Sunday best.

 A rather geeky and picture heavy sunday best. My week has consisted of a piano lesson, work, yo sushi, wagamama, Avatar (finally!) having my boy stay over all weekend, and dinner with my Dad, my new step mummy, and my gran tonight. I wandered around Asda for an hour and stocked up on lunch for the next week. The pounds are slowly sliding off despite my fiendish biscuit and crisp munching. Was a nice chilled end to the week :) I won a couple of Paul Frank tshirts on ebay, ordered those gorgeous Lady Luck brooches I'd been banging on about, and aquired a lovely pen pal! Ohh, and my business cards finally came in the post...

 

I got 50 for around £15 (inc postage) from Moo.com. I've used them before for invites and would highly reccomend them to anyone. 

They come in this slick little black card holder. Customisation of the cards is 100% your own, and pretty easy to do. I'm marketing myself as an applied artist, with my main skill being scenic art but I could also work as art department, production assistant and wardrobe assistant. Its hard to narrow these titles all down to one, so applied artist seems the most appropriate. I didnt want a piece of my work pictured on my business cards, so I opted for 12 images from a Moo designer/photographer (cant remember his name, there are so many different designers work to look through) and my details on the other side in a really simple type font. Its pure tiny! haha it didnt seem that small when I was doing it on the site. Im not fussed though, pretty pleased with them :) Wanted them to be colourful, but not too fussy. My business cards are like little mini postcards, and I hope I get many chances to hand them out... and that the people who I network will remember 'oh, that pretty little picture in my pocket has Ayden Millars contact details on them...'

Hire me please? :)

 

(Number blurred for privacy reasons y'all)

I worked on a graduation film last year for the Digital Film and Television course at my uni. Myself and my friend Ash jumped on as art department, and were kindly given the title of Production Designer (Me) and Art Director (Ash) before the screening. Always good for the CV :) The short film is called Choreomania, and is basically a kind of dark humour where the mundane aspects of day to day life causes a dancing plague to take over, and the story follows the main character from when he wakes up and tries to go about his day to day life, discovering that something pretty strange is going on. It was such a fun shoot to work on and its a hilarious little short film! I found out on friday that Choreomania has been awarded best undergraduate drama at the Scottish Royal Television Society awards. It will now enter into the National Television awards in London, and the Celtic media festival. Its also competing in the Glasgow Short Film Festival this February, with a screening at the CCA in Glasgow on Sat 20th Feb. The writer and director, Louis Paxton, emailed us to say that the short has also been accepted to a number of other festivals both at home and abroad, with January seeing the dancing plague stretching as far as Jaipur India and Berlin. So fingers crossed :) I only have one copy on dvd but I wish I could show it to you all! Here are some production pictures and stills from the very gem itself:

 

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

 

 

  

 

Haha, the pictures really dont do the film justice. I thought I would share anyways :) I feel awfy proud to have worked on something thats getting good press and attention in the filmy world. Like I said, I cant show you a copy, but I can show you a little clip of something else I worked on recently. Remember the little puppet set I worked on, which I blogged about a while back? I dont know if you will, but anyways it was a entry for a Kodak commercial competition for Barclays Bank. Again me and Ash were on it together as scenic artists this time. Its only a 30 sec advert, but have a little nosy :)

http://vimeo.com/9077295

 

5 months and 1 week until graduation. Little projects like the ones above have helped to build me into the 'applied artist' that I am today. For example, doing film jobs completely off my own back and external to my uni curriculum (which is almost entirely theatre based) I share them on my blog, with you and with others because the things that inspire and excite me are things that I hope would bring inspiration to other people too. I may not be the best painter, or the best costume or prop maker. But I work so bloody hard, stay organised, and ultimately deliver the goods just as they should be delivered. So I hope thats a sort of proof that you can do whatever you want to do in life if you just work and work at it, giving as much effort and commitment as possible. Well dears, its bedtime now. And time for a good rest before the busy week ahead. Thanks for reading, as always ♥

Tatty Devine

2010 has brought me my first two pieces of Tatty Devine Jewellery. And oh how I am pleased :) My friend Nic got me some lovely little pink loveheart earrings for christmas, and I bagged myself these beauties on ebay a few days ago for £9! RRP is £43, so was a good deal. The seller claims they are completely new and unused, and after further inspection I have no reason not to believe her. They're immaculate. Voila...

 

 

 

Tatty Devine is completely overpriced. Which is such a shame, as there are some really unique and nice quality pieces but I mean c'mon, £43 for these? The brooch and necklace that match these are £29 and £43 also. I could never afford, or even justify paying that much for a little bit of acrylic. But I still swoon over the website and the Tatty section in Jodies Boutique in Glasgow. I am so rubbish at bidding on ebay. I never win anything when there is more than one other person involved bidding in the auction! Im just never quick enough. So for £9 these little beauties have made me a happy girl. Im sure David is quite glad to hear the end to my moaning and want for Tatty Devine every few days :) Do you have any guilty pleasures or luxuries you indulge yourself in when it comes to jewellery, makeup, or clothes? Come on ladies, make me feel a little less obsessive! :) On the other hand, sometimes its the most simple and cheapest things in life that make us smile...

A little handmade present from the lovely Katrina, left in my pidgeon hole at uni on monday morning :) She made my week! Thank you for everyones kind comments on the last post, my days have been flowing so much better since I got that essay out the way. I'm sure there are quite a few of you who have been in the same position, or are right now, or will be in a couple of years time ;)

 ♥

Night time reading

Here is an extract from a really fun but strange book I've just finished reading, 'Mistakes In The Background' by Laura Dockrill. It is full of doodles and scribbles and poems. Not really a normal 'book' but its been fun to pick up and put down over the past year, and thats me finally read everything from front cover to back. Enjoy ♥

'Be the other one.

The bigger one.

The bolder one. The braver one.

The one that calls back, that asks on dates, that makes the choise, that finishes the milk, that uses all the hot water up, that takes the blame, that rips the mates top or at least sweats really bad in it. Be the captain, cook your tea in the microwave - (I mean your dinner.) Do whatever you want - you can you know, you dont have to tell everyone that they are "looking well". Have the last chocolate - the one that everyone wanted. Even if its strawberry or coffee... or liquer... or out of date. EAT IT. Do draw a moustache on your face for work - be the one that taps your pen at meetings. Hurry up. Say sorry. Be the world changer, the closet arranger, the pisstaker, the start over, the fall-asleeper-on-the-tuber-to-the-last-stopper-and-not-get-offer. Refuse to fake tan, dont wear "BECKY'S GETTING MARRIED, LONDON CHICK ON THE PISS UP 2008!" top. Just dont wear it. Why? Be the investigator. Pay the bill, accept the predictable, learn an instrument - even if its just the recorder. Snore. Wear boxers, shower in cold water, change your mind, dont dress up at the fancy dress party. Say "shut up!" expect it back. Sugar sandwiches. Never say never. "Yes, your arse looks fucking HUGE!" Sorry about earlier - I was a bit brash. Dont save cash. Take your top off at the beach. Leave it on in the pubs. Have 3 courses and enjoy them. Leave the restaurant. Say "love" say "hate". Dont say "RANDOM". Crunch ice. Own up to having nits. I had them when I was little. It was rubbish. But it breaks the ice when making new friends. Something to talk about isnt it?'

These two lovelies are personalised brooches from Lady Luck Rules Ok (mentioned in my last blog) I'd get Ayden, of course, on the anchor and the initials D and A on the lovebirds :) I love brooches! Good alternative to necklaces for me, because I have tattoos on my chest and I hate it feeling all crowded with a necklace hanging there too. Theyre £15 each and only available till the end of january :( Im trying to save my pennies but I get paid on friday, should I go for it? I regretted not getting the Betsey bracelets on ebay so badly, theyre gone now :( Okay, so it's definately time for bed now. A cup of horlicks and Meet Me In St Louis on dvd is calling my name. Night all x

Sunday best

I can't believe its sunday already! I feel like the pages of my moleskin diary are being scribbled in and turned over quicker than ever. Sometimes I wish time would slow down, so I could make the most of every moment and every day and time I spend with my nearest and dearest. But sometimes I want time to fast forward so that I'm already living in my own wee place with David, with both of us working and building a nice little life together and not being skint ass students anymore. There is so much of the world that I want to see and so many things I want to do - I graduate on the 7th july and it couldnt come sooner! I really feel like I've cherished the past three years at uni and made the most of it, by working hard and making a good impression, and learning as many new skills as I possibly could. These final six months before I break free are going to be nervously documented on my blog no doubt, so I apologise in advance for any rants or tears :)

 

This is my little cross stitch I made at my Made In The Shade stitch class last week. I ironed it out and framed it and now its sitting in my grans living room. Quite sweet, non?

(us girlies in action)
 

The next class I went to was held in the Maisonette but taken by Kirsty of The Wooden Tree - She makes cute little fabric brooches and taught us all her know how! We ate Percy Pigs and had a cup of Bucks Fizz and it was a very nice night :)

 

I did a little cupcake brooch, haha ALL hand sewn so it was a bit wobbly but I'm hoping to make more textile brooches and perhaps pillows etc but machine stitched this time. For my first try, I think it worked out okay! Haha meaning it didnt fall apart :) But Im quite keen to have a go at making some other cute wee things (perhaps an owl, a matroyska doll, moustaches, clouds, diamonds, speech bubbles with embroidered writing...) I would love to give them as presents :) Perhaps something handmade when I reach 100 followers? I need to take a trip to mandors to get some more fabric scraps, and get some haberdashery bits and bobs on my shopping list. I just want to make things! :( But perhaps get the rest of my dissartation out the way first.

 

We had good chats with the ladies at The Maisonette, and one of the things they did mention was how recently ASOS copied a design from their friend Leona of Lady Luck Rules Ok. You have to read the full post here to get the jist of it, but it really opened my eyes to the world of fashion and retailing and how many brands completely rip other peoples designs off and vice versa. Its absolutely shocking :( Please have a read and show your support. Its not fair that the big boys can get away with it. Independant and original designers and have their work copied (which really is just stealing, if you think about it) and then they produced it in mass at an utterly crappy standard for a cheapy prices. Its made me rethink about where I shop and what labels I buy. Hmm :(

 

On a completely different tangent, here is what I occupied myself with at uni on friday! I made this horror-esque sign using wood, french enamel varnish in a few different colours, some rosco paint and hand made stencils. I think it would maybe belong in a dingy old factory or a powerstation of some sort. It was fun to make anyways, a bit more cartoony than realistic but I was pleased with the end result. My posts have been all over the place recently, with no particular theme but I hope y'all aint bothered with my ramblings none the less :) How many people are looking forward to the new season of Lost?!

 

I can't bloody wait! :) Think we will get answers to many of the long laying questions which exist? haha, probably not. Gotta love it though.

 

MAC's spring range Give Me Liberty Of London! It looks soooo pretty. Due to launch in March I believe. Me and David went to the Barras today for a wee wander, and I had a good giggle at the quite clearly fake MAC stuff that was on sale at one girls stall. Things like a hello kitty MAC eyeliner and mascara combo in a strange box, which doesnt even exist! And eyeshadows with numbers instead of names? Deary me, dont ever fall for this kinda stuff everyone! There was also a stall at one of the indoor market bits that was selling Links Of London, Pandora, and Thomas Sabo bracelets. They looked and felt real, I dont know how a normal person could judge wether these were fake or not. Apart from the obvious fact that they were being sold at the infamous Barras and I can bet my bottom dollar that they were fake, physically it was really hard to tell. Maybe something like this would turn your skin green after a while? Who knows, best to steer clear of these kinda things anyways. Pandora, even if you bankrupt me I will have an honest earned and paid for bracelet from you one day! :(

Well, this Sunday Best has been a real mish mash but I hope you still enjoy! I need to stop distracting myself and finish my bloody essay. Got Glee on ch4 in the background but I need to backdate a bit on the episodes I've missed. I heard two Glee songs on the radio today and they were awesome :) Cheesy but cheerful! Jenn said she is going to make me a cd which include some more, cant wait to hear it :) Hope everyone has had a great weekend and in particular a relaxing and super sunday. Much love x

Raindrops

With 109 unread posts on my google reader, I seem to have abandoned my blog and reading for the last wee while :( Deary me. Uni and getting back into a proper routine has taken its toll on me. Its always hard to strike the perfect work/play balance, but I'm trying, and its getting better. Hello to my new followers! And hello again to everyone else and thank you for all the lovely comments as usual. You're a swell little bunch ♥ I know its only wednesday, but heres a wee low down of what I've been upto since the weekend (well, sunday!) Oh, including my wee haircut on friday, I've went a bit shorter again than last time...

 

On sunday David and me went into town to the Willow Tea Rooms in Glasgow to meet my Dad, his Fiance, and my Gran for some lunch and a spot of tea! It was such a cute little place, all Rennie Macintosh inspired. I drove up for easiness but after over 2 years of driving I still get really nervous :( Especially in town and when it comes to parking. It was a NIGHTMARE to get parked. On a sunday aswell! How odd. I drive a little silver peugot 206 quicksilver and his name is Cosmo :) He is in dire need of a wash after all this snow and mucky weather.

Even though I was gonna be up at 6am on monday morning for Britains Got Talent, David came back and stayed and it was nice. We made dinner and watched tv, oh oh and on saturday night we tried to go see Avatar AGAIN and it was sold out AGAIN! Actual what the fook. We are gonna need to book tickets in advance because fate just doesnt want us to go see this movie haha. Ended up seeing The Road instead, which was amazing. Anyone heard of it? Ohh aye and Britains Got Talent was a good day :) I wont speak about it in detail because that wouldnt be very professional of me, but I worked a 16 hour day and it went really well. I hope y'all watch the new series when it gets aired! I was never really a fan of shows like that, but working on them and seeing how much goes into it makes me appreciate it a whole lot more. Plus, you might see me shuffling around in the background of some shots ;) haha. Good enough reason to watch? I think so :p

 

I'm finding it hard to get back into the flow of uni :( I think until I set in stone whats happening for my work placement, and when I'm actually gonna be buggering off for a while then I'm not going to feel settled. Been working with the 1st and 2nd years on a random project for the past week, its all bitty just now but once the set gets pieced together it will be lit properly and more photography worthy. Do you like the water sign? It was mostly done by a first year called Hollie, but she had to move onto another department on monday so I finished it off for her adding more aging overall, and detail to the lettering. Meant to be an old, rusty worn metal hydrant sign. Its made of wood and cardboard really though :) Are you convinced otherwise?

 

Tonight my best friend Jenn and I went to the Stitch session at the Maisonette :) Was such a good wee night! Going back tomorow for another craft session, and hopefully the ladies at the maisonette will make it a monthly thing because it was so much fun.

 

This is there shop. It's home to all sorts of lovely goodies made by independant designers. I would love to buy everything in it :( If only!

 

Tonight we worked on embroidery and cross stitching. I've done embroidery using my sewing machine before - which is much easier than doing it by hand. But cross stitching was completely new to me. So theraputic :) This is the little piece I had by the end of the session and I've decided I'm gonna buy a little box frame for it and give it to my gran. I think a wee trip to Hobbicraft is in order, I am in such a making mood now! Which is good... one more new years resolution actually being acted upon :)

 

Afterwards, we went to Tinderbox for some cake and juice. Yum ♥ Jenn is currently awaiting an important phonecall from a prospective employer, and its really been driving her crazy so it was nice to steal her out the house for the night and take her mind off things :) I had a really lovely time and I can't wait to do more things like this this year. After all, you only get out of life what you put in, eh? I may not be a crazy party animal who goes to clubs or out drinking but to be honest at the age of 20 I feel like that whole lifestyle just doesnt appeal to me anymore. Of course I appreciate a random night out, and a nice bottle of wine and some cocktails, but I would much rather spend quality time with my boyfriend and close friends doing things that bring us closer together. Things that are banterful, creative, fun, and memorable. And that dont involve getting totally wasted. I know I sound old, but I just dont like it :( And Im actually quite suprised at how many people around me are feeling the same these days. Wierd one, eh.

 

Haha oh my goodness, my piano lessons start next week and I am excited :) I bought my book from a music store today, and the red one is my teachers, and the blue one is from the library. I have previous experience but I havent sat at a piano in about 5 or 6 years, so this is gonna take me way back to the beginning and basics. Im getting a whole block for free thanks to a 4th year piano student at my uni, who has to do a teaching module as part of her course. She said if I enjoy it then when it comes to the end of the block then she will continue to teach me. Of course by then I will need to pay for them, but I thought this was a really good way of getting me started as piano is something I always regretted giving up. But when youre a kid, you dont appreciate these things! I took my piano lessons and drama school for granted, and now I'm all grown up I realise how lucky I was. Doh :( My mum was never a pushy mother though, and she hasnt been with Tyler or Aaron either. But Tyler has her swimming lessons and dancing and shes only 5, but theyre really good for her so I hope she keeps them up till she's alot older, and I'll always be the good big sis encouraging her to do so too.

Has anyone else carried childhood hobbies into being an adult? I also have been meaning to mention, I've finally got a bloody copy of photoshop! Thank goodness. 'Paint' on windows vista was making me totally deranged - such an awful programme to attempt to make ANYTHING on! Haha. I used it to make my blog header, but now much prettier things shall await with my shiny new programme. Yippee :) Hope everyone is well, and yes I do have a whole lorra' reading and chit chat to catch up on. Loves it! ♥

What a giggle

Haha, I totally forgot to post this picture on my last entry. I got my lunch from Pret this afternoon, and this is the change I was given...

It did make me laugh! But I got rid of it as soon as I could because money thats defaced like this is actually illegal tender... and places aren't meant to accept it. Cheeky Pret, trying to give me a fiver in the form of a harry potter/hitler looking queen! Tut tut :)

Friday feeling

Hello hello! My blog has been well and truly abandoned this week, so I thought I should give a little update :) Firstly I'd like to thank Kirsty at Giggly-Cupcake for a lovely blog award. Thank you so much Kirsty! She is one of the first blogs that I ever followed, and whoever followed me. She is a wee star - you should really check her out. As part of the award I'm meant to tag another 10 blogs, but I literally just did one like last week or something so I'm gonna wait another wee while before I do it again :)

Well today was my first week back at uni, and apart from sleeping in almost every morning and having an awful migraine for pretty much 5 days running, it was an alright week I suppose! We have been working on a group project all week as production stuff has yet to begin - the next show we have to paint is an opera called Kasper Hausen! (spelling?) However we have far too many of us in the department at the moment, and 5 is enough to get this show painted so a few of us have been presented with the opportunity to opt out of production work and do something else this term. As most of you know, I was head scenic artist for Sleeping Beauty at christmas time... and it totally gubbed me :( So I've volunteered not to work on the opera this term. Yeah its one less show on my cv, but I think I'd like some time to work on my portfolio and do another nice big painting. My previous portraits etc have all been quite stylised, but my tutor would really like me to do something as 'real' as possible. And I completely agree with him. So I'll need to get scouring for some inspiration for a big and beautiful idea for a painting! Here are some examples of the kinda personal projects I've filled my time up with before:

 

 

 

As you can see, I am quite a fan of stencil graffiti! Especially Banksy, he is an absolute legend. I could actually sit and paint canvasses all day, it is really relaxing and theraputic. I'm a bit of a geek and have quite a few art, photography and crafty books on my bookshelf. Love them. Although my art history is a bit rusty, I do appreciate all the different movements and the way art has evolved throughout the centuries. Its pretty fascinating, and you don't have to be an arty farty person to understand or appreciate something beautiful and inspiring!

I've promised to keep my crafty head on this year, and next week I am partaking in a series of evenings with the ladies at the Made In The Shade 'Masionette' down the west end of Glasgow for some classes/workshops, all in the love of stitching, sewing, and craft :) Click their name to see the blog. I am soooo excited. Going along with my lovely friend Katrina for a couple of the workshops, can't wait to see what cute little nifty things we learn to make. Pictures definately to follow :)

I have blabbed on enough, so I shall illustrate how the rest of my week has went with even more pictures... 

Got two wee parcels with some beauty goodies because Im taking part in the celebs on sunday beauty survey, anyone else doing this? I got an eye makeup remover (woo hoo!) and a hair shine serum. The serum had leaked ALL OVER the jiffy bag by the time I had opened it, so there is only a tiny bit left and its matching form is all stained. Whats the bloody use in that eh? I will make do with whats left :) Looking forward to trying these sneaky mystery products.

You know its a sad day when you have to spend £50 on an external hard drive :( But, I got a free 2gb usb stick so thats not bad! Im worried that my dell laptop will die on me one of these days, so I thought it would be a good idea to back up all my files, pictures and music like most normal people do. Better safe than sorry eh?

Been thinking more about a new tattoo. I'm just thinking about it, don't actually know when, where or even IF it is gonna happen! This is just a rough sketch, but for a wee while now I've been thinking about getting a nice old school diamond somewhere on my body. Bold outline and shading with maybe a tiny wee hint of colour. This tattoo would mean alot to me and I think if I still like the idea around my 21st birthday then I might go for it. I noticed that in Tennille's tattoo post she has recently got a little diamond too, and I think its absolutely stunning.

I finally got round to properly watching my take that concert dvd for a bit in bed the other night. I think I am gonna watch the rest tonight, it is sooo good! Take That really is one of my favourite bands, they take me back to my youth and are rather nostalgic. So when they toured with The Circus Live last year, and myself and my best friend Jenn got tickets to go, we were like two ten year old girls again dancing about in the rain :) It was a spectacular show, the stage design was amazing and they had such a ridiculous budget - you just knew it was going to be something special. Im not really a fan of huge scale gigs like that normally... but c'mon, its Take That! ;)

 

 

I can't believe its the weekend already. What is everyone getting upto? Tomorow I'll be barista-ing it up to the max as usual. Then going to the cinema with my mister to see the madness that is Avatar! And on sunday I'll be seeing my Daddy and his fiance Julie, and we will probs pop over to my grans (the one on my dads side) for a bit. Monday I am working my ass off all day as a production runner again at Britains Got Talent. So it will be 15 hours on my feet of crowds, walkie talkie banter, and of course the judges and their buzzers. Should be a good wee day, I'm looking forward to it.

Oh, and possibly the biggest news I've had in a while... I can finally reveal that I'm going to be a big sister again :) My daddy and his fiance are preggers, yey! Hooray for babies haha. Will be the best belated 21st present ever ♥