but when I show some of my work to my mum, I get a polite smile, then o yes thats lovely, and then a couple of minutes later, ‘I don’t get it’ *blank face* So frustrating but in some ways helpful, in that she’s the sort of person that will be seeing my work, and if my mum doesn't get it, there’s not much hope for everyone else. 

At the end of the lecture Russell gave us some really useful tips, on pricing jobs, terms and conditions, Fee proposals and signoffs. Along with some more really useful information I feel more confident in starting up on my own and the sort of prices I could be charging. Russell had an air of presence that worked well as university talk and the information passed on was integral to people like me who intend to work for themselves. This lecture taught me a lot and I would now feel confident in going out to the big wide world.

Belle and Boo...

I am a big fan of Belle and boo, and I’m always having a nosy on their blog. The team posted this picture of the stall they held at Kids Modern. I think its just lovely! I have been thinking about starting going to craft fairs and holding my own stall, I think belle and boos table was really inspiring and I hope that mine will look half as good.

Have a look at their blog, its www.belleandboo.blogspot.com

Self Promotion...

Front

Back

Been hard at work today designing my new CV and business cards, I’d like to start thinking about getting them printed soon so I thought now was the time to get a move on. I’ve created my own polka dot with buttons and used a simple logo design for the front. I don’t want to be too serious of a designer so I've used a handwriting style font. I’m pleased with the outcome and hopefully they'll turn out nicely when I get them printed, so much to think about! 

Emily forgot...

Yesterday, Emily Alston, a lovely, artist/illustrator/graphic designer came into chat to us about her work. Although I am still unsure quite how she produces her work it was really nice to see her pieces and the thought processes she goes through. She showed us a few slides of where she got her inspiration from which included work by Alan Aldridge and A. M. Cassandra, and then later in the lecture she showed off commissioned pieces and then personal pieces.

Her work is really modern in its approach and tries to bridge the gap between graphic design and illustration. She did mention how she preferred the approaches of graphic design rather than illustration as she felt that concepts behind work were more her thing.

Emily has done work for some really big companies and I am really inspired by her success. She has completed work for the likes of Addidas, Creative Review and twice for Selfridges. I’ve mentioned before how it is refreshing to see successful female designers and this was no exception. 

I realy wanna know how to transfer images on to plates!!!!

^Love this piece ^

Journal Moodboard...

T.V....

Heres my new Don’t Panic response for the word TV. I wanted to base my concept on the different ways people say TV remote, after experimenting with lots of text base pieces and failing miserably, I just used the word that I use for remote control...buttons.

I’m pleased with my final design, if a little different to how I had envisaged it in the beginning.

ooh la la

Yesterday, I bought a scanner.. finally! thought id test it out, heres a lovely topshop postcard that caught my eye...

Dear Typography...

Ive decided to tackle another dont panic brief,  responding to the word TV. The theme of my poster will be based on the different names for a TV remote. Im still undecided whether to make this an image based piece or type based piece. While researching typography I found this lovely poster...

I heart spring...

These tulips in my living room and the sun shining are making me feel all summery :) 

Monday Baking...

After doing everything in my power to avoid working on a monday, and feeling inspired by the lovely Miss Dahl, I baked, naughty, but so so nice...

Stamp final design..

Done and dusted :)

Mooooore stamps...

Ill be happy if I never have to see another stamp template again! And im still not pleased, here are my last developmet designs, just need to pick one now! Help would be appreciated :)

PANIC...

I have finally finished what was supposed to be a small, week project, which turned into a set of postcards and a poster bigger than anticipated. I’m really chuffed with the final outcomes, and I’m glad I got advice at my tutorial the other week, its just a shame I cant show on screen the stock and colour paper that these will are printed on, because it does make them look a lot nicer! 

Panic Exhibition, NOISELAB...

Went to visit NOISELAB last week, to have a good ol nosy at everyones work! It was really good to see what everyone is up to in the year because you dont often get to see alot of completed work in the studio!

I was so impressed with the pieces on show, and thought the exhibition looked fab! unfortunatly not all of my photographs came out too well, but here are a selection that I particularly liked :)

Push-Print

The other day, Marisa from top printing company, Push-Print came in to talk to us about print specs and the ins and outs of sending a job to professional print. 

She brought loads of examples for us too look at and it was really inspiring to see the different ways of printing, embossing and finishing. I’ve definatly picked up some ideas for my journal!

Marisa, gave us some good paper merchants to research and some top tips on writing a print spec. Although I found it quite complicated, id feel more confident in sending a job to print, just need to remember these things...

• Give the job a title
• How big is the job, (give in mils and then an A size)
• How is it to be printed?
• What stock do I want used
• A four page cover is needed and a 32 page text
• Colours?
• Any specials, ie. laminates, perforations, die cuts etc.
• Finnishing, ie. binding style (Perfect binding, exposed, side sewn etc.)
• Delivery address
• Quantity

Confusion never stops, closing walls and ticking clocks...

D and A D, as a year group have had the opportunity to hold an exhibition at NOISE in Manchester. A brief was written and we were to design something based around the word Panic. I brainstormed and felt, panic for me was usually linked with time, so... I started drawing clocks.

I’ve ended up making a book that will be shown at the exhibition, but I am also working on a poster for my portfolio, ill be posting pictures of that soon.