So! Long time no post.... Whoops. So yea.... Biggest news first I suppose and then I will probably ramble as I do usually...

So for people who follow me on Instagram, you will more than likely already know. So Pete and I are officially new home owners! We are moved in and everything! 

For those of you that don't have me on Instagram, here are a few images that I have posted in the last month about our adventures and moving in. Clearly I have been so busy I haven't really had time to put up many.
So first image is Pete literally picking up the keys to our new gaff. I was proper raging, as he got out of work early and I still had to stay in until 5. He at least waited for me before going to the house. 2nd image is the first neighbor we met, very nosy! we later found out that this fluffy high member of the neighbor hood watch is called buster.
3rd is just us "Getting our ducks in a row" figuring out whats what.

I have to admit the first few weeks since moving in, I still feel as though I am house sitting. I have just decided to move all my crap here and try to invoke squatting rights. I am told this is normal though. It's all still very new and strange, I am sure a few people reading this are thinking I am mental.... cheers!

I have even been getting into gardening as we have an amazing little garden here, previous owner kindly left us all her amazing plants, we have apple and pear trees. Blueberry, blackberry, gooseberries, strawberries, raspberries and  any other berry plant. Tomatoes and loads of herbs, still haven't gotten round to weeding everything..... It's still on the very large to do list.

Here's a couple of photos of our pear and apple trees. We have also had a few visitors of the four legged fluffy kind to our little garden........ And because I have nothing else to do with my time and we haven't yet been told what their names are. We have named them! so on the bottom right we have Toothless, the middle image is of Gandalf (because he's grey) and Charlie.... cause of the mustache.... yea...... and well you guys already know Valentino. He crawled in the back of our nephews pram and decided it was his new home.... Couldn't resist not putting him up. 

​So enough about my wee hoouse. Work wise, things kind of took a turn for the worst. Literally the week we were going to sign for the house, I was moved from being in house designer to dispatch... Basically the company I work for is incredibly small only 6 of us working there and basically they wanted more support for the actual printing team and basically shuffled everyone's jobs about.

From the company point of view I honestly think it was the right thing to do. It makes total sense. From my point of view, I was completely devastated.

​A lot of people thought I was being a bit over dramatic about the change. I honestly cried for days after it happened, I just felt like I could finally be one of those.....

.....Who say they love their job and everyone pretty much hates....
I was finally doing a job I enjoyed, I had free rein and I actually enjoyed going to work. I even felt like a woman scorned and seriously contemplated walking out.
​
But being an adult and suddenly having a mortgage, mind over heart won.

Not the everything is as doom and gloom as I make it sound. I have to admit though (not that I have been doing my new role long) It really isn't all that bad. I still really miss doing design, its on my mind all the time. I am still from time to time asked to do a few things for customers design wise. We even got a big new sexy machine in work. We are now able to do spot UV and foiling. 

I have even been asked to design a marketing card for the company to use, to send out and show off what we are now able to do on top of everything else. However, after today I feel like the excitement for that was short lived. Due to with my new role I don't really have to much time to do anything mind blowing. I am pretty sure my boss got too excited and ended up just stealing images off google..... 

BUT! now that we have our own place I feel that I was just practicing and getting back into the way of things with using Photoshop and Illustrator. I plan to keep it going whether I am designing on commission or just doing arty farty things for myself. I may continue down the path of wedding stationery, I am not too sure. 

Either way I don't plan to give it up and I feel that after leaving university and having a bit of a fall out with all things arty is finally over. I want to do it all the time, I want to get better at it and I want to keep exploring and practicing. Just doing loads of different things. So I am still getting my office sorted in me hoouse, but I am hoping by the end of this month I will have everything semi set up. 

Plus now that my company has this new toy, I am hoping to maybe get new business cards done. As I very cleverly, locked myself out of my arty email address.... NIIIIIIIIICCCCCCCEEE!

so yea, I finally got a few of my designs that I did design for work. Here are a few of them. Hope you like them. 

The only other piece of design I have really done lately that isn't work related was making a cheesy poster for my partner. Yesterday was our 6 year anniversary.... Scarily all grown up now and proper with having a house together. I decided to make something for the house and for him. It was a song that we were pretty into when we first met and were getting to know each other. So yea... I guess you could call it "our song". (Slightly want to throw up with all the cheesiness). Anyways here is the poster I made 

So yea... that's all from me this month, here's hoping next month is as fun packed!

I got a good bit done today. I went back and started to add more to the portraits, as though they were magazine covers:

I am aware there is an other magazine called "Mental", however there magazine is more based on mental health issues and in new techniques to treat mental illnesses. The reason I choose "Mental" was due to how we were asked by the labeling guys in our class, to pick 1-3 words to describe our work. A lot of the words others chose within my course were really funny and laid back words. I randomly chose mental, due to how the portraits I will be displaying and the whole back story to them is very heavy going stuff.  Or in layman's terms "Mental". Also with how  I am also displaying my playing cards. So as one of my friends suggested, it's also another symbolism of how corporations play games.

I really didn't like my Coca-Cola magazine cover. I don't think any of the colours work. I have to admit I really under estimated this task. I really wanted to have the idea of a magazine that basically tells of all the things going on in the world, a bit like The Sun, but not as terrible. So I found that the Facebook Magazine and the bar-code, worked really well. I think this was mainly due to how the Coca-Cola image it's self already plays on the opposite of colours with the red portrait and the blue background. I also did a few more versions of sort of awareness posters. Within this campaign. 

I am still figuring out what to say with each image. I have a lot of information of each. I just don't really know how to put it all. Especially with how I want all of my images to have very bold and hard hitting statements. To really make you think and of course to try and get a shock factor involved. 

I also turned backed to the end of year show with my piggy bank idea. I decided to start designing them today to finally figure out whether or not I need to build my shelf tomorrow for them. Here are the designs I came up with:

This is my piggy bank that I am thinking about buying to decorate for the end of year show. I took this image into illustrator and began to design over the top of it.

I firstly thought about designing the pigs to go along with the pieces I am putting on. So I firstly created the first three images. I personally don't find these very interesting. Also because the when all the issues I am bringing up really boil down to. Is money, So I thought about why not be simple and have gold pigs. one for every image, then I of course thought about silver and decided to just have a little look at the idea of having a silver pig with pound symbols all over. I decided I really didn't like this. I even began to look into spray paint I would be able to get:

I then started to look further into other piggy bank designs that others have done:

I came across the crystal covered piggy bank and the cartoon piggy bank. (two very big images above)I have to admit I got really excited to do something like the cartoon piggy bank. Although I realized within my time limit it just really wasn't going to happen. I have to admit most of my concern comes with the piggy bank I am thinking of getting. Because I am getting that particular one, I am not too sure on how to completely cover it minus spray painting it. So the idea of self adhesive crystals on the piggy bank, really makes sense. So I began to research this idea further:

Found these crystals online. I also found the gold and silver studs. I think the studs would be amazing. Almost like a blow fish or a hedgehog. The idea of something being covered in spikes makes it a little harder to hold. So this I think would really work for the piggy  bank. I also went on to looking at how I want to display all my work for the end of year show, again.

So above are again more mock ups of the end of year show. 1st image is of my first idea of having a piggy bank for each portrait. 2nd looking into having just three gold piggy banks, 3rd I had previously mentioned about having vinyl coins around the wall, with again three gold piggy banks. Then of course I started to look at possibly not having any piggy banks or even vinyl coins. I have to admit I am strongly thinking about not having anything, but just my art work, and the slogans underneath the portraits.  

This idea of just having the slogans under the portraits and no piggy banks, would really help me out with getting to concentrate with other work, true. But I think it's a little bit distracting too, for the public, in what too look at. The portraits them selves are very striking, with the added piggy banks and vinyl coins in the background. It may be too buys and not really knowing where to place your eyes on. I will have to ask around possibly and see what tutors say about this. Although, as it currently stands, I am thinking of not having the piggy banks or vinyl coins. 

This was a very long blog today. I clearly had an incredibly productive day.

Today has been a busy, busy day! I finally got around to doing the projector portrait photography, This was my set up today and it was so complicated:

As I was using myself as the model, just cause it was easier and my flat mate is currently at home. I had to set up a mirror so I could actually measure my face up to the images I was projecting onto my face. As I couldn't really line up with the camera. It was really hard to be honest. But I got through it! Yay me!

These are just some of the images I took today. I haven't yet photoshopped any of them apart from just cropping the images down. Minus that these are oh naturale. I also started to look into doing student advise posters. I have to admit I really don't like them and although, the above images are tied in with the viewbug challenge. These I feel (and I know I've said it before) tie back into my main project of consumerism, just in a different direction of looking into the companies that exploit people. Anyways! here are my posters that I created, due to really not liking my video:

So as you can see they still need a bit of work. I really don't like how I've displayed the writing, I wanted to be clear, but I find this pretty boring of a layout. Tomorrow I plan to start photoshopping the portraits I took today, work away again on the above images, I am also hoping to get started on possibly a new card set. That's all from me today. 

Today I didn't get a much done as I wanted to. Although I am starting to make progress with my main project and starting to get my third and possibly final re-designing of the deck of cards done. Below is a quick sketch I did for one of my characters of monsters, my ghost.

I think it looks very Tim Burton like, So I thought it would be pretty interesting to make all of my character stick in with this theme

Here is some characters from Tim Burton's movies for inspiration. 
 I have also been sorting out the information that is going into my video. It is a lot more categorized, which is good. Tomorrow I am planning on just working on my video. I also have to re-write my little blurb that will go beside my work at the end of year show. Things are getting really hectic, I am hoping to also purchase my new business card tomorrow..... hopefully, I have asked a good few more people their opinions on which business card designs  I should get. I have had a bit of a unanimous decision on which design to go for. I am still waiting on people to get back to me, but I think I might just go for it. Means they will be here before the end of year show.

That's all from me today,hopefully more things to show tomorrow

I got a hell of a lot done today, very happy. I have started to make my video, I have even cut a few scenes from it, as when looking back at my story board I actually noticed I would have two title frames and then my information, which doesn't make any sense. So far it is going very well. I expect I should have the whole thing done in roughly a week. Hopefully less, just currently trying to balance all my projects.

I have also started to plan for my ViewBug Challenge and have decided to make awareness of consumerism, in my portraits. I have pretty much one really good idea at the moment, So hopefully I will get around to doing that either tomorrow or even Thursday.

I have started to sketch out new characters for my monsters deck of card series, not too sure how they are going to work out, I can see me just going full blown in your face colours. But I still really want to experiment with this style first.

I have also been looking more into how to design my business cards I now have four different options. 3 of the options are to go for the square business card. Here are the scene shots of them below.

I'm not too sure about adding the landscape image. although I have to admit I really like the bottom two scene shots. I asked my boyfriend and my flat mate which they preferred. Which I do with most of my work, and they are usually pretty spot on and say the same thing. I got two completely different answers.... feeling a little stuck however I do plan on asking others, so this isn't the end of the world. I will let you know what I decide in the end. Or please leave a comment below on which you think I should go for. That's all from me today. 

Today has been a pretty productive day. I have bought this domain name! Yay! I have an actual real website. Very happy! I have also been working more my main project with creating the website, I haven't gone back to the video since I last worked on it as I thought it would be smarter to make all the scenes and elements before diving in, and then just add what I need when I need it. I have been adding more elements to my website, such as information and my survey info graphics:

Not terribly impressive, It has been a rather slow job and if I am honest. I am hoping the video will look better than the website. However it is early days still. That is it from me today, I am currently trying to get new characters drawn for the video, my graphics tablet is however being funny with me, which is a bit of a worry. But i am hoping it will sort it self out.

Oh I am also getting my business cards designed. I just have to figure out the exact information I want to put on them, here is a little sneak peek into what I may be getting printed:

So today I have started to edit my video, So happy with it so far, although I am still getting to grips with the whole program again, also slightly freaking out about rendering the video and such :/
As I am planning to do this all on my little laptop. I'm not too sure if that's being silly or not, but if I at least get everything done on here and it doesn't work out. Then hopefully it'll be just a point of adding the images I already have and then just getting the movements and so on and noises. Here's hoping eeeeeeeekkkkk Google is my best friend right now over this. 

Here's a screen shot of me in After Effects, I have just started to edit the first 40 seconds of my video. So far this has been alright, although I haven't started to add any movements to the graphics so far. But this is literally just how I have gotten on today. I am hoping to get a good bit done tomorrow, although this is going at a snails pace due to making the graphics, then adding the graphics to the video, as well as looking up millions of tutorials. I am still optimistic but this whole process so far I am actually terrified. I'm not too sure how this is going to work out. Although I haven't yet put up a time limit for this video, I can't imagine it being  any longer than 3 minutes. So currently this video is set at 3 mins, So I am able to cut the time, make the time longer if I need to. This may seem silly, But I am still figuring this whole thing out and I don't want to pressure myself. 

So yea scary stuff. Short blog today, hopefully more to show tomorrow or at least more development of the video. 

So! Happy St Paddy's Day!
I have not been taking part in the festivities this year, I have however gotten sooooo much work done today, I gathered a lot of information on the services that my university offers. In hope that I could find a new sort of market for my own book. I below is just a few pics of some of the material I have found available:

I have found that my university really does have a lot of areas covered, and there is a LOT of information for all students. So have been thinking about what to do all day. Looking over the materials found and trying to decide what my next step may be within this project.  So while I have been allowing this information to sink in. I have turned to one of my other projects, my deck of cards project. I did say I would try and get a new deck of cards designed every week, that being 12 new designs every week. which I do realize is a lot. I haven't however really started this, so I have just been finishing off the previous deck. I am just finishing off on the Diamond suit.

I  only have the Jack of diamonds to  finish off, then go onto the next suit. I know that these are still not completely finished, I would however like to design something that will go across where the figures join.  I have decided to do this more nearer to the end. The King Of Diamonds was a lot of fun to do. Please note the detail on the kings bling.  I plan to do this with the Jack's bling too. 

So as I have been working on the deck of cards and thinking on my main project, I have come to the conclusion that throughout the material I have found, there was not primary sources, no experiences from other students. So what if I created a book with just pure advise from past students to future students.  On a few carefully chosen subjects, I would like to be able to get really funny stories, I don't however really know how to go about this. 

I could do a survey,  have a box that people post their stories anonymously through, they can even post as many stories as they like. Set  up a section on my website that people can email or again virtually post their stories and advise through...... there's a lot of different things I can do. I think I really need to talk to a tutor about this, as  I can even up with no one answering. and be out of having a book. 

I do think that this idea could be very amusing and probably in most cases rather shocking. I do also know however that, other websites have done something similar to this and while some stories were grim. It was all really funny and in a way made up your day.  This would also make the book not only aimed at just my university but it can also be advise for others.  So yes, I think I will email my tutor tomorrow and ask her advise on whether or not to continue with this idea.

Long time now speak, I have been travelling and setting back into my flat. So i did what I said and went and took some night time photography. I  did have a few technical difficulties, as I had borrowed some of the equipment  from friends. Anyways, here is my incredibly blurry star images taken on Friday night

First image was my most successful image taken, unfortunately it  is of course, blurry. My camera also started to act up and not showing images once they were taken. As well as just shutting it's self off. I plan to however go out sometime next week to take some more images, however. This will mean I will miss the deadline for this particular  challenge. Which sucks, but to be honest, I'd rather miss this challenge, practice a bit more and be prepared for the next challenge. I do however have a choice, of uploading a past image.

This is the closest image I currently have  of stars, just the moon is very much dominating the image.  I still really like this image, it is however still not right to upload for this challenge.  I also have a really good Idea for the other ViewBug challenge , which is playing with light. When out in a forest of the outskirts of Belfast, where I took the top two images. I had my assistant holding a torch for me so I could set up. He however had other Ideas. He started to play with the torch as all of us have done as children. Making animal shadows with our hands. It was pretty creepy. Being in a forest late at night, alone and creating shadows on the forest. I really wished I had gotten a photo of it, It was creepy, but really amazing looking. So again hopefully when I go and take more starry night images, this time with fellow photographer. I will be able to do this, again though I really hope this will be possible due to the deadlines. 

Also going back to my underwater photography, I have been thinking about doing more of it, perhaps for my main project. I was looking up paddling pools and was surprised that they can be as cheap as £4. So I may get one and practice, only problem  is filling the small paddling pool up and also being able to empty it....... In student accommodation.  WHOOP!

I am unsure when I will be doing this, but I have been thinking and taking a lot more time with my main project, I previously mentioned  that I was looking up some student help guides. I wasn't very surprised to find that there are many.  This has disheartened me a good bit. As I feel my project will get lost in a sea of student self hep books. Even with some of the topics the books had within their blurbs. They had topics I had never even thought of. Such as sex, drugs, freshers week,  and exams.  I personally have no interest in touching on these subjects. I would prefer to talk on topics such as: Money, mental health, social life,  and  "life hacks". This is still all possible, but do I now aim this towards people who just go to my university or do I continue to aim with the idea in mind, of any university. I have started to think about what sort of questions I can ask people, however I have so far not written them down as of yet. I  plan to do a bit more research, and go to my student union to get some leaflets to see what they offer. Hopefully I will get more ideas on how to move forward with this project.  

I have also thought about my deck of cards project, I had originally said I would design a new set every week. So I am starting this tonight, continuing on from what I have currently done, however I feel that these may not be completely, completed. To make it easier for myself I think, I shall just have sketches, this will also help me balance my time between my side projects and my main projects. I am beginning to feel I am procrastinating too much within my other projects. I will choose which suit style is the strongest  to go forward with. I also have to still design the back of the deck of cards. This I am hoping to keep neutral so whichever design I use, the backing will suit all. That's all from me today, a little bit of an information overload.

So my dissertation is finally over, I have printed it all out and it's looking pretty tasty.  I will be getting it binded tomorrow, then I can finish getting the cover and all done for it. I went back and re-designed my cover image for my dissertation, I also did a little more design with preparing my shopping bag look for the actual cover of the dissertation.

So just a little recap, this is the bag for my cover,  I then made a little label you can see below

Sorry for the bright colors, this image is in CMYK  format . I then added this to my bag:

It's not perfectly done, but you get the idea. I then went a head and started to cut the bag, so it will fold and be more of a dust cover for my dissertation:

This is my dissertation currently sitting in the cover. This is also my new cover it has changed since last night. I still find it very hard to read. So I even changed the design again:

This is my final, I'm done lol. So yes, getting this binded tomorrow and then trying to get it to stay in it's new cover will be interesting. Hopefully I don't completely wreck it. 

On another note, I  got talking to a tutor today, looked over all my work and have started to determine which direction I will be going into.  So I have been advised to  create a student survival guide.  Help students to budget money and such. I am in two minds about it at the moment to be honest. As I wanted to do more  sort of photography stuff. Like I looked up this guy:

Gabriel Wickbold, I would love to do my own version of this and have people covered in things that our to do with consumerism. I think it'd be pretty sweet. I haven't yet started research into this, but I have to admit I am very excited about this and I do really think it can work. So that's all from me today. Hopefully will have a finished Dissertation to show tomorrow. If all goes to plan :D