I've just finished a new pair of fairy wings to be part of the display at The Silver Lining in Mullumbimby. The frames are made of wire, I covered them in 2nd hand fabrics  that I found in charity shops, embellished them with doilies, sequins, beads and small pieces of mirror, and have sewed ribbons in which can be tied around the shoulders to make straps.

The photos from last weeks geisha shoot with Satya James are here & I must say I'm really very pleased with them!! I wanted a bright bold made up that corresponded to the the geometric pattern on the dress - a beautiful piece by Satya which she made out of a very striking kimono. As for the hair - our gorgeous model Steph has beautiful long dreadlocks which were great to work with - you can get so much shape and volume out them & then there's the added bonus that they hold accessorizes very well. A wonderful shoot & a big thank you to everyone involved!

I just got a few photos from a shoot I did with Satya James a few months ago - you can see them all in my make up portfolio... The photos from last weeks geisha shoot should be up tomorrow if all goes to plan!

Over the last year I found myself doing a lot of research into food production and subsequently into animals rights. I decided to become vegan in November, a decision which has influenced not only what I eat but also the products I use. I thoroughly believe that all living things have the right to live a free, happy pain free life and I absolutely refuse to support any company partakes in harfmul practices. As a make up artist I have quite a sizable kit and to my horror I've discovered that a  few products which I use and love either contain animal derived ingredients or have been tested on animals. Needless to say I am less than happy about this and have set myself a goal of assembling a completely cruelty free kit - from brushes to bases I want to find products from ethical companies which have caused no pain in their production. I also want to find products that use organic ingredients and stay well clear from harmful chemicals or GM ingredients. So from now on, whenever I run out of something it will be replaced with vegan friendly products and I will share what I find right here in a new section which I'm putting together.

To get started check out the list of accredited cruelty free companies by clicking here - if you have one of those snazzy iphone jobbies you can download a FREE handy app as well to keep you updated! How good is that?

We can start with one awesome company that I found a few months ago: ECOTOOLS. These guys really are awesome, they make really great cruelty free brushes with synthetic fibers, bamboo handles and recycled aluminum ferrules. Unlike some synthetic brushes these are incredibly soft and very well made - you'll have a hard time believing they're not made from hair! Their selection is still quite small but the ones available are all sorts of awesome and I thoroughly recommend them. They also make bath products and make up bags - and even use responsible packaging.

If anyone out there has any recommendations please feel free to contact me and let me know!

For quite a while now I've wanted to make a big old wonky top hat out of tatty playing cards. I found some beautiful old worn cards at a market in Sydney but thought I'd better do a test run first...just in case, and here its is! have also been playing with wire and fabric scraps again - this time to make flowers. All I need to find now is some good clips to attach them to so I can start putting them in people's hair...

Yesterday I found a very sad battered old wig in the Op-Shop & decided to rescue it and give it some life. I patched up the holes, added in extra hair, gave it a wee trim and then built it up around a cage which I attached to the base. It's going to be part of a mannequin style sculpture by Shannon Smulian used in a Water Dragon themed window display celebrating the Chinese New Year. I integrated strips of fabric that will be used in the dragons' tail and sewed in sequins, beads and a couple miniature mirror balls.

I've been fiddling around with wire, sequins, fabric scraps and ribbons to make some leafy headgear. I used to make them out of real leaves and wear them in summer but have discovered you can't really do that in Australia as the sun dries them out so quickly you end up being left with a withered droopy crown which isn't much fun. These are now on sale in The Silver Lining on Mullumbimby High Street.

Have been sorting through my photos and came across a couple of face paints I did last Halloween and forgot to share! How silly of me....

Once again Valentines day is looming...  It's not something that I personally buy into but some people do & its for them that I've been hiding away making a little collection of crafty cards with a mixture of new & recycled materials. The cards are now on sale at The Silver Lining on Mullumbimby high street & more pictures are posted in the new 'Arts & Crafts' section of my portfolio, enjoy!

Isn't it just brilliant when things come together? I've just had a lovely evening with Satya James doing a very feisty Geisha shoot showcasing a beautiful Japanese inspired dress. The dress was beautiful, the model was an absolute diamond, the photographer was a total star, the space was just fantastic... and the hair and make up looked pretty damn good too - I'm a very happy girl right now. I had a sneaky peak at the photos and am so so excited about getting them next week and being able to share them - so watch this space! In the meantime why not entertain yourself by checking out my friend Luca Riboni and his beautiful photography - go to my Links page or click here to visit his Flickr portfolio .