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Hello Roses !

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How I Kickstarted my T-Shirts

My Kickstarter ends Friday – whoop whoop ! It’s been quite an experience… I’m looking forward to a rest but I know Saturday morning I’ll be up early gathering the pick n mix of pledges and organising the logistics of it all. It’s exciting to see people pledging towards a reward and it’s hard to switch off. I’m humbled that it blew the target out of the water. I’ve now backed other Kickstarters and it feels good to be a part of something new that you’ve contributed towards.

Here’s my nuggets of advice if you’re thinking of doing a Kickstarter / Crowdfunding:

  • I went into it blind. Samples arrived and I photographed them and posted it on social media. It would have made more sense to get this done in advance and plan the visuals in keeping with the course of the kickstarter.
  • There is no crowd of people waiting to back projects – it is a myth ! You will rely heavily on friends and family.
  • Make connections in advance. As I was totally naive I had made some connections naturally with people over time but for a success you would need to be much more calculated and find people that would like your products. Not just the week before but months in advance. If I contacted people in a panic saying check out my stuff they’d be like “who the hell are you “?
  • People do not know what Kickstarter or Crowdfunding is. You need to spell it out right at the beginning. I am still being asked what it is and tbh I probably didn’t know either.
  • It is hard to get people to pledge if they are not on social media.
  • Emphasize that you will add other things to your rewards. I’ve done stickers and postcards but didn’t really mention it – but hey it will be a nice surprise!
  • The rewards don’t have pictures. You can upload images but not directly next to the reward (unless I’m missing something) – this means your descriptions need to be super clear.
  • Leave options like sizes until after the kickstarter has ended – too much information is confusing and will stop people pledging. As a result I’m now saying pledge on any t-shirt and I will contact you after it ends for your selection.
  • You will become social media obsessed – it’s not healthy – I’m going cold turkey next week !

Hope this has been useful and happy to help if you have any questions or advice… I’m still learning too.

One thing is for sure it’s such an amazing feeling when you get a pledge – these are the t-shirts available until Friday June 8th  Kickstarter link

classic white tee

TAKE TIME TO SMELL THE ROSES (pictured above)

Monochrome illustration
The Message:  Enjoy the life you have and take time to appreciate it. I need to wear this as a constant reminder to self.

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FESTIVAL T (pictured above) with ‘Delicate Rose‘

Hannah wears a size L tied at waist.

The Message: Empowerment & Celebration of being female… I’ve been constantly amazed by girls / women, their strength and support during tough times.

strong rose tank.jpg

FESTIVAL T (pictured above) with ‘Strong Rose*

*you can select your Rose after the kickstarter ends. Each T will come with a worksheet on how to customise it into a tank should you so wish. Hannah wears a customised tank size S.

This T looks great under dungarees too … below Hannah wears ‘Strong Rose‘ in size M

pinafore dress rose t-shirt

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COMING UP ROSES (pictured above) … think I may have listed this as ‘The Future is Rosy’! Hannah wears a size Small .

The Message: This T represents a time to Flourish. If you need that added confidence boost this t-shirt has got your back …errr front. I have no samples of this t-shirt left as they’ve all gone to magazines but this design also has a beautiful green leaf.

blood rose

Blood Rose – Basketball T with contrast sleeves & neck. Has a hand painted Rose that looks good faded or fresh (depending on how many times you wash it) – I know because my daughter and I both have one ). This is my stretch goal for the kickstarter as it reached target.

hand painted blood rose

If you’d like a Tee don’t mess about as my plan is to supply on demand – so you only have until Friday to be sure of bagging one… along with the stickers & postcards (see I’m getting there).

click here

 

 

 

Kickstarting Friday

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I am an illustrator who has worked in the fashion industry for 22 years. I had my own label ‘Slush’ which sold internationally and I’ve worked for many well known brands. Since having my daughter I took a break and did a Masters in Illustration at Manchester school of Art. This gave me an opportunity to look a little deeper into my craft which included studying people via the reportager style illustration. Last year I launched ‘Cherie did this’ range of cards, prints & pins … this has led to my cards being sold at Urban Outfitters and meeting other makers and creators at so many fantastic markets, fairs & pop ups.

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Fashion illustration is always calling me as I can’t resist the blank canvas of a crisp white t-shirt. However I have issues with some of the superficial undertones associated with the fashion industry and it’s disposable nature. I’ve decided to use ‘Kickstarter’ as a way of introducing some illustrated Tees as a way of dipping my toe back in the water. If you’re anything like I was you may be unsure about what ‘Kickstarter’ is … the basic outline is that you can pledge to get a reward. So if you want a t-shirt you pledge towards a goal (in my case getting t-shirts made). Since my clothing range ‘Slush’ I’ve witnessed a big change in our shopping habits and I want to limit waste by launching an exclusive ‘Cherie did this’ range which is on a supply and demand basis.

Festival Tee

Festival Tee and Clutch Creations

This range is more personal than any fashion graphics I’ve done before …. not only because I’ve put my name to it but because the designs represent my values. Lessons I’ve learnt or a message that deserves to be shared.  3 themes very close to my heart:

TAKE TIME TO SMELL THE ROSES (pictured top)
1) Enjoy life and take the time to appreciate what you have.

FESTIVAL T (pictured above)
2) Celebrating women, I’ve been constantly amazed by females, their strength and support during tough times.

COMING UP ROSES (pictured below)
3) The Future is Rosy…new times are coming. Women are able to fulfill their potential. Empowerment and growth.

Coming up Roses

I no longer see myself as a fashion designer it’s more about a lifestyle approach, these designs feel honest and authentic which is most important to me now, that and never growing up…after all the creative adult is the child who survived.

The Kickstarter campaign goes live this Friday – I’ve snuck in a few incentives… look out for the introduction to digital illustration workshop. You can pledge for smaller gifts too. All support is much appreciated. If you follow me on instagram or facebook @cheriedidthis you will see the link to my kickstarter page go live on Friday.

Many Thanks

Cherie

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Me disguised as Frida Kahlo wearing Festival T

 

 

Upcoming Events

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Here’s a little insight into what the upcoming weeks have lined up…

April 16th – for one week only my artwork will be on show at ‘Write Here’ on Shrewsbury High Street as part of ‘Art Week’. They have expanded their art materials range and from the 16th – 18th there will be creative events and discounts (best ask in store). There will be some prints available to buy… I’m collating these today ready for the weekend.

write here - ART WEEK 16th

April 20th – the ‘Shop Up’ Pop up shop (hmmm did I word that right … seems a lot of Ups) opens for the weekend. At the newly refurbished No.11 Fish Street which looks amazing btw. If you’d like to attend the private view on the Friday from 4pm onwards message me direct. Saturday hours are 10-5pm and Sunday 10-4pm.

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Something I’ve never actually been to is The Cartoon Festival which is in the square on Saturday 21st of April. A great time to visit Shrewsbury as it’s close to the Pop Up on Fish Street. http://www.shrewsburycartoonfestival.com

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And finally rather excitingly  I will be at House of Fraser Shrewsbury for a in store event  from Thursday the 26th April with the ‘Cherie did this’ range of illustrated goodies. In the meantime the range can be viewed at http://www.cheriedidthis.com but I will be showcasing new items.

The best part of all of the above is meeting people, as I spend the majority of my time beavering away in my studio it’s great to be set free into the wild so please come and say hello !

One of the reasons I enjoy ‘on the spot’ sketching is that it takes away your options. No time to overthink, to decide if the composition is correct or to adjust light … you’ve got no choice but to swiftly sketch what you see. Blink and the moments gone. So when John Hall asked me if I’d sketch his shop on Shrewsbury High Street it was just a case of finding the time.write here people

Write Here is one of the leading fountain pen shops in the UK, with an unmatched selection of fine and everyday pens including brands such as Visconti, Yard-o-Led, Lamy and Sailor Pens from Japan. They also stock stationery from Leuchtturm1917, Paperblanks and Crown Mill.

 

write here people4 smaller

 

 

In documenting what you see acceptance plays a big part… I was chatting when a theatrical looking lady with an equally distinctive hat passed by. For the most part people were kitted out in Scarves, hats, hoodies and a surprising amount of ruck sacs. Some of my pens ran out of ink so I was forced to use a marker pen until ink was replenished, you can’t ask people to wait while you refuel. As is often the case ‘mistakes’ or unintentional events can prove to be the making of a drawing.  I did manage to capture an array of characters out shopping on this sunny / chilly Saturday in February. Holed up in the ‘Write Here’ shop window facing inwards I had a nice little spot and a warm cup of tea, access to some of the best pens and paper… what more could a sketcher ask for.

 

 

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Initially I was worried that sketching people browsing in a shop would prove more tricky than my usual coffee house … where quite often people remain relatively still for a moment or two. It was a pleasant surprise to discover people hover over the card section at ‘Write Here’ for some time … smiling, laughing and sharing the cards with the person stood next to them. There was a repetitive process of taking the card off the shelf smiling, turning it over and passing it to a friend. This gave me a warm fuzzy feeling knowing some of the cards were from the ‘Cherie did this’ range.

 

write here no.3c

 

I had taken my own selection of Lamy pens, at present I’m enjoying Lamy Joy with the 1.1mm nib because the nib makes slightly heavier lines plus the long shape of the pen is nice to hold and sketch with. John who owns ‘Write Here’ also entrusted me with Sailor King of Pens with the Eagle nib (Kiwi Guru) which was an amazing experience. I also used my Molotow water brush on occasion. Having used all my paper I switched to Clairefontaine (sold at Write Here) Graf it 90g…  I will definitely be using this paper again.

 

lady & man in full

 

#everydayreportage

write here - smaller copy

 

 

 

CHERIE DID WHAT

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Why do we consume ?

In a time when so many of us are tightening our belts why create more stuff. This has been playing on my mind since I launched Cherie did this. Everyday life can be tough…if I can bring a little happiness into our 9-5’s through a smile when the post arrives or by brightening up a chore like the dishes then that’s got to be a good thing right? A beautiful print to gaze at while you’re in the bath, something stupid next to your bed, something given by a friend to wear on your coat to work (I love seeing my mates wearing their pin badges). All these things mean something more than stuff. And it’s not because of me, it’s because of the act of giving. I have a favourite mug because it was from a friend and that makes me happy when I use it (and slightly cross when I see my boyfriend using it – hint).

When I design or illustrate the ‘Cherie did this range’ I am thinking about the person who is giving – either as a gift to themselves or a friend. How can they add a bit of themselves into the mix ?

The best feeling is the one you get when you know someone has taken the time to think of you, lets be honest, life can be shite sometimes … it’s the silly scribble stuck on the fridge door or the picture next to the Loo than can make it all ok, it reminds us that we are not in it alone.

This is the concept behind the ‘Cherie makes it personal’ range.

If you have already got involved I love seeing it … tag your DIY cards or patches with the hashtag #cheriemakesitpersonal on instagram / facebook / twitter and  @cheriedidthis to receive a pin badge.

Cherie Makes it Personal range consists of these gems:

♥Pimp my Poodle – comes with stickers for pimping (any leftover can go on phones / ipads)

♥The DIY card for budding typography / logo type designers – or the rest of us who just want to doodle. It comes with a neon pen and stickers.

♥Patch cards / pick & mix patches – add these patches to your stuff.

Coats, bags… denim works well. The ones shown below where cut up, bleached and drawn on.

 

Pimp my Poodle = Sticker Card
Do Your Thing – Comes with Stickers and a Neon Pen
Iron on Patches

Shrewsbury Social

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This Autumn I collaborated with ‘I Love Shrewsbury’: a local project about the people, for the people…

The Shrewsbury Social Tea Towel

On the spot sketches of local folk

 

I Love Shrewsbury (ILS) is an exciting new photography and magazine project sharing stories about local people and everyday lives. It is about bridging community gaps and connecting people.

As part of the project, specially-illustrated, limited edition charity tea towels of Shrewsbury Coffee House have been made.

They are being sold in aid of homeless charity The Shrewsbury Ark.  All profits go to ARK – you can buy them from the ‘Cherie did this’ website by clicking here

For more info and to keep up to date follow @Ilove_shrewsbury on Instagram and like the page on Facebook

www.shrewsburyark.co.uk

Book Launch

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What a wonderful day we had the day we went to … Church Stretton ! Longmynd Press launched the first book in the series of Zig Zag the Stripey Spotosaurus books.

Zig Zag and the Giant Adventure went down a storm in the lovely rural Shropshire town. We had drawings and baby grows all Zig Zag themed. You can watch a film of the day thanks to The Shropshire Star !  View it here

SOUTH COPYRIGHT SHROPSHIRE STAR STEVE LEATH 28/10/2017With video. Pic in Church Stretton at Burway Books, where it was the book launch for book ‘Zig Zag’. Pictured is author: Barbara Townley from Church Stretton (in red) and illustrator: Cherie Jerrard from Shrewsbury (in stripes). With Zig Zag the dragon.

For more info on self publishing visit the authors blog : click here

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