The sale will finish on the Tuesday 7th July 2015 (my birthday) and there have even been PRICE REDUCTIONS. Am I mad? I think I must be.
I've also added more items, so do take a look here in case there's something new you might like.
the shark alley blog
Sunday, 28 June 2015
Summer Sale - FINAL REDUCTIONS
The Shark Alley Summer Sale on Facebook has been a huge success and the aim of financing a bolt to The Beautiful Isle (Mallorca - my spiritual second home) has been achieved! Hurrah!
The sale will finish on the Tuesday 7th July 2015 (my birthday) and there have even been PRICE REDUCTIONS. Am I mad? I think I must be.
I've also added more items, so do take a look here in case there's something new you might like.
The sale will finish on the Tuesday 7th July 2015 (my birthday) and there have even been PRICE REDUCTIONS. Am I mad? I think I must be.
I've also added more items, so do take a look here in case there's something new you might like.
Sunday, 7 June 2015
Giant Summer Clearance Sale!
I've had a damn fine clear-out at the Shark Alley studio this month - and found all sorts of hidden treasure lurking in bags and boxes. Consequently there's going to be a huge clearance sale over on the Shark Alley Facebook page.
Shopping starts at 8pm BST on Wednesday 10th June 2015, so there's time for some relaxing window shopping beforehand. Pieces for sale include jewellery, purses, tote bags, hand-sewn felt animals and sewing kits. Prices range from £1.00 - £25.00.
Click HERE to start browsing!
Shopping starts at 8pm BST on Wednesday 10th June 2015, so there's time for some relaxing window shopping beforehand. Pieces for sale include jewellery, purses, tote bags, hand-sewn felt animals and sewing kits. Prices range from £1.00 - £25.00.
Click HERE to start browsing!
Monday, 4 May 2015
Acrylic Jungle
Ever since Tatty Devine began making their brilliant bold and quirky necklaces, lots of other designer-makers have embraced laser cut acrylic - and who can blame them? You only have do the design once, it's minimal work and can be endlessly repeated - in wood, metal, fabric and lovely shiny, or metallic, or glittery acrylic. For someone whose making process is very labour-intensive, with each piece being a one-off and hard to repeat exactly, this sometimes seems like a very appealing way to work.
But now suddenly, SO much laser cut stuff is about. And has the seductive nature of producing a beautifully clean-edged piece that looks so good on its own maybe overcome creativity and originality in some cases?
I have been resisting using it for just that reason. Resisting it until I can think of some original and personal way to use it, something that doesn't look like a lot of the other things around.
Back in the summer of 2014, I started hatching ideas for necklaces based on a variety of inspirations. One was a lot of richly coloured necklaces on sale in the V&A Shop a few years ago, which were strung together from fabrics, chains, tassels and lots of different sized beads. I loved their mix of elements and their asymmetry. I made quite a few designs, using beads, charms, recycled elements and old plastic animal toys found in a local street market, which I bling-ed up with fabric and little jewels.
My favourite, and the one that looked most like what I was aiming for, featured a tiger and lots of floral beads and hanging glass leaves and was inspired by the naive and incredibly decorative jungle paintings of the 19th century artist, Henri Rousseau.
The necklace looked different and unusual, but I couldn't produce any more like it as I wasn't able to find any more leaves and tigers. Then the brain kicked into gear - could this be achieved using acrylic? The combination of other materials and semi-precious beads with acrylic pieces would definitely be a way of making the jewellery look different to anything else I've seen around.
I produced some sketches of the leaf and flower shapes that I wanted, using Rousseau's foliage as a very loose inspiration. The tigers were based on my original little plastic tiger. The ability to have shapes cut inside the shapes was also an exciting possibility - even the holes could be added in this way, saving having to drill them all individually. I wanted to choose loads of colours, but found that the cutting process was going to cost a lot more that I had expected, so had to rein in my greedy little magpie tendencies. I also wanted to produce necklaces in one-colour options too, in case people didn't fancy wearing bright multi-coloured ones.
Eventually, the shapes came back, still in their square sheets, and I spent ages popping them out and peeling off the plastic coating, then laying them out to form the complex jungle necklaces. This design process takes a long time, as the composition of each necklace is as vital to me as the composition of a painting or photograph. It's important that the colours, shapes and beads flow and balance. Pieces are swapped or removed and colours changed many times before they are finally attached. Even then, there are often still changes to be made as the necklace looks different hanging on and moving with the body.
I'm so happy with the finished pieces and also delighted to be able to make earrings too. I love earrings (I have dozens of pairs!) but have found it hard to make them in the other materials I use.
The necklaces and earrings are on sale during the month of May at one of the Brighton Artists Open Houses on the Fiveways trail (for details, click here) and most of the following necklaces are in the Shark Alley shop.
 |
| Mexican Embroidery - my favourite Tatty Devine design. |
But now suddenly, SO much laser cut stuff is about. And has the seductive nature of producing a beautifully clean-edged piece that looks so good on its own maybe overcome creativity and originality in some cases?
I have been resisting using it for just that reason. Resisting it until I can think of some original and personal way to use it, something that doesn't look like a lot of the other things around.
Back in the summer of 2014, I started hatching ideas for necklaces based on a variety of inspirations. One was a lot of richly coloured necklaces on sale in the V&A Shop a few years ago, which were strung together from fabrics, chains, tassels and lots of different sized beads. I loved their mix of elements and their asymmetry. I made quite a few designs, using beads, charms, recycled elements and old plastic animal toys found in a local street market, which I bling-ed up with fabric and little jewels.
My favourite, and the one that looked most like what I was aiming for, featured a tiger and lots of floral beads and hanging glass leaves and was inspired by the naive and incredibly decorative jungle paintings of the 19th century artist, Henri Rousseau.
The necklace looked different and unusual, but I couldn't produce any more like it as I wasn't able to find any more leaves and tigers. Then the brain kicked into gear - could this be achieved using acrylic? The combination of other materials and semi-precious beads with acrylic pieces would definitely be a way of making the jewellery look different to anything else I've seen around.
I produced some sketches of the leaf and flower shapes that I wanted, using Rousseau's foliage as a very loose inspiration. The tigers were based on my original little plastic tiger. The ability to have shapes cut inside the shapes was also an exciting possibility - even the holes could be added in this way, saving having to drill them all individually. I wanted to choose loads of colours, but found that the cutting process was going to cost a lot more that I had expected, so had to rein in my greedy little magpie tendencies. I also wanted to produce necklaces in one-colour options too, in case people didn't fancy wearing bright multi-coloured ones.
Eventually, the shapes came back, still in their square sheets, and I spent ages popping them out and peeling off the plastic coating, then laying them out to form the complex jungle necklaces. This design process takes a long time, as the composition of each necklace is as vital to me as the composition of a painting or photograph. It's important that the colours, shapes and beads flow and balance. Pieces are swapped or removed and colours changed many times before they are finally attached. Even then, there are often still changes to be made as the necklace looks different hanging on and moving with the body.
I'm so happy with the finished pieces and also delighted to be able to make earrings too. I love earrings (I have dozens of pairs!) but have found it hard to make them in the other materials I use.
The necklaces and earrings are on sale during the month of May at one of the Brighton Artists Open Houses on the Fiveways trail (for details, click here) and most of the following necklaces are in the Shark Alley shop.
Saturday, 2 May 2015
Brighton Festival Open House 2015
Was it really JANUARY that I last blogged? How very remiss of me.
Suffice to say that when I'm quiet on here, it's because I've been busy elsewhere and in this case it's because I've been cooking up a whole new range. I'll devote another blog post to this very soon, but meanwhile you can see the fruits of all this effort exclusively at 202 Ditchling Road Brighton for the next four weekends.
Suffice to say that when I'm quiet on here, it's because I've been busy elsewhere and in this case it's because I've been cooking up a whole new range. I'll devote another blog post to this very soon, but meanwhile you can see the fruits of all this effort exclusively at 202 Ditchling Road Brighton for the next four weekends.
Wednesday, 7 January 2015
Happy New Year
Ok, so it's a bit late, but HAPPY NEW YEAR from Shark Alley.
I have many plans for new projects in 2015 and I look forward to sharing them with you as soon as they are hatched!
I hope you all had fun over the festive period and that great things are in store for you in the coming year.
I have many plans for new projects in 2015 and I look forward to sharing them with you as soon as they are hatched!
I hope you all had fun over the festive period and that great things are in store for you in the coming year.
Sunday, 16 November 2014
Christmas Event Dates 2014
Here are the Christmas events that Shark Alley will be appearing at this year - two in Brighton and two in London. Pop them in your diary and I hope to meet you there!
Saturday 22nd/Sunday 23rd & Saturday 29th/Sunday 30th November
Shark Alley is once again delighted to be invited to take part in artists Polly Raynes and Chris Brooks' long-running and much-loved Open House. It's not part of the official Brighton Christmas Open House trail, but is based in the Fiveways area, so if you've been making a day of it on the Fiveways trail on the weekend of 29th-30th, come in to browse a mix of art, textiles and jewellery with a complimentary glass of mulled wine.
House open 11am - 6pm.
202 Ditchling Road, Brighton, BN1 6JE.
Click here for more info.
I look forward to seeing you!
NOVEMBER 2014
OPEN HOUSE AT 202 DITCHLING ROAD
Saturday 22nd/Sunday 23rd & Saturday 29th/Sunday 30th NovemberShark Alley is once again delighted to be invited to take part in artists Polly Raynes and Chris Brooks' long-running and much-loved Open House. It's not part of the official Brighton Christmas Open House trail, but is based in the Fiveways area, so if you've been making a day of it on the Fiveways trail on the weekend of 29th-30th, come in to browse a mix of art, textiles and jewellery with a complimentary glass of mulled wine.
House open 11am - 6pm.
202 Ditchling Road, Brighton, BN1 6JE.
Click here for more info.
BRIGHTON CRAFTAGANZA
Saturday 29th November
Come and find Shark Alley at this popular Brighton craft event - I'll be there for one day only!
11am - 5pm
Fabrica Gallery, Duke Street, Brighton BN1 1AG.
Click here for more info.
DULWICH COLLEGE CHRISTMAS FAIR
Sunday 30th November
Head to the Boardroom to find Shark Alley's stall at this hugely popular and MASSIVE shopping event at the historic Dulwich College in South London.
11.30am - 4pm
Dulwich College, Dulwich Common, London SE21 7LD.
Click here for more info.
DECEMBER 2014
THE ISLINGTON CHRISTMAS GIFT FAIR
Friday 5th/Saturday 6th/Sunday 7th December
Come and mark Small Business Saturday at Shark Alley's debut at this three-day event! Late night shopping on Friday too.
Friday 5 December: 12noon - 8pm
Saturday 6 December: 10am - 6pm
Sunday 7 December:
12noon - 5pm
Entry ticket £3 (includes entry to the Free Prize Draw to win goods to the value of £700)
Islington Assembly Rooms (next to the Town Hall) Upper Street N1 2UD.
Click here for more info.
Sunday, 19 October 2014
New Look
Finally I've got some time to blog about Shark Alley's new look!
This has mostly revolved around a new shop that I've set up, which I'm so happy with. It looks sleek and clean and helps me offer more to my customers, which is great.
So how did it all start?
Following a valuable business mentoring session with Craft Central at the beginning of June, I decided that Shark Alley needed a rebrand. Since setting up in 2010, my work and style has evolved and clearer needs have been identified, so these had to be addressed with some changes.
But how to do it? The trouble with the creative brain (well, mine anyway!) is that it just wants to make beautiful things and it can't step outside and be objective about the business of it all. I started off gently by gathering images on Pinterest - not with any clear ideas in mind, just to sort out the things I was drawn to visually in terms of look, feel, presentation, colours, logo etc
Then one night my friend Lucy, a 3-D designer, revealed she'd had an idea for Shark Alley. We made plans for lunch and a massive brainstorming session . . .
Lucy's idea was that, given the name, Shark Alley might be an actual place, and all the animals might live there in different streets or locations off of it. BRILLIANT! So maybe construct a map then? I put this idea to friend and map illustrator extraordinaire Neil Gower and he suggested that maybe there should be more of a reason for it to be a map. so it shouldn't appear too contrived As Lucy and I brainstormed, suddenly the idea popped into my mind - TREASURE ISLAND! Treasure, 'cos I make jewellery, RIGHT?! This really got things going as we discussed look, feel, colours, logos etc and did lots of drawing and scribbling of notes, then I went back to the studio and started working on putting these all together in some sort of coherent form.
Inventing the environments was the next challenge. Originally I was very into the idea of constructing these from cardboard, which could also feed into an interesting display at craft fairs. A very frenzied Sunday afternoon was spent on the floor surrounding by a sea of cardboard trying to make it work. Should they be flat or standing? How would I photograph them with the products? It just wasn't working and I was so upset and frustrated. How could I do this all by myself? Too much! I threw the cardboard in the recycling and started aimlessly scribbling in my sketchbook. As is often the way, when the brain is in neutral, the ideas will come. I had started drawing simple graphic shapes . . . hmmm, maybe this could work?
Eventually the map was roughed out in Illustrator, with everything laid out nicely.
After lots of fine-tuning, the map was finally created in Photoshop, using scans of torn paper collage, brown paper and cut-out product photos. The shark fins are a nod to the old Shark Alley logo.
The new logo is based on a quick sketch I did after the brainstorming session. Nothing was ever better than this first one, so I ended up using it. It also inspired the shape of the island.
(Anyone notice a vague similarity to my favourite place?)
The map was the main header on the website, but I also needed headers for each category. These originally featured four images, but they were just too much for the eye to cope with with all the products on the page as well, so I put together a simpler version instead.
All the Shark Alley products needed to be re-photographed as well, and from different angles. I settled on brown paper as a background, as it is a good neutral colour and helps define the white stars on some of the necklaces. Making these work on white backgrounds was always a nightmare of Photoshop jiggery-pokery!
The brown looks different for each product on the page, but I like it. I think it fits in well with the natural theme.
So there you go! The new little world of Shark Alley. What do you think? It was unbelievably hard work under the time constraint I stupidly gave myself (I wanted it done before The Handmade Fair), working evenings and weekends and having to do everything myself. So many times it felt impossible and there was a lot of self-doubt along the way (Should I do THIS? Is THIS any good? etc etc). I'm reminded of this little gem.
www.sharkalley.co.uk
This has mostly revolved around a new shop that I've set up, which I'm so happy with. It looks sleek and clean and helps me offer more to my customers, which is great.
Following a valuable business mentoring session with Craft Central at the beginning of June, I decided that Shark Alley needed a rebrand. Since setting up in 2010, my work and style has evolved and clearer needs have been identified, so these had to be addressed with some changes.
But how to do it? The trouble with the creative brain (well, mine anyway!) is that it just wants to make beautiful things and it can't step outside and be objective about the business of it all. I started off gently by gathering images on Pinterest - not with any clear ideas in mind, just to sort out the things I was drawn to visually in terms of look, feel, presentation, colours, logo etc
 |
| This is NOT our brainstorming lunch, I hasten to add! |
Lucy's idea was that, given the name, Shark Alley might be an actual place, and all the animals might live there in different streets or locations off of it. BRILLIANT! So maybe construct a map then? I put this idea to friend and map illustrator extraordinaire Neil Gower and he suggested that maybe there should be more of a reason for it to be a map. so it shouldn't appear too contrived As Lucy and I brainstormed, suddenly the idea popped into my mind - TREASURE ISLAND! Treasure, 'cos I make jewellery, RIGHT?! This really got things going as we discussed look, feel, colours, logos etc and did lots of drawing and scribbling of notes, then I went back to the studio and started working on putting these all together in some sort of coherent form.
Inventing the environments was the next challenge. Originally I was very into the idea of constructing these from cardboard, which could also feed into an interesting display at craft fairs. A very frenzied Sunday afternoon was spent on the floor surrounding by a sea of cardboard trying to make it work. Should they be flat or standing? How would I photograph them with the products? It just wasn't working and I was so upset and frustrated. How could I do this all by myself? Too much! I threw the cardboard in the recycling and started aimlessly scribbling in my sketchbook. As is often the way, when the brain is in neutral, the ideas will come. I had started drawing simple graphic shapes . . . hmmm, maybe this could work?
These shapes helped make the final choice of the environments, as it was important to be able to suggest them just by using a simple and easily-recognisable image. So they became; Mountain, Garden (flowers), Lagoon (waterlillies), Forest (trees), Bay (shells) and Lake.
Eventually the map was roughed out in Illustrator, with everything laid out nicely.
The new logo is based on a quick sketch I did after the brainstorming session. Nothing was ever better than this first one, so I ended up using it. It also inspired the shape of the island.
(Anyone notice a vague similarity to my favourite place?)
The map was the main header on the website, but I also needed headers for each category. These originally featured four images, but they were just too much for the eye to cope with with all the products on the page as well, so I put together a simpler version instead.
All the Shark Alley products needed to be re-photographed as well, and from different angles. I settled on brown paper as a background, as it is a good neutral colour and helps define the white stars on some of the necklaces. Making these work on white backgrounds was always a nightmare of Photoshop jiggery-pokery!
The brown looks different for each product on the page, but I like it. I think it fits in well with the natural theme.
So there you go! The new little world of Shark Alley. What do you think? It was unbelievably hard work under the time constraint I stupidly gave myself (I wanted it done before The Handmade Fair), working evenings and weekends and having to do everything myself. So many times it felt impossible and there was a lot of self-doubt along the way (Should I do THIS? Is THIS any good? etc etc). I'm reminded of this little gem.
www.sharkalley.co.uk
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