Hi welcome to my page full of fun personal projects. This whole page is all about progress not perfection because as designers I feel like this holds us back from creating wonderful things. Please enjoy.
Print Calendar 2026
I wanted to have a go at Lino print. However all I had were 6 old cork mats and a slight idea of what I wanted to create. So with my cork and sketches I made a calendar to be placed in my family home. The overall idea for the prints were plants. Some are the birth flowers of the months whilst other relate to my own family. For example one family member has a compete obsession with dandelions so I knew they had to make an appearance at some point, another is a fungi fan so incorporated them into the calendar.
Please see the calendar below along with a little glimpse into how much of a mess I had making these prints (Shout out and big thanks to good ol' Henry the Hover).
Dice Collection
My brother wanted new, unique D6s for his gaming. I had a nosy online and either wasn't impressed or too poor to afford some of the dice out there. So you know what they say "if you can't buy it, make it" (or at least that's what the sweet wee ladies at the collage club say) So I diy-ed some airdry clay and started making, weirdly both theraputic and frustrating.
I previous got him star constellation card sleeves so wanted to continue along that line with a star themed set. He loves colour so wanted to create another set that was both colourful but tasteful rather than look like a rainbow's thrown up on a set of dice. Lastly I just had a play about with dice shapes themselves, inspired by a few failed attempts from the other sets, so purposefully made wonky dice. And yes, before you ask, they do roll different numbers each time. No rolling cheaters here. Although I did recently learn that if you stick normal dice in the oven for just the right amount of time it melts slightly, but not enough to change the overall shape, so that whatever side its sat on is heavier. Tada=you can now roll 6s each time. (just incase anyone reading this is a huge table top game player)
Yoga Cards
I went on a solo trip. Whilst I had a rough idea of where I wanted to go, things I wanted to do and all that, I only really had one thing I knew I had to do! See Strawberry Hill House & Garden with my own eyes. I first learnt about it as part of a project during my 1st year at university. 4 years later, I was still thinking about it and let me tell you, it did not disappoint. If you don't know what it is I highly recommend having a nosy online: HOUSE - Strawberry Hill House & Garden or checking it out if you're ever in near London.
I loved it and knew I wanted to create something inspired by its design. When I got back from my trip I actively wanted to be more present and away from screens as much as possible. I believe doing this in little ways is the best way forward. Whether that's putting a cd on instead of Spotify or, in this case, making a deck of yoga cards instead of using YouTube.
I understand it's a bot of a random combination but that's what this new year's project is all about. Weird and wonderful design.
(Some photos of Strawberry Hill House & Garden above)
Japanese Learning Booklet
I took Japanese lessons for months. I would go into town for classes and spend 2 hours speaking Japanese with a group then come home and annoy my flatmates some more by asking them questions (and then replying for them, duh). Then spend the week studying what I'd learnt that week as well as reading and writing hiragana and katakana (thank you Obenkyo app!!). All this so that I could travel through the south of Japan and realise that I know absolutely no Japanese. Practising key phrases with other English speakers is rather different to trying to keep a conversation going when my Japanese ability limits me to asking what their favourite food is and if they have any pets.
Whilst it was challenging keeping casual conversations, I was able to do the basics: order food, get public transport from a to b and be polite along the way (please, thank yous, good mornings, nice to meet yous, etc) so all in all I'd say it was a, somewhat, success! Everyone in my Japanese class, myself included, were eager to learn through picture books. However, picture books that we found online had too many unfamiliar words and phrases to properly follow, so I made my own wee booklets and printed out a few versions for everyone in the group to take away with them.
(clips from Fukuoka, Beppu & Onomichi)
Eclipse: Watercolour Animation
Eclipse: The sun and the moon share a dance.
Watercolour and pencil hand drawn animation
