Craft Candy.

As if July is just around the corner? Where did 2k10 go? I'm not too sad as July is looking like it might give Mad May a run for it's money in terms of fun stuff!!!

We shall both (Sugar Paper and Knit And Destroy) selling schtoof at this:

Another As if (not the program, that was alright though, used to soundtrack that Sooze having a mardy with Mika Bomb!), off to see Eclipse on Friday, less than a year since New Moon, madness!

R.I.P Frank Sidebottom

King of the papier mache head, you will be missed.

Mini me.....

Today I have been mostly making a miniature me, to send of for the Stitch Yourself exhibition, which is a collaboration between London Science Museum and Stitch London.

Check me out, this is me sans clothes:

I may have been a bit off in choosing my skin tone (I have picked up a slight tan today!) but I did stitch on my tattoos:

And this is my in my totally radular get up (including mini Vans),yeah:

I will be sad to see mini me go!

Awesome zine alert!

Taking Cultural Produsction Into Our Own Hands is an awesome, inspiring zine. It was produced to coincide with the workshop (see post below) at London Zine Symposium.

It features a whole host of things, like:

Booking and Organising spoken-word tours, Curating Art Shows, Making Comics, Making poster artwork for gigs and events, Making your own animations, Making your own [documentary] films, Making Zines, Opening your own independent Gallery Space, Organising a Zine Fest, Organising Comedy Nights, Putting on Gigs, Putting on your own club night, Running a Magazine, Running a Zine Distro, Running your own record label, Recording Albums, Opening up your own Vegan Cafe, Screen printing, Setting up a Zine Library, Starting your own publishing house, Starting your own band, Starting your own theatre company, Writing and performing poetry, Writing and Publishing your own Book, Opening your own Shop, Opening your own Comic Shop.

After reading it, I wanted to go out and produce everything! The ever rad Melanie Maddison contacted me to feature in it, where I attempt to give business advice, but I'm no Patrick Bateman!

What this zine does, aside form inspiring, it's provide a good basis for networking, giving a whole host of contacts.so buy it now, from here.

Dino watch, R.I.P Mr Triop.

Yes, the other day I woke up to look at my triop swimming around, and he was curled up, on the sand, on his back. Sadly he had passed.

But fear not I am drying out the sand to see if any eggs were laid to grow more. I'll keep you posted.

(seeing as every picture I tried to take, this is pretty much what he looked like):Off to the Bradford zine fayre now!

London zine symposium

So a few weeks ago we headed to London Zine symposium.
We had a cup of tea on the way down there and I paid 25p less for a cup of water too (to aid digestion) we weren't even in the south when I paid for that!
We arrived and wandered round trendy Brick lane (Rusholme's curry mile with a few 'quirky' shops thrown in!)
The symposium was fun!! So busy, like intensely full of people all day, we were sat next to a lovely girl called Rosie who made some ace 'how to' couture pattern zines.
Our stall looked like this: I, saw lots of familiar faces, and managed to get a workshop about taking cultural production into your own hands, with the as ever ace Melanie Maddison ,Em Ledger, Debi Withers and Patrick Staff.

Afterwards we went for a curry, a rate northern curry, that got so northern I spat my drink out lolling at us all being northern, in particular that favourite northern Dad saying, 'APPY WI THAT!

Next followed a trip to chez Nick n Paul for a eurovision party with cookies and Cherry Lambrini, perfectly followed the next day by a milkshake darn a caff. We got our picture taken with the lovely Denise first!

We then went off to see some quilts, but that's another blog post.

The time has come...to knit in public!

Tomorrow marks the official start of this year's WORLDWIDE KNIT IN PUBLIC days.

There will be events running all over the world, check out the website to find an event near you.

I will be in Leeds at the event below tomorrow, hosted by Leeds based knitters baaramewe.

So come down to Leeds waterfront if you're in the area and get yr knit ON!

In other news, my mum is awesome at making cakes/putting on a spread, check this out:

2 meringue things, 1 cheesecake, 1 coffee cake, 1 fruit salad , 1 coffeem whisky souffle, 1 birthday cake, 1 layer rum truffles, 1 layer profiteroles. All home made!

Kandy.

FEM-UH-NIST- NOT A DIRTY WORD

I say this on the bus as I was getting off (after just having an important craft meeting with Kandy) and grabbed it:The funny thing is, Kandy and I were talking about this just yesterday! I have yet to read the article yet (and I'm not the biggest fan of Stylist magazine*, I mean Dawn Porter column, no thanks!) but I'll let you know what it says.

This got me thinking about the time Kandy and I got interviewed for a Ladyfest fundraising craft night we were helping with. I was on the phone for like 20minutes, trying to be all clever and stuff and talk about feminism and craft, and the main quote I got was:

"I have always liked stuff like Refreshers. I love bright colours."

I mean why would I say that, she was asking me what I sell, then she said like Refreshers I said yeah, she said do you like them I said yeah, I like Wham bars more!
I later apparently describe the music I like a 'fierce', I mean I like ANTM and Tyra Banks, but I would never say that. Oh to be hugely misquoted!

Anyway you can read it here **

* magazine that comes free with the MEN I think!
**my shop no longer exists, sadly.

Toadstool Cakes

I made these little toadstool cakes for Alison's birthday back in April:Toadstool Cakes:

You will need:
4oz/100g caster sugar
4oz/100g margarine
4oz/100g self raising flour
2 medium eggs
------------
For icing:
Icing sugar
Margarine
Vanilla essence
Red food colouring
------------
Also:
Bun cases
White chocolate buttons
Dessicated coconut
Green food colouring
Icing sugar and warm water
Little fluffy chick!

Make the mixture as for Victoria sponge*.
Split into 5 or 6 bun cases and bake for 20-25mins. Leave to cool.
Once cool, cut into the bottom of the cakes, to make little stumps about half an inch deep.

Make some butter cream by mixing some icing sugar and margarine together, add the red colouring and vanilla essence. Spread on to the top of each cake, press in the white chocolate buttons to give a toadstool effect.

Mix the dessicated coconut with a few drops of green food colouring in a bowl. Mix until the coconut is fully covered.
Make some icing with the icing sugar and warm water, add a few drops of green food colouring to this.
Spread on a plate or cake board and sprinkle the coconut on top.
Press the cakes firmly into the grass icing whilst it's still sticky, place on the chick, leave to dry and voila, cute toadstool cakes!

* found in Sugar Paper #1

Interview...

The lovely ladies at Felt Up Craft Club did an interview with us for The 405, check it out here.

DINO WATCH!

I know what you're all saying, what the hell happened to Dino watch!

Well two things:

1- I haven't had time to update

and

2- The little blighter is hard to photograph.

But since I last updated, I got myself one massive Triops, he appeared then grew by the day, HUGE. I also had a little fairy shrimp that swam around on his back, I went away for two days, when I came back he was gone, sad face.

Mr Triops looks a lot like this:

bad tooth VS the world...

So I FINALLY got round to watching this:

this now means I am too excited and incredibly impatient for it's release.

In other news I had a rotten tooth out, oweee