Feedback

Todays crit went quite well. I got some quite useful feedback. One being that I hadn't labelled everything correctly so I have gone back and changed it all, so now everything should be correct. Another thing pointed out to me was that I need to put my images through issu if I have more than 4, which, again I have now gone back and done. So that should all be sorted out now.

These are my boards that I took with me to the crit: 

Invoice For Anorak

After doing the work shops for YSP and D&AD, I thought that it was about time that we sorted out all our receipts and costs that we have spent as Cathy said that they would reimburse it all for us. I quite enjoy doing this sort of thing so I got everyone to give me all their receipts and tell me what they had spent and I would put it all together. 

Coasters

Email from the Creative Director

I just received an email from the creative director Sophie Stericker congratulating me! She has also told me that I have been mentioned in an article and has sent me the link. Exciting stuff!! 

http://www.thebookseller.com/news/furrily-does-it-nicholas-wins-inaugural-carmelite-prize-328039

Lollypops

I bought two big tubes from SCRAP. So I was thinking about making two different kinds of lolly pops.  The one with the swirl might be a bit too complicated to get done in time for the deadline, so I always have the other one as back up. 

Cookies

Recently I have been on a mission to find a cookie jar. They're all pretty expensive or not quite right so far. I have come up with how I will go about making the cookies and how I kind of want them to look. 

Fast Food Tray

I was thinking of buying a plastic white or pink tray (if the pink matches the logo pink). I have drawn out what foods could go on the tray and how I would go about making them. 

Tote Bags

Grumpy Birthday Cat

The other day someone was going through my sketch books and pointed out this small drawing of a birthday cat that I did ages ago and said that they loved it and it was their favourite. At the time I hated it and thought it was a bit rubbish. But now they have pointed it out I do actually quite like it now and think it's funny really. I won't be using it as one of my finals but thought it was worth neatening up a bit and putting on here. 

Cushions

Packaging

After talking to Claire, she still very much liked he logo of the tea cup with the flowers. I myself am not so keen on it, but if that's what she wants. 

To expand this brief I have decided to create the packaging and a range of other products. Claire is in the very early stages of starting up her tea business so if I propose these different flavours, I can adapt them to flavours she will stock. I did talk to her about what flavours she will have but she doesn't know exactly what the flavours are so these are just a range of sample flavours. 

I have taken the different 6 sample flavors and the logo that Claire likes and put it all into context. After doing a bit of research and seeing tea bag packaging out there, I want to go for the similar look as Tea Pigs with the brown cardboard like packaging. I think having this packaging adds to home made, independent business ascetic and could also have the option of sourcing recycled material. 

Flavours and Design

After having a chat with Fred, it was agreed that the single tea bag design looked the best. So, taking that into consideration I have taken that design and put it across 6 flavors and adapted it to each one. 


I chose these flavors based on fruit teas that Twinings stock. 

Future ideas and plans for Bloop

Just been chatting with Jessie and Orlaith over lunch and we really feel like we need to get professional with the Bloop Group if we want to continue doing this when we leave. We realised that we will need to get all the correct documents in order for us to be able to work with children. But we feel that this is something that we could potentially be able to make some money from, especially if we get people to pay per children. 

I have put myself forward to create us a website, as I really quite enjoyed it making my own website so I would be happy to do this. Jessie and Orlaith said they don't mind being in charge of social media and then we thought Sophie would be good to work on the Tumblr as non of us particularly know how to use it. 

Also, we need to create a business card, which will be pretty easy seeing as we have a logo and the details so would be simple to put together. I don't mind doing this  as well. 

The great news continues!

Today I got emailed probably, the best email I have EVER received! I got another email from Anne telling me about the contract. It all sounds pretty crazy and amazing to me. I spoke to Teresa and Fred about it and showed them the email. Both of them have told me to sign up to the AOI so I really need to make that a priority. 

I emailed back telling them that I will need to have a chat with my tutors and everything before I can accept anything. She seems very friendly and understanding about it too. Also, I need to find out about when I need to book my train so I asked her about the 9th but she said they need to find out first whether thats good with them. 

Laser Cutting Badges

I had a laser cutting induction the other day, so I booked myself into have a go and do it on my own. For my craft fair coming up in just over two weeks I wanted to sell some wooden badges with my logo on. 

Unfortunately they didn't come out like I hoped, I think I rastered and engraved the wrong parts. Though I do quite like the effect of the dark brown ones that came out. 

They liked my website and portfolio!!

I sent her off an email with my portfolio and website and she has replied. I'm so grateful and excited and overwhelmed by it all! She liked my portfolio and website, so thats brilliant! I've screen shotted bits of the pdf she linked into the email: 

Phone call with Publishing Director

Eagerly I waited for her phone call this morning. She ended up ringing an hour later than planned, but its okay. She was so full of praise and so lovely on the phone and saying how much they all loved my character designs  and everything. We have arranged to meet next Friday, because she wants me to meet the creative director, CEO, Cressida and some other people. So she has said that they will pay for my train, which is great! Also, they said they will give me the £500 prize money too. And overall she wants to discuss me having a contract with them, as they have  another book in mind for me. In preparation for meeting next week she asked me to email her my website and digital portfolio - which I have now done. 

I am so overwhelmed and excited by all of this, its crazy!! I bumped into Teresa and she gave me advice to not sign anything straight away and get the AOI to read over it all, so ideally I need to sign up to it straight away! 

Also, just noticed this at the end of all the emails Annes sent me: 

She's the Publishing Director! Exciting stuff!! 

Carmelite Prize Results!!!

Sooooooo so very excited! I cannot even believe it! This is such amazing great news! I replied as soon as I saw the email. So she's arranged to call me again at 10am tomorrow morning, so will have to wait and see till tomorrow whats next with it all! 

LONDON/D&AD Weekend - DAY 2/3

This whole trip has been such a great experience, we have met so many lovely people and learnt so much from it. We have all decided that this is something that we want to continue doing as a group together. 

Over the weekend, we didn't just do our own workshop. Similar to YSP we worked on the other workshops too. I spent most the weekend on the Green house workshop, helping the children create plants and creatures to fill up the Green house with. I ended up drawing loads of things to put up myself, the children were really liking them so I ended up drawing loads so that they could use them as templates or just some inspiration. 

Half way through the day Cathy had to do a talk with Rob Flowers, which I managed to catch a bit of it during my lunch. Luckily when I got there they were talking about cartoons and toys from their childhood which inspired them and that they loved growing up. I really enjoyed the part of the talk that I got to see and it was interesting seeing some of the old toys that they have been inspired by. And you could really see their influences. Rob Flowers said one of the toys that inspired him, was collecting McDonalds toys, and went on to show us some slightly weird and creepy McDonalds advertisements that were on telly when he was a kid. But you could see the relations to his work. 

Cathy, said she had travelled around a lot as a child so she had many different cartoon and toy influences. What I did notice in them both they were into collectable toys, ones where you wanted to get the whole set. 

At the end of the first day, it was really lovely, as Cathy took the whole team over to a diner and bought us all food and drinks. 

We all had coffees on the second morning from a place on the way to D&AD and they said 'there is no time to be tired' it made me laugh as I feel like I related to it so much. 

On the second day, it was a bit quieter in the morning so we took turns to go and have a look around at all the work that was up and around. It was all so inspiring and the place was massive, there was SO many rooms filled with peoples work, it was amazing! 

I took some photos of the place and the pieces that inspired me or thought were really clever. 

During my lunch break on the second day, it was quite sunny so I went for a wander down the road. There was a little art market going on and came across this woman who creates these 'sofa buddies'I thought they were so unusual and wonderful, they were great! Her name was Rose Nisbet and I got chatting to her for a bit. She hand makes them all herself and just goes round doing different art markets and fairs around London and told me to just keep at it.  

I took one of her business cards with links to her website and everything: http://www.rosenisbet.co.uk

Another person I spoke to was Julia Staite. She was running a workshop and selling her plush toys. I went to go have a chat with her and get some advice. She wasn't really the most sociable person, and was quite quiet and not up for talking much. But she did give me some advice, that before I can actually sell my toys in shops and places I need to get them all CE checked. She gets all hers printed some where that is all CE checked for her, but for me I will need to do it all myself as I get all my fabrics from the market. It has made me a bit worried as I don't know anything about this. But, glad she has told me as I didn't even think about that. I also asked her if she gets is all mass produced but she said she sews it all herself. 

At the end of the day we all helped pack up and gave Jenny and Cathy a little present each from us all, which they really liked and appreciated! Overall, this has been such a great experience, and I feel that we have formed a great friendship with Jenny and Cathy and hopefully this is something that they would like to do again in the future. They did briefly talk to us about some more workshop events and ideas they have for the future, one being in Hull and another Cathy was on about a running an event based on 'A Shop of Dreams'. So fingers crossed! 

LONDON/D&AD Weekend - DAY 1

I had the BEST time down in London helping Anorak out and running workshops. 

On the first day, after arriving in at Kings Cross we took the tube over to Cathy's flat to drop off our bags and have a cuppa tea. It was great to see what Cathy's flat was like, as I am a bit nosey and find it interesting see how people live and display their things. Her flat was lovely and had a big balcony, she had Anorak posters and artists work up in her kitchen hanging from a line. (which I thought was a great  idea and I might knick. We all agreed that we wanted to go visit Pick Me Up as we had all been excited about going to it. 

We got two tubes and walked across to Somerset house (where Pick Me Up is), got  a little bit lost on the way, but managed to get there in the end, to then find out that they had stopped letting people in just 10 minutes before. We were all so gutted!! So whilst we were there we took a look around Somerset house at the other exhibitions that were on at the time. 

The mattress' were £5,600 each!! 

After looking around we headed over to Brick Lane which is where D&AD was. We got there for 7 and was there setting up all the workshops till around half 11! 

Purchases

Now PPP is out the way and can actually get my teeth into this project and start buying and thinking about what I need to be doing.  


The main display for the cookies will be in a large plastic or glass jar. But as packaging to be sold I have bought these white cookie bags with the front windows. I will seal the bags up with one of my stickers. 

I have bought some 24mm plastic eyes that will be used for the giant lolly pops. I've been trying to find big eyes for months now and finally these are the biggest ones I've come across so bought them straight away! 

These arrived in the post yesterday morning! They weren't as big as I hoped but won't be wasted. 

Reply

Both Anorak and Jenny replied for our email and confirmed that they wanted us to bring the Aquarium with us. 

Things to verify

We all got together to chat as Orlaith said she saw on the website that they Imaginarium Aquarium was going to be at D&AD. We thought that it would be best to send them an email to verify what it is that they want us to bring with us. Sophie still has the Aquarium at hers if so and we all have other various bags of recycling. Also, I have a digital print slot tomorrow so I can print out some more sticker eyes. 

Carmelite Prize Finished!!

I've now sent off my artwork for the Carmelite Prize 2016 Competition. Rather than doing 4 final double page spreads and 8 roughs, I have completed all 12 double page spreads. Also, I have done two different versions of it, one with typed writing and the other that has been hand written. 

Things to buy

I'm really liking the idea of having a big huge cookie jar full of plush cookies. I'm trying to find one that isn't ridiculously expensive and thats actually big. 

I've found this American site that sells large jars fairly cheap. I can't really picture the sizing of them without having a tape measure or ruler with me. But its the best so far that I've seen. 

http://www.jarstore.com/X-Large-Storage-Jars_c_40.html


Another thing that I have been researching into buying recently is big pizza boxes. They're quite expensive unless you buy in bulk, but really I only need one big one. Having a look around its around a tenner to get one box, which is just too much! I'm thinking of getting one from a take away near mine - they sell 18" pizzas so the box will be very big. The only problem is is that it will have their designs. This isn't too much of a problem though as I can spray paint the box white. 

Logo/Label Ideas for ROH TOTS

I feel like ROH TOTS need to have their own logo and identity to go along with my main logo. I have been playing around with what the label/tag would look like and various different logo ideas. I have used for the main tag a design that I made last year for when I  made my plush range of 'Mardy Cats'. I quite like that its circular and has the stitching around the edge. It's not a definite but thought it was a base to work from. 

(The first one is a front example of the tag). 

Train tickets are booked!

BLOOP are going to D&AD!

YAY! WE'RE GOING TO D&AD! Anorak have emailed and said that we can come down to London with them for D&AD. Such exciting news and a great opportunity! Also, Cathy has said that we will be sleeping at her house which should be fun.

DAY 2

I'm sad that its all done now, I had such a great time these last few days and hopefully Bloop Group will continue to run more workshops in the future. Towards the end of the day we spoke to Cathy and she mentioned that she might be interested in us coming down to London to help out at their stand at D&AD - which would be amazing! But she said she will need to go over their budget first and will get back to us. 

This morning due to the horrible rainy weather we had to move everything inside and re set up there. I in fact thought that it all worked better being inside and that the workshops had more equal numbers of children taking part in each of them; whereas yesterday I felt most people were drawn to our workshop.  Also, because we were all inside and less spread out all over the place it meant that I was able to mingle and bit more and get to know some of the other illustrators that were there. I spoke to Ben Javens for quite a long while and he gave me a lot of useful pointers and advice and interesting stories about how he got into being an illustrator. 

Today there were a few more slightly older children taking part in the activities which I thought was nice, and really enjoyed talking to them. But felt like today, after taking on everything that I had learnt yesterday I was much more confident with what I was doing and talking with the children. We made some really cool creatures and again, I was taken aback with how imaginative and awesome children's minds work. I think its great that they literally don't think anything is wrong. For example, with this one little boy I made a sea caterpillar called Jeff with a top hat, big nose and 20 legs! 


On the whole, this has been a terrific experience and hopefully opened up the opportunity to head down to London and meet more people! As our Bloop Group, I think that we have all agreed that we want to continue working together as a group running workshops at other events that we find. Apart from Jessie we all are planning on living in Leeds when we finish so will be easy to continue meeting. And for Jessie, we have our Facebook Bloop Group so we can stay in touch.

DAY 1

TODAY WAS GREAT! It was pretty cold all day, and began to rain towards the end of the day, but if anything it helped draw people towards our tent. 

To begin, I was quite nervous working with children as its not something I have really done much before or got much experience in, but very quickly got stuck in and actually really enjoyed working with them. It was amazing at how imaginative and intelligent they actually are! Quite a few of them were very knowledgable on sea creatures and were telling me facts I didn't know. 

As well as enjoying working with the children, it was a great opportunity to talk to the parents. To my surprise, a lot of them were actually working within a creative environment or in the industry so was fantastic to be able to talk to them and ask questions. I printed out business cards and brought them with me and actually got to hand some of them out. One woman in particular took a shine to me and my work and said she will email some people I should contact/look at and some events which she thinks would be great for me to be a part of! 

Because some of the artists weren't there to run their workshops we rotated and took it in turns to independently run some of the other workshops. I was a little bit surprised that they weren't there to set up or run their workshops but it was a good opportunity to build on skills working with others and having a leadership role. 

Overall the day was really successful and excited about doing it again tomorrow.


My favourite fish/quote of the day was 'Rudolph the Red Nose Jellyfish…because fish have Christmas too'