Creative Expo Fair : Looka Teesside at Stockton.

The 1st June seemed to come and go really fast! I was very excited/ nervous for the first of this summers craft events. I was very surprised to have such a large table at this event and was worried I would't fill the space well but I was very pleased with the finished result. I always try to give my stall a vintage market stall theme with my wicker baskets and boxes. I love hunting the local charity shops and online for various props. So here it is my stall...

What do you think?

I also love meeting people at these events. I was excited to see one of my close friends Bev at this event from Uniko Studio. As a class mate from Cleveland College of Art and Design I have had the pleasure of following Bev along her journey. It is always exciting seeing her new creations. For more about Uniko Studio, check out their website here: http://www.uniko.co.uk

I also had the pleasure of having my stall next to the lovely Samantha Grig. Samantha creates beautifully hand knit and crochet accessories for you and your home, all made out of British wool! Her work is stunning and as a fan of bobble hats I would love some of her creations for myself! You can find Samantha's work on her Folksy page: http://folksy.com/shops/samanthagrig Go check it out!

Since the beginning of May I have been creating many little 'to do' lists leading up to this event. I think my planning worked well as I didn't have to worry about things not been done in time. The day was lovely although we had alot of rain in the morning. The drive was lovely too and I spotted two deers near Whitby. I absolutely love the drive from Bridlington to Middlesbrough and threw the Moors. 

I had some little sales which is nice but I do love the experience of showcasing my work and getting feedback. Many people say my work reminds them of Beatrix Potter which is a huge compliment. I never thought of my work in that way before but when I think about my imagery I can clearly see why. 

On my stall I had a selection of screen printed totes, cushions, cards and squirrel kits. Some Giclee prints, greetings cards and iPhone cases featuring my original drawings. I now think I am ready to start some new designs and get my studio ready :)

I have also sent more Squirrel tote bags and Squirrel Making kits to the Joe Cornish Gallery in Northallerton! So if your near by why not pop in and check out some lovely art work! 

You can also view and buy my work on my Etsy page:

http://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/LaurenChericeDesigns

Or visit me on my FB Page:

www.facebook.com/Laurenchericedesign

Tomorrow: The First Summer Month?

So tomorrow apparently is the first 'summer' month. All I can say is I am still having to have my heating on in May! How crazy is that! This time last year I was enjoying the sunshine at Burton Agnes Hall amongst the beautiful flowers!

To get you into the mood for summer (when ever it arrives) I thought I would share some of these beautiful flowers from last years post. I am hoping to get drawing these flowers after this weekends Looka Teesside event in Stockton where I have a stall. 

Enjoy.. and I hope we have a lovely sunny weekend! Roll on summer.... :)

Dear Diary 27.05.13

I feel like I have so much going on at the minute but I do love being busy. I have three part time jobs which isn't including Lauren Cherice Designs. I am also busy getting organised for my first craft stall of the year which is less than a week away! Eeek. 

At the weekend I popped in Behind the Times in Bridlington to supply them with my new stock.. my Iphone cases. The only problem going into the shop is that I want to buy EVERYTHING! There is so much to look at and want to buy. I love that the shop supports local crafters/designers too.

There is only one of each design there at the moment though! I hope for them to be on Etsy very soon :)

I have also been very busy in the knitting department. I am very addicted to 'Knit one, pearl one' at the minute. I have completed the pattern for Dylans jumper based on a book full of dog outfits which I got for my birthday. I decided to go with the size L but I think now it is going to be too small for Dylan. I intend to add a front panel to solve this problem. I would like to say thank you to my close friend Maggie who has had patience with me along the way. I also found this old multicoloured wool which I have started to knit with also.

We have also finally been in the Bridlington Free Press to celebrate our 1st birthday of been going for a year. I do think its such a lovely photo of us all. I have also got myself my dream bike! I LOVE it. It is so refreshing in the morning getting up and going for a ride on your way to work. 

I also came across these old cards I produced at university. They are screen printed with my squirrel repeat. I am debating what to do with them next. I can't decide whether to take them to my stall in Stockton this saturday! 

I have just spent a lovely weekend with some of my close friends from home. Lydia lives in York and Daniel lives in London so it is lovely to catch up with them at home for this bank holiday. Jade is now back after training to be a teacher. Dylan is growing up and I just love him more each day. He now has a new favourite thing of sneaking for a little snuggle on the bed in the morning. Here is Dylan watching me dry my hair. I think he was very bored as it seemed to take forever.

Hope you all had a lovely weekend! 

My Dream:My Studio...

I have one dream.... to have my own successful print studio. I love screen printing, (incase you haven't noticed) and would love nothing more.

I am now excited to say this dream is a possibility now I have an available space. I have been very lucky to have got my hands on this space in Bridlington.....

It needs a lot of work but I have been very lucky in one area... The warehouse (to be studio) was originally used for making parachutes. Therefore I was very excited to see it had an extremely large table. The table stretched the entire length of the room, and is in a fantastic condition.

Above, shows the table before. I chose to break down the table into a three tables which could be made into print tables. If you follow my facebook page you will have seen me transfer two of them into print tables. 

Above: The Tables before..

Below: Is the tables after they have been covered.

I now have three tables, two of which are covered already. One measures 1.5m and the other 3m. The largest table which is yet to be covered measures just over 9m. I am very excited to print on them in the future. My next step in order to get printing is to have a wash booth so I can wash my screens and to build a bigger exposure unit. 

I am also excited about another new addition to the studio.... a loom. I certainly aren't a weaver but my close friend Jade is. When she found a loom for sale locally I couldn't let her not buy it. So I thought where else would be a perfect space... and here it is! I'm sooo excited to see her use it. I've seen her work from university and it is amazing! We can teach each other! :)

Amazing Colour: Design Seeds

I thought a new blog post from me was in order as I have been a little quiet lately! So, I thought I would share with you some lovely colour palette's by Design Seeds.

I came across Design Seeds via Facebook and instantly fell in love with their amazing colour palettes which they create from an equally inspiring image. 

I thought I would share with you some of my recent favourite ones from their site. Even though, I do like rather a lot of them.

I think this is such a great website to check out, especially if your struggling to find inspiration. It also makes me want to work out the tones within some of the imagery I have and create these mini mood boards. 

What do you think? It makes me want to get drawing and experimenting with dyes :)

For more beautiful imagery, tones, colour and lots more visit Design Seed's sites below:

Website: http://design-seeds.com

Instagram: http://instagram.com/designseeds

Twitter: https://twitter.com/designseeds

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/designseeds

Working on New Products: iPhone Cases

Recently I needed a new phone case. It came to mind, why not get my own design on it? So, thats just what I did. Phone cases are very popular at the minute with certain phone manufacturers dominating the market. I think you know the ones....

These are the current designs I am hoping to start with, and I then hope to develop my recent drawings. I have so many ideas running around in my head but not enough time at the moment to do everything.

Here is a photo of one of my prototypes. This one doesn't have my name branding on so is just for myself for now. I am hoping to be getting my others back this week so will keep you informed. 

What do you think of him? :)

Dates for your Dairy 2013....

Oh my... It's May Already!!
Incase you don't know I have a stall booked at a few events this summer. Firstly, on the 1st of June in Stockton is the 'Looka Teesside' event. Bringing a range of creatives to the north east.

I am now on my planning for these events so this should keep me busy over the next few weeks. I also have a new part time job to try save some money to put towards my studio. 

I am also excited to have my first stall in York. I love visiting York, seeing its castle and exploring the cobbled streets. This event is 'From Yorkshire with Love' on the 28th of July. It is set in the beautiful Merchant Adventurers' Hall :) 

I am also attending two local craft stalls, the first one being at Sewerby Hall and Gardens in the Orangery. This one is on Sunday 30th June and open 11- 4pm. If your not from Bridlington and coming for a visit that weekend, why not pop along! 

My second stall booked so far locally, is at the Hornsea Leisure Centre on Sunday 4th August, also open between 11-4pm. I am hoping to book a few more events for the summer and end of the year. I will keep you informed.