Genealogy social designs

Turnstone Genealogy takes it’s name from a bird, and like their namesake they aim to leave no stone unturned when it comes to their client’s search.

When COVID hit Turnstone knew that they had to be agile in their response. They quickly set up a social group for families wishing to learn skills & tips for starting family history conversations. Story Seeds was born almost immediately.

Turnstone Genealogy Identity

Story Seeds Identity development

Story Seeds Social Media Headline Image in development.

I'm back with beads on !

I really can't believe a whole year (well almost) has slipped by ! As well as the usual design work for @GovanhillBaths, @LoopRecycling, @2RagstoRiches2

• finished a one year course in teaching Mindfulness
• developed a Slow Stitch / Mindful Sewing Programme
• have a studio now (no longer working from home)
• worked at GSA on the first year course - Interaction Design
• applied for approximately 10 "proper jobs", with no success !
• Worked with multi-generational women and girls enhancing their sewing skills

I'm torn in two, excited by my studio art practice and the need to pay my way in the world - a conundrum for every creative. The longer you are out of the business sector the more peculiar you are to them, prodding and asking questions ... I forget that I'm supposed to lie, say that I'm a workhorse dedicated to my career, don't mention the kids, or that my skills are a bit rusty !

Friends tell me that the right job will come along, a bit like the fairytale Prince of our girlhoods. Waiting not creating has never appealed. Editing and chopping off bits of myself to fit the role of what a designer / creative director / manager / tutor should be doesn't suit me either. Authenticity and energetically following that which makes me feel alive and vibrant beats stagnation of the waiting game. So this is the official comeback, throwing myself back into life and whatever forms that takes.

Southside Free Food Map

A comprehensive guide to FREE FOOD !

Proud to have been asked yet again by Govanhill Baths to design an essential community information leaflet !

The Southside FREE Food Map is a listings of all Food Banks, Soup kitchens, Community Meals and Community Growing groups that take place WEEKLY in the Southside of Glasgow. The generosity and "can do" attitude of these organisations gets you right in the feels ! However, the appalling fact that so many people can't afford to feed themselves is sobering. BIG LOVE to Govanhill Baths for once again responding to the needs of their Community in such a positive way x

Govanhill Bath's "FREE Food Map" - May 2017

Creative Re-use at the Tramway

Creative Reuse with the TOPS Parents Programme.

Claire Barclay with the TOPS Programme @Tramway, Glasgow April 2017

It's not everyday you get to rummage around in Contemporary Art recycling bins. However, courtesy of the Tramway, Glasgow - that's exactly what we did !

Several months ago contemporary artist Claire Barclay approached me with the idea of combining forces on a community reuse project. The idea was simple, create an installation using the excess and offcuts from her exhibition. This ended up being a tough gig as Claire is actually very frugal with her materials - Nothing goes to waste !

The second challenge was to engage a group of Mums from the TOPS Young Parents Programme. Our ambition was to challenge 'shop bought' play items and question whether they stifle or encourage imaginative play.

Collectively we created "A Place to Play" ! which was on display in conjunction with Claire's show "Yield Point".

It was a joy to see Claire explain the motivations behind her installation, and to hear the insightful questions from the group - it was their first brush with Contemporary Art ! When it came to making and play, the group came into their own. There was no stopping them. Their energy & enthusiasm is apparent in the final work which beckons you to come and play !

A joyful project and final interactive installation. The gallery staff reported children whooping with delight all day long. Kids dive bombing and fiddle with an exhibition is a rare treat indeed !

Community Shares identity

The Govanhill Baths are launching their Community Share Campaign to raise the shortfall of heritage and lottery funding. Also giving the locals a chance to invest their money in a new exciting local facility !

The design was a slight departure from the existing identity, introduction of more graphic elements and colours - the brief said bold and bright so that's what they got !

Community Shares A1 poster !

Theatre Banners

Govanhill Theatre has been busy recently > a comedy, a thriller and a dark tale of remorse ! Here are a selection of outdoor banners that accompany the plays.

A Bit of a Lather

A sneak preview of the Govanhill Bath's "What's On" Summer programme. As yet not published - what with asbestos being found in the building, emails going astray and paper companies going bust it's all been a bit of a Soap this month ! It's Friday though I hear you cry ... no feet up just yet with TINAFS on Saturday ! The poster was done some time ago, but it's looking like a bit of modelling is required for Saturday - never a dull moment with these guys as clients !

Rags to Riches Biannual Fashion Show Poster

Social Media Events Banner

SEA Identity

South East Arts Network in Glasgow commissioned me to get creative with their name and create an identity for them ! Never met the crazy cats ! But get creative I did ! 

I like the result even if it none of the conceptual rigour that I usually employ ... ahem !

All that glitters is not Silver Styling !

Okay, I'm all for female empowerment but I'm not feeling the love from the barrage of "positive fashion role models of a certain age" that I am being fed through Social media at the moment. "Silver Style", "Advance Styling", or the Pantomime Dames that are Iris Apfel wannabes.

Am I meant to feel encouraged that I can "have it all" at 50, 60, still be considered "hot" at 70 , or feel obliged to dress myself up like a Christmas Tree to still be visible at that age ? 

I'm NOT buying it literally !

We see Iris Apfel as an amazingly energetic and vibrant woman who clearly loves fashion. She has devoted her entire life to it, she was never meant to be viewed as an aspirational figure. Something that we need to attain or compare ourselves to. To achieve that "explosion in Accessorise" look requires and extensive wardrobe with many props. There are hair dyes, bracelets, designer glasses all to be bought - she is a marketeers wet dream !

We then come to the "dark night of the soul" bit ... Grannies bombarded with "positive role models" ! Just when they thought they had skipped away from the glare of self image and attractiveness, the spotlight is back on them again. This target group is not some random neutrons firing type brain wave, it's a pointed attack. These women have pensions, their mortgages paid off, no dependants they possibly have more disposable income than your average working family !  

It may be a kindness to simply sneak in to their house and rob them of their stash. Rather than the insidious undermining messages of never being enough. 

So while I solute Iris and her eccentric devotion to the great Fashion Goddess, I implore all the recent converts who want to similarly "do" old age to look behind the curtain ! Where is the energy coming from ? Fear of the invisibility of old age or a genuine love of glitter encrusted cowboy hats ? Until we know for sure which one it is, only then we will know how to act appropriately x

For the Love of Shirley

Saturday's Sew La Tea Dough saw the amazingly talented Shirley McLauchlan host a "Mother's Day Workshop". Participants were encouraged to embroider a love heart onto a woollen blanket square to make an embroidered card. For many it was the first time they had tackled a project like this since school !

A group of visibly nervous women huddled around Shirley asking "is that okay?"

No matter how many workshops we host, I am continually struck by the amount of women who have simply lost confidence in their abilities to make anything. They share stories of "victorian style" school teachers repeatedly sending them back to unpick there work until it is perfectly straight ! Beads of sweat are visible on foreheads and palms stick to fabric. However, after half an hour with Shirley the group is transformed - laughter is heard, foreheads are unfurled and everyone looks at Shirley with love in their eyes ! They are stunned by their ability to create something so beautifully NOT perfect ! Each piece is uniquely decorated with the expressive style of the participants - straight, wobbly, clashing colours or harmonious tones beautifully perfect in the eyes of the individual maker.

I never tire of seeing the transformative power of stitching. However, under the loving guidance of Shirley McLachlan it's pure bliss !

p.s. Did I say that Shirley had a book ? Available at Amazon http://amzn.to/1YmkJLm

Sustainability and what it means to be human

On Friday I was fortunate to attend a talk by Stuart Walker who is professor at Lancashire University exploring the theme of sustainable materiality.

I was reminded of John Gray's Silence of Animals in which he presents the idea of progress at any cost. Progress in of itself as man's desire to get to the pure land where there is no suffering, sickness or death. He lays the origins of our desires at the feet of Christianity in particular, the promise of salvation.

Stuart Walker also explores religious themes, I was reminded of Cave dwelling monks of meditate and reflect on a theme then bring back their teachings for the villagers below. He mediates on what is sustainability, what is means to be human and our inherent need to create or redesign our material world. 

In his talk he spoke of digital waste, how the cloud is not indeed anything so ephemeral but a tower block that requires refrigeration, the net is a network of cables underneath the Atlantic, servers of cat videos and ebooks which are back-up on multi servers ... he spoke of workers throwing themselves from the Fox Con (Apple factories) ... industry being at the mercy of it's shareholders ... redesigning products consisting of constantly redesign the exterior, components can be reused infinitely ... materials that can be returned to the earth having had little manufacturing or processing acted upon them.

I see Stuart Walker's explorations as an antidote to Evgeny Morozon's solutionism which he demonises in "To Save Everything Click Here". From Stuart there is call back to crafts, raw materials and reusing what we have in a local rather global way. He brings us back to the human in the industrialised process.

Draft post from August 30th 2015

SUN Development

I was very happy to be asked to develop a design scheme for the newly formed Scottish Upcycling Network aka SUN. I was given a blank slate, go and create ! So had to create my own brief.

I started with attempting to delineate what an upcycling network should and shouldn't be. The "shabby chic" associations, DIYness and twee "makeovers" be gone, no hand drawn elements or frouf ! As a network they would have to face these negative preconceptions time and time again. 

Positively, the network has to be about business, remaking, remodelling and creating real change in perceptions. As Ikea publicly declared, (we have hit peak production) we need set these as priorities as the planet's resources are rapidly depleting.

So, bold, positive and bright highlighting reconstruction and remaking ! I love it !

What's On Programme

Hot of the Press !

Govanhill Baths Programme just delivered ! Bursting with events, everything from Furniture up-cycling to Flyfishing (NO REALLY!) Great job of printing and finishing from Sean @ Hampden Advertising.

Really pleased, the recycled matt paper gives a good weight and finish but perhaps needs a satin cover to provide the punchy contrast needed to attract attention ?!

Have a look for yourself  !

Govanhill Baths

Okay it's fair to say that I am super-excited about our local Community-led Swimming Baths being awarded *ALL* of it's grant funding. That is something to celebrate, but the cherry on top is that I've been given the task of creating marketing materials for the pool !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I know, I know calm down !

As with most charities there's no brand as such, a hodge podge of work carried out by various volunteers - albeit incredibly talent ones - over the years ! 

Not ideal, I'm creating my own set of design rules as each week sees a request for something new. Here's how I've got on so far, some designs have already released into the wild.

Banner thanking Govanhill for it's continued support of the Campaign to reopen the Baths.

Badges promoting the "I AM A GOVANHILL SWIMMER" fundraising campaign

Doctors, Design and chips in Whitely Bay.

Last week saw a trip to the lovely Whitley Bay to yet again explore the murky theme of textile waste. In reality it was a chance for the TT Team to come together to investigate how we may further engage with this topic.

Dr Clare Hussey, Shirley Maclauchlan and myself told stories of our own experience, and explored our common threads, all under the watchful eye of Dr Emma Jeffries who made sure we didn't stray too far off topic. 

Dr Clare of I love factories - and believe me she does - spoke of her first hand experience in industry, and the dismantling of several much loved Northern enterprises. Shirley Mclauchlin spoke of the need to preserve and pass down traditional handskills, and the important role of Designers as part of the solution, while I shared stories from my Upcycling escapades - blankets being made into School Coats and Pyjama Factory off cuts being made into Rag Rugs by children to "keep them busy" over the winter season.  Chinese Medicine, Social Philanthropy and party boats all made an appearance, but as ever seemingly disparate topics all came together to form a cohesive whole.

What arose was the desire to hold the tension between observable ancient wisdom, knowledge that extends beyond a single lifetime and the desire for fast paced innovation and its resulting obsolescence (man and materials). Perhaps serving as a counterpoint to one another.

I was thrilled to work with Dr Emma Jeffries (Design Doctor) who spoke of her latest planned adventure "Compassion in the Workplace World Tour" but until the research and eventual book release, I will be leafing my way through her previous published "World Tour" and accompanying book Design Transitions, on how Design is evolving globally.

The two day odyssey was finished off with a bag of chips and cheese patties at the harbour ... YUM !

Feeling excited and encouraged to keep going on this journey with such inspiring companions !