art equals happy.

Responding to Comments.

Hello everyone! Comments are pretty much the best things ever. I love hearing about your reactions and I love when you let me know what's inspired you! This post is some random comments from the past few months, and I've responded to them because I thought others might be interested too. Or not. I mean, you could just wait till the nest picture heavy post. That's cool too. :]

Stephanie (foggyknitter) said: Negs is one gorgeous cat, lovely photos, great wrapping paper too, did you print it yourself?

K: Thanks! Yeah, I did. There's a little tutorial that I posted over on Hobzy.p.s. If anyone wants me to Guest Blog for them, please e-mail me! Hobzy is looking to spread some love! 

Zoée said: One of my goals for this year is to get into natural dyes and finally get to know my traditional ashford spinning wheel (it's the same as yours it looks like). Haven't spun in so long and the wheel has been a bit intimidating, but no more! Did you find any good spinning websites for tips on this particular wheel?

K: Yeah, my spinning wheel is an Ashford Traditional. I love it so much. :] Unfortunately, I haven't really used the internet for learning on my wheel- I was taught by the girls at Prick Your Finger in London and learnt the rest out of books. I suggest visiting your local library, keeping an eye out for books in charity/thrift shops and using the amazon books sneak peeks. Good luck!!

Megan @ The Nerd Nest said: This stuff looks amazing! How did the term go?

K: Thanks Megan. :] All of the holiday fairs have been really fun to participate in. It's been really great to work on shop/blog things and have it also count towards my degree. 3rd is hard though! We've got a dissertation, and two projects to work on at once. I'm feeling the pressure, for sure. Looking forward to getting past this next assesment and really focusing on Art Equals Happy again in March! 

Andi said: You're so busy this season! I don't know how you keep up with all of the craft markets.

K: Oh gosh, Thanks Andi. I always feel like I'm not keeping up, not doing enough. Some of my friends on the London Market circit are so productive and do so many fairs! I've just got to pick the ones I feel I can do, and make sure I've got a helper with me for the day. I love craft fairs so much, so I always hope I can do more!

eliza said: i like your skirt! i can hardly stand the upkeep my hair requires when it's long... yours looks gorgeous, though!

K: Oh man, tell me about it! My hair is out-of-control. I am so tempted to just cut it all off! 

Caroline said: Eeek! Another PoPS fan! This is just proof that awesome things attract awesome people!

K: :] hehe!

Alli said: Happy birthday for yesterdaaaay! Also, is that kitty HUGE or are you just super tiny in that photo?? Inquiring minds need to know! Hope you had a wonderful day :) Alli xx

K: HAHA! I think I about 10- and the cat is HUGE. I've always been a bit big-boned so, yeah. Her name is Lizzie, and she was Mum's cat. I'm actually surprised she let me pick her up, she was really sensitive (we got her from a rescue center). But sweet. :]

Angie said: Oh, I love all the Autumn colors! Also, is that "it's the little things" a tote??? Whether or not it is, it's beautiful!

K: Aw, thanks! yeah- it is! I sold out of them at Renegade, but I'm planning to make more!

Barnicles said: beautiful! have you ever seen any of the Charles Rennie Mackintosh stuff in glasgow? do you like his style? Barnicles

K: I haven't studied him at all, actually. I will have to look him up. :]

Marie said: Love it! Did you braid your hair yourself? It looks great! Oh, also, I love how Negs is in pretty much every picture you take :)

K: Thanks! Yeah- I learnt how to braid when I was really little & it just sort of stuck. :] Aw- me too, I love Negs!

Vlog Q&A. :: Video.

Hello everyone! I hope you're having a nice weekend. I've been wanting to do a videoblog for a while now- and here is my first new try!
I kept it long so I could answer your questions and be silly at the same time- It's about nine minutes, so make a cup of tea maybe?ENJOY! 
Included in the video: silly dancing, funny voices, cats on laps, knitting, chatting about knitting, t.v. shows, coned wool and more!

Dear my 'Foundation' self. :: Camberwell & Life.

So- it's coming up to Fresher's Week here at UAL and my dear friend Kara wrote a similar post about being a freshman. I thought I'd do the same- maybe it might be helpful to someone out there? Maybe not. But here is what I may have said to myself 2 years ago if time travel was possible...
- - -This is pretty much everything you’ve always been dreaming of. You’re in London- you’re going to your first choice university and you are ready.

Don’t be afraid to be the ‘geek’. Ask questions, talk to the tutors, read and re-read the briefs, do as much work as you can, pay attention, go to the lectures. These things will really make the difference. You’ve always been a little ‘keen’ on school. Don’t let that change just because you’re now a ‘big kid’. There are a lot of intimidating people with amazing style. Don't let that stop you. You deserve to be here.

Peter will be, basically, a guardian angel for you this year. The rest of your flatmates, not so much. Don’t let them get to you- go and cook food in your pajamas even if there are loads of people in the kitchen. You know your place. Talk to Peter about art. Listen to him. Watch movies that you may not think are good on first impression and make time to go explore London.

Go to every single Cinema Club. It will be your favourite thing. Don’t eat so many crisps. Hug your mum and dad when you see them. Go back to Bristol on the bus occasionally, but not right before a deadline. Rest up when you can. Get involved with Jumble sales and the Fairs at college- by the time you’re a 2^nd year- they’ll be e-mailing you! Take pictures and decorate your room (no one is going to check).

Look around your class and make friends with the people who are sitting alone & the really nice girls from your halls. You don’t need to go to the pub every time- but once in a while is good for you. Talk to your tutors when you get the chance. They’ll be like friends, I promise. Don’t be too scared about drawing. You’re not a ‘Graphic Designer’, it’s okay. Illustration is cool. Inquire about using the Darkroom, they might make an exception. Spend the time on the bus dreaming about your projects and what you’re going to have for dinner. Don’t stress about relationships back in Bristol. Have people to stay. Visitors are awesome & you can fit 2 more people in that teeny tiny room of yours. When you move out of halls- invite people over, you might be surprised who visits you! Keep working on your  blog and your shop. It's important to you.

Meet London Bloggers. They are nice. [: When you’re making your portfolio… GO WITH YOUR GUT! There will be a lot of talks about how to make it ‘just right’- but work hard and do it the way you feel is right, because the interview will go awesome, because you know who you are and what you do (even if it feels like you’re drowning sometimes). Explore the handmade world- there are amazing people to meet out there. Go to the Library and read. Look at the books. There are some gems waiting to be found. In your 1^st year on BA, you’ll be confused a lot of the time. You’ll feel like an imposter (‘I can’t draw!’). It’s going to be hard to find your footing (I still haven’t) but I know it’s there. Follow your heart. Do a lot of thinking and knitting in the evenings. It will pay off.

FOLLOW THE BRIEFS! I know this is hard. The briefs are meant to challenge you and stretch you. I know you thought the stretching was over. It’s not. Go to the museums and do 50 drawings in 3 hours. It will be hard and most of them will be rubbish, but it’s a learning thing.

Oh. And you’re ill. It’s sucks. It’s going to make your life a little bit miserable and awkward at times. That’s ok. Don’t be ashamed or guilty to get a Taxi if you feel faint. Plan your journeys before you leave the house. Learn the bus routes. Get a stool when you are drawing in galleries (most places have them for free. Tell them you’re disabled). Get a bus, even if it’s just a few stops and your friends are walking. It will keep your mind clear and your feet a little lighter. Talk to your tutors (all of them!) about it. Understanding is easy if you help them to understand.There are a million other little things I could tell you (and I’ve already rambled enough). Basically just follow your heart and be a geek (proudly!) and be nice to people and work hard. You’ll be fine.
- - -
(Black and white photo by Anna. Drawing by me in 2009) 

Q&A

some questions that you've asked in the last month or so in the comments section, answered! Just wanted to say a big THANKS to everyone who comments on my blog- it really makes it worth while. [:
Kristy: What country are you from? :D
A: I was born in America- just outside San Francisco, but I live in London, England now.

Nicky: Where did you find the vintage magazines, I would love to find some too. Niki xxx
A: I went to a market near where I live and we were there for aggeess  and right before we left, I spotted them. You've just got to look for the markets that look like they are full of old stuff. 

Vivianna: It looks so beautiful! Did you make your journal (book part) yourself?
A: In reference to this book. No- I bought it as a big blank white sketchbook with a hard cover. Actually, I didn't really buy it- it was part of the kit that I ordered at the beginning of the year along with some massive A1 or A0 boards that I had to get home on the bus (great fun, yeah right!). I never would've bought such a big, scary book otherwise- it's been a challenge but I've actually been doing some more pages now that I have a vague idea where my stuff is. [: 

Desiree Fawn: Would it be lame of me to admit that I kind of want to read that fanfiction??
A: I'm very flattered! haha. I got a couple of comments about this and at first I was like "noooo waayyyyy" but, I'll give you a little excerpt: 

It was cool and refreshing and the young-but-old face of Remus Lupin turned towards the sky, letting the rain tattoo its pattern onto him. A smile was plastered onto his wet face and if he had been feeling up to it, he probably would've jumped up and down and flung his arms out either side of him to fully take in the glorious weather. But as he felt old and crippled, he stood quite still, his hands in his pockets pulling the mac around him tighter and he looked as if he was desperately trying to keep himself upright. It did not matter that he was getting soaked or that his bare ankles were freezing or that his shoes were now steadily filling with water. It did not matter that his life was full of secrets and lies and it had forced him into social anxiety- never knowing what to say, for fear of something slipping out. It did not matter that the only people he could talk to about this was his parents, and how childish and alone that made him feel. It did not matter that his hair was getting thicker and more scraggily and he was sure that James had said something to Sirius about this. He was here, standing with the cool rain beating down on him and he felt cleansed. 'Take it away' he pleaded with the sky 'Take this filthy disease off of me', silently he had been begging with the rain for years. One day when he was 7, discovering that it made him feel human to stand like this, he had first spoken to the open and dark sky in his back garden without his mother knowing. It seemed brave to him, to stand here- Remus was not afraid of the rain but it did scare him, looking up into the sky, knowing that it was this vast space that was the root of all of his troubles. His hands were clammy and he was shaking now, obviously too frail to be cold and standing up right in the rain for too long. The smile faded from his face and with one last squinted look up into the sky which was sending small bullets of water down at him he lowered his face and disappeared inside the castle to begin his preparations for his first transformation at Hogwarts.

 I normally do 'role plays' (rather than just writing a book) where I play a character and someone plays another character and we interact, sending paragraphs to and from. This is getting really geeky, but oh well- I ran a board a few years ago with my best friend in America and we RPed characters and their kids from Marauder's Era all the way to future. We changed the plot a little though, obviously we loved Sirius waayy too much to let  him die. Anyway, life kind of got in the way and it's been a few years since I've played properly. I'm applying for the place of Remus on this new board, and that was just a snippet of my application. haha. I miss writing (even though I'm not really that great at it).

Jennifer: you should post of pictures of your apartment when your done, i'd love to see!
A: Don't worry- I'm just as excited as you to see how it all comes out! haha. :D
Thanks for all your feedback on my bedroom colour, by the way. [: loves.
 
Jackelyn: Oh P.S. Am I sensing a milkshake recipe/tutorial in the future (please?)
A: HAHA! Jackie- you should just come over and I'll show you. :] But yeah- mayyybbbeeeeeee. but isn't that like a magician revealing his tricks? 

ConsiderMyDear:I'm 5'll too! I love you so much more, now knowing that. 
A: I know this isn't a question but I'm so glad! So many of 'our kind' are a lot shorter than me! 

Becca: Oh my goodness did you take all these? I'm in total awe. Incredible! 
A: well, thank you! All the photos and drawings and such on my blog are made/taken by me unless specifically noted. :]

Katie: Great crochet, I really like the pink circular one, is there a pattern for it? xoxo
A: I'm so glad you like it. [: that particular circular crochet is the backs for my Lion Broaches, and I tried to make a tutorial for it- but I'm useless with crochet patterns. Hopefully I can share more of my designs in the future! Thanks for asking.

 
Dani: Is there any way you could do a custom order of one of these (Lion Broaches)?
A: I know I e-mailed you, but I thought I'd let everyone know that YES. I have a very limited amount of screen printed Lions but give me a colour combo or favourite fabric and I'll see what I can do. Should probably make a formal announcement of this, cause this is a lot of words. [: anyway. e-mail me if anyone is interested: [email protected]

SO- that's probably enough questions for now. Have I bored you yet, haha. Just by the way, I also have a formspring. (please keep your questions kind hearted :])
kimxo

Q&A

First off- THANK YOU for all the lovely comments lately. They have really made me smile lots. 

Here are a few Questions and Answers. Feel free to ask any if you've got them. [:

I love it. Do you expire that film on purpose?

Yup- I buy it expired. [:

This is truly wonderful :) how did you manage this effect so well!?

This is pretty much straight out of the camera. The sun was shining in from a window behind & to the right of the bookcase. The flares are natural, I focused it manually and let nature do the rest!

Your photos are fantastic! Mind if I ask how you can make them look so...for lack of a better word, retro?

Aw, thank you! I'm planning to do a class about my photography soon & how to incorporate photography easily into your everyday life. Some of my photos are film (my favourite!) but for digital, I use photoshop for subtle colour changes. if you're looking for actions... these look pretty.

I've been curious, are all 100 drawings of the same thing? Do you do them on your own or are there theme for class?

yes and no. We were given a task to 'Draw 100 Ends' (there were a few options but I chose this one). I ended up exploring several different ways of interpreting 'Ends' and that's what you see in the set. i.e. the last track on the B-side of my entire record collection shown with words and with a drawing of the record.

are these (100 drawings) in a book of some sort or just loose papers?
loose papers. [:

Where did you go to get your paper line up and going? I would love to do this someday.

I am proud to say I did it all by myself! I designed the papers and then found a printers who would do a bulk order for me. My line kicked off when Rachel from the Red Velvet Kit Club (now closed) asked me to debut the line there. Since then, I've used Etsy to sell my papers and things. If you are thinking of doing this- be warned, there is a lot of planning involved, but I'm not the only one that's done it- have you seen Mandi's? 

i was wondering if you've thought about submitting some of these works--the ones with words/letters--to poetry magazines.

I haven't done many submissions (most of the publications I've got- I've been e-mailed about), but I'm working on some fun stuff -like zines and things- that definitely have a poetry feel.

Ok, time to sleep for me! night.