Great Northern Contemporary Craft Fair in Manchester
Just to mention that the Great Northern Contemporary Craft Fair opens it’s doors for selling
this Friday til Sunday. I’ve been to this event for the past two years and can really recommend it
both for the quality of the exhibitors and the temporary event hall in Spinningfields, just off Deansgate
in Manchester. You can find a whole host of craft items, and I’ll be there on saturday myself.
Check out Sarah Morpeths’ work on Stand 90, beautiful hand made books and stationery.
See you there. More info about the event here.
Abbott & Ellwood Creative Designers and Jewellers
Just outside St Ives on the North Coast of West Penwith is the home and studio
of Mike Abbott and Kim Ellwood. They create very contemporary collections of
hand printed, figurative brooches and craft one off sculptures, often involving figures
in the garden or on a boat or something else that will bring a smile. They are bright,
narrative pieces using quirky individuals often made using metal and found objects.
I’d guess that their inspiration for these lovely pieces lies outside their front door.
There’s also a great article about their survival in business on the Craft Council site here.
Fishink Random Vintage Collection 2
More findings from my ‘ I Like This ‘ files. this time mostly from the GPO and
Vintage Postal Poster sites. I love their slightly condescending way of telling everyone
what to do. The design styles and colours are something else too.
You can access an earlier Fishink Random Collection here.
Lucie Sheridan
Lucie Sheridan graduated from Bristol U.W.E in 2003 with a first class honours degree in illustration.
Her work combines an instinctive lateral approach with a freshness of execution.
When tackling a brief Lucie starts by brainstorming ideas, then makes some quick
pencil drawings, before moving onto detailed mark making using inks
and Rotring pens. Finally she uses the computer as a tool to work with composition and colour.
Clients include The Guardian, The Sunday Times, Penguin Books, and The Telegraph.
Embroidery For All 1960’s Vintage Ideas
I came across a book the other day in a local second hand shop by Constance Howard
called ‘ Inspiration For Embroidery ‘ and thought it was something worth sharing.
There’s a great range of ideas explored throughout and ways to sketch and
gather information as well as a lot of example photographs of embroidered work.
Published in 1966 by B T Batsford Ltd, it’s a 240 page book that’s well worth a look.
I know Constance has published at least another three books ‘Design For Embroidery ‘,
‘ Embroidery And Colour ‘and her ‘ Book of Stitches’. I’ve not seen the others,
but they do tend to pop up online, very reasonably priced, from time to time.
Extreme Ironing in Japan
So it seems those kooky fun-filled Japanese guys have done it again. So much do they love
to show off their skills and endless enthusiasm for lifes’ day to day activities, that
they’ve created a website to celebrate just how much they like doing things differently.
Extreme Ironing is a site created for the sports enthusiasts amongst you, and the objective
appears to be using an ironing board in the most bizarre way and the most unusual
environment possible. I wonder if there is a prize, or perhaps the winning contestant
gets all their office shirts done for the next two weeks !
And this one is my personal favourite, at least he won’t need to dampen his clothing before ironing !
Many thanks to the wonderful Paper Creativity Site Upon A Fold for highlighting this.
Random post through time. Fishink Stationery
Whilst trailing through the ether and all the wonders it has to offer,
I came across a note and a letter from two different periods in time,
their only link being that they both made me smile and for completely different reasons.
This somewhat curt reply from Disney was a reflection of the times in 1938.
I’m certain with such creatives as Lorelay Bove,
that many artistic woman now work within the Disney Empire in 2010.
Send a letter today and (hopefully) make someone smile !
Fishink stamps for mail and stationery available here..
Fishink Design TV Doodles
Sometimes when I’m watching TV, I doodle at the same time, not drawing what I’m watching
but try to let my mind and pen wander where they will, whilst I’m distracted. Not unlike those
challenges you set yourself as a child to do a drawing without taking your pen off the page.
I like to try different ways of mark making, it sometimes helps me see things differently and
by experimenting, I’m learning to see things in a new way too.
These birds came out of a TV Doodle session. How do other artists challenge themselves ?
Royston ‘Stone’ Naylor Photographer
I recently came across the photography of Royston ‘Stone’ Naylor who took a series
of images at this years’ Alchemy Festival last month. Whilst the festival itself isn’t
particularly my cup of tea (or in this case) brew of potion ! I think he has a great eye
for capturing the colour and sparkle of the event.
It’s Life Jim, but not as we know it ! New Fish from the deep.
Fish images have always fascinated me, and in particular those Jacques Cousteau type of
programmes, where they film on the seabed at depths where only blind, white monsters
and the extras of sci fi films tend to hang out. So it was with interest that I read the
article below, taken from a CNN News Blog.
” Scientists have discovered a new species of fish living almost 4 1/2 miles below
the surface of the Pacific Ocean. The ghostly white snailfish was found September 10
in the Peru-Chile trench in the South Pacific by an international team of
marine biologists led by Alan Jamieson of the University of Aberdeen in Scotland.
The scientists also found cusk-eels and crustaceans living in the trench
off the west coast of South America. Those creatures had never before been observed
at such depths, where sunlight never penetrates and water pressure is almost
10,000 pounds per square inch.
“Our findings, which revealed diverse and abundant species at depths
previously thought to be void of fish, will prompt a rethink into marine populations
at extreme depths,” said Jamieson, who led researchers from
Japan and New Zealand in the project. The researchers discovered the creatures
during a three-week expedition during which they took more than 6,000 images
at depths between 4,500 and 8,000 meters. ”
Those who are faint hearted should look away now !
and if you’re still here, then here’s something for the pattern people to look at.
fishinkblog.com 