Awesome Alternatives - Five UK based merch companies for Artists

Where do we go to now our trusty “awesome” manufacturer is in Everyone’s bad books?
Here are a few companies I use in the UK.

For Art prints -

PRINT.WORK - A planet friendly printing company based in Leeds, UK. Their products are printed on a range of part and 100% recycled papers.

I have used this company a lot, and I am ALWAYS happy with the turn out. I tend to print on the Unicorn White or my new favourite Perlino Cotton (see below for the texture).

Close up detail of my ‘Morel Mog Motel’ print by Print.work

alternative - Printed.com

I’ve had some great greetings cards printed by this company - fast and lots of choice of papers, including recycled. I do have a problem with their uploader though. I recently got some business cards back and they were cut badly. I didn’t realise I had to have a 3mm bleed - a rookie move on my part but also, there should be some kind of prompt on their website? Anyway, you live and learn.

Screen Printers - t-shirts, totes and more

Vino Sangre

A small screen printing company based in Norwich, UK. Super friendly and helpful team, quick turnaround and great quality printing.

They use environmentally friendly water based inks & have loads of options of eco and ethical t-shirts.

Acrylic and wooden printers - pins, Jewellery, keyrings & Stickers

Zap Creative

Based in Stockton-on-tees, UK, come here for stickers, badges, keyrings.  They offer a lot of eco options - recycled acrylic, responsibly sourced wood, and great quality digital printing on these materials.

Printed on pastel acrylic (backing cards by someone else).

laser cutter and engraver

Laser Babes

Quick, high quality laser cutting and engraving services. I have recently had some lovely test pieces made and I was blown away! Really reasonability priced and they were so helpful when I no idea what I was doing on illustrator ;)

Here’s a necklace of my Kitty Moon design

That’s it for now. Comment below with any other UK small biz manufacturers!

And don’t forget to support small biz this Christmas!

Love from Jess xx

Jessica Jumpers

Jean-Luc Godard - RIP

In light of the news about Jean-Luc Godards death, I’ve revisited some of his films. Une Femme est Une Femme & A Bout De Souffle (Breathless) the OG version - although the 80s Richard Gere version brings a smile to my face. It reminds me of when my cousin and I were kids and we’d try and pause the video tape on RG’s 🍆 . 

A Bout De Souffle - Jean Seberg (Patricia) in a cloud of smoke from naughty boy Jean-Paul Belmondo (Michel)

Anyway, French New Wave was my jam when I was a pretentious film student many moons ago, and I’m happy that I have revisited it because I think it’s opened up a new/old portal in my head.

I love the film’s disjointed editing, breaking the fourth wall, and the jukeboxes. My favourite scene from Bande à Part where they are dancing is just cinema at its best for me!

Vivre sa vie - Anna Karina crying whilst watching Joan of Arc.

I’m not sure his films from the 60s would pass the Bechdel Test but there’s always a cool AF leading lady. Usually with great clothes and hair. Fringe goals!

I can’t wait to go and discover more French New Wave films. I dipped my toe in with Jean-Luc Godard & François Truffaut. But there’s so much more!

R.I.P JLG!

The kitty cat approach to not burning out

Burnout

We’ve all been there, whether it be from school stresses, personal dramas or work based fuckery.

Sometimes you think - I got this! But babe, sometimes you don’t got this. And that my friend is a slippery slope to BURNOUT!

This is the first comic I have painted with gouache. It was a bit more time consuming, but I love the look!
It’s a comic that started serious, but ended silly. In the end, I thought making a lighthearted comic about how cats would approach avoiding burnout would be more helpful for us all. :)

What do you think? Should we be more cat? My cat Mimi says yes!

Being serious though. Burnout is a real thing guys! Let’s be nice to ourselves and ask for help when we need it!

Peace out,

Jess and Mimi xxx

Comic adventures - with Gabrielle Bell

Comic Camp

I get so nervous going to new places that most of the time I’d rather they not happen. But I know that when I’m there I’ll have the best time! And you can always rely on clothes to do the talking for you…

Alas, my clothes didn’t show up! But at least I did! (Sweaty and a bit stressed).

5 days of exploring the inner depths of our psyche, and the Pyrenees.

Comic Camp with Gabrielle Bell. Set in the dreamy location of Aulus-Le-Bains in the Pyrenees & ran by two lovely northerners James and Sarah. I knew it was going to be amazing. I’d booked this a whole year ago, so I had plenty of time to prepare, but nothing actually prepared me for doing autobiographical comics - the Gabrielle Bell way. Exploring embarrassment and big life events was pretty overwhelming. I went in too deep at first and then instantly regretted it. So then played it safe and made a comic about peeing on my cousins hand and one about my cat Mimi. I guess I’m not ready to process deep shit in front of new people. heheh?

Everyone was super sweet and lovely though, even after all of the oversharing. I couldn’t have wished for a nicer group & teacher!

Our trip coincided with the annual festivities of Couserans Transhumance, a tradition which involves the moving of cute little sheep up into the mountains. I did panic thinking there was going to be some kind of public sacrifice of a wooly pal, but instead we just saw the happy heard heading past the local drinking establishment to cooler pastures.
After sunset, 10 comic nerds let their hair down and showed our party side. Some more than others (hello my hangover the next day). We drank and danced around the wickerman style bonfire to Daft Punk and other traditional hits!

Feeling inspired…

I really wanted to give illustration one last kick up the arse. And being surrounded by 10 other artists was really what I needed. Even though I wasn’t very prolific at Camp. I’ve been buzzing with ideas since I’ve been back. Now I just need to get down to business. Like, I’ve got an actual business mentor now (for Greater Manchester residents) & I did a great course with Small Fry - Manchester based arts collective, last month. Which was ‘The building blocks to being a freelance illustrator’, and it really made me realise that I have been winging it the past few years. I started Jessica Jumpers on a rocky foundation and I feel like i’m just going to start all over again! PIVOT! So through August and September 2022, no more applications to job-jobs.
And I’m just going to be drawing, working on my portfolio, learning about SEO, looking for clients/wholesalers, and planning a relaunch for October! Yeah baby. AND I am definitely limiting my phone usage! I (almost) had a full day off instagram today. Clap for Jess :) The new algorithm makes it no fun now. Reels my arse.

Anyway, thank you for sticking around for my waffle! If you liked it maybe consider donating to my ko-fi, and if you didn’t like it, please consider donating to my ko-fi :)

BIG LOVES TO YOU ALL!

xxx JJ xxx

Support me on my KO-FI

Japan adventure - In search of vegan food & art

In August 2019 I travelled around Japan -
Tokyo - Nagoya - Gero - Takayama - Tokyo - Hakone - Osaka - Hiroshima -Kyoto - Nara - aaand back to Tokyo.
(Thank you bullet trains! I highly recommend getting a JR train pass if you want to go all over the country)

So, in 2019? And why am I only writing about it now? Well it’s because I’m making CONTENT now. I’ve realised instagram has served its time, and it’s just becoming a place where ancient millennials like me shrug and moan for the good ol’ times. So time to step away and make my website accessible!
I’ve been doing courses on SEO and who would have thunk it, it’s not CEO - it’s something very, very different! :)
So now I have a BLOG ok!

Japan was my first time doing ‘travelling’, at the ripe ol’ age of 32. And I naively took a backpack, thinking that’s what you do when traveling anywhere, you know…like all my friends did in their teens and 20s.
You don’t need a backpack traveling around Japan’s cities in your 30s, just take a suitcase!
Japan is humid AF in July/August, and with the added layer of backpack, it was like carrying a sweaty toddler.

I’d never experienced humidity quite like this before. My hair transformed into a ‘Sideshow Bob’ rather than the French bob I was used to. I had to eventually get it a professional involved to tame the beast.

So, yeah if you’re planning to travel in July/August, expect crazy weather. Take a suitcase. Shave your head!

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Vegan Food

Enjoying an onigiri by the water in Gero

Around Japan in 80 Umeboshi Onigiris
Well, almost. They were my emergency food out of the cities. For those who’re not in the know (I didn’t know) they are little triangles of rice wrapped in seaweed, with various fillings. The only vegan option at the time was plum, maybe they have others now. It was 3 years ago :)

T’s Tantan - Chiyoda-ku train station. Vegan ramen with my cousin Meg.

Vegans and Veggies, if you haven’t already download the Happy Cow App and you’ll be pretty safe where ever you go. Here are some places I found on my travels. Most have links to click on :)

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T's Tantan Vegan Ramen

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Good Town Doughnuts

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Nirvana Ramen

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Falafel in Tokyo

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Engine Ramen

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Pettirosso Kyoko

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Tacos in Kyoto

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Kuppila

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Noguchiya - tofu restaurant

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Macro bento

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Okonomiyaki

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Yummy looking sandwich

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Vegan Tapas Nara

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Buddha Bowl

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Chips from the Aldgate Pub

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Ok airport sandwich

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Vintage shop in Tokyo.

Must Visits in Japan

Art

Naoshima - ‘art island’. Famous for Yayoi Kusama’s Pumpkins. It’s very small, so you can hire a bike to get around, or go on foot like me, who is scared of bikes. I soon regretted it! It was soooo hot!

Hakone Open-air Gallery - just outside of Tokyo, you get to travel on a very cute train to get there. Set aside a full day of exploring here. Like Yorkshire Sculpture park, but 100% more humid.

Teamlab - Tokyo. A trippy light show to end all light shows! Also would recommend a full day here.

History

Peace Park and Social Book Cafe Hachidorisha, Hiroshima

Talk with an a-bomb survivor. A haunting recollection of the day, but delivered by such a peaceful man. A must when you are in Hiroshima.

Higashiyama Walking Course - Takayama

I did this on my own, in the rain, listening to sad music. You don’t need an expensive tour guide if you’re good at following signs. It was a beautiful tour around the shrines and temples. Watch out for bears.

The O-Torii (Grand Torii Gate) - Miyajima

I just accidentally deleted an hours worth of blogging so this last slog has been tough. Apologies if it tailed off towards the end. :)
Note to self - make a word file you wally!!

Ok, that’s it from me. Thank you for coming to my blog. Was it ok for you?

JJ xxx

Top 5 Things I Do When My Head is Spiralling into The Dark Place

Apart from Netflix, here are some helpful things I’ve picked up along the way.

It’s tough out there friends. But we’ve always got cat videos on YouTube!
Here’s my top 5 in pictures & waffly chat.

I started running late last year, as much as I still fking hate it, I don’t half get a rush of endorphins afterwards. There’s debate whether it’s endorphins (the happy hormone) or cannabinoids (self-produced chemicals similar to those found in marijuana). Either way, it’s a goooooood feelin’. So get high on your own supply! This is coming from a lazy-girl-extreme who couldn’t run for longer than 30 seconds!
Give it a go! You won’t regret it!

Ok, I know this one is pretty impossible at the moment! But try to filter the news that you receive. I don’t know about you, but if I’ve spent any time on Twitter I end up with a headache from all the frowning. So that’s not where I go, unless it’s someone sending me cat videos then I’ll head over for a lil bit.

Yes, cats cats and more cats have got me through some of the worst times of my life! But if cats are not your bag, the YouTube will definitely have something soothing for you. Dogs?

Sometimes, you are just hungry/thirsty!! Did you know dehydration can be a contributingfactor to depression and anxiety. Yes, I heard it on a podcast, but it totally makes sense.
Take a sip, have a snack. Then get back to what was troubling you.

Lastly but not leastly, MUSIC! I think it’s the perfect solution to every emotion.
I tend not to listen to sad music when I’m actually sad, because it doesn’t take much for my floodgates to open. But if you struggle to get the sad out then maybe it’ll press the right buttons for you.
Here’s a playlist that makes me feel some shit - CLICK
Maybe make your own emergency FEELZ playlist for yourself!

Sometimes it’s seems preferable to keep the ‘negative emotions’ inside.
But unfortunately, you need to feel your feelings - all of them - even the ones that make you feel like shit. But the shit will pass, eventually!
Acknowledging the bad bits, will help you move forward.

These are just a few things I do. I’m no expert, but I know where to find some.

Professionals in the UK -
www.samaritans.org - 24 hour phone and online chat service
www.thecalmzone.net - The Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) is leading a movement against suicide.
www.mentalhealth.org.uk/getting-help - The Mental Health Foundation is a charity specialising in research and policy development, with a focus on preventing mental health problems
Seek out professional help if you feel your symptoms are serious.

TAKE CARE MY LOVELIES! 
Big love xx Jess xx

Kitties and Titties

Like everyone else, during lockdown I was looking for ways to sooth my aching head. I would watch YouTube videos of cute cats on repeat to escape the uncertainty and chaos of the news!

But was is better than kitty videos? An actual KITTY! So in May 2020, amidst all the shite, we adopted a lovely kitty. Mimi (FKA Misty). She’d had a pretty horrible start to her life - kicked out whilst pregnant, and then she lost her babies. :( So we wanted to give her all the love she’s missed out on. She’d probably prefer less tbh, she’s sick of us kissing her!

We’re not sure if she’s a Maine coon, or a Norwegian Forrest cat, but she’s one hell of a floof monster! And my MUSE for 2020.

Kitties and Titties was born! Together they’re probably the most searched for things on the interwebs.

When I was little I would draw cats all day, everyday! Garfield was my favourite cat of course - and I can still draw him perfectly to this day!

And titties were thrown in there because people like catchy rhymes and for the sexy factor! Sex sells apparently! Well, not in my shop.. uh hum.. GO BUY MY THINGS.

For every print sold, I make a donation to the charity Coppafeel. A world class breast cancer charity - bringing awareness to all, but especially young people about the signs of breast cancer to help people catch it early.

Kris the founder, who has been thriving with cancer for 12 years, bought one of my t-shirts years ago and tagged me in a photo. It was such a cool photo, so naturally I (insta) stalked her and discovered her story. My husband was going through cancer treatment for brain cancer at the time and as she had secondaries in her brain, we would compare complimentary therapy notes!

I still love to follow what she gets up to (not in a creepy way!). She really does inspire so many people to live life to the fullest, and obviously to check dem titties! Are you doing it now?

OK. First blog post done!