So  today I have been researching how to turn a gift bag into a book, for my dissertation cover. I bought a gift bag yesterday, it was the only one that would fit A4 pages inside, was pretty and didn't look cheap, my only problem is that it only fits A4 pages in horizontally rather than vertically.  I made a  makette yesterday  to try and figure out what to do with my  bag, and how I could make it work. The bag it's self is pretty big. I found a few different tutorials :

http://stephaniemakes.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/glitz-design-gift-bag-mini-book-tutorial.html

Stephanie Bryan's was the first tutorial I found on how to do this, the only thing that really concerns me about  going ahead with this, is that she made her book into a scrap book/ photo album. I the most pages I will have will be around 50. So I won't need as much of the room  fro m the page as she has used.

This is the bag I bought from ASDA, it is a similar shape to Bryan's.  I have a slight problem with the position of the handles, as this will determine how the book will be seen and opened, as you can see with Bryan, she has put her label on the side of the cover so that it will be opened the correct way, I don't want to lose the style of the bag and how the bag looks, by which way I place my thesis. I also plan to put tissue paper around the opening of the bag, so it gives the  illusion  that its luxury. The tissue paper would be positioned around the side of the thesis, rather than on top,  This makes me think should I continue with this bag or buy another one that will be taller, rather than wider.

I also found this video tutorial on You Tube, it shows how Mary Peterson, makes a lot of books from gift bags.  Her tutorial seems a lot  easier than Bryan's and even the layout makes a lot more sense. However, I feel slightly torn due to really liking the bag I got from ASDA. I think my best option is to go out and try and find a new gift bag, even just as a back up. Or even print my dissertation out Landscape rather than in the standard portrait. 

I also went back and did a wee bit more designing of my deck of cards. I have amended my little mistake with getting the queen of hearts and queen of diamonds mixed up. 

I also went back in a re-vamped the Queen of diamonds.  Here is the image based on my queen of hearts

This is Lady Anne Neville. She became Princess of Wales as the wife of Edward Of Westminster and then later she became Queen of England, husband King Richard iii  (1472–1485) This completes the first suit of cards, within this series of experiments.

Short blog today, My tutorial went really well today, there was again much talk about the dissertation, but I'm glad I managed to get to talk about my work, I now have another meeting on Monday to discuss, where i'm going with my main project. As it turns out I have done so much work, they believe that within my main project alone, there could be at least four side projects within it......  I have also been playing around with the idea on how to hand in my dissertation next week. And yes, I can officially say that this time next week, no more talk of the dissertation, as it shall all be done away with! YAY!!!!!!
So, I have been thinking of possibly putting my dissertation in a really pretty shopping bag, make it look really nice, and then you open it, (expecting luxury) and it's just my blood, sweat and tears in a thesis!

This will be me tonight, just chilling. but catch  a grip, I won't be drinking bud light.  I think I deserve a real drink!

So today, I took a day off from my dissertation.  I have a tutorial tomorrow with tutors to look over all of my work.  So today I simply just tidied up my sketch books and put things in more of an order for the meeting. I'm totally bricking it, the dissertation has fully taken over my life, however, I am hoping to have it completely finished and get it printed and bound on Monday. 

Well, that's the plan anyways.  So yea, I was very disturbed to see how far behind I am in my projects. Have to admit though I know  I can be up to date in a week. So it is a bit of a problem, but i know I can catch up. Anyways that's me for today.

Today I got back to designing my deck of cards, I have now finished one suit of cards in this style. However this is just an experiment at the moment, as there is still lots I am unhappy with.  I firstly designed  these  in a darker red, I wasn't too sure how the colour would look, So I also brightened the  red.... it's very in your face though, so yea, don't like it much.  I tried to make these all  very minimalist looking. So keeping them simple and sticking to one colour. I chose to reference my  King of Heart on King Richard Lion Heart  of England he ruled in 1189, then died a few months later. As I spoke  yesterday, Queen Wilhelmina. Although as I write this I have actually drawn her as the Queen of Hearts when , I have actually put her down as my queen of diamonds... whoops, not a biggy though, it can be easily changed.  My Jack is referenced  on Prince Louis Fredinerd of Pruissa.  So, yes hopefully more designs tomorrow, I am thinking of giving myself a different subject every week to do for this project. So now that my dissertation is ending, you will hear more about my deck of cards, view bug and  my main project. That's all from me today!

So, again I did more dissertation stuff. I did however actually do some other uni work, YAY! although, went into uni today and totally forgot my graphics tablet.... that sucked a lot, so had to come home earlier than first anticipated and finally get some work done.  I have started doing a few experiments already, I'm still not too sure on what I want to do with this, but I am glad to start getting the details down and start working at it.

So, as you can see these are unfinished, I used this image of Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands  (1890 - 1948). As a reference, I really like her crown. I originally, started with the second image with making it in black and white, but I want to reference her  as my queen on hearts. So I went back and changed the colours  to red. I am not too sure that I am going  to make all of my suit the same as I have been doing but this is the first, of many experiments,  I am defiantly hoping to spit out a few more designs tomorrow. I will remember my graphics tablet!

So, today I went again back into my dissertation. I am really starting to panic about getting it binded.  I have came to terms that I won't be able to get it made into a book, by the deadline.  However, everywhere  seems to take a week to bind a thesis. So I am hoping to have this officially done  by tomorrow, printed out  by Tuesday, and  possibly get it taken in to get binded, if not tomorrow, Wednesday.  I have a back up plan though, however I think uni may yell at me, if I am unable to get it binded in time. I plan to pray to the staples god and go to staples to get a  clip folder. Then if allllllll else feels, I may get the sewing kit out and sew my pages together....... They will have a digital copy, anyways.... so yea.  This is my weird plan of slight panic.... i'm so impatient, mainly cause I have never gotten a thesis binded before. All my friends are telling me to chill out.... Can't.  

Minus my Dissertation, I did a bit more research for my new logo design. So I started to look up other peoples.

They are all very well thought out and interesting, I don't want to rush  the logo design, however, I would like to get business cards  made up soon, especially for the end of year show.  So the pressure is already on for that. 

Tomorrow, I plan to run round like a mad idiot asking if I can get my thesis binded anywhere in uni. Then hopefully get a list of prices and a time frame. As well as finishing my dissertation!, that would help alot!

I also want to start getting ideas onto paper, start doing a bit of design work for my deck of cards project. Which is another project I have to be careful of, timescale wise due to getting them printed off. 

So yea, a lot going on..... hopefully I will have a better idea of what is going on with all this stuff tomorrow.

Today has been pretty stressful, I have been again changing my dissertation around a bit. I am incredibly close to calling it quits. I have written the dissertation, I have spent a long time doing it, and not it's just fixing technicality's. I have so much work I need to catch up on. With my dissertation, I am running so far behind. My brother keeps getting it my for structure, and I have just spent the past hour alphabetizing my reference list.   I am just so, so very much done.  I more than appreciate the help I have been getting, but I really need to  start concentrating on my degree, the whole reason why I am still here. My dissertation is only 25% of my final grade,  I am completely at the end of my tether.  I want to get back to designing photoshoots and designing card decks :( I'm just done.

I have to admit though, with complaining about my dissertation, I did manage to get a bit of research done today in regard to my deck of cards project. 

I have decided on which on my royals is to go with which suit . I am hoping to get started on this tomorrow. Here's hoping tomorrow will be a better day.

So, today I was doing more of my dissertation. I re-visited another part of my research. Looking at Coca Cola, Coca Cola have an entire  campaign dedicated to happiness.   They are trying to get people to associate happiness with their product. Here is one crazy video of theirs. Please watch till the end, you won't be sorry!..... just a bit weirded out. 

This is just one of many videos that Coca Cola have done.  They took the "Happiness Van" to Russia, The Netherlands,  London,  India, etc.  You can clearly see how they get people to associate  happiness with their product.  However, they also get more material items. Such as roses, toys, t-shirts, and of course the full roasted pig.  If you look up , Coca Cola Happiness, you will find their website, it contains a lot of very good information on  happiness. Such as quotes from historic figures throughout history, on what they thought happiness was.  I do recommend you check it out, but forget that it's been done by Coca Cola.  Coca Cola will not bring you happiness, just a sugar rush.

So,  I had my meeting today with my tutor, I ended up getting a lot of new ideas for my dissertation, so now going back and looking at my work.  I was also reminded of this part of my research a video by Annie  Leonard, she looked into where all are stuff comes from and where it goes when we throw it away. It is a very interesting video, I highly recommend you watch it: 

So as you can see there is a lot more to things and stuff than we originally thought. I was also asked a pretty big question today by my tutor, regarding my dissertation,  which was:

Q:    As a designer how I felt about happiness, especially when put in a scenario of working with a company specifically designed to sell people products they don't need. What would I do?

A:    I have to admit, I would take the job. We all need money to survive, to a certain degree. However, I would give back to my community in my spare time. I have previously volunteered at local charity shops, it was actually a lot of fun, and I met so many people. Giving things to charity and helping people, is not something I just simply write about. It is something that I already do. I encourage people to do the same.

And that's my answer and I'm sticking to it. I also gave my dissertation to my brother to read over. Mainly due to him continually nagging to see it. As he has already been through uni and written his own dissertation.  I have to admit as soon as I pressed send. I regretting everything. However I will admit, instead of him telling me everything I did was wrong, like i thought he was going to. He was incredibly helpful,  I actually think I will get a good grade on my dissertation now.  YAY!!!!! :)

I am actually so tired, but it is finished. However I have started making this into a book and I have to admit all the editing is such a pain. I have also noticed how many pages I am continually adding. I am not even half way through putting my dissertation on the templates and   I am already on page  22. Although I have to admit Blurb do make the whole process very easy.Just I am not too sure if I will have this done on time to get it handed in for the 6th. I can see me being able to send this off by some point tomorrow, however. I have also just sent it off to get one last proof read before I get it printed. 

I have a meeting tomorrow with my CCS tutor, although I am not exactly sure what we will talk about seeing as we're nearing the end of the process. I am also getting to the point of not caring anymore. This has really been a lot of work. I will admit I have enjoyed it. I just hope I get a good enough mark on this.

I am going to go now and stuff my face with chocolate, eagerly waiting for all this to be over..... I think it may be an early night tonight