The Copy and Paste Project

Copying & pasting: Dan Black style

2011-02-27T21:47:00.007Z

Hi, hi, hi.

It's been an age since I posted anything musical here so I hope this tickles your nicely-done-pop-tune sensibilities as much as it does mine.

I first heard this in a lecture I was taking notes in [yes, I get paid to take notes and listen to lectures ... which is usually as good as it sounds!]. The topic of the lecture was 'mash-ups' - a totally perfect 'copy + paste' style philospphy if ever there was one.

A mash-up is where an artist [of any media] takes two or more things and throws them together to make a new one. [If you've ever seen Glee you'll have seen how they mix two songs together ... and that's a mash-up] ... anyway ...

In this particular lecture the following video, Dan Black's 'Symphonies' , was used as an example of mashing-up various films and genres into one video. See how many you can spot:

I'm tempted to offer a prize to the first person to leave a comment [after listening to the full thing] about why this particular song might have an additional resonance for this blog ...

You might as well leave a comment anyway ... and I'll have a think about what prize you might want to receive ...

Enjoy the tune and the video - it's one that's gone round and round in my head ever since I heard it. So much so that I even bought the CD ... which has so many songs that sound like other artists / tunes you get the feeling the whole album's one big mash-up.

Don't forget to keep an ear out for it's special affinity to us here ... !

Julie :-)

I've Been Copying: Notes on Paper

2011-01-28T15:39:00.012Z

Yep, that's 'Notes on Paper' as in C+P's very own Julie Kirk and her really rather splendid blog. Obviously, I keep up with it on a regular basis, and would highly recommend you check it out too, but there's a very particular reason for doing so at the moment. In case you haven't already spotted it, Julie's just launched her first free (and fabulous) solo class, Tips For The Twitter-Curious.

Whatever your feelings about Twitter or social networking in general, it's well worth reading through the first few lessons. I'm a pretty seasoned Tweeter and there have already been tips I've found useful, as well as plenty of points I hadn't considered before. Equally, if you're not interested or have decided Twitter isn't for you, there might just be something there to make you reconsider. Not in a mind-washing, Julie-will-make-you-love-Twitter-come-what-may kind of way (you know her better than that, right?). She just has a really interesting perspective on the world of Twitter and how you can tailor the site to make it work in a way that suits you.

The first three lessons are already available for you to read through on her blog, and despite being packed with information, they're hugely accessible and easy to read. You hopefully already know what an engaging writer Julie is, and I can promise you she's also a pretty corking teacher.

For my part - and because I did, after all, suggest I'd been copying Ms Kirk - I have a quick but pretty download for you. If you head over to the blog post I wrote yesterday, you'll find a couple of free patterns, ready to use as a background for your Twitter page. Whether it's for a brand spanking new, inspired-by-Julie account or an older one that could do with some added cheer on a chilly January afternoon, you're very welcome to help yourself.

We'll be back with more very soon, but in the spirit of Tips For The Twitter-Curious, you can generally find both of us - Julie and me - hanging out with the bird.

Kirsty

Thank You!

2010-12-24T12:40:00.004Z

Hi, hi, hi.

We haven't been around much lately. We know.

Between us here's been a whole host of things tugging at our sleeves and keeping us away from here.

But whether it's been the opening of etsy shops; the hosting of handmade-gift parties; the debuting at craft-fairs; the writing of magazine articles or the general distractions of the day job ... we've not forgotten our Copy+Paste plans.

In between all of this we've been squirrelling away ideas and notes for what we want to do together .. and with you all ... next year, including the spring class we're hugely excited about.

Until then we just wanted to thank you for your support this year.

Whether you:

read a blog post;
left a comment;
took our 12 Days workshops;
bought something from either of our shops;
contributed to our birthday party;
smiled at us on the bus;
or simply thought of us when you had to copy + paste something on your computer ....

.... thank you.

We are grateful for your time, loyalty, interest, friendship and inspiration.

We can't wait to see what 2011 will bring us all. See you there ...

Love from Julie + Kirsty xx

I've been copying: Jack Wills, yet again!

2010-11-09T22:31:00.004Z

Hi, hi, hi.

Earlier this week, I came home from work to find some good post waiting for me on the doormat: the latest Jack Wills handbook [which you can view online here].

So I settled down with a cup of tea and the catalogue and more than a drop of wishful thinking .... especially when I came to the page featuring the 'Swainby Dress':

*Copy*

One of my favourite dresses for my Barbie doll was red tartan and the combination of amazingly engineered Jack Wills dress and nostalgic flashbacks to dressing my dolls .... was quite a heady mix.

In fact, it led me to write the following somewhat drunk-with-dress-perfection tweet:

Have been admiring this @JackWills dress and wondering why I shouldn't have it and wear it all day everyday ...

However, once I'd come down from my fashion-high the reasons why I really wouldn't ever have it and wear it everyday began to come to me ... . And, while there were only 2 reasons .... they're biggies:

the price;
the fact I'm cold even when wearing 4 layers and a radiator.

But then, as if the fashion gods wanted to soften the blow for me ... while cutting through the shopping centre on my way to work, I spied this:

*Paste* A tartan shirt / light jacket which must have been made in response to my rational reasons above because ... Not only will its cosy double-layered brushed cotton serve to keep the hypothermia at bay ...... at £15:00 it was £434:00 less damaging to my bank balance. And the best thing about it is that, when I win the lottery and get to buy the dress anyway ... I can slip this over the top! Win win!

Julie ;-)

p.s We featured in our first newspaper article this week! It was on the very day I bought this jacket too, so it's been good times all round at Copy + Paste Towers this week!

If you haven't seen the article already, you can have a peek at it here.

Mapping out the days. 12 days in fact.

2010-10-11T21:28:00.016+01:00

Hi, hi, hi.

Don't move. Don't go anywhere. Don't leave the house. OK?

OK.

The weather is getting colder [or at least here in the UK it is]; the nights are getting darker and pretty soon you'll have to begin constructing your suit of armour for when you go battling the baying late-night-shopping mob.

But, here at Copy + Paste we think you deserve to be treated better. We want to prevent you getting cold fingers, bruised ribs and aching arms and by taking the '12 Days' workshops you can avoid the mad rush for Christmas shopping in more ways than one ....

Not only will we show you 12 main handmade gift ideas [plus many additional extras - see Kirsty's post yesterday for the full breakdown] ... we've made sure that the majority of the supplies you'll need to do this can be found without ever having to leave the comfort of your home.

In fact, to complete your shopping list for '12 Days' supplies all you're going to need is this [the cosy drink and snowball are optional]:

The '12 Days' shopping map! [You can right click on the photo and open the link for a closer view]

We firmly believe that, during this class, you should be able to do your shopping in comfort.

And, if that means you're in your 'comfies'; your pyjamas; your dressing gown; your hoodie with the cuffs which are both hanging on by a thread [or is that just me?] or even .. in your Slanket ... then so be it!

Here's how ....

You Are Here:

... at your computer / laptop / fancy phone / internet configured thingimmy bob .. whatever it is, but that's where you are right now ... I'm pretty certain of that. And that's also where you'll be when Kirsty and I upload each of your 12 full-colour photo tutorial .pdf files to the secure blog.

Then, to start 'shopping' for the supplies you'll need you need go no further than the various rooms in your house as we've made sure to focus on everyday materials you can easily source from the home.

How about I give you a quick guided tour around the shops right now? Go grab your 'bag for life' then, and follow me ... being careful not to trip on your Slanket on the way:
[Right click on the image above to open in a new, larger, window]

For example, we could go up to your bedroom [no, I'm not making an indecent proposal]:

... and while we're there we can shop for items such as paper shopping bags from clothes shops, hang/price tags from new clothes, a few wooden coat-hangers and any old clothes or jewellery you'd like to recycle.

All of which could form the basis of the projects we have for you on days 2,4, 5, 9 and 11, to name but a few.

Similarly you could head into the loft for broken pieces of jewellery, old books and fabrics [for projects 2, 4 6, 7 and 8]:

Then dig out any fabric, yarn, wool, ribbon or string you have in your cupboards for projects including those on days 2, 3 and 9.

Move on now to your bookshelves and add to your basket some old books, old photo albums, empty notebooks [we know you have them!!] and any scraps of decorative papers you have for days 1, 2, 7, 8, 11 and 12:

And, finally, if you can manage one last trip, this time to the kitchen, you can stock up on old fridge magnets, wooden clothes pegs and pulses and grains ready for projects 1, 6 and 9!

So, there you have it ... a full set of supplies for 12 workshops without ever once having to cross your threshold, comb your hair, apply lip gloss and remember your purse!

If you've signed up already ... you can avoid the rush and start your shopping right now!

And if you haven't signed up yet ... I hope the lure of guilt-free shopping in your PJs has finally swayed you ....

Julie ;-)

Class values

2010-10-11T13:20:00.014+01:00

You might remember, a little over a week ago, Julie and I posted details of our Christmas workshop, 12Days. Among the various comments we received, both here and on our own blogs, was this one:

I was initially planning to reply below the original post, but – in the interests of providing a little more information about the class – decided to address the question here instead. Please know my intention is neither to be defensive, nor to give you the hard-sell; both Julie and I appreciate that for many people, particularly in such testing economic times, money is tight, and rarely more so than in the run-up to Christmas. But that knowledge was, in part, what inspired us to put together this particular class. Our hope is that your £20 outlay will ultimately save you much more than that, as well as enabling you to enjoy the time spent creating and giving handmade gifts to your friends and family.

Each of the twelve main projects included in the class are built around a central philosophy of ‘use what you have’, and as well as encouraging students to do this, the two of us lived by the same ethos when creating the tutorials. We’ve also provided at least two alternative versions of each project, along with suggestions for how you can tailor them to fit the supplies you have available and the people on your gift list. Everything is adaptable and many of the projects are specifically designed to utilise household items or found objects, all of which makes for minimal (if any) additional spending. It’s also worth remembering that while a couple of the bonus projects are specifically festive, none of the main ones are, so you can carry on using the tutorials to make presents all year round.

In short, and to give you a better idea of the specifics, the class fee includes:

:: Twelve PDF tutorials, including step-by-step instructions, photographs and templates

:: More than 40 individual projects and a total of 169 pages covered by those tutorials

:: Over a dozen bonus downloads, printables and tutorials

:: Exclusive-to-class giveaways

:: Access to private blog resources

As far as the comment regarding cheaper classes goes, we obviously know they’re out there, but there are equally many classes which are considerably more expensive. Cheaper doesn’t necessarily mean better, just as more expensive doesn’t mean you aren’t getting great value for money. It’s something which is entirely subjective and can really only be judged on a case-by-case basis. I hope that by offering up a little more information on 12Days and the philosophy behind the class, you’ll feel better placed to make a judgment, or to ask more questions if you need.

We were lucky enough to receive some pretty stellar feedback from last year’s students and, being the tiny-but-mighty ideas factory that she is, Julie compiled some of it into a couple of Wordle images.

Thanks for reading. We'll be back a little later in the week (Julie's been working on something you can't fail to adore...).

Glad Tidings Again

2010-10-01T10:00:00.006+01:00

Hello!

If you're joining us for the first time, on a visit from the Papercraft Inspirations Christmas Issue-celebrations and blog party, then a special 'hello new comer' to you too!

As our Christmas post earlier in the week contained a sneaky hint so now we’re back to spill the festive beans:We’re very happy to announce we're re-running our online workshop - 12 Days :: A Copy+Paste Christmas in a brand new blog for 2010.

If you took the class last time around, you're more than welcome to join in once again this year, we'll be sending out an email to you soon with the new log-in details. It'd be great to see you.

This year the class will run between 4th and 19th November and is packed with projects, downloads and tutorials designed to help you make the most of your creative supplies in the run up to Christmas.

What's even better is that we’ve designed each of the main projects, and many of the additional ones, to be adaptable, which means that, instead of turning into giant crafty pumpkins the minute Boxing Day arrives, they’re just as relevant at other times of year.

WHAT WE’RE OFFERING PARTICIPANTS

:: Twelve full projects, including step-by-step instructions, templates and photographs, plus alternative versions and suggestions for customising the project to suit your style and skills. The projects cover:

papercrafting;
gift-making;
lifestyle, and;
decorating.

Each one is available as a downloadable PDF, so you can print and refer to it whenever you want.

:: Four bonus days, packed with extra projects, downloads and giveaways.

:: Project options include gifts for men, women and children, as well as simplified, speedy and eco alternatives, where appropriate.

:: The workshop will be hosted on a password-protected blog, where you can view and download each of the projects as they’re posted, as well as asking us questions and interacting with other students.

USEFUL INFORMATION

:: You don’t need any particular skills or experience to join the class and start making projects. Our tutorials are detailed enough for beginners to follow, but also allow plenty of scope for more experienced crafters.

:: We’ve deliberately tried to create projects which utilise materials you’re already likely to have at home, so any additional outlay is minimal. Both of us are very keen on the theory of ‘use what you have’, and realise budgets can be particularly tight in the weeks before Christmas. Product and supplier links are included where relevant, but each of the projects also includes variations so if you don’t have something, you can work around it. Our hope is that by making more of your Christmas gifts, decorations and accessories, you’ll both save money and enjoy the season a little more!

:: There’s no need to worry about keeping up with projects, or completing things by a particular date. The downloads are available for you to use whenever you’re ready, and we’ll be keeping the blog open for students to log-in indefinitely. The only thing which will be time-sensitive are the giveaways and a few weekend activities we have planned, although you’ll still be able to go back and read those after the event. We’ll both be happy to answer any questions you have throughout the class term, and will aim to do so for a while afterwards, too.

HOW TO SIGN UP

:: The cost is £20 and payment is via the PayPal button at the top right of this blog.

:: You don’t need an account to pay this way – just a credit or debit card.

:: Or we can alternatively arrange to accept cheques. Please email thecopyandpasteproject@googlemail.com for more details if you require this option.

:: Once you’ve purchased your class pass, we’ll send you an email with details of the private 12Days blog.

:: You’ll then be able to log in, have a look around, say hello to your fellow students and keep an eye out for a few pre-class surprises.

PLEASE NOTE

Once again, the content is the same as the class we ran last year but will be hosted on a brand new blog with live daily posts between the 4th and 19th November.

:: If you took the class last year, you can still access the 2009 blog, and we'll also be offering a brand new workshop in the new year!

If you’ve got any questions at all, please feel free to ask them in the comments below or send us an email (thecopyandpasteproject@googlemail.com). We hope you’re as excited as we are, and look forward to seeing you in class!

Julie and Kirsty

PS. Want to find out a bit more about us to help you make up your mind? Check out Julie's personal blog here and Kirsty's here, or visit us on Flickr (Julie/nabview and Kirsty/planetcoco).

I'd Like To Copy : A Song

2010-09-30T08:59:00.001+01:00

1. A Partridge in Pear Tree Cottage, 2. Oriental Turtle-dove, 3. Hen House, 4. Knit the City - Phonebox back, 5. Windmill Ring, 6. Mother Goose: cover, 7. Collection of Kitschy-licious Swans, 8. Milk (wip), 9. dance, 10. sock leap, 11. billie piper aa, 12. Portrait of Hine as small child standing by drum

Can you work out what the song is, and (more to the point) why I'm being so annoyingly mysterious?
Kirsty

3rd & Bird: 1960s style

2010-09-29T09:15:00.000+01:00

Hi.

I just couldn't resist joining in with the 3rd & Bird-inspired posts we had over the weekend from Claire and Hermione, so here I am armed with 3rd & Bird-ish illustrations from a 1961 book I discovered in a charity shop:

*Copy*

Here's 3rd & Bird's Rudy, Mrs Billingsley, Muffin and Mr.Beakman [and yes, I did know their names without checking!]:

*Paste*

And here they are in a previous incarnation ... perhaps:

To feast your eyes or more pages from this beautiful book flutter your feathers over to my blog where there's a whole book full awaiting you.

Oh and ... before I forget ... you're invited to a party this weekend .....

We'll be there .... see you soon!

Julie :-)

3rd & Bird: with guest designer Claire Salisbury

2010-09-26T08:29:00.001+01:00

Hi again, welcome to the second half of our guest designers weekend.

Our guest copy + paster today is Claire Salisbury whose daughter brought us the first of our '3rd & Bird' inspired projects yesterday, hop over to Hermione's post here if you missed it.

*Copy*
Following on from Hermione's super-sweet take on the CBeebies animated series, Claire was always going to have big shoes to fill [even though, they're actually a lot smaller in real life ... but you get my drift]. Yet she's certainly risen to the challenge and produced this beautifully colourful and charming bird-filled treasure.
I'll allow Claire to tell you all about it ...

*Paste*

Whilst browsing on Twitter one day Julie & Kirsty were discussing the childrens TV programme 3rd & Bird, [yep, that's about the level of our Tweeting! - Julie] I happened to mention to them that its one of the cartoons (that I'm forced to watch by my four year old daughter) that I really like as the characters are sweet & the main message of the programme is sharing, kindness, & generally being nice to others.

At this point Julie spotted a birdcage on my blog that was in need of altering & asked me to be a guest on Copy + Paste for a 3rd & Bird themed post. I was thrilled to be asked, but will now be watching what I say on Twitter :D

I knew I wanted 3 birds in my birdhouse but couldn't make them work, then Mum had a look in her bookcase & gave me a book called Creepy Creatures by Julie Sharp which shows you how to make pom pom creatures & accessories, its a fab little book with brilliant & easy creatures to make & you can easily adapt your pom poms to make any animal once you've got the basics.
The Wise Owl has a top hat & reading glasses; the baby birdie is wearing a small crochet hat [which I had to cheat & ask mum to make as my crochet skills are still rubbish] and is carrying a small yellow pom pom duck and finally Lady Talluahbelle has a crystal tiara, pearl necklace & a very fluffy tail.

They all live in a crochet nest (once again thanks to my mum & shame at my crochet skills, I really tried but it looked like a pancake) which hangs in the bridcage & has a bit of sparkle here & there. The vines on the outside were very easy to make, I ironed a square of plain cotton onto Vilene to strengthen the fabric, then painted each side with Gesso, left to dry, then painted again with pale green paint.

After that layer had dried, I cut thin strips of the fabric & twisted them around a pencil to make them curly, I found they hold their shape really well, these were wrapped around the bars of the birdcage & held in place with glue dots:I then attached lots of blooms to the vines with Glossy Accents, using buttons or gems as centres, the sign hanging on the front was made using a Tim Holtz Alterations Sizzix Die. The sign was distressed with paint & ink, the letters were also cut using a Sizzix Die.
I really hope you enjoyed stopping by Copy + Paste today & thanks to Julie & Kirsty for inviting me to be their guest.

Claireliz
xx

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Our guest copier Claire Salisbury ...

Is 30 and lives by the seaside in Blackpool with husband John-Paul, daughter Hermione and Asha ... the aging labrador.
She works part time and likes to make things at every chance she gets.
She dreams of owning my own private library and having a really big craft studio.

You can find Claire ....

Over on her blog: 'Claire's Very Messy Craft Room';
And here on Twitter: @craftyclaireliz

Thanks Claire, for your gorgeous project today and for loaning us the talents of our youngest guest designer yesterday too.

As for you [yes, I do mean you] we'd simply love it if you'd consider leaving comments on our special guest posts this weekend.

And, as we don't want to be responsible for any mother/daughter rivalry ... we hope you'll leave a comment on both Claire's AND Hermione's '3rd & Bird' projects!

And, before I go ... I'd also love to know if we'd created any '3rd& Bird' converts out there amongst you yet. Do let us know!

Julie :-D

3rd & Bird: with guest copier Hermione [aged 4]

2010-09-25T08:27:00.001+01:00

Hi you.

This weekend we're bringing you projects from two special guest Copy + Pasters and while tomorrow's guest designer Claire Salisbury, [aka Clairliz] has a fabulous feathery-friend themed treat in store, today's guest is someone equally as talented and their project is equally as delightful ... and I'm sure Claire will agree ....

*Copy*
Many of you parents out there are probably aware of the CBeebies series '3rd & Bird' , a warm, sweet and sincere animated programme which teaches kids about community and kindness in the most adorable and visually pleasing ways possible!

As a non-parent, this treasure may have gone entirely under my radar had it not been for babysitting a 15 month who's more than a little obsessed with it ... and I'm so glad he is as it's an absolute gem of a series. One which, I admit, I have watched without him being present and one which it turns out, is something of a favourite of Claire's daughter too.

*Paste*
So, once we'd already invited Claire to tackle a '3rd & Bird' inspired challenge ... it seemed in the spirit of the show to invite her daughter to play along with us and we're very happy to say that she accepted ...

Hi, I'm Hermione, I'm 4 years old & Claireliz is my mum. I love sticking, glueing, painting & drawing & I'm always asking mum if I can borrow her scrapbooking things. I've also just started school & I'm having lots of fun playing with new friends.

Julie & Kirsty asked mum to make something based on one of my favourite TV programmes 3rd & Bird, and they asked me to have a go too, I wanted to make a collage with the 3rd & Bird birds so I asked mum to print off the characters from the CBeebies website, which I coloured in:

I told Mum I wanted the birds to walk along a branch, & it needed sky & leaves, so Mum drew an outline for me, then we used coloured tissue paper to make the collage (Mum helped, but only a little bit). I scrunched up the green paper for the leaves to make it look more like a real tree. The little door was Mum's she decided she didn't need it for another project, so I asked if I could have it, she said yes, so I stuck it to the tree trunk, so that Muffin, Rudy, Quinn & Samuel can walk through it.

I really enjoyed making my 3rd & Bird collage & I'm going to stick it to my bedroom wall.

Thank you Julie & Kirsty for asking me to be a guest on Copy + Paste.

Hermione
x

----------------------------------------------------------------

Kirsty and I would like to thank YOU Hermione for all of your hard work, especially all of that careful colouring-in!

We love your collage very much and can see why you'd want it on your bedroom wall. We're also wondering if you've managed to get hold of your Mum's '3rd & Bird' inspired project yet ... because we wouldn't blame you if you wanted that in your room too!

As for everyone else reading this ... you'll have to wait until tomorrow to see what Claire's made, so until then, why not treat yourself to a cosy hour in front of some '3rd & Bird' ... just to get you in the mood?

See you tomorrow,

Julie :-)

I've Been Copying: Haiku Hero

2010-09-22T08:54:00.002+01:00

Hi, hi, hi.

Last week while on Twitter, I spotted a link to the online game 'Haiku Hero' and couldn't resist clicking through to see what kind of word challenge excitement awaited me ... and I've been playing it ever since!
There are 3 different levels in which you not only have to write a Haiku on the spot ... each individual game has rules in which you have to include specific words, words with certain number of syllables, words which rhyme ... and so on.

Perfect for a word-nerd who loves online games too!

When the round is over, you get to revisit the poems you wrote and you're given an opportunity to share them online: I decided to simply copy and paste mine into a Word document for safe-keeping ... rather than bombard my Twitter stream with the endless end results of my latest favourite time-waster!

And I'm pretty glad I kept them as, despite the initial terror at having to write poetry on cue - with a clock ticking down - I'm actually quite impressed by some of my efforts and decided to illustrate some of my favourites here.

The word I had to include in this one was 'broadcast' [a word which I can't imagine fitting into a haiku unless specifically asked!]:
In this one, it was 'tease': And finally, here it was 'apart':
So far, out of one free online game, I've had a lot of fun writing poetry to order .... followed by an interesting time finding photos on my hard-drive to fit in with my wording ... and I guess I could even keep going and print them off and have a crafty old time turning them into a 'Haiku Hero' mini-book!

If I can tear myself away from playing long enough that is!

Go on. Search for the Haiku Hero inside yourself ... then come right back here and link us up to your heroic efforts!

Julie :-)

I've Been Copying: Mumford & Sons

2010-09-08T16:09:00.010+01:00

Hi everyone.

Have you all been happily 'tilt-shifting' left, right and centre since Kirsty's post last week? Fun isn't it?

Well, since then, RosieBird one of our lovely loyal readers nominated us for one of these: I visited Rosie's blog 'Heroine Pretend' to graciously accept the award and after I'd thanked my agent, my family and burst into tears declaring 'you love us, you really love us!', I spotted that one of Rosie's latest post was about taking inspiration from song lyrics.

It sounded like a true Copy+Paste idea ... so I read on ... In her post - titled 'Add Some Music To Your Day' she wrote:

"For me, lyrics don't have to make sense, or tell a story, but they should seem like they do".

And I began to think about songs which stir up stories in me then, when she concluded her post by saying that she felt like she should make some art journaling pages featuring some of her favourite lyrics ... I knew what I had to do!

So ....

*Copy* = in response to Rosie's prompt and Thistle &Weeds by Mumford & Sons:

*Paste* = I made this:

Because, if it's inspirational lyrics you're after ... then seek ye no more ...

"Plant your hopes with good seeds ..."

"Don't cover yourself with thistle and weeds."

Just a few simple words containing something of a huge life lesson ...

Give yourself a chance. Nurture your dreams:

And whatever you do ... don't self-sabotage:

Be kind to yourself.

Believe in, and prepare for, the possibilities ... then make them happen.

Well ... that's my interpretation anyway ...

The lyrics may not mean anything to you. And they mean mean something entirely different. It's like Rosie said:

"For me, lyrics don't have to make sense, or tell a story, but they should seem like they do".

My pages are about what Mumford & Sons seem to be saying to me. It's my story ...

...and I'm sticking to it.

For more interesting lyrics, visit Rosie's original post.

Thanks again Rosie.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

We're always interested in hearing from our readers and have a guest Copier+Paster coming soon who's also a reader. Be careful what you say if you're on Twitter as that's where I recruited her after having an idea related to something she'd tweeted! My username is @notesonpaper if you want to come and say 'Hello'.

Other than that, you can leave comments, links, emails or shout really loud ... if you have anything you want to share!

I'll see you soon.

Julie :-)

I've Been Pasting: Sherlock

2010-09-01T17:25:00.007+01:00

Every time I come to write up one of these posts, I'm very wary of gushing or over-enthusing. I'm prone to exaggeration in general, and it's rarely an attractive trait. In this particular case, though, there really is little point holding back – everyone else has beaten me to the gushing and enthusing by. . . well, I would say a mile, but that would be exaggerating.

Sherlock, it seems, has won the hearts of an entire nation. If you missed the most recent TV adaptation of Arthur Conan Doyle’s Holmes stories then I’d guess you won’t have to wait long to catch it again. It's unlikely the BBC will shy away from both repeating it here in the UK and licensing it to broadcasters around the world.

Like it seems just about everyone else – from the broadsheets to the redtops, by way of TV critics and even my hard-to-impress mum – I loved all three (just three!) feature-length episodes. Perfectly paced, beautifully plotted and with a script so sparky and satisfying I swear I drove my partner to distraction going on about it, it was the kind of show that makes me glad I own a TV.

So all that said (ok, gushed over), what on earth has it got to do with Copy+Paste? Have I, in the name of blog inspiration, been going out and solving tricksy murders? Thankfully not. The thing that inspired me to investigate, experiment and hopefully pass on a really fun idea to you, was a little bit of camera trickery used most notably in the opening titles.

In case you’ve not seen it before, the trick that makes those wide shots of London look like a model or miniature is known as tilt-shift. It’s something I’ve seen used in still photography from time to time (there are a couple of Flickr groups dedicated to the effect), but had never got round to trying until now.

The good news – for me and for you, if you like the look of it – is you don’t need any real expertise or special software have a go at creating your own fake-miniature images. Upload a suitable photo to the super-clever Tilt-shift Maker, follow their easy instructions and then save back to your desktop. Easy-cheesy!

So far, I’ve only tried it on my existing photo collection, but now I know how it works, I’m definitely planning to go out and take some new shots with tilt-shifting in mind. The kind of images that work best are fairly wide landscapes, especially those taken at height and with a good amount of detail included. If you’re unsure about which of your photos are suitable (or want to go out and try snapping some especially), have a browse through the Flick groups linked above, and you’ll quickly develop a sense of what works and what’s less effective.

You know what I’m going to say now, don’t you? If you, too, are persuaded into Sherlocking a few of your favourite photos, leave us a link in the comments, or post the results in our Flickr group. You could say it’s elementary, dear blog-readers.

Kirsty

I've Been Copying: myself and tape measures.

2010-08-25T18:05:00.006+01:00

Hi all. How are you?

Sorry we've not been around much, just catching up on some average summertime business. Like breaks away, dodging rain and crafting projects [crafts are for life ... even when on holiday!].

If you've been a reader of my blog for a while now you might recognise this belt which made a year ago:

[You can click on the photo to be taken to the original post].

If you're not familiar with it at all, or if you'd forgotten all about it, then that's where you differ from one of my friends who [jokingly] informed me last week that - one year on - he was still waiting for me to make him one as he'd liked mine so much!

So, despite being entirely oblivious to this fact, in the interests of our friendship .;-) ... I made him this one of his very own:

He was very happy with it and it's left me hooked on belts again. Win win!

I'm also hooked on tape measures:

But then again, there's nover a time when I'm not hooked on tape measures! Do you know what I mean? I think / hope some of you will .... [I know you will at least Hannah!]

Do you, like me, have an almost inexplicable fondness for them? To me, it's a similar feeling to that desire to have far more notebooks than I really need.

There's just something so handsome and attractive about them and their simplicity:

All of which is wrapped up in that headiest of attibutes: their potential!

Whether you're going to use them to help you measure and make something else ... or just use them for their own beautiful qualities .... they really are an alluring item .... aren't they?

Yes. They are! I'm sure of it!

Which is why I bought these three from a carboot sale last week!

And just as soon as I can find some suitable buckles I'll definitely be harnessing their full potential!

So come on now. Fess up. You're a secret tape-measure fancier too.... aren't you .....?

Julie ;-)

I'd Like to Copy: The Little House on the Prairie

2010-07-28T08:26:00.001+01:00

Hello, hello.

I want this dress:

[Click photo for direct link. Photo taken from La Redoute UK website].

It's casual. It's linen. It's grey.

It's so 'me' that it's silly to protest against the urge ...... except there a few reasons why it might not make it to my wardrobe:

1. It's been out of stock for weeks and I've just checked yet again ... and it's still not available:(
2. If it's ankle-length on that tall willowy model .... it might look more like a giant grey sleeping bag on my 5' 2" frame.

I could add that another reason for not getting it would be that it would likely make me look like an extra from The Little House on the Prairie:

Except ...that wouldn't actually be a deterrent ... I really wouldn't mind that!

A quick glance through some of the photos I took for my 'Year in Outfits' project in 2009 proves that I'm not averse to the odd shirt yoke:

.... flowery pinafore:....and pleated linen skirt: So, bring on new stock of the prairie girl look La Redoute! I'm waiting .... And if it does turn out to be far too long for me ... then you can just call me 'Half Pint' .... well, if Laura Ingalls didn't mind then who am I to argue?

Now, how could I leave without reminding you of this:

So, do you relate to my plain and simple prairie-girl yearnings ... or dare you admit to being more of a Nellie Oleson? Be honest now ....

Julie ;)

I'd Like To Copy : Chelsea Parsons

2010-07-21T14:33:00.000+01:00

Morning all.

I’m going to keep this brief in the hope of saving a few blushes. If I don’t, there’s a very good chance it’ll get gushy and embarrassing. Let’s just say I discovered Chelsea Parsons’ beautiful digital designs 6 or 7 months ago now, and have been nursing an intense crush ever since.

(source)

As with so many of the best craft products, there’s been a little more gazing and sighing than actual using of them to date. In my defence, I’m not actually a scrapbooker, although that’s rarely an obstacle for long. If you’re similarly non-scrappy, you might want to have a read of this blog post on other ways to put digital kits to good use and justify the fact you can’t resist buying them. I plan on taking up some of my own advice very soon so me and one or two of the Chelsea kits can begin a fully-fledged love affair.

(source)

As well as making the prettiest digi-kits, Chelsea also takes incredible photographs. Check out her blog and Flickr stream, plus a little Q&A in the Two Peas designer garden.

Just don't blame me if you lose your heart.

Kirsty

Guest Copier: Carmen Wing

2010-07-13T08:35:00.000+01:00

Back in June when Kirsty shared some wonderful artists with us during her Children's Iluustrators mini-series Carmen Wing, one of our long standing supporters here at Copy+Paste left us the following comment:

"I don't have it any more, got lost in one of my many moves but I did once have a picture cut from Diana annual. It was only small and it was from one of the comic strip type stories. The face of a woman - I just loved everything about it and tried recreating it myself in sketch form (THAT I do still have) In fact I then went on to create other pictures with this same woman in. I just remember being blown away by whoever had drawn this woman and loving this image so much".

So really what Carmen was basically saying is that she'd copied and pasted from a Diana annual! And, keen to hear more we invited her to share the full story with us here.

Welcome Carmen:

*Copy*
When we were younger my sister and I used to love the old annuals for girls - you know like Jackie and Mandy but our favourite was Diana because we loved that the stories were hand-drawn comic strips. So whenever Mum used to spot them at jumble sales she used to snap them up for us. Think she secretly loved them too. My sis and I would spend evenings copying pictures out of the books, making up our own stories, making paper dolls etc.

One picture in particular I just loved and once I had copied the drawing I would incorporate the character into loads of other drawings, a bit obsessive but I just loved the picture.

After the recent illustrators week I decided to go on a hunt for that edition of the Diana Annual to show my girls!

They've got to a point where they are really interested in drawing and my eldest in particular has been asking me how I used to practise. A really, really lovely seller on eBay went through all his stock annuals for me to find that specific one with the original drawing I sketched from. The one that my daughter has seen so many times in my old folder!

And here it is:

..... along with my original 'copy':

*Paste*

And here's one of the remaining follow on drawings (I gave the rest away at the time - like you do as a kid, give them to your friends *g*):I think I was about 16 or younger when I did these and I still don't know who the original illustrator was. I can't find it mentioned anywhere in the annual which is quite sad as seeing it again after all these years, I still love the original picture!

Carmen.

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Isn't that a great story? We're delighted that one of our posts sent Carmen off not merely on a nostalgia trip in her memories but also onto ebay to find her original inspiration ... which, in turn, sent that fabulously helpful seller into his loft for the very picture she'd carried in her head since she was a teenager!

Thank you Carmen. You can read more from Carmen on her 'Whoopido...ings' blog.

-------------------------------------------

Now it's your turn to 'copy + paste' from Carmen and do as she did .... let us know about any similar tales you have to tell!

Maybe you've copied something from your own childhood and adapted into your adult life, or created a business around it. Not that it has to be related to your childhood ... maybe there's something which so inspired you to copy it that you gave it a try yourself and something interesting / life-changing / disastrous or wonderful came from it. Maybe there's something you've always wanted to copy but there's something stopping you.

Whatever it is, we're always keen to hear your 'copy + paste' stories to be featured in future guest posts. So, if you have something you'd like to share, let us know and we'll take it from there.

We'll look forward to it.

Julie :)

I'd Like to Copy: My Kid Could Paint That

2010-06-30T08:05:00.007+01:00

Hello you.

Did you manage to catch up with Kirsty's wonderful series of posts on children's illustrators last week? If not, or if you're wondering if you missed anything, then have a look >>>over there >>> in the sidebar where there are some handy links to all five for you.

Following on from children's illustrators though, I thought I'd bring you something which was still about children's art only this time I mean art BY children.

[Image source]

Or, more specifically, the art on one child in particular, Marla Olmstead: Image source]

By the age of 3 Marla's work was already selling in galleries and her works, and the questions around whether she was painting them unaided, created such a media storm they made a film about it!

I love the storytelling which clever documentary film-making manages to draw from 'everyday' life and was captivated by Amir Bar-Lev's 'My Kid Could Paint That', a 2007 study of Marla and the controversy surrounding her and her family:

It's a great film which I'd urge you to catch it if you ever spot it in the TV listings.

Bar-Lev hadaccess to the family amid the press scrutiny of Marla's paintings, the parents are questioned, probed and challenged on whether they are actually either behind the paintings or at least behind coaching her as to what to paint where. It's a fascinating insight into parental behaviour, children's 'natural' artistic capabilities and also the value of modern art.

If you'd like to read more about 'My Kid Could Paint That' then see:

The official 'My Kid Could Paint That' site;
The 'My Kid Could Paint That' Wikipedia page; or indeed ...
The official Marla Olmstead artist website...

From which, should you really feel like making your own mind up about Marla's work, you can purchase one of her available paintings:

But, just so you know, you have to apply for the prices so I'm guessing it's a case of if you have to ask ....

Julie :)

Illustration mini-series (Pt.5) :: Oliver Jeffers

2010-06-26T17:16:00.019+01:00

There are two reasons Oliver Jeffers is the final illustrator in my little series this week. Number one, because someone has to be, and number two, because every time I’ve tried to write this post, it’s started with the phrase ‘if I were a boy’ and rapidly descended into earworm overload. So, let’s just get it out of the way.

If I were a boy, I would quite like to be Oliver Jeffers.

(And if you are now similarly stricken with Beyonce earworm, I can only apologise.)

Of all the artists and writers featured here this week, his work is probably the most varied. I’m going to stick with his illustrations – that’s what I’ve been yakking on about since Monday, after all – but it’s more than worth your while visiting his paintings and objects at www.oliverjeffers.com, too. For me, they only serve to emphasise the imagination and storytelling skills that make his picture books so wonderful.

How To Catch A Star was one of the first books I ever bought for my oldest nephew, and is one I’ve purchased again and again for the various children in my life, but I also have a big soft-spot for The Incredible Book-Eating Boy.

I like books, am far less keen on food and the back cover of the hardback edition looks like this:

Before you even get started on the story or the beautiful painted-and-collaged illustrations, that’s a lot to love.

As with both Sara Fanelli and Lauren Child, I’m very smitten with the way Oliver Jeffers uses type and hand-lettering. If nothing else, one thing I’ve learned this week is how important that is to me – the way words look, as well as how they sound and what they say.

His first picture book was only published six years ago, so you might be less familiar with Oliver Jeffers if you don’t have very young children (or, like me, a couple you can borrow once in a while), but I’m certain his already much-loved books are going to stand the test of time just as well as those by the other authors featured here this week.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Thanks so much for taking the time to read this little series of posts over the last few days. Your comments and enthusiasm have been wonderful – varied, heartfelt, funny, enlightening, and very much appreciated. Whether you've been inspired to pick up a book or a paintbrush, I really hope you've enjoyed it as much as I have.

Kirsty

Illustration mini-series (Pt.4) :: Joyce Lankester Brisley

2010-06-25T18:21:00.000+01:00

Today’s post was a toss-up between two very different illustrators. Or two-and-a-bit, but I’ll get to that later. My alternate was Quentin Blake, who surely can’t be overly familiar with being pipped to the post, but I’ve omitted him in the hope he might inspire a full-sized C+P challenge at some point in the future. (He did once inspire me to make a dead rat from an old pair of socks, but that’s also a story for another time.)

Joyce Lankester Brisley was probably the first illustrator to win my heart. I learned to read when I was four and, not long after, began devouring early-readers, like My Naughty Little Sister and Milly Molly Mandy. I loved the black and white illustrations in both, but it was Joyce Lankester Brisley's line-drawings in the latter that charmed me most. I especially adored the village map which appeared on the endpapers of each book, and don’t doubt for a minute that its why I’m so fond of maps – especially hand-drawn ones – to this day. The stories were very old-fashioned, but then so was I, and although I'm not certain they stand up quite as well today, the illustrations are still wonderful.In my head – which ploughed through an awful lot of books as a child – the drawings are also intrinsically linked to those of Ruth Gervis.

Their styles are only vaguely similar, admittedly, but it’s the simplicity and – again – vintage charm that I think links the two. Those above, in case you don’t recognise them, are from Noel Streatfeild's Ballet Shoes (Ruth Gervis was her older sister).

My original copy of Ballet Shoes was very literally read to bits when I was younger, and a kind friend recently bought me a replacement. Much too loathe to part with the pieces, I've got them set aside, ready to frame the illustrated pages so I can enjoy them on a daily basis.

If you've ever done similar, or have any picture-book art hanging in your home, you know I'd love to hear about it. Spill the beans in the comments below.

Kirsty

Illustration mini-series (Pt.3) :: Lauren Child

2010-06-24T16:31:00.000+01:00

If you’ve been reading Copy+Paste for a while, you may well have picked up on the fact that Julie and I are big fans of Lauren Child. It’s been mentioned enough times that I almost didn’t include her in my list of illustrators this week but, in the end (like Charlie and Lola) I was absolutely too smitten to resist the temptation.

I first read Lauren Child thanks to a Clarice Bean book which landed on my desk when I was working for a children’s magazine. From the cover in, I loved it. Of everyone featured here this week, Lauren Child is probably my favourite writer (I’m not prepared to play favourites on the illustration front). Her distinctive voice, as well as the clever typesetting . . . well, let’s just say I swing between being insanely inspired and pig-sick jealous, depending on what day it is.

Despite her instantly-recognisable style, I also have the utmost admiration for the diversity of her books – from funny and ingenious picture books like Who’s Afraid of the Big, Bad, Book? to the wordier world of Clarice Bean; from a beautifully illustrated take on Pippi Longstocking to re-telling The Princess and the Pea in art and photographs. When you’re as successful as Lauren Child, it would be all to easy to rest on your laurels or stick to what you know, which makes it all the more inspiring that she’s doing the very opposite.

Have I eulogised enough? Most probably. You get the point, though - it's love. Truthfully? She had me at 'I Will Never Not Ever Eat A Tomato'.

Illustration mini-series (Pt.2) :: M.Sasek

2010-06-23T10:00:00.000+01:00

M. Sasek ( the M is for Miroslav), was a Czech artist and author who, rather unusually, wrote travel books for children. A trained architect, he noticed that almost all tourist guides were aimed solely at adults and set about remedying the situation in glorious style.

I’d love to tell you I grew up knowing his ‘This Is…’ series of books, but I first discovered them when I bought the reissued ‘This Is London’ for my nephews a few years ago. Each of the eighteen ‘This Is…’ books feature a different city or country, ranging from Paris and Rome to Israel and Hong Kong. They’re packed with beautifully observed detail and humour and, despite the illustrations being so evocative of their time (mostly the 1950s and 60s), still feel fresh and relevant today. All bar a couple have been reissued in recent years, and can be found on the M.Sasek website, or Amazon mini-site.

Whether you’re heading off on holiday with children, helping them out with a school geography project or just interested in beautifully illustrated non-fiction, they’re well worth checking out.

Illustration mini-series (Pt.1) :: Sara Fanelli

2010-06-22T10:00:00.003+01:00

One of the loveliest things about my job is that it provides a bona fide excuse for hanging out in the children’s department of any given bookshop. The writerly part of me feels quite justified browsing and buying from the middle-grade and YA sections, while my arty parts love to do the same in picture books. Not that I don’t loiter, peruse and purchase in the grown-up sections, too, it’s just you miss out on some pretty good stuff if you don’t spread your wings.

It was in the children’s department that I first found and fell in love with a Sara Fanelli book. A re-telling of Pinocchio, the book was hardcover and in its own sleeve (just to make it even more covetable) and my very sweet boyfriend snapped up a copy for me there and then.

I was, and still am, smitten by the wonderful combination of collage, scratchy pencil, ink and painty-ness (yeah, I know what I’m talking about…), along with beautifully random hand-lettering.

As well as a bunch of other picture books, including Mythological Monsters and My Map Book, you might have spotted Sara’s work on stamps, theatre posters, a Pizza Express menu or even at the Tate.

For me, though, it’s mostly about the picture books. Unless you have a spare £200-300 to buy a print, or the chutzpah to pinch a pizza menu, they’re absolutely the best way to bag a little piece of her beautiful work for yourself.

Kirsty x

I'd Like To Copy : Children's illustrators

2010-06-21T10:00:00.001+01:00

I don’t know about you, but I’ve really been enjoying the inspiration-themed ‘I’d Like to Copy...’ posts we’ve been featuring over the last few months. When Julie writes one, I sit here feeling as inspired as (hopefully) you do, albeit in a smug, I-knew-she-was-planning-it kind of fashion. When it’s my turn to post, I really enjoy taking the time to review, appreciate and then share some of the things I love most.

So, a few weeks ago, I decided my list of ‘I’d Like To Copy…’ ideas was running a little thin, and set about topping it up. A dozen or so names later, over half of them belonging to children’s illustrators, I realised two things:

1. I really am quite obsessed, and

2. This might make a fun mini-series.

In the interests of disclosure, I should probably admit to a certain bias when it comes to this subject. I spend roughly half my working days writing books for children, and many more hours reading them, but I promise not to bend your ear too much over the next few days. It’s really just a happy excuse to post lots of wonderful images, in the hope you find them as inspiring as I do. If you end up discovering a new artist, rediscovering a favourite author or heading off to stock up your bookshelves, so much the better. And if you’re moved to share any of those things with a favourite child, you might just thrill me into complete silence.

Check back tomorrow for the first illustrator in the series, and then daily until Saturday for the remainder.

Kirsty

I've been copying: Berger & Wyse

2010-06-16T12:22:00.003+01:00

In recent months one of the main weapons of choice here at Copy + Paste Towers has been the humble pencil.

We're surrounding ourselves with illustrating and illustrators this month and before I leave you with a hint about a mini-series of posts Kirsty has planned, allow me to introduce you to a pair of my favourite humourists / illustrators / cartoonists, the reliably wry and wonderful .... Berger & Wyse.

*Copy*
Since they began in 2007 I've been following the cartoons produced by Joe Berger and Pascal Wyse in the food section of the Guardian newspaper's Weekend magazine.

[Click any of the images to be taken to the original item on the Berrger & Wyse blog.]

It probably says a lot about my priorities that each Saturday I flick through the pages, ignoring all the sophisticated recipes to find the food-themed-funny-drawings instead!

Their work is so clear and succint at expressing a single funny idea in a single funny drawing that I think it's safe for me to just shut up and not try to analyse anything, so i'll be quiet now.

You go ahead and enjoy: If you like what you see [and please don't tell me if you don't ... or else I'll have to reassess our relationship .... ] and your appetite has been whetted for some more food funnies, then you'll be happy to hear that there's an archive of all the Berger & Wyse food cartoons here.

Bon apetit!

*Paste*
I have a regular feature on my notes on paper blog [usually on a Thursday] in which I share a snippet of conversation I've overheard. I began illustrating these posts using photographs which had a suitable theme. But pretty soon I ran out of appropriate images or, quite frankly, the topic was a touch too esoteric for me to find something on my hard drive to suit it! So I decided to start illustrating some of them with my own drawings:

[Click the photos to read the original blog posts when hopefully these random images will then make sense!]

While I didn't strictly have Berger & Wyse in mind when I began, undoubtedly their influence and inspiration was working away on me when I decided to create visual punchlines for my overheard words:

Maybe I should mention that I don't only draw food ... it's just I thought I'd keep things foodie in this post. There are non-food-based illustrations in my 'Drawings' set of my Flickr gallery but while we're on the theme, here's my latest:

OK then, enough about me. I want to leave you with a final illustration and a bit of about what you can expect from Copy+Paste next week.

When not illustrating funny food tales, Joe Berger is also an illustrator of children's books and when I found some of the illustrations from one of his latest titles - Bridget Fidget Hold On Tight - I just had to share.

Not only do I love the colours and the simplicity of the storytelling I also wonder if my entire childhood [and indeed adult life] was the inspiration behind 'Bridget Fidget' in general and this drawing of a spectacular fall in particular!

Surely he must have met me at some point? Surely?

So, Bridget Fidget leads me tripping and stumbling along the way to tell you about the treat Kirsty has in store for you next week:As a writer and illustrator of children's books herself [although she's often too modest to talk about it!] Kirsty has prepared an inspiring mini-series of posts in which she'll share with us the works of some of her favourite book illustrators.

So make a note to drop in to revisit some wonderful drawings from your own childhood, from your children's generation of books and maybe you'll even be introduced to some artists you've never seen before.

Right then, I'm off to break-in a new sketchbook, Kirsty will see you soon so make sure you're ready for her...

.....sharp pencils and clean paper are optional, nice relaxing drinks, a comfy chair and a foot rest however will be essential!

It's going to be great!

Julie :)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Links:

Berger & Wyse
@BergerandWyse on Twitter
Joe Berger Illustration
Joe Berger on Twitter

I’d Like To Copy : What are you like?

2010-06-03T09:18:00.013+01:00

This wasn’t the post I had planned for today, but Julie has unwittingly got me sidetracked. If you follow her Twitter stream, you’ll know she’s been struck down by the evil that is A Nasty Virus over the last few weeks. Were I my mother, I’d probably suggest ‘a tonic’ (does anyone really know what that is?) or whip up some chicken soup and barley water. Sadly, I am not that practical, so I made this instead:

1. Towel by Lucienne Day, 2. golden heart, 3. 305/365 So cliche!, 4. Penguins, 5. happytape 5pak japanese masking tape, 6. Atomic Leaves Vase by Michelle Glen, 7. Causeway fabric, 8. teacup and saucer from my dad, 9. ahhhhhh yeah..., 10. 201aj38

It’s just a few of the things I know Julie loves, gathered together as a little ‘feel better’ message. Easy to create, but not lacking in the thought department, which is – as everyone knows – what counts.

The idea was very loosely inspired by What Are You Like?, an exhibition I managed to miss (for shame!) at Dulwich Picture Gallery a couple of years ago. In turn, the exhibition was inspired by a Victorian parlour game in which players (or in this case, artists) described themselves by way of their favourite things.

While I know Julie pretty well, I wouldn’t presume to list her definitive favourites on any of the subjects featured in the exhibition pieces. My mosaic is much more vague – just things I know she’s fond of in general. It’s strange how personal committing to favourites can seem, but I think an interesting exercise, and one I’m planning to come back to later on.

In the meantime, these are just a few of my favourites from the What Are you Like? exhibition.

Lauren Child

Donald Urquhart

Marion Deuchars

Mary Fedden

Peter Blake

Steven Appleby

You can find out more on the gallery website, or at House of Illustration.

Which leaves just one question begging to be asked. What are you like?

I've been copying: Efemera Ink

2010-05-26T07:00:00.000+01:00

'Efemera Ink' is both the name of a monthly crafting get together in my local area run by 'Effie' and it's also the name of Effie's blog which regularly features her inspirational altered items and mixed media projects.

Reading Effie's blog makes up for the fact that I can't get to many Efemera Ink craft days [or 'glue 'n stick' as they're affectionately termed!] due to an inconvenient distraction know as 'work'. Luckily, now term has ended I'm hoping to get to a few more.

Anyone who reads my own 'notes on paper' blog will probably have seen some of the projects I've made under Effie's influence, such as this skull-embellished money box and this mini crackled canvas. So I thought I'd share a project which I don't think you'll have seen unless [a] you've seen my @nabview Twitter profile background or [b] you've been in my hallway lately! So here it is in 'proper' Copy+Paste challenge style ....

*Copy*
This is Effie's finished example of the wallhanging we were to take inspiration from during her March 'Efemera Ink' workshop that I somehow managed to attend!

For more images and to hear Effie's take on the workshop have a read of her post here.

The key elements of the wall hanging she created for us to 'copy' were:

a chipboard base;
vintage book paper;
velvet and lace coloured with iron-on disperse dyes;
tomato puree tube metal embellishments;
a triple embossed heart and;
some stitiching.

After talking us through her process in the morning we all spent the day interpreting the idea using the provided ingredients but adding in our own finishing touches to personalise it.

*Paste*
Here's my finished piece, rather than use the gold colour of the inside of the puree tube I used the green [and barcode!] of the outside:

We stamped into the embossing powder on the heart while it was still warm so that the stamp leaves an imprint:My 'heads' background stamp is by Stampotique from Art From the Heart and then I cut two little heads free from the crowd, mounted them on to chipboard and embossed over the top with UTEE:As I mentioned, it now hangs in my hallway and here it is in situ:As someone who's always been generally quiet in group situations, I never thought I'd be the kind of person who enjoyed crafting in a group like Efemera Ink. But I do. A lot. It's always good to see how we all work in entirely different ways to produce items which, while similar in construction, are totally different in detail.

So, if you're thinking about joining a group but don't think it's for you, pleeeeease give it a try. At least once. You never know where it might lead. Before I met the Effie and the 'Efemera Ink' ladies I didn't know any other crafters in my area. Now I attend the workshops when I can, the crop each month with many of the same faces, a group of us get together twice a year for a crafting retreat in a country cottage and Jean who brings her shop [3DJean] to the crafting days recently asked a handful of us on to her 'Scattered Scarlet' design team!

Oh and ... crafting groups are also a perfectly wholesome way to get you out of the house, drinking tea, chatting with fellow crafty types and wherever there's a group of crafters there's, more often than not, an opportunity for eating cake! Who could argue with that logic?

We'd love to hear about the groups you attend [either in 'real-life' or online] or even those you wish you could attend. Are you a social crafter? Or do you prefer yourown company or do you enjoy a bit of both? You kow the drill .... we're nosy / curious ..... so whatever you want to share ... our ears are open ....

Thanks for reading today.

Julie :)

Papercraft Inspirations winner

2010-05-18T13:07:00.008+01:00

The last of our party competitions was the weekend challenge, sponsored by Papercraft Inspirations, and before we go any further, I need to say two things.

1. Have you seen Julie’s feature in the current issue (and if not, why not? You know how good she is…)

2. Even though it’s too late to enter the competition, you can still download and use the printables for other party-ish events and occasions.

Should you need any extra inspiration, the following are some of our favourite weekend challenge entries.

Leo (Crafty Templates)

Thanks so much to everyone who took part and made something – it really would be much too hard to pick out a favourite, so we’ve gone the random route again. Instead of numbers (because, confusingly, not all commenters entered the challenge, and not all entries commented), I wrote down everyone’s name on a scrap of paper, folded them up and – because there’s nothing like a good cliché – pulled one out of my favourite hat at random.

Congratulations, Dolly! Drop me an email with your postal address and I’ll pass it on to Jenny at Papercraft Inspirations so you can enjoy a whole year of reading.

While that last little bit of business means the party really is over now, don’t forget you can still go back and relive your favourite bits by clicking through the links to your right.

Me and Julie? We’re going to share the washing up, take down the decorations and finish off a few last cake crumbs. Sigh…

Julie: My Q&A responses

2010-05-18T09:12:00.003+01:00

Cast your mind back to the time when, at the start of our 'birthdaversay' party in this post, I decided to get nosey and ask you all some probing questions .....

Remember how I promised that I would share my responses with you so you didn't feel like you'd exposed yourself on your own ..... [I think I'll stop that metaphor right there ...]

Well, I finally got around to answering them for you but ..... wow, talk about pulling teeth!

They were harder to do than I thought - I'm amazed at how 'up for it' lots of you were and how quickly you responded!! Thanks and well done, bravo, good on you, you're fabulous. Go you!

I've posted my efforts here on my 'notes on paper' blog ... take a look, have a nosey around my brain, see what you think, spot where we're similar [and where we differ wildly] ..... submit your analysis of my psyche, OK maybe don't do that last one ........!

Julie :)

More winners

2010-05-17T22:29:00.008+01:00

Evening all.

I feel a little like a dodgy talent-show host stringing out the winners from our party weekend in this way, but I like to think it helps to make the fun last longer. Are you ready for a couple more?

First of all Ruth’s delicious Sumptuosity giveaway, the Alice in Wonderland mirror, goes to randomly-selected commenter number 15.

Congratulations, Alison!

Drop us an email with your contact details (thecopyandpasteproject [at] googlemail.com), so we can pass them on to the super-generous types at Sumptuosity.

And then there was my little party-bag giveaway.

This time, the random generator picked out number 13.

Hurrah! Becky, send me your details at the same email address as before, and I’ll mail your parcel out later this week.

Thanks so much to everyone who entered and left comments – we’ve loved reading them, and will be offering up more chances to win very soon.

Kirsty

PS. What's that you say? One more giveaway to give away. Well, yes there is, you sharp-eyed thing you, but we're going to make you wait just a tiny bit longer for it. Because we're mean like that....

Gauche Alchemy kits + Bag winners

2010-05-17T14:48:00.008+01:00

Hi all.

So it's time to choose our winners and as I could never have decided without it I've used the number generator at www.random.org to select the winners of the Gauche Alchemy colour kits and the canvas bag with embellishments!

So here's how the mighty randomness has spoken:

The winner of 10 Gauche Alchemy color kits is .......
Congratulations Avital !!

Please send your postal address to us at: thecopyandpasteproject [at] googlemail.com where we'll then pass on your details to the Gauche Alchemy team.

Next up is the winner of the plain cotton bag with embellishments and fabric from my hoard:Congratulations Donna - Mr.Random chose you!! Please send your postal details to the same email adress as above and I'll get your bag kit into the post to you this week.

Thanks again to everyone who played along with us, and left comments to win, sorry we couldn't have given you all a little party gift!

Julie :)

Win. Free. Stuff. Reminder!

2010-05-13T08:30:00.004+01:00

Hello again.

If I said I'd fully recovered from our "30 posts in 2.5 days 'birthdaversay' blogging bonanza" ... then I'd be lying. Let's just say that with the help of a day off work and lots of illuminating under-eye conceale .... I'll make it through the day!

We can't thank you enough for all your wonderful support, comments and feedback on our party. We've been thrilled at the response and delighted that our early, loyal readers are still supporting us at the same time that first-time readers are landing. You're all very welcome, anytime.

All we can do is promise that we'll keep offering:

new projects;
inspirational guests;
chances to guest-blog for us:
tutorials;
and giveaways throughout another year.

Until then, let me remind you of the giveaways which you can still enter. You have until late Sunday night [UK time] to enter [see each post for exact details].

*The Prize Challenge*

If you'd like to win a year's subscription to Papercraft Inspirations magaze [home of our guest-blogger Jo Kill, my brand new 'Scrapbooking for Cardmakers' series and Kirsty's upcoming projects] there's still plenty of time to for you to download Kirsty's fabulous designs:
..... add them to a project ..... .and enter the competition [click here or on the images above for details].

*Giveaways*

** Sumptuosity offered you an chance to win this beautiful, silk, embroidered handbag mirror - click on Alice below to be taken to the post with the details on how to win:

** Gauche Alchemy are offering a set of 10 mixed-media colour kits - click on the photo for more details:

** Julie ..... or 'me' as I like to call myself ... is offering a plain canvas bag and lots of bits and peices with which to decorate it - click on the photo and leave me a comment in that post:

** And finally Kirsty will send a whole party bag of treasures to one lucky commenter - click on photo for details:
As for those of you who've already answered the 'What are you like?' set of questions ..... thank you!!!! I've had so much fun [and even a few shivers] reading through them all. It's also been fantastic to see how many of you left comments for each other. It's been truly lovely to see you hopping between blogs and chatting between yourselves! I promise to reveal my answers soon too.

Right then, sun's shining, sky's blue have some cards to make and a baby to visit ..... year 2 of Copy+Paste is treating me kindly so far!

Julie x

Tired and emotional

2010-05-09T23:00:00.000+01:00

It’s ok, we’re not about to drunkenly hiccup about how you’re our best friend and we really, really do love you, before welling up and, quite possibly, throwing up in a corner. Surely you’ve realised we’re not that kind of girl by now?

It’s more a case of our being a little bit tired, and a lot overwhelmed by your wonderful comments and support over the last couple of days. Just as we’ve appreciated them throughout Copy+Paste’s first year, they’ve kept us going over a weekend of marathon posting and hosting. I think it’s safe to say we’ve both made some amazing online friends thanks to what started out as a fun little side project for the two of us.

At the risk of sounding like a damp-eyed Oscar winner, we also have a handful of other thanks to hand out.

First of all, to our incredible guest posters, without whom it really wouldn’t have been possible. Natasha, Jessie, Ruth, Vivienne, Tara, Jo, Gabrielle, Dina, SJ, Miss Cay, Jack, Cathy, Carl, Corrina and Alex.

Thank you so much for your hard work and wonderful contributions – you have our hearts, admiration and undying gratitude.

The same is also true of our super-generous sponsors, namely Papercraft Inspirations (thanks, Jenny!) and Gauche Alchemy (thanks, Amy& Heather!), along with equally covetable competitions from Ruth at Sumptuosity and Gabrielle at The Green Gal (our new heroes).

If you missed any of the guest posts or still want to enter the competitions, you can click through via the handy links on the right.

Which just leaves . . . well, us. And we really aren’t about to get gushy over how much we’ve enjoyed working together, couldn’t have done it without each other and want to be back here celebrating two years this time in 2011.

Because that would be just a little bit too Gwyneth Paltrow for anyone to bear.

Thank you so much for sticking with us, whether it’s been twelve months, a weekend of partying, or even if you’ve discovered us for the first time today. We’ll be back to business as normal from tomorrow onwards – we’d love to see you anytime you’re passing.

Julie + Kirsty

Guest: Alex Horne

2010-05-09T22:00:00.003+01:00

Alex Horne is a writer and comedian who's partly responsible for the fabulous BBC4 show We Need Answers while being fully responsible for singeing a book of his which I bought after one of his gigs ... and yes, I do mean 'singeing'. Alex is also the kind of man who you could describe as one of life's over-achievers. His current ambitions are to get a word he's invented into the dictionary, to become the world's oldest man:

..... and to get to a certain party on time .....

'Inspiration'

By Alex Horne

It’s Sunday night and I’m ashamed.

I promised to come to my first blog party and on the night in question here I am, at home (well, my parents-in-laws’ home), miles from the get-together. In fact, I’m just about to get into bed. I’m pretty sure I’m a blog party-pooper.

But I didn’t mean to shun this party. I blame my son. He’s going to be one year old in ten days time and for the past 12 months he’s stopped me going to almost every sort of social occasion. Not that I mind. Every day’s a party when you’re a new parent (a strange sort of party with naps, nappies and crying). But it does mean I’ve missed rather a lot of events and had rather a lot of early nights instead.

Just before turning in tonight I checked my emails and discovered the invitation to this particular party. I kicked myself (quietly – Tom’s asleep) because I’d so wanted to go to this one.

Mainly because it didn’t involve organising a baby-sitter.

So here I am. Fashionably or, more likely, frustratingly late, but here nevertheless. I might even be a whole day late, in which case I promise to help with the clearing up.

But what I wanted to say is that this is exactly how I’m inspired to write.

I need deadlines – often last-minute deadlines – to force me to put pen to paper or finger to keyboard. Without deadlines I’d sit and stare at my son all day. But now, with three hours until the 9th of May is over I feel I can suddenly write something.

It may be little more than a note of apology but I have written something. And that’s often how I feel about my entire writing career: better to write something than not. If it’s terrible you don’t have to show it to anyone but it will do you some good. You have to start something to finish something.

And I have to be badgered to start something.

So there we go. Sorry, thanks and happy blog party!

Thank you Alex! Very much.

You made it to the party in time and you're most welcome .... even if you are in your pyjamas!

As for the rest of you, you really ought to treat yourself to a funny, friendly and thoroughly life-affirming night out and catch one of Alex's upcoming live shows.

Make sure to follow Alex's attempts to ...well, to not die .... at http://www.longlivealex.com/ and learn more about the man and his quests at http://www.alexhorne.com/.

Thanks for reading and Alex, thanks for making the effort to get here. Better late than never.

Don't forget to collect your cake wrapped in a serviette on your way out.

Kirsty :: Swag

2010-05-09T21:00:00.005+01:00

Earlier this year, I went to my nephew’s birthday party. He was five, and so were most of his guests. The party was held in one of those play centres – the kind that’s filled with things for small boys to clamber on, crawl through, swing from, slide down or throw at unsuspecting grown-ups. Fun if you're five, not so much if you're a germ-phobic thirty-something.

Let's just say I was a little more willing to leave then most of the smaller guests. My sister’s solution to the impressive array of tears, tantrums and glowering sulks they offered up, was the time-honoured party bag. Give a child a bag filled with stuff made from processed sugar or cheap plastic, and they’ll mostly head home as happy as they were when they arrived at ball-pond central.

In the same way you’re probably assuming by now that I’m a complete Eeyore of an aunt (not true), I am going to assume that plastic and processed sugar won’t quite cut it for party-goers as discerning as you. So, I’ve come up with something a bit different.

This little bundle of goodies is all about favourites – a framed, handmade picture created with my favourite Banana Frog stamps, postcards by a couple of my favourite artists and a hand-stitched scarf from one of my favourite Etsy shops, Syko. To prove I’m not a total Eeyore, and because all good party bags should include something delicious, I’ll also add some favourite chocolate before mailing.

To win this happiest of party bags, all you need to do is leave a comment below telling me your favourite Copy+Paste post from our first year of blogging.

The closing date for entries is 23:00 [BST] on Sunday 16th May and the winner, chosen at random, will be announced ASAP afterwards.

Guest: Corrina Rothwell

2010-05-09T20:00:00.000+01:00

The work of Corrina Rothwell always makes me stop and smile.

If you're a regular Copy+Paste reader you may remember that I featured some of Corrina's work earlier this year here, in one of our 'I'd Like To Copy' posts, where Kirsty and I share the people and things which have been inspiring us.

Luckily for us, I don't have to 'copy' Corrina as she's now here in person to share some of her originals with us:

Hello!

My name is Corrina Rothwell and I'm a Rochdale-born Nottingham-based artist and illustrator. I'm self-taught. Until a year ago I was working with machine embroidery but I grew bored and frustrated with that after 15 years of it. Now I work solely on a graphics tablet, which I adore.

My inspiration comes from right under my nose or from inside my head. I'm very lazy, I don't look very far. But I don't have to! There's so much material just in plain old everyday life that is amusing, poignant, entertaining, aggravating and lends itself to pictorial interpretation.

I usually start a new series of work when I have something specific to work towards – very rarely do I draw just 'for the hell of it'. In between drawing spells I collect ideas in the form of either notes or photos on my mobile phone or a few words scribbled in my diary or notebook. I used to be a sketchbook person but not now. I think that's because when things from the 'outside world' inspire me it's usually the words that come to me before the images. I guess what I'm doing these days is illustrating my own words....

I've just done a series of 10 pictures called The Rothwell Chronicles for a one-night event at my friend's gallery in Nottingham. This is the name of my blog – I started this year with a promise to do a picture-a-day on it, but I caved in around the end of February. Anyway the idea was to just do a picture about something, anything that had happened or I had thought about during that day, as a kind of disciplinary exercise. But I don't really like being told what to do, not even by myself.

The Rothwell Chronicles is actually a bit redundant as a theme, because really you could put all my work under that umbrella – it's just me chronicling life as I see it.

I'll share a few of the Chronicles pictures with you and try to explain how they came about......

1) Beetroot Before Bedtime: This is a kind of follow-on from an embroidery I did called The Beetroot Appreciation Society – I am a huge beetroot fan and basically I got a kick out of making it look like a bloody massacre. So much so that I did this one:

After having a few beers one night I came home and devoured a load of beetroot. I kind of forgot about it, as you do, until I came down in the morming and saw the, er, bloody mess.

2) Cashew Queue:

Every time I went in the main Post Office in Nottingham this would tickle me so I thought I'd better make it into a picture. There was the automated voice saying 'cashier number nine' and to me it sounded for all the world like 'cashew'. They've got a different system now, and it sadly no longer sounds nutty.

3) Dogfood – I didn't actually hear anybody saying this, but it really disgusts me that some people have more sympathy for the dog than the person, so this was my sardonic take on it:

4) Pyjamas – this is one of these things that a lot of people probably do but don't really talk about, sticking your coat and boots on over your jimjams to go and get a pint of milk in the morning:

A lot of my pictures are like this actually, capturing those little things that you do, and it's always really nice when people say 'oh my god I do that!' or 'that always happens to me!' like in Mascara Trauma:

It makes me feel lovely and normal!

Corrina Rothwell.

Thank you Corrina.

See what I mean about stopping to smile when seeing her work? How could you not? Things like that are indeed always happening to me - how about you?

If you want to feel even more 'lovely and normal' then here are some other places you can get a dose of Corrina's very human humour:

Corrina's website: http://www.corrinarothwell.co.uk/ and blog: http://www.rothwellchronicles.blogspot.com/

Places to purchase her work:
http://www.blackolivestudio.co.uk/ – 'Dottie' range of greetings cards
http://www.purplehoot.com/ – e-cards
http://www.debbiebryan.co.uk/ – Nottingham shop/gallery
http://www.palaceartfair.co.uk/ –a London art fair in October 2010 and
http://www.nottinghamcontemporary.org/ - where, for the duration of the next exhibition Corrina will have some prints on sale.

We've been copying: What is England?

2010-05-09T19:00:00.002+01:00

As mentioned in the previous post, Carl Mole represents Cleveland in Stuart Pilkington's 'What is England?' photography project.

A total of 50 photographers are involved, each capturing a different English county, and submitting images under six categories: - Person; Group; Work; Play; Urban and Rural.

To paraphrase the website, "The photographers' brief is to represent their own style of photography, as well as their county. They have complete freedom as to how they respond to the assignments and hopefully, by the end of 2010, the 300 images submitted over the course of the year will help to answer the brief: 'What is England?'."

*Copy*

In true Copy + Paste style we've both had a turn at interpreting the 6 categories for ourselves.

*Paste*

Julie's photographs:

Category: 'Group'Category: 'Rural'
Category: 'Work'
Kirsty's photographs:

Category: 'Person'

Category: 'Play' Category: 'Urban' Make sure to visit the official 'What is England?' site to see the completed galleries for the first two topics 'Person' and 'Group'

And, if you live in England why not check out the works of the photographer representing your corner of the country?

Maybe even copy + paste the idea yourself and then let us know!

Julie + Kirsty :)

Guest: Carl Mole

2010-05-09T18:00:00.001+01:00

While parts of the area in which photographer Carl Mole lives and works have been both run down both economically and through the media's less than favourable representations, Carl's photos consistently capture the strength and dignity of the area - my area - and its people:

Little wonder then that photographer Stuart Pilkington chose Carl to represent Cleveland in his national photography project What is England? which aims to discover the identity of England through the eyes of 50 regional photographers.

I asked Carl to give us an idea of influences which have shaped his ideas of what is worth capturing through his lens.

The Man-Altered Landscape

There are far too many photographers, and photographic styles to take inspiration from. Each new photobook I buy becomes a new source of inspiration, too many books and not enough shelves.

“The New Topographics:Photographs of a man-Altered Landscape” was a title of a 1975 American photography exhibition, this was a new aesthetic that reflected the landscape not as a pristine and romantic ideal as portrayed by Ansel Adams etc, but without sentimentality showing how man intervened and transformed the landscape. I suppose you could call this finding beauty in the mundane and banal.

Landscapes will include roads, cars, housing, industry and any aspect which shows the influence and trace of human activity.

Presidio, Texas 1975. Stephen Shore:

But, a lot of the work that I’ve been producing has had the underlying theme of the man-altered landscape in mind.

Some of the photographers included in the exhibition where Robert Adams, John Schott, Lewis Baltz and Stephen Shore (who is a great photographic hero of mine, check out the book American Surfaces).

Mobile Homes, Colorado 1973. Robert Adams

The idea of the New Topographics movement has always been in the back of my mind while exploring the area around where I live, since industry and the urban enviroment are a big part of the local area.

Some examples of the work I’ve produced using the New Topographics movement loosely in mind are:
Carl.

Thank you Carl.

For more of Carl's work visit his website and his Flickr gallery .

I think that the points Carl raises about finding beauty in the mundane is an interesting one for any scrapbookers out there who are wondering what to photograph and how to best record their everyday lives as well as the grand momentous events of life.

To see how Kirsty and I have interpreted the categories from the What Is England? project check back in to see us later.

Julie

Guest: Cathy Cullis

2010-05-09T17:00:00.001+01:00

Around this time last year I was lucky enough to receive one of Cathy Cullis's art dolls as a gift but, if you're new to her work then allow me to pay the gift forward by introducing you to the wonderful work of Cathy Cullis:

I love to bring new ideas to life. I like the surprises and chance of improvisation. Planning too strictly just does not appeal to me. So, how do you improvise with a sewing machine, thread, fabric? This to many might feel a bit restricting. But take away the need to stitch a directly straight line and things loosen up. Working in free motion embroidery, I’m able to use my sewing machine as a drawing tool. Infact, I think I draw best with a sewing machine - better than a pencil, perhaps.

'Love and Embroidery' I’m obsessed with dreams, poets, Romantics. Gothic, Medieval, Elizabethan, Victoriana.... leaps and swirling dances through history. But mine is a made-up Romantic kind of dreaming, it’s a very personal reinventing of what it might be to be Elsewhere.....

Many of my stitched works are intensely detailed with tiny faces, spider web complexity of lines, swirls and sensations.

'Do not forget to Dream (wake up)'

My ‘Romantics’ series explores my obsessions with a more pared-down feel. I want to approach drawing complete figures using different tensions and make use of the ‘wrong’ or bobbin side of stitching. My ‘Romantics’ are quite storybook, folk naive in style.

Courtier is an example of how the ‘wrong’ side can make a man. He is a suggested figure with his ruffle keeping his head up. His head is just about to slip away, escape from the edge of the fabric.

'Courtier'

I like this tension. I stitched him fast, as I tend to stitch mostly everything, and this means I never really get to see what I am stitching until I stop. It’s like: I’ll tell you a story and when I get to the end I’ll stop stitching. And then I’ll see.

Most of my figures are female or androgynous, but I feel Courtier is very much a chap. He has a slight angular feel that is a little different. He’s quite primitive, dark-eyed and will always be hard to pin down.

As far as considering my own work goes, I have a very high rejection rate. Such is life. Working with improvisation and speed is a bit of a gamble. If I have an idea I’ll keep stitching and make several attempts, sometimes.

'3 Tiny Figures' What I like about this Courtier piece is that he is quite small and I can hold him in my hand. I like small, intense works. Having said that, I have just started on a new ‘epic’ piece of stitch work that will take a few weeks and many hours to complete. I wonder if I will be swayed toward making bigger pieces in the future, but my hunch is I’ll always enjoy creating these curious smaller figures.

Thank you Cathy. It's an honour to have you here.

To keep up-to-date with Cathy then visit her blog
To purchase one of Cathy's for current pieces you can visit her online store.
and her Flickr Gallery will give you an insight into her previous works.

'Brooch'

p.s: If you're one of the people with whom I'm sharing an anniversary with this month and you're stuck for a gift .... you could always pay a visit to Cathy's store too... I'm just saying ... [don't panic Kirsty - I didn't mean you!].

Julie: My wall quote canvas

2010-05-09T16:00:00.001+01:00

*Copy*

As Jack Thorne mentioned in the previous post, he and I once had a discussion about our favourite quotes on the theme of writing. In return for his being so candid and revealing his to you, I decided to do the same.

So here's the quotation I shared with him a while ago.

It's from the writer Thomas Mann [probably best known for the novella Death In Venice] and it states that:

"A writer is someone for whom writing is more difficult than it is for other people".

I'd told Jack that I liked those words so much that, one day, I was going to put them on a canvas and hang it on my office wall. And, true to my word ......

*Paste*
.......... I did: The only issue I have with it is that when other people see it ... I worry if being judged for recognising myself as a 'writer'.It's the same sort of thought process that I think Dina Wakley touched upon when she introduced herself in her guest post yesterday : "I'm Dina. An artist. Sort of". Sort of. When, to the rest of us there's no doubt about it.
I just need to brave and say: I'm Julie. I write stuff.

Therefore I am a writer ...... and I like this quote because that's exactly how I feel when I sit down to write something ... ...... because working with words and shaping them into sentences, paragraphs, articles, blog posts and stories means something to me ....

.... and that's why it's so hard to do. Because ..... if it meant nothing to me I could just sit down and not care what came out when I wrote ... ... .... but, you see, the thing is .... I'm a writer .... and writers should care about what they write.

Just in case you wanted proof that it actually hangs on my wall, there's it is in my office at the moment .... please bear in mind that I've been busy planning a 2.5 day blog party and haven't had much free time to tidy things ....... ;)

Thanks for reading what I wrote.

Jx

Guest: Jack Thorne

2010-05-09T15:00:00.002+01:00

I was first introduced to the work of screenwriter and playwright Jack Thorne three years ago when I heard his play 'Left at the Angel' on Radio 4 which caused me to stop what I was doing, grab a notebook and pencil and scrawl down his name in case I forgot it. Not that I was likely to.

From his contributions to shows such as Skins, Shameless and his co-creation of the flawless Channel4 series 'Cast Offs' last year, to his plays for stage and radio and a debut feature film released this year ..... Jack's energies and passion for his work has ensured he's not easily forgotten.

Knowing that he is a fellow quotation-collector I asked Jack to share with us some quotes which keep him and his writing constantly moving foward.

THE QUOTES ON THE WALL ABOVE MY COMPUTER SCREEN.

I don’t know quite when I started writing quotes out and sticking them on the wall behind my computer screen. I think I started it five years ago but it could be longer because I’m not very good with time memory.

It’s a sad, tragic and pretentious thing to do – the equivalent perhaps of getting your wrist tattoo’d with “carpe diem” (which a friend of mine did once and then massively regretted) – but I do find them useful sometimes.

For staring at.

When I’ve nothing else to stare at.

Because you know, when you spend ten to twelve hours a day staring at a computer screen – I’m a writer by the way, staring is what I do - well, you look for variety anywhere you can... Anyway, when my lovely friend Julie asked for a “guest blog” she suggested – because we’d talked about it once – me writing about these quotes – and here, cringing with embarrassment – are they – with occasional justifying remarks beside them. I’ve divided them, for the purposes of this discussion into three.

I’ll probably regret doing so.

ATTACK DOGS:

“Comedy is when you accidentally walk into an open sewer and die. Tragedy is when I have a hangnail.” Mel Brooks.

“Analysing comedy is like dissecting a frog. Nobody laughs and the frog dies.” Barry Cryer.

I am not the funniest writer in the world, but occasionally have to write comedy and these are both useful as means to attack the crass – but what if he fell over on a banana skin – notes that I occasionally get back from my higher and betters - and indeed I shouted them both at an executive once.

Along with the best of the attack dogs: “Executives want answers. Audiences want questions.” Tim Kring (creator of Heroes).

Though that quote worked a lot better when Heroes was a successful TV franchise rather than the soon-to-be cancelled mess it now is. Probably should take that one down now.

MUST WRITE BETTER:

“A book should be the axe for the frozen sea within us.” Franz Kafka.

“If you want to provoke, you should provoke someone stronger than yourself because otherwise you’re misusing your power.” Lars Von Trier

Well, do exactly what they say on the tin those really don’t they – I’ll never write as well as either of those two great men. But they’re what to aim at.

Everything anyone else writes provokes jealousy in me – basically I’m a bitter and twisted individual – but I try to compete with the greatest and the best – the unattainable – because at least that way the inevitable failure is slightly tempered with – well, at least you tried.

Another one on the wall is “We should always look back on our lives with tender contempt.” Dennis Potter.

Yeah. Enough said.

LIFE SUPPORT:

“Dialogue should simply be a sound among other sounds. Just something that comes out of the mouths of people whose eyes tell the story in visual terms.” Hitchcock.

“At heart write always for yourself. But make sure that you write from your real self, not one besotted with vainglorious dreams of a future self.” John Fowles.

These are actually the oldest and newest quotes on my ‘quote wall’ (even saying those two words makes me wince). John Fowles was the first thing I pinned up because that was the advice I was always hearing – write for yourself not other people and I was always confused by the notion of what ‘writing for myself’ actually meant. I just love the wisdom of it – I definitely occasionally write and make career decisions with my ‘collected plays’ (how would this play fit in with that – truly madly deeply inevitable - edition of my life’s work) in my head – but I hate that side of myself, and it’s clearly a stupid way of continuing.

So the Fowles quote I try to write by, and occasionally succeed in doing so.

The Hitchcock quote – well, that’s more a realisation I’ve come to recently. Everyone’s always been quite nice about my dialogue and I’ve always thought that it was the best thing about how I wrote, but having spent the last year working with Shane Meadows (a brilliant film-maker and a man who encourages actors to stick to the meaning of scenes but not the words) I’ve come to realise how irrelevant the words actually are.

Story and character and, most importantly, rhythm are what defines great writing (which I hope to achieve some day) and dialogue, which I used to use as a means of writing myself out of any mess, is actually not that important at all.

Right. I feel sullied. I hope I haven’t sullied you.

Blogging is weird.

Jack.

Thank you Mr.T.

While I let Jack go and wash the scent of filthy, self-revelatory, blogging from his skin ..... I'll brazenly fill you in on when and where you can hear more from him. Because you do want to hear more from him.

Last Jack won the BFI Newcomer award 2009 for his feature film The Scouting Book For Boys:

The film was released this spring and is still travelling around the UK at the moment .... it's not quite reached me this far North yet so, if you fancy seeing it so we can compare notes afterwards, then check out the film's Facebook page or Twitter profile to keep up-to-date with your local show times.

Next weekend sees a performance of a special, multi-authored production which Jack contributed to alongside writers such as Tom Stoppard.Further details of The Laws of War can be found by clicking on the photo below.

To be honest I'd be here all day listing Jack's upcoming productions so the simplest thing for me to do is point you toward his twitter profile where you can keep track of his latest works for yourself.

You'll be glad you did. I am.

Guest: Miss Cay from Domestic Sluttery

2010-05-09T14:01:00.000+01:00

Maybe if you read how the Domestic Sluttery blog describes itself then you'll understand what makes Kirsty and I love it so:

"Domestic Sluttery: The home and lifestyle blog for women who have better things to do.

Domestic Sluttery is a new way of life. Written by women who cook, decorate and design (usually with a glass of wine close to hand) without giving up our lives. We want to make your home your own, without doing very much at all. So you can get on with the rest of your life".

Do you see what I mean? Is that you nodding your head in agreement there? Thought so!

Since we've been partying for about 43 hours now we asked the fabulous Miss Cay - Domestic Sluttery's Food & Drink editor to provide us all with a little sustenance and here's what she treated us to.....

MISS CAY'S BLUEBERRY BOY BAIT

When it comes to baking, every girl needs a secret weapon in her recipe collection.

Be it that scintillating lasagne you painstakingly labour over the first time you cook for someone you'd quite like to get to know better, or the cake you only ever assemble so you can get the object of your desires to fall at your feet – whatever it is, when it comes to affairs of the heart, a little piece of kitchen magic can often go a long long way.

'Blueberry Boy Bait' is the trick that I keep up my particular sleeve. And with good reason – not only is it it filled to the brim with delicious jammy summery fruit which is packed into an obscenely buttery sponge and swathed with a sheet of cinnamon sugar - but it also has possibly the best name of any dessert ever. I mean think about it. Boy Bait. Who could ever resist a slice of a cake with a name like that?

The story as to how this dessert got its name is also utterly charming. Back in the 1950s, a (rather devilishly clever) 15-year-old girl won second prize in the junior division of a Pillsbury baking contest with this cake, and told the judges that it got its name from the effect it had on the neighbour teenage boys - one bite and they were hooked.

And take my word for it, after one nibble of this cunningly tasty little dessert, you (and any boys you might be baiting) will be too.

BLUEBERRY BOY BAIT

You Will Need:
• 250g plus 1 teaspoon self raising flour
• 1 teaspoon table salt
• 250g unsalted butter, softened
• 150g packed light brown sugar
• 100g granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 240ml full fat milk
• 100g blueberries, fresh or frozen

Topping
• 100g blueberries, fresh or frozen (do not defrost)
• 50g granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

For the cake:
Heat oven to Gas Mark 4 (350 degrees). Grease and flour a 13 by 9-inch baking pan.
Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together in medium bowl.

Now, cream your butter and sugar together with a hand blender for around two minutes until it's turned nice and fluffy.

Add eggs, one at a time, beating until just incorporated into the mix – make sure to scrape the sides of the bowl as you're going along so you don't miss a bit!

Now add roughly one-third of the flour mixture to the ingredients until it's all started to come together; then beat in half of milk.

Once that's done, beat in the other half of remaining flour mixture, then remaining milk, and finally remaining flour mixture.

Toss blueberries with remaining one teaspoon flour. Using rubber spatula, gently fold in blueberries. Spread batter into prepared pan.

For the topping:
Scatter blueberries over top of batter. Stir sugar and cinnamon together in small bowl and sprinkle over batter.

Bake until toothpick inserted in centre of cake comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes.

Cool in pan 20 minutes, then turn out and place on serving platter (topping side up). Serve warm or at room temperature.

(Cake can be stored in airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days.)

Mmmmmmmmm .......thank you Miss Cay for such a delicious treat and for the pinch of sauciness thrown in for good measure. It looks so good!

If I know some of you out there like I think I do, I imagine you're on your way to the kitchen as I speak. So, remember to send us a link to your finished product if you indulge in some Blueberry Boy Bait-ing of your own!

Kirsty :: The Christmas Windmill

2010-05-09T13:05:00.006+01:00

Two of my favourite presents last Christmas came from Julie. Not only did she buy me a beautiful Sumptuosity brooch, she also pandered to one of my heart’s more random desires and made me a tiny windmill.

If you’ve ever browsed through the images in my Flickr stream, you might have spotted quite a few windmills, and while I’d love to sit here and explain to you why I’m so obsessed with them, I still don’t quite understand it myself. The first time I saw one in real life (or at least the first time I can remember seeing one) was around 7 years ago while we were on holiday in Norfolk. Luckily, it was on a very quiet country road. Yelling in surprise and pulling off the best emergency stop since my driving test didn’t cause anything like the chaos it would’ve done here in London.

Ever since then, I've been infatuated. Whenever we visit somewhere new, I sneak a quick look at the map to see if there might be a windmill nearby. My super-patient boyfriend is usually happy to indulge my detours, and wait while I stand and gaze like a guppy when we get there. I take photos, I feel faintly freaked out and am somehow sated just by looking at them. You really don't need to tell me it's a little bit odd...

But, back to Julie’s wonderful windmill. When we set out to ‘copy’ something from each other, it was the obvious choice for me. I don’t have any windmill-ish souvenirs at home, mostly because they tend to be quite tacky. That was one of the things which, for me, made her version even more special - I love its beautiful, simplified shape and also the vintage print fabrics she used to make it.

Those two things were the starting point for my project - a piece of wall art, made mostly from fabric and stretched around a plain canvas.

The two button details were also inspired by Julie’s decoration, and I was so happy to find such a good home for the square porcelain buttons, which I found in Tinsmiths, a gorgeous gallery and textiles shop that recently opened in the little town where I grew up.

Ok, so my half of the ‘let’s copy and paste each other’ bargain Julie and I struck might not be quite as ground-breaking as a vellocirollercape. But honestly, which would you rather encounter on a quiet country road?

Guest: SJ's 'Little Musings'

2010-05-09T12:05:00.007+01:00

Hi you. How's things?

Are you feeling a touch of party fatigue? Need a little rest?

OK, take a little breather for a while, gather your strength while you can as we've got a whole day of partying ahead of us still. There's even more cake on it's way ... complete with recipe but until then ...

..... here's the lovely SJ from 'Little Musings':
..... with some eye candy for you!

Hi, I am SJ.

I design stamps for Personal Impressions, and along side that I offer freebies of my illustrations every Friday from my blog for people to download.

Here's one I've been working on that I thought Copy+Paste readers might like as a little birthday party treat.

Meet Delilah. She is a full on day dreamer, who would like nothing better than to float about in clouds all day, she loves green and headbands and singing along to Alanis Morrisette.

She comes as a really simple outline, a fancy colour painted version and also comes with a background you can print and use with her.

Thanks so much SJ!!!

Simply click here or on the adorable image above to be taken to the download area for you freebie artwork.

Make sure to keep up-to-date with SJ on Little Musings not only for future Friday freebies but for lots of blogging and scrapbooking goodness on other days too!!

Right then, you've had your rest ... back on your feet ... there's a party going on you know?

Did I just hear someone say there were nibbles ..... ?

J ;)

Julie :: The Velocirollercape...it's a long story...

2010-05-09T11:00:00.016+01:00

Hello again!

Let me tell you a tale about ...... I can assure you that there is a very good explanation as to why I've recently found myself drawing a dinosaur who's wearing a cape and rollerskates .......
Not that it will make much more sense but hey, let's give it a try, shall we?

One morning on Twitter Kirsty mentioned that she quite fancied getting or making herself a cape. As a cold-blooded person myself I thoroughly supported the notion ... with one caviat:

"Will you be able to move in it or will it give you velociraptor arms?"

You know the kind ...
She replied that the particular cape she'd been looking at probably wouldn't give her the appearance of the aforementioned creature. But I thought that that was just part wishful thinking and part denial .... dinosaurs were a sore point with her as she was right in the middle of the [mammoth?] task of illustrating a book full of them!

Earlier that morning I'd Tweeted about how I thought I should have one of these suits:

I'm the type of person who often finds herself bashing herself, falling over and generally bouncing off hard surfaces so, at first glance you may not see the logic in my argument but ....

....my thinking was .......

........ that the addition of one of those suits would mean that, in future, whichever way I stumbled, tripped and fell ... I'd always land on one of my wheels and thus avoid injury!

You see? Perfect deductive logic! Not such a crazy-life-shortening plan after all!

Now this is the bit where Kirsty's inventive genius comes in .... as she suggested I combine everything we'd been tweeting into one single majestic, wheeled, warmly attired entity forever here after to be known as ......

The Velocirollercape!Then, a few weeks later I decided to get my neglected drawing pad and pencils out and settled down to create the chimera you see before you.

Eat our creative dust Jurassic Park!

If you fancy the prospect of having this kind of inspiration thrown at you on Twitter then the following might be if use to you:

Follow us on Twitter = @copypastetweet
Plus there's my own Twitter account = @notesonpaper
and Kirsty's Twitter account = @KirstyNeale

However I shouldjust give you a heads-up ... after we'd been discussing velociraptors on Twitter we both got a new follower who obviously had been searching for his own name.....

As unlikely as this sounds ... there's actually a velociraptor with its very own Twitter account, I swear!

Seemingly, if his tweets are anything to go by @_velociraptor likes nothing better than hiding in the long grass, drinking coffee and leaping out on unsuspecting twitterers who speak his name .....

Ah ... just when you thought you'd heard it all eh?

OK then, you're now at the end of this post, thank you and well done! Stick around later today for post in which Kirsty will reveal how something I did inspired her .....

Kirsty: I've been copying Moloko

2010-05-09T10:25:00.008+01:00

Good morning, party animals.

How has your Sunday been so far?

I’ve been up since 6.45, which might sound a bit drastic, but is a good 90 minute lie-in compared to my weekday mornings. I’d love to tell you I’m like a spring daisy from all that extra snoozing, but it would be a big fat lie. Weekend candle burnt at both ends? Oh, yes.

If you are suffering similarly (crazy bed head, house in chaos and eye bags no airline would let you take as carry-on), I have a nice, soothing project to start your Sunday.

*Copy*

As well as being Copy+Paste’s birthday, yesterday also marked a full year since I moved house. Which is, in general, marvellous. But as you’ll know if you’ve ever packed up and shipped out of a home, it also means lost stuff – the things you had when you left house A but haven’t for the life of you been able to find since arriving at house B. It’s no huge deal – there are only a few, small, easily replaceable bits I’m missing, but a recent migraine made me realise I really, really needed to get round to at least one bit of that replacing. Namely, my eye mask. Blocking out any kind of light is a migraine must, but it wasn’t until I stumbled across an old cassette cover last week that I had that little extra flash of inspiration and put my mask-making plans into action.

*Paste*

Truthfully, I am a little over the whole owl trend. Can we say done to death? But it just seemed such a perfect fit in this case, that I set my prejudice aside and ploughed on with the idea.

I think the deliciously clashy seventies-style colours and print were mostly what won me over. In the end, it reminds me more of this Petra Boase owl than the Moloko version, but I’d say that’s really no bad thing.

If you want a little of the lowdown, the base and eyes are felt (proper, nice, soft-on-your-skin wool felt, rather than the scratchy acrylic kind), stitched together with simple running stitches, the feedsack cotton print is sadly not real vintage, but a reproduction fabric, and the stretchy bit that holds it around the head is a scrap of lingerie elastic that I dyed in a teacup.

And, just in case you’re still feeling a little Sunday-morning rough, here you go with a shameful shot of it in situ.

Seriously, if that doesn’t make you feel better about your own bed-head, I don’t know what will.

Kirsty: I've been copying Julie copying Desigual bags

2010-05-08T22:00:00.001+01:00

*Copy*

When we were planning our party projects, Julie mentioned she was working on upcycling a plain grocery tote - her Desigual project below. I also had a grocery bag project in mind, so we thought it would be fun to do a double copy and paste – she was ‘pasting’ the Desigual bag and, in turn, I was pasting her idea of making over a plain tote. So far, so simple.

What I don’t think either of us bargained for was how very different our finished projects would be! Might I have changed my plans if I’d seen hers sooner? Probably not, although I may well be taking some inspiration from it at a later date (I’m a sucker for anything that uses scraps of selvedge). What I love about the way the two projects have turned out is how typically Copy+Paste-ish they are. We’ve always been quite careful not to share too much about our challenge projects as we’ve gone along, in a deliberate attempt to avoid influencing each other. It means that, as well as writing here, I also get to be a C+P reader on occasion, seeing Julie’s projects for the first time when she posts them on the blog. Despite thinking in quite similar ways, our creative styles can be very different, and it’s one of the things that’s really helped to shape Copy+Paste over the last year.

*Paste*

So, I’m guessing you might want to see what I’m talking about for yourself at this point.

Very different, I think you’ll agree!

I started out with a slightly chunkier bag than Julie – it’s made from jute, which makes it a little sturdier than the plain cotton versions. I’d love to tell you I was being practical when I picked it out, but really I just liked the linen-y texture and colour. (I am nothing if not that shallow...)

The design is part of a bigger project I’m working on, based around similarly cheesey grocery-themed puns (it says ‘radish me, darling’, just in case you can’t quite read that in the images). Sadly, the standard of the gags is unlikely to improve, but I hope you’ll agree little Miss Radish has a certain charm nonetheless.

And that’s about it for this evening. I honestly didn’t plan to leave you on your own with thoughts of being . . . well . . . ravished, but some parties are like that, you know? We’ll be back in the morning with another full day of projects and guests to see you through Sunday.

Sleep tight.

Julie: I've been copying - Desigual bags

2010-05-08T21:00:00.000+01:00

*Copy*
I love the Spanish fashion brand Desigual, I find it so creative and inventive that to date it's influenced three separate crafting projects of mine.

First was a scrapbooking page featuring the wonder of my Desigual skirt, followed by a greeting card inspired by my partner's Desigual trousers ... while today it's their eclectic range of bags which has been inspiring me.

When I spotted these bags in store there was only one thing stopping me sprinting to the till to buy them ... their price tag, at something like £60:00 it certainly made me pause to think.

And whiler I truly loved them [I even did that whole circling-around-and-around-the-display-trying-to-justify-the-cost type manouvre] ......

... I finally left the shop declaring "I could make something like that!"

So I did ......

*Paste* My starting point was a canvas tote which was free with some promotional thing at work!

Then, I managed to intercept some threadbare jeans my partner was throwing out, cut off the legs and stitched the rest in place around the bag. I used a combination of machine stitching - for strength and hand stitching - for decoration: I kept the flies in working order and now they're part of a useful working pocket: Some of my favourite [saved-for-best] fabrics decorate the handles - inside and out:I trimmed a pocket with some lovely Webster's Pages fabric ribbon, the colour test strip from one of my fabrics and some decoarative brads:
I found a pack of 12 crocheted coasters in a £1 shop and experimented on it with some heat transfer dyes left over from a class given by Efemera Ink, to create this focal point: And had great fun adding a bit of retro bling with these studs!I'm so pleased with the end result! However it actually might not be the end as I can see myself altering and adding to it forever!

So there it is - my own take on a Desigual design .... which hardly cost me a penny!

And ... seeing as how I have something I'm happy with but which didn't cost me a thing ... I'm going to pay it forward ....

*Giveaway*
I'm giving away:

one brand new, plain canvas bag
pieces of the fabrics I used [I'll even go and track down those denim legs I've got stashed somewhere]
a crocheted coaster and
a variety of embellishments

... so that one of you can create your own bespoke tote too.

All you need to do is leave me a comment below making it clear you want to win!

The closing date for entries is 23:00 [BST] on Sunday 16th May and the winner - chosen at random - will be announced ASAP afterwards.

Thanks for reading,

Julie :)

Julie: I've Been Copying - Dina Wakley

2010-05-08T20:00:00.002+01:00

*Copy*
If you haven't already read the guest post from artist Dina Wakley then hop back a post and then come back once you've discovered exactly why she's someone who's worth taking your inspiration from!

Have you read it now? Good ... because here's my take on some of her techniques.....

*Paste*
Earlier this year I learned that Dina was to be teaching some art journaling workshops at the Art From the Heart studio in Harrogate.

Now, as Harrogate is significantly closer to my home than Arizona where Dina regularly teaches so it was an opportunity which I could not allow to escape:I'd also mentioned the class to my friend Helen who pretty much made it a pre-requisite of our continuing relationship that I MUST attend and tell her all about it! So I did!

The tiny photo on the tag below shows the A3 sheet upon which, under Dina's tutelage I explored various layering techniques using texture paste, string, acrylic paint, paper scraps and spray inks: Once dry, we cut into the sheet and folded it [sorry - I can't remember how it was done now - it was a bit origami-esque and baffled me even at the time!] and it formed the basic shape for this little book: I used a blanket stitch around the free edges to prevent it unfolding .. and because it looks nice:Overall this workshop was truly worthwhile in two particular ways.

1. In a very creative and practical way I learned new techniques and used some products for the first time. 2. I love few things more than watching an inspirational, intuitive, natural teacher at work. Throughout my working life I've had the privilege to watch many of them at work and Dina is most certainly amongst the most impressive.

You know how some people not only make the task in hand look easy but they make you think you can do it just as well as they can? Well, that's what characterised the workshop for me.

I also came away from the day with a new attraction to stencils and promptly invested in some for £1.99 in the kids craft section!
Along with stencils I've been acquiring spray inks at a rate of knots!

I wonder if maybe I've got a bit of a way to go about throwing myself full-on into using the inks though. As much as I love the effect they give ... I'm not so keen on the stained hands. I remember that, when the class was finished and we were tidying-up someone commented that I'd kept my hands nice and clean - yet to me they looked like I'd had a terrible food-colouring accident! The ultimate lesson I've learned by attending this and indeed my local crop and crafting days is that while it's a treat to get to sit and create quietly on your own at home ....

.... sometimes it's worth packing that craft bag, finding your house keys and heading out to be with others, to learn new techniques, to laugh and drink tea with likeminded people and to, every now and again, grab the opportunity to meet someone like Dina Wakley.

I'd love to hear stories of classes which have made a lasting impression on you. Feel free to share them and to link us to any work you've produced inspired by Dina and other inspirational teachers.

Thanks for reading,

Guest: Dina Wakley

2010-05-08T19:00:00.001+01:00

Dina Wakley is a mixed media artist who regularly shares her talents by teaching highly respected art journaling workshops both in person and online.
I asked Dina to give us an insight into how her role as an art musuem tour guide inspires her own work.

I'm Dina. I'm an artist.

Well, sort of.

It's hard for me to call myself an artist because I am so unschooled, untrained, you know how self-doubt goes. But art fills me and inspires me and fuels me!

One of the things that I do to keep the artistic fire burning is volunteer at the Phoenix Art Museum as a docent. [The word "docent" comes from Latin and means "to teach" or "to guide"]. To become a docent, I had to go through a 2-year training program, write papers (eek!), and learn lots and lots about art history and about the mechanics of giving a good tour. My true joy as a docent comes when I am touring school kids. I love it when kids come to the museum! They're always full of anticipation, and as you introduce them to art, their eyes light up and they start thinking and having a personal response to what they're seeing. It's a miraculous thing, introducing kids to art and watching it take root inside their soul.

And, I'm a docent for selfish reasons, too. I love to be around art. It's just plain fun to be in the art museum all the time, to stand in front of the art and let it affect me. One piece that our museum owns is "Lush Spring" by Helen Frankenthaler:

Frankenthaler is a color-field painter--meaning she puts her canvas on the floor and spills paint onto it, guiding the paint with her hands (or maybe a squeegee, or a brush) and letting the paint pool and flow. I find her paintings to be very visceral and inspiring.

"Lush Spring" and Frankenthaler's methods inspired my "Graffiti of My Life" journal (and later the online class that I wrote based on that journal...the class can be found at Get It Scrapped).

After studying the painting at the museum, I sat down to create and found myself making backgrounds with watery paint, letting it pool and run and drip.

I added stenciling and writing and some collage elements over the flowy backgrounds, and the journal turned into a meaningful piece of art.

I would have never done that journal had I not been moved by "Lush Spring."

I am constantly looking to art at the museum for inspiration. And, when I travel, I *always* visit art museums. My "Masterful Art Journaling" online class (also available at Get It Scrapped) came about after I had visited the Picasso museum in Barcelona.

If you're ever feeling stuck, bored, and just mojo-less, I highly suggest getting into a museum and experiencing art. Let it affect you, and it will fill you up!

Dina Wakley

Thank you so much Dina.

If you'd like to read more from Dina and keep up-to-date with her latest projects then make sure to visit her 'Ponderings' blog. Plus, if you'd like to try one of her classes you can read more information on them here.

After that, join me in the next post where I'll be sharing some of the work I created when I took one of Dina's art journaling classes earlier this year.

The Copy and Paste Project

Copying & pasting: Dan Black style

I've Been Copying: Notes on Paper

Thank You!

I've been copying: Jack Wills, yet again!

Mapping out the days. *12 days* in fact.

Class values

Glad Tidings Again

I'd Like To Copy : A Song

3rd & Bird: 1960s style

3rd & Bird: with guest designer Claire Salisbury

3rd & Bird: with guest copier Hermione [aged 4]

I've Been Copying: Haiku Hero

I've Been Copying: Mumford & Sons

I've Been Pasting: Sherlock

I've Been Copying: myself and tape measures.

I'd Like to Copy: The Little House on the Prairie

I'd Like To Copy : Chelsea Parsons

Guest Copier: Carmen Wing

I'd Like to Copy: My Kid Could Paint That

Illustration mini-series (Pt.5) :: Oliver Jeffers

Illustration mini-series (Pt.4) :: Joyce Lankester Brisley

Illustration mini-series (Pt.3) :: Lauren Child

Illustration mini-series (Pt.2) :: M.Sasek

Illustration mini-series (Pt.1) :: Sara Fanelli

I'd Like To Copy : Children's illustrators

I've been copying: Berger & Wyse

I’d Like To Copy : What are you like?

Donald Urquhart

I've been copying: Efemera Ink

Papercraft Inspirations winner

Julie: My Q&A responses

More winners

Gauche Alchemy kits + Bag winners

Win. Free. Stuff. Reminder!

Tired and emotional

Guest: Alex Horne

Kirsty :: Swag

Guest: Corrina Rothwell

We've been copying: What is England?

Guest: Carl Mole

Guest: Cathy Cullis

Julie: My wall quote canvas

Guest: Jack Thorne

Guest: Miss Cay from Domestic Sluttery

Kirsty :: The Christmas Windmill

Guest: SJ's 'Little Musings'

Julie :: The Velocirollercape...it's a long story...

Kirsty: I've been copying Moloko

Kirsty: I've been copying Julie copying Desigual bags

Julie: I've been copying - Desigual bags

Julie: I've Been Copying - Dina Wakley

Guest: Dina Wakley

Mapping out the days. 12 days in fact.