Boxed Dolls in the Window Display

I've probably mentioned before that I have the best boss in the world but he honestly is! He suggested we put the boxed dolls in the window in a stack with a little poster on the top and they look so good. We've had so many people stopping and looking at the window already and customers in the shop always comment on them. Straight away a gentleman came in and ordered another Shakespeare and an Anne Boleyn doll (complete with head chopped off, in her hands).

And more emails/messages keep coming through with people asking for custom orders! Working almost too well.

Moomins at The Southbank Centre

I don't like London, it's too busy and loud! But I heard there was a Moominland exhibition at the Southbank centre and HAD to go...
There was also a Moomin event at Kew gardens at the same time but James and I were staying in Vauxhall, on the other side of London and didn't manage to get over to Kew unfortunately!

The exhibition at Southbank was unlike anything I've ever seen before! It was an interactive experience, inviting people into the land of the Moomins. Most of the visitors were children or parents and James and I did feel like big kids but that's exactly what the Moomins are for. I wore a Little My tshirt and I'm sure I was grinning the whole way around.

(SPOILER: This is not a real photo of me and James)

We walked through a giant Moomin book (printed on fabric like curtains) and then walked through Moomin scenes (sand, trees, fake snow, a little bath house).
Narration by Sandi Toksvig, a tour guide who asks questions and tells stories as we walk around "WHO KNOWS WHICH MOOMIN CHARACTER MIGHT LIVE HERE?"
I'd love to work somewhere like this, especially guiding people around and learning material - our guide was obviously passionate about Moomins and was confident in leading us around. I always liked the idea of being one of the actors in York dungeons, the people who go to work and are in character all day!

I was devastated that we weren't allowed to take photos! The scenes and exhibits were so beautiful and it was an absolute dream but because it's a secretive, special experience no photography was allowed.
They had little glass cases with original Tove drawings and artifacts including her flower crown and the original Moomin figurines.

Tove might have resented Moomin for his fame and commercial application but I think she would have enjoyed this one. It was true to the story and all about learning and experiencing her stories.

I really wanted a flyer or something to take away as a souvenir but they didn't have any around.

Boxes and Packaging

I've been trying to find the perfect boxes for a while. They're always either too rubbish and ugly or too fancy and expensive! They have to look professional and presentable but I need to keep the costs down in order to still make a profit. I could charge more for the packaging, or just put my prices up to accommodate this?

Anyway, I found these 'cake boxes' in Home Bargains and measured them against a doll I had in my bag (always handy to take one everywhere!) and they were the perfect fit. Just the right size, really smart boxes and an acetate window in the front to show off the doll inside. How much? 99p for two! They have a few different variations too so I will come back and stock up if these go well... but nothing ever stays in HB for long, so I should probably try and find the original supplier and purchase directly from them for the future.

SCRIPT FOR PRESENTATION

Hi I’m Jay. My passion is storytelling. I like to tell stories and build worlds; lately this has been in the form of 3-Dimensional model-making. I make a lot of scenes and dioramas, models, puppets and dolls, each one with its own character and personality. I enjoy the tactile process of making and building things with my hands.

My work is usually intended for an audience of children, I strive to make my work playful and charming. My practice sits within the contexts of stop-motion animation and children’s books.

My two areas of interest: children's publishing and puppet animation. They cross over when it comes to character and narrative.  Some of the makers I admire are sadly no longer around, Jim Henson and Oliver Postgate, but there are still companies maintaining handmade values. The Henson Company, LAIKA, Mckinnon and Saunders (these companies require hands like mine for puppet design, construction and art direction) but also from the other side children's publishers Nosy Crow and Flying Eye Books who I want to get my stories out to. I want to learn about these companies as places of work and as creative professionals.

A practitioner I would really like to contact would be Chris Sickels. Sickels works in a similar medium to me, creating 3-D scenes/models and photographing them/combining them with hand-drawn illustration. I would like to ask Sickels about his studio, his working day/week. How long does it take to make each model? I want to ask him about clients in editorial illustration – it is a risk to approach a practitioner with such similar outcomes but Sickels has so much experience, knowledge and contacts that although I may be competition I think we could help each other, even work together harmoniously. 

NETWORKING

Side One:
My passion is storytelling. I like to tell stories and build worlds; lately this has been in the form of 3-Dimensional model-making. I make a lot of models/puppets/dolls, each one with its own character and personality. I enjoy the process of making and building things with my hands. I want to continue sculpting and bringing my characters to life, possibly working closely with animators to create stop-motion productions.
My work is usually intended for an audience of children, since it is playful and charming.
I want to continue applying my illustrations to real-life contexts in publishing (editorial, children's books).

Slide Two:
This slide documents my two main areas of interest: children's publishing and puppet animation. The two cross over when it comes to character and narrative. Both of these visual media tell stories and capture characters.
Since I am interested in 70's puppet animation for television, a lot of the creatives I admire are no longer around or practising anymore. Jim Henson, Oliver Postgate and Peter Firmin are among these practitioners.
Companies I would like to work with include The Henson Company (puppet design/construction), LAIKA (art direction/model-making for stop-motion), Mckinnon and Saunders (puppet department) and children's publishers Nosy Crow and Nobrow/Flying Eye Books.

Slide Three: 
A practitioner I would really like to contact would be Chris Sickels. Sickels works in a similar medium to myself, creating 3-Dimensional scenes/models and photographing them/combining them with hand-drawn illustration.
I would like to ask Sickels about his studio. I already know where it is, but I want to know more about his working day/week. How long does he work for? Is it just him in the studio? Does he get bored/lonely/trapped? How long does it take to make each model?
I want to ask him about clients. He's worked in editorial illustration - do the clients give him longer deadlines than a practitioner who draws? Does he get paid the same amount as a traditional illustrator would? How many jobs does he get a week/month/year?
What kind of camera does he use - does he take the photos?