MeetMySwatch

I have always admired the Swatch brand, with their clearly identifiable style & reliable designs. I recently discovered their artist collaborations & special collections when Sean (Swatch employee & boyfriend) bought me their limited edition 'Flowerhead' watch, designed by Olaf Hayek. Admittedly, I had never heard of this artist before, but upon researching him I think I have falling in love (sorry Sean!), well with his illustrations anyway! Twisting arrangements of natural forms are painterly adorned to flawless figures, towering over their head like a mother nature's twist on Victorian wigs. The tainted colours he chooses are beautifully vibrant, almost built up then worn away, like these characters were actually Victorian & now have chrysanthemums stemming out of their vintage wigs & stalks fleeing the nest, bringing a sense of surreal serenity to the image. They are endearing yet sophisticated, the detail of his skill showing through his creative ingenuity. However, this skill shouldn't come as a surprise as he is classed as one of the most successful illustrators in the world, being featured in top publications & leading brands advertising campaigns.

Unfortunately, this limited edition watch is no longer for sale in store, but some can be found online if you look carefully & are willing to pay a little extra. Fortunately for me though, I have got mine firmly wrapped around my wrist...

...Lime Green Notebook, Ball-point Pen & Tote Bags - All Swatch...

...Olaf Hijak's Illustrations (from the top)...

...Jewellery Illustration for Spread Magazine, NY...

...Print for LUMAS Gallery...

...Jewellery Illustration for Spread Magazine, NY...

...Illustrative interpretation of Italian Fashion Brand Kristina Ti's Collection...

...La Lettura Magazine Cover...

...Illustration of The Great Egret for Audubon Magazine...

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MeetMyQuickFix

Sometimes you just fancy whipping something up to snack on, whether it be sweet or savoury. The return of the latest series of the Great British Bake Off has definitely triggered this to a greater extent recently as you just CAN'T watch GBBO without a treat! Well I can't anyway, I think it is near enough impossible! I'm going to be honest, unless I am planning for a friend's birthday cake, or sticking to a recipe, my inventions are normally created from whatever is lurking in the back of my cupboard or fridge. This experimental aspect can sometimes work out unbelievably smoothly (sometimes not), but it's all about having fun...& hopefully creating something scrummy to eat at the end of it as well!

For these cute little blossoming pastries I just used ready rolled puff pastry pleated into a cupcake tin & filled them with various flavour combinations! It really is as easy as that! 

Fill to the top with your chosen fillings & bake in the oven for about 15 minutes.

...Fig, Feta & Balsamic Glaze...

...Peanut Butter, Banana & Chocolate...

...Blueberries & Apple Sauce...

Please let me know what you think about my pastry flavour combinations & your GBBO treats!

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MeetMySeptemberIssue

Welcome to September! I hope it has been happy for you all so far.. It has been a lovely start for me, spending this sunny day in the charming area of East Didsbury, Greater Manchester, raiding their many charity shops & drinking freshly squeezed orange juice alfresco. Wearing part of my latest charity shop bargain find, these powder blue high-waisted cropped trousers, part of a transitional trouser suit (originally from Wallis), the warmth was perfect for the blue cloudless skies of today when paired with a sheer shirt & slip-on sandals. Inspired by the broken bark of a nearby beech tree, I have mixed & matched my trouser suit pieces with existing items in my wardrobe (see my previous post featuring this shirt here). Seeing as Winter Pastels are a approaching trend for the colder seasons coming, so why not experiment with some pieces now & then layer up when the season comes. I am waiting for the perfect opportunity to take my full suit out for the day ready when the leaves falling & the temperature is dropping, so keep an eye out on my bloglovin profile for my full suit outfit variations coming very soon...

...Silk Flowers (worn in my hair) - collected from various accessory & vintage shops...
...Black Cat-Eye Sunglasses - Vintage...
...Black & White Bird & Floral Sheer Shirt - Topshop (last season, similar here)...
...Powder Blue High-Waisted Cropped Trousers - Charity Shop Find (originally from Wallis)
...Black Leather & White detailed backpack - TK Maxx...
...White leather slip on sandals - Avarca Menorquina...

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MeetMyGamesGift

The Hunger Games is one of the most popular set of films/books currently circuiting & my friend Emily is a big fan. With her birthday being this past week, & us always being the ones to bake the birthday cakes, it was all on my back to produce a single-handed masterpiece. I wouldn't quite call it that (because it was my first shot) however I think the imperfections of my mocking jay (hopefully) add love to this bake as it is a very personalised cake. 

I translated Emily's love of whiskey (don't worry she's not an alcoholic!) with a whiskey & honey flavoured cake & butter cream, although she did suggest more whiskey was needed (maybe she is an alcoholic?!) I agreed to be fair...I added about 6 tablespoons to the cake & 2 tablespoons to the icing, however add more according to your tastes! To complement the whiskey & honey, I decided to make the mocking jay with gingerbread & used the leftover for decorative flames (although they kind of look more like leaves...) & made them the day before the cake because it keeps longer than the cake, & I had work in between baking...

I also decorated the cake with some strawberries around the sides, adding a flash of colour. I would have loved some gold leaf to have decorated the mocking jay with as well, but maybe one of you could try that & let me know how it turns out? I separated the mocking jay symbol into 3 templates to build up a 3-dimensional effect & prevent the gingerbread from spreading too much when it baked. You can trace an image, or just let me know if you would like the templates & I can always upload them for you! 

...Hunger Games Whiskey & Honey Cake with Gingerbread Mocking Jay...

...Ingredients for gingerbread...

• 215g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon all spice/mixed spice
• 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
• 60g butter
• 50g golden syrup
• 60g soft brown sugar (or light muscovado)
• 1/2 egg (beaten)

...Method for gingerbread...

• Preheat over to 160 degrees & line about 3 baking trays with baking parchment.
• Mix the flour, ginger, all spice & bicarbonate of soda into a large bowl.
• Melt the butter, golden syrup & sugar in a saucepan over a low heat & stir until melted.
• Pour wet mixture into the dry mixture & add the egg.
• Mix together to make a dough (I started it with a wooden spoon as it is sticky at first, but then switched to use my hands as it becomes firmer as it cools)
• Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface, until about 5mm thick & cut out the templates (make your own by tracing the mocking jay, or I can upload mine if in demand!)
• Use the rest of the dough to make the flames (I did this freehand!)
• Bake in the preheated over for about 15 minutes (but keep an eye on them as they can catch easily & the different sizes will bake at different rates!)
• Remove from the oven & leave to cool before placing in a cake tin (or carefully wrap in foil) ready to assemble later.

...Ingredients for whiskey & honey cake...

• 170g self-raising flour
• 170g butter
• 170g soft brown sugar (or light muscovado)
• 3 beaten eggs
• 6 tablespoons whisky (or more, if you prefer! Make sure you add a little more flour if the mixture becomes too liquidly though) 
• 2 tablespoons of runny honey
• Grated rind of a small orange
• Handful of strawberries (optional, for decorative purposes)

...Method for whiskey & honey cake...

• Preheat the oven to 190 degrees & line 2 cake tins with cake cases.
• Cream the butter & sugar together.
• Add the orange rind & beat in the eggs, one at a time. Mix until pale and fluffy. 
• Sift in half the self-raising flour, pour in the whisky & mix.
• Sift in the remaining flour & mix. 
• Divide between the two tins & bake in the preheated oven for 20/25 minutes until the cake is golden. 
• Turn onto a wire rack to allow it to cool.

...Ingredients for whiskey & honey butter icing...

• 170g icing sugar
• 60g butter
• 2 tablespoons of runny honey (or more, if you prefer)
• Juice from a small orange 
• 2 tablespoons of whiskey (or more, but you will need to add a lot more icing sugar if so)

...Method for whiskey & honey butter icing...

• Put the butter, honey & 1 tablespoon of orange juice in a mixing bowl. 
• Slowly sift in the icing sugar & mix until they are all combined. 

...Assembling the cake...

• Use about 1/3 of the butter cream as a sandwich between the cakes.
• Spread the rest over the cake & around the sides. 
• Stick the mocking jay pieces on one-by-one attached with a thin layer of the icing: circle, mocking jay, then arrow.
• Assemble the flames around the cake.
• Cut the strawberries in half lengthways & assemble around the cake if you are using them.

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 I would love to know about your Hunger Games, or themed creations!

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MeetMyNewChapter

Many young people in the modern world will face this day in one way or another...Graduation. Whether you are the one collecting your degree, or the support system behind the graduates, a spot-on outfit is needed for this bizarre occasion. Not only do graduands (a word I only learnt this week as an alternative for undergraduates) prance around for 6 hours (the limited time you have the robes & mortar board for) in silly costumes, but they have to sit through everyone's walk across the stage, shake of the hand & swift exit...sneakily preying for someone to take a little trip & make the time pass quicker.

I may sound like a cynic, however Tuesday was my day. This week I was a graduand who blossomed into a graduate! And I am all in favour of this tradition! Yes, everyone may feel ridiculous at first when the gown in adorned...however, this is only at first. And everyone looks as ridiculous as one another anyway!

After that big build up (much what graduate ceremonies are like) here is my Graduation outfit... 

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...Red & Black Vintage Dress - COW Vintage...

...Black Cat Eye Sunglasses - Vintage...

...Silver Art Deco-style Drop Earrings - Miss Selfridge...

...Black and chrome bag - COW Vintage (as before)...

...Perspex Heeled Black Sandals - M&S...

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I'd love to know what you wore to your graduation...

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MeetMyDesign

Independent design is an extremely important part of the creative industry, providing a platform for new talent and unique experiences. I am still a newborn on this exciting journey, completing my degree and attempting to step out into the big wide world of work. This is quickly proving to be the most important time to (shamelessly) self-promote to get my designs seen, hopefully by the right people! So who better to where my garments than myself?

...Introducing my Trapped Textiles Plastic Sleeveless Coat, Made by Me...

...MeetMyOutfit...

...Black & White Printed Chiffon Oversized Shirt - Topshop...

...Light Denim Jeans - Levis...

...Lilac Ostrich Leather Handbag - Vintage...

...Chunky White Heeled Sandals - New Look...

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