Saturday 18 July 2015

DIY Storage Jars | Room Decor | Pirate style

Yo Ho, Yo Ho a Pirate's life for Me!



Hey guys, I am so sorry I haven't posted in a million years and I have no excuse as I've had a lot of free time!

I recently posted a video on my fashion based youtube channel (click to go to it!) of me making some cute storage jars to help keep your room/desk/life organised! I am going to be decorating my uni accommodation with a nautical, seaside theme (video and post coming soon!) and so chose to have pirate figures topping my jars, but if you're a bit more girly, or want a particular theme, these jars can be adapted very easily (glue guns are the way forward!)

On my channel I also have a few haul videos and a video of me discussing my skin care routine/ the new product I am using to help me get rid of my spots (damn being a teenager).

I hope you enjoy my videos and if you have any suggestions of what you'd like to see in a blog post or video, please feel free to drop a comment below- I love a good chat!

Love 
Lottie :) x

Thursday 19 March 2015

Foundation Diploma in Art and Design (my review)


Today I finally finished my Foundation Diploma in Art and Design! I really didn't enjoy it very much and think that if you are 70% sure of what you want to do as a degree whilst you're doing your A-Levels, you should apply for uni straight away. Then, if you don't get in you can still apply to do the Foundation Diploma. This is something I wish I'd done, as this past year I have been pretty bored and have hated the 'weird' angle of the whole course which is very experimental and the staff generally wanting you to produce very abstract Fine Art based work (plus the amount of students that were accepted meant that a couple of times I only spoke to a teacher for about 5 minutes of the whole day!). 

Luckily, I'm very motivated to do well, even if I dislike the course, and so have persevered and got good grades in each unit. The course requires a lot of analysing and comparison of your own work with other artists and other broad research; controversial subjects seems to be a favourite of the course leaders.

The first couple of weeks were VERY experimental, drawing with our eyes closed, not being allowed to look at what we were drawing and even drawing with our feet. This creating peculiar outcomes, the majority of which I wanted to put straight in the bin.
We did learn a couple of interesting techniques such as screen printing, glass blowing and making ceramic tiles but having to do this alongside left handed drawings, still didn't make the course 'thrilling'.





'Shoe Sculpture' in which we had to take apart a shoe and literally make it into a sculpture (I hated this btw, far too abstract for me!





Group activity- creating a '3D' drawing of a member of the group's blind drawing, made with wool. (this was okay...)





 My 'blind drawing'- we had to feel our face and then draw what we felt                                                 (whilst keeping our eyes shut. (I also disliked this extremely)


Granted, as the course progressed, I enjoyed being able to produce work that I actually WANTED to do and had an interest in (Illustration is my thing!) although... there was still that snag of having to be very experimental and trying every technique on the planet, be it interesting to you or not.

I agree that to be accepted into a prestigious art course at a top University, you generally NEED a Foundation Diploma and so you might as well just crack on with it. I also agree that by doing a Foundation Diploma, my portfolio increased vastly and I showed that I can work in a number of different styles (this is what uni's want!). This body of work helped me to get a place at all the uni's I applied for to do BA Illustration (Falmouth, Plymouth, PCA and Norwich).

I've just read this post back and have realised its basically just me ranting on and I'm sorry about that for any of you about to start a Foundation course..... but, if you are the kind of person who likes to learn and try different techniques, no matter how wacky, then this course will be perfect for you! And if you're under 19 when you start the course, at least its free!

In September I am going to be starting my Illustration degree and hope to write regular posts about it in order to help anyone else who is thinking about studying in this subject area!

Below, is is from the last two units when we were given a bit more freedom!
'Is Anybody Out There?'- Text taken from a newspaper article about UFO's which I then recreated into a collaged piece
Artist Research on Sara Fanelli in my Sketchbook
Small model I made using the back of a phone as the main body and then added collaged legs as well as making him a little jacket and top. Although I'd never done anything like this, I really enjoyed it (they did not suggest it however, it was my own thinking that gave me the idea!- wow I'm so cynical)

Working with found words on the street and shadows. I actually enjoyed this 'workshop' we were basically shown some examples of using type and shadows and then set free to experiment. By dangling the letters by thin strands of thread, the letters almost appear to be floating, giving them a graceful appearance.

Group Activity- Making a 'sculpture' using paper shapes (ours became a dress as everyone else in my group wanted to do a fashion degree) 





Friday 19 December 2014

Christmas Countdown- Outfit of the Day

With only 6 days to go, Christmas is fast approaching. The decorations are up, the turkey is bought and I've almost finished my wrapping! Today's post is my winter outfit of the day which is casual but cool.




Shirt- Next, Jumper- Dorothy Perkins, Shoes- Primark, Necklace- Primark

Love 

Lottie :) x

Thursday 11 December 2014

Christmas Countdown

So it turns out I literally do not have the time to post every single day but here's another Christmassy post to keep you in the festive mood! Today's post features gifts for the boys, be it your dad, brother or boyfriend, these will suit a range of ages and are all under £20! 

#1 Moustache Glasses Holder- handpickedcollection.com
I love this novelty geeky christmas gift which would be great for my dad as he's always losing his glasses! 

#2 Remote controlled Air Lightning helicopter- Debenhams
This is amazing value for what it is as RC toys are usually £30+ whereas this is only £15! 

#3 Wooden Stag Head- Debenhams
The perfect addition to making your home feel more country-fied! I really want one of these, they're so fun and quirky and would look great in any home! 


#4 Rudolph Heat Changing mug- Debenhams
This would be great for a younger sibling or stuff it with chocolate or even a game controller to make it fun for a boyfriend or mate! 


#5 Mixtape USB Stick- Amazon
This would be a great gift for anyone, be it a guy or girl. I love the retro style of this gift which is both handy and would be great to make your own Mixtape for your friend. 










Sunday 7 December 2014

Christmas Countdown Day 7- Gluten Free Gingerbread House

Christmas activities are not just for kids, they're fun for all ages, especially when sweets, biscuit and chocolate are involved! Today my friends and I made a gingerbread house, something that I had never done before and was keen to try! My parents are both gluten free and so I have included a great gluten free recipe which is easy to make with clear instructions! When making it, the quantities of ingredients seems quite vast, but trust me, its worth it! 

My friends and I had great fun decorating this with smarties(great for a path!), edible gold and silver balls, chocolate buttons for roof tiles and lots of icing sugar! To make our Christmas trees, I made stars with the remaining dough that decreased in size and then put them on top of each other. 













Here's the link but I am going to post the method too: http://www.glutafin.co.uk/recipe/gingerbread-house/

Ingredients

Gluten Free Melting Mix:
225g Molasses sugar
225g Golden syrup
225g Butter
3x 5ml tsp Ground mixed spice
2x 5ml tsp Ground ginger

Gluten Free Dried Mix:
975g Glutafin Gluten Free Select Multipurpose White Mix
2 ½  x 5ml tsp Gluten free baking powder
3 x 5ml tsp Xanthan gum
3 Medium eggs

The Icing Glue:
2 Egg Whites
500g Icing Sugar

Method

1. Combine Gluten Free Melting mix ingredients in a covered bowl and microwave for 2-3 minutes until melted. Stir and set aside for 10 minutes to cool.

2. Sift the Glutafin Gluten Free Mix, baking powder and Xanthan gum together and place into the melted mix. Stir in the eggs using a wooden spoon and then by hand. Bring together to make a sticky ball of biscuit dough.

3. Preheat the oven to 180ÂșC/Gas 4. Line two baking trays with baking paper.

4. On a floured surface flatten the dough into a 2cm thick round, wrap in cling film and place in the fridge for 30 minutes.

5. To make the gingerbread house, first make templates with paper to the following dimensions - front and back panels 12.7 x 17.7cm. Two side panels 12.7 x 15.2cm. Two roof panels 11.4 x 17.7cm with a gable end. This template is referenced from referenced http://uktv.co.uk/download/uktvfood_gingerbread_template.pdf.

6. Place a piece of parchment on a work surface dust with flour and roll out a quarter of the dough to 5mm thick. Place one of the paper templates on top and with a sharp knife cut around. Repeat the process with the other templates using the remaining dough and rolling up the trimmings – until you have a front and back wall, two side walls and two roof panels.

7. Carefully move the pieces on their baking parchment to baking trays and bake for 12 – 15 minutes. Remove the trays from the oven and allow stand for a few minutes to firm up. Cut out a door on the front wall and windows on the side walls and reserve the cut-out pieces for later. Place on a wire rack for a few minutes, then turn over and peel off the paper and allow to cool completely.

8. To make the icing ‘glue’: Place the egg whites and sift in the sugar, stir to make a thick, smooth icing. Spoon into a piping bag with a small star-shaped nozzle.

9. To assemble the house Pipe generous lengths of icing along the vertical edges of the gingerbread walls. Using a bowl to support the walls from the inside – prop up the walls and hold the sides gently in place with your hands until the icing is dry. Leave the roofless house to dry for at least 30 minutes until the icing is set.

10. Once dry remove the supporting bowl and pipe a line of icing along one long side of the roof piece and along the top edge of all the walls. Stick the two roof sections at an angle and set the two pieces on top of the house. Leave to dry for 30 minutes.

11. While the roof is drying attach the door to the doorway with icing so it looks slightly ajar. Stick a small piece of ‘flake’ chocolate into the roof as a chimney.

Love 
Lottie :) x

Saturday 6 December 2014

Christmas Countdown Day 6

This isn't a Christmassy post but I just love this hairstyle, it's pretty easy to do and gets your hair out of the way when you need to rush about.

To create this hairstyle I created a side parting and swept all of my hair over to one side. I then started slightly back from the front of my hair and created a french braid all the way down, adding sections of hair each time. When creating my braids I plait the hair towards the back as I feel this is the most effective way of keeping my layers tightly in. 



Christmas Countdown Day 5

NO! I missed a day on my blogging streak, but alas I will post twice today to make up for it and then hopefully I'll be back on track!

Today's post is all about gifts for the ladies, be it your best friend, mum, sister or auntie, these gifts would be suitable for anyone.

Sometimes, I really struggle thinking what to get someone when I know I've bought them clothes or beauty products almost every year, which can get a little boring. So for something slightly different, my first gift pick is a cushion from the luxury British store, Cath Kidston. For anyone that doesn't know, this shop creates high quality bags, clothes and home furnishings, designed with cute prints and beautiful patterns. Granted, the products are usually very expensive, but if you look hard enough, you're sure to find a bargain!

#1 London Cushion Cover- Cath Kidston
I love the cute typically British design of this cover which is perfect for adding a touch of fun and colour to any plain room. (Available in white or blue)



#2 Nutella Recipe Book- thepresentfinder.co.uk
Almost all of my friends LOVE Nutella, so I'm sure some of yours do to! This gift is great for anyone who loves baking or is just obsessed with the chocolatey spread. At £8.99 it may seem a little expensive for only 30 recipes but I've had a look elsewhere on line and you get it new for about £5 on Amazon!

#3 Red Polka Dot Little Book of Earrings- Amazon
Having seen this, I myself really want one of these earring holder books! If like me you have loads of earrings that are all sitting in a box getting jumbled up, this book is a perfect holder to keep each stud neatly arranged and visible, and it's compact size means its great for travelling too! (Comes in a variety of colours)

Hope this post was helpful for anyone having a present mind block!

Love

Lottie :) x