Old read, new read...
So, I finally finished reading We Need To Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver. I say finally because it did feeel like an ordeal. It took a long time to get into it, about a chapter before the end, because that's when it got good for me; it finally had pace. The first half of the book dragged behind like a petulent child, although I understand the need to build up suspense and show the events leading up to Thursday as it's referred to perhaps it could have been done another way.
I bought the book a long time ago, my copy says 'Orange Fiction Prize 2005' on it, but only recently as the film version has been released have I realised that I had it and that it might be worth a read.
Overall, the ending makes up for it's tediousness although I probably won't read it again and would only recommend it to someone with a lot of time on their hands.
Next book I'm reading: The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. I already own it, but Maggie from Pan Am listed it as her favourite book and that's recommendation enough for me.
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Monday, February 20, 2012
Some things I've been making recently...
I've always liked Irregular Choice shoes, I think they're absolutely gorgeous, but for someone who has size 9 feet there is no way I can find a pair to fit me. So, I've decided to customise my own pair of shoes and one day they'll look half as pretty as the pairs in the shops.
The one on the left I'm thinking of turning into a bookmark, the one on the right is a squishy brooch I made not so long ago.
This was a leaving present for someone at work, a larger version of one of the little doughnut brooches I make.
And a couple of pin cushions from a pre-cut felt pin cushion kit. I copied the patterns and made them in slightly different colours.
My dad's birthday present. He took us clay pigeon shooting for Christmas, this isn't clay, it's papermache, but we both greatly dislike actual pigeons.
i hope you like them too!
I've always liked Irregular Choice shoes, I think they're absolutely gorgeous, but for someone who has size 9 feet there is no way I can find a pair to fit me. So, I've decided to customise my own pair of shoes and one day they'll look half as pretty as the pairs in the shops.
The one at the top is what they looked like originally, the bottom one is the latest photo.
I'm hoping to add an insole and cover it in a fabric of my choice, hot glue it in and then have the soles remade - they're a little thin. I'll update with photos as soon as I've done it :)
I made these a while ago from felt, I really like the kawaii milk and cookies.
I made these a while ago from felt, I really like the kawaii milk and cookies.
The one on the left I'm thinking of turning into a bookmark, the one on the right is a squishy brooch I made not so long ago.
This was a leaving present for someone at work, a larger version of one of the little doughnut brooches I make.
And a couple of pin cushions from a pre-cut felt pin cushion kit. I copied the patterns and made them in slightly different colours.
My dad's birthday present. He took us clay pigeon shooting for Christmas, this isn't clay, it's papermache, but we both greatly dislike actual pigeons.
i hope you like them too!
Monday, December 19, 2011
It's been such a long time...how have you been?
Well, I've graduated from UWIC with a 2:1 in Art & Creative Writing, moved to Manchester and I'm still working in a job that I don't enjoy, but I'm actively seeking a new one.
Luckily, the only thing keeping me sane, is making things. I used to think craft-like things weren't that much fun, but I've definitely changed my mind. I've been making a lot of felt brooches over the last six months ( I definitely have over 100) and have sold some of them at craft fairs.
I've also been making prints using something called SoftCut. I've used lino to make prints before but SoftCut is something totally different. It can take half the time it takes to cut a print in lino as it does to make a print with this stuff.
Making little Moleskine-style notebooks has been fun too, using a compass cutter to round off the corners and stitching the little thing together then using Letraset letter (in white Helvetica) to put my name on the front. I've made a handful (and have gotten through them too!) so I think it's time to make some more!
Hope everyone is well and happy holidays to all!
Well, I've graduated from UWIC with a 2:1 in Art & Creative Writing, moved to Manchester and I'm still working in a job that I don't enjoy, but I'm actively seeking a new one.
Luckily, the only thing keeping me sane, is making things. I used to think craft-like things weren't that much fun, but I've definitely changed my mind. I've been making a lot of felt brooches over the last six months ( I definitely have over 100) and have sold some of them at craft fairs.
I've also been making prints using something called SoftCut. I've used lino to make prints before but SoftCut is something totally different. It can take half the time it takes to cut a print in lino as it does to make a print with this stuff.
Making little Moleskine-style notebooks has been fun too, using a compass cutter to round off the corners and stitching the little thing together then using Letraset letter (in white Helvetica) to put my name on the front. I've made a handful (and have gotten through them too!) so I think it's time to make some more!
Hope everyone is well and happy holidays to all!
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Well it's the end of an era. After four years at university at UWIC in Cardiff, my time has come to leave. I'm currently in that limbo stage between results and graduation, where I'm still technically a student as I haven't graduated yet, but it doesn't feel like I am. It feels strange. Everyone is packing up and ready to go back home, only returning for July and the graduation ceremony, whereas I am staying for another year, hopefully finding a job and joining the rank of 'graduate'. I'm considering an MA after my year of work but I can think about that later. I am very pleased to be graduating with a 2:1 although I will miss the course, it's lecturers, my fellow classmates and the atmosphere of the campus and I wish good luck to all of the graduating class of 2010.
I studied Art & Creative Writing at UWIC's Cardiff School of Art and Design with my main practice interests in mail art. There was a lot of paperwork created when making work for my final module. Everything I made to send, either to myself or to someone else, would be photocopied and accompanying this I would fill out a handmade form detailing what it was, who the recipient was, it's method of postage and at the end of each form, a date stamp and signature. Everything I received was logged with a form and, later in the process, date stamped. This change I found useful as I could then track how long it took for items that I sent to myself to return to me and start to experiment with the system.
My degree show work, entitled 'Miss-orts', consisted of a set of pillarbox-red pigeon holes, labelled and numbered, holding 125 pieces of received mail art. This sat on a desk which also held all outgoing forms, on top of the pigeon holes was outgoing mail yet to be sent and the 'inbox' and 'outbox' which I used as I was working on the piece; scattered on top of the table and on the floor surrounding it were red rubber elastic bands, partly collected but mostly donated. It was intentionally made to reflect the way in which post would be sorted in a mail room or a sorting office. I also included two (borrowed) grey Royal Mail sacks which have since been returned.
I studied Art & Creative Writing at UWIC's Cardiff School of Art and Design with my main practice interests in mail art. There was a lot of paperwork created when making work for my final module. Everything I made to send, either to myself or to someone else, would be photocopied and accompanying this I would fill out a handmade form detailing what it was, who the recipient was, it's method of postage and at the end of each form, a date stamp and signature. Everything I received was logged with a form and, later in the process, date stamped. This change I found useful as I could then track how long it took for items that I sent to myself to return to me and start to experiment with the system.
My degree show work, entitled 'Miss-orts', consisted of a set of pillarbox-red pigeon holes, labelled and numbered, holding 125 pieces of received mail art. This sat on a desk which also held all outgoing forms, on top of the pigeon holes was outgoing mail yet to be sent and the 'inbox' and 'outbox' which I used as I was working on the piece; scattered on top of the table and on the floor surrounding it were red rubber elastic bands, partly collected but mostly donated. It was intentionally made to reflect the way in which post would be sorted in a mail room or a sorting office. I also included two (borrowed) grey Royal Mail sacks which have since been returned.
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