Here are some pics from a project I worked on a little while back for a make your own monster kit. I worked out the contents for the pack and how everything would fit together along with the instructions sheet. The packaging was set up by another designer from my initial designs – RAWR!
After toying with the idea of doing an alphabet print for Jet’s nursery for quite a while, I have finally got one sorted.
I messed around for ages drawing lots of little chaps to go on there and trying to make something all colourful and fun, but in the end I decided to settle for good ol’ charcoal grey and white with a dab of pink.
I am imagining that most may not see this as particularly nursery friendly, but hey, I like it that way and it’s my house. I will change it as soon as Jet (who is one year old) says: “Excuse me Mummy, please could we possibly change that giclee print for something more stereo-typically relevant to my gender and age profile?”.
Until then, the print stays. Can’t say fairer than that, eh?
I have been thinking about selling these as personalised limited editions through my shop. Nothing sorted about that as yet – let me know if you think you might be interested…
Mmmmmm Pinterest…
I have been spending what is probably far more time than is healthy drooling over this site for the last few weeks. It was my friend Carolyn’s birthday last weekend and I had seen on her account that she liked these cocktail umbrella wreaths. Thinking I was the queen of genius, I proceeded to make said cocktail umbrella wreath as a gift for her. I rocked up to her party brandishing an enormous box with the wreath in it and gave it to her. Only then did I discover that she had already blummin’ made one to decorate her house for the party!
BAH! My wreath giving high promptly crashed down in flames.
Should I have asked if she had made herself one already?
Is this new Pinterest etiquette that I am not aware of?
AND…
Surely this situation begs the question (*Carrie Bradshaw voice*) – How many cocktail umbrella wreaths is enough?
I am hoping the answer to that is “At least two”!
Here’s a little tutorial for how I made it:
Here are some pics of a lovely little piece that I was recently commissioned to do as a first wedding anniversary present. The theme for first wedding anniversaries is traditionally paper, so a personalised entomology piece fitted the bill perfectly!
The work was made for a lovely couple who have a fascinating story about how they met and came to be married. The have both travelled extensively together and now live in Singapore. They share a love of books and poetry and the piece included part of a poem that was read on their wedding day. Other papers I used included cuts made from their wedding invitations, old maps, a page cut from a passport and a photo of them from their special day.
I was really pleased with the result. It is so lovely when I can make a commission for someone that is so personal and that represents so much more than just a few butterflies and insects.
The line “one to the other”, is from the poem “Dead Still” by Andrei Voznesensky. The couple both have this line engraved onto the inside of their wedding rings. Lovely!
If you are interested in having a commission made, I can be contacted at: helen@birdface.net
I have been sent through a few of the official images from the Observer Ethical Awards last month, so I thought I’d post some of them up…
Setting up the Dome Room at the V&A before the guests arrived.
All the trophies lined up on the stage with the butterfly backdrop. (the trophies had to be arranged sideways so the winners weren’t revealed too early!)
We put the white pieces in the main room of the ceremony as they seemed to fit in better with the decor and the lighting. The other pieces I showed with the colourful marble papers were better suited in the entrance hall.
Lily Cole presenting the Conservation award to Thurrock Thameside Nature Park.
Livia Firth (that’s The Firth’s wife to you and I) presenting the Global Campaigner award to Greg Valerio.
Greg invited Colombian gold miner Luis Americo Mosquera to accept the award alongside him, so it was a really lovely moment. Americo represents the Oro Verde mining group – one of the first groups certified against the Fairtrade and Fairmined Standards.
It was the Oro Verde mine which supplied the gold for Livia Firth’s Oscar jewellery, which she wore on the red carpet when husband Colin accepted his Academy Award for Best Actor, so it was fitting that she presented the award on the night.
Lola Young (baroness and ambassador for Ethical Fashion Forum and MADE-BY) presenting the Blog award to Shirahime.
Photos:Â Katherine Rose
You know the Hamptons?
Yeah, that’s the one – the one that’s in New Freaking Yoik?!
Well, I’ve got some work up for sale in a show there this weekend – just sayin’…
The show will be on from the 8th-10th July with the Private View on the Thursday 7th from 6-9pm at: Sayre Park, 154 Snake Hollow Road, Bridgehampton, NY 11976.
More info about the show can be found here.
As is now the norm with any exciting international art show that I am involved with, I will not be attending. I will instead be going to a four year old’s birthday party on a farm near Yeovil – which I think will probably be a much more glamourous affair!
Posh business cards with silver foil stamping I did for a lovely man who captains super-yachts for a living:
…which begs the question: Why don’t you get a super-yacht and why don’t you invite me to come on holiday on it next week?
(bit busy with stuff this week)
I could say that this t-shirt is a ‘homage’ to something else I had seen – but let’s not beat around the bush here, I just blatantly ripped it off…
Original here by Pleasure Principle (brills).
My version below:
I used freezer paper and a scalpel to cut it out so precisely. It’s the first time I’ve tried freezer paper for anything and I really liked using it.
Hey, the original was sold out – what was I supposed to do…?
It’s been like a t-shirt yarn necklace frenzy round here.
I did make a couple of t-shirt yarn necklaces a while back – tutorial and pics here. I have found them to be weirdly addictive to wear (although I have been using them slightly less now summer appears to be finally here), so have been churning out a few different variations to keep things fresh…
black cut up t-shirt and a chain from a hairband – think this cost about £3 – thanks Pradamark!
made from hoopla yarn
made from hoopla yarn and a few old keyrings from the car boot sale!
made from a particularly special early 90’s LA Gear t-shirt  found in the chasmo shop for £2
That should keep me going for a while, eh…?
You know every so often stuff happens in your life that is just outrageously cool? Well, this happened to me recently when I was asked to make the trophies for this years’ Observer Ethical Awards – woo-hoo!!
The theme of the event this year was butterflies and each award was to be a box of butterflies made from recycled papers. There were 12 trophies to be made in all and each one was designed specifically with the recipient in mind. This was SUCH a lovely job to work on as I did loads of research on each of the winners and it was so nice to be able to make things for such a deserving bunch – hurrah!
Here are some pics of each of the trophies:
This larger award was for the Lifetime Achievement Award, which went to James Lovelock. He got gold leaf in his too for being so clever!
Here is a little film of Mr. Lovelock receiving his award 🙂
(I didn’t even pay him to say that!)
The award ceremony was held at the V&A Museum in London. It was a super-cool night and I was very honoured to be asked to show some of my work during the event. Here are some pics:
Me and Leigh Tunnadine (who did all my beautiful framing for me) before the event started.
Me with one of the smaller pieces of work that I had on show. All my stuff looked SO tiny once we got it into the museum, it was ridiculous!
All the trophies lined up and ready to be handed out.
Leigh with one of the white pieces.
Us with James and Seb from the Bristol Bike Project, highly deserved winners of the Grassroots Award!
(massive well done, Bristol chums!!)
With the inspirational Carry Somers, founder of  Pachacuti and winner of the Fashion and Accessories Award, sponsored by Vogue.com.
With Greg Valerio, ethical jeweller and winner of the Global Campaigner Award.
All in all, it was pretty blummin’ marvellous!
Props to Gilly Woo for dressing me in all her handmade finery and preventing me from looking like a hobo in my hour of need!!
More official photos are to follow…
birdface.net 