Looking Back Over 2017

Without being too cliche, 2017 has definitely been full of highs and lows. I don't want to remember 2017 for the struggles though, because I've had some amazing opportunities and experiences throughout the year.

Today I'm going to look back over the year and look at all the amazing memories I've made.

In January I went to New York for the first time. If that's not the best way to kick off the new year I don't know what is. It was an amazing opportunity, and despite ringing my parents up halfway through because I didn't take enough money (when was $300 ever going to be enough), I'm so glad I went. I would love to go back, but if I don't get the chance I'm grateful for being able to go this once. 

Easter of this year was a period of time where I was at my happiest. The weather was gorgeous and we spent so much time outdoors, making the most of the beautiful place that I call home. I also applied for, and was given, my summer job, which has been a massive part of my 2017, but we'll touch on that later.

Also this spring, me and Dad went on the British Airways i360 in Brighton. Not only did we get to see some amazing views from an incredible height, but it gave us quality time to spend together and I'm grateful for that. 

I took this amazing human to his favourite place in the world. Seeing the constant smile on Harry's face made the heat stroke, from walking around the Colosseum in the sun for too long, worth it. 

As I said above, my job at Middle Farm has been a massive part of 2017. Not only did it develop my social skills, but I've met a lovely group of people, and I've been able to go back this Christmas. During the summer I got to stand outside in the sun and sell ice cream from an bicycle; for the first time I actually loved my job. 

I ate a lot of good food, especially good Mexican food! 

My little brother had his Year 11 prom and made me feel very old. And by the looks of this picture very short. 

I was lucky enough to have three holidays this year, and going back to Corfu was one of my best memories of 2017. It's my favourite place in the whole world (although I still have a LOT of exploring to do) and being able to take Harry meant so much. 

In the autumn Mr Woo officially became a Hendry. Isn't he the cutest little Shih Tzu you've ever seen?!

The FCP London trip was another highlight. I'd started second year a bit half hearted and was genuinely considering quitting. If I hadn't of gone to London though, I wouldn't have met the girls that are now such a huge part of my life. Within the two/three months of being back at uni I've developed an amazing friendship group and I owe quite a lot to them.

I decided to focus more on my blog after falling out of love with my course, and my '7 Things You Need To Watch On Netflix This Autumn' post has been the most read post since I started my blog all those years ago! Although Blogmas failed a bit, I'm really pleased with what I've achieved with my blog in these last few months and I'm excited for 2018.

The FCP 2 x COW project enabled me to end the year on a high. Originally I was going to bunk of because I "knew" I would hate every minute of it, but in reality I loved every second! And winning was the cherry on top.

Writing this post has made me realise how much the little negative things can shade all of the big positive things, because I've actually had a really good year and I'm so grateful for everything I've been able to do. Next year I want to say yes more, and I want to learn how to control my mental health better. Unlike last year I've got absolutely nothing planned for the year to come, so I'm excited to see how it pans out!

Georgia.xo

Christmas Tag

First and foremost I want to not apologise for my very poor effort with Blogmas over the last few days. On Thursday I forgot to post, on Friday I quickly posted something at about 11pm in a desperate effort not to forget again, but then I forgot again yesterday. Sorry, but I'm not sorry. Working full time and trying to blog full time, whilst trying to catch up with everyone while I'm back, is not the one. I'd got out of my full time work routine, which I had throughout the summer, so for the last few days I've completely crashed out; and my mental health comes first right?

But to ease us in to the big day, tomorrow, I'm going to do a quick Christmas tag!

1. What is your favourite Christmas Movie/s?
Oooh there's so many to choose from. Elf, Deck The Halls, and Love Actually are definitly my top three. But I went to see A Bad Moms Christmas a month or so ago and it was SO good!  

2. Do you open any presents on Christmas Eve?
Every year up until now, me and Harry have given each other one present each on Christmas Eve, because we wouldn't be seeing each other on Christmas Day. This year however, is a different story! How exciting! 

3. Do you have a favourite Christmas memory?
I have quite a few to be honest. There was one year where we went to see Disney's Christmas Carole at the cinema and then we went to Pizza Express. That was one of my favourite Christmas Eve's because it was different to what we'd usually do. Another memory I have is when we spent Christmas in Cumbria and we'd just arrived at the cottage and dad was trying to do the fire, but he just ended up filling the whole room with smoke. There was also one Christmas Eve when Harry came over and he made me watch all of the Twilight films back to back - it's not very Christmassy is it! 

4. Favourite festive food?
I'm such a foodie, the list could go on for miles! My mum owns about 50 million cookbooks and Jamie Oliver magazines and I was going through them the other day and I think she got a bit fed up with me saying "ooh what about this?!" 

Mince Pies are a must. I also really like roasted parsnips, which probably sounds a bit weird but a Christmas dinner isn't a Christmas dinner without parsnips. 

5. Favourite Christmas gift?
I don't really like this question, it makes me feel a bit ungrateful. There was one particular Christmas though; I'd been asking for a green iPod nano (I was very specific in the fact that it had to be green). I didn't think I'd get one because with three kids my parents never really brought us gifts from the likes of Apple. But they did buy it for me! My mum wrapped it up about 20 different times with wrapping paper and boxes so it was really unexpected. 

6. Favourite Christmas scent?
I don't really have one. I'm the worst blogger ever, I know. However, there is a candle in Marks and Spencer's at the moment, which I think is mandarin, clove and cinnamon, and it smells devine. It's not too sweet or overpowering like some Christmas candles can be. 

7. Do you have any Christmas Eve traditions?
As you can probably tell from question three, we tend to get up to different things each Christmas Eve. Although, one thing that is a tradition is that Harry comes to see me. We've always spent Christmas Eve together, even before we were going out. I like to actually go out and do something, like go to the cinema or the pub. 

8. What tops your tree?

It used to be a very wonky angel. But this year we brought a new rose gold star to go with our rose gold theme. That's quite wonky too actually. 

9. How will you be spending Christmas this year?
Just the five of us at home. Nothing better than being able to stay in your pyjamas and not worrying about impressing the relatives. 

10. What's the best part about Christmas for you?
The run up. The last day of school/uni when everyone's excited because you know if you get through this one last day it'll be the Christmas holidays, putting up the Christmas tree, looking for something to eat or drink knowing full well that 95% of the fridge contents is to be saved for the big day, you get my drift. Christmas Day itself goes so so fast, and for the last couple of years I've had to work either Christmas Eve or Boxing Day or both so it doesn't really feel like you're getting time off, so you have to make the most of the whole experience. 

ItsGeorgia.xo

5 Christmas Films You Need To Watch

Working in retail means that I'm not getting much downtime leading up to Christmas, so when I do get the chance to chill out, there's nothing nicer than having a cosy afternoon eating celebrations and watching Christmas films. Today I'm going to share with you my top 5 Christmas films that I completely recommend and will never get old.

1. Love Actually
If you don't watch this at least twice leading up to Christmas you have no heart. It's such a British classic and feel good film, and now it's been uploaded to Netflix so you have absolutely no excuses.

2. The Grinch
Admittedly we never used to watch the Grinch a lot in the Hendry household, but in the last couple of years it's been a must-have for me and Harry. I love his little dog and every time I watch it I still can't believe that little Cindy Lou is Taylor Momsen.

3. Miracle on 34th Street
I've had this sitting in my Netflix saved list for weeks now, but we only got round to watching it the other day and it's become one of my favourite Christmas films. It's a complete classic, set in New York City (is there really anything more Christmassy?) and you will fall in love with Kris Kringle, who's played by Richard Attenborough.

4. Home Alone (1 and 2)
I don't really have to say anything about these films, because if you haven't seen them you've obviously been living under a rock. I know there's a third one but is it really Home Alone without Kevin? Give yourself the afternoon and watch them back to back, and then I promise you will truly be in the Christmas mood.

5. Fred Clause
I wouldn't call it a classic but it is such a good film. I don't think this film is given the recognition it deserves.

6. Elf
Everyone loves a bit of Buddy the Elf. I'm actually watching it as I type this. I hadn't actually watched this until 2 or 3 years ago, but it's definitely a favourite and a must to watch. It's also set in New York so what's not to love.

7. Deck The Halls 
This has been one of my favourites for years and even though the rivalry between Steve and Danny really annoys me, and it's so predictable, I still watch it year after year.

So these are my favourite Christmas films, and I hope that they give you some ideas if you're finding yourself a little undecided about what to watch this weekend!

Georgia.xo

Christmas Gift Wrapping Inspiration

I would like to say that I take pride in my wrapping when it comes to Christmas presents, but with a nice big uni work/job sized pile on my plate right now, present wrapping has dropped down a few places on the priority list.

I don't like to be lazy though, and there are some super easy ways to make your presents look like you've made two months worth of organised effort, when in actual fact you were panic wrapping after you suddenly realised that the big day was less than a week away.

On my Pinterest I have put together a quick gift wrapping inspiration guide. Whilst a couple of these images are very aspirational, some of them are a whole lot easier than they actually look. For example, just buy some plain brown paper and paint on the bow, or buy some letter stamps (Tiger sell them) and print the people's names on with ink. Even though it probably took you 10 seconds, that hand finished touch makes the experience of gift giving that little bit more special.

A lot of shops now are selling very attractive wrapping paper, especially Scandi style shops like Tiger (I promise I'm not being paid commission on this!) This candy cane print paper was only a couple of pounds, so its superb if you're a student on a budget, like me. Make sure your added touches, like labels and ribbons, match one of the colours within the print and you're good to go!

I think whether you've gone to the extreme lengths of cutting branches off the back of your Christmas tree, or have just brought some cheap paper whilst whizzing past the shops, having a colour scheme makes all of the difference. Browns, reds and whites are particularly festive and go beautifully together, as does gold with black or white.

Georgia.xo

An Introvert's Christmas Jumper Guide

With only six days to go, the expectancy to wear a Christmas jumper is increasing by the day, but I am well aware that there is nothing worse than having Rudolph's big red nose flashing on your stomach, or 'elfie' splashed across your chest when you're not the most extroverted of people. So I've come up with a Christmas jumper guide for those of us proud introverts.

Top - Left to Right, Bottom - Left to Right

George at Asda - £16 / Zara - £39.99 / River Island - £40 / & Other Stories - £49 / Boohoo - £18

The magpie within me is in love with the Zara jumper! But I do love a bit of a Fairisle pattern at this time of year.

Where have you brought your christmas jumpers from this year?

Georgia.xo

Dear Santa...

Welcome to the first day of my *proper* Blogmas! This week I'll be counting down the days until the big day arrives, and I thought I'd start by sharing my Christmas wishlist with you. These are the items that I am hoping to find under my Christmas tree this year!

Hot Chocolate: If you know me well enough, you'll know that I drink at least one hot chocolate a day, and that's not even over Christmas. So this Cocoa Creations hot chocolate selection from Whittards is the perfect gift for me. The box includes their standard Luxury hot chocolate as well as Rocky Road, Mint, Praline, Salted Caramel, and Orange. Sounds good to me!

Handbag: I've been needing a proper handbag for a while, and not only is this Zara City bag super stylish, but it's practical too! It's the perfect size to fill with rubbish, as well as my laptop and sketchbooks for uni.

Boots: I had these same boots a couple of years ago and I wore them to death. I do own a couple of other pairs of boots, but none that are your standard flat Chelsea boots. I've seen a couple of other pairs on ASOS, but I am a creature of habit, and I know that these ones are so comfortable and go with everything.

Puffa coat: Here we go again, Georgia jumping on to the bandwagon late AGAIN, but when I saw this coat in Zara I had to have it. Being a student who doesn't see one penny of my student loan, the £70 price tag was a bit of a stretch, so I've asked for it for Christmas and I'm hoping and praying that my mum thinks I deserve it enough!

Benefit Brow Pencil: I was brought the Goof Proof brow pencil last Christmas and I've worn it everyday since. Sadly the comb end has gotten a bit gross the pencil nib split so I've had to make do with what's left, so I think it's time for a new one.

Glossier skincare: I am all for this Glossier hype; every review I've read/watched has been a positive one so it's about time I had some of my own to try out, and Christmas seems like the perfect opportunity! I've asked for the Super Bounce and the coconut flavoured Balm Dotcom, because they have/do everything my skin and lips need right now.

So that was my wishlist and I'll be a very happy girl if I get even one of these items. I hope that this doesn't just come as a massive hint for some people, but as some inspiration if you're doing some last minute shopping.

Georgia.xo

Not Skinny Jeans

I brought these trousers a while ago, but I've had so many ideas buzzing around my head that this post got pushed down the pecking order a little bit! But with this being the last post before my proper Blogmas starts on Monday, there's no better time. I'm still loving styling these though. They're definitely the "statement" piece in an outfit and I have been pairing them with my Gazelles, as well as plain tops and jumpers, including my fuzzy black jumper, which I brought from Topshop a couple of seasons ago, but I've linked a similar one here, here and here. 

When I first tried on this pair of trousers, I was shocked for two reasons: 1) They actually suited me and 2) They were only £15.99.

I'm definitely more of a skinny jeans gal, but I've been trying to push myself out of my comfort zone recently, as you might have seen in my post about the Zara striped trousers I brought recently. But these trousers are so comfortable and easy to wear, even if my short self has had to roll them up slightly.

So there we go! I'm going to try really hard to be more adventurous with my wardrobe in 2018, and drift away a bit (and only a little bit) from my skinny jeans. I always love looking at different people's style, Zoe London and Lily Melrose in particular, but I'm going to try and make an effort to really experiment for myself. I am a fashion student anyway!

Georgia.xo

My First Semester // Second Year

I'm going to start on a major cliche here; the first semester of my second year has been a roller coaster.  It's been a tough one and I can't really sugarcoat that.

I started the second year of FCP on an okay note, because I didn't do too bad last year and I wanted to push myself to do even better this year. But it didn't completely turn out as planned, because I did almost drop out half way through. I can't pinpoint the exact problem, the spark just hasn't been there and I haven't felt engaged or connected to it.

Difficulties with my accommodation and my mental health have definitely made this term harder too.

I don't want this post to portray me as a massive Debbie Downer, but I do want to touch on the topic of depression. I've always had anxiety, but depression was something I was hesitant to label myself with. But about half way through the term my doctor concluded that my situation did fall under depression.

My experience with getting help this term has been shit. The whole experience has shown me how shocking the mental health situation in this country really is. Over the course of the term I'd tried to contact so many people about my situation and for the majority of the semester I felt like I was going around in circles, and it's hard to see positively when people are just ignoring you. I did eventually manage to see a member of the student services team though (the day before the end of term but we'll let that slide) and they were so helpful, so hopefully I can get back to my old self again.

I said I didn't want to be a Debbie Downer, and to be honest it wasn't all complete doom and gloom. There have been some really good moments throughout this semester.

I have made some really good friends this term, and it's strange to think that if I didn't go on the trip to London, and I almost didn't, I wouldn't have met the girls that I connect with so well. I've put a deposit on a house with some of them too! The house is really cosy, super close to uni, and I might actually have some student finance left over, finally!

You could probably say that in terms of FCP, I came full circle this semester. Despite not enjoying the majority of it, I started on a good note and I ended on a good note too. I feel like I've had a light bulb moment in the last few weeks. I'd hit a brick wall with my work but now I think I'm moving forward with it. Our group also won the competition for the COW Nottingham project. You can see my post on it here, but I can now say that we were chosen to install our idea as an actual window display for them in February!

So here's to a fresh start in 2018!

Georgia.xo

Secret Santa

If there's one thing I've learnt about being a student at Christmas, it's that Secret Santa is not only fun, but it's a bloody good idea financially. For one, it's an excuse to buy for only one of your friends, and two, you can put a perfectly budget-friendly price limit on it. Win win!

This year I did Secret Santa with the three girls who I'm moving in with next year, and we did not disappoint! I can tell that presents are going to be good in our house - we've started as we mean to go on!

For my Secret Santa present I took full advantage of Black Friday. I found this gorgeous make up bag from Skinny Dip, which had 40% off (bargain), and with some money left over it gave me the perfect opportunity to fill it! In Superdrug I found this I <3 Makeup Salted Caramel palette. The colours are beautiful; they're mostly neutrals, with a few shimmery shades and a gorgeous shimmery deep blue.

I was so happy with what I brought, I nearly kept it for myself! Even the sparkly holographic wrapping paper was beautiful! If you're looking for just a couple of sheets, Primark are doing some really lovely ones at the minute, and they're only £1.

My Secret Santa was the lovely Jordan and she definitely did well. In true FCP spirit, all of the presents were colour co-ordinated, and they all suited me down to the ground! The first gift I was given a marble print make up bag, which I definitely needed because my current one has got all grubby. There's nothing worse than pulling out your mascara and it's covered in dried out foundation! Inside were two nail varnishes. I particularly love the petrol coloured one, because one of my favourite nail varnishes is an OPI petrol shade, but I'm going to run out of it soon, so this will be the perfect replacement.

I also received a mug and a stir-in chocolate spoon (my hot chocolate obsession is not unknown around here), a phone case, because I've been risking life without one for months, as well as some some fluffy socks and a candle, which smells amazing!

I love Secret Santa and I think it's such a good idea. It takes the pressure off trying to buy the perfect gift, because you can have so much fun with it, and so many shops accommodate for this sort of thing now.

I hope this post gave you some inspiration too!

Georgia.xo

FCP 2 X COW Nottingham

For two days last week, we were given a live brief with COW Nottingham - a vintage store who have strong visual presence both through their merchandising displays and their social media. We were given the task to come up with an idea for their February 18' window display, using a given subject and object.

Our group was given 'going out dancing' with the object of a light bulb. We were really lucky that we got first dibs, because we all had loads of ideas about where we could take the subject.

We first sat down and brainstormed all of our ideas. We came up with some lateral ideas such as having light bulbs or fairy lights hanging from the ceiling like the rain falling and having two mannequins dancing in the rain, however we wanted to try and go further than the obvious.

With Valentines Day being the event that you would probably most associate with February, we wanted to focus on that, and I put forward the idea of 'Gal-entines Day'. We'd already discussed how we probably wouldn't go out dancing with a partner on Valentines Day, therefore it seemed like a great idea to turn it on its head and allow those who didn't have a significant other to celebrate, by going out dancing with their gals. We then started thinking about the light bulb and how we could incorporate that. We thought about the lights that you get in clubs, and then glow sticks, which lead us on to the concept of disco. Our 'Gal-entines Eighties Disco' was born.

With only a day and half to get it done and present it, we had to work really quickly. It was a bit of a learning curve because there was no time to worry or contemplate things, which I'm very good at! We just used cardboard, paint and paper to make the mock up and even though it sounds like a kids art project, it looked so cool!

The girls from COW gave us really positive feedback, thank god! But there were some really strong concepts from other groups too so the competition is on!

Before we started the project I wasn't sure if I was going to enjoy it, but being given the chance to let our ideas flow and to get messy was a lot of fun and I'm glad I forced myself to go!

Georgia.xo

Welcome to Blogmas 2017!

Welcome to Blogmas 2017!

I can't believe we've got to December already, this year has whizzed by. This time next week I will be driving back home for Christmas (I did sing that as I wrote it I won't lie!) and in a few weeks time the big day will be here. But we all know what December really means - it's Blogmas time!

As you may know I did do Blogmas properly a couple of years ago and it was really really hard, so this year I'm going to do it with a twist. Instead of my usual one post a week, I will be posting twice a week during December, every Tuesday and Saturday. I will then be posting every day in true Blogmas style on the week leading up to Christmas Day, so that will be Monday 18th to Sunday 24th.

I've spent the last few weeks coming up with ideas for my December content and it's so exciting! I can't wait to share it all with you guys.

Georgia.xo

My Favourite Winter Products So Far

I'm not really one for posh skincare or having lots of different products that do the same job. Saying this, there have been three main products that I have been using non stop this season; the balanceme Pure Skin Face Wash, Burt's Bees conditioning lip balm and the Lush Sleepy body lotion. 

So the first product I'm going to talk about it the balanceme Pure Skin Face Wash, which I received in the October Birchbox. Admittedly it has taken me a while to test this product out, but I'm glad that I did in the end and I haven't stopped using it since. The temperatures have definitely dropped in the last few weeks and my skin has suffered as a result. From using this face wash, I've seen results from day one.

I usually dampen my face with cold water and then massage this is all over my face. I try and make sure that I really work the key areas of my face like my T-zone, the grooves around my nose, behind my ears and down my neck. These are the areas that get particularly battered by the weather and where I blend my foundation in the most whenever I wear it. I then rinse it off using warm water and a flannel.

Because of the amount of water you use in the process, I find that it can feel quite drying, especially around my nose, so I just pat it dry with a cotton pad and then put some moisturiser on top to make the skin feel a bit more supple. Nevertheless, the product itself makes your skin super soft and I've noticed that my face has a healthier glow about it.

The second product that I have been loving recently is Burt's Bees conditioning lip balm. Before I brought this I had been using either Vaseline or the Nivea lip balms and they just weren't doing anything. I've heard rumours that brands use it as a way to make money, because the more you're applying the product, the more frequently it runs out and you have to buy more. I did a quick Google search and Burt's Bees was being recommended repeatedly. 

It was about £3/4 in Boots, but I was willing to pay it if it genuinely did the job. At first I wasn't really seeing much of a difference, but over the last couple of days I've really noticed that my lips are feeling less chapped and I'm not having to put it on as many times throughout the day.

My last product is the Lush Sleepy body lotion. My mum brought this for me when I went back home the other week as I haven't been sleeping properly, and now I use it every night. It's a light moisturiser, which spreads quite easily, so I just cover my legs and arms with a small amount, as well as my chest, and it doesn't feel sticky like some body lotions can. It's got a lavender scent so it can be quite empowering a first, and you will be able to smell it on your sheets for days, but I've gotten used to it.

I couldn't recommend these products more, especially during this time of year when the weather is making you feel shit both mentally and physically.

Georgia.xo

Birchbox X Vogue

As a bit of a second year present, my mum brought me a Birchbox subscription. I've always loved beauty boxes -you might remember my Glossybox/product reviews when I first started the blog! My second Birchbox arrived last week, and from the box to the contents, I was so pleased with it.

The great thing about Birchbox is that the packaging is a key component of the experience too. Last month they used a purple and pink marbled pattern, whilst this month, the box hints the collaboration with Vogue. The Vogue logo covers each of the sides, including several letters on the top using a gold foil, and a red label against the white minimal box, giving a sense of class, which the Vogue brand associates itself with.

Like the October box, this month's box didn't fail to impress. I think each month has a selection of products, however each person's box is slightly different depending on the options you selected in the beauty profile when setting up an account. Within this month's box, I received:

• Benefit Hoola bronzer
• Percy & Reed Smoothed, Sealed & Sensational Volumising No Oil, Oil
• James Read Overnight Tan Sleep Mask Tan Face
• Seche Vite 
• Birchbox brush cleanser 

I haven't trialled any of the products yet, but I'm very excited about trying some of them out. The Benefit Hoola bronzer, for example. This is a product which is very much a staple to the Benefit brand and I'm very aware of it but have never had the chance to try it - now I have no excuse! Hoola is a matte powder, which gives you a natural sun-kissed tan look, hence the beachy theme. It's also won a number of awards, which is why I'm so excited to use it. 

I'm also looking forward to using the Seche Vite, which is a fast drying top coat. My mum's a beauty therapist and when I told her there was a bottle of it in the box she gave it her approval, so it must be good. I'm always too impatient when I'm waiting for my nails to dry, and somehow manage to mess them up, so fast drying top coats are life savers. 

The Birchbox brush cleanser is also going to be a bit of a life saver because cleaning my brushes is always a mega chore; I'm sure you can all agree with me on that. I already own the Real Techniques Brush Cleansing Gel, which does my brushes wonders, but I still hate having to run it through my fingers and end up with wrinkled skin from having them under the water for so long whilst I rinse the brushes out. 

The two products that I haven't read in to yet are the Percy & Reed volumising oil and the James Read overnight fake tan mask. If the volumising oil does what it says on the tin then I'm all for it. Flat hair is one of my many struggles. I'm not 100% sure if I'm going to use the James Read fake tan mask though. I've never used fake tan; I've never really needed it, and even if I did attempt it I know I'd make a mess of it, so I'm definitely not going to do my first try on my face! 

So that was a brief look at what I got in my November Birchbox. What did you find in yours?

Georgia.xo

Getting Creative

Over the past few weeks in FCP-land, we've been getting a bit creative. Each Friday for the last three weeks have been dedicated to learning a new skill and it's been a lot of fun.

First of all, we learnt how to do mono printing. This is a really easy process and all you need is:

• Acrylic paint
• A roller (or two)
• Newspaper
• A sheet of acetate 
• A few A4 sheets of paper or a magazine 
• A cutting mat and scalpel

We started by lying down some old paper, making sure that the table didn't get too messy, and then placed the acetate on top. Next, we chose our colour of paint and squirted a small amount onto the acetate, before spreading it across with the roller. 

As we were focusing on typography at the time, we cut out some stencils for our initials. This is completely up to you but a good starting point; however a magazine is also a good place to find different fonts and shapes. Once we'd got our stencil ready, we placed it down onto the paint, and then followed this by placing a sheet of paper (plain A4, a magazine page, or whatever you have) on top. You can either use another, clean, roller to make sure all of the paint gets in to contact with the paper or, like I did, just use your fingers. 

The final outcome looks really effective if you've used a sheet of paper that has something on it, like a magazine or newspaper. If you want to have the paint in the shape of the stencil, use a scalpel to cut out of the image, and place the surrounding paper on to the paint instead of the cut out. 

I loved doing this, because it doesn't matter if you get messy and things don't quite go to plan - it's all just experimenting! My favourite outcome is the 'YES' print, because the typography really stands out, as does the pink paint on the dark background. 

The next process we learnt about was the old-fashioned printing press, and we got to experiment, again, with our initials. The guys from Pop Press in Nottingham came in to talk to us and teach us how to do it. They were really informative and it was so interesting to learn that some of the letters have been around for hundreds of years. 

We pressed our letters on to the back of the business cards that the tutors had printed out for us. Therefore, this workshop acted as a first experiment towards making our own business cards for out self promotion project. 

Admittedly, this is my least favourite technique because it was one of those things that you kind of had to get right first time and there wasn't much space for messing up. 

Pop Press is located on St. James Street in Nottingham, NG1 6FG, and I think you can book letter press workshops. Their work is professional and so cool, and the process itself is very interesting - I'll link their website here. 

Our third and final workshop was book binding, where we learnt how to create booklets through different folding techniques and how to stitch a book together. 

It turns out that book binding isn't my forte, but once you get the hang of it, it is actually a simple process. We learnt the 'beak' technique and were also given instructions to the 'trouser' technique and a concertina-like technique, but unfortunately we ran out of time to have a go at these. 

We were advised to purchase a bone folder and if you're thinking of doing something like this, a bone folder is a must. It makes folding so SO much easier and creates a cleaner fold. You also must make sure that you have a proper bookbinding needle and thread, as they're thicker and a standard sewing needle and thread just won't make it through. 

Having a different workshop each week made the course a lot more fun, and even though the mono printing was my personal favourite (and definitely the easiest), I really want to carry on practising and experimenting with bookbinding. It's always good to have some different skills under your belt, and even if I don't make hand made books for the rest of my course, I like the idea of being able to make little notebooks for presents and friends and family! 

Georgia.xo