Inspiration!

Creativity is not something that just comes out of thin air, it is born when you're inspired by something you see, hear, touch or even taste. Artists and designers have always struggled with inspiration and go to great lengths to find it. I think we could all do with remembering what inspires us in these difficult times, so I have written a list and I hope this helps in your own quest for inspiration.

Metal
I love Heavy Metal ! In fact I think I would die without it. I love that feeling when you hear one of your favorite songs. The hairs stand up on the back of your neck and then the world disappears around you. During my metal moments the world looking at me will see a total geek headbanging out of time! I am a big Thrash fan and this provides me with lots of inspiration. Think of the 80s, Long hair, Ripped jeans, leather jackets, weird artwork and band shirts! Yes! I go to festivals every year and take lots of photos for the vault. Metal inspires the passion inside me and keeps me drawing or sewing when the tank is low.

Pretty In Pink (1986)


I have a teeny obsession with Andie Walsh (Molly Ringwald) In Pretty In Pink, her attitude, issues and style in this film is just awesome. I love how she loves clothes and customises them so she can stand out from the crowd. They beat her down but she keeps her head up and carries on. I had a bad time at school because I was the crazy arty one that confused everyone. When I first saw Pretty In Pink I felt like I was watching myself and I was oddly comforted by it. I love this film and it will always inspire me to be myself and be creative!

Horror *screams*
I have been into horror movies since I was a kid and I find it hard to get scared these days. I will admit to having a nice little horror collection and on those days I can't draw, I stick on one of my old favorites and then ideas just come to me. I guess this could sound a little 'scary' but it isn't about what's happening in the story, it's about the art of how they made something come alive! The Return of the Living Dead is a great example of that or any film by Fulci. The masters of horror cared about the 'art' of gore! That is what inspires me.

I have only written about three inspirational things. My list is pretty long but the three above are the most important. The only thing I didn't write about is 'Love'. I think love inspires everyone on the planet and I know I have found it. I hope you feel a little inspired! I would love to know what inspires you, so feel free to leave your list in the comment box below.

Skull Pillow

After making the heart pillow, I was thinking about how I could develop my ideas further and so I came up with this skull idea. This afternoon I sat down and made this Mexican inspired skull. I am really please with the outcome and I plan on making miniatures in different colours.  

Pleather Collection

Last night I made this 'Love' cushion (above), it was a real labor of love but, I loved making it and I am really happy with how it turned out. I made the Metal heart earlier in the day and I was inspired to make something bigger and better. I plan on developing my pleather project, getting inspiration from horror films, cartoons and tattoo art.

My Metal Door Hanger..Thing..

I went into town yesterday to buy some new fabric for my little pin cushions but, I ended up leaving with pleather in three different colours! I often go into craft shops, get crazy ideas and end up leaving without the thing I went in for! I saw the pleather and I immediately got a flash of heavy metal. I wanted to take my pin cushion idea further and develop it into other designs. So, today I made a 'heart' shaped door hanger which reads 'metal'. I love heavy metal and craft but, I can never find anything that mixes the two and this leaves my room bare. I have recently taken up making things for my room, that reflect my personality and maybe for others with similar taste to mine.

 I began by cutting out my shapes and getting myself organised. I like to have everything out in front of me ready to go! I glued the letters on to the white banner to keep then still, I then stitched the edge of the letters to keep them in place and for decoration. I have a little obsession with studs (ok, huge obsession!) I cant help myself. I was always told in my textile classes that you want to add texture. I always try and add a little in every project but, it's not always easy in every single project. I added a ripped detail on the heart and studs for a little extra fun. I pretty much just sewed the entire thing together, added a fancy loop and sewed two buttons on for decoration.

Cake Decorating!

My Mum's Snakes and Ladders cake!

Since I can remember my Mum has made amazing cakes, I remember having a different cake every year and her creativity always inspired me. Recently she has been venturing to classes and what's really great about it is that she is teaching me! I have artistic skill which helps me understand this different medium. Cake decorating is an expensive craft if you get into it seriously; The kit is huge and extremely expensive! 

The first cake I attempted was the simple cupcake with icing. I chose to do a chocolate sponge with a caramel icing (sugar overload!). Applying the icing can be pretty tricky if you want it to look professional but I just went with my instincts and the result is above (the decorative sugar flowers were my Mum's first attempt). 

My first Christmas cake since cookery school!

Last Christmas was my first Christmas with my boyfriend Dan who is a massive 'Grind Metal' fan. I really wanted to do something nice for him so, I decided to make him a metal inspired Christmas cake. We both love the band Napalm Death who are huge in the Grind scene. We both joked that this Christmas would be a 'Merry Grindmas' which made us laugh (yes, we are metal nerds, who laugh at our own silly jokes and listen and discuss metal like Hawking talks about the universe). Anyway, the cake was an absolute triumph! 

The chocolate cake with Mint butter icing and the 'Ghostbusters' icing design.  

I find the cakes in supermarkets absolutely depressing! The designs may be good but the cake itself is disgusting! Dan's 30th birthday was coming up and I really wanted to make him a cake! Dan loves my brownies, mint and is crazy obsessed with Ghostbusters! All three of these things made me happy because I happen to like them too ;-). The mint icing is pretty basic and scrummy. To mix, make a simple butter icing and add peppermint flavouring and green powered food colouring. I free handed the 'Ghostbusters' motif onto white baking paper and make sure it's perfect. Lay the design on to rolled out icing, use something small and blunt to draw over your design so it dents the icing and then cut it out.  Ice your cake and stick your design onto the cake using a little butter icing! The cake was a complete success and made Dan extremely happy. 

I am a great believer in do-it-yourself! Cake decorating is another great skill for you to have for the future. You can buy lots of great books on basic cake decorating or even sign up for classes which are great fun (according to my Mum ). My Mum has made some amazing cakes. I will post up more photos sometime in the future. I hope I have inspired you to get baking! 

New Projects! Make Your Own!

l

I have been working on some new projects on the run up to Christmas. I have begun by printing my own Christmas cards. The photo above is of he first layer of polyblock print. I wanted to create a background with some texture and carved the patter into the foam block. I chose red as one of the most popular Christmas colours. 


Christmas is a difficult time for me and I find all the rushing stressful and annoying. I have decided this year to take my time and be prepared to minimize the stress and actually enjoy myself.. My previous post about 'buying handmade' this Christmas is handy if you want to find different gifts this year. I like to make my own if I can and this year I plan on making or buying a handmade gift for each person on my list.

I have been exploring 'felt' recently and I began by making a mini pin cushion as a little experiment. I want to make large felt hearts and other shapes for wall hangings or door handle decorations. My pin cushion experiment (above) came out 'ok' but, the writing was a little rushed on my machine. I want to explore with different fabric, wadding and stuffing, to see what works best with my designs.


The reason I have decided to make very 'kitch' designs is a simple one; I can never find anything I like at an affordable price. The highstreet feeds us 'what's in' and I genuinely like 'what's out'. My taste is becoming more and more popular but at a price. I want creative designs at affordable prices and what better way of doing this is to make it myself! 

I have purchased some pleather (fake leather) to make heavy metal inspired designs for my boyfriend and I to enjoy. We are massively into Metal and it's not easy to find anything metal inspired in the shops. I collect studs and weird buttons, which will be perfect for my creative madness! 


'Home Sweet Home' signs, 'Love pin cushions, 'House Of Metal' pleather cushions,wall hangings and maybe a few little brooches for fun. 


I think in this day and age where we live in a consumerist, demanding, mass produced, frightening society, we have to be more creative to keep our individuality. People bang on about growing your own veg, making food from scratch, I think we can apply that to textiles and MAKE OUR OWN!

Buy Handmade This Christmas

Here's a thought! Why not buy handmade this Christmas? A friend declared on Twitter this week that she will only buy handmade gifts this year. I thought it was a really great idea and fully support her choice. I think this Christmas I will buy as many handmade gifts as I possibly can. I have already bought gifts for people but, I have decided to buy a little handmade extra for friends and family. I though I would share some of my favourite shops to hopefully inspire you to buy handmade this Christmas.

Doll Doll Dolly

DDD is my own personal accessories label. I make facinators, Headbands, Hair clips, Bags, Brooches and recently been working on 'home' textile projects I am inspired by vintage fashion, old movies and the rockabilly style that has recently come back into fashion. I hand sew all my corsages and use a variety of different fabrics. My aim to provide beautiful hand made accessories at affordable prices. My shop is a little bare at the minute but, I will be adding new items shortly. Feel free to contact me through Etsy or here on my blog if you have any questions or requests.

Mini Patisserie 

Mini Patisserie is a beautiful little shop on Etsy. I love the little miniature cake necklaces and jammy dodger rings. These pieces would make a great presents in any girls stocking this Christmas. 

Frantic About Frances 

Love Pin-up? Love Vintage unuseral lingerie? Then check out the lingerie by Frantic about Frances! Fantastic handmade retro lingerie designs available via Etsy. Find handmade Panties, Garters, Bloomers and cheeky tassles to impress you  or your loved one this Christmas.