heres to 2013

So as it is the last day of the wonderful year that has been 2012, I often take this time to sit down and think about all the things that i would like to achieve in the coming year ( I do find it sometimes selfish of myself to want things, or to feel the need to be me me me, but i think its always good to have a plan)  somethings are life long goals some are everyday and others are what i would like to achieve next year  I am not always one for resolutions, as i am terribly un-organised but I wanted to share with you, a few things that I wish to integrate in to my life in 2013, I am slowly starting to create a lifestyle like I use to have when I lived down in cornwall. Having a lifestyle is important so here are a few things i would like to pour my attention into. So these have just spilled out of my journal and onto the interwebs..

I would really love to Take my photography a bit more seriously,  it is probably my biggest passion bar drawing, I don't leave the house without taking my trust Nikon D40. I think this year I want to take my photography a little bit further push my boundaries, not entirely sure in which direction but i hear it calling me, something that i use to do everyday when i was at uni was to keep a journal and yes as an artist I am surrounded by them, but i want to keep a sort of scrapbook journal I always find comfort in my old diaries that i kept between the ages of 10-22 its something since i started working full-time that i left behind and became consumed with being an adult and forgot to do me stuff.

De-clutter my oh so cluttered life, i am the type of girl that will keep wrappers off chocolates because someone i love gave it to me, like seriously ella you need to sort yourself out! I no longer want to be surrounded by stuff, I can see myself in 20 years time being on that hoarders programme on channel 4 (one of my friends worked on the production of it to close for comfort if you ask me!) Talking of friends this pass year has been a strange one that has made friendships and dually broken them, I do think I am now to old to be guilt tripped into a friendship, i only want to surround myself with positivity and i think thats my mind set for 2013, 2012 was a year of doubt about my abilities in many things and this is something I want to change within myself so that I learn to say yes more rather then i'm not sure. 

I am really excited about 2013, I think I still have a few things to tweak in my life but i do feel that i slowly getting somewhere. I am one for setting life goals, but I think its best to start right at the beginning so i know what direction I want to head in.

I won't set any goals for my blog, I just feel that most of my blog posts are spontaneous, i tried the planned blogging thing it just put me off, so this blog will stay spontaneous and a refection of me. But I have some rather awesome features set up for next year that I am super excited about.

Is there anything that you want to embrace in 2013?

2012 round up

So this year has been filled with fun personal achievements and blog achievements and other bits and pieces. I thought I would take the time to share the what I have been upto you click through the images for the relevant posts.

Paris with Lyzi 

I ventured to paris with lyzi and met some new friends will, and kelly, first time in about seven years since I have be abroad lots, of fun.

Confidence to outfit blog

Finally finding the confidence to blog outfit photos, this year I did loose weight ( which i might of gained back due to christmas) but I finally found some confidence to share photos of myself on here.

Illustration shop

I opened my little online Esty Illustration shop, which i am so happy with it is filled with lots of bearded men 

Magazine features

I was interviewed and featured in the beautiful Lion Heart magazine, I felt so honoured to be asked. 

I was also featured and illustrated for Aesthetic magazine

My own space

I finally got a little space to work in from home it has been a while since I have had my own space to work in 

New hair do

Nothing major but i think it marks a turning point in me.

Collaborating

I worked with the lovely Taylor Does on a collaboration with my little jewellery company RubyRaeLove ( which is a little empty at the moment)

Sharing D.I.Y creations 

I thought this year I should share a few  D.I.Y creations my moccasins were a massive hit on Tumblr and on pinterest, I still get emails about them now.

Family

I decided this year I would spend time with my family, its the most important thing in the world to me, If it wasn't for their support, I wouldn't have the courage to do all the creative things i do and be myself. In February I visited my littlest brother who now loves down in Swansea, i miss him like crazy.

Awards and blog meet ups

Cosmo blog award

This year i was nominated in the category of best lifestyle blog for the cosmo blog awards, I didn't win but I had such a lovely time meeting bloggers and some great people. 

Recipes 

I shared with you lovely lot some of my favourite recipes, I do love my food and drink, I think next year i might share some more.

A blog milestone

I reached 2,000 GFC readers over here on this little piece of internet i am so grateful for your on going support, its nice to see my little blog grow.

Designing 

Designed a capsule collection with james lakeland also this was my first blogger event, (not really an event) but this meant a lot to me. Really helped me push myself out of my comfort zone. 

Working with wonderful Businesses 

This year I joined forces with selfridges to illustrate and create blog post for them, I really love working with them, and apparently my illustrated blog posts are a hit in the office (proud moment)

House of 1923

This year was wonderful getting to work with one of my oldest friends and her amazingly talented friend ( I am yet to share with you a little collab we did) but in July I was asked to work with them styling and providing the jewellery for their first collection for their company House of 1923 jenni also created me the beautiful embellished jacket I wore to the cosmo blog awards.

Sharing my blog

This is a major thing for me, i finally told my family that I run this little blog, after four years of blogging I finally got round to telling them when I was nominated for the Cosmo blog awards. In turn they told all their friends and my brothers and sisters told their so now I can't escape people knowing. Its a very strange feeling after Four years of keeping this my secret outlet for my family to know but they have been so supportive. I finally made a facebook page for my blog 

Making Friends 

Last but not least getting to hang out with this lovely lady lyzi from being little , Paris was an awesome trip, she makes me laugh ( haha we aren't in a relationship totes awks) but she is pretty awesome.

In other things of 2012

I finally entered the world of technology and got an iphone, I reached a year in my job in october which to me is a big thing. I had my heart broken but I am happy, I dropped two dress sizes, making new friends from all over the world, travelled to bristol for the first time this month. Sent lots of illustrations off around the world, first time in 5 years I haven't visited cornwall this will change. Reached 2,000 twitter followers, meeting lots of lovely bloggers. 

I also had some fab sponsors and was invited to some lovely blogger meet ups and thank you to all the lovely shops, independent artists and creatives who have share their creations with me to share wit you lovely lot. 

Thank you for all your support you lovely readers, I hope you have enjoyed reading the things I have written and rambled on about. I hope to create even more exciting things for you to tune into in 2013.

Bits + Pieces

This week has been amazing, spending time with family and loved ones, I have had an unhealthy addiction this week to drinking tea especially chai tea, I am a little bit in love. 

1. Drinking tea with my favourite boy. 2. Taking time to chill out  3. walking around oxford in my favourite new boots 4. Having a moment. 5. Finding beautiful things6. The Healthy eating once again begins

a change of heart.

I think we all have those moments in life were we have an urge to change something every once in a while I do. So i took a pair of scissors and a razor and i shaved the right side of my head. With just me and a mirror I went for it, I had shaved it off twice before, I couldn't help myself. Nothing drastic or remotely rebellious I just felt like doing it. When I tweeted about it people panicked don't worry i haven't got rid of all my hair. 

This time nest week I hopefully will have a new hair colour this time next week, a new look for the new year, I'm looking forward to a change, it will likely go wrong like it always does, but my hair has never been perfect I always embrace it!

Painting In acrylics : My painting Process..

Over on Instagram (ella_masters) I shares a few snap shots of what I have been working on today and I thought it would be nice to share with my readers how I work after getting a few emails and messages.

So to begin with when I paint with acrylics onto canvas, I always do an under coat of green, because the one thing i have learn't from studying art my whole life is that our skin colour isn't just one colour it is a mixture of all different colour hues and tones, I find green warms the skin tone. 

Next came the painting of the beard, I do love painting in detail I do love a challenge, I use Daler and Rowney brushes normally, a 2 and 6 round, for the fine detail, (I have a crazy extensive brush collection  due to once being a fine art student and having a wonderful second cousin who use to be a well known artist who likes to occasionally send me his antique art bits and bobs)

When it comes to the acrylics I use, i use a mixture of pound shop quality to rather expensive colours, I personally don't think it matters what you use as long use them properly (well when i say properly i mean don't go crazy with them) there is no right or wrong way to paint. 

The way in which I paint with acrylics is pretty similar to how i paint with watercolours, I just wash them down and layer them up. I do often get asked how I paint, and the process in which I use, I've never really been all that confident when it comes to painting onto canvas, I only started to paint onto canvas when I went to uni, because everyone on a fine art course does, I decided to get involved and the evidence is now hanging at home on the walls of our downstairs loo!

So the next step was to paint the tattoos on, once again layering the colours up, this is where I get really worried and mess up what I have already completed, I get to excited and go a little over the top I am still yet to learn enough is enough! 

I am still yet finish off the forearm, this was just a little practice to see if i can still paint in acrylics. I always feel most at peace when i'm drawing and painting. I think I shall make one of my new years resolution to learn to grasp oil painting. I use to do it as a child but i had no patients with the drying process.
I hope this gives you lovely lot an insight into my little working process, I'm not the best at explaining but its always nice to share what i do.