10 Things My Dad Taught Me

Today marks three years of loosing my daddy. Every year I write something about him so that I can remember him. Today, I'm focusing on 10 of his regular habits which have all in some way inspired me to follow his lead.

1. Never be afraid to rescue things from skips
If he saw something useful like a plank of wood he'd bring it home and put it to use.

2. Always keep a comb by the front door
My dad's comb lived on the bottom of the staircase, near a mirror so he could do a quick smarten up before he went out.

3. Read the dictionary
This was a popular time pass, to keep learning new words.

4. Keep the kitchen sink clean

A blocked sink was one of his worst nightmares so he'd polish the kitchen sink a couple of times a day.

5. Support trainee hairdressers

He'd get his hair cut at the local college by students to save money, a tip I have been following for over a decade!

6. Save plastic bottles

He would place these upside down on sticks all around his allotment....the truth is on this one that I have no idea why...does anyone know what the philosophy behind it could be? Regardless, one day I shall get an allotment and do the same thing.

7. Keep sandwiches in cereal bags

You know those plastic inserts inside a box of cereal? That's how he'd transport his sandwiches.

8. Take empty tupperware on holiday

Fill it with food from the destination, i.e. biscuits to bring home.

9. Mix cereals

His fave combination with Crunchy Nut Cornflakes mixed with muesli - to this day I never eat one cereal at a time, it needs to be several, it's so much more satisfying!

10. Visit sick people

He went out of his way to visit friends in hospital, or anyone else that was unwell - he always said it was a good thing to do. Luckily I haven't had many sick friends but if I did I would look to do the same.

A totally random list and order and of course there are many huge things he taught me about life, religion, family etc but these every day details that are the ones that really made him who he was. 

Miss you Ubba.

101+ Things To Do With Glitter Book Lauch

I'm very excited to announce that my new book will be launched one month today at a sparkling event in London called Glitter Fest 2012.

In short, it's a mini festival that celebrates the shiny stuff and features craft workshops, live music, DJs, glittery snacks, beauty makeovers and a host of special guests. 

They'll also be an exhibition of projects, a raffle and the chance to buy a signed copy of the book at a discount!

Date: Tuesday 25th September 2012 Time: 7.30pm Place: Hackney Attic

To see all the details please click here.

It's free to attend and everyone is welcome. So please do come!

Art In The Olympic Park

I was extremely lucky to be invited to go on a special Art Tour of the Olympic Park, led by Adriana Marques, one of the curators who have been working on designing the park, and its legacy over the last few years.

There are approximately 25 art installations in the park - all but one of them are permanent, though the generally public won't be able to see them until the park opens - the first phase of which is next year. I was stunned from the moment I entered the grounds to when I left. Being there is so exciting, it's buzzing with positive energy and is beautiful.

As well as the purpose built events venues there is a huge double-sided screen in the middle called Park Live where ticket holders can enjoy the events. There's also a live music stage, lots of places to eat and shop, plenty of spots to relax in and art to enjoy - which is what I was there to see.

First up the one most people (certainly Londoners!) already know about. Anish Kapoor's Orbit is a vast tower that on London's skyline looks like red scaffolding. Close up however it is stunning. I'm one of those locals who was skeptical, but up close it's so different and so much more likable. Unfortunately I didn't get to go inside. Tickets cost £15 and are hard to get hold of but I'm told it's full of mirrors that reflects the city which sounds amazing.

You wouldn't think flowers were an installation, but Fantasticology is just that. Designed by the Klassnik Corporation, this stunning wild flower meadow is planted to create a huge pattern which you can view if you're inside Orbit. But to people who aren't up there it still looks pretty just blowing in the breeze.

Ifo Spectrum by Carsten Nicolai is a digitally printed fence. Technically I don't understand how that works as it's living and is made of plants - however look closely and you can see intricate planting arrangements. 

History Trees by Ackroyd & Harvey are just that, something that will change and grow over time - literally, making history. Three trees have already been planted which have a stainless steel ring in them and an additional seven will go up later as part of the legacy.

If you look closely you'll spot poetry throughout the park, one of which is The Fun Palace by Caroline Bird.

Art is integral to every element of the park. It's not an after thought, but was integrated into the initial stages. Steles by Keith Waterson, may look like giant crayons, but they are in fact colourful sleeves on the pillars where boats can park - designed simply so they aren't boring or grey. I like that kind of thinking. Look closely under all the brides, they aren't ordinary either.

Monica Bonvicini's RUN is situated outside the Copper Box building where I'm going to be watching the fencing element of the Modern Pentathlon on Saturday. Remarkably it looks different in the day and night. By day it's made up of mirrors and at night it's lit up by LEDS.

 Another one of my faves is Fantastic Factology where facts have been supplied by experts and placed on 57 benches throughout the park - spotting them all is a day trip in itself. 

The park is a 25 year project but it will look very different when it opens to how it does now. If you do get a chance to go now or during the Paralympic Games, take it! 

See more about my visit on my video diary of the tour

Bouncy Stonehenge...my London 2012 Festival Video Diaries continue

I still can't believe there are so many fun things going on for the London 2012 Festival, and I'm living in the city that's right at the heart of it!
For my latest two video diaries I went to see an incredible outdoor choreography where seven performers bungeyed off Millenium Bridge in the early hours of a Sunday morning!
Here's what happened. Watch video. 

And last weekend I went to the Bouncy Stonehenge aka Sacrilege 2012. It's a giant inflatable replica of the real thing and gives adults a chance to have a good bounce.
I got a bit carried away in this video! And I got to wear a beard ; ) Watch video.

How To Make Batman Gauntlets

It is no secret that I want to be Bat Girl. It's the only job I would give up writing and crafting for - I know it's supposed to be a dual identity but I'd be happy to be Batgirl all day long. And with the new Batman movie The Dark Knight Rises launching this week I realised I needed to get my costume in order!

The Batsuit has 'his & hers' versions: they both have the tight pants, a utility belt, cape, mask, logo on the chest...and some gauntlets for the arms, And that's what I needed to complete my look! Follow these simple instructions to make your own in a matter of minutes. Be quick! There are criminals out there waiting to be challenged!

To make Batman/Batgirl gauntlets, you will need:

• A4 black craft foam (also called neoprene or funky foam), 3 sheets
• Scissors
• Double-sided tape
• Ruler
• Paper
• Pen
• Velcro (self-adhesive)

1. Fold a sheet of foam over your wrist to get an idea of how tight you need to make it. A snug fit is essential and remember the higher up it goes the wider your arm will get, so adjust accordingly. Place one piece of your velcro on the outside edge, and the second half inside at the point the foam goes over your arm and trim off any excess. Do this twice.

2. Draw your 'spikes' on paper using your ruler, cut them out and use them as templates to cut from your third piece of foam. Remember you need two of each size and they vary: large, medium and small.

3. Wear the foam sleeve, to work out where the spikes need to be positioned, make sure they are pointing up.  Affix in place with double-sided tape so they stand up at the edges of the sleeve. Stick three more on the other sleeve so the gaunlets mirror each other.

 4. And there you have it! A costume essential to wear when you go and watch the movie. 

If like me you're a Batfan that fancies a recap of the previous two movies before number three of Christopher Nolan's comes out, then head to the Prince Charles cinema in Leicester Square London this Tuesday where they are having a double bill AND they're showing the original 1966 version soon too. KAPOW!!!

Now lets go save the planet!

My London 2012 Festival Video Diaries (the first two!)

Over the next 12 weeks I've been selected to keep a video diary of some of the fantastic events happening in the capital to celebrate the Olympics! There are thousands of events going on all over the UK - but I'll just be going to ones in my home town.
The vast majority are free - anyone can go to them, you just turn up! Some are ticketed and some are paid for but mostly I'll be watching the free stuff!
Arts Council London have given me a video camera and all I need to do is video my reactions to what I've seen and then they edit them down and host them on their Tumblr site.
There are 12 of us video bloggers or (vloggers) as I like to say, and most days the Tumblr site gets updated with the latest things we've seen. There are some great videos up there at the moment, including a 9-year-old girl who went to see an exhibition about fashion and a chap who went to the Southbank's Poetry Parnassus event (which I'm so sad I didn't get to see).

I've recorded 2 vlogs so far. I haven't worked out how to embed them in my blog yet so here's a couple of links. Both were free outdoor performances I saw as part of the Greenwich & Docklands International Festival.

 Closing Night: La Voyage Des Aquareves in Woolwich Town Centre (click on this link!)


Opening Night: Prometheus Awakes (link for my 1st blog - warning it's a bit dark!)




I hope you'll watch them - I'll keep posting the next ones on here too.


I'm really excited about it, but the downside is that I'm going to be so busy going out and about this summer that I won't have as much time to write my normal blog. On the plus side though I've always wanted to make vlogs and now's my opportunity!


Check out the London 2012 Festival brochure for all the events that are going on and if you see anything fab, I'd love to know about it!







 
 

5 Things I Love about Everything Oz (craft book review!)

1. There's No Place Like Home

Oz is without a doubt my favourite fairytale. To this day it I still cry watching it - there are just so many nostalgic moment; it is timeless. I liked last year's Everything Alice book but I love Everything Oz. You see as much as Alice was beautifully designed and had fabulous projects I've never had much affinity with the story - mainly because I didn't watch many Disney cartoon as a child, but Oz was on TV all the time and the more I watched it the more it fuelled my imagination. 

And what are those fab shoes beside the book? My very own ruby red slippers. I made them for my own book 101+ Things To Do With Glitter which is released this September. Mine are glittery and the pair that appear in the Oz book are made from sequin trim - both are just as amazing!

 2. Green Jelly

When I was studying for my A'levels there was a girl in my Media Studies class called Sian who had an obsession with green jelly and the minute I saw this project I thought of her. Jelly is one of the most fascinating food stuffs in existence I'm especially inspired by how Bombas & Parr have built a business by making impressive jelly sculptures.
Everything Oz has a subtitle of 'The Wizard Book of Makes & Bakes' and I'm glad this doesn't mean literally only foods that go in the oven.
Jelly is super easy to prepare, it's got much easier to find veggie versions and this project, through its simplicity will hopefully inspire a whole new generation of people to get back into the habit of eating jelly again for dessert.
A couple of weeks ago I was at a party where they served jelly and ice-cream and all the guests went crazy for it.Oh and on the Sian front. I recently reconnected with her and she has a blog too where recenty she wrote about being happy to receive Everything Alice as a birthday present....Sian, wait until you see this!

3. Pretty things

There are over 50 projects in Everything Oz and the good news is, they are designs you would want to own. For example I would buy these Emerald hairpieces they are so professional looking. Being shown how to make something that could quite easily sell for over £50 is a sign of a good craft book - especially when you see how easy it is to DIY!

4. Amazing projects

The projects in Oz are much more adventurous than those that appear in Alice, again like above, projects that you actually want to own. I particularly like this star lamp, it's something I will have a go at making - and also the Great Wizard's Thrown Tent - I've always wanted something like that!

5. Toto

Finally, when was the last time you saw a real life dog in a book, modelling crafts? Yes this book gets the thumbs up from me, for that factor alone.

The authors Christine & Hannah have captured what craft is all about - having fun. Craft is  not about making things from expensive printed fabrics or making your house looks like it's from the pages of a magazine....making stuff is about being creative, imaginative, smiling, laughing and getting covered in glue (and in this case green food colouring too!)

This booked is packed with ideas and little touches that would appeal to all types of people, in isolation you may not even notice the theme, but of course when it all comes together you can see that they really have captured the essence of Oz. I am sure Frank would be proud!

Everything Oz by Christine Leech & Hannah Read- Baldrey is published today by Quadrille Publishing.