The Opera: My perspective (Madame Butterfly)

I popped my opera cherry this weekend. Thanks to a craft friend (Kirsten Miller) I got hold of a couple of tickets to see Madame Butterfly at Leeds Grand Theatre on Saturday night. I felt very sophisticated, I did my hair in a massive up do, and a lady liked it so much she gave me a bottle of perfume (sample size, but still...)

Leeds Grand Theatre - glamorous

I didn't know the story in advance (even though I have several ABRSM exams, GCSE, A level and a degree in Music, topped off with three years experience of working in a classical music shop). 

It's classic story that could be watched in any area and it would be understood the same.  Boy promises girl things. Boy leaves but says he'll return. Girl waits. Girl's friends say he isn't coming back. Girl trusts what she was told, knowing the intimacy of the relationship that they don't, and believes he will return.  Man has met someone else.  The story gets a whole lot sadder, I just wished someone had told poor Butterfly that you have to kiss a lot of frogs (that's what people tell me...?)

Here's the best bit (~4 mins)

What's happening here then? This is the big aria from Madame Butterfly. She's waiting, three years later, for her husband to return. Her maid has just said to her 'Look love, get a grip, he's been gone three years. If he was coming back he would have by now'. She's singing 'He will do, and when he does I'll stand here waiting for him, it's going to be beautiful, stop being cynical, he loves me, you're just jealous'.

Later on the guy returns, only because he found out Butterfly had a baby, and his appearance is only to take the child. She ends up killing herself. I expect it was down to the shame that she had given up her identity for the guy, and couldn't bear all her friends saying 'told you!'.

She wasn't the first and won't be the last to be charmed and left high and dry.  It's just a shame she didn't have a best mate to get her drunk and encourage her to strip singing 'Sisters are doing it for themselves'.

I will definitely be Opera North's new regular... the caramel and hazlenut ice cream at intermission was dreamy!

Can you recommend an opera for me to go to?

xoxo

♥ Colourful ♥ Kitschy ♥ Funky ♥ Fun...

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FAQs: How do you write a good tag line?

 A 'tagline' (or 'slogan' as we called it a few years ago), is a sticky-memorable phrase that your customers will remember about who you are and what you do.  But how do you write a good one?

Write Write Write Print by The Dreamy Giraffe

This week's question has come directly from Leeds-based Chloe.

@KitschenSink hey I have a question for your FAQ! I need a great tagline for my brand, I'm not succinct enough!

— Chloe (@peskychloe) February 8, 2012

Here goes!:

♥ Don't use promotional words
Customers will see through your self-proclamation of being the 'best' at anything, so don't bother with any of that! Leave those words for your customers to use in feedback.

♥ Consider calls to action
Marketeers love a 'call to action', so putting one in a tagline will give it to your customers over and over again...  Think about using doing words... 'Just do it'!

♥ What's your mission?
Chloe sells her own designs and other independent designers' work in her shop.  But what is the mission? To sell limited edition designs from UK based designers? To give first-class customer service? To provide accessories to a very specific sub-culture customer? 

♥ Remember school
Rhymes, alliteration, similies and such work really well, that's why we learnt it (and why you shoulda listened!).  Work your thesaurus app - it will come in handy! 

♥ Go with your gut
I think a lot of these things are accidental. I know mine was! Word play is like anything creative and some people just come up with good ideas, and some people have to work on them for a long time to craft something amazing. Do what works for you... and your customers!

Happy writing!

Got a question? Why not Tweet me and I'll put your tweet directly into the blog post - you might get some new followers!  Alternatively you can email me, if you'd prefer :)

xoxo

♥ Colourful ♥ Kitschy ♥ Funky ♥ Fun...

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Valentine love... ♥

My second posting of the day! I just had to post the love I got today. It's such a great feeling to get happy messages from people who received Kitschen Sink jewellery as gifts. Boys can get gifts so wrong, but for these ladies, the lads seemed to get it spot on!

Some sewing-related Valentines gifts from @jonbolton! A lovely sewing box and a bracelet from @KitschenSink :)) twitter.com/sewrayme/statu…

— Rachael Alexander (@sewrayme) February 14, 2012

I got flowers, a handmade card and a necklace from @kitschensink =D instagr.am/p/G_x1Iqk-79/

— Pickle Chops (@picklechopsx) February 14, 2012

xoxo

♥ Colourful ♥ Kitschy ♥ Funky ♥ Fun...

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Home is where the heart is

14th February marks a special anniversary for me. Getting the keys to my own home! Today marks four years since I got a bus to Leeds and collected the keys to the carpetless, curtainless, soulless top-floor flat that is now affectionately known by all as The Penthouse.

Here's some hearts and love around my home:

Jewellery box

A handmade card :')

Teacups...

...and cute biscuits

Notes from friends

A hand painted Mexican wall heart from Kate, a hand made glass rainbow from Jane and a hand painted cross from Natalie

Have a great Valentine's Day!

xoxo

♥ Colourful ♥ Kitschy ♥ Funky ♥ Fun...

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A ReetSweet Saturday :)

Saturday was Reetsweet Shopping Fair at the Corn Exchange, Leeds.

Credit: ReetSweet

I love their attention to detail and marketing collateral. A fun day as always... goooo Reetsweet!

xoxo

♥ Colourful ♥ Kitschy ♥ Funky ♥ Fun...

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Testspace Store: You want it, you got it!

My favourite guyz at Test Space have done it again: opened a pop-up shop selling the coolest things that local creatives have to offer, including Kitschen Sink!  It's in the Corn Exchange and will be there for a fortnight, so bloody get down quick if you want some!

Instead of deliberating for an hour over what to give them, I decided to put it to the people:

And they said...

@KitschenSink This - goo.gl/0sGue ! ! !

— Gill McArdle (@campusprgill) February 7, 2012

@KitschenSink POW!

— Simon Fogal (ILP) (@Simonfogal) February 7, 2012

@KitschenSink manga ones! Are you going to be there on Friday? x

— Elly W (@ellyoracle) February 7, 2012

You got it!

I bobbed to the launch party which was a fun time, and it was great to catch up with a few of the Test Space friends I made a couple of years ago.

Test Space: Store is open 10th - 26th February 2012, at the Corn Exchange, Leeds.

 

Artists include:
Matt Ferres, Godisdad, Drew Millward, dots, Spin Cycle Complete, Mild Peril, Stephen Langdon, memo, Kitschen Sink, Sophie in Disguise, The Beating Arts, Art School Wank, Ollie Redding, Debi Holbrook, Pogger, Andy Corlett, Noah Brown, Sean Mort, and many more.

xoxo

♥ Colourful ♥ Kitschy ♥ Funky ♥ Fun...

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Tomorrow: Live Instagrams from Reetsweet

Tomorrow I will be live Instagramming from Reetsweet Shopping Fair at the Corn Exchange in Leeds.  My Instagram name is KitschenSink and all Instagrams will be #tagged #Reetsweet

Let's share photos with Instagram!

xoxo

♥ Colourful ♥ Kitschy ♥ Funky ♥ Fun...

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