Dec 6th - 9th

6^th – 9^th

Monday saw me in at 730am to start working on the Placecards, in table order, for the British Fashion Awards. There were Placecards to be done for The Mandarin Oriental for Kate. A stack of their cards arrived so we would have them for future jobs. 4000 letters to have signatures on them also arrived, late! So I set Keiko and Nicola up to assist with the 450 placecards while I went off and drew a table dressed for a wedding, to be reproduced at the bottom of a menu which we wrote out – all printed by Mount Street (thanks Rachel)

We set Angelo up to start signing the 4000 letters whilst the rest of us got on with the 450 placecards. Booked a courier to send off the illustration and the menu to Mount Street.

NOT FUN. Not happy! In the mean time we got a call from Jazz and Mansi at Benefit Cosmetics to write names on the cover of some Rob Ryan Note Books. But I must confess that there was no way to concentrate as getting these menus done for tomorrow 4pm was foremost in my mind, not to mention having to be at the British Fashion Awards for 4pm!

 

Nicola, Keiko and Angelo left. I called Alistair to say I was not going to be home early. I set up the menus to be written and got stuck in. I took a break at 930 for a cup for coffee (we have a great machine in the studio) and thought I should look in the box sent by the Manuscript Pen Company for the VideoJug filming on Thursday. I nearly fell over! So much stuff, so many toys. Christmas is here. 945 started back on the menus Left the studio at l1140pm. I got home at midnight, ate and went to sleep

445 alarm! I felt like I literally closed my eyes. In studio at 545am! And started again on the menus. Dont know how I am going to get through the day and the BFCAwards in the evening. 930am and the door rang. I thought ‘I really am not in the mood to see a courier.’ It was the colour and brushes from Windsor & Newton. What a joy, and really needed a smile. Back to the menus. This really feels like punishment! Nicola arrived at 945 and started on the menus. I continued while juggling additional names coming in for the Awards in the evening. Another event to do for the Mandarin Oriental, will have to wait till tomorrow!

1030 Alyson Hurst arrives with the paper from GFSmith for the shoot on Thursday, it really does feel like Christmas all my top suppliers pulling together to make something wondrous happen. Back to the menus! Spoke with Annika about the work. Nicola had to do the Placecards as the names arrived too late for me.

Left the studio at 3 to head into central London to get bits. Went to London Graphic Centre to get an A2 Light Table as we were one short, for the 4000 letters (which are still being signed buy Angelo, Keiko and Nicola. Off to Rymans to get some more blue and black pens (for out quick scripts) and then off to the Savoy to tie up the job for the BFC. Good gig! Some lovely people but did not see Sophie. Got home at 9pm – dead!

In at 8am. No electricity! Great. I can’t even make a coffee and I cant leave the studio as there are tonnes of candles lit. . Lost 1.5 hours of work. I sat in the dim candle light thinking. Electricity back on at 930Nicola and Angelo arrive at 945 and they start on the letters again. Polly’s job went off. The 2^nd Mandarin oriental Job went off. The letters were completed and send off to the client. I look like crap and have to be filmed tomorrow. Completed a little rush job for Jo Malone.

I asked Coral (the site administrator) to ask the very noisy people next door to keep it down for the filming and set to cleaning up the studio. I did not finish until 1030pm. Moving books throwing out things, unnecessary stationery left over from jobs. Duds went into the shredding box carpet vacuumed and laid out all the tools and materials for the starting shot.

Dinner was ready, thank God for Alistair. Suet Dumplings in a Pork Casserole. I am telling you about food because when I am this tired food is a necessity. There was also a soft cheese cake with crumb crust! Ate, trimmed my beard and shaved in prep for tomorrow.

Thursday saw me in at 730am prepping for the shoot. Did some last minute prepping. Told all clients couriers had to arrive before 10 or after 4. And the door bell rang at 9! In came Charlie and Sunaina. Made coffee, chatted, got some perspective on the shoot and jumped in. Got some direction on how to sit to half face the camera, how to start and how to end off. 20 videos! I feel like death warmed over – not to mention the week. Thank goodness for all the wonderful Jo Malone moisturiser from Jess at Jo Malone, ah Pomegranate Noir (bath oil, cologne, shower gel, moisturiser). We started shooting at 1015am and finished at 430pm! I stayed back to complete another job for the Mandarin Oriental. They are so lovely to deal with, Kate and Emily.

Sorry about the fuzzy pic.

Friday, got in at 930am organised all the work that needed to go out. Worked on the Awards for the TCS Staff and left it alone to dry. Looked in the box of books for Benefit Cosmetics and pulled them out. ARGH! All the books were in packets of 10 or so and then all individually wrapped in plastic film. So had to do all of that before dealing with the writing. Copperplate on the covers – Windsor & Newton Lamp Black Gouache with a bucket load of their Gum Arabic! Works like a charm on slightly coated paper. Thank goodness it was not textured too. There were some issues with the nib going over the printed dots as these were raised, but in the end they looked good. But the space they needed to dry! Look at that will you!

Britta’s job turned up, all her envelopes were done – white W&N gouache on Colourplan Dark Grey in our Kensington Script. Stunning! Unfortunately the invitations weren’t reversed out so they went back to be redone.

Jess Carder’s menus turned up and we were about to send her the hearts with names on them(they too needed tonnes of space to dry), her escort cards and placement envelopes. I am so happy for Jess! Left at 430 – I have a 5:00 massage booked – so desperately need it. James was a treat. Lovely soft, medium sized hands but very firm. I fell asleep a few times during the massage. Left him with a little name card I did for him and headed off to the INK Exhibition Closing Party at UCl for respondents and participants! I will miss Rhainnan and Subadrah! Also say Gilly at the party what a scream, shame Stephen was missing. Also saw Nick the Letterpress Printer and, get this, Type Caster! Can you believe. Headed home and cooked dinner.

Saturday saw us going to the Brook Street Jo Malone Shop to sample fragrances! Yeah! And then I went off to By Appointment Only Design to see Javier and Tony for a chat about the up coming show on the evening of the 11^th of February 2011. See you there?

Quick reminder. There is a Wedding Fayre at Dartmoor House, 37 Charles Street, London W1J 5ED – drop by for a chat and some calligraphy! 11am till 4 pm.

PS – there are vids of the studio – long ones, and vids from the Hieroglyphs class which I will also post soon.