A generation of vampire film fans were saddened by the death of The Lost Boys star Corey Haim this week. Corey was a vampire-battling film icon long before the sparkly skin of Edward Cullen or the Southern fanged twang of Bill Compton came out of the coffin.
It's been pretty tough to hunt down a craft tribute to The Lost Boys. The world of vampire-based craft seems overwhelmed by the more recent undead and their hunters.
I did manage to track down some finely-fanged Lost Boys cookies at long last. Crafting with Cat Hair put together a batch of suitably bloody biscuits in honour of a film that made the words "Death by stereo" a phrase every vampire feared.
So here's to Corey and the hours of silver screen swooning he caused on the Lost Boys generation. You will be missed.
This week Alternative Arts, an arts organisation based in London's Spitalfields area, is holding events for International Women's Week.
The week follows International Women's Day; celebrating the economic, political and social achievements of women past, present and future.
Craft fits into all causes in some way and isn't about to be left behind here either. Two women doing inspired, arty and innovative things in the name of craft are Rachael Matthews and Louise Harries of Prick Your Finger.
For IWW they've produced a series of Opinionated Shopping Bags with the help of the ink-bespattered genuises at Dalston Print Club.
The bags feature slogans produced from research the intrepid two have done into issues raised by visiting women's groups across Tower Hamlets. The local politicians are invited to a private view at Prick Your Finger this Thursday 11th March from 5-7pm. There they will be given the bags along with the opportunity to discuss the issues raised. How can they possibly refuse?
Anyone is invited to go along on the day to say it with a shopping bag. So get yourself and your opinions over there.
Debbie Stoller's Stitch and Bitch is the book that launched a million knitters. There are very few people with sticks and string who aren't aware of the book and its follow on Stitch and Bitch Nation and Son of Stitch and Bitch. So when Ms Stoller does something people take notice.
Recently Debbie released Stitch Nation, her own brand of yarn. The knitting world is abuzz once more. She teamed up with Red Heart Yarn to make a range that is "100% natural and 100% affordable".
It comes three types Full o' Sheep (Peruvian wool single ply), Bamboo Ewe (bamboo and wool) and Alpaca Love (80% Wool, 20% Alpaca) and the colours are fresh, zingy and varied.
The site also features a few free patterns to get your started on your Stitch Nation stitching.
Stitch Nation is only available in the US at the moment. Here's hoping it comes to the UK soon.
Leaving your crafty mark on the outside world is starting to catch on. Graffiti knitting yarnstormers have been doing it for years, and now it seems that a cross stitcher is leading the way for Team Embroidery.
Ulrika Erdes is a Swedish artist who started arty life studying the History of Art and Philosophy and gradually grew in confidence to become the professional artist she is today. Her artworks include an over-fertilised lawn, a project looking at people's ambivalence towards smoking and some very bizarre doll parts in fast food containers.
What caught my attention was the inspirational sneaky stitching in the form of her public embroidery. Ulrika embarked on a mission to cross stitch seats on buses and trains. Her thread-made birds, hearts and 'Hello's are understated, in keeping with their public plush and removable. My favourite kind of public art.
She also encourages people to contact her with their own public embroidery. Go forth and sneaky stitch!
I've been teaching knitting now for four years and I would say it's a brave person who takes on teaching craft to anyone. There's always the chance your learner will fall off the craft ladder and end up frustrated and growly at their inability to pick up the craft immediately. Encouragement and the reminder that practice makes perfect often helps but it takes a cool head to teach.
Which is why this piece in the Financial Times on teaching crochet to prisoners is a fascinating read.
Journalist Melanie Tringham talks to crochet teacher Eva Christopherson in Wisconsin Racine Correctional Institution, a medium-security male prison. The inmates learn to crochet hats, scarves and gloves and sew teddy bears together for the local church and children's charity.
According to Eva the craft creates self-esteem as well as keeping them busy. A real insight into how craft is more than just glitter and glue. But you knew that.
Read the full story here.
Fancy shoving handfuls of your handmade in the faces of lots of lovely buyers at some of the biggest craft shows in the UK? Hell yeah you do!
Craft Guerrilla, a group supporting independent crafty folk, artists and designer makers of quality handmade goods are looking to give six designer makers a huge boost at the Knitting and Stitching Shows in London, Harrogate and Dublin this year. Craft Guerrilla hold monthly craft events in London so they know what they're talking about when it comes to showing off your stuff.
They want to take six different designer makers for each show and give them to opportunity to exhibit their wares at a free stall. The shows are huge and all about the handmade. The perfect place to launch the crafty stuff you've created into the public arena it deserves.
You have until March the 11th to convince them you outshine the rest. So grab your bits of handmade hardwork and tell Craft Guerrilla just how fabulous they are.
Rocket over to the Craft Guerrilla website to see the submission criteria and get pimping. Go on.
Hidden Eloise continues to wrestle with the Paperchase and Gather No Moss issue.
She got in touch with us to let us know a bit more:
Dear Crafty Crafty
Thank you so much for your great and impartial article covering this Paperchase issue and all the support it carries.
A small update since you last wrote is that the designer of Gathernomoss has admitted copying my character and there is an update in my blog : www.HiddenEloise.com
or directly to her apology here.
Many thanks again and all the best!
Bear hugs,
Hidden Eloise xx
For more interesting reading on the subject in general see a very interesting article on How to Catch the Copycat Designers, by the crafty wonder that is the Guardian's Perri Lewis.
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