Hey 2014!!

Happy New Year everyone! Hope the start of 2014 has been lovely for you all.

It feels a lifetime since I updated my blog and last year my New Years resolution was to blog more! So to keep that resolution, and as I did last year to start the year off I am going to do the easiest thing and tell you in pictures and bullet points what I did, what I saw, what inspired me and so on since my last blog which was…… Ah, the 21^st November.

1. Watched England V New Zealand Rugby World Cup, England Lost 20-18 :(

2. Turned 26. 

3. Was puzzled with by a Bumble Bee in November.

4. Booked a trip to America! New York, Texas, Florida and Miami :)

5. Started working on STRICTLY COME DANCING 2013!

6. Got inspired by Black and White wall displays (future blog)

7. Asda Christmas Magazine was released, with some awesome makes and ideas!

8. Did a bit of propping at China&Co, guess the theme? 

    Watch this space for more on this on going job!

9. Decorated the house for Christmas!

10. Got new hair and a new cat for the Andrews family! (still no name!)

11. Christmas.

12. NY

There we go, in 12 points iv summed up the past month and a half. There was a lot more which I could add, Christmas wrapping and card making, catching up with old friends, awesome presents, new job prospects!!

And, incase anybody wanted to know, my new years resolution this year is to pass my driving test!! Watch this space!

Thanks for catching up!

Elle x

Next Home Christmas 2013

Another day and another piece of work that I can share with you now it had been released.

Back when the nights first started drawing in, early September,  I assisted Pippa Jameson on a Living Etc promotional shoot for Next Christmas 2013 range.

A day filled with styling, prop making, wrapping, unwrapping and I was able to get back into Christmas, after working in early Summer on the Asda Christmas Campaign.

The Next range we worked with called Christmas Romance, has a very luxury festive feel. With deep purples matched against soft colours of pinks and golds, it works really well against the bold shapes and mirrored surfaces of the many decorations.

My favourite choices have to be the extra large decadent heart shaped baubles, the glass ware and obviously, my most favourite ever, the leopard print wrapping paper. Which on the day was skill fully wrapped by the girls onto the JOY words you can see in the image.

As always Next has created a lovely style here and it was a lovely relaxed day working with Pippa, after having hectic and fast Summer.

Why not have a look at the Next range here, or pick up Living Etc. Not only see first hand the final images, but this months Christmas themed issue has a lot to offer.

For now though, heres some images taken from the magazine by myself and the links to my favourites...

Mercury Heart Bauble

Leopard Print Wrap

Plum Lustre Wine Glasses

Elle x

A Summer Christmas with Asda

Those that know me should know, that I don’t do anything related to Christmas till after my birthday, which conveniently falls on the 25^th November. I always thank my mum for not giving birth to me on my actual due date, the 25^th December, other wise know as Christmas Day.

Well this year I had to make a massive exception for this rule, as I started working on photo shoots for Christmas in May! Working as Assistant to Pippa Jameson was my main focus for this Summer, we worked on getting a number of different clients ready for Christmas. Also working with the talented photographer Jon Day and the lovely Russell.

One of the major clients was Asda. Asda have always had a great deal to do with Christmas for me, as it’s where my mum always does the Christmas shop for the big day, and the days between. So been part of their Christmas campaign was a great privilege.

During a sunny week in June I assisted Pippa on the Asda Gift Guide. This included jobs such as prop sourcing, selecting props from Asda’s amazing Christmas range, dressing the different sets and assisting Pippa with styling. I also got to style some of my own food and drink shoots as well which I was very excited to do and was great experience.

Check out some the images I worked on taken from the gift guide…

A small selection of the food and drink shots I styled...

So why not head down to Asda and pick up a gift guide, they have an amazing range. 

Click here to follow to their Christmas shop online. You will also find a host of images I worked on there as well. Look out for logs, branches, a wrapping paper tree, a sleigh and any present you see, was probably wrapped by me!

I am looking forward to when my mum and I do the Christmas shop, I will be purchasing plenty of decs, and as always stocking up on food and drink!

(But remember, it isn’t Christmas till the 26^th November…)

Elle x

Homemade Christmas

So feeling home sick last weekend I got on a mission to make the flat feel more Christmassy. Hunting around the shops for Christmas decorations was fun, but then money became a bit tight and Dan wouldn’t let me spend £12 on some more baubles so I decided to make some decorations myself. The tree went up nice and early on the 4th December so since then iv being adding to the tree and the flat with little bits but last weekend I went all out and made the decorations which are in the pictures below, somewhere salt dough, some where 3D shapes and some where just me wanting to inject as much a of Christmas into everything possible! I also got Dan helping me out with some of the buts which is first for him, as he isn’t very arty, more numbery. 

With the tree up and  around making me feel more Christmassy I took to watching some of my favourite films over the past few weeks to get in the mood. Now just under a week before I venture back up north, and for the big day I’m feeling very festive :)

 Christmas tree garland, only tiny but looks cute hung up made using salt dough

 Check out my Grandmas knitted Teddy getting papped haha

 salt dough decorations, what ever you do when mixing it dont taste it, belive me doesnt taste like cookie dough, bleurgh!!

Stars for my kitchen

 Little star gift tags for presents

 Heart shapped door hanger, love this little button that iv sewed on, i picked it up years ago when i was in Nottingham once and wanted to use it for something ever since, I finally found something yey!!

 I bought some red tulips from a florist when coming home from uni last week, i thought they looked cute but where still a little bit boring so when i went for my run i went to the park nearby, and yes, although i may have a looked a bit suspicious i went and picked up a few little twigs and then sprayed them gold when i got home. Dont worry i mega cleaned them, just incase of any pesky doggies! And then theres my little charity shop vase i got for £1.50 with some poundland LED lights added, brightens up the table :)

 'Oh Christmas tree, oh Christmas tree!' check out the pressies and macthing advent calendars haha!

 These little fellas where from my friend Jen the other year, their called Choki Ori and are a easier type of orgami,theres loads of animal that you can make but i felt reindeers where more appropiate for Christmas

 

 Ok, so like i said iv watched a few films, although some of these are more modern there some of my fav Christmas films and the design in them are ace, i love How the Grinch Stole Christmas for how interesting his little cave is made to look, all the inventions, collectable things create such a great space. I also love Max the dog, steals the show!

 Who can have Christmas without watching Harry Potter, well I cant! just check out some of the imagery from Philospohers stone, love how festive it is. Every year i watch probably all the films and this year on my wish list is the full box set, which when I come back to London after being home and Dans at work im gona be watching them all, along with some butterbear muffins that im trying to make, ill tell you about them next time!

Elle xx