Better connection :)

Hi,

I'm glad to say that the Internet connection here in the IOW is much better so I can now come and give you all some updates!

Me and my family had a good time in Lyme Regis but the highlight of the trip would definitely have to be Rolys Fudge! It was absolutely delicious and melt in the mouth sugary goodness!

There were lots of different flavours from chocolate and honeycomb to lemon meringue and chilli (which was pretty hot actually!). They also had a range of fudge sauces which are yummy too (I have been eating them on ice cream warmed up! Mmmm):

And the good news is they have on online shop so I can order more fudge for special occasions at home! If you like fudge (or even if you dont- my dad doesn't but he did like rolys fudge :p) it is well worth treating yourself I would say: https://rolysfudge.co.uk/

Me abd my family have  also been having a good time in the IOW.

I have been collecting bits for a giveaway when I get back- so keep your eyes peeled! :-)

I have also had some time to get working on my next items for my shop.... using some cool fabric I got on my holiday travels. :) here is a teaser pic:

If you are intrigued keep an eye on my shop as my new items will be up within a week!

Today we went shopping in Newport and I think tomorrow we are going to play bowling and then head on to the chocolate apothecary for lunch- I can't wait! 

I will leave you with this picture of stone henge I took from the car while stuck in traffic when on my holiday travels... It really is fascinating stone henge, isn't it? :)

Ooh, and also this pretty picture of some pink seaweed I think, that  I took on the beach at lyme regis when fossil hunting, it has given me some inspiration for some textile art/felting projects as I thought it was very pretty in a way:

Hehe, see you all again soon.I hope you are well,

Bye xoxoxo

A huge post! (incl. cupcake walk #2 with my friend; stitch b*tch :)

Hello,



Today I bring you a very, very full post! Full of lots of lovely costumes and cakes, shall we begin....?

First up I thought I would show you all the most recent pictures of my Line and form project (collaboration with a designer :). Here is my finished toile- which basically means the mock up of the garment to get the fit perfect:

I have now started to make it up for final as I had my fittings this week and made the small alterations to the patterns needed. Now I have got to power on and get it finished perfectly! I am really enjoying this project though, as we are learning all the skills needed to interpret a designers sketch- something that really intrigues me as,  as well as bridal, couture fashion clothing making (being in an Atelier and interpreting fashion designers sketches) is something that I would really liked to be involved in in the future :)

Talking of bridal though- I did a bit more work experience on Saturday for Sharon, the lady who let me help out with the bridal fashion show. She has just opened a new bridal boutique. I was front of house in it on Saturday. I managed to make an appointment for a bride to come in to try dresses on so I was very happy! Hehe, here was my view from my mirrored desk (ooh fancy! :-):

On to more lovely things now....

....today I was walking around London for about 5 hours- no exaggeration as first I went to see the Graduate show for all the 3rd years at my college at the OXO Tower Bargehouse and then I went onto my 2nd cupcake walk of the year :P

The Graduate show was really good, lots of really high quality pieces :) And the setting of the Bargehouse was really cool and interesting- kind of like an old warehouse but nice and bright from all the windows:

The lovely pieces speak for themselves so I will just let you enjoy the photos- rather than natter on about my thoughts :P

As I was wandering round I couldn't help but think that that will be me in two years, presenting my work as a graduate! That made me feel really excited and inspired :)

Then after that, as I said, it was on to my 2nd cupcake walking tour of London of the year. I enjoyed the one I did with my mum soo much that I asked if my friend from Uni wanted to go with me on another one. She has just started her own blog recently and I highly recommend you check it out and drop her a comment or two :o) It is really interesting, and I am not just saying that because I am her friend: http://www.stitchbtch.blogspot.co.uk/. Her blog is titled stitch bt*ch, as believe it or not that is the often used nickname for members of wardrobe departments in theatre etc! :P

First up on the tour was the cupcake bakehouse- Owned and run by Lorraine Pascal:

I had a mini chocolate cupcake from there:

Then it was onto Laudree- their macarons I would say could not be improved, they are perfect:

Sweet couture had some new flavours for this walk so I was super excited, I had cookie dough, and Grace had oreo (a good choice! That's What I went for on my first walk):

Mmmmm... cookie dough was so nice!!!!!!!  I want another one!!!! (P.s. I think Sweet Couture is my fave cupcake place)

Then came hummingbird bakery:

And another delicious red velvet cupcake with cream cheese frosting:

Yauatcha is a place I am so happy I discovered form the walks- their macaron varietys are so cool!

I had another Jaffa cake one because I couldn't resist and I also tried caramel cashew and pistachio:

We got three choices there this time as Fortnum and masons was unavailable for a sample this time. I didn't mind though as I do love Yauatcha.

And finally onto Patisserie Valeire for a caramel truffle and chocolate macaron:

So lovely!

The tour went via Saville row which was cool as you could see the workrooms through the windows below the pavement level.

Hehe, you can go get a drink and have a relax now- I am finished.

I promise :P

I hope you all had a great weekend too. I am off now to watch TV with my mum and work more on my dads Paddington bear cross stitch fathers day present.

See you all soon,

Bye XxXxX

Symposium! (and stuff :)

Hi,

 

Last week was a really good week for me as it was 'Symposium week' at my college. What this means is basically a week off of timetabled lectures with loads of fun and interesting workshops, talks and performances going on instead :D

 

I booked myself onto loads of the workshops including zumba (which was really enjoyable), dream catcher making, sword fighting (super fun!!!!!) and I did quite a few costume related ones, including 3 morning workshops about Kimonos :0)

The lady was really nice and knowledgeable and bought in tons of the kimonos from her collection from martial arts related ones to bridal.

 

Here are a couple of her most extravagant kimono over-robes:

 

 

And here is me (from behind so you can see my freestyle- tied

 obi which hangs down) dressed as a Geisha :) It was cool being dressed up- I learnt a lot about how it actually feels to wear the kimono as well as how to put it on properly:

 

The obi is done up so much more tightly than I imagined it was and there is a lot more padding than I thought there was underneath too :P Brian who is next to me was dressed up like a shogun (military warrior). The lady who ran the workshops also rents out her kimonos etc... and has a website- where there are more pictures of all the kimonos we all tried on at symposium: here!

 

Another workshop I did was trauma makeup. Hahaha, a lot of fake blood was used! and some cornflakes mixed with coffee, golden syrup and red food colouring to make stuff that resembled blood clots.

 

I warn all those who are faint hearted to LOOK AWAY NOW!

 

As the following picture of my work I did in the workshop although FAKE (of course! :) is very gory:

 

 

I think I actually did get it quite realistic looking thanks to the techniques of the tutor :-)

 

Another thing that made my week really good apart from symposium was finding out that I was the special winner of a free Royal School of Needlework day course from the draw I entered at the creative stitches and Hobbycrafts show at the excel :D I am soo excited and have chosen to do a course on 17th century design inspired metal/gold work button brooches- It sounds so interesting- that is in November so kind of like a great early Christmas present!

 

And if all that wasn't enough for one week me and my mum went to the John Paul Gaultier fashion exhibition at the Barbican Arts centre/Theatre in London which was fabulous.

 

It was really different to other exhibitions I have been to as they gave some of the mannequins faces using digital projection- they even talked! I thought this really brought the whole exhibition and the clothes to life a bit more.

 

Look at the amazingness of these dresses!:

 

 

Another thing that was cool and different was that they actually had a moving catwalk! All these mannequins were dressed and on stands that moved around the catwalk, again this brought so much more life and excitement to the clothes making them look even more spectacular than they already are:

 

Well, that's just about it for the catch up of my week...

 

.....No.... Wait! I have one more fabulous thing to tell you about :P The Chocolate festival I went to on Sunday with a friend from college at the London Business and Design centre  (I really did have a crazy fun week :oD)

 

There were quite a few different samples of yummy chocolate to try and lots of baked goods on sale. As a treat I went for this brownie:

 

 

It was sooooo delicious, it was called a 'buckeye' brownie. It was a normal chocolate brownie topped with Oreo cookie frosting and a layer of milk chocolate ganache mmmm... I want another one!

 

My brownie was from Batch bakery: http://batchbakery.co.uk/

 

My friend had a peanut butter brownie which she said was amazing from the Brownie Bar: http://www.browniebar.co.uk/

 

They do a really good price online delivery of brownies so I think I may have to get some of those sent to me in the near future as they looked good too but I couldn't fit a second brownies in after my Oreo- sugar overload one :P

 

I hope you are all well, and now I promise my post is officially finished :)

 

Don't forget to enter my Spring/Easter giveaway if you haven't already as as I found out last week you never know your luck!

 

Speak to you all again very soon,

 

Bye XxXxXxX