Hogwarts...Nope! It's Hereford College of Arts

Hogwarts? No its Hereford College of Arts.

Since my last blog post, wheels have been turning and I've been full steam ahead and feeling super productive and organised. It's amazing how things can really turn around on it's head once you click with something! 

I had the pleasure of visiting Hereford College of Arts and WOW, what a wonderful place. It felt like home just pulling up and parking my car and it's like stepping into a miniature version of Hogwarts. My first impressions were very good, inviting, warming and inspiring. I didn't want to leave BUT I have to consider the long journey (around an hours drive) and the impact it could potentially have on my family life..I struggle on a daily basis as it stands. Visiting Hereford really did reaffirm my growing love for textiles and how much I enjoy incorporating my photography work and skill into my designs and it's something I'm embracing and experimenting with in my latest brief...........

I'd touched on last week that we have a live brief in collaboration with the Birmingham Botanical Gardens and I've spent the last week and a half designing my print from a photograph I had taken whilst visiting there. The greenhouses are filled with tonnes of tropical and semi-tropical plants and inspiration is a plenty but for me I was really looking for something outside the box and it just so happened what I was looking for was underneath my feet the whole time. 

 A small water feature was throwing out excess splashes of water out onto the floor and in turn was creating this beautiful reflection...There it was, I was taken by this immediately and knew exactly where I wanted to go with this. In . my fairytale portrait work, I use a lot of split-toning to change the colour of the highlights and shadows and this was my train of thought for this image using the colour palette from a flower in the greenhouse. 
Using the gradient map tool in Photoshop and the eye dropper tool, selected two colours from my colour palette source image (not pictured)  and added them to the gradient map. One colour for the highlights (green) and one colour for the shadows (pink). My first response was very exciting and I love this change alone, never mind developing on it!

I'm  pleased with my first response to this print and over the last week I've really developed it......Worked on it some more in photoshop with leaf stamps, reversed the gradient map, sublimation printed and then printed again over the top of it. It's coming to life and I'm really connecting with it, It feels good and I'm passionate about using my photography as part of it. 

Something else exciting happened...My husband came home with this for me...A gin advent calendar! It's nearly Friday and I can't wait to open the first box..*hic-hic

Overall I'm pleased with how this brief is going, I've planned my work load very well and I've connected well to it and I'm feeling positive. 

Year 2...Feeling blue!

Well Hello Year 2 and welcome back to my blog (or weekly whinge....)  

  

Crikey...I don't even know where to start as since breaking up from year 1 so much has happened but what I will tell you is this, I had built up a lot of anxiety about returning back to Year 2. This anxiety has had a huge impact on my first brief (which I've just handed in....Hence the happy poo face. PHEWWWW) and my outlook in general, something I'm hope will start to resolve over the next few weeks. It's really not been easy and I'll be honest, I struggle, I struggle on a daily basis but 6/7 weeks in and so far so good. I've only cried driving home about 50  times! :-D

It's not helped either that our family lost our dear 'brother' Brendan, unexpectedly at the start of October and without getting the chance to say goodbye, I've been faced with feelings and emotions very alien to me and have put me at times into quite a "dark" place. Luckily I was able to channel some of what I was feeling into my work, quite literally!  

Going to miss you so much Bren.

Looking back on my work that I have produced for my first brief back...Although I'm pretty pleased with my final outcome and what I had achieved in constructed textiles, I'm not happy with the paperwork side of things and I know for certain this is going to let me down and affect my grade.....Grrrrr! Got to be top form for the rest of the year if I want to hit distinction targets...Not putting myself under any pressure at all *winkwink. Here's a couple of pictures of what I've been upto....I've been working hard, Promise. 

Add caption

Last week I've been given my new brief which is going to take me up to Christmas and this one is pretty exciting. We are collaborating with the Birmingham Botanical Gardens and being commissioned to design a capsule collection which conveys the attraction and to develop a tropical inspired print...EEEEEKKKKK....So exciting. A day out last Thursday to the botanical gardens with my trusty camera has filled me full of inspiration and I'm raring to go. I've got print ideas flowing and a range plan ready to put down on paper (which I'll show you next week). 

Thanks for reading you lovely folks. Until next time. XXXX 

I grew crystals on a glove (random) and I've been inspired by John Lennon!

I didn't blog last week and for a very good reason. I was laid up in bed with a mild strain of the flu (Flu B) and I'm not 100% still to be honest but can't afford to be poorly when I have deadlines to meet and garments to make...EEEEEKK!

Our brief this term is called Opposition (I may have mentioned this in my last blog post) and It's very much self directed. A teaching/working concept I have struggled with due to my own lack of skills and knowledge in fashion, design and textiles. My tutors are always on hand and they are still teaching us and supporting us but we are being set free to explore our own creativity and see where it takes us. It's something I'm embracing and I'm excited to see where my creativity takes me!

Researching about Opposition I was quickly taken with two subjects-War/Politics and Astronomical Opposition. From my research I learnt that Astronomy is quite on trend at present and It's also something that interests me a lot. I've been enjoying astrophotography and I thought I could incorporate some of my own photographs. I found an awesome astrological manipulated image on Pinterest and my design development kicked off from there. I also found an actual astronomical symbol for Opposition..Everything really started to fall into place and I've been really focused on building this idea concept....Winner, Winner, Chicken dinner.

On a few occasions now, I have chatted with Rachel about the idea of growing crystals on fabric. Again this is something that really appeals to me and I could imagine creating a gown of grown crystals for a fashion shoot or something. I set myself a little challenge at home to grow some on a glove (I had lost its pair!) It seemed a shame to throw it away so I put it to good use...Check out the photo! After making up a heavily concentrated saline solution..I soaked the glove in it  for 2 days and then let it dry out for 5 days. I was so pleased with the result. Its got my mind whizzing!

Photos are coming soon..I promise! I'm going to start blogging a couple of times a week. Break up the blogs into easy, readable and digested write ups, rather than one long post about the whole week. Anyway...Some piccies below.

Salt crystal Glove!!!! Amazing!

Astro John...Outta Space. Peace

Concept Board including my own
 image of The Milky Way

Design for Oversized, conceptual Sweater
with my image, printed on in the pposition
symbol

My Milky way photograph, manipulated, crystallized
and put into Opposition symbol

As I was quite poorly last week I didn't shoot my week 27 self portrait but I did manage to edit a couple of pictures from a workshop I attended some weeks back! You can check  them out here on my Facebook page and I'm super excited to announce, We (@igblackcountry) will be announcing our first Instameet very soon...If you are interested then head on over to our Facebook page here or follow us on Instagram @igblackcountry to keep up to date.

Night Night folks xx

Finally found something I don't need any help with #partytime!

Good evening Loves..How are you doing? I'm feeling pretty rotten at present. Think this cold bug/virus has caught up with me but I'm soldiering on as any awesome mom-wife-student would do. Got quite a few photos to show you as always..I like to photo document some of my work as I go along..It also means I can use the photos in my portfolio when I hand in each brief (no...I don't mean pants lol)

The start of last week started out with doing something I've found out I absolutely love...Basic block drafting and Pattern drafting. I really love the technical, mathematical precision of it. Something I never thought I would say but there is something so satisfying with starting with a blank piece of dot and cross paper, working through the 'recipe' and then you see your pattern. It's certainly the way of working I like best and as creative as I am, You give me some fabric and a stand and ask me to drape and hang with no pattern, Well I just can't cope. It doesn't come natural to me. I like it constructed and precise.

The postman delivered these beauties too last week from devere yarns I've been waiting super patiently..Actually I may have stamped my foot on few occasions but they are here...The orange one is photo luminescent thread..IT GLOWS IN THE DARK *WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT. Yep, It glows in the dark and the silver one is Sterling silver thread, I know right! Sterling silver. I'm super excited to be using these threads as part of my textile element for this terms brief. I'll have some piccies on my next blog to show you what I'm doing with them but in a nutshell..Im going to be hand embroidering constellations onto my garment. Watch this space...hahahaha..Get it, Constellations-Space ;-)

 Now don't ask me how I have done this but I've only bloody drawn something that actually looks half decent..This bloody skeletal hand. Calm yourselves all down..I'll be taking commissions very soon. Hehehehehehehehehe! I'm a messy artist, quite the opposite to when I'm pattern drafting funnily enough. This skeletal beauty was drawn using dipping ink and a basic calligraphy pen. They are going to become my new best friends when it comes to drawing..

My week finished off with being the model for my college buddies University portfolio. I was modelling her wonderful creations. It was great fun and I really enjoyed being on the other side of the camera for a change.

Talking of being on the other side of the camera, My self portrait project is coming on really well. Week 24 can be seen here and Our igersblackcountry page is going really well too..If anybody is interested you can check it out here. We are so excited to showcase our amazing region and although its only been one week in the making, we have been featured on our first blog...You can view that here and read all about us!

Nighty Nighty Folks...Thats enough talking from me. Abi

Highlights and Low lights...I'm not talking about hair either!

Designer mom hard at work!

Good evening. It's getting flipping dark isn't it!

Kicking off this weeks (rather late blog post) is this iPhone shot of me in action because I don't just sit around at college for 3 full days drawing, looking through magazines, playing with textiles and generally having a good laugh with my tutors and studio buddies.

Drafting my garment pattern from scratch!

A lot has gone into getting me at this stage in the photo....Design development-20 pages of inspiration and my own development and interpretation on the words Stripped, Striped and Strapped. Our brief for this term. Then came customer profiling and market profiling and a client/creative muse. Who can I see wearing my garments? Where can I see them in the market? High end high street? Boutique? or cheap and cheerful? In between all of this I touched on my colour palette and initial ideas for fabrics and then designing a collection of garments.This is just a very brief overview of what we've been doing and It's really opened my eyes up to what goes on behind the scenes of fashion. You don't just make clothes..There is a whole 'science' and process behind it of which I'm learning and very much appreciating!

With my initial garments drawn...I've now selected a few to delve into a bit more and further develop for my collection and selected one garment to make! Eeeeeekkkkkk...We are making in this brief. Now this is what I came on this course for..to construct and make garments. It's so exciting! Although it's not all been singing and dancing...I've been very frustrated too and had some great highlights but also been feeling rather low and useless and I'll admit that perhaps I just can't do any of this...Studying full time, all the work we have to do outside of college hours and all my parental and home responsibility too. It was really getting on top of me last week but with some organisation put in place and a good chat with my tutors, I'm in a good place and have a more positive attitude. I don't give up easy and I'm having to remind myself that it's been 14 yrs or so since I was in education..Go easy on your self, girl!

Manipulating on the stand

In the photos here, are just some initial ideas regarding details to my garment designs...We are encouraged to physically 'play' and manipulate with the fabric on the stand and this has really helped me with my initial concept and determine some details in regards to our stripped, stripped and strapped theme for the brief. Can anybody see a relation to the theme?

Free motion embroidery

Over in textiles I had a go at some free motion embroidery and loved it. It took some getting used too and I lost my thread 4 times and broke a needle twice which quickly escalated in me wanting to throw the machine out of the window but finally I was happy to have produced this piece of textile art. We were asked to collect white items only and visualise a landscape so here is my all white, free motion landscape...TADAAAAAA      

In textiles we are also linking up our fashion brief I've talked about  and exploring pattern ideas. I know at this stage my pattern is going to be a naive, crude, distressed stripe so I had a go using dispersed ink with different items...For this one I used a cheese cutting wire, dipped into the ink and dragged along the paper. It's created almost the stripe I am after.  Using the dispersed ink means that I can test this out on some fabric on the heat press and see what It will look like as a print. Watch this space!

      
 Well as always I do a lot of talking. Thank you again if you read this to the bottom and following my journey. For those who follow my photography, my latest self portrait is up and can be viewed here.

Thanks my loves. Abi xxx

Inside all of us is a winning, bestselling novel..Could this be true for artists too?

Hi lovelies..Is it just me or Is Christmas....(YES I SAID THE C WORD) only around the flipping corner. Jeez, it only feels like yesterday we were celebrating Christmas 2015 and this year I am just not on the ball, completely unorganised with unorganised being a very key word in my life at the moment. If anyone out there can give me a few homelife, parenting, student organisation tips that would be great *kiss kiss.

Hmmmmm..So what ave I been up to at college this week? Digital Art on +Adobe Illustrator This was my first ever time doing this! Last Tuesday I had a meltdown and could not get to grips with Illustrator at all AND then I had to draw, manipulate images and put my own creative stamp on them. Easier said than done. I think I had a defeatist attitude before I started and had told myself, You are going to be shit at this Abi my dear. It really was downhill from there. This weeks digital art session was a whole different kettle of fish and I smashed it, found my groove, different attitude and rewarded myself with chocolate for being a good girl. I'm pleased with what I produced and they've been pretty popular over on Instagram #Happydays

  

It's been a week of ''firsts'' this last week, so exciting! Screen printing and watercolour painting. Kerry really pushes us in fashion illustration and I do really need that. I feel so silly saying this but I'm so flipping scared of making a mistake. I'm fearful of doing it wrong but slowly learning and trusting that there is no right or wrong when it comes to creativity, when it comes to fashion and illustration. In the illustration we have been doing, it's about impressionism and our interpretation. I just need to harness a little bit more self confidence and let myself go with the paintbrush, felt pens and fine liners.  I read somewhere that inside all of us is a winning, bestselling novel..Could this be true for other forms of art too? Do we all hold deep inside of us an inner Picasso we are just to scared to let go and give in too? Just a little thought for you.

I think I touched on textiles in my last bog post but I'm loving textiles....It's just so hands on, touchy, feely. Sourcing, playing, testing and trying. I produced this screen print last week and had a go on the knitting machine, producing this beautiful sample of lurex and acrylic yarn combo. I'm kind of picturing it as the start of a sleeve of a jumper. What do you think? Again my first time and I was thrilled with what I had produced. Just great to have a play....Definitely not scared to let my inner Picasso out *wink

Well It finally happened, HE LOST HIS FIRST TOOTH!!! Bloody hurrah and about time. I thought he was going to burst with excitement and I think he did do a little excited wee in his pants. Bless him..All say Aahhhhhhhhhhhhh.

I mentioned being unorganised at the top of this blog post but actually I am trying to gain some kind of organisation especially when it comes to birthdays as I've been rather crap of late. My lovely friend Sarah Allington from Sarah Ellen Designs Facebook and her webpage Sarah Ellen Designs Web makes the most amazing bespoke cards for all occasions so I commissioned a very very special birthday for one of my best friends whose birthday is at the end of this month. Sarah has nailed it and I'm so flipping excited to give it to my buddy. Not only does she do cards but also makes the most stunning silver jewelry and has recently won an award. If you're struggling with perhaps a special Christmas gift for somebody..Check her out.

Once again..If you have made this far, then I thank you for keeping up to date with my student journey and ramblings on. Abi xxx

PS..I think i'm getting the hang of this blogging business xx

So It turns out that I can kinda draw :-)

The love-bugs

Yo yo yo....Evening folks. Pinch, punch, first of the month! I missed a blog last week but it was half term and I was super poorly so this is going to be a 2-4-1. Yayyyyyyyyyyy.

What couldn't be better than spending a week with these 2 love-bugs on the left but I got a horrendous virus and kinda put me out of action for most of the break. Still on a  brighter note at least Ryan wasn't at school and we spent a lot of time, cuddling up, watching films. Bliss.

  

Fine Liner in one continuation

I was meant to do lots of collage work but that got left by the wayside. Nevermind..Lots of catching up for me.

Pencil designs on layout paper

Check out my drawings on the left and right....I did those *shock-horror. I couldn't draw 6 weeks ago and I'm not at all overly confident in this area and my skill set as of yet but I'm really flipping chuffed with these. I knew before I started that this was going to be an area of weakness for me. My dad is an amazing artist but sadly didn't pass on even half of the skill my way. Thanks for that Dad!
As much as I roll my eyes when Kerry tells us to get the pencils and sketchpads out...I'm enjoying it as I can see weekly improvement.

Something I have really learnt about myself especially when it comes to illustration is that I'm afraid to make mistakes or that I'm doing it wrong. I've been overthinking it so much that at times it has taken some of the joy out of the creative process. I've set a target with my tutor to work on my illustration skills but most importantly..I just need to work on my confidence and remember that there is no right or wrong when  you are a creative person. #peptalk

Can you guess what it is?

Gold star to the first person who can tell me what I was trying to imitate. This funny looking thing on the right happens to be my first time trying out wet felting and believe it or not but it was rather brutal and took the skin off one of my knuckles lol. 

The textiles part of my HND comes quite natural to me and I'm picking most things up with ease as its quite hands on and not a lot of ''academia'' involved...We are doing, making, feeling, touching and experimenting with all matters of materials, yarns and fibers. The best way I learn and I'm really enjoying textiles because of this. I guess, I enjoy it a bit more than the fashion element  as I'm a lot more confident. 

As always over on my photography page I'm doing a self portrait series..I've completed another 2 portraits since my last blog week 16 is here and week 17 is here..I'd love for you to take a look if you haven't already. 

A huge thank you if you have stopped by and had a read of my blog. Lots of love Abi xxx

My son used the F word at me this week!!!!

Just call me Sparkle

How adorable do I look? lol......My new Unicorn onsie. Anybody who knows me, knows how much I love Unicorns so when my hubby bought me this..Well it's taken some prizing off my body.

Ermmmm not sure if I've told you this but I'm flipping KNACKERED...STILL. hehehehehehe. To be far I'm feeling much better this last week. Really finding a rhythm, finding my feet and getting organised at home. My husband even made the comment to me that he thought I'd been the most productive in a very long time and that this is just what I needed. I called him a cheeky s.h.i.t but actually, I think he is right.

Front single crochet

Mondays and Wednesdays we spend time with our textiles tutor Rachel and these are fully hands on sessions. Our brief at the moment is called Knit, Knot and Weave. I showed some weave in the last blog. Well here is a small sample of some single crochet chains. I felt a bit like the cat who got the cream as I already know how to crochet so Rachel left me to it, whilst she taught the rest of our group. They gave a bit of ribbing for it at lunch..First time in 15yrs I've been called teachers pet! ;-)
My lovely friend Claire from create-some-time taught me how to crochet at one of her fantastic workshops. She also runs a facebook group and a monthly craft club which you can find here. In this single crochet I used a green plastic and gold lurex mesh contrasted with a soft new wool...the opposite of textures. My sample book is filling up nicely!

hmmm forgot the name of thing already

I needed match sticks and coffee for this next task. Transferring our paper blocks to card to make hard copies. BORINGGGGGGGGGGGG. Kerry laughed at us a lot, listening to our grunts and groans but as she said 'you'll never have to do this again'. I bloody hope not. Can't even remember what this needle, spiky wheel thing is called but I caught my finger on it a few times so accordingly named it THE PRICKER hahahahaha.

Considering I only drew my own blocks (patterns) from scratch for the first time 2 weeks ago, I could do them with my eyes closed now, Thanks to Kerry. She is an awesome tutor and we have a real giggle in lessons with her. So creative and dynamic. Very inspiring lady. We get on sooooo well..She's a mummy too so she understands the struggle #mummypower

He used the F word!!

I've got to say..I have a new found respect to all those parents who work full time and raise beautiful families. I miss my little boy so much,not being able to take him and pick him up from school everyday, I'm not takin him to his after school activities and sometimes it's bed time when I get to see him *insert sad face here but I fully appreciate our time together even more than ever. Actually I think I totally took it for granted before,the huge amount of time we did have together.A Friday is ''our'' day now. I pick him up from school, we go swimming, we go out for tea and then we go and see Nanny and his cousin Louis and we really make the most of it. Last Friday he actually called me FUN......yes, fun. Ha! What did you think he said..F@&K.
Anyway check out his cheeky face.

My new self portrait is up on my page. You can click here to have a look and perhaps leave me some love. Your more than welcome to leave any comments on my blog too. Till next time. Abi xx

Woahhhhh...I'm so tired!

Knackered mom face

Hi lovelies....Knackered student mom here *insert laughing face emoji!

I really was not prepared for this last week and there has been some tearful moments..I'M FLIPPING KNACKERED..Beyond belief. I think I was really naive in thinking full time college (3days...3 very intense FULL days) and being a mom wouldn't be so bad. I was so wrong. Our house has now turned into homework club as Ryan and I now sit down together to do our homework except I have about 10 times more than he does minus the spellings #lol

I have to say though, It's not all tired, tears. I'm absolutely in love with my course, aside the fact it is very intense and full on..I'm doing something I'm passionate about and hungry to learn about, coupled with my photography....I'm inspired to the hilt (and this can only be a good thing)

My sea inspired weave

This last week, My textiles tutor had made a dolly-peg loom
and I couldn't wait to get my hands on it and get weaving. Inspired by my love for the sea (to look at, NOT to swim in) I produced this weave..What do you think? Kerry, Our fashion tutor loved it so much, She would love it as a wall hanging in her home :-) This weave is made up of strips of wadding, wool,tulle, sheer poly and paper rope to give lots of texture.

I'm feeling pretty inspired to make some more weaves...So watch this space!

Can you spot my assistant?

I bought a new dining table a couple of weeks ago..It's shabby chic and the chairs are painted in A.Sloane chalk paint. A bit bigger than our old one and blooming hell, do i need it. I have so much homework!Most of my free time was taken up, trying to get it done and I had taken up most of the table but my furry,white homework buddy managed to find an empty spot. Bless him.

Even though I was snowed under with homework I still manged to find some time to get out with my camera and get my self portrait challenge done. I'm a member of Instagram Birmingham and we meet on a regular basis. Saturday we had an access all areas at The Symphony hall in Birmingham. The perfect backdrop for a self portrait. See my self portrait here and leave me some love.

Thanks again for reading lovelies. Until next week. Have a great one. Abi xx