Princess Diana...The People's Punk....

Wiping the tears from my eyes, I spent most of Wednesday at my mum's house sorting through my old clothes (...very old clothes!)....one for the charity shop, one for the bin, one to keep...no... four to keep, or lets make that six...and so on and so forth until I actually ended up keeping most of what was actually destined for the bin. So why tears?...gosh, the tears...tears of happy memories, tears of sad memories, tears of disappeared years and tears of will I EVER fit in to that again???

But the point where I actually wee-d myself a little bit was when I found the legendary Diana T-shirt...I bloody loved that T-shirt. People still find it hard to believe that only a few days before the unfortunate death of Princess Diana, I found a child's T-shirt featuring the face of Diana for just 20p in some charity shop in Bournemouth.

I remember the day she died as if it was yesterday...having still been up from the night before, I was staying at my friend Ish's place, having to shake myself as I watched the morning news telling the world the sad story of her death. I also remember jumping about like a kangaroo on speed, banging on Ish's bedroom door trying to get her to wake up and witness history, only to be told to F*** OFF.

Within less than 24 hours, the T had been slashed, pinned back together, Diana's hair painted pink and finished off with a safety pin through her nose and eyebrow. Upcycling at its best. The people's princess had become the people's punk, and what a more fitting tribute?

The next day I wore it out to a dodgy jazz club in town. It caused havoc. Where the hell did I get my balls from?

It is only since I have grown older that I have actually realised how fitting the statement of the 'people's punk' was. I bloody Loved that T-shirt.

One of my favourite images of Diana is when she has rocking her see-through skirt...you can't get much more punk than that eh?

3 wardrobes of clothes and STILL nothing to wear...

For the past few days I have literary been pulling my hair out trying to think of something to wear to London Fashion Weeks' Vauxhall Fashion Scout show....arrragggghhhhh!!!

In times like this I always look towards my true style icon of all time, Debbie Harry.

I decided to go through my old vinyl records and found one of my favorite Blondie albums - Parallel Lines. I LOVE this album and I LOVE the album cover......and then the inspiration came! And with the help of my Sizzix Die cutter (the BEST tool) and my trusty glue gun, I have made my self a gorgeous 100% bespoke hair fascinator....

From This.....

To this...
I am going to pair this up with a tiger print Ra-Ra skirt, a slash neck white T and a red vest, my all time fave blondie-tastic black stilettos and some matching black and white Lego jewellery.

(Photos to follow!)
I hope Debbie would approve! X

ONE TO WATCH OUT FOR...

The only place to be this Friday night is checking out the amazing work of Studio_805 at London fashion Weeks' Vauxhall fashion scout show. An event showcasing young designers and stars of tomorrow, from the newest trend setters to the most promising graduates and the most talked-about young labels, see them here before they hit the mainstream!

Andrew Bannister the brains behind Studio_805, (and a very close friend of mine! X) shows through his latest collection an energetic, fast paced and impactful source of fresh and directional fast fashion and emerging trend ideas that keep you right on the pulse.

For this collection the jewellery was made by myself from red and white Lego. You too can hook a piece of my manipulated Lego jewellery in my Etsy shop http://www.upcycleme.etsy.com/)

So luckily for me, I have bagged myself a front row seat for the event...I'm so exited!

For details of this must-see showcase, check out http://www.vauxhallfashionscout.com/ and for a closer look at Studio_805 you are just one click away - http://www.studio_805.co.uk/

BRIGHTON SNOW!

WOW, 7 inches of thick snow!

I spent most of the day walking on the beach which was crowded with people who had phoned in "snowed in"...

What a wonderful day it has been.

GETTING TO KNOW ME, GETTING TO KNOW ALL ABOUT ME...

A list

Pinched from www.papercloth.blogspot.com who pinched it from Manda. Although I have altered the list very slightly....

Things you've already done: bold

Things you want to do: italicize

Things you haven't done and don't want to - leave in plain font

1. started my own blog!

2. slept under the stars

3. played in a band

4. visited Hawaii

5. watched a meteor shower

6. given more than you can afford to charity

7. been to Disneyland/world

8. climbed a mountain

9. held a praying mantis

10. sang a solo

11. bungee jumped

12. visited Paris

13. watched a lightning storm at sea

14. taught yourself an art from scratch

15. adopted a child

16. had food poisoning

17. truly fallen in love

18. grown your own vegetables

19. seen the Mona Lisa in France

20. slept on an overnight train

21. had a pillow fight

22. hitch hiked

23. taken a sick day when you’re not ill

24. built a snow fort

25. held a lamb

26. gone skinny dipping

27. run a marathon (no but I've walked one!)

28. ridden a gondola in Venice

29. seen a total eclipse

30. watched a sunrise or sunset

31. had the kiss of a lifetime

32. been on a cruise

33. Been a punk

34. fallen in love with someone that didn't feel the same

35. seen Madonna in concert

36. taught yourself a new language

37. had enough money to be truly satisfied

38. Run away from home

39. gone rock climbing

40. seen Michelangelo's David in person

41. sung karaoke

42. watched Star Wars

43. bought a stranger a meal in a restaurant

44. visited Africa

45. walked on a beach by moonlight

46. been transported in an ambulance

47. had your portrait painted

48. gone deep sea fishing

49. eaten oysters

50. been to the top of the Eiffel tower in Paris

51. gone scuba diving or snorkeling

52. kissed in the rain

53. played in the mud

54. gone to a drive-in theatre

55. been in a movie

56. visited the great wall of china

57. started a business

58. taken a martial arts class

59. Driven a truck

60. served at a soup kitchen

61. sold girl scout cookies

62. gone shark diving

63. gotten flowers for no reason

64. donated blood

65. gone sky diving

66. visited a Nazi concentration camp

67. bounced a cheque

68. flown in a helicopter

69. saved a favorite childhood toy

70. been to Glastonbury Festival

71. been somewhere in fancy dress when no one else was

72. pieced a quilt

73. stood in times square

74. made a spotted dick

75. been fired from a job

76. seen the changing of the guard in London

77. broken a bone

78. been on a speeding motorcycle

79. seen the grand canyon in person

80. published a book

81. visited the Vatican

82. bought a brand new car

83. Horse riding

84. had your picture in the newspaper

85. stolen sweets from Woolworth's

86. been on television

87. killed and prepared an animal for eating

88. had chickenpox

89. saved someone’s life

90. sat on a jury

91. met someone famous

92. gambled in Vegas

93. lost a loved one

94. had a baby

95. dressed like a pirate

96. gone out with no under ware on

97. been involved in a law suit

98. got drunk in a park

99. been stung by a bee...

The above picture of me highlights numbers 33, 47 and I guess 71! X

MUMS - The greatest thing in the world!

My Mum - fantastic, beautiful, STRONG, funny, creative, brilliant and alllllll mine. So why am I having this sudden outburst of blog lurve for my mumma?

Well this past 2 years have probably been the toughest ones yet. But FINALLY I feel like I am turning the corner and things are starting to get back on track. There is no doubting that there have been some really awful and horrendous times, but the one constant throughout it all, keeping me sane, supporting me, listening to my woes and mopping up my tears...MY MUM.

My brilliant, fantastic, glorious Mum. And here she is looking as beautiful as ever...

A GREAT READ FOR CRAFTY THINKERS! x

The lead up to Christmas was exhausting, and I always find January a really tough month to get motivated. During the festive hols I stumbled across a book called the creative entrepreneur written by Sonora Beam, and what a fantastic find!
In the words on Sonora herself "The Creative Entrepreneur is a visual, results-oriented, step-by-step method of business development for creatives from all walks of life who want to turn their passions into viable business opportunities.
Whether you are an artist, designer, or small business owner, this book will empower you to invent or renew your vision with the steps required to take your creative idea and make it real."

During my hiatus years as a sales manager I found myself on many courses which took me through SWOT analysis, SMART targets, BUSINESS PLANNING and IMPLIMENTATION, but more often than not, the information floated into my brain but never actually became relevant to what I actually wanted to achieve. The simple technique of 'visual journaling' that the book teaches seems to make every component of a business plan realistic, achievable most importantly, relevant to a creative thinker. It is so refreshing to find a business development book that is written in my language! I love it, and would recommend it to anyone with a crafty mind and a passion for success!

For more info check out the website - http://www.creativeentreprenuer.biz/