Finally finished the first year of my masters. It was hard saying goodbye to the lovely kids I had been teaching but I'm grateful for the break! This year has been pretty hectic and for that reason I've decided to take a break from running the zine fair. Don't worry it will be back up and running next year! I've a few workshops coming up this summer, the first of which being a zine workshop for kids at the IFI Family Festival on the 25th June from 11am-2pm for ages 7-10. I'm really looking forward to it!!

 

 

I just found out this week that my design was accepted for the Dublin Canvas project! So this summer I'll be in the city painting my artwork on a traffic light box in Merrion Square. I'll be paying tribute to one of my favourite Irish artists, the location might give you a clue as to who it might be!!

 

 

 

A historic weekend ahead, I'm really looking forward to attending the 1916 Rising events in Dublin this weekend. Yesterday I went to "Proclaiming a Republic" the new exhibition at the National Museum, it was jam packed full of people, so nice to see Irish people taking an interest in their own history. Last month I was lucky enough to lead two walking tours to 1916 battlegrounds as part of the Trauma exhibition with Science Gallery Dublin. It was a great experience, I enjoyed learning about what happened on the streets I'm so familiar with and sharing that with others. Thanks to the Science Gallery for the great opportunity and to all that attended the tours despite the appaulling (patriotic) weather!! Here's a photo of me with the last tour, what a great bunch of people!

 

 

 

I was delighted to have my animation "Threshold" screened at the Capital Irish Film Festival in Washington DC earlier this month! Next time I'll have to make the trip over!!

 

 

 

 

On Monday I delivered my house dedicated to William Carrick, a civilian victim of the 1916 rising to the 1916 Sackville Street Project. My house alongside 261 other houses dedicated to civilians that died during the insurrection will be exhibited on O'Connell Street on Easter Monday and then in the Botanic Gardens in April. I'm really happy to be a part of it. I didn't have much information about William to go on, not even his age. He is buried in a mass grave in Deans Grange, with a British Soldier, two Volunteers and another two civilians. Carrick his name being all I had really, is the Irish word for rock, so I built the house on rock foundation, inside the house I made clay books representing his life story that is lost from us now.

 

 

 

 

 

My master's is going well, I am loving teaching art and design to my students, they are all so enthusiastic and talented! It is also inspiring me to make more of my own art, which I was worried I'd have less time for. Here is a few recent lino prints I made inspired by the legend Harry Clarke for textile design.

 

 

 

 

 

Musician Mathias Baumann sent my a lovely presie in the post recently, the cd I designed for his quartet. It's always great to see a design in print! Here's the final design we went with. You can download or buy a hard copy of the album here: www.mathiasbaumann.com/shop.php

 

 

 

 

 

It's that time of year again! Where does the time go?! 2015 was a very challenging year for me. Here are some of the highlights!

• I was commissioned by the Ark to make a stop motion animation which was then exhibited alongside my other animation
• I completed the first semester of my professional masters in art and design education at NCAD
• I became a regular contributor to Sew Magazine and Craft Ideas Magazine
• I did an artist talk about Letterbox Dublin and exhibited as part of Science Gallery Dublin's Dark Secrets event
• My project Bandage -The Hidden Scars of 1916 was commissioned by Science Gallery Dublin for the Trauma exhibition
• I ran the 5th annual Dublin Zine Fair
• Letterbox Dublin gallery and street billboard exhibition
• I made Letterbox Dublin Zine
• My animation Threshold was exhibited at Spectrum art centre in Belfast
• I got an A in my educational psychology exam!
• I worked as a graphic designer for Sticks and Stones anti-bullying programme for a few months
• I went to see the burning of The Temple by David Best in Derry
• I weaved my first tapestry and made my first macramé wall hanging
• I made soap
• My embroidery kits were featured in the Etsy Newsletter, CrossStitcher Magazine, Women's Way, Ariadre at Home, Buitenleven
• I did an embroidery workshop with the lovely staff at Facebook
• Took part in a letterpress workshop at the National Print Museum
• I was interviewed for Thin Air Magazine
• Gave an artist talk at Champlain College
• Stocked my kits in Make It craft shop in Manchester
• Started hiking!
• Went paint balling!
• Visited the amazing Lisbon and had a fabulous adventure traveling in the Wild Atlantic Way, and camped at Lough Derg!
• I was interviewed on 2FM about the Dublin Zine Fair and then about my work as an artist
• I was contacted by Home of The Year but had to turn them down as I had no time to take part in the show!
• I designed Mathias Baumann's album "Expectations"
• I designed Tracy Ploch's book "The Shoebox"
• I started teaching art and design at second level
• I exhibited and sold my artist books at Dublin Art Book Fair
• I processed 257 orders to my Rosie's Rags Etsy shop in 2015

Here's to a brand new year with new goals, achievements and creativity!

 

 

When I decided to go back to college to do a masters in art & design education I knew it would be hard. It would be hard juggling all my other projects and working part time to pay the mortgage and boy is it! I knew it would be hard but I never knew what a rollercoaster it would be. Becoming a teacher has been one of the most difficult things I've ever done and has really tested every part of me. It's been a really tough few months, long days in college, weekends spent in work and doing assignments, packing embroidery kit orders and sewing magazine tutorials at night! As the Christmas break looms I am trying my best to get on top of assignments and orders so that I can enjoy a few well deserved days off! But you know what? I'm still standing! I'm almost one quarter of the way there and god I can't wait for my graduation day!! I am becoming a better me, stronger and more confident with public speaking and I am absolutely loving teaching art (my passion) in the classroom! Last weekend I was lucky to have my zines exhibited and sold at the Dublin Art Book Fair in Temple Bar again, thanks to Sophie and Rayne for another successful year! The amazing team at Science Gallery Dublin had me exhibit and speak about my Letterbox project at their event "Dark Secrets", they are great team of people to work with and it was so much fun! My mam came along and touch loads of photos!

 

 

 

I am also part of Science Gallery Dublin's current exhibition called Trauma. Here I am in the catalogue! More info on this soon!

 

 

 

 

 

So last month I had the great opportunity to, not only exhibit my letterbox confessions but to also bring the letters back to the streets themselves. In three locations around the city I exhibited letters on billboards. How refreshing to see art work instead of advertisements. I wonder if any of the letter writers saw their contribution to the project as they walked down the street, what a treat that would be! Here are some images from the show and the streets!

 

 

 

During the summer I met up with writer Tracy Ploch in good old Simon's Cafe. Tracy was putting the finishing touches to her book "The Shoebox" and was looking for a designer to do an attractive cover. I brought Tracy to The Gutter Bookshop and we looked through covers there to get a feel for what she wanted. I decided an illustrative cover was the way to go and went home to draw some shoes, here is the finished product! The one on the left is my first draft and the one on the right is the final cover with a few changes requested by Tracy. The book is available for download on Amazon and will be available in print soon!

 

 

 

 

I have lots more embroidery tutorials coming up in Craft Ideas Magazine (US) and Sew Magazine (UK) over the next few months. I'm also delighted to have my work featured in two Dutch magazines: Ariadne at Home and Buitenleven! I was lucky enough to teach an embroidery tutorial with some of the lovely staff at Facebook in their beautiful Dublin headquarters!

 

 

 

 

I brought Letterbox Dublin along to the Dublin Zine Fair too! The fair went brilliantly, it's great to have number 5 under our belts! I sold out of the first edition of Letterbox Zines too! You can buy the secound edition here! That's me pretty much caught up! At the moment I'm working on a 1916 commemorative exhibition with The Science Gallery, along side studying for my masters in art and design education at NCAD! I'm doing an artist talk in The Science Gallery next Friday (9th of October) about my letterbox project as part of their Dark Secrets event! Come along and say hello!

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'm delighted to announce that I will be exhibiting some of my Letterbox Dublin archive at CFCP's New Voices of Ireland Series at Dublin Design Institute this month. My exhibition is titled "Dublin Confessions", and will not just be limited to a gallery setting. I will also be exhibiting some of the letters on billboards around the city, bringing the letters back to the streets of Dublin where they came from. You can find out more about the project here!

Venue: Dublin Institute of Design, 45 Kildare Street, Dublin 2.

Opening Night: 10th September from 6-9pm.
Open for Culture Night 18th September!
Running daily 10am-4pm Monday to Friday until the 22nd September. 

 

 

I will also be selling copies of my artist book at the exhibition. I'm sending some copies of this and my Threshold artist book to the New York Art Book Fair this month, how exciting! This month I also have two tutorial articles to do for Craft Ideas Magazine and I'll be starting my Master Degree in Art & Design Education at NCAD!! It has been a dream of mine to go to NCAD, so I'm very happy and nervous about starting! Along side this, research is still underway for my "Bandage" project as part of the Science Gallery's Trauma Exhibition that will be reflecting on the events of the 1916 rebellion and will run from Nov 2015 - Feb 2016. Great times ahead!!

 

 

 

It's that time of year again!! Dublin Zine Fair organising time! We are off to a later start than usual this year, as it proved rather difficult to find a suitable venue, with many of our previous venues having closed down in the last year :( Luckily The Chocolate Factory on King's Inn Street came to our rescue. We will hold the fair there on the 15th & 16th of August. Here's poster I put together last night!

 

 

In other news I was featured in Primer -Visual Artist Section of ThinAir Magazine and have just landed myself two new embroidery tutorial jobs with Sew Magazine (UK) and Craft Ideas Magazine (USA). I'm also working closely with The Science Gallery in Trinity College on a 1916 centenary project that will be underway in November of this year, it's a project I'm really excited about! It is still in the planning stages so more news on that to come very soon! I'm also working on a new animation, a special one for me! A save the date invite to my wedding! Here's a sneak preview!

 

 

I've been working a lot with infography lately and decided to put together a visually attractive CV listing my main skills, experience and passions! Drop me an email if you are interested in having your own designed, something to make you stand out in that pile of CV's!

 

 

 

I am delighted to announce my first ever exhibition in Northern Ireland. My stop motion animation Threshold will be screened as part of the Disrupting Realities Exhibition at the Spectrum Arts Centre in Belfast! It will run from the 18th April - 18th May 2015.

 

Here's some images from the kitchen in the ongoing interior design project that is my house! Everybody says you are never finished doing up a house, which doesn't fill me with confidence! But I'm enjoying making the place our home one room at a time. This will be our third summer in our home, how time does fly!

 

 

My favourite kitchen finds are my ceramic coffee and cookie jars that I got at the Dublin Flea Market, my herb spoons I bought on Etsy and my white carved wood hanging from the Dublin Flea!

 

 

 

It's been a busy few weeks as I wrote, shot, edited and installed a new animation for The Ark in just one month. The animation is called Spectrum and it is currently on show in The Ark, children's art centre in Temple Bar. It will be there until 2nd May 2015, so try and get it to have a look before then! It was lots of fun to make and the team at The Ark were so lovely to work with. My animation Threshold is also on show. Here's a few shots of the kids enjoying the installations!

 

 

Letterbox Dublin is back up and running after another act of vandalism. This May Letterbox Dublin will have it's first official exhibition in MART in Rathmines. It will open at 6pm on the 5th May and run daily until the 10th May. Along with this exhibition some of the letters will be brought back to the public from where they came -exhibited on billboards in the city and on board public transport. The current theme is "Letters to the Dead", the next theme is "Dublin's Confessions", be a part of the project and visit the Letterbox in Dame Lane, your letter could appear in the exhibition or on a billboard in the city!

 

 

 

 

I have been off the radar for a while as I have been working non-stop in my studio. What are you working on you ask?! Well, I landed a dream commission! Just before Christmas I sent my Threshold animation to the lovely Aideen at The Ark -childrens art centre in Temple Bar. She liked what she saw and we met for a quick coffee to discuss possible collaborations. She contacted me in February and asked would I be interested in making a new animation for their "Once Upon a Picture" 2015 programme. I was delighted, it was perfect timing as my day job at Centre for Creative Practices came to an end on the 30th January. The building that housed our venue was being sold and Ian and Monika decided it was time to call it quits on the regular events and concentrate on their other projects. So since the beginning of February I have been enjoying life as a full time artist -putting together orders for my embroidery business (Rosie's Rags) and working on the new animation commission for The Ark. I'm really excited about how it is turning out, I'm just over half way there now and I'm really happy with the story! I can't give away too much yet, but here's a sneak peek!

 

 

 

 

 

2014 was a very productive year for me! As we all prepare our plans and schedules for 2015 it's important to reflect on our achievements of the past year, to get us motivated to aim higher this year!! Here's are my 2014 highlights!

• My embroidery kits were featured in Irish Country Living Magazine, One Fab Day, BASH Magazine, Sew Magazine, Homemaker Magazine
• I wrote embroidery tutorials and articles for Sew Magazine, Homemaker Magazine and Hoopla Magazine
• I exhibited my stop motion paper cut out animation "Threshold" in the Trailor Park Area at Electric Picnic 2014
• I submitted my first funding application to Dublin City Council for my Letterbox Dublin Project
• I exhibited my new artist book "Threshold" at the 4th Dublin Art Book Fair
• The National Visual Arts Library bought my artist book "Threshold" for their archive
• I designed 16 new embroidery kits
• I conducted an embroidery workshop for BASH Magazine, which was filmed by RTE's At Your Service
• I processed 171 orders to my Rosie's Rags Etsy shop in 2014
• My Letterbox Dublin Project was featured in "Secret Dublin: An Unusual Guide"
• I ran the 4th annual Dublin Zine Fair with a new team of zinesters!
• Myself and Andrea published Issue #4 of Baby BEEF
• I hung 18 exhibitions, worked with 410 artists and ran 123 artistic events at my day job in CFCP
• I made "Prelude" a zine of my childhood and teenage diary entries for the Dublin Zine Fair, I read from it at the fair and at a diary reading event I organised at work for Culture Night
• Exhibited my zines at the Library Project, the Whinstable Biennale, Limerick International Publishers Salon, Zine! Zine! New York and Zines of the Zone France
• I gave a zine talk and workshop at Limerick International Publishers Salon (LIPS)
• Held a sucessful stall with my Rosie's Rags embroidery kits at the Dublin Flea Market's Christmas Cracker
• I exhibited a print in the Winter Arts Fair at CFCP
• Rosie's Rags kits were stocked in MakeShop, the Science Gallery in Trinity College and craft shop Niche in Louisiana, USA
• I embroidered underpants as a prop for The Hot Sprockets music video "Shake Me Off" , and appeared as an extra in two of the videos
• In my personal life I did a lot of work in my house, got a new kitchen, began doing yoga every week, returned to vegetarianism and started viewing wedding venues!

Phew! It was a busy year and am so enjoying my last week off before returning to work!

As I schedule my projects for 2015, the year on paper seems so short with so much to cram in! I recently saw "The Theory of Everything" about the lives of Stephen & Jane Hawking, I bawled my eyes out!! But was also hugely inspired. Hawking was told he had two years to live but in spite of this he strived on and accomplished so much. We should all live like we don't have much time to do all the things we dream of, because in reality we really don't! I hope I can double this list in 2015, and encourage you all to thank yourselves for your own hard work and set some goals for this squeeky clean brand new year!

 

One last thing before I leave you! My article and embroidery tutorial is in this months issue of Sew Magazine, you can get hold of it in Easons on O'Connell Street, check it out!

Thank you for following my art practice and Happy New Year!!

 

 

I was delighted to be a part of the 4th annual Dublin Art Book Fair this weekend. I exhibited Baby BEEF issue 4 and Prelude, alongside the launch of my limited edition artist book and animation "Threshold". The book is in an edition of 5, each book featuring handcut layered paper scenes and coming with a wooden USB with my animation on it. I'll be hanging onto 1 copy for myself and sending the remaining 3 to art book fairs around the world.

 

 

In other news I am planning big things for my Letterbox Dublin project in 2015, I will keep you updated. In the mean time here is an article written on OZY about the project!

Where the City of Dublin Spills its' Secrets by Laura Secorun Palet

 

 

 

It was such a hectic summer that I'm only now finding the time to sit down and reflect on it! I finally finished my paper cut out animation and screened it at Electric Picnic. I gave it the title "Threshold" and installed inside a letterbox, which I put up in one of the retro caravans in the Trailer Park Area. I got great feedback and surprisingly the piece survived the whole festival in one piece! I got my artist pass and got to rock out at BECK!! It was awesome! I won't be uploading the animation to the web quite yet as I plan on submitting it to a few short film festivals that won't accept the submission if it's available online, but I will eventually have it available here in my portfolio under videos. Here's some photos of the piece.

 

 

The fourth annual Dublin Zine Fair took place on the 16th and 17th August this year. It was the biggest one yet and I was delighted with the turn out, atmosphere and feedback. It made all the hard work worth while! Myself and Andrea finally got together and produced the 4th issue of Baby BEEF zine in two days!! Which we launched at the fair. We pulled out all the stops with a linoprint cover and a complicated Japanese bind in orange twine. The new issue is more mature in content and design and we are delighted with how it turned out. We both made our own zines for the fair too. Andrea made "Shackle" a beautiful zine about mental health and I made "Prelude", a zine of diary entries from my childhood and teenage years. Here's a video that was made about the fair, it features an interview with yours truely! Thanks so much to John Clerkin of Bunsen Bunnies for making it!

 

 

 

Here's some images of Baby BEEF issue 4 and my artist book Prelude.

 

 

Along with all of that and work at CFCP, I'm always working on new designs for Rosie's Rags, my craft business, here's a small sample.

 

 

I've also been working on the art work for Mathias Baumann Quartet's upcoming release "Expectations", I won't spoil the surprise but here's some paper cut outs I've been playing with for the project!

 

 

 

 

Things have been as busy as ever over the last few months. This week I drove out to County Meath to Annesbrook House from BASH Magazine's BASHprep. RTE were there filming the happenings for an episode of "At Your Service". I was there to conduct a wedding embroidery workshop with 20 lady bloggers and media. We couldn't have gotten a nicer day for it -sunshine, finally! The Informal Florist was there too, to run a head dress workshop and Vantastic Vintage served lunch. Here's some photos from the great day!

Plans for the fourth annual Dublin Zine Fair are in motion. This year I have reached out to the zine community and now have a team of people on board to help run things run smoothly. Hopefully this will allow the fair to grow bigger and give us the capacity to do more workshops and activities over the weekend. It will run on the 16th & 17th of August at Centre for Creative Practices, 15 Pembroke Street Lower and this year we have a cool new Dublin Zine Fair website, thanks to comic book artist Paddy Lynch. Myself and Andrea are also working on a new issue of Baby BEEF and are looking for submissions for issue #4 that will be launched at the zine fair in August.

 

 

Our home was turned into a film set earlier this month for The Hot Sprockets "Shake Me Off" video shoot, which was lots of fun. I stayed up sewing until the early hours of the morning to get the "Shake Me Off" underwear finished in time for the shoot, I think they turned out nicely!

 

 

Myself, Ian, Monika and Julia have been working as hard as ever, hosting lots of innovative artistic events at CFCP. Our "New Voices Series" began in April and will run until March next year, with a different artists featured each month across all disciplines. Here is the "Hybrids" Installation by Pamela Byrne. I installed the crows (made of black tape, rope and wire) to resemble a scary Hitchcock "Birds" swoop. Just an average day at the office!!

 

 

 

 

Here's a little project a did yesterday. I was lucky enough to nab 6 chairs and a dining room table at the Jamestown market for 20 euro. I did up the table first and now am finally getting around to the chairs. Each chair will be a different colour with different fabric upholstery. I bought some paint samples as the were way cheaper, and got some fabric from selvedgeshop.etsy.com. Here you can see how the chair looked before, during and after. I painted the chair teal and added some lilac details, which beautifully matched the floral fabric. Everything included the chair cost me less than 10 euro, which is amazing! Not even IKEA can beat those prices. You don't need to spend a fortune to add some style to your home and it's fun too!

 

 

 

 

Look what arrived in the post today! Secret Dublin: An Unusual Guide by Pól Ó Conghaile. Here is what Pól wrote about my art project on page 89:

"This colourful letterbox is fixed to a wall roughly halfway down Dame Lane, the thin passageway linking South Great Georges Street with the entrance of Dublin Castle. At first glance, it looks like a....well, letterbox. But then you look around and realise there's nothing it could conceivably be a letterbox for. Its bright orange paint and chirpy blue awning stand in sunny contrast to the greyness of a lane dripping with drainpipes and services entrances. Cue various asides, blog posts and Tweets asking: What's the story?

The is story is that the letterbox is a hidden gem of guerrilla art installed by artist, publisher and designer Sarah Bracken. "Letterbox Dublin" dates back to 2008, when Bracken first delivered it to Dame Lane. At the time, she was experimenting with street and interactive art -other projects included a blackboard hung in a public toilet with questions for users to ponder, and posters with pull-off tabs suggesting things for those who found them to do. Bracken labelled her letterbox with varying themes -"Letters to God", "Letters to the Past" or "Confess your Secrets" -and when passers-by posted random responses, she collected them to use as further inspiration or to publish in her zine, "Baby BEEF".

Today you can grab a taste of the wit, weirdness and wonder of those replies on www.brackensarah.com. They include everything from "I wish to win the lotto" to "Where have you been all my life?" and "I'm not really gay, but I do like to tease the boys."

Depending on when you pass by, this plucky little postbox may be in various states of repair. Graffiti artists regularly tag it, and "Letterbox Dublin" has clearly been clocked by as many vandals as letter-writers. The fact that it still survives is testament both to the thing itself, its clever positioning and the quirky vision of the artist. As one note puts it, scribbled on the back of an old Boots receipt: "I'd love to be unique."

What a lovely write up. As you may know Letterbox Dublin is currently vandalised. I have contacted Dublin City Council Arts Office, with the hope that they may sponsor the project and maybe help in getting an industrial vandal proof box to replace the current one. I am yet to hear back. Fingers crossed.

 

 

 

 

I’m finally getting around to posting some more photos of the interior design project that is my house. The place is coming along nicely and after some lovely friends and family get togethers it is really starting to feel like a proper home. One of my favourite rooms is the dining room. I really hit the nail on the head with this room; it is exactly what I had envisioned. The room has a relaxed Caribbean vibe that is so lovely to be surrounded in. It displays some of my favourite charity shop finds and lots of my plants. And the biggest bargain I ever got -My expanding vintage dining table and 6 chairs for twenty euro at the Jamestown Market. I am currently painting and reupholstering the chairs, each one will be unique, I'll post them up when they're done. Anyway a picture speaks a thousand words..

 

 

Some of the ornaments are finds from the Dublin Flea Market, others charity shops, the bird wood carving is from Tambuli, pinecombs from various nature walks, coloured bottles from the Harolds Cross carboot sale and butterflies from Georges Arcade. I made the lamp out of logs I found in our back lane and an old shade, the art work and photos are all my own work. I just had to include Pepper my little friendly Tabby. The animals and plants in my home fill the place with life and love and give me so much positive energy!

 

 

 

Only the second month in the year and I've already gotten lots of media attention! I'm delighted to have my embroidery kit business Rosie's Rags featured in the Feb/March issue of Irish Country Living Magazine -Yay! Here it is with my friend Sinead on the cover and all!

A few days ago we opened a new exhibition at work (Centre for Creative Practices). We decided on a whim in late January to put on an exhibition of Love Letters to coincide with this year's Valentine's Day. I put out the call and was amazed by the response, after organising the whole thing and then a few days intensive work hanging the show, it opened on Tuesday with huge media interest. The exhibition was featured in the Irish Independent, TG4 and several radio stations including Radio One, who came to the opening and interviewed me about the piece I submitted to the show. A framed jig-saw made by my fiancé, that he mailed to me one piece at a time, to my work, our home and my parents address. Yes he's very romantic and you can hear me say so on the RTE podcast of the Mooney Show.

 

 

So it's been a busy few weeks, also working on a new artist calendar and new embroidery designs for my Etsy shop. Here's a quick preview of July. Now I'm off to spoil my gorgeous fiance, Happy Valentine's Day!!

 

 

I can't believe its nearing the end of January already! So my art schedule for the year is done up. When you sit down and look at the 12 months on paper and try to squeeze in lots of art projects, alongside work and time with family and friends, you really realise how short the year actually is. So this month and next month I am working on a new video. I wrote the storyboard for this video about two years ago, and much to my frustration it has not been made yet. I blame it on moving into a new house, doing a diploma and starting a new full time job. But really there is no excuses, I just have to work harder. I've allowed myself two months for this particular project, but somehow I think it will take a bit longer than that. Cutting out all the paper takes a fair bit of time and it's been difficult to get any light, let alone good light to take the photos. I'll be putting hundreds of photos together to make the end product. Here's a few of my cut outs so far and some pages from my storyboard. I'll keep posting as the project progresses!

 

 

 

 

 

It's that time again! Time to reflect on the years achievements and make plans for the year ahead! Here's a few highlights that made my 2013 a very special year!

• I became Venue Co-ordinator at Centre for Creative Practices
• I bought a house! Decorated 6 rooms so far!
• I launched my craft business Rosie's Rags
• I processed 76 Etsy orders and one of my designs was featured on Etsy Front Page
• One of my embroidery kit designs was featured in UK Craft Mag CrossStitcher
• I completed a Fetac Level 5 Component Certificate in Manual and Computerized Bookkeeping
• I achieved a diploma in Online Marketing & Digital Strategy from Dublin Business School
• I designed the Soul Brother 7" Vinyl Cover
• I did work with Chupi (Jewellery Designer), Knockanstockan Festival and Morgans of Rathmines Boutique.
• I designed the cover for my brothers book "Gilgamesh in the 21st Century".
• I co-ordinated and participated in The Profitable Artist Boot Camp with New York Foundation for the Arts
• I self published a new zine called "Mother India".
• I organised and exhibited at the third annual Dublin Zine Fair
• I was guest speaker at a Laydeez Do Comics event
• I adopted the adorable kitten Pepper
• My Letterbox Project was featured in the book "Secret Dublin: An Unusual Guide" by Pól Ó Conghaile
• And on top of all that I got engaged!!

So 2014 has a lot to live up to! I am currently doing up a schedule for the year, to make sure I make the most of my time. I hope to finish many ongoing art projects and expand my craft business! Here's to a fresh start and a productive year!

 

 

So happy to see my first book cover in the flesh! I have designed many covers for zines and artist books but this is my first real book cover project and I'm really happy with how it turned out. Here it is with the two lino blocks used to make the print.

 

 

 

I was delighted when my brother Paul asked me to do the cover for is first book "Gilgamesh in the 21st Century: A Personal Quest to Understand Mortality". Having done my research I choose symbols to include in the cover, did a few provisional sketches and then got to carving it out in lino. Here's what I came up with. The book is now available on amazon click on the image below to check it out, I'm sure you will enjoy it as much as I did. Well done to my big brother!

 

 

 

So here is some of my interior design skills in action! More rooms to follow! I went for a peaceful Iced Lime colour for the walls, put up a white picture rail and added a wood panelled feature wall -thanks to dad for his help!

 

 

I got the dresser in Age Action Charity shop, painted it cream and then painted lime flowers and dragonflies on it, oh and treated it for a touch of wood worm! I got the hand printed bedsheet in a textile factory in Jaipur, India and I wish I had gotten more!

 

 

No room is complete without a plant and a pet. Here you can see some of my flea market finds and Marbs the cat.

 

 

I also created a new zine "Mother India" for the third annual Dublin Zine Fair that I organised two weeks ago. It contains photos and writing about my journey around India last year and is hand-bound with orange thread! There's only one left after the fair, so that's a pretty good result! My art studio is nearly sorted now, so I'm really excited to get in there and get some work done. More interior design photos soon! Hope you've been inspired!

 

 

 

So where have I been and why have I neglected my blog for the last couple months? Well lots of things have happened! First off I moved house. Then I got a new job, as venue co-ordinator of the Centre for Creative Practices, and while doing this I was completing a bookkeeping certificate at night time and a diploma in online marketing in the mornings! So it's been hectic. When I've had a second I have been doing up my house, organising the Dublin Zine Fair, making and posting my Rosie's Rags sales and working for Knockanstockan music and arts festival. I have lots of lovely photos of my interior design skills in action that I will post up soon. Last weekend I managed the merch stand at Knockanstockan 2013. It was fantastic! Definitely the one I enjoyed the most so far. It's only two weeks until the Zine Fair so I have a lot of organising to do and need to make a new zine for the event myself. My Etsy shop Rosie's Rags is doing great and I hope to have time to do up some new designs very soon! And I also got a KITTEN!! The worlds greatest distraction ever!! Her name is Pepper and her and my tom cat Marbs are enjoying chasing each other around the house and knocking over things! I'll leave you for now with a photo taken by Michelle Geraghty of the programme that I designed for KS 2013. Wooo!