Setting up shop

So I don't know if you know but I've been crafting since forever and have always wanted to be able to make and sell my own stuff (and hey presto! I do a design course, go figure).

Anyway I've always made little things out of felt (images below) for friends and family back in high school half because it cost less to make birthday gifts and I could cram it the night before (like my assignments!). I've always been pretty pleased with what I've come up with. In saying that, I've never made anything more than once.

After seeing so many of my friends and people I know go into business for themselves selling their own things over the years I keep asking myself "Why aren't I doing that yet?". And to be honest I have no real excuse. I mean I am quite involved around and my non-uni project list is greater than my study workload (6 external projects vs. 4 uni assignments). Sometimes I wonder if I'm procrastinating this small business venture of my own  by doing all these other things?

I think it's because I've never had anyone actually hold me to account for getting it done. On the one hand its a big time commitment and I'm not even sure it will fall through so I guess I don't bother? All these other projects have immediate response sort of thing, generally because they are for other people. The most annoying thing is that I know I can do it and that I have the potential. People have been telling my that for YEARS but I haven't really lived up to it or at least to what I believe I am capable of. Maybe I should start planning to get back into it?

Anyway I leave you with some of my little felt creations.. If you think I could/should do something with it I would love to hear/see some support. I do have a small break in my semester coming up, might be a good time to start something!

The owls I actually have made twice but as you can see they turned out completely different. 

And then there's all the paper craft I do too! Geez, I wish I could only do one thing sometimes so that that would be all I do and I could just focus on those things.

Eugh, anyway I need to go back to working on this assignment for my Masters application..

Julie.

Holiday catch up

Also some of the stuff I did in the holidays after my last Christmas craft post. Pretty much just Christmas craft and things actually at Christmas (i.e. my cards and Christmas eve baking!)

So I finished painting and colouring my cards and FINALLY cut them all up!

20 self designed, handmade Christmas cards.

Little accident spilling a glass of water!!

The paper started curling!! *GASP* Don't worry I made spare cards.

Handmade envelopes with self designed address plates

I don't have a proper photo because I am silly and didn't think about that till after I posted and I cant be bothered looking for my spares to take a photo right now. So I am just borrowing a photo off my friend Rachel who took this and posted it on online after she got it.

ANWAY MOVING ON TO CHRISTMAS BAKING!

Our playground (my cousin & I)

We decided to make some gingerbread cookies.

YAY!!! Gingerstars :)

I really wanted to make a gingerbread house so I convinced my cousin to leave me some of the dough so I could make a mini one. Also decided to make a gingerbread man out of the leftover dough.

DECORATING! :)

CONSTRUCTION! This was actually really difficult because I couldn't be bothered to make actual icing so i was just using nutella to stick it all together.

YEWWW! Finished house!!

All snow dusted! With mister ginger bread :)
Pretty good for my first ever gingerbread house, no?

AND the back of the house

We arranged and dusted the gingerbread stars too! :)

And to give you a sense of scale... look how tiny it is! It was SO CUTE :)

Anyway, so that was some of my Christmas. Hope you enjoyed!

Julie.

AWOL

Now I know I don't update very much but I am starting to think I really do need to update this blog more especially as I get closer and closer to the end of my degree. Had Shane from http://thedesigndivision.com.au/ as a guest speaker at my ID Directions lecture on Friday. He is a graduate from my course (BD in Industrial Design, UTS) from a couple years back and told us what he's been up to.

I thought it was quite a great talk. Really makes me want to go and peruse my own little design group with a friend that we've been planning mostly just for fun. But one of the things I got out of it that I could start doing now was to build my online presence.

And SO I have decided to come back to this blog! I Hope to post once a week to update on what is going on. What I am doing at uni and anywhere else I happen to be working, designing, creating. I am looking forward to a great year! Not to mention that I am GOING TO SWEDEN ON EXCHANGE! :)

And I will leave you with some of that I have been up to so far this year (not much). Mostly photography, not as much design/creative stuff as I would have liked but better than nothing right?

Tangled installation at Sydney Festival First Night '12

I GOT A NEW FLASH! (belated gift (Christmas) from my parents)

I restrung the fairly lights in my room again 'cos I  was bored.

Painted apples on my nails, also because I was bored.

Made some cookies because lets face it, who doesn't like cookies?

Screen printing some commissioned bunting for O-Day at UTS!

What 44m of handmade bunting looks like. :)

Then uni started again. Some drawing exercises from my illustration class.

Random photo of Sydney from the water on a cruise I crashed.. hehe

My first set of homework for uni (also for my illustration class)

Made some dinosaurs for the guys from Wong Fu Productions (at thier Sydney show!)

And to end with some home made tofu/tapioca thing I made earlier today. Otherwise known as TAHO! Also because I just like taking photos of food.

Hope you (whoever you are) enjoyed this photodump. There should be more to come. Might do a dump of my work from last year. At least the stuff that never made it onto here during the year.

Here's to a great 2012!

Julie.

Just a little Christmas crafting

Yeah so I am being awesome and POSTING all my Christmas cards this year for the very first time. YAY for snail mail! This is because

1. I haven't given Christmas cards in a while and I kind of miss it
2. I can't see everyone I would like to give them to (I also won't be bothered to visit everyone individually, mostly cause I would have to use public transport to get everywhere)
3. It takes less time to go to the post office once then see everyone.
4. AND I'm not going to be in the state over Christmas/New Years :)

Not to mention that mail is FUN! :)

And now me being, well me, I thought that I would make my own Christmas cards! 

The design and all are pretty much done just need to finish the last half. THEN I have to make the envelopes...

Just some of my materials

I really need to get these done before the week is out. Need to post them before the end of the week. I leave for Melbourne on FRIDAY!!!

CONNECTOR PEN! Just one..

I suppose I could post them from there seeing as domestic postage will cost the same but I would like it to arrive around Christmas time (if I posted it today it would probably all get mailed out by Friday). Just hope my friend gets hers before she leaves the country for half a year!!

just a little preview which in my opinion actually gives it away... 

Anyway, I don't know if anyone still reads this blog. BUT I miss it so I hope to be posting a bit more this holidays. :)

♥ Julie

I'M NOT DEAD!

Hurah for procrastination!

Anyway I am meant to be working on a comic fror my University's Student Services and my deadline got pushed to TOMORROW! So naturally I can think of a million other things to do.

Such as LISTEN TO CHRISTMAS CAROLS! Christmas is one of my favourite times of year but its been a bit different from other years this year. For one I have been BUSY BUSY BUSY! Having been working nearly all of my holidays so far (almost a month and a half), working on other projects, coaching on a leadership program, being really involved in my church youth group, diocesan youth events, not to mention this internship I got and this comic I am meant to be finishing...

But secondly I have been CAROLLING (as part of my youth group)! It's been SO much fun! I haven't sang this much since high school!! but it's really got the Christmas spirit in me. For once it actually feels like Christmas! And have been listening to carol covers on youtube too!!

Safe to say I have been packing my days and it is a little tiring.

BUT I do want to update because on top of all that, I'm getting my designing-crafting ON! (that totally didnt make sense) in any case I will post those up after this as this little update post is getting long enough!!

I will leave you with the lovely Gabe Bondoc and his cover of Harry Conic Jr's "Sleigh Ride" (one of my favourites!)

AND a photo of the christmas lights I hung up in my room last week, it's festive! :)

♥ Julie

Don't know why..

But for some reason it's not letting me post from my iPad... :(

It finally came!

So I finally have my new iPad and I have to say its pretty Snazzy. I've had it opened for only an hour and I am already procrastinating like crazy! Really should be working of photography but just wanted to play n my new toy. I guess it's good cos I might use it to get back into blogging, which is something I've been wanting to do and I can always just use it to get back into journalling.

Anyway I think I have procrastinated enough. Time to work one my assignment!

WOO! Yay for engraving! Should probably post about the VizMarathon..

*huzzah for toy story reference

Don Norman on 3 ways good design makes you happy | Video on TED.com

Don Norman on 3 ways good design makes you happy | Video on TED.com

just a little bit fancy..

Been practising hand lettering with the quill I got in Italy.

With my quill and ink. First wrote on some scrap paper. 

Rewrote it NOT on scrap paper and scanned, it bled a bit..

Don't know if I like the original or the rewritten on better..

YAY for procrastination! :)

Speakers

talk about lack of posting.. My bad, I have a life now. :/
Anyway my quickly CADed up speakers and craply rendered image..
There's a weight at the bottom so it rocks.. :)

Photographic Storyboard

Speaker sketches

SO I have to design and model up some speakers for my CAD class. SO sick of Solidworks right now though...
Anyway, just some of my sketches.. not sure what I want to do yet but I need to have some modelling done by friday!

Chess Set Multimedia Presentation

IT IS FINITO!

Well it was last week.. but I finally have it on me to post up for public viewing :)

my chess pieces!

I htink Im finished with the modeling! Just MINOR tweaking of the rendering thats left though I can probably get away with not doing it.

TIme to work on my video! Not looking forward to the render time...