Well it's been a whole month since I was kindly invited along to the launch of a new design studios in Edinburgh called Hill Street Design House. All I can say is sorry for not getting this post up sooner, but with trying to get the photos all edited, and struggling with saving it onto my ipad, it proved a little bit difficult! But on with the post...!

Carrie's photo

SO, in October I met Karen Mabon at a Zomato Pub Quiz. Karen is a scarf designer, whose designs you may have seen on catwalks or around the necks of Fearne Cotton or Jameela Jamil. She creates the absolutely stunning designs, and I was lucky enough to have a good old natter with her, after which she invited me along to the launch of the design house in which she has her new studio.

Armed with one of my best friends, a new outfit and a glass of prosecco, myself and Carrie had a nosey around the whole of the house, and got to have a peak at all the amazing creations as well as having a chat with the artists themselves. But as fate would have it, Karen Mabon wasn't there for the night, and we didn't actually get to see her studio. However, the whole night was a great success and let me see the other side of the industry that I haven't every seen before.

And you can have a little peak at some of the things that we saw too, and hopefully find some new designers or artists to hit up in the future. Here's a little bit about just a few of the many talented people housed here- we didn't get the chance to talk to everyone, and I feel bad for not including them all, but if anything- its a reason to go back, and a chance for you to explore too!


Runaway Fox and The Edinburgh Casting Studio

This was the first room on the downstairs that we were able to see, and I was just blown away by the casts that were all over the walls. It was so cool to see them all- including hands, legs and bums, as well as animal casts such as pigs snouts and jewellery made from laser images. It was awesome getting to talk to the people behind such creative designs and if anyone is in need of unique christmas presents then look no further!

Carrie's photo

Carrie's photo

Maggie Mowbray

SUCH amazing hats can be found here. Talking to Maggie really just proved the patience and creativity involved in the designing processes. All her hats are hand made, and to begin with I was too scared to touch them. But with some reassurance from her, I tried on a couple of different styles and fell in love. (although I am totally not in love with the photos of me, I do love the headpieces so decided to include them).

Carrie's photo

Carrie's photo

RowanJoy

All I can say is that if you're looking for a custom made, and unoriginal wedding dress than look no where else. Her beautiful designs are so unique, and so eye catching- who would have thought that a green wedding dress is something that I'd actually consider, but after seeing her designs I'd trust her with that decision.

Carrie's photo

Patience Jewellery

The sparkle is what attracted me initially, but looking at the designs, I was blown away. I think I'll let it speak for itself, because they are so stunning and had me in complete awe.

Carrie's photo

Zuzanna Dominiak

Zuzanna is an amazing artist, what she called "quick" sketches of her travels looked as though hours were spent making them perfect. She also had a selection of quirky little badges, and I particularly liked her little origami birds.

Carrie's photo

And the house its self was so sleek and stylish, a cheeky pose by the stair case was definitely in need, as you can see. There was such a sophisticated feel about the night as we wandered around with a glass of prosecco and collected SO many business cards.

Carrie's photo

An archaeologist's dream... maybe if it weren't for the cold and windy Scottish climate. One of my archaeology practicals brought the 40 or so of us to Loch Tay in Perthshire so that we could see a bit of educational and experimental archaeology in action.

Okay, this isn't everyone's cup of tea, but the day was actually pretty cool. We went to visit the Crannog which has been built on Loch Tay- for those not archaeological minded, crannogs are in simple terms roundhouses built on wooden structures in Lochs over Scotland and Ireland- and archaeologists will most likely HATE me for that brief description! The views across the loch were beautiful when the rain finally stopped, and it felt so secluded.



 The staff lit the fire inside the crannog, and despite the pouring rain and wind, the crannog was super cosy inside, and you couldn't even hear the gails outside. After a talk about how they are constructed and the evidence we have for them, we had a little nosey about the inside and saw the areas that are thought to be for sleeping, for animals and for crafts.  It was so dark inside though, and hard to believe that people were able to see enough to actually work, but with the fire lit and sitting on the benches padded with wool, there was a somewhat homely feel to it- which is a little odd to think about.

We were then taken outside to brave the winds and shown the technology used in the Iron Age. This included different ways to work wood, to make wool and how to make fire. It was amazing to see our tour guide actually make fire in front of our eyes, and, despite being given at a go at it ourselves none of us came even close to a bit of smoke.

11.11.14

In the style of Carrie Hope Fletcher, whose Letters to Autumn videos got me in the autumnal mood, I thought I'd 'say hello' to November in a blog post and write about what I hope for the month to bring. Carries videos were beautiful, and I'd highly recommend checking them out, each gave an insight into her October and left me wishing for her life, her outlook and general positivity. I can't say mine will be inspirational like hers, I merely thought a nod to one of my favourite months would be a new style of post on this little blog.