Freedom Chasers

Ok so I've now managed to upload most of the new stock to the website which I printed last week. The new Freedom Chasers designs have already been a big success on the stall and I even had to print more stock before uploading them. While I was working the Spitalfields Stall last week I had enquiries buzzing in from the website and facebook - the wonders of the Blackberry means I can still do business from my camping chair which Fi bought me for the stall opening :) It's great when I get to meet people who understand where I'm coming from with all this. On Friday I met a lady who said we were the best thing she'd heard about in ages and that the t-shirts had made her week.

The Freedom Chasers is my fave design so far because I feel it most clearly represents something about me and many of the friends I've made on my way. I have always taken the scenic route through life and have a total aversion to being trapped by anyone or anything. I used to run away from stuff but now I'm trying really hard to stay with myself and put my energies into something creative. Building the CARiLOVES brand is truly the best job I've ever had. The only job that came close is when Matt Rivers and I used to do hair wraps in Spain on the promenade. We were like 17, living on a 1960s boat, making great money then  spending it on...erm...fun ;)

So anyway, here are some of the new Tees, hope the customers will digg them x

In my view, there's not much for free in life, but you can always hope, always choose the positive and always, always believe...x

Living Room Factory

Wow, what a week. I've been up from early till late every night this week preparing and exposing screens, printing new designs, ironing them on and stitching in all the labels. I had to really improvise with the latest stock as it came in while I was at home in Yorkshire and I hadn't checked it as I usually would. Needless to say, I had made a mistake and had ordered unisex rather than women's Ts! However, I then realised that lots of people ask for larger sizes and I like oversized Ts so these ones are going to be my first Unisex/ boyfriend Ts! Hopefully the customers will digg it.

So I'm all ready for Spitalfields tomorrow and hopefully a busy Bank Holiday weekend!

Here's a couple of pics of some making and some of the new gear...I've simply run out of time to get them uploaded to the website so I'll have to do this early next week after some more market adventures!

Back To Yorkshire

Just back from Yorkshire where I had the most fantastic time. The only drawback was that it went way too quickly! Whenever any of my family get together there is always a lot of laughter. I spent lots of time with Mum, Fi (my 8 mnth preggers sister) and Robyn (my niece). The Fair (Scorton Feast) was in Scorton and needless to say Robyn couldn't get enough of it! We therefore went three nights in a row. We are now pros on the Dodgems and went on The Edge about 5 times. I actually nearly vommed on the Waltzers which is the one where the guys spins you around until you can't see anymore. My internal organs have visited new areas of my body and my legs are really bruised?!

  

We also went for a long walk around Easby Abbey, and followed the Drummer Boy route - finding the stone where local legend claims the Drummer Boy was last seen when leading the way through the underground passage - it's quite scary when you're reading about it in the woods however I realise it's a 'you had to be there thing'!. Also, you can stand and shout ridiculous things which create a serious echo around the Abbey which Robyn and I had fun with. By the time we got home we were starving and totally ready for a Feast!!

My final visit was to see one of my oldest friends, Ste, and we proved that we can still talk endless rubbish without getting bored! Ste has made me a really cool banner for the stall and also some pretty cool stickers!

Anyway, my insides have almost re-settled themselves in (hopefully) the right places and with the help of the cheap and very cheerful Megabus I am now back in London. I have a strong desire to get back to my screens and am still trying to get the exposing down with the hallogen light...I will sort this out this week! Anyway, as I believe Thomas Edison said, every failure is a step closer to success - I will hopeully get my desired screen printing results in under 10,000 as I am just printing tees!

Can't beat home sweet home! xx

The Caravan People

For my final college project back in June I had already decided to resurrect The Caravan. In September last year, on a coffee-induced high, I was hit by a bolt of inspiration. I was thinking about The Caravan and I wondered could I one day resurrect it? The beer mats and countless focus points we collected. The planets picture that Gaz and I made. The hundreds of all night sessions, the music, the friends and friends of friends. The French. The Beatles, The Eagles and Bob Marley. The grown up parties, the pyjama parties. The Guest-Book. The secret stashing hole where the gas heater used to be that only I knew about, where I hid all my private letters. What happened to writing letters?



In the summer we’d put the speakers in the doorway and all the family, Ste and anyone else – friends and even passers by would gather in the garden round the BBQ and Suzie was so young then she would be sitting on my knee while we listened to Bob’s Legend Album and I would tell her about my travels and stuff. After we’d finished eating and it got dark, everyone would go out the back and find wood to continue the fire into the night…music, wine, inspect repellent candles, laughter and stories.


That was when I used to smoke and drink and everything was so different. But the best things that are still the same is how close we all are and how much we still laugh every single day. They certainly were some of the best days of my life. And they have inspired some of my new t-shirt designs which I’m working on right now.


So I made the Caravan model for the final show with headphones playing The Beatles’ Revolver Album on repeat. It went down well with the visitors and my family/friends. Strangely, I felt that the whole process had had an unexpected cathartic effect on me and I felt completely ready to create more stories and adventures…and they are the ones I’m creating now!