Chocolate Christmas Trees
Piped white chocolate Christmas trees (with added green food colouring), chocolate matchsticks for the trunk and and added sparkles and stars for the decoration.
Christmas at Kew
December '19
I have wanted to go to 'Christmas at Kew' for years and I managed to get tickets this year! It was very magical and definitely got me feeling very festive.
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Sparkly Stockholm
November '19
Starting to feel very festive after spending a long weekend catching up with uni friends in pretty Stockholm.
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Red Sky in the morning...
Sunset over Goodrich, November '19
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Autumnal Adventures
November '19
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Pretty Passionfruit Cheesecake
September Sunsets in Cornwall September '19
Had a fantastic week off on a girls trip down to Cornwall with my mum and our Welsh Springer, Lottie, in the campervan. Couldn't have timed it better as we had perfect weather the whole week so enjoyed swimming in the sea, clifftop walks, as well as some amazing sunsets in Crantock, Holywell Bay, Polly Joke Beach and Watergate Bay.
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Holywell Bay
Paddle Boarders in Watergate Bay
Polly Joke Beach
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Our final sunset, overlooking the surfers at Watergate Bay
Beautiful Butterflies August '19
A little trip with the girls (and Margo, our younger member of the gang) to the Butterfly garden in Whitchurch, which is just down the road from where I grew up. Got some great shots of the beautiful, crazily patterned butterflies...
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Stormy skies in Shanghai
August '19
I'd been hoping to catch the sunset on The Bund as I've got plenty of shots of the bright night lights of Shanghai, but unfortunately we had stormy skies this time! I explored a bit of the area nearby in the search for some nice green tea to bring back. Took some photos of some very typical Chinese buildings and lanterns.
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The colours and curries of India
August '19
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Another trip to the Far East came around too quickly... First stop India, which is always my favourite place to visit because it's such a hectic, crazy and colourful country, and I LOVE curry! I enjoyed it for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I was very happy to get some fun shots of the technicolour Ta Ta trucks which I will never tire of!
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Pretty PORTO, June '19
I took the train from Lisbon up to Porto for a couple of days, arriving on the Sunday evening when the Santa Pola festival was on - one of the best local traditional festivals in Portugal. It was amazing! Everyone was partying in the streets which were dressed with bunting and fairy lights, and were filled with the smell of people barbecuing sardines! A spectacular firework display over the bridge started at midnight, which felt like New Year's Eve!
It was so nice to be by the river and enjoy a boat trip with the cool breeze, and overlook Porto and the River Douro from the top of the The Dom Luís Bridge. Famous for its port, we couldn't leave without taking a Port tour!
It was so nice to be by the river and enjoy a boat trip with the cool breeze, and overlook Porto and the River Douro from the top of the The Dom Luís Bridge. Famous for its port, we couldn't leave without taking a Port tour!
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TILE STYLE
LISBON, June '19
Lisbon has long been on my list of places to visit and I was very excited to get to go over my birthday this year.
I'd heard great things about Lisbon (and Porto) from friends and it more than exceeded my expectations. I enjoyed wandering around the 'higgledy-piggledy' streets, eating many, many, many Pastel del Natas and feeling very inspired in a colourful city with lots of pretty traditional tiles and ceramics. There were lots of parts to the city to explore; I took the famous no.28 tram up to the Alfama, the old town, where there were many pretty spots to enjoy the view over Lisbon. Belém is a short tram ride out of Lisbon, on the Tagus River, with historic landmarks that recall Portugal’s seafaring past (I enjoy a bit of history), like the 16th-century Tower of Belém, the vast Gothic Jerónimos Monastery, and I of course stopped by the popular Pastéis de Belém patisserie which is famous for its custard tarts.
I'd heard great things about Lisbon (and Porto) from friends and it more than exceeded my expectations. I enjoyed wandering around the 'higgledy-piggledy' streets, eating many, many, many Pastel del Natas and feeling very inspired in a colourful city with lots of pretty traditional tiles and ceramics. There were lots of parts to the city to explore; I took the famous no.28 tram up to the Alfama, the old town, where there were many pretty spots to enjoy the view over Lisbon. Belém is a short tram ride out of Lisbon, on the Tagus River, with historic landmarks that recall Portugal’s seafaring past (I enjoy a bit of history), like the 16th-century Tower of Belém, the vast Gothic Jerónimos Monastery, and I of course stopped by the popular Pastéis de Belém patisserie which is famous for its custard tarts.
The Museu Nacional do Azulejo (National Tile Museum), Lisbon.
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Apparently this new style of tile pattern made people seasick!
Pastel del Natas galore!
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25th April Bridge, the longest suspension bridge in Europe.
ALFAMA, the old town.
The famous No.28 tram!
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SUNSET. Acrylic on canvas. May '19.
Holidays in Hong Kong
March '19
Another whistle-stop tour with work in the Far East finished in Hong Kong this time, so I took the opportunity to tag a couple of days on as holiday to have more of an explore!
The Choi Hung Estate ('Rainbow Estate' in Chinese)
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The Victoria Peak at night
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Aberdeen Fishing Village
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Pom-Pom Wreath
December '18
Created using left-over yarns from my uni-days!
Festive baking
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Lino printed Christmas cards
December '18
I haven't done lino printing since college but had an urge to give it a go again and created a snowflake design for my Christmas cards this year. It was fun to get messy and feel 'arty' again!
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THAILAND
October/November '18
We haven't been on a proper family holiday since my brother and I were kids, so it was great to go on a two week trip to Thailand with my parents. It's been nearly 10 years (!) since I went to SE Asia on my Gap Year so I was excited to see how it had changed, but also explore new places I hadn't visited before.
We started in Chiang Mai, Northern Thailand, where we explored the countryside; visited the rice terraces, numerous amazing waterfalls and weaving villages. I especially enjoyed visiting the traditional Thai parasol factory (although set-up for & heaving with tourists) as you could see the women making them by hand from start to finish! As a family we LOVE Thai food, so we also enjoyed a cooking class after a tour of a local food market which was very interesting (especially learning how they make coconut milk).
I'd not explored much of central Thailand previously. We traveled North-West of Bangkok and stayed on the River Kwai where it was interesting (but also very saddening) to learn more about the history of the Thai-Burma Railway during World War II. Then we travelled to 'Hellfire Pass' which is the name of a railway pass through a mountain of rock which was built with forced labour during WWII, where many men died of exhaustion and disease - very tragic, especially when the railway line closed 2 years after completion! We took a train journey on part of the track further down the line which is still open and then walked back across it - not for the faint-hearted. We also enjoyed some time 'camping' (more like 'Glamping') in an old POW campsite by the riverside, early morning bike ride to some temples & more waterfalls (but swimming in them this time!). After a quick 24hr stop-over in Bangkok we flew down to the south for some beach time...
It was nice to have some time at the end of our holiday to relax at the beach after a packed itinerary! We stayed in Khao Lak where we enjoyed many beautiful sunsets, swimming in the warm sea and numerous Thai massages (some more relaxing than others!). On our last day, we had a trip out to the Similan Islands National Park where the sand was white and the sea was crystal clear. It was paradise! We went snorkeling and there we so many beautiful, colourful fish (including 'Nemo'), but sadly we didn't catch a turtle or reef shark! A fantastic end to an amazing holiday! I was sad to be coming home but felt completely recharged and inspired.
We started in Chiang Mai, Northern Thailand, where we explored the countryside; visited the rice terraces, numerous amazing waterfalls and weaving villages. I especially enjoyed visiting the traditional Thai parasol factory (although set-up for & heaving with tourists) as you could see the women making them by hand from start to finish! As a family we LOVE Thai food, so we also enjoyed a cooking class after a tour of a local food market which was very interesting (especially learning how they make coconut milk).
I'd not explored much of central Thailand previously. We traveled North-West of Bangkok and stayed on the River Kwai where it was interesting (but also very saddening) to learn more about the history of the Thai-Burma Railway during World War II. Then we travelled to 'Hellfire Pass' which is the name of a railway pass through a mountain of rock which was built with forced labour during WWII, where many men died of exhaustion and disease - very tragic, especially when the railway line closed 2 years after completion! We took a train journey on part of the track further down the line which is still open and then walked back across it - not for the faint-hearted. We also enjoyed some time 'camping' (more like 'Glamping') in an old POW campsite by the riverside, early morning bike ride to some temples & more waterfalls (but swimming in them this time!). After a quick 24hr stop-over in Bangkok we flew down to the south for some beach time...
It was nice to have some time at the end of our holiday to relax at the beach after a packed itinerary! We stayed in Khao Lak where we enjoyed many beautiful sunsets, swimming in the warm sea and numerous Thai massages (some more relaxing than others!). On our last day, we had a trip out to the Similan Islands National Park where the sand was white and the sea was crystal clear. It was paradise! We went snorkeling and there we so many beautiful, colourful fish (including 'Nemo'), but sadly we didn't catch a turtle or reef shark! A fantastic end to an amazing holiday! I was sad to be coming home but felt completely recharged and inspired.
Traditional Thai parasols in Chiang Mai, Northern Thailand. It was amazing to see the whole production process, and of course all of the beautiful colours and patterns!
Beautiful flowers at the Bangkok wholesale flower market.
Sunset over the river in Bangkok, looking at the Wat Arun Ratchawararam.
Sunset over the River Kwai.
Sunrise over Cheow Lan Lake in Khao Sok National Park.
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Beach sunsets and swimming in the sea in Khao Lak and the Similan Islands National Park.
Bunny Baby Booties
October '18
I wanted to get back into hand-knitting and these cute little baby booties for my cousin's impending little girl were the perfect excuse to get the knitting needles back out! I used a soft grey marled yarn for the main body, and added pretty pale pink mohair pompoms for the tail. These are the easiest baby booties I have made as they were not knitted in the round, instead, each boot is a shaped piece which was then stitched up (with added ears, eyes, nose & tail). I followed the 'Sew Sensational' blog I found online: https://sewsensational.wordpress.com/2014/05/24/knitted-bunny-baby-booties/
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Bristol Harbour and Upfest - The Urban Paint Festival
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Summer Sunsets...
On top of Cleeve Hill, Cheltenham.
Ogmore-by-Sea, Wales.
Putney Bridge, London.
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Punting with Lottie in Cambridge May '18
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THE TULIP FIELDS
Keukenhof, Lisse (Holland)
April '18
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It was a dream come true to finally cycle around the colourful tulip fields in Holland. The never-ending brightly coloured stripes were spectacular, these photos do not do it justice!
Some snaps from inside the Keukenhof gardens. I have never seen so many different types of beautiful tulips!
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AMSTERDAM
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I loved wandering around the canals of Amsterdam and enjoying all the higgledy piggledy houses - they are like something out of a fairy tale.
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D H A K A
Bangladesh
March '18
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I loved my first time to Dhaka, Bangladesh, for the same reasons I love India... it's a crazy and colourful place where despite its obvious poverty, everyone has a huge smile on their face and is very welcoming. They are ruthless drivers and I think you are lucky if you have no scratches on your car - the buses were so scraped there was barely any paint left on some of them! I really wanted to have a ride in the pretty cycle rickshaws as they were all so colourful and each had a different design (the more OTT the better!). A particular highlight was getting to visit various factories and see the production line, washing houses, print production etc, which I haven't seen before.
H O N G K O N G
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We ended up in Hong Kong over the weekend (as part of our two week work trip) so I managed to enjoy being a tourist and see some of the sights! It's such a busy, crazy and amazing place - I loved it! Some snaps of the Victoria Peak, HK skyline and Star ferry at night (along the 'Avenue of Stars'), and the views from the cable car up to see the Tian Tan Buddah on Lantau Island.
S H A N G H A I
March '18
Annual work trip to the Far East, and enjoyed staying right on The Bund in Shanghai...
amazing views from the hotel rooftop bar!
amazing views from the hotel rooftop bar!
February Florals
I recently enjoyed a weekend in London visiting the Orchid Festival at Kew Gardens and made my first trip to Columbia Road Flower Market. Orchids are one of my favourite flowers but I can never keep them alive! There were so many different varieties and beautiful colours as part of the Orchid Festival.
Bristol Harbour
Lovely sunny Sunday walk along Bristol harbour side. Love all the pixelated colours - inspiration for my next painting?
Pistachio, Yoghurt & Elderflower cake
Yummy Gluten Free cake recipe by Jamie Oliver. I'm not much of a baker but this GF cake was relatively faff-free, tastes great and looks particularly pretty (bar the burnt edges)! The combination of lemon, elderflower cordial and greek yoghurt icing is really fresh.
Meet Wally the Whale....
...made from a recycled Weird Fish top, the perfect fabric to sew this fun toy for my new little cousin.
Also very fitting that it was World Whale Day on the 18th February!
...made from a recycled Weird Fish top, the perfect fabric to sew this fun toy for my new little cousin.
Also very fitting that it was World Whale Day on the 18th February!
Blowing away those January Blues...
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Ink and watercolour on paper.
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Up North and the bright night lights of Newcastle
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The pretty bright night lights and reflections on the Tyne down by the quayside in Newcastle, one of my favourite places.
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The North Coastline
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ON TOP OF THE WORLD! Worth the hike up Skirrid for these panoramic views.
Feeling Festive
December '17
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Rather than making chocolate truffles this Christmas, I decided to bake gingerbread snowflake biscuits decorated with sparkly lemon piped icing - simple yet effective!
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Icy cold snowy scenes here in the Cotswolds/Cheltenham.
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Cold wintery sunset skies
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Autumn has arrived!
Trip to Westonbirt Arboretum to see the beautiful autumnal colours.
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AW17 Weird Fish
October '17
A selection of my knitwear and knitted accessories designs for Weird Fish. Beautiful shots taken in Iceland. www.weirdfish.co.uk
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Scandi Pom Pom Cushion September '17
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Fun Fair Isles
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Making the most of the bank holiday sunshine, I set my knitting machine up outside.
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N Y H A V N
Acrylic on canvas, August 2017.
Serpentine pavilion 2017: Francis Kéré’s cool shades of Africa
Hyde Park, London.
July '17
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A quick visit to London couldn't go without swinging by this year's Serpentine Pavilion designed by Francis Kéré. Inspired by his roots in Burkina Faso, Africa, it's a beautiful tree-like space made up of a tessellation of triangles, with curved walls beneath the orange-ish roof in complementary deep blue.
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Breathing Colour by Hella Jongerius
The Design Museum, London.
July '17
Breathing Colour by acclaimed Dutch designer Hella Jongerius, is an installation-based exhibition that takes a deeper look at the way colour behaves, exploring shapes, materials, shadows and reflections.
The exhibition is divided into separate spaces that simulate daylight at specific times of the day – morning, noon and evening. These three phases explore the impact of changing daylight on our perception of colour. This exhibition was of particular interest as it is extremely relevant to my graduate collection, which was inspired by the ever-changing colours from Dawn ‘til Dusk. My dissertation also looked at our perception and the use of colour in fashion.
The exhibition is divided into separate spaces that simulate daylight at specific times of the day – morning, noon and evening. These three phases explore the impact of changing daylight on our perception of colour. This exhibition was of particular interest as it is extremely relevant to my graduate collection, which was inspired by the ever-changing colours from Dawn ‘til Dusk. My dissertation also looked at our perception and the use of colour in fashion.
The Cornish Coastline
Girls trip in 'Campie'.
July '17
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Beautiful sunsets and crashing waves at Watergate Bay, Cornwall.
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Colourful Copenhagen -
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Nyhavn is an enticing concoction of sherbet-hued town houses, craft/design studios and candlelit cafes.
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FAR EAST adventures...
April/May '17
Some highlights from a recent work trip to the Far East...
Chennai & Delhi (India) - Seoul (South Korea) - Shanghai (China)
Chennai & Delhi (India) - Seoul (South Korea) - Shanghai (China)
The bright night lights of Shanghai
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I was up in the clouds.... The Shanghai Tower is the second tallest building in the world, and has amazing views of The Bund from the top!
Seoul, South Korea
South Korea - May '17
The Grand Palace
I was very lucky to be in Seoul during the Lantern Festival. There was a spectacular night procession and so many colourful lanterns on display along the canal running through the city.
PLEASE HORN!
Chennai (India),
April '17
April '17
I have always loved the chaos of India.... I was so pleased to finally capture the colourful Indian TaTa trucks on camera (as they are usually coming straight towards you at high speed!).
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Moroccan inspired
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Coloured ceramic pieces
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January '17
I've enjoyed finally adding some colour to my thrown pieces. It's tricky mixing colours as you never know quite how the colours will change after firing (which is also part of the fun)... but I'm thrilled with my first attempt! Melting glass beads (see pre-firing, left) is very easy and striking way of adding colour.
I've enjoyed finally adding some colour to my thrown pieces. It's tricky mixing colours as you never know quite how the colours will change after firing (which is also part of the fun)... but I'm thrilled with my first attempt! Melting glass beads (see pre-firing, left) is very easy and striking way of adding colour.
SEEDHEAD EXPLOSION.
Watercolour and ink painting. Bursts of bright orange set against pale blues and greys.
Frosty winter trees lit by bright winter sunlight...
December '16
Some beautiful frosty sunsets in the lead up to Christmas... I love the silhouettes of the trees against the vivid skies.
Some beautiful frosty sunsets in the lead up to Christmas... I love the silhouettes of the trees against the vivid skies.
1920s JAZZ AGE Fashion & Photographs
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October '16
My most recent visit to London was to catch the end of the Georgia O'keeffe exhibition at the Tate Modern and the 1920s JAZZ AGE exhibition at the Fashion and Textile Museum. I love twenties fashion so this was a great little exhibition to go to 'The 1920s JAZZ AGE exhibition presents a glittering display of haute couture and ready-to-wear fashion from 1919 to 1929. Women’s clothing in the 1920s reflected dizzying social change on an unprecedented scale. From Paris and London to New York and Hollywood, the decade following the Great War offered the modern woman a completely new style of dressing. With over 150 garments, this stunning selection of sportswear, printed day dresses, fringed flapper dresses, beaded evening wear, velvet capes, and silk pyjamas reveals the glamour, excess, frivolity and modernity of the decade. Colourful illustrations by Gordon Conway from the Illustrated London News Archive at Mary Evans and photographs by Abbe, Beaton, Man Ray, and Baron de Meyer highlight the role of photographs and magazines in promoting the 1920s look.' |
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LONDON DESIGN FESTIVAL.
The Green Room at the V&A by Design Studio Glithero.
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Bristol Balloon Fiesta
Aug '16
The sky was filled with colour as Bristol Balloon Fiesta took to the air... colourful balloons of all shapes and sizes were scattered across the Bristol skyline as over a hundred hot air balloons took part in a mass launch from the Ashton Court Estate. The epic mass ascent was followed by a stunning nightglow where the pilots lit the burners in rhythm to music.
The sky was filled with colour as Bristol Balloon Fiesta took to the air... colourful balloons of all shapes and sizes were scattered across the Bristol skyline as over a hundred hot air balloons took part in a mass launch from the Ashton Court Estate. The epic mass ascent was followed by a stunning nightglow where the pilots lit the burners in rhythm to music.
Italian Adventure to the Cinque Terre
(and a trip back to Switzerland)
July - August '16
Cinque Terre is a rugged coastline on the Italian Riviera and consists of the five beautiful hillside towns;
Riomaggiore - Manarola - Corniglia - Vernazza - Monterosso
A cascade of picturesque multi-coloured houses all tightly clustered on the cliff edge, face onto the sea.
Cinque Terre is a rugged coastline on the Italian Riviera and consists of the five beautiful hillside towns;
Riomaggiore - Manarola - Corniglia - Vernazza - Monterosso
A cascade of picturesque multi-coloured houses all tightly clustered on the cliff edge, face onto the sea.
Sunrise and sunsets...
July '16
Dawn on Coppet Hill (Goodrich, Herefordshire) and the sun setting in Cheltenham (my new home). I'll forever be inspired by the ever-changing beautiful colours in the skies at dawn and at sunset.
Dawn on Coppet Hill (Goodrich, Herefordshire) and the sun setting in Cheltenham (my new home). I'll forever be inspired by the ever-changing beautiful colours in the skies at dawn and at sunset.
A Brief Visit to Bamberg, Germany
July '16
My summer of little trips abroad has begun... beginning with a few days in Bamberg, a beautiful town in northern Bavaria, Germany which sits on seven hills. I enjoyed exploring the cobbled streets, the mix of architecture and soaking up the magical 'fairytale' atmosphere of the old town with the river running through it. A very picturesque, pretty town.
My summer of little trips abroad has begun... beginning with a few days in Bamberg, a beautiful town in northern Bavaria, Germany which sits on seven hills. I enjoyed exploring the cobbled streets, the mix of architecture and soaking up the magical 'fairytale' atmosphere of the old town with the river running through it. A very picturesque, pretty town.
Bjarke Ingels' Serpentine Gallery Pavilion
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July '16
Bjarke Ingels' Serpentine Gallery Pavilion is "mountainous outside and cavernous inside". He has used stacks of fiberglass boxes to create a huge undulating structure. |
MISSONI ART COLOUR
May '16
I couldn't visit London without paying a trip to the recently opened Missoni knitwear exhibition at the Fashion and Textile Museum.
KNITTING: MATERIAL AND COLOUR
'I would like to describe visually the fascination of a creative process that leads to the physical transformation of material. It is the mystique of colour taking shape. There is experimentation, the repetitive process of infinite research, the obsession that builds experience. It is the art of creating a fabric'. Luca Missoni
I couldn't visit London without paying a trip to the recently opened Missoni knitwear exhibition at the Fashion and Textile Museum.
KNITTING: MATERIAL AND COLOUR
'I would like to describe visually the fascination of a creative process that leads to the physical transformation of material. It is the mystique of colour taking shape. There is experimentation, the repetitive process of infinite research, the obsession that builds experience. It is the art of creating a fabric'. Luca Missoni
Beautiful IstanbulApril '16
I first fell in love with Istanbul back in 2012, and have just returned from a flying visit with work to visit suppliers. I enjoyed soaking up the atmosphere by the Bosphorous and seeing the distinctive silhouettes of the mosques in the evening sunset. |
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Wildlife Photographer of the Year
April '16
I always enjoy going to this exhibition at the National History Museum in London.
A few of my favourite images....
I always enjoy going to this exhibition at the National History Museum in London.
A few of my favourite images....
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Asian AnticsMarch '16
My first work trip was a whistle-stop tour of Asia to visit factories and suppliers, as well as research and inspiration for designing the next season. In 2 weeks, we visited India, Hong Kong, China and Japan. I've been to India as part of my Gap Year and it was as crazy and chaotic as I remembered it! It was my first time to Hong Kong, China and Japan, and I particularly loved Tokyo. Japan is a place that has never been on my list of places to visit, but I definitely want to explore more... |
