Blast from the past!

I came across my portfolio of work from my days at Eurowrap. I was employed there from September 2006 to Februrary 2010 and this position expanded design skills I already had.

http://www.eurowrap.co.uk

Eurowrap is an imports company that specialise in the design and production of gift bags, gift wrap and greeting cards. They offer both a basic retail range which is sold to wholesalers and they also offer a bespoke service. The bespoke service has many clients including Matalan, Pennys (Primark), John Lewis amongst others.

The images show a wide range of products, including, greeting cards, gift wrap and gift bags. Also shown is a variety of both 2D & 3D mock ups produced for presentation to clients.

I used Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop to produce each design and each mock up was produced using 140gsm satin A3+ paper, a craft knife and using in house printers.

Bespoke Greeting cards designs

Bespoke greeting card designs

Eurowrap retail range gift bag designs

Eurowrap retail range - gift bag designs 

Eurowrap retail range - gift wrap designs

Presentation boards showing product ranges

3D Mock ups of gift bags ranges

3D mock ups of different products

So…how does your £3 nomakeupselfie donation help Cancer research?…well let me tell you...

Today, Thursday 20th March I went to the Cancer Research Institute in Manchester. I wanted to understand the process of how cancer develops and I also wanted to know more knowledge about the disease and how it can be treated.

Stuart Pepper, Chief laboratory Officer, introduced himself to the group and I. Luckily it was only a small group of 4 of us , myself and 3 others, who wanted to see the facilities as they are holding a fund raising event through their employers.

The Manchester Institute, started before Cancer research Uk and the site has over a hundreds years heritage into the research of cancer.

£12m per year is raised to help fund the Institute and this helps to govern a group of 12 research groups , which eventually will be expanding to 17 groups. The research groups are made up of 250 scientists. The Institute is situated next to Christies hospital, Manchester and is affiliated with the University of Manchester.

Due to the funding raised via Cancer research UK , the institute is a very independent due to this. Through the research, they are trying to understand cancer, find new ways to treat and diagnose it  which in turn leads to patient  benefits and they also also trying to detect cancer earlier.

Statistic time!

In the UK 333,000 people are diagnosed with cancer. This means 1 in 3 people will develop during their life time and this will result in 1 in 4 deaths. There are over 200 different types of cancer. (Cancer Research UK, 2014)

THE KEY TO UNDERSTANDING HOW CELLS WORK

Every minute of each day the following cells are produced

• 300 million new red blood cells 
• 12,000 new gut cells
• 40,000 new skin cells

This is a tight control process and its the process of how our bodies work. In order for this process to work , proteins inside the cells sends signals.

These signals are controlled by DNA , this is made up of a double helix and is known as a human GENO (very important!!)  Damage to the DNA results in a domino effect.

Cancer happens when the instructions inside the cells are faulty. it takes only one cell for this whole sequence to go wrong and this results in a tumour/ cancer growth.

Any way , enough of the scientific theory, however to understand the tour properly you need to understand the background knowledge of how cancer develops.

So here is images from todays tour. A very big thank you to Stuart Pepper, Steve Bagley and of course Hannah Leaton. It has certainly helped me understand things more clearer.

Cancer cell image inside the stairwell - loved the separate panels, hmmm i feel inspired!

Microscope which takes magnifies the cells and takes photographs of the cell development over a 5 day period. this is crucial research as it shows how a call develops over a time period

same microscope as above. These are houses underneath the main offices in the basement and have to be kept at a certain temperature in order for the cells to reproduce.

Another imaging microscope

Cancer cell imaging in process

Slide of a liver cancer cell with added dye to enable the naked eye to see it

this slide has over 100 different cells formations on it.

cancer cell imaging in process

This is another microscopic imaging machine. This image shows how a cell travels which s also key into research. 

A whole room was taken up by this huge microscope (same as above) Laser light beams are used to enable the scientists to get a closer look inside.

Manchester Institute of Cancer research.

Site of new Manchester Cancer research centre being built. I was shown into the visitors centre, were an artists impression and slideshow was shown. The design also integrates the community and allows them to participate in visiting the centre.

Right this is such an important part of cancer research. This machine is a GENO machine. It helps to find out what causes the GENO within a person to make them develop cancer.. This machine costs £250,000 and is used 4 times a month, once a week or 52 times a year.  Over 20,000 people are treated at Christies each year and by using the GENO machine, this helps determine the exact treatment to use to help treat that persons particular cancer.

A scientist within the lab!

Inside the Lab

This robot will decanter out experiments into small petri dishes (see images to gain an insight into how small the space is) This robot costs around £160,000 and can decanter over 96 samples at once.

An example of petri dishes used within the robot above.

More samples of petri dishes

Another example of petri dishes. This sample can hold over 196 experiments. This enables different drugs to be added to a particular cancer sample to experiment how the drugs reacts and whether it is successful or not.

Name badge and research report 2012-13.

By donating to cancer research Uk, your donation will go towards laboratories like the one shown above. The insight after today's tour has helped me understand even more about the disease. 

A very very big thank you to all at the Manchester Institute for allowing me to take my own photographs on the tour and also for their time and help.

Now, Lets get creative!!!!

Devastating news…Forever in my heart Dad x

Friday 24th January 2014 is now a date that will forever captured within my memory.

Dad at My brothers wedding - April 2013

My precious dad fell asleep following a very courageous and brave fight against oesophageal cancer.
I am absolutely devastated but I know now that dad is now free of pain and can rest peacefully. He fought this terrible disease for over 20 months but now it has claimed his life.

Having nursed dad with my grandmother since the end of November following the placement of a stent within his oesophagus to aid his oral intake, my BA degree has taken a back step in particular design work and research as my dads health has been paramount. I know how proud my dad was when I completed my foundation degree and also at my graduation ceremony in June.

Dad & I at My FdA Graduation - July 2013

My aim and drive now dad has passed away is to finish my degree with as high a mark as possible and to do it in Memory of Dad!! This is for you Kid!!

Despite the set backs  I have occurred I have however still continued to apply for certain roles within the design industry. As I have previously been employed as a mock up artist / artworker within a greeting card / stationary importers, I have a wide knowledge and length of experience that I feel will aid my chance of employment. Within this period of employment I gained of a whole knowledge of how to present designs / ideas to a client, how to receive and research a brief from a client, produce a series of artwork using adobe products for mass production within the Far East -( this I feel is a vital tool as most companies now outsource to the far east for a matter of different reasons i.e. cost.), the use of pan tones within the industry and also the different between pantone colours and CMYK printing.

http://www.eurowrap.co.uk

By combining the experience I have from my employment together with the skills i have learnt from within both the BA (So far) and foundation degree I have feel that I will be able to gain a very good position within a current design company.

I have gained part time employment within a letting agents to cover maternity leave , and hopefully this will extend once my degree will finish. My employer is particularly interested in the skills I have within google sketch up and AUTO Cad. The design skills he is also interested in to aid the profile of the company and to out reach the status of Iccommodate - the lettings agents.

Previous applications that I have applied for are as follows:-
 • Artworker
 • Creative Graphic designer - Awaiting the client to return from the annual trade fair in Frankfurt
 • Interior designer
 • Graduate scheme in Merchandising and Buying with TKMaxx - due to dads il health I have missed the second part of the recruitment process
 • Multi-channel assistant merchandiser at Matalan
 • Trainee buyer - industrial placement at Matalan

These are just a variety of roles that I have applied for, however I am also making a decision about how I can further progress my education by gaining a PCGE or via 'Teach first'. I have gained an interest in maybe becoming a college lecturer within the design industry and teaching ages 16+.

 Dad, I and My Brother after Race for Life - July 2012 (3 months after he was first diagnosed)

First online blog..

“Go Confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you’ve imagined.”

Thoreau

And so I begin my online blog….

Having passed my Foundation Degree with a Distinction, my aim is now to pass BA with a first! Think Positive and this can be achieved!..

FdA Graduation - July 2013

Already I am looking for graduate schemes to apply for and jobs / careers paths I may want to embark upon once my university course has finished.

My initial thoughts are those of a buyer / merchandiser and within a successful company that I can proceed throughout, however I am not giving up upon my dream of becoming a designer either!

First day back today and it wasn’t as painful as I imagined, a 1,500 word assignment for next monday! ekk but Im being positive and I know I CAN DO this!!

I have already thought about my industry module and started the ball rolling…Thanks to my lovely friend who recommend a few websites to me to look at  so here goes.. JD Williams, Next, and an application through Graduate jobs for Rayware have started this module off.

My aim is to search and apply for at least 3 jobs a week and If I can manage it and organise myself Im going to try and obtain a placement within the industry!! fingers crossed!!