How I Got Super Poor...

Well.... I just got my bank statement for this month... I got super poor.

To explain, I have been saving up for a good year and a bit, trying to save money to go to Japan for my 21st, dream big! But I don't have a real job so it took me forever to get to the point I was at of £460ish. 

SO! Student life was rather mean to me... Due to people wanting to hang out in town, clubbing, eating out, drinking.... then you have college supplies, sketchbooks, paper, paint, pens, fabric... the lot. Add that to the random money withdrawals at cash points to get random items when in town and I spent a hell of a lot...

Guess how much... just GUESS!

£383... SO MUCH MONEY! The statement was weighty let me assure you... See if those letters from Harry Potter were real, the screamers? Yeah, my statement would have been one...

Looks like I'm living under a rock till I get a job.

Why does it have to be so hard to save money? Students have all these things they wish they could do or that they do anyway and end up flat broke... WHY DO THINGS HAVE TO BE EXPENSIVE?!

And art... I mean, why must your supplies cost to much when there is always a necessity for more!?

Learn from my mistakes people, don't be drawn in by sales, or foods, or let people talk you into buying things they think you should have... BE A STRONG INDEPENDENT RACE OF HUMAN AND WALK ON! 

And if you ever see me doing any of this again... slap me.

Lately...

Ok, so recently the course has gotten frustrating with how, everything is due at the once and everyone seems to think they are the most important, and that each of us actually has the time and means to do everything they say when they say it so... yeah. That ain't true. So's you know. We are kinda dying.

Well we got a new brief for Pathways, we are to create a book, based on a journey. Now this can be any interpretation of a book or journey that you want or can think of, makes narrowing down possibilities kind of hard but I think its one of our best briefs. I've decided to base mine on the journey of a student through every day life. The physical journey and the figurative, like through the thought process and the toils they overcome. It will partially be based on my own experience because I travel far, and what I experience specifically as an art student. But then my life can be boring so I thought maybe have it based on the average student for parts, like how, generally, students socialize, parties, drinking, websites, etc. Although, I don't want it to be like a picture book, but too much words would wreck not only the aesthetic but the idea behind it to just portray the thoughts and feelings which might be difficult without words.

For the fact of the book I wanted to make a literal hard back book, which will be difficult but will be worth it if I do it right. Either it will look like a fancy book that students would use to research or study, look like a textbook, or there are more ideas but they've escaped me. Basing it on a notebook style with the lined pages and maybe even coffee rings and stuff in it because obviously students stay up late, live off caffeine whether in coffee or energy drinks.

I don't have many ideas because well... we only got the brief today.

How To.... Make Silk Paper!

Things you will need :- Wallpaper Paste
                                       Plastic sheet/ bubble-wrap/a ball/a cup... etc.
                                       Voile

What you do :-

1. Lay down the plastic sheet or whatever you are covering with the silk.
2. Take strands of silk and place into desired style/design.
3. Layer so that strands are thick enough to stay together. 
4. Place voile carefully on top and then spread the paste evenly and quite thick so it seeps through to all fibers.
5. Lift off voile so it doesn't attach to your design. 

Silk paper should end up not fluffy, (unless that is the desired effect) because that means not enough paste reached those areas. 

It ends up looking very shiny and can end up with a smooth surface if there is a LOT of paste used.