Blog feature...my studio

Yey I have been lucky enough to have been featured by artists in business, for their montly feature on studios...

Have a read here ...I'd love to know what you think? x
http://artistsinbusiness.blogspot.com/2009/10/in-studio-part-4.html

The trouble with display units!

...Displaying jewellery is, I have decided one of the most time consuming, and headache worthy tasks. But I think I may have cracked it. I wanted to display my jewellery in a quirky, yet functional way that showed off the jewellery to its maximum potential.

My sister has kindly offered to set up a display at her work for me, so I needed to come up with a very simple yet effective way to display my bits and bobs without it causing a headache for her!......this led to a number of headaches!


For weeks I had pondered the whys and wheres of displaying my wares..looking at buying ready made cases, and coming up with nothing I liked...until!




This beast reared its lovely little head! It cost me £2 at a carboot sale, tucked at the back of a ladies stall, she said uggh I cant give that thing away, we got loads when I bought a consignment of carved ones from india and they threw them in as a freebie..give me 2 quid for it she said...I couldnt of handed over the £2 faster!

So it came home for me....basically it had been painted cream, lets just say it was no Van Gogh who painted it, theyd actually painted the draws shut, leaving the inside a hideous sludgy terracota colour....



So arms deep I sanded the draws and walls back and got to grips painting it a lovely antique cream...


After having painted the cabinet, I was eager to put it all togethera and get it going...however it seems that whoever built it may have had a swift half or 2 before getting to grips with a ruler...the drawers with the extra layers of paint on them...wouldnt go back into place!

Cue electric planer ...sanding off in some cases 5 mill, the drawers went in. What I love is the brilliant charm about the cabinet, everything is off centre skeiff, wonky...it hilarious but totally me....

It then needed some lovely eclectic handles that aid its charm...so I got these tiny 2cm glass handles...

So it was on to the decoration...I lined each drawer with wallpaper and got on will filling it up..I wanted to go for an eclectic theme...things spilling out and peeking through! so here it is...I love it

border="0" />

What do you all think???


Ha how silly of me, I forgot to share the other display unit with you all what a twit....!

Anyone as mentioned my sister wants to put up a little stand in her staff room for me, which is fab..thanks Charles..

So heres the trouble..how do I display my wares in a functional, simple way..bless her my sister hasnt a creative bone in her body so it needs to be simple and easy for her to put up....

so I wracked my little brain and found this..I have a little obsession with suitcases anyway..so it wasn't too much of strain for me to buy it...this one was an old evacuee's suitcase and is well battered..and it had to come home with me...


So it came home with me, and I proudly pronounced the it was my new display case for my jewellery, and got the same reaction I get with many of my ideas..the wide eyed oh god she's lost it look, just smile and nod...and off I went to my summer house, case in tow and I wasn't coming out until it was done!

I had decided that my jewellery is best seen collectively..not that it doesn't look good on its own, but I wanted to give the viewer a feast of colour and choice...and I also wanted to make it user friendly for my sis...pop up and go.

This is what I made...


a pin board..if you were wondering...and in my favourite british theme (of course)

Basically I measured the inside of the case and got my dear old pa to cut some chip board to size for me..then I cut some wadding and fabric to size and stapled it to the back..it really couldn't have been simpler..I did the same thing for the ribbon..here is the back..not my neatest job but who cares!

Here comes the best bit..filling it up!

TA DA!!!!!!!!!!!


and thats that...a very simple user friendly, tamper proof, display case! phew no more headache!

My new job!

>



Hi everyone, I thought it was about time I told you about my new job.!!!!!!!! yey! As some of you know I moved down to Hampshire in July as James (Other half) got a job down here. Anyway I had been considering leaving the teaching for a while and taking a less stressful/less time consuming role to free me up for making crafts. (my favourite past time as if you didn't know)


So the move couldn't have come at a better time really. So that left me with the issue of the job! after being in a school setting for years I was a little unsure as to where I would be suited! So I applied to various roles and for one thing or the other (over qualified or under qualified) I never found the right one, until, my dad spotted a tiny advert in the local paper for an admin role.

The post stated that it was for an admin assistant for a small local office, but that you must be willing to share the office with dog! (brilliant I thought, and the only advert in the paper that remotely took my fancy)

So after a few interviews lots of tea, and chatting, I got the job! yey

'What is the job' I here you cry! well...

A tiny 3 man team in Brockenhurst Hampshire, runs a non profit based charity providing support and rehabilitation facilities in Borneo, Malaysia for the endangered Orangutan. They raise funds through sponsorship, online adoptions and in anyway they can to ensure that not only my children get to see Orangutans but their children get to see them too!

http://www.orangutan-appeal.org.uk/



My role is to promote their website in any way that I can.....through face book, twitter and any other means possible. I am also responsible for setting up an online facility for children whom sponsor a baby Orangutan to log in and create a craft each week...blue peter style! (so that is coming soon) I will also be sent out to schools to give talks and that sort of schooly thing.

So from small things!......who knows where it will lead!


Now of course I have to do a little promotion,

Are you stuck for a unique present for a loved one or friend, well for £30 a year you can sponsor a baby orphaned Orangutan, and really make a difference. Included in your £30 you will receive a pack, containing a newsletter, detailing the recent work done at Sepilok (the rehabilitation centre) 2 (real) photographs of your chosen Orangutan, taken at Sepilok. An information pack on the history of your chosen Orangutan. A certificate detailing your adoption and 2 6 monthly updates about your baby.

To look after a baby for one year on average it costs £1500 !

The charity itself funds new projects such as the creation of new jungle gyms, and feeding platforms and enclosures so that the babies can learn from watching older more experienced Orangutans.

I've been blonde, brunette and now orange!.......only kidding! meet Sen, an orphan who was rescued in 2006, as you can see he is a cheeky chappy and is fighting fit!

you can adopt Sen and help continue on with his rehabilitation and his future release! here!

http://www.orangutan-appeal.org.uk/shop/?category=8

We welcome any fundraising event you may wish to do, you can email over any requests or if you would like any info on fundraising please email me at:

Orangappeal@btinternet.com and we will be happy to help.

A bit more info:

In spring 2008 5 of the young orangutans which had been living in the nursery at Sepilok were ready to be released into the Kabili forest which surrounds the centre. Each orangutan had a very different history....you can read more on the website.

So that's it for now, I will update regularly on forthcoming events and goings on at the orang' hub (the office)

You can also follow us on twitter: http://twitter.com/orangutanappeal

Or come and find us on face book,

Orangutan appeal uk

Coming soon, Basil....the office Dog!

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=101000856931