SMALL BUSINESS HAUL

Do you like shopping? Pretty things? Covering your bedroom and or general life in creative bits and bobs? Good. I have lots of new buys to show you from some of my favourite independent artists -who you should all have on your radar!

Oh No Rachio - Good Vibes enamel pin - £7.50

How's your #PINGAME? I've seen Rachel's amazing pin doing the rounds on Instagram and she's even been featured on Buzzfeed for another! Her shop's range is cracking these days with a whole load of new products and I'm loving the sneak peaks of her process on snapchat/periscope too!

Hello Harriet - Kitty tape £6

This is my 2nd, maybe 3rd order of Harriet's iconic kitty tape, which I use for packing up orders (alternated between Gemma Correll's dancing pug tape). Go visit her shop for your monthly dose of feline and ink brush love.

Annie Dornan-Smith - Affirmation prints £10

Annie is a new find for me in the small bizz world! I've very much enjoyed following her over the past few months as she's just graduated from her Graphic Design degree as a top notch illustrator - much motivation. From her straight talking blog post about not giving an eff and producing the kind of work she's into, to following the launch of her new ranges (Confetti'd & Illustrated Affirmations) it's no wonder I've lured her up to Leeds for an art day and friendship. I just could not resist purchasing these prints and had a hard few minutes deciding which to go for - but to be honest, I think I'll be ordering two more as soon as I move into my new room and start working on a gallery wall! £££

Old English Co - She Designed A Life She Loved print - £13.95

This is a company I've been obsessed with for well over a year now. Between their massive selection of perfect (&customisable!) art prints and tempting homeware (I want the big spoon / little spoon pillow set SO MUCH but I'm worried it will inflict karma and I'll lose my big spoon) I'm surprised I've managed to keep my claws off the site since Christmas. I was kindly gifted this print ages ago and like the non blogger I am, forgot to post about it! So here, bask in it's glory, as I do.

And that's all I've been collecting recently! If you like these little small bizz hauls, do let me know! It will give me a much appreciated excuse to spend all of my dolla and get me a few steps closer to the Aladdin's cave type bedroom of nicknacks I picture myself wading through. Do comment down below/tweet me any small businesses you love so I can check them out for next time!

LEEDS COLLEGE OF ART "MADE HERE" DEGREE SHOW

Following the LCA Foundation exhibition I was so excited to see the graduate show. I've dithered over posting these photos because I don't have everyone's names to give credit, they seem to have downloaded out of order so I really have no idea who's is who's on most :( But for those who would like to see an overview of some of the work these courses produce, keep scrolling. Here are the pieces that caught my eye...

Graphic Design

Vanessa Cain & Helen Street

Fashion

Gina Mason

Illustration

Jessie Broad

Hollie Smith

Surface Pattern & Printed Textiles

Rebecca Dun

Theo Riviere

Charlotte Haller

Nina Ghataora

Charlotte Louise Holden

Natasha Murray

Omair Shah

I didn't make it to Fine Art which I regret as from Hayley's photos there was some stunning work, but from what I saw, Surface Pattern & Printed Textiles stole the show. The room was mesmerising, full of colour and life and OHHH. Illustration was also fantastic, so full of pleasing bursts of creativity and everything excited me.

Which is your favourite piece & why? Let me know! I think I'm going to have to go with the little annotated yellow blob character and the dinosaur/ocean/space surface pattern display. Woah.

Polly xo

THE YUMMIEST OF CRUMBLES

I've never really been one for puddings. It was a novelty when I was a kid, usually reserved for friends coming over or after a big Sunday roast. Ultimately I've grown up not needing a pudding and understanding it's an unnecessary luxury - so when I get the pudding urge, it's going to be good one. I made this for me and Jack a couple of weeks ago when it was still cold, so maybe it was a little more suited to then, but I couldn't hold this in my drafts until winter, I'm far too impatient. 

Method:

Wash and chop up the rhubarb into fairly large chunks (about 1-2 inches long) then add to the saucepan with half the sugar. While that's on a medium heat, dice one and a half apples into little chunks, then slice the rest for decoration. Add the chopped apple along with all the blackberries and a dash of cinnamon to the saucepan and heat while stirring. The fruit is ready once the rhubarb has softened but still holds its shape, and the blackberries have formed a sweet sauce. Pour it into a baking tray.

While the fruit is cooking, prepare the crumble. Rub the butter and flour together with your finger tips and then mix in the sugar and another sprinkle of cinnamon, also using your hands. It should be crumbly - not sticking together. Sprinkle a thick layer over the fruit mixture and decorate with the sliced apple. Bake for 30 minutes at 200C, not letting the crumble burn.

Notes:

• I chopped the apple into different sized chunks and added some slices to the fruit mixture because I liked the varied texture it gave!
• You could add porridge oats to the crumble mixture (I think I actually did initially) which is 1) probs better for you and 2) adds a different texture.

I absolutely love the combination of apple, rhubarb and blackberries, it makes an apple crumble x10 better! I hope you likey too.

Polly xo

LEEDS COLLEGE OF ART FOUNDATION SHOW

As the exhibition ended weeks ago I'm very aware this post is horribly overdue, however I was SO impressed by my uni's Foundation exhibition that I had to document it anyway. The actual LCA exhibition is now available to view at Blenium, I think, which I'll definitely be visiting to pep up my ever wavering university morale as I'm sure there will be much dribble worthy work on show to goggle at and aspire to. 

I've tried to include the correct name under every piece, but not everyone has their chosen degree course listed, which I understand might be quite annoying if any of you adore a piece and think you want to get into that discipline.

Charlotte McAteer - Textiles in Practice

This caught my eye the second we caught the room. Embroidered fruit and veg with seeded decoration?? Cool. Why not.

Holly Greenwood - Printed textiles/Surface pattern

Elizabeth Parkinson

This was an insight into how broad creative subjects can be. I think this piece was in the surface pattern/textiles room. Home made makeup, cool.

Jessica Greenwood

How absolutely stunning are these sets? I aspire to own sexy loungewear, let alone make it.

Eleanor Sutton

Sara Preston - Surface Pattern/Printed Textiles

(Sara is my friendling) This project was to manipulate food which at first appeared to be the most fine arty fart of briefs but after a while we had so much fun discussing possible options (including but not limited to: pouring pink custard into the seed hold of avocados, filling the holes of waffles with sprinkles, freezing an egg and watching it melt and organising baked beans). That was supposed to inform a final outcome, and I think her patterns are so pretty.

Hannah Ennis - Fashion Design Technology

This is probably my favourite piece from the whole exhibition, omg. It's a blossom tree?? Roll neck?? Hand knitted??  Please say this is for sale.

Shannon Hamilton - Textile Design 

This is some serious geo creativity. Every single acrylic collage was gorgeous and we all had a hard time trying to pick a favourite.

(no name, wah)

I've seen photos of this piece on multiple people's social media, and for good reason! It was one of the best presented pieces of work, in my opinion. Little additions like the crates and cacti in colourful pots put the work into context, lifestyling it, which should have quenched some of the "yeah it looks nice but whats the point" mutterings from parents as it would look amaaaaazing as a feature wall.

Stuart Stokeld - Geography 

I thought it was a bit funny that this guy is doing Geography instead of continuing Graphic Design onto degree level but I sympathise that hours of paper cutting leaves a lot of time for questioning life decisions. (Kidding aside, I freaking loved these intricate pieces)

Nadia Deuskar - Creative Advertising

Katie Goodrum - Illustration

I don't have many words other than LOOK HOW NICE. I think these hangings were screen printed (or at least the white on blacks are) because I saw her printing the bottom right design and was very impressed at the time too. Screen Printing onto fabric can be so temperamental with details not transferring and blobs appearing, but all of hers seemed to come out perfectly (wow).

Matthias Nutschel - Vis Com

I'm not kidding, I want these pizza wall hangings and laser cut chopping board, pronto.

(No name, sorry!)

This was so bloody funny. Laser cut wooden masks of Kanye's many faces.

Megan Heath - Graphic Design

Fine art was really weird. I wish I'd photographed the soap dispenser that had brown gunge coming out of it - looking very much like the worst morning after a takeaway curry, but smelling pleasently of chocolate.

Esther Pearce - Textiles

Caitlin Price-Ward - Fashion Illustration

Because donut.

So that's the amazingness of the Foundation show. I feel like I would 100% have not dropped out if I went to LCA Vernon Street. It's a gorgeous building with brilliant facilities and a high standard of work, so do check it out if you're looking for the right course! Stay tuned for my post on the degree exhibition later this week! I can't wait to see what they've got on show.

Polly xo