Dotting more I's

I've found myself getting in quite a few flaps over the past few days, its certainly safe to say I have third year brain! Today unexpectedly things seem to have come together a tad more though, for one a brought myself a giant tea-cup which has filled me with happiness. I've also got an idea in my head of how I want to present my show, which has lifted a weight off my shoulders... hopefully it all works out okiees.... below are some of my test layouts for my postcards. 

above is a ball of hedge which im hoping to hang from the ceiling, with some knitted flowers.

Un-happy accidents

I've been applying my final decals to ceramics ready for the kiln, sadly three of my plates cracked, a not-so-happy accident. I've still got two more of the same style plate to be fired, fingers crossed they wont crack too. Luckily I had quite a few more ceramics so all was not lost. These are some of them...

Tiles for Alice

Completed my first ever commission this week, tiles for my friend Alice's bathroom: bikes and bananas. 

thinking about crossing the tea's!

So this week was our last week of printing at uni, eeek. I've been spending the week making endless lists in my head of things to do, and the little things really do seem to build up. Luckily I got everything I needed to do in the studio completed, woo, now I just need to figure out what I want to do with them. I've also ordered a few bits and pieces which should be arriving next week, excited to receive them already...

I visited fabpad at the university of east london and ordered myself some digitally printed fabric to use for the backs of my cushions. 

Along with the fabric, I finally got myself together, gritted my teeth and set about designing business cards from moo. While on moo I remembered they also create stickers so I set about designing a label for my brand 'grapefruit and sugar' - i'm hoping I can use these on all my products to help create a my brand identity. Something I'd somewhat overlooked till now!

these are my business card designs:

my sticker design for branding: 

postcards and love letters continued...

My second amazingly lovely discovery of the week is the world needs more love letters, started when Hannah Brencher noticed a young woman on her train looking utterly fed up - she got out a pen and paper and started writing the lady a letter. The letter was filled with things like 'go easy on yourself' 'it'll all work out', things Hannah who was depressed by unaware of it at the time would have needed to hear herself. Sadly the lady got off the train before she'd finished, but Hannah left the letter on her seat, realising that someone might read it and it could change their life. After that she started to leave letters of encouragement all over the city. This has now grown into a sensation, Hannah now has a team of letter writers and requests for letters from people the world over. 

Just like postSecret this idea and the thought behind it is lovely, who wouldn't when there feeling down or confused have appreciated finding a letter of encouragement, I know I would. Its amazing. 

There aren't any images to go alongside this I just felt inspired by the idea, it made me think of my own postcards I've been creating and how little we send via the post anymore. Just receiving a holiday postcard is a treat let alone a letter, especially one from a complete stranger who seemingly wants nothing but the best for you. 

maybe i could create love letters

so so so lovely 

postcards and love letters

This week I've come across several things which I think are utterly amazing, aside from the little things like teaching myself to like bananas, I've also discovered postSecret and the the world needs more love letters. 

PostSecret is the creation of Frank Warren, with what started has a community art project developing into a global wonder: people anonymously send Frank their secrets on a self designed post card.

 I think this idea is amazing, the thought of telling, or rather writing a complete stranger (Frank) your deepest secret, or perhaps just something you've never told anyone else is kind of liberating. I guess has the saying goes a problem (secret) shared is problem halved. Frank publishes a selection of the postcards each week on his website, so others can view others postcards, no one knows who's they are but in doing so it brings people together. Knowing not only you have that fear, that everyone hides something and that were all a lot closer than we think - its lovely. 

here are some of the postcards: 

Blank Inside design

Freya Cumming

Ketchup on everything

Another discovery made at pulse, I was drawn to the work mainly because I too like to put ketchup on everything, and its nice to know someone else feels the same way. 

yes, lets put ketchup on everything...

Home Slice

I saw Home Slice at pulse yesterday and really liked their work, this is some of their stuff, its lovely. 

 Their studio is on a boat, amazing.