Day 4: Sole Trader

Today has been a long day...having left the house at 6.15 for work...kinda results in a lack of creativity...glad it's not like that every day! Back to the office tomorrow!

However I have registered as a sole trader today with HM Revenues & Customs as a freelance illustrator. It was gratifyingly easy to do...I guess they should make it easy...they want our money more than ever I suppose! I am suspecting that keeping track of my accounts might be the tricky part in relation to this!!! Admin has never been a strong point...confirmed by the 6 inches of paperwork that is currently waiting to be filed.

I have also heard back from Ponoko in realtion to changing the thickness of material for laser cutting...yes they can do it but only in a clear acrylic...humph...not the answer that I was hoping for...I will persist!

Something properly creative for tomorrow!

Day 2: Snow Flake

Just before christmas I sent my first design to be cut using a laser cutter. I used a website called Ponoko.com. They are an american based outfit that have recently set up UK base in London...which means that I can collect it from their offices...which is brilliant as their postal costs are astronomic!

Anyway the design I got cut before christmas was for a set of earings based on a design for a snowflake done in Adobe Illustrator...very appropriate for christmas presents! The only option to get cut from plastic was 3mm acrylic...which for 20 earings cost just under £10...so pretty good value when you take into account that includes the acrylic! But it turns out that the earing findings that I have are really difficult to use when the item that you are hanging is as wide as 3mm...so I am looking into getting them cut in thinner acrylic. I am optimistic that this might result in the cutting time being considerably less which as this is the main way in which they determine the cost has got to be a good thing!

Anyway I'll keep you informed!