So hand in for all this years semesters work was due in for marking today and needless to say iv been crapping it for the past few days. My appointment was at 10am this morning and i felt it went really well with some really good criticism and some constructive points about how to get better marks for presentation...not that it was bad but i know i could have done better. My tutor Teena is also going to mark me with special circumstances due to my accidence (my fractured arm) which cause me to nearly 4 weeks where i couldnt do any practical work! From the meeting i think i have realise that i work a lot better with small tight piece of jewellery that the larger body adornment jewellery and fashion pieces. I do enjoy the challenge of them...but in the end my small wearable piece always look far more professional.

So thats me finished second year :)! And it feels great but still got lots of work head with the Westend Festival starting in just over 6 weeks. Ill post some picture as soon as i start making. Its also a busy week for socialising as i turn 23 on May the 4th... God i feel old lol. Looking forward to our night out in Broughty Ferry tho on the 7th! I can tell its going to be a good one :)

And to all those 4th year Jews ..aka Jewellery students .. out there getting ready for the Degree show... Good luck girlies :)

Im back!

Well i cant believe my last post was at Christmas! Times have been busy busy...as always. So a quick catch up on the past few months - Pasts all my jewellery projects and was really chuffed with my grades :). In February all of the student in the jewellery department got the chance to go to Munich to visit the Massive jewellery exhibition called Inhorgenta. It was completely mind blowing! So many nice things, I just had to treat myself and bought this funky little brooch By blabla blue.

Another exciting thing that happened the day i came home for Germany was to find out that i got a job in the new Jane Norman in the Overgate. Its just part time but i need money to get me by over the summer. Iv been in the job over a month now and loving it..all the girls are really nice.

Ok so im nearly finished my 2nd year at Duncan of Jordanstone...the time has truly flew in, before i know it im going to be finish! Im loving my time up here in Dundee but missing home loads too. The girls in my class are the best tho and keep my head up in the good, bad and stressful time lol!



Exciting times are on the horizon with the Westend Festival fast approaching! Got so many ideas and new designs for this year. I want to incorporate fabric into some of my pieces this year, and these beautiful little numbers By Tina Givens on Etsy are just some of what i might be using. So all you people in and around the Glasgow area, pop on down to Byres Road on the 15th and Gibson St on the 22nd of June. Its a great day out with lots of lovely stalls as well as the spectactical street parade! So got a very busy schedual ahead but i promise to keep on top of my blog from now on :D

x

Woohoo......Nearly Christmas!

Im so excited about spending christmas at home this year. It will be so nice to hang about with my old friend again. Not got too many plans over the festive period except eat, sleep and be merry! Which im sure ill be able to achieve! I wont be updating this until after new year when im back in dundee so I hope everyone and a very merry christmas and prosperous new year!

Ho ho ho ..... x

A month already

How time flies when you’re having fun....Well not so much fun, more like work really. Things at uni have gotten pretty intense over the past few weeks, lots of written work for my Design, History, Theory and Practice lectures. And deadlines for practical work have crept up faster than I ever imagined. Our last project we had was based on the use of line and how to create line using metal. I really enjoyed this project and found that I work really well with wire. I like the way you can create 3 dimensional forms that can sit lightly against the body. We had two briefs to complete in our line project. The source I used to inspirer me for this project was nature, using things with simple lines in them. I also took inspiration from a book I recently bought called 'Into the Nature of Creatures and Wilderness'. It’s filled with interesting and unusual forms of nature from photography, illustrations, prints and computer designed images. The first was to create a brooch showing sample a brooch fitting and contemporary ways to wear it against the body. For this I created a pin out of Stainless steel, twisting the wire to form an intricate shape, which I then took sections of and stitched purple material into it with brass wire. For the second brief we were to create a piece that adorned the body. I liked the idea of a piece that was pinned to the cliché place you would wear a brooch, but then design it so it ran over the shoulder and down the back.

To create my piece I used brass wire which I rolled to give a flat shape. I also used very thin round brass wire which I twisted and knotted then ran through the rolling mills to create these delicate and intricate squiggle shapes. I held these shapes in place by wrapping them round the small frames to keep them in place.
I was really pleased with my final piece.


On the 30th of Dec I also had a Jewellery sale at Money Quest offices in Glasgow, my sister works there and she had been raving on to the colleges about my jewellery. So me and my friends Joanne, who is also at DOJ decided to sell some of our piece to make a bit of money, which was desperately need as us students are poor you know! It was a really good day and we both did really well.

So that’s me all finished up for the holidays now and ill be heading back down home soon to sunny Ayr to spend Christmas with my family and friends. Not that it will be a relaxing holiday since my sister has just bought a new house, which im sure ill be roped into help decorating! Good job I love her!

My busy busy week

Okkervil River


So this week has been pretty busy. I stupidly planned 3 gigs and a Birthday day out in one week.
It all started off on Wedneday when i went to see the amazing Biffy Clyro, for what seems like the 50th time, at the barrowlands. The gig was, as i exspected, full to the brim and the buzz comming from the crowd was incredible. After the gig, it was a quick rush back up to Dundee, to join my flat mate and some friends for the Dub-Step night at the student union on Floor Five.

Then on Thursday I had tickets to go and see Mr Bill Bailey play live at the Clyde Auditorium. His Performance was extraordinary. I havent laughed so hard, well.......ever.

Then finally I went to Nice N Sleazys in Glasgow to see Okkervirl River. I have been wait to see this band play in the uk for awhile now. I don't know what you'd call their music, country or indie, rock or avant-folk, or some such crossbred genre. All I know is that it calms my nerves and makes me feel relaxed, taking me into my own little world. Thought sure with the gritty lyrics, it's kind of a downer, but is that not what real country is anyway.

Okkervil River’s music is meant to be grappled with, questioned and reflected upon. Never to be taken at face value or with assumptions. Will Sheff, songwriter and main source of inspiration, draws his songs from living on the road, a place where life is at times it can be tranquil and utterly beautiful, but other moments reveal the darkest of dark, an image of evil that only shows itself in a travelling form.

Okkervil River is music for anyone with a ear on their mind and eye on their heart. Thats why i love this band so much.

I suppose I should also mention a little something about what im doing at university just now. Our current brief is to take a piece of fruit, mines is a Granny smith Apple, and use it as inspiration to create resin bead designs. I love working with resin and perspex as the textures and colours you can create are unlimited. For this brief i have been mainly using the resin to encase objects that represent an apple like the seeds and using fabric that lookis like the peel.

To Begin With ....

Hi, ok so this whole blog thing is all pretty new to me. My main reasons for setting up my blog is because at the moment my life is pretty hectic with University and life in gerneral and I decided this would be a great way to keep on top of things. As i said in my "about me" section. I am currently in second year of my Jewellery and Metalwork Degree, im loving it but it hard work. I also try and selling my piece, mainly during the hoiday season. I will hopefully be getting some of my piece up on my blog, of you all to have a look at .........and if anything takes you fancy, just let me know.

Bye for now Nicola