20 STOPS THEN HOME

'Too much make up?' ; By Prettyneons

Public transport is my second home whether it be a cab, bus or train: I feel I know it well maybe too well? What the hell not though why not live and breath on transport? You sure get to witness a lot more sights some colourful, others erm well...different. With different comes inspiring (I over kill that bloody word, and very much wear a hole in it). Only it can begin to get dull fast and I go crazy nuts when faced with boredom though sometimes boredom is freedom and us peoples enjoy and embrace that don't we?

Any how boredom and traveling is when I love to pen a story, when I over hear the odd conversations (believe it or not I hate gossip and so don't count this act as being intrusive. Rather instead enjoy watching a scene unfold and the world simply turning) on platforms patiently waiting for the delayed train or when queuing up in a shop. It throws at me so many ideas and general bits and bobs you know? I'm not mad promise. Some events that surround me at times I find very funny and sincere, this is when I amplify the present moment and empty my heavy loaded bag full to the top with a variety of tools (others might use the term shit. I much prefer 'tools') not knowing where to begin in this mad rush of ideas etc. Sorry let me try to explain what my eyes saw and ears heard... this girl all dressed up to meet someone special sweetly desperate to impress a man (she sounded as if she might have some serious tough competition, who knows?) and she urgently spits out to her pal 'Oh hey don't think I'm trying too hard? Am I wearing too much make up? God I don't look like a groupie do I? How could I not capture such a brilliant moment theres absolutely no way I could allow myself to miss it, so here you go:This is one of my sketches I simply do not have the guts to post up a chapter page from my little story and I feel it really wouldn't be of much interest to anyone, other then myself. I'm sure you agree that this drawing reveals more then enough? Without telling the end. Plus its much more enjoyable to sometimes make up your own ending.

Flu & Flumingos, Got Me In Stitches

'Zoo'; Prettyneons

First of all thanks my friends for all the lovely and very encouraging comments, your such a nice bunch, well anyway you all know how much the photos I took of Flamingos left me feeling very inspired indeed only at the very same time and shortly after my last post I was struck with flu (flu which is still very consuming me with shivers and other ever so not nice conditions!). Still I'm not letting some pathetic flu dampen my spirits, far from it in fact. I set my sewing machine up so quick and slammed my foot on the peddle only it seemed as if every time I went to thread the needle I went into a frenzy sneezing fit (ugly stuff, I shall let your imaginations run wild) my eyes streaming like some wild waterfall I only wish I was exaggerating how ever this is not myth but instead an ugly fact. Good results emerged from having a blurry vision due to looking through water filled eyes, some not so accurate stitching all free styled up at its very best. I threw in some embroidery just a lazy attempt to try and neaten the piece up, a little bit at least! I'm pleased with myself about this combination of stitch and flu 'experiment'. As some how and god knows how? but I've managed to capture the funny characteristics of the pink knobbly knee flamingos, well I think so anyway? I'm off to strum my guitar and sing about this damn killer style flu while highly medicated, this could result in a future post itself, watch this space folks!

Miss So Pretty In Pink

Photograph; Prettyneons

The Zoo such a great place to go when in need of what I like to call 'climate escapism' as when at a zoo with such wonderful and tropical creatures you can fool yourself into thinking your at some other location in the world (well at least until the zoo people kick you out) when in fact your really not anywhere unknown and new at all. Never mind that though...

Would you just look at this beautiful flamingo, I took so many different photos of this lovely lady! Almost twenty to be mathematically exact, in an attempt to highlight all the beautiful tones and shades of pink not too dissimilar to candy floss. That appeared to entwine and swirl through the many and many layers of long floaty feathers, and not forget to mention the neon pink knobbly knees. The dark grey miserable wet background is a strong contrast against the bright pinks of this character, flamingos reflection glistening off the puddles...I'm feeling a new scrap book entry coming on. Either in the from of ink and chalk, not entirely sure of yet but which ever media I chose it has to really capture all thats admiring and glorious; Must do this miss flamingo justice.

Its all good good

All photos from; Goodone collection

OK so these last few days I've probably...no wait...without a doubt cooked myself an instant super fast gut buster diet of onion rings, fizzy drinks, coffee (black please) and last but not least prawn cocktail crisps ( may I just add that other chemically enhanced, crunchy, taste bud flavoured crisps. Are out there). Why such an un-nutritional artificial coloured die-it? Well my life for well over 48 hours consisted of unpleasant I'd even go as far to say violent...sewing machine drama! Rolls of navy blue thread snapping every 5 minutes due to tension schizophrenia. One minutes perfectly happy the next not in the mood for playing, or at least functioning. Then I wave a flag declaring war; against (yep you guessed it) the sewing machine, testing all my patience that I have within me, patience which by now is rapidly evaporating! I begin to shout, scream, swear and generally show the Punk of a sewing machine my nasty side ( yes I do have a nasty streak and its mean, alright so maybe not really that tough or horrid) I'm beating up and bashing the bobbins black and blue, No this act of rage, insane abuse didn't get me very far at all, if anything it left me feeling a bit guilty, dirty and well...ashamed. Oh how could I go and act so cold towards my best pal the sewing machine, silly moi. Have I just put our fun creative relationship in serve jeopardy?

Sometimes (and only really now and then, as the majority of time the sewing machine and I are on good grounds) when the days are dark due to my sewing machines reckless behavior so very self destructive and suchlike. Its undeniably tempting to pack up the sewing machine, throw the plastic protective cover over it and shuv it into a dark, dark corner and under the table. Then I cast my fragile creative state of mind on insanely artistic and inspirational designers, who I can only admire from afar. Designers such as Goodone. Who set loud alarm bells off in my head as an welcome reminder and visual mental sticky post-it note (bright florescent green are my personal favourite variety) that all is not lost. Fashion doesn't have to be played safe, rules are for breaking and Goodone are definitely kicking, punching and knocking down barriers. You know the barriers I'm talking about? That enormous red brick wall maze which situates between the following...art, fashion and recycling.

Only Goodone haven't just destroyed the barrier but have left it for dead in a pile of bricks, by combining all of the above. Though to say Goodone simply recycle and customize would be too lazy of me and also a major understatement (if not mistake) for they truly go out their way to deconstruct and reconstruct dead garments. Injecting them with a new life with the power to amaze and kick arse (apologies for the pom pom waving cheer leading excitement!) one off garments come in an array of complex contrasting colours and unique patterned, multi textured fabrics. The pieces are individual and are a beautiful contradiction of both sophisticated sportesque with a daring brave twist of 'all grown up' elegance. You can even co design your very own sustainable fashion piece with the genius help of the Goodone clan. However this isn't the best part, oh no the best part is Goodones garments don't necessarily appear 'recycled' which makes a nice change. Now I'm off to give my sewing machine a second chance.

www.goodone.co.uk

Only in my head

'Scribble stitched icecreams'; Prettyneons
'Spinning stitched, & embroided teacup ride';Prettyneons

'Teacup ride' photo; Prettyneons
Prettyneons Scrap Book; Prettyneons

On an average week I roughly take well over a thousand photographs easily even with my eyes shut! Well alright that would be impossible but I'm working on it. I do love nothing more then a snap attack to exercise the imagination. Often I will whip my camera out at any given moment whenever something with eye catching jumps out at me for whatever reason, whether its the combo of colours, shapes, pattern,texture; basically anything I find magical and highly amusing. Sometimes I don't take a photograph when I know I should and instead regretting and beating myself up over it I hunt that place or object down with all my will. Camera, notebook, and felt tip pens in hand (these tools or weapons even... are my equivalent to a bow and arrow; Focus, snap, draw!)


By the end of my manic snap attack week I find myself sitting on the floor (I cannot stand the limited length and general space of a table. Makes me feel funny almost claustrophobic and frustrated. Needless to say this does cause problems when often enough life enjoys to test me, like when at the library I'm forced against my will to use a table. *Shivers*) surrounded my at least two different glue sticks, (can't be running out in the middle of the night banging on the crafts shop door. Yep this has happened before in a state of big time emergency) rolls of thread, pins, beads, ring pulls (oh I do adore in cooperating ring pulls into my ideas and designs) three different pairs of scissors (paper, fabric and crinkle edge scissors) Sequins, ribbons, balls of yarns (poms, poms of course. Oh and knitting) paints, pencils...ok so you get the idea? I have a hell of a lot of ideas attacking my brain and even more photos to escape in and cannot churn my design thoughts and experiments out quick enough. I cut, stick and stitch at a light speed pace almost possessed by the paint brush! Pouring all my varied visual mental notes that drip from the end of the paintbrush splash directly alongside my photographs into a scrap book (or shoe box.More then not I like to make my own books up out of what ever happens to be lying around. Because ideas flow more easily when not faced with a big white blank contained Sketchbook, intimidating they are those A4 square books!) I seem to accumulate such a high volume that I've had to kick some out and force them to nest elsewhere or make them at least pay rent for occupying too much room. So today I've decided to share and expose the contents and goings on of my cut and paste mind if only to give some old scrap books a purpose in life and something to do. ( sorry for referring to my scrap book as if it were a real living, breathing person. This is a habit of mine though lucky enough I've not began having a conversation with them. So surely the girl is still intact and sane?) Most the time I transfer and combine various scrap book ideas from past and present to stitch up some fashion designs, of which I shall also display at some point. For now I do hope the ingredients of my head serves as a good enough filler, if nothing else...

Healthy future obsession for all to consume

'Rocket Blossom' Inspiration Mood Board: Prettyneons

It seems to me the world is struggling for a breath of fresh air and us busy 24-7 non stop human beings are at the very same time clocking up miles and running thousands of circles around the gasping for air mother earth. We have lack of time to donate our planet, our home a declaration of sympathy. Yet alone pause to collect our hectic thoughts about the effect of how our mundane purchases of various products leave an bruised imprint on this planet. Whether this be a piece of new furniture or those shoes you've been dyeing for ages to get your paws on, and aggressively rip out the contents of bundled soft scrunched up paper! That is stuffed and suffocated within.

Guess what though? There are more and more intelligent designers rackling out their brains, in a pursuit to make it easier and less effortless for all of us who like to merciless consume and have good intentions deep down, to help the ever transforming and developing fast earth; while also trying to keep up with those changes. You don't have to commute anywhere to obtain such knowledge of both design and planet earth, just jump into Design Futurist at www.designfuturist.com.

Design Futurist is a design consultancy fired up by multi talented designer and tri-athlete (I feel exhausted just thinking about such a complex combination!). Natalia Allen and her dedicated team have used only pure innovative and global conscious products and brands to construct and form Design Futurist. The volume of original design material and features that sit within the colourful hub of Design Futurist, is remarkably diverse and far too fascinating to develop a short attention spam (trust me). Because there's much to absorb and escape in making it virtually impossible to pull yourself away.

I'd like to say a thank you to Natalia Allen for her kind encouragement. www.designfuturist.com

Help! I'm drawing in the rain

Does it have to always rain? Illustration: Prettyneons.

Shit weather todays (such an English thing to state weather conditions) now don't get me wrong I actually find joy in rainy wet weather theres just something about it? Seems to relax all of my scrambled and often muffled creative thoughts I find that more then often rain drops are my inspirational muse. If you will. Well for me anyhow I don't know about you? What I truly despise and cannot tolerate for more then lets say 20 minutes is freak wind gales that knock you off your tipsy toes into a large swimming pool deep, oil and grit puddle. Suddenly you need a small sail boat to try and paddle out of it, only those tides just continue to bog you down and tie you under into a soggy transparent knot. Perhaps I'm being just a touch dramatic? Only to rub salt into the wet windy weather wound, I was minus a coat. Foolish, daft even naive I'm aware of this however I'm really struggling to hunt down and source out a winter coat. A winter coat that isn't so long and ridiculously trailing behind my every step, slithering through various species of puddle. Making me appear like a pirate without the chirpy parrot perched upon my shoulders! I will not succumb to being wrongly mistaken as dressing up for a fancy dress party when I'm simply preventing myself from getting drowned like a rat. Also theres alot to be desired for the hundreds of coats and jackets in limited colour pallets, lined up row after row in high street fashion retail outlets. With not the slightest ounce of difference except maybe a square button suppose to round (oh you dare devil, you!) and a daring purple lining with contrasting stitch (now your killing me).

So from as now, I'm on a serious dedicated mission lock down; To source out a coat that is not but part different. Rather instaed bright, vibrant, characteristic and worthy of a raining day, and more then capable of causing confusion for others about the season. It might be bleak with trees shredding their skins but why should a girl have to freeze in her skin? Because coats are too damn depressing to run around and puddle splash in? No more, a good winter coat should serve as escapism from the realistic seasonal climate surely? Not reverse, after all nobody needs a constant reminder of the fact its actually bucketing with sharp heavy rain and above your head its thick shades of grey. Don't look up without a brilliant coat!

A piece of cake

tandcake.com

Ok so I don't know if I'm the only one who has thought that sandwich fillings (so to speak) in many a fashion magazines are not exacly the most delicous of a snack at the mo. I'm left feeling abit, well still starving hungry and not very full up. I open them pages flick past the advert spreads and dive straight into the,thick, crunchy dollops of tasty ingredient. Or at least it should taste good only its a sour let down isn't it? Boring and too predictable. We don't all want to throw ourselves into the depths of patternless, mundane and lets just go for good old plain jet black, gothic blues and other same old autumn winter options that forever occur winter in and winter out. What if? Just what if you have a craving for something more sweet, more decoratve, more morish. More oh I didn't see that coming?

The last few thoughts are what rushed through my brain rapidly forming a oh so yummy icing filled whirlwind, when I stumbled upon a fashion design team named tandcake (two of my favourite things combined and stickly stuck together) via good old ebay. I had no intentions of discovering such a delight, it was a rainy day and I was blocked full of flu I'm talking the ' I'm going to sneaz my head off' kind of flu. You know how it goes though you don't feel to bright and energetic as all energy has been spent on hundred's of almighty loud 'ACHOO'S!' Yet at the very same time your completely bored of staying in bed staring at a tissue box as if it's going to suddenly speak and give you a flu sympathy hug. I got up off my bum, made some marmite toast and a cupa tea. Slowly but surely finaly arriving at my destination; the computer; ebay. Soon as my eyes zoomed in on tandcake the inch thick sleep in my eyes magicaly cleared. Sneazing came to a sharp halt, as I squinted harder to focus on all the individual, colurfuly graphic, embellished goodiness that is tandcake. My eyes were going round and round admiring the wonderful graphics and distinctive stay in your head images. Such as magical, tall growing delicate flowers fussed with a wismical colour way you can almost stare into the designs and escape into this dream like other world that bites you with a ever so slight psychdelic edge. That has the capability of transporting you into the rock & roll of the 60's early 70's, while very intelligentley remaining with one foot in the more urban modern 21st century. At a time when fashion makes me want to spit it out and push my dinner plate away and keep at a safe distance, tandcake are a sustainable and extremely sweet tooth unique fashion snack. Could I have another slice please?

To indulge tandcake pop into the ebay world and punch in; the tuck shop to explore all the pic&mix surprises. If that doesn't cure the sugar cravings stop by at; www.tandcake.com

Hey stranger excuse me

Hey hey I've been out and about running around like a mad person who has truly lost her mind I blame the crazy freakishly hot weather and the other five percent of blame is being placed on my ever longing and much needing dose of red bull. Oh my days I can't seem to get enough of its fizzy, sweet comforting taste followed by a ribena. This sort of thirst might just explain why on earth I felt the need to approach this lady when in London over the week, she was possibly wearing every colour that a human could without physically sucking the life out of a rainbow and choking on all the vibrant shades. Anyways I had no camera on me and no phone both were dead for whatever reason's. So after talking to this lady she kindly agreed for me to draw a quick rough sketch of her (above) on the back of my shopping list, I whipped out some tools from my bag and began sketching I had only a few minutes to capture such a brilliant character and style (she had a gig to attend her vital role she explained was the lead vocals. How great of her was it to stop in her tracks? For little old me to bash the crayons and felt tips) what struck me most of all were all the glistening layers of colour's that sparkled from her hair decorations and her arms consumed by multi strands of fly away frayed ribbons. The ribbons ever so slightly changed colour to a harsh almost coper gold tone. Lengths and widths of the delicate ribbon's appeared and transformed dramatically built up more and more, wrapped over these ribbed midnight blue tights right down to her feet where the ribbon's were poking through and screaming out through the gaps and tiny buckles of those child like sea side flat jelly shoes. Two words I would use to describe this wonderful mash of garments and accessories: Circus Doll!

PS , Big thanks for allowing me to draw you in the middle of a busy asda (theres ton's of other just as good super markets packed filled with never ending aisles of trolley rage. Though asda do have and supply great 'brand own' custard cream biscuits) walkway and keeping the rest of your band awaiting. Sorry about that.

Oh to be a gobsmacked graduate...

So I've graduated from what feels like a lifetime of power point presentations (that I enjoyed doing I am very uncool, yes indeed) however they always failed because the uni's computer system seemed to be forever down and out, especially on Thursday mornings for some unknown reason? Anyway I'm drifting off a bit, back to the lifetime descriptive list... student digs, rice crackers, (disgusting foam like air filled 'food') unknown strangers popping in and out of the broken front door wedged at times with piled high junk mail to try and tighten up the security. Only the health and safety equipment put into to practice didn't go according to plan, when a random bloke with a hamster living in his hair (no joke) was abusing the shower caught looking very naked. I still have no clue to who he was or what he was doing in the girls only student dig but hey hey!

I know graduation wasn't going to be an easy ride I wasn't ever one of those 'well uni will pass some time until I know what it is I actually want to do with my existence' . Since I was out of my mums womb I was consumed and intrigued by colouring books , play dough, fuzzy felt, ribbons and of course as lame as it sounds now the fashion wheel. So before I was even part of the education system I was trying to figure out how on earth could I fit into the world by combining bits and pieces of the above (it did take some time throwing in the play dough element, I made badges and burned the fresh cold, delicious smelling primary colour playdough in the oven. I was a child and my imaginary friend made me do it! I'm sticking by that excuse) a light bulb went off in my head Fashion textile design!! Aha genius! Straight away I switched off Fragle Rock and got serious starting off with a important self taught lesson. How to colour in and stay within the lines rather then overlap the lines and ruin the dancing elephant juggling lollipops up, up! into the air. Fast forward into 2008 and as you can see I've finally created a blog after being told years ago by a history art tutor "that you should perhaps consider forming one considering your brain and all the thoughts it includes, run over time all the time." Ok so why didn't I bother before? Well I had been foolish opting to save up hard and purchase a drum kit instead of a computer oh a teenagers priorities. (Just for the record it wasn't a phase I've still got it and use it to death like my sewing machine) Yep so for yonk's now I've had no computer until now that is, technology has utterly passed me by without even nudging me into the whirly depths of myspace. (there are other social networking sites available) I've got to say I will be pretty amazed if this blog business works? God knows if my posts will be visible or even upload at all to be honest! Technology devices in general and me? Well the only comparison I can think of is oil and water needless to say it doesn't go. I sit near a mac and its sure to crash. I'm gob smacked at myself right now as my computer is still raring to go I can't emphasize it enough how delighted at both my computer and myself I am. Hence my photo I've inserted reckon it illustrates the phase ' chuffed' down to the t. Plus it was just handy really, I'm working on a repeat print design of these little wooden dolls and it saved me time rather than sourcing out another photo I could include to demonstrate my mood. Oh look at me I'm a poet and I didn't know it.