I'm doing my trend research at the moment, so tomorrow or sunday you'll get an update with a trend forecast for A/w 13/14, I want to have it all collated before I upload it :) I'm shattered after a busy day, researching trends at the library so I haven't got the energy to go in to detail with anything tonight sorry, however I figured I'd take this opportunity to tell you I now have a facebook page! If you could all show your support and like it for my that would be fantastic! You can find it here: http://www.facebook.com/sarahjsjackson Thanks in advance :) SJ x

Today I finished off my glass work from the other day So here's the brain I made for sketchbook, it looks quite funky! I really like, its very fragile though because I didn't mount it on another piece of glass, but its very effective, I love how the colours are in it and how the light catches it, very impressed with my first ever bit of glass work! Close up The back Close up back - looks crystalized I shall have to put a picture of the back in my sketchbook! Now on to the buttons - holes all drilled to :) The texture of each one is fantastic they feel so beautiful. Again I love the colours and I love how they look different in different lights. Also I'm loving the way they are all collection of the same buttons but each one is unique and creates it own effect. I'm thinking whatever I do't use in my design will get turned into jewellery for my photo shoot, what do you think? SJ x

Time to start designing my garments, this was for the top and I decided the best way to incorporate shapes from my sketchbook was to actually use them! For this I traced round the crab image in my sketchbook on pattern paper, then I cut it out 2 of them on fabric, I pinned them together in various ways to look at the garment shapes they create, from this I'll design my top knowing how the shape falls and how it would look on the mannequin. It's purely to get a rough idea of where to go next with my designs, but here's what my draping looked like from today.   I like the way the neck line falls but I think it needs to be more open... I think possibly finishing the bottom off with fringing could make this much nicer. Opening up an arm hole. Definitely think its best more slouchy, I'd definitely make a little slip top to go underneath it. I actually think the neck line has a lot of potential - definitely something I want to keep in the design Potential...

Today I carried on my button making in ceramics, here is the coloured clay - should come out black, grey, and white, fingers crossed! Buttons holes all cut! Smoothed all the edges on the normal clay! Time to make glass ones! Base circles all cut... Smashed up glass to melt on to the top so it makes a similar effect as the cells in a brain. smashed glass and colour powders sprinkled on top now just to wait for them to be fired. Hopefully this one is for my sketchbook, its going to look like a brain hopefully when its all melted down, so excited to see the out comes! Two more days before I can go back to see them and they've all been fired :D SJ x

I thought it'd be a nice touch if I made my own buttons, they should add a lovely finish to my garments. I've also always fancied giving ceramics a go, so I was very excited this morning when I rolled up to our ceramics and glass workshop :) Rolling out the clay... Adding texture to the clay by rolling fabric over the top of it - it presses the pattern into it You can just make out the pattern, looks a bit scaley, its quite cool but it needs more work to it so it blends with my project. Time to cut some button shapes out Made lots so far! How they're looking... fabric pressing again with another material on top! Looks funky - going to look forward to see how that dried! Another form of material to press into it... love the messy effect it leaves Lots of buttons all different shapes and sizes :) Time to experiment with more material being pressed into the clay - this time using studio white clay adding more on top and again now time to cut mor...