Lets Get Minted!!!

These are pictures of everyday objects I have blinged up!!!! Like my blog title says all things must shine and this is one way of doing it!!! One day I think my house and everything inside it may be covered in swarovski and im going to love it haha!!!!

More things will be getting stoned, be it soon or a while but All things will shine!

Enjoy! x

Blast from the shiny past!

Sometimes looking back at what you have done in the past lets you see how you gave grown.
This is a photoshoot from when I was in my second year. The project was to create a mini collection while people went off to do work experience. After having a portfolio talk with my tutors I learned that I was forcing a style of design, work and thinking. I was trying to conform to a desgin style which actually doesnt exsit. I was encouraged to be myself and bring in my passion for dance.

This lead me on to first create a collection of fabrics. I was trying to design garments and my fabrics which I found really difficult beciuse I was having to much fun designing my knit samples. So once I desgined my fabrics i started to come up with some garment ideas. I wanted to show off my knit to the max which is where i came up with my final garment. Due to how long it took to make i only had to make one.

The coat was made of lambs wool and cotton which was felt to create the gathered texture while th leotard had my own print on. Once I had finished i could see that the next stage was to bring more of a structure to my garment to make it more relevant and interesting. Which in turn lead to my final year collection. My next collection will be another step forward from this very first garment, I always want to grow and learn new things about myself.

Looking forward to the next collection even more now.
Hope you have enjoyed reminiscing with me.

Felted lambswool and cotton coat.
Printed Lycra with swarovski embeishment.
Headpiece made by STONED BOUTIQUE kindly borrowed from Siana White
Roxy Sollars - Model

Stage 2 - Print

Stage 2 is the change from dancer to print, these are the 9 very best prints of the 25 I have designed. I have decided to take my time over this collection, due to a bit of a busy life my attention gets taken away from the new collection and this time i want to do a very thought through collection. Im not trying to take anything away from my first collection which I love but the process of making it felt like a very long and stressful process, but for this one I have the luxury of time.

All of these prints come my studies of freestyle dancers in their costumes. This is the same process as before. Im a strong believer in if something aint broke dont fix it and this is how i feel about my process. This way of working means my subject is always changing which in turn allows me to push myself and try new ides. This process of working has stuck with me for the past 2-3 years which must mean im doing something interesting because if i wasn't i would be the first to get bored. The prints have names to make them individual like the dancers i took the shapes from.

These are the print repeat tiles. I have designed some block, half drop and reflect prints. All are in black and white for the moment because i want my colours to exactly what i want. This will be Stage 2.

Hope you enjoy them as much as I have love designing them.

A Change is coming.

Katy Perry - E.T

Katy Perry's latest release E.T has brought us this extraordinary video.

It makes the song so much more than a pop song, it makes its own world and shows a beautifully futuristic and dynamic Mrs Perry. You can see that they have put alot into this video because of all the big and small details.

At the beginning of the video it has a WALL-E theme, with the rubbish encrusted planet with a vintage sounding song giving a feeling that once there was happiness and love but has been covered up with its present state. Kanye West's presence brings a harsher contrast to the mysterious and eccentric performance of Perry.

Katy Perrys look reminds me of Bjork but plays very much on her beauty making it very individual and refreshingly exciting. From her breaded hair, flowing layered up dresses down to her morphing make up and transforming eyes every part of each of the looks has been thought through and executed perfectly. Her constant changing, growing and learning adds so many different aspects to the video that I could lose myself only watching her. People will obviously compare this to Lady Gaga but the only comparison is they both are not afraid to express what they want. Gaga uses her music and videos to push the bonderies and raise important issues while Perry uses each video to tell different stories and raise important issues too. I feel this is a Perry song and video through and through, nothing like Lay Gaga which makes this exciting and unique.

At the end of the video when she brings the robot to life with a kiss and he transforms revealing a man and then she removes her dress to show animal legs shows us that anyone and everyone is accepted and can be loved. This is a reflection on what in some parts of the world is true but what needs to happen in others. We may be white, black, albinism, gay, straight, male, female but different is positive, different is ok, different is accepted. These are only labels and when you get down to it we are all the same, we are all human and all unique. No one is or can very be the same as someone else, you may believe in similar thing but that does not make you one thing, everyone has different views, personalities and physical appearance. So when someone says that you are weird for being different to them, arent they also weird because they are different too.

This is not just a video but something to think about. Many people will see it as just a music video but I see more. It raises ideas of acceptance, difference and beauty. I also see it as an amazing music video. I hope you enjoy this as much as I have.

Stage 1 - Change

Stage 1 is the beginning of the collection. Change is the theme (please read previous post.) I have decided to use the suns movement in the sky as the change theme. The colours are so delicate in the day, with pale/tan blues in the fresh morning to turquoise tones when the sun is at its highest. These change so effortlessly into night which brings a dramatic atmosphere, the orange horizon against a crystal covered navy black to nights when the grey cloud covered sky is tinted orange . My favourite time is just as the sun kisses the horizon and the sky can go from red/orange tones one day to pinks and purples the next. Every day is always different, the cloud patterns and seasons play a massive part. The sky is constantly changing it even if you cant see it.

These images are ones i have taken looking out from my house looking out towards Avonmouth. The seamless precision change of clour is what amazes me most. I took the pictures at different times during the morning and even during such a small amount of time the clours change so much.

These images are from some books I got ages ago. I got them because of the beautiful imagery. They help show how many different colours can be in the sky in one go.

A Change is Coming.

Change

Change

"when something changes or when you change it, it becomes different"

Life is full of change, be it changes we have decided to make, other peoples changes, insignificant changes or life changing changes. Change happen consciously and unconsciously but one thing is for sure nothing ever stays the same, with every movement, every second, every breath things change.

This evening I decided to take the Mountstevens dog Pip for a walk. The breeze was crisp and the sky was the deepest navy blue almost jet black but tinted with the orange lights from England and the crystal shine from the moon. As I walked the same country track it hit me, i have walked this path so many times but each time it has changed. It may be the same place but every time I've walked it it has never been the same path. This walk was a pigs dream, lots of puddles and mud which squelched with every step. Even when pip walked through the mud, it gave a tiny squeak. The darkness changed how long the walk felt, the wind changed the sound of the walk and the quiet made it seem i was a million miles away.

As i walked on, the clouds raced across the sky as if a steam train was speeding along the horizon. I stopped and took in each cloud and each star. I thought to myself i will never see these clouds again, this exact same sky, the same cold wind and squelching mud.

It put into perspective the importance of now.

The importance of happiness.

The importance of living.

We can never take back what we have done, be it a look, a breath, a walk, an argument. Everything thing we do is already done. Each thing so different and individual due to the situation the state of being is. Every moment changes and is different.

This has really made me think.

I have been thinking about my life and what i want to do.

I have learned that my life changes, be it for the good or the bad but it will change. From big things as jobs right down to each breath i take everything changes and i have to accept it and take each moment as it comes.

This has given me the motivation and inspiration to start my new collection.

It want my collection to be about change. How i have changed as a person, how i can change my ideas into something new. I want my work to have the detail and essence of change.

My main inspiration will be what i saw and felt this evening.

The changing clouds. The delicate change of the moon light due to the clouds. The muted tones against blasts of orange and white. The subtle shine of the rain soaked muddy track

The Video which i have uploaded is the only one which came out with something on it. To dark for me to show you what i saw but this gives a feeling of the evening and what im trying to say.

I filmed the reflection of the moon in a puddle and this is what happened. I changed how the moon looked. Each change was different and even through the wind blow in the same direction the ripples never created the same effect.

I will be trying to take or make images of the night sky.

Thank you for reading and let the new collection begin.

Forever changing forever growing.

New Kid On The Block!!!!

This is the AMAZING Willow Smith

Daughter of Will Smith you would immediately think, here we go again, another kid of a famous person using mum or dads fame to make something of themselves, but after watching this video that trend of thought is immediately thrown out of the window.

Miss Smiths new song Whip My Hair is a combination of attitude, style, talent and originality.

You never believe a 9 year old would be able to carry off such attitude so well, it seems to come so natural and is a blast of fresh air in this new musical trend of child stars. She combines all the different elements of performing so well that you forget her age and really appreciate her talent.

She has a strong and unique voice which makes her stand out from all the young singers which makes you sit up and pay attention. Because she can sing you take the time to see all of the different elements which make her so special.

Her styling is just right. They haven't tried to dress her so she looks 21, they have used bold colour and shapes to keep her young and fun but accessorised with army style boots and animal prints to keep her on trend. My favourite looks are her yellow play suit with studded belt and small studded detail on the shoulder, also her very first look in the video, the blue sleeveless jacket with orange harem trousers and knee high ( i know sound a bit weird ) black and white stripped boots. These two looks are fun and a good play on the adult equivalent, she has so much attitude and presence that it all works so well. Plus her heart hair at the start is amazing, only she can pull that look off because of her age and attitude. The attention to detail is key as well, her nails are all accessorised to the max at the start and there is always a hint of metal in each look which pulls all the looks together.

This song and video have really got my creative juices flowing and definitely feel the attitude and boldness will be apart of my new collection. To have so much energy and attitude makes such a difference and adds another level to any work

The song is really good, with a strong beat and catchy lyrics you cant but whip your hair!!!

Everything about Willow Smith is insane, her voice, her look and her attitude, cant wait to see what she brings out next.

watch her video on youtube or at www.willowsmith.com

she is also on myspace - www.myspace.com/willowsmith

Enjoy it and Whip you hair!!!