It's Christmas Time (there's every reason to be afraid).

Only two days to go before the Christmas 'hols' and things are getting VERY festive round here.

In keeping with the spirit of the age (austerity) the students have been 'making do and mending' their own decorations and festive treats.

Here's a lovely Christmas tableaux anyone could re-create at home .



All you need for this one is coloured paperclips (for the chain 'paperchain') and two students who don't move much (for the tree). In our case we used Mr Matt Boak (21) and Mr Jasper Van Looveren-Baines (also 21). 

The finishing touches were achieved by adding a star (to Jasper) and two gaudy baubles to Matt (see details below).





Further along the balcony we come to Novocastrian Mr Mark Collins (21).

Mark has created a low cost alternative to that festive favourite, the chocolate advent calender.



To create this perennial treat you'll need to keep last year's calender packaging (like Mark did). The 'chocolates' are cunningly made from a cocoa/mud mix and are surprisingly edible. Remember to stick down the doors to achieve a professional finish.



Lastly, we showcase a decorative tip provided by Lithuanian student Ieva Bureikaite (21).

As you probably know, the national tree of Lithuania is the bonsai. At this time of year all Lithuanians bring a bonsai tree indoors and decorate it. In Ieva's case a spherical Christmas bauble was used to create a magical transformation.



Happy Christmas everyone and have a good 2013!

Fame and its Consequences (Well done Sir Brad)

The team here at Grillust™ H.Q. would like to congratulate Sir Bradley Wiggins on his well-deserved victory in last Sunday's BBC Sports Personality of the Year contest.

The 'dandy highwayman' of cycle racing looked resplendent in blue velvet 'Little Lord Fauntleroy' jacket, 'winkle picker' suede boots and backcombed, 'Rod the Mod' (Stewart) hairdo.



Eagle eyed viewers were shocked to spot that Sir Wiggo's trademark sideburns did not attend this prestigious event (see photo above).
 
Had Brad fallen out of love with his fuzzy facial adornments?

No, not at all! Let us explain...

At this point we must confess that Sir Brad having to appear 'naked' in public was inadvertently caused by our own thoughtlessness and for that we must unreservedly apologise. So we'd like to say...

We're really, really sorry Brad.

If you remember, back in September we published a post celebrating Sir Bradley's 'burns and revealed that they were exclusively supplied by Carlisle based cornucopia of all things 'crafty', Fun2Do.

This 'exclusive' was picked up by our *local newspaper, The Evening News and Star who blabbed about it here. National and international syndication followed and the world quickly learned where Bradley's sideburns could be obtained.


Fun2Do yesterday

At the time, we couldn't envisage how iconic and desirable the Wiggins' sideburns would become as a 'must have' fashion accesory and the adoption of them by H.R.H. The Duchess of Cambridge (née Kate Middleton) created a frenzy of demand that even Fun2Do couldn't satisfy.

At the height of the 'Bradley 'burns' craze Fun2Do were shifting 100 units per hour with a queue of customers stretching across Carlisle (see below).

 
Scotch Street, just down from Fun2Do (200m and counting...)

 
Hardwicke Circus (900m and counting...)

 
The end in sight!  Sheepmount athletics stadium (1.7km)

Sadly, it couldn't go on...

On December 10 the last pair of Aeroplush™sideburns were sold to a delighted Haribo Smith (8) of Cleator Moor, Cumbria. Unfortunately this left Sir Wiggo sans 'burns for his 'big night'.

In the circumstances Bradley behaved like a true professional, not letting what must have been a huge disappointment 'phase him' and carried on as if nothing had happened.

On checking the Fun2Do website (see grab below) it looks like 'normal service will be resumed' well in time for the Paris–Roubaix (phew)!


*small circulation figures

Instagram seeks right to sell access to photos to advertisers

18 December 2012

Facebook's photo-sharing site Instagram has updated its privacy policy giving it the right to sell users' photos to advertisers without notification.

Unless users delete their Instagram accounts by a deadline of 16 January, they cannot opt out.
The changes also mean Instagram can share information about its users with Facebook, its parent company, as well as other affiliates and advertisers.

Read the full story here

First Years, Sixth Project...

...was all about drawing. Actually, that's not strictly true; it was really designed to show the students that drawing has more to do with fully understanding what you're looking at than simply trying to copy 'blindly' the image in front of you.

This was a very important project for the illustrators as it addressed crucial foundation skills which, once learned, can be developed and personalised.

In the wider world of educating student illustrators, there is a fairly large elephant in the room... ...many never learn to draw and are therefore severely limited in what they can do.
 
We tackle this problem head-on, in our usual no-nonsense fashion by challenging the students to take on two of the most difficult subjects that underpin quality drawing: perspective and the human form.
 
Over two weeks many lectures and demos on perspective and life-drawing are given and the students produce piles of work in a project we modestly call 'How to Draw Anything'.
 
Even the Graphic Designers have to get involved as perspective looms large in the world of packaging and exhibition design.
 
Now, on with the show...

First up, Miss Sophie Driffield (21) with a fantastic body of work that exudes commitment, quantity and quality. We don't know yet, if Sophie is an Illustrator or a highly visual Graphic Designer or, she could simply be a Renaissance Woman!

































 
We now come to the work of budding (and talented) illustration student Miss Kianna Poskitt (21). Kianna's drawings are excellent examples of our belief that drawings can (and usually should) show real understanding.


















Mr Reece Crowder (21) is a Graphic Design student and shows an excellent and colourful grasp of various forms of perspective.









 
Finally here's Mr Calum McGhee (21) yet another of our very talented illustration students...

Graphic Design on the Go-go!

Year 3, Graphic Design student Steph Stilwell (21) was recently featured in Cumbria’s very own quality broadsheet newspaper, The Cumberland News (see photo below):

The article celebrated Steph (21) being judged the worthy winner of a ‘live brief’ to design an identity for a new, mobile Pad Thai, stir-fry business run by local entrepreneurs Alan and May Bell (both 33).

It is not clear yet if Steph (21) will be involved in Alan’s next venture into ‘cyber’ street food, something he calls ‘iPad Thai’ - far-eastern delicacies served on mobile devices.

Steph (21) has featured on the Blog before and is well overdue a fast-facts feature; a situation we will rectify with immediate effect:

Ms. Stephanie Stilwell (21) - A Fast Facts Feature

Fast Fact 1.
Steph (21) hails from England’s smallest county, Rutland (pop. 37,600) and is Rutland’s fouth most famous export after: No.1 - Rutland Water (sparkling or still), No. 2 - Rutland Weekend Television and No 3. The Rutles

Fast Fact 2.
Steph (21) came to study with us because she suffers from Topographobia - an allergy to the flat, wide-open landscape of her native county. She now finds inspiration, comfort and solace in the dramatic, mountainous vistas of Cumbria. Incidentally, since moving up to Cumbria, Steph (21) grown a good 18" taller simply because of the constant exposure to a proper three-dimensional environment.

Fast Fact 3.
Steph (21) has an ambition to become the world’s first, specialist designer of identities for van-based businesses. To date she has created fantastic work for the following:

Veals on Wheels (unethical gourmet burgers)
We Deliver Liver (butcher)  
Duck Tuck (Fowl based snack food)
Pitta Express (delicious Mediterranean flat breads)
Door to Door (Front Door delivery and installation service)
Hasty Pastry (Choux, Phyllo, Puff etc. - for all your emergency baking needs)
Pronto Pint (a vast range of quick beers) 
The PanVanMan - (kitchenware, cutlery and doily essentials)

Fast Fact 4.
In October 2013, Steph (21) will become Steph (22), but in July she'll officially be Steph (33)!

Fast Fact 5. 
Despite her foray into snack van territory, Steph (currently 21) is so posh she spurns Cup-a-Soup.

You can see more of her winning 'mobile' work below, but please note, Steph (21) is a woman of many talents and also has a wide range of 'stationary' designs on her website here.