THE LEGENDARY SHACK SHAKERS!

TONIGHT! My fantastic friends are putting on THE LEGENDARY SHACK SHAKERS at their Legendary clubnight, PSYCHO MOTEL, in the legendary best-club-in-town where I am lucky enough to work, THE KAZIMIER! These guys are meant to be incredible live, so if you're Liverpool-local, be there!!! :-)

THE GIANT PARTY ANIMALS!

Wow! I was pouring drinks at the aftershow party for the ROYAL DE LUXE Giant puppeteers lastnight! Really fun people-watching night. Those guys can seriously party! Made some friends, and tried Pernod for the first time... Bleurgh! The night ended with a VERY raucous dance-off which seemed to span every inch of the club, to Rage Against The Machine! Haha!

IT'S TIME TO PARTY!!!!!!!!!

TONIGHT, TONIIIIIIIGHT! - Tonight I FINALLY get to "get totally ROCKED" by one of my TOP TEN!!!! ANDREW W K!!!!! I am SO. VERY. EXCITED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :-D

RDL GAINTESS!!!

The incredible ROYAL DE LUXE crew are already in Liverpool, testing routes and getting into our groove, I guess!?
THE GIANT GIRL IS COMING! I cannot wait!!! :-D xxx

PENCIL VS CAMERA!

Belgian born Ben Hein has caught my eye recently with his Pencil Vs Camera sketch photo's! I love some of them! Check out Ben's own website to see loads more art, and interviews! Also worth a look is this video he made showing his methods.

APRIL FOOL!

Hahaha! Totally need dual-mice at The Hive!

HAPPY FOOLS DAY, my fellow idiots! ;-)

And here, incase you don't already love it too, is my favourite April 1st news hoax... The spaghetti harvest! In 1957, Richard Dimbleby narrated a short film report for BBC's Panorama, which claimed to document Swiss/Italian farmers, struggling to cope with a particularly successful year's "Spaghetti Tree" crop! The report is thought to have been watched by 8 million astonished and bemused viewers, among them the then-director of the BBC, Ian Jacobs, who admitted having to look up “spaghetti” in his encyclopedia. CNN has since dubbed this public gag “The biggest hoax any reputable news establishment ever pulled,” I LOVE it! x

MARIETTE LOOKBOOK!

My first two Lookbook slideshows for the BUG POP site are now up! Mariette, my new muse, is awesome to work with - full of ideas, and fun. Now we've had an "I'm too shy to model infront of people!" test-shoot in the privacy of The Hive, I'm going to convince her to venture out, into a few photoshoot ideas I've been sitting on for ages! Have a look on the BUG POP website, now!

TELL MEEEEE WHEN....!?

...Will I see you agaiiiiiinnnn?! (Nah-nah, nah-nah, nah-nah, nah!) x

WICKER WARBLES!

Seriously re-addicted to the Wicker Man soundtrack. It's been flowing like honey, all around the studio for days! Look out for Willow inspired folk outsider jewellery from BUG POP this summer...

BENTO POP TOP 10!

My best Bento creations so far... Obviously that's a joke! I've never made one yet, but I do love the wierd little kawaii-kraft! One day I will have enough time to make my own masterpiece, but for now... these are my top pick pics.

WANDA J!

Just a little tune today! How I love you, Wanda!!! <3

UPITUP IS NINE!!!

Last week I made the poster for Upitup's 9th bday/Jacques vinyl launch Liverpool party next week. Normally, Isocore is the go-to man for their amazing posters, but right now he's working on some very exciting video and soundtrack commissions, so I attempted to provide a decent fill-in just this once. I will also be singing in the Union Jacques Choir, and DJing on the night! If you are in the north-west, make sure you make it down for this one!

TAKING ON TRIBAL!

I am currently researching traditional Tribal and ethnic jewellery, for a new collection... I used to pass off modern repro "tribal style" jewellery in general, thinking it a bit too hippyish for my personal taste, but on reflection I am loving the extravagance of the bead-work, colours, gold embelishments and sheer SIZE of some of the head-dress and jewellery pieces I've seen, not to mention the natural beauty and poise exuding from some of the North African women featured in these portraits! (All of which I found at VINTAGE EVERYDAY's blog) Like these...

ECKY FUMP!

My mate Becky J is amazing - Last year she got a first in her Fine Art degree, won a big coveted prize at her degree show, and is now about to go self-employed as a bonafide artist! An you would never even know any of this, because she doesn't show off about it! She just set up a new blog for her distinctively dry and subtly dark illustration, which I love! Go see and follow Ecky Fump!

INCASE YOU FORGOT!...

John Kenn still rules you!!! ON A POST-IT NOTE!!!

I know I said it already! <3 <3 <3 <3 <3

JOEL PENKMAN!

Yesterday I stumbled upon these paintings after following a thousand blog / website trails. Painted with hand-mixed Egg Tempura paints, they are so clean and fresh and supercute, without being cutesy-wutesy! I LOVE them, and followed info only to find out that the artist, Joel Penkman (a woman, read Jo-elle) resides in Liverpool and is practically my neighbour!!! I have written cheesy fanmail, and had a lovely response. Watch this space for a possible Penkman/BUG POP photoshoot! :-D And go see more at her website. YOUR MOUTH WILL WATER!

H B DAY PA!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my lovely Amico Paolo Maria Elmo! A thousand DAJE's and TANTI AUGURIIIII's to youuuuuu!!! :-D <3

BUG IN THE HOOD!

Doc called me into the living room today, to show me the youngest tagger I've seen yet! This kid was about six years old, and had some fat chalk! After writing her statement (seemingly a protest or warning about some guys jarg taste, or lack of eye for a bargain) she ran away, then came back and went over it again in a different colour! By which time I had stopped laughing enough to grab my camera!
I love my neighbourhood!

GIRLS GOT BRASS!

Found this beautiful picture of an all-she brass band from way back when. Thought I should share...

MADE HERE POP-UP-SHOP!

The Made Here Pop-Up-Shop contacted me a moth or two ago, asking me to partake in their two month shop unit in Liverpool One shopping village in town. I decided to go for it, and the shop opened last weekend and today I went to see it with Doc H! BUG POP had a window display right next to the door, and bits and pieces throughout the shop! Aswell as my own jewellery and cards, there were lots of makers whose work I recognised from craft fairs etc over the years. The lovely Linziloop, Aliki bags, Factory Floor Jewels, Leon and Coco, and more! The shop has a really fresh, bright aesthetic which really complemented all the amazing colours of the work for sale, which massively appealed to my current phase of "No room can be quite light or bright ENOUGH for me!". After what seems no time since I was approached with the idea of the shop it was just really ace to see so much of my work in there! If you're in Liverpool, or planning a day trip anytime soon, you really should go and see for yourself! Or if you're further afield, many items are featured on the Made Here online shop! :-)

CAIN CASER!

Currently loving London artist, Cain Caser's crazy-bright graffiti-inspired paintings! They have a distinct figurative portrait quality, like mental drug-monster-faces done up for a night in a wild gay bar... or something! I LOVE! Take a look at Cain's Flickr

WHAT'S COOKIN'?!

Today I made Gnocchi! It was a cheats recipe. Like this:

* 50g (2 oz) instant mashed potato
* 225ml (8 fl oz) boiling water
* 1 egg, beaten
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
* 200g (7 oz) plain flour


1. Place potato flakes in a medium bowl. Pour in boiling water; stir until blended. Let cool.
2. Stir in egg, salt and pepper. Blend in enough flour to make a fairly stiff dough. Turn dough out on a well floured work surface. Knead lightly.
3. Divide dough in half. Shape each half into a long thin roll, the thickness of a breadstick. With a knife dipped in flour, cut into bite-size pieces.
4. Place a few gnocchi in boiling water. As the gnocchi rise to the top of the pot, remove them with a slotted spoon. Repeat until all are cooked.

RETURN OF THE LITTLE PEOPLE!

Last year to celebrate the launch of my Lilliputians Earings, I blogged about the amazing Little People photography of SLINKACHU! Since then, I've noticed a lot of greetings cards with these similar set-ups, usually involving food and domestic objects, and assumed they were by the same artist, but they aren't! These works (which definitely have their own distinctive quality and framing style - closer-up to the subject, less grit and slightly less humour-based, with a heavier design aesthetic) are by French photographer, Vincent Bousserez (whose website I would link, but it's currently not working!...Google him!)
I love them!