2016 Crafty Resolutions

Ok, so I will confess that I have posted a very similar post over on my other blog, but I thought I would make this version more relevant to my crafty goals!

I have a few crafty goals for 2016, and I hope that I can make it one of my most creative years ever! Of course, I will be sharing my creations with you, so I hope that my blog posting will become much more frequent as I create more.

• I want to try out at least 5 different artsy/ craftsy techniques over the year. I have my eye on cross stitch and crochet perhaps, and I'm thinking of making some nice quilted type illustrations, but I haven't totally settled on my choices yet. If you have any suggestions, please feel free to comment with them.

• I want to get reacquainted with photoshop and illustrator and create more digitally. Ideally, I'd love to design my own blogs.

• I want to be better organised. Less procrastination, more productivity! If I can set aside even a little more time each day to focus on something arty, then I will be able to create so much more this year. 

• I want to get back into drawing. It really is something that is easy to get rusty with, and I know I have to practice. Sometimes, I'm convinced that my sketches are little more than a child's artwork, so I really have to work hard to get back into the swing of it all.

Do You have any craft- related resolutions? How do you hope to achieve these? What is your top craft resolution for 2016?

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DIY Music Memorabilia- Ticket Collection

I have collected gig tickets as souvenirs over the years and usually just kept them pinned on the wall, or in a file to look at when I'm feeling nostalgic. In moving into our home, it was decided that one of the rooms would be used as a Music room, as my partner is a drummer, so I had to think quickly about some nice artwork for the walls.  Vinyls in frames were obvious additions, but I wanted something a tad more personal and unique. Follow my blog with Bloglovin

I decided to create a ticket frame. Both myself and my partner have one each, displaying the gigs we have went to over the years, and we also plan to make a third, in time, of those gigs we have went to together. It is surprisingly easy to create your own ticket frame art, and it looks very professional. 

You Will Need: 

Glue dots (acid free) 

Frame- size to reflect number of tickets. I used A3. 

Collection of used gig tickets

Method:

1- Choose the tickets you would like to use. I decided on music only, and i removed any doublers. If you go to a lot of gigs, you may also want to choose the "best" gigs, or even favorite bands.

2-Use the liner in the frame as a base(turned around), or just get a piece of paper which fits inside. Lay the tickets over the paper until you are happy with the layout. I overlapped mine in a random order, as I think this reflects the activity at a gig, but it is up-to yourself how you position these. You may have to fold the corners behind for framing. 

3- Once you are happy with the layout, you can then start sticking the tickets to the liner/ paper. Use glue dots- please don't be tempted to use blu-tack as this will, over time, break down and cause oil stains on the tickets. Gently remove the ticket you want to stick, affix the dot, then replace in position. It is best to do any tickets beneath any overlapping first, as it makes it easier to achieve your desired layout. 

4- Ensure all corners which are sticking out over the sides of the liner/ paper are folded behind or cut off. I want my tickets to remain intact, so opt for folding at all times. 

5- Replace the frame as normal, and hang in your desired location. you will now have unique, personalized wall art that is a great talking point for any room!

Pin Badge Storage And Display

So, over the years I have collected a LOT of charity badges. Originally, I had them pinned to a fabric blind at my window, then the drag was too much so I tried a bandana instead. Any time I pinned them onto fabric, the overall weight would drag and mis-shape the fabric, so would look a bit shoddy.

I wanted to display my collection in my craft room, I thought it would fit in nicely there. So, I got a blank canvas from The Works and pinned the badges on. The canvas is thick enough and stretched nicely that the weight shouldn't cause any problems over time. I think it works quite nicely, and sits pride of place above my sofa :)

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Punk Inspired Logo

So I was looking over some old sketchbooks and came across this punk inspired logo. It was for a punk film company- named Rotten Reels (fictional of course) but I quite like the way it looked! 

I reckon it would look good over a DVD cover or back of a DVD case- even thinking of it placed on some office stationary would be quite interesting! I love using collage for logo design, as it translates particularly well into print, allowing depth and layers even when there are none! 

Comic Art Handbags

Dredd Comic Bag- Front

Dredd Comic Bag, Back

This is what I've been working on recently. This one of a kind comic art handbag matches very well with the comic book shoes I made at Christmas. They were again created as a present for my mum, basically using the same method as i did for the shoes. I will be making more of these completely one of a kind bags on the near future, and will be in touch shortly with my etsy shop! Yay! 

If you simply can't wait for me to list, please contact me using the tab above. If you would like to suggest a comic to use for my next project, feel free to leave a comment! 

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Comic Book Shoes

I just thought I'd post a little something to show what I'v been doing with myself lately! There are crafty plans going ahead, and I will hopefully be launching the "Kitsch Creative" shop shortly. Yaay!

One of the services I will be offering is a shoe customisation service whereby I can decoupage your favourite comic/ magazine onto a pair of shoes for you. They will then be sealed to be water resistant, then shipped back to you. The fine details are still being ironed out, but Im sure it will work!

As a little taster of this service, I will show you a sneak peek at my mum's. (ignore the quality of the photo, I will be arranging a photo shoot soon for all of the items for the shop area.  I made them for Christmas, as she is a complete Judge Dredd fan, so it is only fitting that she gets a pair of Judge Dredd shoes!

Feel free to contact me for a quote if you can't wait for the shop area to open up! :)

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Me Myself and I...

Today I'm revisiting an old set of illustrations that i done as part of my "Book of Me" brief in HND1. 

I thought it was time to put up an edit, as the composition wasn't quite right in the old versions. 

You can see what i mean here and here. Comment to let me know which you prefer...

Gloom Monster:

This one explains how I deal with bad days... EBAY!!!! I have actually started to call my postie "Santa" because it feels like Christmas every time he comes! I always forget what I've bid on!

The Self Conscious Poser:

Essentially means what it says. Im quite shy, even though I'm often in front of a camera. 

I'm A Rocker:

...who likes David Gray. Simply shows that I'm not pigeon holed in my music tastes.

These are digital collages, however the elements of them were created on paper, then scanned on and optimised. I hope you like the finished results as much as I do... I actually have them hanging on my wall! Follow my blog with Bloglovin