Great Northern Contemporary Craft Fair

I was lucky enough to be asked to be the guest curator at this years Great Northern Contemporary Craft Fair in manchester. To be honest I hadn't been to this event before but it is a regular feature in Manchester's cultural calendar and attended by over 6000 people. As you can imagine I was very excited about taking part.

My role was to curate The Great Northern Graduate showcase (GNG 2012) and I was keen to stamp my curatorial mark.

(A small rant - for me being a curator is not about 'picking things and putting them together', nor is it about being some kind of trend maker... a read in a blog once that someone had 'curated their window sill' ... madness. Being a curator is about standing between an artists work, or an object or idea, and an audience and providing avenues for that audience to investigate the work. It is much more than selecting it is about ideas and about thinking and being curious.)

I selected nine graduates all with work I fell in love with. I centred the thematics of the showcase around ethics, the ethics of making and of collecting, quoting the fabulous Vivienne Westwood 'Buy less, choose well...'

Back from our travels

We are back from our travels, it's been a bit of an extended summer. We spent several amazing weeks cruising around the UK visiting friends and taking a much needed break. This was our home. It seems we have become hippies with our newly painted orange van and bell tent.

I have to say I could live in it for a while.

After meeting up with old friends we travelled on to South Devon, Sam's family has a place by the coast which they very kindly allow us to use in the late summer. We spent what felt like a month there, enjoying the beach and introducing Isla to the wonders of swimming in the sea. Since getting home work has been frantic. I was guest curator for the 2012 GNCCF - I had so much fun!! Thank you all those who contributed to making it such an amazing event. Images to follow shortly.

Here are a few snaps from our break over the summer. Now its getting colder and the nights a little darker .. I love this time of year. xxx

Holiday time

It's time for a holiday .... See u in September xxx

Brilliant MT Tape

I love wrapping presents for people... I love packing up things to send in the mail. My secret weapon is MT tape and lots of it.

I was directed to this site by the fabulous wrapping guru Hello Sandwich. I have been following her blog for a little while now, it is so inspiring.

Glampers we are

So we have taken a giant leap into 'family camping' ... our tiny and very hardy Vango is getting too small. We intend to use it one last time at the beginning of August then this monster arrives later in the month.

Sam has been reluctant to buy one of these for a while, but the lure of more space has sucked him in. I can't wait, although I also feel a little bit like we will be cheating. I am sure I will get over it :)

I am also considering a new camera... Nikon or Canon, or even Sony??

Lull in activity

There has been a lull in activity, both here on the blog but also in general. I have been very sluggish recently, it must be this crazy weather making me a little laxadasical. If I am being fair to myself I havent been here much, by my computer so have not been stumbling on those gems I feel I need to share.

I did stumble across this little number today ... Its so cute, by Cos - always producing some understated classics for our small folks.

I am intending to blog more frequently now I am 'back in the office' so keep an eye out.

xx

New Designers - Part One

I was at New Designers in London last Thursday for the first part of this epic graduate showcase. If I am honest I wasn't blown away, but there were a few interesting people. I fell in love with these pieces of furniture by Kay Rudge.

.... and in stark contrast, Joseph Hartley's ceramics stood out a mile. Joe didn't include this in his showcase, but I love his baguette holder, every French man should have one.

I will be back at New Designers this Thursday - then have the awesome task of putting together something outstanding for GNG in Manchester. This event has been curated by Kelda Savage for the past few years so I have some pretty fabulous shoes to fill.