Exhibition Take-Down

So on Friday the end of year exhibition at OCVC Banbury, where my Telephone Box has been hanging for the last week, started to be taken down.

My reservations about hanging the fairly heavy telephone box from the hollow ceiling for 2 weeks, now gone. Originally I thought I was going to hate it being hung, but after hours of balancing and sewing fishing wire throughout it, it finally looked the part (even if it did get bashed about by the bustle of people at the incredibly busy Private View a couple of weeks ago).

I don't know what I'm going to do with my Telephone Box now, as it's quite big and takes up a fair bit of space, but I feel it deserves more than being shoved in the corner of a room for years to come. It was one thing trusting the strength of the college ceilings to hang it, but trusting my own at home I feel is a complete nightmare waiting to happen.

Maybe it will become my 5 month old niece, and 34 month nephew's safe place, like everyone who talked to me about it wanted it to be for them, haha :)

Leamington Peace Festival

Last weekend was the yearly Leamington Peace Festival for thousands of people in Warwickshire - a free family festival with constant music, loads of stalls and plenty of food.

I went to sus-out what kinds of things sold well and what kinds of people went as a possible option for me in the future.

I found a stall with these gorgeous rings made from shells, which I absolutely loved! They're so fun and different, I've not seen anything like them before! As I do at most festivals and fairs I limited myself to one purchase, and I dug round these shell rings for a good while until I found one which was more my style with a black and white swirled top - very Tim Burton stylé.

There were some lovely pieces at the Peace Festival as there always is, although I find it's one of those places you really have to root around to find them.

Next up on my Art fairs and festivals radar is New Designers in London in just over a week which I can't wait for. It'll be lovely to see what other graduates are doing.
 

Bovey Tracey Contemporary Craft Festival 2013

So on Sunday I went to the Contemporary Craft Festival in Bovey Tracey, as I went last year and absolutely loved it!

It was the 10th anniversary this year, and there was so much going on. So many beautiful piece to fall in love with, which of course I did!

The stall I kept going back to had some exquisite handbags and purses made with vintage used postcards where the picture was the front and the writing, the back. They had beautiful old style hand-writing and stamps, and are so unique! I ended up spending ages pouring through them (wanting a Blackpool one), and when I got home and read the back, found it was from Joyce and John, who happen to be my grandparents! (http://sarahculleton.bigcartel.com/)

I can't wait for next year to come around so I can go back! But in the meanwhile, loads of people where mentioning Art in Action in Oxfordshire in July, yesterday, so it looks like that's the next thing to look forward to.

Up And Running

In what feels like no time my degree has come to an end! I can't believe the end is now here, after feeling like a million miles away right up until hand in.

As you can see my final piece was this cushdy K6 telephone box, and although there's a good few things I would have done differently if I could (and the worst problems came within the last 24 hours of hand in, and my God was that a long 24 hours!), I am really proud of the final outcome :) and find it's really quite similar to a few older pieces I once did. It is a representation of a small village I know.

Whilst I'm looking forward to the next year of no degree deadlines, I'm also terrified of not being in education for the first time in my life! Although I'm also really excited to be able to start making my own work finally, and the hope is to make, make, make for the next year before I fully get into craft fairs and the like for more of an income. I guess I'll also have to start looking for a little job to keep me going! Lets just hope the motivation keeps on going!!!

In a years time I'm hoping to be accepted to do the top-up course to add to my degree at the same place I did my diploma and degree. But in the mean time I would like to keep my toes in the water by doing evening or short courses to fund my knowledge further within the textiles and fine art world.

Bring it on!