A Curious and Fabulous thing...

A curious and wonderful thing has appeared in Alton, the town where I live. A town which is actually currently in a state of regeneration - the likes of the high street chain store is moving on and instead, a new breed of independent masterpiece is making its presence known. The Old Curiosity shop is a brilliant example of how someone's passion and eye for detail can manifest itself into what can only be described as a treasure trove designed for the imagination. Carefully selected items sit alongside each other in quiet disparity and clearly evidence a proprietor who thinks about  a diverse clientèle.  The friendly skeleton who presides over the shop and would have been openly embraced by Lord Sugar as a worthy task purchase, heads up the twitter feed for the bright yet retiring mind whose brainchild it is, and you can follow him right here  - http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.twitter.com%2Fcuriosityalton&h=aAQGEXOQ0

Just so you know.....

The Old Curiosity Shop opened on the 6th December and can be found at 26 Normandy Street. If you want to know who owns it you will just have to visit as he is a little on the shy side and didn't want to pose for a photo, although if you look closely you will find him lurking in one! It is open 10-5 Tuesday to Saturday and 11-3 on Sundays. I might be biased because I do like a bit of a rummage through all things curious, but I sped some quality stuff on my visit last weekend, some of which you will find pictured below.  The shop is designed to be somewhere you can become immersed in, it changes in layout twice weekly and from what I can gather the turn over of stock is pretty rapid, so if you see something you like jump on it before someone else does! I know that for me it is going to be a godsend with lots of students looking to style shoots and not having the right props to really make things look interesting - in this instance rather than buying objects they can hire them! So, if you have a special event coming up why not pop in and see what you can find, equally there is a search service which can be implemented for a fee.

Go on, go and have a look!

3 things

Three things that I liked last week......



Makes me love Mr Radcliffe even more, and well, what's not to love about Jimmy??!



Yeah you knew it


#dropthelearningtax from alton college on Vimeo.

And most importantly of all - come on - support us in this - we don't deserve to be penalised for doing such a good job......

Hello.

Finally made it into 2015! Although  I don't really have any resolutions - I suppose I will try to keep more on top of things (I always say this), like blog less sporadically, fight the system and keep my creative teaching job and hopefully not find myself signing on next year...... - getting that wretched film I keep talking about off the ground might be useful in helping the world to see that we really do run the best Foundation course can only help our recruitment right? Keeping on "growing" the most fantastic little boy ever, be nicer to my husband and attempt to instigate the odd date night, start buying the odd lottery ticket  (you never know!!), do something more determined with my own creative endeavours rather than the odd little market, get fitter, slimmer, healthier...........

In the meantime - because the above is a bit of a challenge, let me introduce you to the new textiles/fashion/photography cohort.....

Alex - she's a bit shy - but a rather good photographer

Angel - not so shy and a blossoming textile designer

Becks - says it like it is and is great at snapping at the world around her

Billy - knows his Balenciaga from his Burberry

Bradley doesn't, but he nearly knows his way around a camera (!)

Chloe - pre swanky hair-cut - much more of a fashionista now!

Emily - her with the photogenic Granny!

Emma - knows more than she lets on about textiles

Flo - confident with a paintbrush

Georgia M - has a style all of her own

Georgia P - fabulous in front of and behind the camera

Hannah, a surprisingly good photographer!

Holly -a good thing that fashion is so fast-paced

Iza - as slippery as they come - perfect for a career in fashion!

Katie - scarily focused and textiles all the way

Molly - isn't ginger the new black? 

Pascale - crafting it up a storm!

Speaking of whom - she wishes, if all you needed to be a brilliant photographer was a loud mouth there would be no stopping her!

Whatever

Susie - sew fabulous

Noah - honorary group member - more interested in a hole in the ground! 

Richard - he of the MASSIVE sandwich and carer of our beloved laser cutter!

An old friend came back on the radar showing them how it's done on the (real) catwalk - love you Pip x

Mixing the groups up always calls for an ice breaker - this is some of them saying hello in their own imitable ways....

Becks

Storm, Bradley, Hannah and Emily with a little bit of help from a borrowed Alice...

Georgia P working it for Holly and Katie

Chloe and Emma

Georgia in demand for Angel and Georgia M

Susie and Flo

Pascale

Pascale, Billy and Iza

Project 1 for textiles - The shape of things to come.....

I have "shifted" away  from colour and the skirt to dresses made from shapes - had to keep making the envelopes though!

Straight into the moodboard phase!

So far so good!