Thoughts - 24th June 2010

24th June 2010

Came into college to see how the exhibition is fairing. Apparently some items have been falling off the walls each night - mostly those that have been stuck to the wall with double sided tape.

My books look well thumbed which is a good thing. A few postcards have been picked up and perhaps one of two of the leaflets but not as many as I had hoped.

Will top up the postcards and leaflets today as I have brought spares in with me.

I have a couple of friends coming in to see the exhibition this evening. Tomorrow I will be bringing in my sister to see it all. I wont be staying at college as there seems to be very little to do apart from play games and I have lots to do which I can better do at home.

On Wednesday (30th June) we are breaking up the exhibition and it is our last day at college on this course. I will need to be here to collect my books and if the holders are still in good condition I will take those home otherwise they will be straight into the bin.

I am now trying to find out more about the University course... when we start... how many days per week... which days... when do we find out if we are getting a student loan... how much do I get...

Over the next 12 weeks I am test trading and getting advice from a business consultant. The summer is going to be fun. I have already opened my Business Account in Ashby.

Thoughts - 18th June 2010

18th June 2010

After bending my 1.5inch brass screws whilst trying to screw them into the concrete like exhibition boards yesterday I decided to stop and wait for advice, help and assistance from Vinny when he had time. Instead I helped by typing up everyone's Artist Statement and helping Jo mount and trim them.

Let all the panic wash over me and went for some lunch. Vinny said that once he had set up the projector he would come with the correct screws to help me attach the book and leaflet holders to the wall. Only 5 hours to go.

I had hoped to have everything on the boards yesterday and today just drop the books and leaflets into place. But the best laid plans will always go kaputt so always best to have a plan B.

Tempers were beginning to fray and not helped by the Health and Safety guy getting involved. "You cant have glass in those frames" was said to a lot of students and people got a little frantic. You would have thought he might have come and given a 20 minute lecture about suitable hangings about 4 weeks ago about the time we were all thinking about how to hang our images - not pontificate on the day we are actually attaching them to the wall. The date of this exhibition is planned at least 6 months in advance so this would not be a difficult thing to organise.

With Vinnys help and the correct screws all my bit and bobs were up and attached in minutes. I dropped the books into the holders and arranged the leaflets and postcards - now its all ready.

I have Val on one side and Mitch on the other and we are all at the top of the stairs near the bridge and the lift.

Had my photo taken next to the stand - wonder if that will end up in he paper?

The evening was incredibly hot and balmy and the fashion show was unbearably hot... note to self don't become a model (ha ha ha).

Lots of people arrived for the preview at 6pm. I was walking around with my 'sex, drugs, helvetica bold' tee-shirt and my helvetica tote bag. It made people smile when they spotted it.

Chris and the Vice-Principal caught up with me to tell me that I had won an award 'best presentation' and my stand had a sticker on it to show it's award.


I didn't know they were doing anything other than Principal's award...but this year they are doing best presentation, most original and Principal's award. The three of us were asked to go to the lecture theatre to have our award presented to us. More photos were taken of us all holding our certificates and I was incredibly chuffed.

Out for a curry at Balti Towers where I had the best poppadoms I have tasted in years! Home about 11.30 and into my bed which felt the most comfortable I can remember after being on my feet for most of the day.

Very happy.

Thoughts - 12th June 2010

12th June 2010

Have been looking through some of the helvetica items I have purchased for this exhibition and realised I have not shown them here. So here goes...

MUG:
BUTTON BADGES:
TOTE BAG:
and my favourite, which I shall wear on the night ....
TEE-SHIRT:

The packaging this tee-shirt came in also offers a stencil of the words shown on the front of the shirt. I might consider stencilling it onto the exhibition stand towards the bottom. Have mocked-up the idea and like it but wondering if the whole stand looks a bit too busy now. But still have a week to decide if I want to drop any items.

Without leaflets and postcards:


With leaflets and postcards in place:

Thoughts - 11th June 2010

11th June 2010

Bought screws and screw caps today and the spray mount yesterday. That is another £16 I've spent - whizz back a few days and add the 16 to the total there.

Plan for next week will be to go into college on Wednesday and see what is going on with the putting up of the panels, see if there is anything that needs doing and find out where my plot is!!! I shall take in the pieces that needs attaching to the wall on Thursday and screw and glue them up. The contents of those items will not be put in place last thing on Friday.

All excitement and fun. I think now that I have little left to do with this I can concentrate on the ideas that the Apricot people have been encouraging me with along with all the work needed on the Overton Family Book that I am producing (the deadline for this is December 2010 - so no immediate rush - but I know it will take forever). mmmm think I'll start a part of this blog devoted to the creation of the book... or perhaps not.

Thoughts - 10th June 2010

10th June 2010

Had a chat with Vinny about the attaching everything to the wall questions. Spray mount is the best solution for the 2 posters and I shall trim them accordingly when they are on the wall. They will be impossible to trim before then. Although College might have some screws for me to use as well as screwdriver/drill - I think I will go to B&Q or Wickes (helvetica) and buy my own screws and also put my drill on charge - that way I can do what I need to do in my own time when I am ready and not have to join a queue of 30 for the use of a screwdriver.

Thoughts - 9th June 2010

9th June 2010

Collected final poster today. I have the choice of two and one is definitely better than the other - the colours are more true so I shall use that copy.

Got the chance to show Pete the books and how I'm going to lay everything out - he was impressed.

So far all my family and friends that I have shown everything to have been impressed. I secretly think they all think I am a nut job but I have enjoyed doing this.

Need to think about how I am putting the items onto the exhibitions space....glue, nails, screws, paste... I shall speak to Vinny tomorrow and see what he thinks the best solutions might be.

Thoughts - 5th June 2010

5th June 2010

Yesterday the first poster was printed. Tried the black on white one first to make sure everything was OK.

When I get this home I shall have a good look at it to make sure I am happy with it. It may need trimming because I think the paper is 841mm wide which is too wide for both posters. The black and white one need only be 304mm and the colour abc poster needs to be 594mm so I will need to do some trimming at some point.

Thoughts - 4th June 2010

4th June 2010

The books have arrived.

Oh my - Am I pleased or what.

They are blooming gorgeous.

They are stunning.

I am so glad I had already used Blurb before because I learnt alot from doing that and I think these books are better for it. They look great in their book holders and the business card holders with the new buisiness cards in look really good too and balance the whole asterisk thing.

Am taking all the component parts around with me to show people to ensure I have got it all spot on and see if people have other ideas.

So far the feedback is nothing but great.

Have a look at the Ashby Book here:

www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/1377584

Have a look at the Burton book here:

www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/1377604

Have a look at the Cardiff Book here:

www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/1377626

I have made it so you can preview every single page - so please go have a look and if you feel so inclined - purchase.

Thoughts - 1st June 2010

1st June 2010

Things have been arriving in the post - all coming together. I received an email saying that the books had been shipped - excitment.

Chester trip was fantastic - it was very refreshing not having to look for helvetica all the time but I was noticing it. Chester is lovely; the views across to North Wales; the way you can walk around the entire city centre on the walls and without having to deal with trafffic; how close to the river it is and found out the river is tidal. Photographs were good. I will process them and put them onto website. Which now that FMP work is almost done I should concentrate on to make sure it stays up-to-date.

Went and set up a business account ready for setting up my business - very exciting too! Too much excitment in my life.

Favourite photograph of stained glass window from Cathedral. Ethereal.

Spent a good couple of hours entering the Open Here photography competition. I also set up a database so that I can keep an eye on all the comps I enter and where all the money goes. Some of these are not cheap.