Kayleigh Falcus

City Sushi: Sushi Me Rollin' STACK Newcastle

2018-11-30T08:54:00.003-08:00

For those that know me, know I'm a gal who loves to eat. And those who know me really well, know that sushi is once of my indulgences when it comes to food. So when my brother invited me along to check out Sushi Me Rollin' at Stack Newcastle, I was crazy excited.

If you're not clued up yet or haven't been, Stack Newcastle in a shipping container village based on the old ODEON Cinema site. It houses a of variety of shops, food and drinks vendors, this place is a hub of culture for the city. For anyone who has visited Box Park in London, you'll be familiar with the concept.

Sushi Me Rollin' is in unit 49 and can be found facing the Tyneside Cinema upstairs! We headed up for our first taste of this place. A warm welcome when we went in, talked through the menu and offered different plain or spicy options too.

I sat down to with an Asahi beer, (just one of their speciality beers they stock) and couldnt have been waiting 10 minutes and our food landed on the table in front of us! I ordered salmon sashimi, pickled cucumber maki and spicy tuna tumaki, whilst my brother ordered prawn katsu sashimi,, spicy crab and spicy tuna gunkan and the spicy tuna temaki. He's the more adventorous one of the two of us regarding food and he went all out. His feedback was all about the combo of flavours! Well balanced, fresh and surprising...

I've not always been a fan of tuna, as I've found it tough when previously expereinced, so this was a bit of a test for me and the sushi team. I can confirm, the tuna is delicious and tender and the spice flavouring is the perfect level of spice for a medium spice lover like myself! The wasabi is set to give a kick of the traditional Japanese condiment. I have noticed that the same dish can be ordered on numerous occassions and not always be presented the same - however, just as creative and colourful every single time.

Everything is prepared fresh to order and the fish is delivered right to store which means it is very fresh - which is indicative of the taste being insanley delicious and tender. The veg is prepped every day, so you know everything that is plated up before your eyes, is utterly crisp and straight from kitchen to table.

AND, for those of you reading who are busy city go-ers, you can grab sushi to go in convenient containers. Meaning, even those of you who can't stop for a sit in lunch wont miss out!

So if you're looking for sushi to eat in or take out, you've just discovered your new hook up. As a small business owner myself, I love supporting other small businesses with products I enjoy... and obviously this one is a delicious end result! Head to Sushi Me Rollin' - you wont be dissapointed!

Gateshead Galivanting: Container Village - By The River Brew Co

2018-07-05T13:22:00.002-07:00

On Monday evening, I wandered down the the Gateshead Quayside to see the newest watering hole in Gateshead. The Great Exhibition of the North has been the powering force behind this and it truly is lovely to see some investment to the Gateshead side of the river. The location spot was previously derelict and has now been regenerated and breathed new life into this area.

The container village is made up of a handful of carefully selected brands from By The River Brew Co which also Houses Trakol - an open flame kitchen. Bookings only restaurant, so maybe grab food before you head down if you can't get booked in! After a very busy Monday, we thought it would have been rude not to test out By The River Brew Co's wine...

In the glowing afternoon/early evening summer sunshine, this spot is a true delight. I could not be more proud to be from gateshead, and see it shining the only way we know how - with a sense of community. This place has brought people to the 'other side' of the river and it couldn't be more glorious to watch people enjoying it.

The Backyard Bike Shop & Coffee Shop, previously based in Ouseburn and Covert Cocktails. Tonight sees the pop up food market open made up local food businesses, to keep it fresh and bring new variations of dishes to the Hillside Quayside. Names you'll recognise if you eat in Newcastle often. Lola Jeans, Dabbawal, Oktopus & Scream for Pizza.

In a world where consumerism is so hyped, it's lovely to see a space be transformed from an unused piece of land into a thriving, buzzing space where people can come, be fed and watered and shed the stress of the working week!

If you're yet to try out this place, what are you waiting for?? Go give Gateshead some love and keep us growing!

Launch Love: Churchill x London Bar & Kitchen Showcase

2018-06-24T06:55:00.002-07:00

Recently I attended a product lunch at London Bar & Kitchen in Newcastle. They were showcasing the luxurious, unique plate collection by Churchill.

The collection has some gorgeous colours and even a non symmetrical pebble shaped plate but I went for the Agate Grey one from their Stone collection which, as you can see is a gorgeous shade and beautifully textured. They have carefully orchestrated collections in different colours, textures and shapes so if you're looking for something a little more luxe and unique, Churchill has got you!

What better use for a plate than to display jewels, right?! (Apart from eating. My fave past time!) The Churchill range is vailable from London Bar & Kitchen situated on Queen Street in Newcastle.

These necklaces are currently being listed on Etsy, so you'll be able to shop the collection even faster!

Wine & Women: Ladies Wine & Design 1st Birthday

2018-06-01T08:11:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday evening I headed out the the Ladies Wine & Design 1st Birthday bash. Ladies Wine & Design is an initiative to bring creative females together and you can read about it in one of my previous posts here.

The event was hosted by The Biscuit Factory and we were greeted with a glass of wine on entrance (obvs) and give a name sticker with an assigned letter. We then were taken through to the Factory Kitchen which is the restaurant section of the gallery. The assigned letter corresponded with the table we were to it at. This was a great way to get us interacting out of our usual 'friend groups.'

We were introduced to the evening by founder of LWD Newcastle, Juli Vignette. She explained to those who had never attended a LWD event before what it's all about and the idea behind the events. Then we were told our first activity as to design a bottle of wine inspired by all of the women at our tables. We had to design the label, come up with a name & tagline, ingredients (strength, wine, sass and more amazing stuff!) and our target audience. This was such a fun and creative way for us all to get to know each other!

We then had a little break for food (omg delicious) supplied by Factory Kitchen. Vegetarian banquet which was fit for a queen! I'll let the photos speak for themselves....

After food, we regathered again for our quiz! The quiz was in 3 parts of quotes, songs including the word 'lady' and then cropped images of famous women throughout the years. We thought we'd totally nailed this one and had it done super quick - only to find out we'd been given the answer sheet! All the women in the room found this utterly hilarious as did we.

The winners of the table got presented with their prize of a lovely illustrated book called "Great Women in History." So appropriate and thoughtful!

This was the end of the activities so we got a chance to network with the other tables, enjoy the awesome (female of course) @telstarrrrr ! There was women from all different areas of the creative sector of different ages which makes me so happy! Ladies Wine & Design doesn't discriminate on gender or occupation. If you're looking to broaden your creative network of lovely ladies, please check it out, give them a follow on Facebook & Instagram and try and get along to one of their next events. You'll have a blast - promise!

Professional shots: Marion Botella Photography

La Di Da Secret Pop Up Warehouse Party: Gin Cocktails & Secret Passwords

2018-04-29T04:47:00.000-07:00

For those of you who follow my Instagram stories, you will have seen what I got up to on Thursday evening. For those who don't, let me share my adventure with you!

I was invited to a secret pop up warehouse party hosted by La Di Da Magazine. I was invited by email and told to enter via a specific entrance with a black door. Once there I would be greeted by a man dressed in black and he would ask me a question. To answer this, all guests had to memorise a secret password phrase to gain entry.

From here we were lead to the NEXT store in a private section upstairs from the store. As the store is newly opened, this area of the 'back' of the store is still unfinished and sporting plasterboard. Despite the industrial, undone feel, the space had been transformed to the perfect party space. Furniture from NEXT was cleverly placed with distressed rugs, textured throws and beautiful occasional tables.

On arrival I was greeted with gin in a teacup. I repeat, gin in a teacup! A pop up bar and DJ Stephen Love kept the vibe high and the drinks were just delicious. The bar was the handywork of Durham Distillery who distil all of their gin locally. The drinks kept flowing with different variations of drinks using some of their different flavoured gins!

Gorgeous teacups by The Vintage Tea Party

Catering was provided by The French Oven and was divine! The table was scattered with rose heads and the food was the perfect addition to the gin cocktails. Gorgeous finger food and gin, what more could you want on a Thursday evening?!

Later on in the evening, once NEXT was closed to customers we were taken downstairs and told we could pick any item we'd like from the store as a gift.

*OVERWHELMING CHOICES*

The pressure of having to pick something you'd love from NEXT was intense. Limited on time, overwhelming range of gorgeous products and trying to pick the perfect thing was a lot to process! We were all frantically wandering round the empty store with disbelief.

Fuelled with gin and food, I had a really good look around and spotted a few different key pieces which I liked. We were allowed to try items on and so I found the changing rooms. Not to be dissapointed, gorgeous, light space with velvet seating, gold drop lighting, plants and much needed huge mirrors.

I ended up opting for a vertical stripe, classic 1950's style tailored, belted dress. This piece gives me nostalgia of the British Summertime, spent on beaches and eating ice cream. It's perfect to wear for professional occasions with its tailored cut but the belt offers the option to make it a looser silhouette ruching he top section over the belt to create more of a relaxed style!

After the gifting, we were then treated to more gin goodness. The Metrocentre train was also on hand for tipsy train rides. Just when you thought the surprises were finished!

Before leaving, each guest was given a goody bag filled with treats from NEXT & Durham Distillery which I will certainly make the most of. Thank you so much La Di Da for the invite and for hosting such a fabulous event!

Snowflake Surge : Business As Usual

2018-03-12T07:29:00.004-07:00

It's safe to say the majority of the country was hit 2 weeks back, with the most snow we've seen in a long time. Safe to say it's the most snow I've seen in my lifetime! The North is not a stranger to cold weather but this was next level.

The snow started and kept coming, it was magical to watch it come don albeit a bit strange at the end of February/beginning of March! The big fat snowflakes came thick and fast, on and off and some days didn't stop at all. Some areas in Northumberland and higher locations were seeing considerably more than us. However, the blizzard weather combined with thunder and lightening

As a small business, these things can unexpectedly halt supplies, mailing and much more. I wanted to make sure everyone would get their parcels on time as usual so I was walking to the post office almost daily to ensure these parcels got out to you all...

I value each and every order that makes it to me and of course, strive to maintain the same level of customer service regardless of things out of my control. Trecking to the post office kept the business running ad usual and glad to say no parcels were delayed. Luckily, non of mine were caught in the lorries stuck on the motorway when it was closed on the Thursday and really pushed to get everything out on time! You lot kept me busy with Mother's Day orders while the snowflakes were piling up outside. Business as usual despite these crazy conditions! I did feel a little nostalgic and it all shook our regular routine up a little which I didn't mind.

At the end of a manic but fun week, I managed to make the most of the snow and enjoy a glass or two of bubbles as a reward...

Female Force: Ladies Wine & Design Event

2018-02-12T05:11:00.002-08:00

The life of a independent designer can be a lonely journey at times, so cultivating your own tribe and creative community can be important. Last Wednesday, I went along to my first Ladies Wine & Design Event.

I had heard about this event from other creatives, but was yet to get along for myself. Just after New Year, a friend/fellow creative - Ashley Willerton reminded me about this concept again! Initially I thought it was a new piece of info to my brain but then I'd remembered I'd seen illustrator, Laura Sheldon post about previous events.

So when I seen the Facebook event posted online, I signed up for tickets as it is a small group so tickets are limited. Ladies Wine & Design is now a worldwide concept which was set up by graphic designer, Jessica Walsh. She had recognised there was a gap in the creative industry for female creatives. These creative meet ups help offer mentor ship and widen our networks. The initiative has spread to 130 countries and still growing.

This specific event was named "Making the switch to digital' with guest speaker Dani Stone from JUMP Agency. She shared hr jorney and that her original path as a graphic designer was a distant twinkle from where she is now in the digital world.

Her creative journey started as a graphic designer with a very tactile start using ink pens. Then when studying at university, the course was a lot more focused on digital design which she wasn't sure how that would sit with her style & techniques.

Her next step was as a junior designer in an agency and how that was combined with web design. She noticed there was a gap in the market and in her role for user experience. When building websites, this is an integral part of the design process. How we use websites depends on the reason we're using them, the journey we take and outcome we're trying to achieve. Dani explained that because of this, each project really is it's own path and not one website design is the same for this reason. So interesting!

We got the opportunity to ask questions and discuss the topic which was a lovely way for us to chat and network without pressure as we already had a topic.

Did I mention there was wine? Oh, and cheese? What could be better than wine, cheese and a small group of like minded ladies to chat with for an evening?! These meet ups are such a lovely way to get to know creatives in your area and just meet new people in general. Working and/or running a creative business as a female is a small minority so rising up through the male dominated work world, this really can help us to find our own voices. I've always loved networking, collaborating, getting in the mix so this was totally for me.

You can follow Ladies Wine & Design Newcastle over on Facebook & Instagram for more info on upcoming events...

On my way home, I passed Castle Fine Art and had to take a minute to take in this neon Bowie beauty! They've always got quirky art on display and used to see the display change a lost as I would pass on my daily commute. I still remember seeing the Simon Claridge pieces just after mine arrived!

Breaking the Boundaries: Discovery Collection Launch

2018-02-05T09:22:00.005-08:00

This post has been a long time coming, but I am proud to announce I have finally launched the Discovery Collection! Just last weekend, a select group of guests were invited to come and have the first official viewing of the new range.

Guests were invited to the launch with the traditional paper invitations accompanied by a little snippet that reflected the collection.

Image: Kayleigh Falcus

The location was in is the gorgeous London Bar & Kitchen on Queen Street, Newcastle. Prosecco on entrance and then left to leisurely view the collection. Being amongst gorgeous home ware from LBK really was the perfect setting to show off the new pieces.

The Discovery Collection has a varied selection of pieces as I really tried to cater for everyone and many of the pieces are unisex so I can keep you guys stylish too! The collection combines white, silver and grey with a slither of orange running through. The pieces are made from perspex, wood and semi precious stones and some combine all three elements.

"I wanted to combine the materials to create a much more exciting and aesthetic medium rather than flat perspex. Layering adds a new element and the semi precious stones really add a natural but glossy flair. I like to break the boundaries of what is capable and expected with materials - take the normal flat surface and work to innovate in my own way."

I wanted guests to be able to have fun with the pieces so the addition of the 'Selfie Station' was necessary. Wearing jewellery is something almost all of us do, so interacting with them is an important part of selection. The selfie station made this process fun and guests could test earring styles from minimal to statement - whilst snapping away on their favourite ones on their phone.

Inspiration from the collection comes from the urge to seek the progression of medical science to allow humans to grow and feel complete. With what humans are truly capable of, in search for more, in both physical and mental form.

This launch was a lovely chance to share my creativity with an intimate group and share the inspiration. This is just the very beginning of something exciting for me and there will be lots more products on the horizon.

The collection will be online very soon available to purchase.

All image credit to: Rhiannon Banks

Back To My Roots: The Importance of Building a Strong Brand

2018-01-16T13:25:00.002-08:00

Yesterday, I headed back to my old stomping ground to chat with the BA Textiles students of Cleveland College of Art & Design about building a strong brand and how to use social media to spread the word.

I used to commute everyday from Newcastle to Hartlepool and it really is a journey I miss. So, this trip really indulged my nostalgia and the time on the train that used to seem so long, flew by.

Arriving back somewhere you have spent some wonder years of your life is a special feeling and in the whirlwind of seeing old faces I almost forgot about the new ones I was going to see. A cup of tea, and a few lovely hugs later I was in full swing of my talk to the students.

I spoke about my branding, starting with my minimal logo that has carried my brand through its journey up until now. I shared how my vision was more than just the logo and that branding should always be a continuous thread through any company to solidify the brand past just graphics.

I moved onto the importance of branding and the consistency that it bares. My branding is like ivy and grows on everything Kayleigh Falcus related! My packaging, notebooks, ribbon, bags, boxes and such.

I went on to share some amazing people I've had the chance of worked with, from couture designer, Helen Woollams (founder of Hellavagirl) to global dj, DJ Colin Francis. As designers, getting our work out there is important and having people wear your jewellery who also love it is equally as important!

I also shared my experiences of being featured in print versus being featured online. It's easy to shout about ourselves but being approached by magazines is always a compliment to your brand. Engage Magazine were the first magazine to feature the brand and have most recently been covered in NE Love Magazine so took those to show and chat through the process of dealing with magazines.

I then talked them through how I used social media to spread the word of the KF brand from very early on using social media. From Facebook to insta, we covered it! Stats, reach, going live, reaching out to peopl, building a community and so on. I took questions and a surprising amount of students stayed behind to pick my brains. It was nice sharing my experiences with people who are walking the exact journey I did. Well, maybe not the exact... we all need our own path. And besides all the regular stuff I'm supposed to say, I shared a message I think everyone starting off should hear: Be fearless, if something stands in your way figure out how to jump over it. This is your vision.

And just like that, I was saying my goodbyes and heading back for home turf. I'll be back soon thought to get creative but until then, you'll find me planning for something coming up!

Pre Launch Event: Gin Cocktails & Sneak Peeks

2018-01-04T05:37:00.000-08:00

Over the Summer, we hosted a little pre-launch research event of the jewellery collection. Hosted at the gorgeous YOLO Townhouse in the heart of Newcastle, tucked away on High Bridge Street.

Guests flowed in, sipped gin cocktails among other gorgeous drinks and got seated in the warm air on the sun terrace.

Guests were then talked through the brand and the inspiration behind this collection and materials which take front and centre in these designs. We showed the mood boards & colour boards which pulled the vision together.

Our lovely guests got the first insider look at the collection before it launches this month. They then filled out a feedback forms and gave us their honest opinions on the pieces. Honesty, that's all we asked. And that's what we got. Some insightful opinions and some very kind comments in there too!

Everyone left with a KF bag full of goodies for their time. Thank you to everyone who came along and contributed! We'd love to host more of these events in the future, since this one was a great success.

Photography: Amelia Read Photography

Hello 2018: What's New

2018-01-01T13:42:00.000-08:00

Hello 2018!

New year brings fresh beginnings and with that comes lots of newness. 2018 is no exception.
You probably all know me for my jewellery design, but since purchasing the laser cutter I have been working in gifts too (which you can see here.) The new laser cut jewellery collection is now designed, produced and we recently had our product shoot.

We are excited to share the final edits from the shoot, but in the meantime we'll share some behind the scenes snaps of our 1st official product shoot!

But first, a cup of tea... (much needed with all these festivities recently)

Stunning marble backdrops courtesy of Onmer Stone.

The shoot took 3 days in total as we wanted to get the shots perfect. I'm working closely with Paul Gulliford Photography for these images and it's been a delight to share our similar ideas and vision to create something beautiful! His perfectionism and my eye for detail has made the process a dream...

We have our final meeting this week to review the images and then once I have the edits back the collection will officially launch. The excitement is building because this collection truly has been a labour of love and represents new beginnings, challenges and how we overcome them.

New Arrival: Lavishly Laser Cut

2017-12-29T09:06:00.001-08:00

As most of you will know, we recently purchased a laser cutter! Late September, the laser cutter arrived and you have kept us busy with festive orders ever since!

We just thought we'd show you some of the beautiful items we produced and had the pleasure of sending out in time for Christmas...

Memorial Baubles

Memorial Star Decorations

Personalised Pooch Baubles

Bespoke Wooden Heart Frame

Monogram Baubles

You can follow us on Instagram, Facebook & Twitter for more updates and behind the scenes sneak peaks of what we get up to...

CREATIVE FUSE: Cake 13 Future Fashion

2017-11-10T08:47:00.000-08:00

For those of you that follow me on instagram may have seen I was at the Northern Design Centre in Gateshead yesterday. I was there for the Creative Fuse Cake 13 Event. Every month, Creative Fuse host a Cake event (which of course includes coffee & cake), which covers a different topic each time. This time, the focus of the event and the speakers brought together was the future on the fashion and creative industry.

As you can see from our content and designs, we are inspired a lot by science and so this was right up our street! The guest speakers were Jen Barrett from This Is Creative Enterprice (TICE), Sally Smallwood founder of clothing brand Wreckreation and Raymond Oliver who is a chemical engineer and Professor of Interactive Materials at Northumbria University.

Before the talk, there was an exhibition of a few North east creatives which we got to speak to. These included Trendlistr - a vintage online marketplace, Moth Studios - a taxidermy accessories & gift company who also run workshops, work by fashion students at Teeside University and Valeriia Savina - a fashion student at Newcastle College.

Jen from TICE spoke about how education can be evolved from the industries we now have to educating the youth as to what jobs may exist in the future when they are ready to into the working world. She was highlighting the important of ambient marketing and the fact that 70% of millennials would rather spend their money on an experience rather than a product. She also mentioned that with every trend the industries show, there is counter trends which are in turn a side effect of the original trend. With the tech fuelled lives we live lead now, we may try to resist and begin to lean to more heritage brands and things that encapsulate more tactile techniques and processes.

Jen also highlighted the importance of cross collaboration for the future of the creative industry. Bringing events and experiences together and brands collaborating more is something we can be educating today's youngsters about.

Sally was next up and she introduced her brand Wreckreation. Her brand creates custom built clothing for self proclaimed warriors. She strives to empower people through her designs and is inspired a lot by motor cross which can be seen through her colour ways, but she's also inspired hugely by philosophy and the way humans think. Her early sketches show the the muscle build up of the human form which was then translated into trouser panels.

She has created the 'Super Charger' jeans which are panelled jeans that are lined with LED strips. The light reflects electrical impulses that we all carry inside our brains. She then explained that we all have this, so we have to power to shine outwardly and the Super Charger jeans were born. She collaborated with CPI to help make this design a reality!

The last speaker, Raymond Oliver is a very inspiring man and mind. His background in chemical engineering is now fuelling his position at Northumbria University with a focus group of students he is working with. He spoke about fashion through the ages and in his opinion, fashion has no past or future but is relative to the present time. Neither is more advanced, as again, its relative to the time it was designed and produced. Interesting concept, right?! Raymond also thinks there shouldn't be a difference between the arts and science and instead should be working and collaborating more. We couldn't agree more!

He then went on to explain how, with the research in chemical engineering, it will be possible to create fabrics which react similarly to mad made fibres like elastic but with natural molecules from the sea etc. And apparently, sugar will also play a big role in this sustainability journey. This will allow the industry to create fabrics which can be reused and recycled. With today's culture of throw away fashion (playstation generation of tinder and fast food), we think this is much needed and so beneficial to the environment!

After the talk, it was on to the cake part of the cake event. Of course, we obliged in this part (rude not to, right.) This gave us a chance to have a really good look around at the exhibition and network with some lovely people.

We have known about Moth Studios for some time now and always see their workshop events on facebook, but never had the pleasure of seeing Sharene's work up close. But yesterday that changed! Gorgeous mix of colours, textures and attention to detail.

It's great to see local designers doing their own thing and setting the path for others to follow! Moth Studio's is very unique and offers classes which I haven't seen anywhere else in the north east.

Feature on the F6.Studio Blog

2013-07-25T07:25:00.001-07:00

So a few weeks ago I was featured on the F6.Studios blog along with other students from my course. It was such a great feeling to wake up to tweets and messages about the blog post that I didn't even know had been published online.

Check it out here:

http://f6studios.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/the-show-2013-ccad.html

Thanks to the guys at F6.Studios for this feature!

Newcastle Fashion Week 2013

2013-07-23T13:18:00.000-07:00

So I have neglected this blog a bit since the crazyness that was of my final deadline at Cleveland College of Art & Design, then New York for the Surtex Trade Show and then organising the degree show, then visiting New Designers in London after that.

So I'm going to show you some snaps from Newcastle Fashion Week firstly to update everyone!

Backstage passes

My models were absolute dolls and killed it on the catwalk! NFW was a huge success and was great to see all the other local talent. I had this music as my catwalk track and the girls stomped it out....

Credit to Newcastle Fashion Week. Do not use these images without expressed permission.

Perspex Crazy

2013-05-05T03:44:00.000-07:00

I realise I have majorly neglected this blog but as you guys know I am working on my Final Major Project. A while back I uploaded some images of my drawing. Now I have some images of Perspex samples I have been experimenting with... Hope you like them!

All Perspex shown in these images is sourced from Bay Plastics Ltd.

Interview with Visual Artist, Kirst Ohh

2013-04-04T12:39:00.000-07:00

1. Please introduce yourself. Include age, hometown and details of where you studied?

Hi rad and wonderful humans! I'm Kirst Ohh a kiwi born, Sydney based visual artist. I grew up in Auckland, New Zealand but have been based in Sydney for the last 5 years where I completed my Bachelor of Visual Arts in 2010.

2. When did you realise you were creative and knew you could take it to the next level?

Always! I never had an ah ha moment, I was always a crazy creative child! I decided to study visual arts as I have a broad passion for the arts but didn't want to be stuck studying theory everyday so Visual Arts had a great practical to theory ratio which really appealed. I loved it instantly but to be honest dreaded the theory once I realised what it entailed. I am definitely a practical artist who draws influence from everyday life rather than art history.

3 What is your favourite project to date?

Oooh I have a few now but probably the Mr Peacock skateboard deck I painted for the 360 Project Charity Exhibition back in 2011. It was a break through piece for me as I always thought I couldn't draw (I never gave myself enough credit) and it was the first time under pressure that I cranked out this wicked drawing which I then filled in with acrylic Posca Pens and acrylic paint with a brush. I turned it around in 12 hours and was so happy with the end result. I filmed the process and it is one of my highest watched videos on youtube. Artists go through a lot of work that they don't end up loving when completed but to others it might look great. We are our harshest critics, but this time I was beyond happy and I genuinely loved the piece I created (phew). Iv'e learnt not to dwell on a piece or not to over think it. My best work comes out of nowhere most of the time, the pieces that I spend the least amount of time on but am completely focused on at the time of doing them.

4. If you could meet any artist (dead or alive. Contemporary or historical) who would it be and what would you ask them?

Andy Warhol! I'd ask him to make a stupid harlem shake dancing video with me.and I'd ask him if I could dipdye his hair haha! He had a good mane.

5. I know you are part of rah collective but could you explain to readers what it is and how it came about. Also I'd love to hear about your exhibitions...

Rah Collective is a group of rad visual artists who all met at Art School. We all have a love of and passion for art, print media and illustration among other things so it was decided there should be a collective made to motivate one another, create group exhibitions and have general fun times immersed in art. Qwux, Luke Burcher, Jess Cally, Thom Brandson + Jess ME and I are all still going strong today, all with our own careers booming in very different ways.

We are all hugely supportive of one another (I would jump in front of a paint-gun for any of them they are that awesome) and we pull together to motivate and keep each other going. We often meet up for Ramen at the local Japanese restaurant and each bring along ideas and take meeting minutes - although most of that is just for us to pretend like we are really special. Art is a bloody fickle beast of a thing and a lot of the time we all struggle. Society make artists out to be these fluffy away with the fairies type people that float through life on a magical carpet of sparkles, but the real side of us is that we live from pay check to pay check and we eat a lot of canned food but we LOVE WHAT WE DO. And if you love what you do then you cant help but love your life.

6. What are your plans for the future?

Right now I own 2 business. My art career as Kirst Ohh, and my videography business FOREVERvideography. I also have a part time job at this stella outdoor cafe by the water right outside my house. I am lucky and right now I live an awesome life but it took 7 years of incredibly hard work and a lot of struggling financially, and emotionally.

I have now discovered who I really am and exactly what I want to do, which is amazing but it didn't just happen over night. The great thing is it was an amazing ride getting to this point, I have had so much fun since leaving high school and I don't regret a single moment as it has all lead to this present day. I am getting married at the end of this year in Thailand, I am planning a trip to Europe next summer and after that I hope to contract out staff members to do some of the filming work so I can have some kiddies and edit and create art at home and enjoy that part of my life for a bit. I will always be an artist, I just can't help but be one and I hope to pass on my passions to my kids if my soon to be husband Zane doesn't get in there first and corrupt their minds with sports, sports and more sports.

Thanks Kirst Ohh for this awesome interview. Check her out at -

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/kirstohhart?fref=ts

Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/user/kirstohh
Twitter: https://twitter.com/kirstohh

Drawing

2013-03-29T14:23:00.000-07:00

Here's some images of my drawing for my final major project. I will show you my process from inspiration and drawing to development moving onto my final products and collection. My drawing consists of mannequins, memory cards, screws, nuts, bolts. Basically an eclectic mix of everything my concept represents!

Product Shots

2013-03-18T05:57:00.003-07:00

Here are some more detailed images of my last collection. These are better product shots to see the surface design detail:

Laser cut bib necklace

Circuit board surface design

Credit to photographer, Paul Spillit.

Our Bodies Are Machines

2013-03-17T15:49:00.001-07:00

I really should have done a lead on post about my last collection so here it is. Thought I'd post some photos of my collection - "Our Bodies Are Machines" for you to see!!

Laser cut perspex earrings

Laser cut wooden moon ring

White perspex laser cut bib necklace

Green perspex laser cut bib necklace

Creative team
Photographer: Wiesia Bojko - Little Miss Boyco Photography
Make Up: Marta MUA - Doska Make Up
Hair: Anothony Simpson - Tony Arts
Model: Kayleigh Falcus
Jewellery: Kayleigh Falcus - Kayleigh Falcus

Credit to photographer, Wiesia Bojko and the creative team. Images MUST not be used with out permission. Jewellery designs copyright © to Kayleigh Falcus 2013.

Final Major Project

2013-03-15T14:53:00.004-07:00

Sorry guys that I've been off the radar for a while. My blogger 'cyber memory' space was full so I've been downscaling my images etc so I can do more blogs to keep all you lovely people updated! So here are some images of my mood and colour board from my current project which is my Final Major.

My colour board for this theme. Loving neon!

My mood board to convey my mood and concept of this project.

Please note the images on my mood and concept board shown in this post are not my images and they have been credited to their original sources in my bibliography.

Minor Project.... Complete!

2012-11-16T05:32:00.001-08:00

So my deadline for my Minor project at university was yesterday so here's a quick snapshot of my latest collection. The collection will be launched in a few weeks time and ready to buy via my Facebook Page or drop me an email at kayleigh.falcus@hotmail.co.uk !

Floating On A Cotton Candy Cloud...

2012-11-10T13:05:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I dyed some cotton and silk for my upcoming collection. Just a sneek peak of whats to come.....

Emily Brown, Textile Designer

2012-11-09T12:10:00.002-08:00

Emily Brown is a very good friend of mine and I just had to share her work with you guys. Her background is in fine art and overlays her organic expressive drawings over watery, painted backgrounds. Colour is a huge influence and a big part of her designs. Emily manages to effortlessly combine her colour and prints together to create gorgeous and desirable interior designs. Check out her blog! Here's her current project...

Print samples

Experimenting with colour

Working with stunning sheer fabrics

sketchy drawing of St Paul's Cathedral in London

Life drawing

Tree drawings (Love these!)

Emily's work bay

Bonfire Night

2012-11-06T03:07:00.003-08:00

Just a few photos from last nights Bonfire night. Was so toastie was stood next to the bonfire! I'm a sucker for the dark winter months being wrapped up all cosy and warm...