Holiday Vlog | Paragliding | Kayaking | Horse Riding

I have been so naughty recently with my blog posts, there is a good reason for it though. If you follow me on Instagram or Twitter you will know I draw and and paint, so the reason I haven't posted in a while is because I am in the middle of working on a collection so I can get a store up online and start selling my artwork. I have created a Facebook Page, Instagram Account and Twitter Account to share my work and the process I take. My first online speed drawing is now on a new Youtube Page.

You can visit them all by clicking on the links below.

Swaine & Stone

YOUTUBE
INSTAGRAM
TWITTER
FACEBOOK

These account are in the very early stages and I am still working on them to gain more attention, but if Blogging and Youtubing has taught me anything. It takes time and hard work. I think some people try it for the money potential but what you need to keep in mind is its not near as easy as that.

The other reason for being a mute is I was on holiday in Turkey with Al and my Mum and Nan was in on a holiday there as well, so it was like a family affair. The holiday was so nice, it was early May so it was nice and quiet, a warm heat but not too hot as sometimes it can easily get like that in Turkey. This is my first Vlog on my channel after over a year of being on Youtube. I hope you like it and if you are thinking of going to turkey then definitely press play to see some of the sights of Olu Deniz. As Al didn't know what he wanted for christmas I bought him this holiday as his main present. It was so nice just to get away as work and life does start to take over so a break away from everything was just what we needed. We went horse riding in the mountains, on a boat trip around the bays, I went paragliding with my Nan as she was all for it. So it was a lovely time well spent.

Press play to see what we got upto and how nice it is in Olu Deniz, Turkey.

I hope you are enjoying the English Sun!

Chat Soon Guys

Katy

xxx

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New Youtube Art Channel | Drawing Baby Daniel

It was my nephew Daniels First Birthday on the 29th May and I wanted to do something special, something that my brother James and his girlfriend Nicola could keep through the years. They had just moved into a new house so it was perfect timing for this. I had already bought him presents for his birthday but this was a special surprise. My brother has always been an enthusiast when it comes to my Art, so not only was it a present for Daniel but for the whole family. I had a really good picture of  Daniel on a swing which I decided to go with. He looks more mature in his face now so it was a great time to do a drawing as he is growing into his looks.

This drawing was a serious test as I hadn't drawn a baby before, but I believe in jumping in and seeing what happens. In this case it clearly paid off and I was incredibly happy and proud of the results. It did take me over a week to complete and approximately 22 hrs, so it was hard work and patience became my best friend.

When I start a drawing I always start with an outline and then build up texture and colour with the medium I am using. For this drawing I used Faber Castell Polychromo Pencils and Prismacolor Pencils on an A3 Winsor & Newton Bristol Board.
 

 

You do have to be very patient with a drawing this realistic but when it is finished it is such an amazing feeling, and at that point you know all the time and effort was worth it. To finalise this piece I put it in a nice clean black frame with a black and white border. Without a doubt the best present I have ever given.

 

SWAINE & STONE

I had been meaning to launch an Art YouTube Channel to link with my Beauty and Fashion Channel for some time but drawing and painting videos do take a long time to film and edit. This piece is my first speed drawing which is now up on my Channel.

I hope you like this drawing and video which you can watch above, please rate and subscribe as I will be uploading more videos. I am working on a collection of prints and I am currently in the process of setting up an online store for prints and commissions. This will be updated on my channel and here on my blog so make sure you hit that follow button to keep up to date.

 

Thanks for reading and watching!

Chat Soon

Katy

xxx

YOUTUBE INSTAGRAM TWITTER BLOGLOVIN

Purple Hair

I have been wanting to dye my hair recently, I have dyed my hair before brown, black, cherry and purple but I left my hair to breath and ventured back to blonde for 2 years. However recently I became increasing bored with my blonde locks and I really wanted the bright purple/lilac pastel tones. I was told by my hairdresser that the only problem with the pastel colours is that they don't last,  and you will find you will have to re-dye your hair quite often which I didn't like the idea of.

We decided it would look more natural to dye my roots dark and mix a grey toner with a purple colour so when the colour starts to wash out it will develop that pastel pink/lavender colour. If I wanted to dye my hair brighter I could do that at the time. I like the idea of jumping in but not if isn't going to come out looking anything like the results I am looking for. 

Al absolutely hated the idea of me dying my hair bright purple but I think you need to do what you want to do, don't ever let anyone tell you how to be, how to dress or compromise anything you want to do whether thats pressure from your family, friends or boyfriend. I believe if you do this there will come a time where you will become unhappy with yourself because your not being true to yourself. Its only going to end badly, don't ever let anyone dictate who you want to be, if they love you enough, they will love you either way!

STAGE ONE: DARK ROOTS & HIGHLIGHTS

The first step was to darken my roots with a dark brown dye and add a few highlights to add different tones for the purple to be applied. I didn't want one block colour, I wanted different tones to shine through.

STAGE TWO: PURPLE & GREY TONER

Like most dyes they look a different colour and develop as they are on your hair, the purple and grey looked more like a red but then developed into a dark purple. It was then left on my hair for 30 - 40 minutes.

The purple and grey toner came out darker than I wanted but it was really nice to see lilac, grey and purple tones as I moved around. I knew it would only get lighter as I washed it over time. 

It did come out a lot darker in some pictures, I think it was all due to the lighting at the time.

 In the previous pictures it does look more red but the picture below shows more of a purple tone which is how it actually look. The dark brown roots with an iced dark lilac ombre.

I hope you like it! :)

Chat Soon Lovelies
Katy
XXX

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Rewrite the Royal Ascot Dress Code

We are slowly moving closer towards the Fashion and Royalty Event that is The Ascot Races. The event has gained more popularity due to what guests are wearing than the horse racing. Although it is a top UK Fashion Event, Ascot is known for its strict dress code. However over the years fashion and individual style have been breaking all the dressing guidelines, but there is still an ancient 1940s dress code to Ascot. As individuality and personal style is at the height of the fashion world should we still be encouraging guests to dress as if it is a ‘Back In Time’ theme. Yes I agree it should be sophisticated and classy but there are so many definitions and interpretations of dressing in the presence of royalty. My style varies from gothic to girly. I don’t particularly want to be known for dressing one way, its an expression of yourself and you should choose to explore that in the same way you explore all other aspects of your life.

There should definitely be a length of skirt dress code but I believe the UK as a whole should embrace individuality even if it’s not something you choose to embrace yourself. This is not a rant, just my opinion on the matter. In respect I definitely went for an Individual yet classy outfit for the Ascot Inspiration.



Dress - Givenchy | Blazer – Balmain | Shoes- Sofia Webster| Clutch Bag – Alexander Wang |

Belt - Balmain

 

I did want to look at bright colours but this dress just caught my eye, I absolutely love it and I hold my hands up to the designer. No this is not a conventional Ascot dress but what is conventional these days. I went for a Monochrome colour scheme with a splash of orange. Ascot usually falls on a nice day so this would be perfect with the flowy skirt and the drop sleeves. It obviously has a 1940’s inspiration with the sleeves but there is a clear modern design aspect to this piece. This may not be everyone’s taste but that’s style for you. I love that it has a beautiful low v-neck and the drop sleeves. I think the centre of a woman’s chest, the collarbones and the tops of the shoulders are probably the classiest and most gorgeous part of a woman’s body. To jazz up this dress up I choose a white clean looking belt, some heels with a touch of colour to break up the monochrome feel and a statement jacket. This jacket adds a smart touch to this look with the bold stripes and the pointed shoulder pads, and to finish this off a plain white cutch bag just brings the whole outfit together.

I didn't really feel a need for a head piece as it would be too much with these statement pieces. I would definitely go for nice dewy skin and a curly up do to show off those collarbones.

Don't ever be afraid to be yourself :)

Chat Soon Beauties
Katy
XXX
 

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