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A couple of new pieces for my 'folio, working on my younger audience characterisation, & my black & white linear work.

Okay, so page two of the classified ads (above), that will appear in my upcoming zine, is finished Done and dusted. If you have bought some space a big thanks. I hope you like your ad. The last page (below) is almost complete. After fitting in all the ads I have a little space left. Three ad boxes to be precise. If you click on the drawing you can see the space. If you would like to purchase that space then you can; HERE. I will be finishing this drawing in the next day or two so please be quick.

I've been meaning to visit A Month of Sundays gallery by Pete McKee since it opened a year, or so, ago.Last Saturday I finally did.

Pete's work was brought to my attention by a series of coincidences which is always the best way to discover something new, I find. I loved it immediately. Whilst our styles are miles apart I think we have a lot in common. Both children of the 1970s housing estates, I relate to his humour and obsession with music.

His work seems to stand alone, it's very distinctive and individual. His little gallery is really very smart. If you are in Sheffield it is well worth a visit.

Before leaving the city I also got time to make this drawing from my car. I would probably have passed this restaurant by without giving it a second look but my car was parked on the hill opposite it. I'd never have noticed it's loveliness. I bet it hasn't changed since the 80s. 70s even. I do like that kind of thing.

As I've said recently, I'm still finding my feet with this on location kind of drawing. Finding my feet in lots of ways. As I get more comfortable with these black pens I am beginning to think about adding colour. I like the results in this one. What do you think?

I hope everyone had a nice weekend!  Because of our Labor Day holiday here in the U.S. I was able to finish up some sewing that has been sitting around since my last fall outfit post.

Once again, this outfit is 1930s-inspired; perhaps it’s vaguely Carnivale-esque?  The blouse is made up of a muted mint green shirting, off-white cotton-silk voile and embellished with a black silk satin ribbon bow (that’s pinned on and can be removed).  The skirt with large patch pockets is made from a tan/black/orange glen plaid.

The top pattern is McCall’s M5977.  Remember how I said I thought the armhole ruffles were weird?  Well, I decided to add them for this version but I redrafted the ruffles so they would be the least narrow under my arms (which is more flattering in my opinion).  I knew going in that this shirting fabric was not ideal for a pullover style top; it’s a little stiff and would be better suited to a button-down shirt.   I was stubborn and envisioned it being made into this very blouse anyway.  The shirt is meant to be tucked in so to reduce the bulk around my waist I added darts to both the front and back, keeping in mind that I still needed to be able to slip this on over my head!

The skirt fabric is a really soft cotton, not the wool you would expect.  (So soft in fact that Spoo Kee is sleeping on top of it as I write this.)  I kept the design really simple with patch pockets cut on the bias for a slight contrast.  The pockets are lined with self fabric that is cut with the grain (for stability).

For a bit of fanciness I lined this skirt with silk charmeuse.  I have to say, I love it!  By far so much nicer than polyester or acetate lining.  It feels like wearing a nightie underneath.  And yes, you may notice that I used a navy blue zipper instead of black.  That is simply because I had forgotten to get a black zipper and the fabric store was closed and I did not want to wait!  Ah, impatience.

Have you started your fall sewing yet?

I don't really like to clog up my blog with the same stuff, I like to give you visitors some variety. However, I'm working on a number of labour intensive drawings at the moment, these included. They are almost there now. My next post will be the complete versions. So, if you've purchased advertising space, but do not see your ad yet, hang fire. They'll be along shortly.

People seem to like these step by step processes, though. In the past I've made a few such posts. To see my other step by steppers take a look HERE. I always think that this set is best viewed on slideshow.

I've said before, coincidentally in my last ballpoint zine, that one of the many things I love about the creative process is the way it surprises you. Sometimes, I feel, I have no idea where an idea comes from, but if you just trust yourself, and your pen, then it seems to unfold in front of your very eyes. I'm loving how these pieces have this bird theme. I have no idea why or how, but I'm loving it.
One last thing, have YOU seen the bird girl? I need to know.

For the first time ever I’m planning out my sewing projects for the next season in advance so that they will complement each other.  It’s fun in a sewing/fashion-nerd sort of way.  I’ve reorganized my fabric stash into fall/winter and spring/summer instead of fabric-type to make it easier to pick out things that work together.  As usual I’ve gotten pretty ambitious with what I’d like to make up but at least I’m getting a head start.  (I’ve already finished one quick project this weekend and have started another.)

I’m showing you two palettes.  There are a lot of browns; no surprise there.  The first one consists of pale muted blues and greens and ivory.  Toile and houndstooth and dots and cotton velvet.

The second palette is warmer although there is some black in there too.  Rust and mauve and mustard yellow brighten up this set.  Faux fur and florals here.  All of it, naturally, very vintage-inspired.  Pretty, faded, old-fashioned prints and textures.  I’ve got some ’30s patterns picked out, some from the ’60s (for basic shapes) as well as modern ones too.

Have you started planning or even working on projects for next season yet?  Do you like to plan in advance and to what degree?

Some of the black and red ballpoints I am currently using. Simple as that, really.
You know the drill; click on the drawing to read all the nonsense that was going through my head while creating this one. Actually, I haven't actually read it myself. Now that's a worry.

This drawing is also for sale. You can buy it HERE.
Cheers, my dears.

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By Michael Biggs and Steven Knauss

The BNP’s membership list was leaked in November 2008 by a disgruntled activist who had been expelled late in 2007; he has since admitted responsibility and been convicted. The BNP never challenged the list’s authenticity, merely stating that it was out of date. The list is apparently a complete record of membership at November–December 2007. Of the 13,009 individuals listed, 30 were missing a current address, 138 had a foreign address, and 41 lived in Northern Ireland. Of the remaining members, 12,536 (97.9 per cent) can be precisely located in Britain using the postcode field of their address (Office of National Statistics, 2004, 2008). Postcodes provide exceptionally fine resolution, down to the street level.

The distribution of members diverges significantly from the distribution of voters.  The correlation of votes with membership, across the 628 constituencies in Britain, is surprisingly modest (r ¼ 0.46). The party contested only one in five seats, but the correlation is scarcely higher in those alone. Voting also gives a misleading impression of the national distribution of the party’s support. Wales and Scotland provide over three times the proportion of members compared with voters.

Members must be matched with a population denominator. Data come from the 2001 Census, conducted in April. The great majority of members on the leaked list had joined since this date, as the BNP had 2,173 members in November 2001 (Copsey, 2008: 137). The BNP recruited only ‘indigenous Caucasian’ people (Copsey, 2008: 238). We count adults who defined their ethnicity as ‘White British’, including ‘White Scottish’. The proportion of white British adults belonging to the BNP was 0.032 per cent across Britain.

For statistical analysis, we use the finest geographical unit defined by the Census, the ‘output area’. This is a very small neighbourhood; the median covers an area of 6 hectares and contains 280 people. There are 218,038 neighbourhoods (as they will be termed) in Britain: the BNP was present in 10,165 (4.7 per cent) of them. Most of those had a single member; 11 was the maximum. The highest proportion was 5.7 per cent.

We begin with independent variables capturing economic insecurity. These are measured ecologically, as the fraction of people in the neighbourhood with a particular characteristic, though they are proxies for individual characteristics predicting support for the BNP. Education is divided into three categories: no qualifications, qualifications below university degree, and degree (denominated by people aged 16–74 years). Class is divided into five categories, from routine and semi-routine to managerial and professional (denominated by occupied population). The unemployment rate is also measured (denominated by the economically active). Alongside these sociological staples, housing is included because the BNP promotes the myth that foreigners are given privileged access to public housing. Housing tenure is divided into three categories: owned or mortgaged, rented from the local authority, and private rental (including other arrangements). Overcrowding, as defined by the Census, is also measured. (In both cases the denominator is households.) We expect, then, that white British adults are more likely to belong to the BNP in neighbourhoods with lower education, lower social class, higher unemployment, more private renting, and greater overcrowding. Control variables are entered to reflect findings that BNP voters are disproportionately male and middle aged (Ford and Goodwin, 2010; Cutts et al., 2011). Additional controls are population density and the proportion of people living in communal establishments like prisons.

For Hypotheses 1–3, we defin

Just in time for me to read before I begin taking my upcoming yoga and tai chi classes* came a copy of Writing Yoga: A Guide to Keeping a Practice Journal by Bruce Black. I first "met" Bruce through his wonderful blog, Wordswimmer, and have gotten to know him better over the past several years thanks to the CYBILS Awards. Bruce is a kind, generous, thoughtful person, as any one who has read his posts and his in-depth interviews can see, and he has written a book that reflects those qualities.

The book purports to be about how keeping a journal about yoga class can enhance one's experience and practice, but - intentionally or not - quite a bit of it can be read metaphorically as being about growth, flexibility, and practice as a writer - a sort of stretching and workout for your writing skills, and not just use of writing skills to talk about yoga.

A confession: I don't keep a journal. I tried keeping a diary for a week or so when I was 12, but it felt artificial and embarrassing and I quickly gave it up. I tried half-heartedly in high school, then again in college, and at least once after that, and I always, always felt self-conscious about it. And worried about what I'd think when I went back to read it later. And yet, I love the idea of a journal, and heaven knows I love reading passages from the journals of historical personages and whatnot, so I've often wished I could manage it.

Bruce's words about journaling have changed how I view a journal, and may just have given me permission to try a yoga/tai chi journal myself. Here's what he says early on:

The practice of journaling is all about process--the process of putting words on paper, the process of thinking and sifting through layers of memories and experiences to make discoveries and gain insights. It's not about what you produce. Like many writers, I rarely reread what I write in my journals. That's because it's in the process of writing--the actual physical act of writing--that you'll make discoveries. That's the point of keeping a journal--not the product, but the process.

I meant to post this sooner but last week just flew by and then this weekend – eek!  Worked late Friday night, cleaned all day Saturday and Sunday was spent doing shop stuff which is fun but a lot of work all the same.  Which reminds me – I’ve sold out of Silhouette Holiday cards for this year!  Thank you, thank you, thank you so much.  Now I wish I had ordered more, I hate to turn away lovely customers.  I’ll plan to issue more holiday cards for next season.

Anyway, on to the fun stuff: this dress!  Don’t you LOVE the color?  The picture doesn’t do it justice, the color is so vibrant and rich.  Overall I’m really happy with it.  After years of sewing for myself I now seem to be getting the hang of choosing the right fabric and pattern combinations to make something I’d actually wear in public.

Before I forget, some outfit notes in case you’re wondering:

• Merino ribbed cardi: Banana Republic (probably from 10 years ago!)
• Butterfly brooch: Mama’s Little Babies
• Handbag: vintage (my favorite cozy weather bag)
• Tights: Hansel from Basel (Finally, I was able to afford these because they were on sale.  I spied them on the lovely Lost in the Forest blog (April’s outfits are hugely inspiring and full of personality and fable).
• Shoes: Operetta by Fluevog (They’ve had this style for years and years.  These were my “I’ll eat rice for a month so I can buy them” basic black heels.)

I actually wore this outfit the other night when husband and I went out for dinner.  The cardigan is a little snug for this loose 1920s style but I think it works for the most part.  I like the black with the green regardless.

This photo (above) probably best represents the color.  The silk georgette was pretty easy to sew, surprisingly, but not very fun to cut.  So very slippery. I’m sure if you were to lay the pattern pieces on what I cut out, they’d be way off.  Oh well.  Here is the pattern, Butterick #1223:

It’s a junior’s or girls’ dress.  These styles don’t have much shaping anyway so the fit was mostly good.  I followed the pattern except for the capelet.  I like the idea of a capelet but I wanted something less dramatic and created the ruffle from the same pattern piece.  At first I thought it might look clownish but it really works with the cardigan.  I also didn’t follow the directions exactly where it came to putting the front and back together; I couldn’t understand the instructions and winged it.

Oh and I did tweak the keyhole a bit too.  Initially it was just a slit that was to be covered up by the capelet but I rounded it out and extended it, to make it more like a regular keyhole.  I don’t know if it was this change or the

You know, I'd really love to have a dog. I would like a dog not for the companionship, or to get fit, I'd like a dog so that I could dress him up as a Victorian gentleman. Then I would get him to parade around the house with my cat, who would be dressed in crinolines. Just for my amusement. Until that time arrives I've drawn them.

The phrase 'what am I doing with my life?' comes to mind. Again.

Actually, when I was away, a month or so ago, I was working on a book deadline. I'm not sure how much I can say about it yet, but as part of my research I found myself looking through lots of Victorian and Regency silhouettes. There are some stunningly beautiful examples, and I'd recommend doing a little research (Googling) yourself. I think you'll be inspired. I was. It's also how I'm trying to justify these two drawings.

This is what I was working on in my last post - little paper swans with movable wings!  Oh, these were fun to make and very satisfying.

It has been years (literally) since I played with gouache paint and I was quickly reminded how tricky of a medium it can be.  It doesn’t seem like it would be but I had gotten so used to painting with watercolor that applying paint in this fashion felt a little uncomfortable.  But you know what they say about discomfort and growth!

Anyway, do they look familiar?  I based the design off of my Leda the Swan (sewing pattern).   I really love vintage-style soft things and characters and I tried to capture that  in this paper birds with their thick lashes, simple design and sparkly-ness.  (Isn’t glitter the best thing ever?)  After I took these photos I punched holes at the top and added some gold thread so that I may hang them up.

They like to hang out (ha!) with Peter Rabbit, for now.  I might need to make a flock of these, yes?  That’s a distinct possibility.  And once I got started making these swans,  I thought such things might find themselves quite at home in le shop.

Hee hee, can’t you tell I had fun taking pictures of these?

A lovely Tuesday to you!

It’s rare that I get to share works in progress with you;  I don’t usually think to snap pictures while creating new things.  And in the past month or so,  for one reason or another, I haven’t been up to a lot art-making.  But recently I started to play around with some ideas I’ve been wanting to get to for a while and I think that creative spark has been reignited!

Oh, and thank you for the comments of kind words and things lately.  I have been a little behind in my blog-reading and replies but I think of you often.  Have a lovely mid-week!

Book Trailer Case Study: The Book of Spam

Some book trailers are sponsored and developed by the publisher; others are done entirely by the author. Witness this glorious book trailer by Dan Armstrong and Dustin Black about The Book of Spam: A Most Glorious and Definitive Compendium of the World’s Favorite Canned Meat. (Atria Books, 2007)

Description:
“What luncheon meat is found in over forty-five countries, available in ninety-nine percent of supemarkets and corner shops, and sells nearly eighty million pounds every year? It’s SPAM. From the 20,000-member SPAM Fan Club to Monty Python’s Broadway sensation SPAMalot, after seventy years of canned-meat greatness, SPAM has become a pop-culture sensation with a devout following, and The Book of Spam is its Bible.”

First and Second Campaigns

It doesn’t sound like a book that could inspire greatness in a book trailer. But the authors were committed to helping publicize and popularize their book, especially with online efforts. Their first offering was a song, “Theme from the Book of Spam.” It was followed by a series of humorous book trailers called The Pig Diaries, in which the pig is ignorant about all things MEAT. It’s a kitschy sort of trailer with plastic farm animals and humor that almost falls flat. By now, there were two websites: TheBookofSpam.com and ThePigDiaries.com

Third Campaign: Toastvertising

But Dan and Dustin weren’t finished. Enter Toastvertising.

Dan said, “We picked toast because of it’s close connection to SPAM. Plus it was a media that was unexplored in the world of animation. And it was downright delicious.”

The idea was to do an animated video using a series of pieces of toast; it’s much like a flip book, except the images are dark outlines made by laying a stencil over a piece of toast and torching it until the image is dark.

As you watch this clip, listen to the script. Play it several times, just listening to the script. The script is brilliant.
(YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYMmh_H3dJA )

Dan said, “I wrote the script and did the voice over and sound editing. Dustin built the set and flambeed each and every piece of toast. Once we had everything ready to go, the shoot took us about 10 hours. Dustin ran the still camera, I ran the toaster. His sister was nice enough to go get us lunch.”

A ten hour day, 9 days of toast smell, 13 loaves of bread, 220 pieces of bread, a $10 toaster, 9″ of snow outside, bright light inside–it’s a long hard day, but look at what they had at the end, a 1 minute, 11 second piece of