I'll huff and I'll puff.....
Monday, 28 November 2011
New grating pic
Arrrggghhh, I keep forgetting to check out the grating - but I did make an effort on Saturday on my way to Costa (late) to meet a lovely ex-student of mine called Chloe......
An early Christmas in Farringdon..
So last Friday my lovely Mum and I went to sell my stuff - well that was the idea anyway! The event was in the most gorgeous cottage in a village close to us, and strangely it was set for a few hours in the morning and a couple in the evening, fortunately it was a non-teaching day on Friday and our meetings weren't scheduled until a little later in the morning, so I got to go and set the stall up first, thus avoiding having to really put upon Mum by not only conning her into stall sitting for 3 hours but having the stress of making it all look nice too! I was really pleased with how it turned out and as a result I sold enough stuff to pay for quite a chunk Christmas - yay! Next week Selborne - it's all go for the Christmas crafter!
Aren't Mums the best?!
All in all, not a bad day!
Whilst listening to Mark drone on in our departmental meeting I noticed these lovely things around his studio - never one to ignore the inspirational, and it just so happens that I love birds (obviously) and text, err, now all I have to do is find out what he was actually talking about.... Caroline? Oh, she wasn't listening either.....!
Desperate measures - probably not worth it.
So in a bid to widen my audience as it were, I decided to diversify last week in preparation for a bit of a lovely craft event I was asked to participate in. So I came up with something for both the child and the grown-up ...... Firstly Jars to encourage a love of our fine feathered friends, and secondly garments for the avid gardener, so here's hoping that soemone will like them.......
Thursday, 24 November 2011
Clever girl
So our lovely Sadie has hit the big time with her fabby jewellery hitting the Guardian gift list! I am just too, too, tooooo proud!
http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/gallery/2011/nov/18/christmas-gift-ideas-jewellery-over-20-pounds?fb=native
Sunday, 20 November 2011
Lots to catch up on - as usual!
So I have been my usual hopeless self and haven't blogged again for a WHOLE week - so sorry, but in my defence it has been a bit hectic in my particular neck of the woods - tons of bloody reviews to write, projects to brief, work to make for the next few craft fairs and I am desperately trying to get my head around Christmas - in this house I have to cajole Ivan (Mr Bicknell) to shop for his side of the family too - of course he would rather be climbing, and a day spent trawling around shops instead of hanging off the side of a cliff is not a cheery prospect...... On top of all of this we have had a pile of new forms from the adoption agency - we have to make chronologies of our lives! Goodness, what a mission. I am also very sorry to all our wonderful family and friends who have also received enormous amounts of paperwork to fill in about us too..... we are very grateful you know!
So, what have I been up to? Welllllll, Last Friday we headed up to the big smoke for a series of lectures at the university of London with 50 of our lovely new first years, I was a bit worried (it was my trip you see) that they wouldn't take too kindly to having to sit through 4, 50 minute lectures but I needn't have worried, it was fantastic. I had booked the places because one of my favourite sculptors ever was a key speaker - and blimey he was good, although ecery second word was a word rhyming with duck...... David Mach, I think I love you!!!
The man himself up close and personal - shame I was so over-excited that I couldn't keep the camera steady - so here's a proper one off the internet for you!
Mr Mach is best known for his oversized sculptures which use multiples of everyday objects including coat hangers, bricks, matches and magazines - check him out....
We also got to hear Betty Jackson
Some of Ivan's (Mr Bicknell's) Girls hanging out with Betty - like you do.
Jessica Bugg - head of performance wear and prosthetics at LCF
And Shynola - amazing animators responsible for, amongst many other projects, the Strawberry swing Video for Coldplay
Last Saturday Mum and I headed over to winchester to a craft fair - I was super excited about this one as I was going to meet the wonderful Ms Ivy Black Chat (Em), and well, she was as lovely as I thought she might be, her work is gorgeous, very cool and retro, not like a whole load of stuff has exploded like mine!! We had a laugh at the rather strange lady next to me who almost killed a small child with her very precariously balanced display stand, and then felt very miserable about the fact that she sold a ton of stuff and we didn't - well, if the good people of Winchester are only interested in crap sock animals, then they are not the people I thought they were! So, like Ivy, I will not be giving up the day job any time soon!!! Check Ivy's blog out here and then go and visit her Facebook shop and buy lots of stuff - Christmas is on its way after all!!! Oh Ivy - I want one of your pin cushions........
Isn't she loverly?!
Thursday saw me working with some of the media boys and printing their designs onto T shirts ready for a presentation they were giving - Sammi actually did all the work, and I remembered why I prefer teaching girls! Their poor teacher ended up with strips of masking tape all over her back - what a mature bunch!!!
On Friday I had another day out - this time in Brighton, organised by Deborah and backed up by Sammi and Liz - we went to the Made 11 exhibit at the Corn Exchange - BRILL! I want to do this show next year! Lots of fab work and really lovely ladies selling their work - the students seemed to genuinely inspired which was good!
Here are some of my faves....
Joanna Corney - lovely simple Brighton themed images, I wish I could be so reserved!
Katie Almond - beautiful ceramics.
Lara Sparks was so charming and it looks like one of our girls - Holly - might have scored herself some work experience with her!
Holly parting with some cash....
Deborah and Liz checking things out.....
Laura Slater use the most gorgeous colour palette.
Ros Lymer is a textiles teacher too and also manages to get her act together enough to do a proper craft fair!
www.ros-lymer.co.uk
Oh Golly Gosh wouldn't let me take my own pics so I have pinched some stuff off their site - I'm not going to include a link, just because I am terribly immature like that!
Armitage designs were lovely though and Ivan (Mr Bicknell), if you read this, I want one of their scarves!
www.armitagedesign.co.uk
I can't remember who this was - but aren't these Christmas decs great?!
We also had lunch at Carluccios...
Looked around the Laines
At the pavilion
Loved the lights
And admired the sunset!
I also have to show you the gorgeous prints my 14 year olds did last week and turned into Poladroids.
Alicia
Amy
Courtney
Daisy
Emma
Esther
Evie
Georgia
Kat
Molly
Olivia
Rachel
Shannon
My little sister turned 30
And Jenny at Handmade Happiness put on a Christmas evening - hope it went O.K. Jenny X
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