I'm not dead…

…I just don’t really have time for my blog any more. Nor anything much that is post-worthy!

I’m still writing for the Art of Punk series on Colin’s Punk Rock World (a post about logo designs was published today). I also write reviews sometimes, such as the lengthy gig review for Frank Turner and the Sleeping Souls at Alexandra Palace that was posted last week.

In more visually creative news, I linoprint-ed some Christmas cards the other weekend. You may or may not remember my designs from last year – check them out here too. I think I like this year’s little reindeer more than last year’s design.

If Japan was made of Lego…

If Japan was made of Lego, it would still be ridiculously cool.

Originally posted over on Tokyo Desu.

Christmas Cards 2014

As you may have realised from my previous blog post, I have been crafting my own Christmas cards this year – although, to be honest, I do most years. But this year I have done something a little different. I made my cards by carving a small Christmas tree design (a bit smaller than A6) into a piece of lino and printing onto various papers in black ink. So the paper shows through where the design is rather than the blank ink.

Red paper, brown paper, Japanese newspaper

Shiny gold paper, crinkly white paper

I have only written 4 so far, this is the rest…

These cards were inspired by the linocutting workshop I took part in at work, back in November (see the blog post here!). I even re-printed my wintery tree design, that I created at that workshop, to have a more limited edition and larger (A5) card. Not that these cards are actually for sale at all anyway.

Red and gold

This isn’t the only Christmas card I’ve worked on this year. I also contributed to the emc design ‘12 days of Christmas’ card – read the emc blog here – with nine ladies dancing. Although this was digitally created, not handmade.

Sunday Crafternoon

It’s been a busy weekend for me. Starting Friday, I had a day off work and spent it Christmas shopping, with mama-Prew in Milton Keynes, and then shot off to London to watch Once the Musical, with Becca and Lana. The shopping was very successful and the musical was truly wonderful. Saturday I didn’t do so much but I stuck around in MK and decorated the parents’ Christmas tree among other things.

Today I returned home to Bedford for my weekly pilates class, then spent the afternoon happily out of the cold and busily doing some arts and crafts.

First on my crafting agenda was the WTFest/Menzingers poster-setlist-ticket-wristband combo collage I’ve been meaning to work on since October. Well, I think it was well worth the wait.

I added some ‘polaroids’ of my photos from WTFest weekend, as well.

The next craft is more of a work in progress. I plan to have linocut printed Christmas cards this year and these were my very first attempt. I was intending on this particular lino design being only a tester but I liked my first print so much that I went ahead and produced many more. It won’t be the last linocutting/printing I do this side of Christmas, but I have to wait for all of these mini prints to dry before I do any more! 

And finally, the third ‘craft’ is a bit of a cheat as I simply paper-mâchéd gold tissue paper onto a cardboard reindeer that I bought in Hobby Craft yesterday – on a whim. 

Also worth mentioning: as well as my WTFest collage, I now have these Japanese prints up in my room. The two larger prints I was given by my parents when I moved and the smaller four are postcards that I picked up in Tokyo. All are replicas of ukiyo-e by Hiroshige, my favourite artist.

And it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas…

Both in my flat.

And at the parental home.

Linocut

After work on Thursday, a few of us stayed on to learn the craft of linocut! Director of the company, Mike, recently did a two day course in London learning the craft himself. I followed some of his photos on Instagram at the time – they’re awesome. Mike enjoyed it so much that he thought it would a great idea to get more of us, at emc, involved in linocutting.

Strangely, despite being a student of art and design for 5 years (college and university), I’ve never properly done any linocutting/printing. I’ve done monoprinting which is, I think, probably the laziest of all printing techniques and did a workshop in letterpress printing a few years ago (blog here and here). I think I was always a bit scared of the actual carving-into-lino process and figured it would take a lot of time and skill.

But it didn’t really. I’m happy with what I produced and can’t wait to a) print some more from this design and b) carve and print some new designs!

I’ve got myself a roller, some ink, some lino and a handle… but no blades. Christmas is coming, maybe I’ll treat myself.

Lil ’Zill

The last time I tried to make anything with fimo modelling clay I was at college (being an art student!) and it did not turn out so well. But seeing as I failed to acquire a Godzilla action figure for my boyfriend, Steve, in Japan and having looked at the extortionate prices of those going on eBay – mostly imports from Japan too (where were they when I was there?!) – I decided to have a go at crafting my own. And anyway, a personalised Godzilla is far more special than a figure that anyone could have, right?

I admit that he didn’t end up looking too much like Godzilla specifically but he certainly looks like some kind of dino-creature. I only bought a small set of fimo (it was actually designed for kids to create dinosaurs!) and used all of the green provided to create the little guy. There is however, a pack of red, yellow and most of the purple left to use for a future dino – or maybe even a dragon.

He has been named Lil ’Zill

Lunchtime scarecrow craft

This year (tomorrow) Stevington has it’s first scarecrow festival and we at emc design thought it only right that we take part – I mean, we are creatives after all. Pretty much as soon as I heard about it, I knew I wanted to make Mr Turnip Head from Howl’s Moving Castle. Luckily, Jordan knew what that was (I’m not sure anyone else at work did) and we made him together today.

I think if we’d have had more time – we only really had our lunch break – and had actually planned a bit, we could have made a really good one. But hey, we did a good job in the time I think. I’m pleased with my head (real turnip/swede) and hat at least.

Batcow

I decided not to paint my concrete cow as a typical breed of cow – I was originally thinking about a Hereford cow (red/brown and white). Instead I decided to paint it as a superhero. I could have picked Wolverine, my favourite of all comic book heroes, but I think Batman works best.

 

Paint-Your-Own Cow

How should I paint my Paint-Your-Own concrete cow?

Unusual Christmas Trees

Here is a selection of my favourite unusual Christmas trees, selected from Francesco Mugnai’s favourite unusual Christmas trees.

Gingerbread

Starfish

Cardboard

Alternative cardboard

Candy cane

Sushi

Little robin

I couldn't resist buying this little fella at Stagsden Christmas shop today. 

Pumpkin

I had never carved my own pumpkin before tonight and I’m rather impressed with my first attempt. A Tuesday night well spent.

In process.

Comic book cards

I actually made these cards over two weeks when I was at home and decided to cut up some old comic books of mine. But now that both cards have been received by their respective recipients I am able to blog them. Also I really want to see Avengers Assemble soon, so these are appropriate.