A Crafty Sunday with Nikki McWilliams

If there was ever a day of the week that was meant for crafting, it has to be Sunday. Dundee Contemporary Arts certainly think so. They've been holding their Craft Sundays for a while now. The idea is an artist or designer comes along and, with all the materials on hand, helps everyone who comes along to create something special. From jewellery to leather purses, a variety of skills have been shared at these sessions but I'veve never made it along to one. That all changed when I spotted the lovely Nikki McWilliams name pop up. Being a big fan of her biscuity creations I was keen to head along and get crafty.

The workshop was all about creating a printed fabric banner. Nikki does a nice line in fun wall hangings and had brought along a little selection for inspiration. She taught us a simple, and oh so satisfying, print technique using crazy foam. The only tricky part was making sure the letters were round the right way.



My favourite part of the day was mixing up the colours for printing. Seeing everyone else's colour palettes was super fun too. So many lovely combinations! I recently redecorated my bedroom so I was after colours to match. I think I did pretty well with my mixology. Coming up with what to print was a bit more difficult. Something inspirational or funny would have been a good idea but instead I went for the good old phrase - the end is nigh. I love combining cheery and creepy elements, so using bright colours with more sinister words made me happy.



I wasn't 100% happy with the layout of my first attempt. It was a bit too busy for my liking so I decided to quickly make up another one. In the end I managed to salvage my first one too with a bit of creative cutting. Unfortunately my faffing around meant I was speed sewing right up to the end, as per usual. I took the other one home and worked on it straight away, adding a bit of fringing to finish it off.




I had so much fun making these and can foresee my flat being filled with banners very soon. The tea and teacake fueled crafting was a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon. I will definitely be making an effort to get along to more of Craft Sundays in the future.

What Helen Wore and Ones to Watch from the DJCAD Degree Show

 
Friday saw Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design (DJCAD) become one of Scotland's biggest galleries as this year's degree show kicked off. Around 300 students displayed the culmination of their time at university in one impressive show, living up to its title - Ones to Watch 2015. I popped along to the busy opening night to get a peek at some of the work on offer. While the number of people made it difficult to get a good nosy at everything, it definitely created a buzz about the place. I will be heading back for a closer inspection but thought I'd share my top 5 from what I've seen so far.....

1.) Alexandria Moncrieff
I'm a big fan of colour and Alexandria's work was colour overload. Once my eyes adjusted to the wild patterns and bright hues I really enjoyed stepping into her psychedelic wonderland. The misshapen mannequins added a strange edge, which is just how I like my art.


2.) Calum MacGillivray

More work with an eerie quality. Involking nature and fallen leaves, each of Calum's shapes held a distorted face. The use of shadows added further depth and foreboding to the pieces. He also had a table with mini badge versions. I do enjoy a wearable piece of art.


3.) Kaela Hogg

I didn't manage to get a proper look around the jewellery section but I made sure I checked out Kaela's work. I'd been following her Facebook page in the degree show run up and loved the shapes, textures and materials I was seeing. The end results didn't disappoint and I loved every statement piece on display.


4.) Alison Soye

My love of ceramics was fed in the illustration department, thanks to the work of Alison Soye. Her painted food dishes were bright and fun. Sushi, watermelon, donut, pizza... there's just no way I could pick my favourite from the bunch.


5.) Penelope Matheson

Not technically part of the degree show, Penelope's work was on display in the Designers in Residence open studio. But I love ceramic art and creepy ceramic art steals my heart even more. I really liked these disturbing sculptures featuring frogs, insects and birds. The scenes they depicted may have been nightmarish but the colours were rather beautiful.

So that's just a wee taster from what is a full on feast for the eyes. It's safe to say I left thoroughly inspired and impressed. As well as being a visual treat, the degree show also offers a unique shopping opportunity. A number of the graduates had work available to buy, from bookmarks to huge canvases. It's an excellent chance to pick up something pretty unique and help an artist out as they make that step into the big bad world . My purse will certainly be heading with me when I return for a closer look.

And what did I wear to such an inspiring event? 




Dress | H&M
Belt | Primark
Shoes | Urban Outfitters
Scarf | Claire Corstorphine

I had to adorn myself with the work of DJCAD alumni Claire Corstorphine. I remember falling for Claire's prints at her degree show back in 2012 so I was very pleased to stumble across her and find that she still had some of her work for sale. She then informed me she was having a sample sale to make room for new designs and my life got even better. Her sample sale continues over on Facebook, so you can still snap up a bargain. I went for the Mutant print that caught my eye all those moons ago. I'm looking forward to seeing what Claire, and all the new graduates, come up with next. I will be following closely.

Ones to Watch is on until 31st May and I highly recommend you get yourself along.

Blog Crushes 10

Helen's crushin on.......... Sara's in Love With

Beautiful images, bright colours and amazing designers - Sara knows how to put together a killer outfit post. I love her bold style and how she plays with themes, both in her dress and her wishlists. And her accessory selection is to die for! Eyelash sunglasses, safety pin bags, light up shoes, she has it all. Reading her blog has introduced me to a loads of new brands, designers and artist that I'm now wildly coveting. Plus she has some seriously awesome hair.

Catch her on facebook and instagram for even more colour and quirky style.

Kimberley's crushin on........... Fashion Polaroids


I bumped into Edinburgh local girl Joanne from Fashion Polaroids at the recent Mademoiselle Macaron anniversary party (of course I was there. I live there.) I haven't really seen her around before, although she's been blogging for longer than we have, so I thought I'd check her out. I really like Joanne's look and I think as a style blogger she's got a lot to offer. She has the chic Parisian thing nailed, her outfits are on trend and high street and she's a real doll. It's a winner for me!

She's on twitter and instagram if you want to find out more,

We're also lovin:

• The fabulous Mo'adore has featured us in her list of favourite Dundee based-bloggers along side some other fabulous finds.
• Jane Gowans new Flora & Fauna collection is simply stunning.
• Tatyana's stripe game is always on point but with these Boden shoes... next level on Secret Little Stars
• Glasgow Fashion Girl is sharing her 'full wardrobe but nothing to wear' moments. We know that feeling!
• Babe Laura from Satisfashion is looking even more stunning than usual in this Tommy Hilfiger series
• We've been drawn into reading The Swag Guide by the gorgeous Keenan's menswear post. This new blog magazine may be one to watch!

May Wishlist

My favourite wishlist of the year- the one before my birthday. Take note, family and friends (and strangers- I welcome your gifts too).

1.) 40s Polkadot Jungle Dress | Vintage Style Me
Since this was released a couple of weeks ago it has been in my online basket so many times I can't tell you. I love the simplicity of the Vintage Style Me brand and if you like the loose fit (as Helen does) it's an easy way to shop. One in every colour please! Apart from my amazing Glitter dress, I tend to shy away from this. I have too much in the boob area, creating a shelf in smocks. BUT this beauty looks like it's been made for me. More fitted on top, with a tie and defined waist, it should be clear that I have curves and not bulk. The choice of prints just finishes it off. Hooray!

2.) Berry Pencil Case | Anya Sushko via Wear Eponymous
Glasgow based online retailer Wear Eponymous is going from strength to strength, pushing the idea of luxe basics to the limits with incredible designers on board every time I check out their website. I am loving the Anya Sushko pieces but this super soft pencil case is almost too good for my pile of Staedlers. So Chic!

3.) Banana Split Necklace | Misfit Makes
I was originally going to put in the Fortune Teller Necklace, as it's one of my absolute favourites from Misfit Makes. Then she went and released the new I Scream collection. Every. Single. Piece. is amaazing! I want the ice lolly earrings.. and the melting brooch.. and the ice cream spoon. Gimme it all!

4.) Kyra Jelly Shoes | Lazy Oaf x Juju
My love affair with jelly shoes just got rebooted thanks to the recent Lazy Oaf collaboration. It's a minty marriage from heaven and I need me some of that juju!

5.) Flipper Anorak | The Ragged Priest
The Ragged Priest and I are having a moment. They have so many iridescent pieces that make my heart flutter.. and this is pretty practical too, right? So I need it, right?




1.) Cat Lapel Pin | I Like Cats
Cats are my thing, so of course I'm going to be into a brand called I Like Cats. I've always enjoyed designer Toby Dean's illustrations but when I spotted this lapel pin it was love at first site. A wearable drawing featuring a winking cat, what's not to love?! Plus the colours are so pretty. The new I Like Cats x designosaur collaboration is also well worth checking out, the coin purse is my favourite.

2.)  Yellow Play Purse | Play Purse
I remember having many of these beaded purses when I was a kid. They always made me feel very grown up, even if they were just filled with fluff and buttons rather than real money. Well, someone's only gone and designed a clutch sized version for grown ups! This perfect nostalgic accessory comes in a variety of delicious colours. I just need to decide which to go for.

3.)  Pineapple Cushion | Puptart London
I just redecorated my bedroom and these pineapple cushions would fit in so well. The watermelon ones would also look rather lovely. And a cat tipi. Ok, it would all look great.  Puptart's bright colours, painted finish and marbling effect just make for some rather perfect products.

4.) Fingers Crossed | Bolden
Speaking of home decor, my bedroom currently has two hand sculptors in it but could always use another one. Jen Collins has gotten back in the ceramic game with her 3d illustrations and I love this fingers crossed piece. Great for a little bit of extra luck.

5.) Shark Vest | Brat & Suzie
As well as cats, I also love sharks so this vest is right up my street. Perfect for summer days on the beach. Just don't go into the water. Yes, I am now humming the Jaws tune, I hope you are too.

Mint & Chillies

If you're the observant type you may have noticed a few little changes around here. We've freshened up some of our images with some pastel hued portraits. Since Wardrobe Conversations is two now, we thought it was about time for an upgrade. Over our blogging time we've been lucky enough to make some lovely friends and Paulina from Mint & Chillies is one of them. She very kindly let us visit her in her bright and airy home for a shoot. Assisted by Stan and their two wonderful kitties we had a lovely afternoon pulling some goofy moves and laughing constantly.




As we've mentioned, we've had our photographs taken by Paulina a few times and we are always pleased with the results. We've also been incredibly lucky that some of our other creative friends have helped us celebrate our birthday too- by providing us with prizes to offer you guys!

We already shared our Runaway Fox jewellery giveaway on the blog here. It's easy to enter and open until 31st May so get on it!
If twitter is your bag, we have an awesome set of cute items by our fellow Girl Gang member and stationary queen Miss Vicky Viola. Check it out here.
Or if you're an instagram lover we've got an amazing Sugar & Vice cocktail necklace up for grabs.
I know, I know, we are too good to you!

Blog Birthday Giveaway

Happy birthday to us!
     
It has been a whole two years since we first introduced ourselves to the world as Wardrobe Conversations. In these two years our blog has grown from a monthly meet up excuse to an expanding project that has led us to meet some of the most amazing, creative, talented people in Scotland and beyond (you know who you are) and have enjoyed getting behind the brands. We are so grateful for our reasonably sized loyal bunch of readers- YOU GUYS!- and we are so glad that you've been enjoying the ride too. It certainly ain't over yet!

...and in honour of these two slices of awesome, we want to give something back with some special giveaways featuring our favourite independent designers.



First up we have a whole lot of lovely things from the fabulous Runaway Fox. We first met this gorgeously weird couple at the West End Fair last year. Since then we've gotten spooky while wearing their jewels, celebrated their wedding, roller skated with them and watched them become internet sensations with the launch of The Edinburgh Casting Studio. They have very kindly giving us this whopping bunch of prizes, including:



To be in with the chance of winning this lovely lot of jewels all you have to do is follow Wardrobe Conversations on Bloglovin' and leave a comment below. Make sure you provide us with a way to contact you if you win (email, twitter or instagram will do nicely). The giveaway is open to all and will close on 31st May 5pm GMT. Good luck!

Make sure you keep an eye on our Instagram and Twitter for more chances to win awesome goodies in celebration of our blog birthday.

Styled by Helen: Helen

The blog birthday weirdness continues as I style Kimberley as me. Yes 2 years of blogging together has gone to our heads and I think we may have just lost it. There were some serious Single White Female vibes going on in these shoots...... 





Dress | Vintage Style Me
Jacket | H&M
Scarf | Karen Mabon
Necklace | c/o Sugar & Vice
Name Ring | c/o Bonnie Bling
Bag | Accessorize
Shoes | Model's own (couldn't squeeze her into my size 4's)

As soon as we came up with idea for our identity swap challenge I knew I wanted to get Kimberley wearing red. As you can tell, I'm a big fan of the colour and love the over top look when matched with my hair. I can't think of a time when I've seen Kimberley in it so I decided to make sure it featured in my Helen outfit. I went for this Vintage Style Me number. Not only does it feature the colour red it's also a loose shape. This is a style I love to wear (I'm all about the comfort) but one seen less on Kimberley.



The jacket is a staple in my wardrobe, it even featured in my last outfit post. I've had it since I was at secondary school and it's almost as old as our friendship. Plus it's from H&M (as is most of my wardrobe) so it's very me. Another element that I just had to include was a Karen Mabon scarf. My collection is looking rather healthy and this is one of my favourites. It just wouldn't be a me outfit with out a scarf shaped addition.

The pièce de résistance was the wig. Seeing Kimberley as a ginger was odd but it brought the whole look together. It even features an authentic Helen fringe- meaning I hacked at it myself with my thread scissors, just like I do with my own. The plastic nature of the 'hair' meant the technique wasn't fully successful. I still find myself  being rather jealous of it though, it's pretty much my dream colour!  




Watching Kimberley 'be me' was super weird. I'm used to her taking the mick while we shoot blog photos but this was a whole new level. She had all my signature poses down, most of which I didn't even realise I did. One thing this experience has taught me is I really need to get some fresh angles on the go. 

Kimberley's Verdict: This may have been the weirdest moment of my life. I mean, I like Helen a lot... but I don't want to live in her skin. As soon as that wig went on I found it very difficult to look at myself in the mirror. I always enjoy playing dress up though and her stuff's certainly worth stealing borrowing. As far as the style goes, of course I already knew that Helen's is impeccable and I trust her judgement more than my own. She is amazing at visualizing a look and putting pieces together. Her eye for it is truly astounding sometimes. Perhaps the most surprising part of this experience though was how easily I slipped into the character of Helen. Or perhaps I should say, the caricature of Helen. We've known each other for about 15 years and we've been taking the p*** out of each other for nearly as long (she does a great impression of me whining). Turns out the only thing more bizarre was watching her return the favour. Creepy.

If I've learned anything from being on this side of the experience it's this: I am really happy with my own style. While I love Helen's, and sometimes feel envious when she's werking it, the look does not translate to me. A micro-fringe and wing tips are a definite no no with my strong jaw and I like more of a fit to my curves. I will continue borrowing items but I think I'll go back to pairing them with my granny hair and good ol' bitch face.



What do you think of my evil twin? We all know she'd be the evil one ;) Catch up with me styled as Kimberley and check back later in the week for a special birthday surprise.

Photos by Ross Bull.