I was recently invited by the most excellent folks at The Culture Vulture to take part in their lovely Travelling Moleskine project as part of The Big Draw 2009.

The concept for the project is relatively simple: dozens of pristine new Moleskine notebooks have been ‘unleashed into the world,’ each with its own theme. The recipients of the notebook respond creatively to the theme on one or two pages of the notebook, and then passes it on to someone else, who in turn will make their own contribution, and pass the notebook on. The result will be dozens of mini collaborative exhibitions-in-a-book: completed Moleskines will be returned to The Culture Vulture at the end of September, to be exhibited as part of a special project exhibition.

I was very pleased to start the ball rolling for a beautiful brand new Moleskine, with the theme of ‘My Party Trick’:

I love projects like this, and especially anything involving collaging, doodling or drawing. However, I make no claims to be an artist (I didn't even take a GCSE in art and, to be honest, still struggle to stay inside the lines when colouring in) so I'm not sure my effort really stands up next to some of the much more accomplished responses to the project, which you can view at the flickr pool here - I especially love this one by Katie of What Katie Does. However, I certainly had myself a lot of fun with the felt-tip pens and stickers!


You can find out more about the project and some of the contributors so far on The Culture Vulture website, which is also an excellent place to go for information about all manner of cultural goings on in Leeds, Bradford and beyond.

I'm back home now.

I had a lovely holiday. It rained every day, but that was very good practice for coming back home to Manchester. Later I will post some photographs which I took in spite of the fact that it was raining, and maybe even write something about what I did.

Today I am back and I have been to work, also in the rain. My kitchen ceiling is leaking.

In other news, I seemingly now have a surname! How novel.

Also, this blog has been mentioned here on the Manchizzle. I suppose this means I am now a proper, official, grown-up blogger. Greetings to anyone wandering here from the Manchizzle. Thanks so much for visiting, especially given the many other fine new blogs there are out there to tempt you (even a blog written by a cat !) and I hope you'll come again soon.

I am not here. I will be taking a screen break for about a week.

I am on my happy holidays in France.

I may well be eating a croissant at this very moment.

I will be back soon...

hello weekend.

I am going to make a resolution to try and post here more regularly than once a week but it's sometimes so hard to find the time. Here's a few sporadic events from another busy week: apologies for the stream-of-consciousness style rambling:

...I went to see the lovely new Ceri Hand gallery in Liverpool and the most uncanny current exhibition by artist Doug Jones.

...I also saw the New Ends, Old Beginnings exhibition at Open Eye Gallery and the Bluecoat - my highlights were the beautiful photographs by Lara Baladi.

... I went to the launch of the new exhibition at Cornerhouse - Masaki Fujihata's 'The Conquest of Imperfection'. It's great fun - definitely recommended if you get chance to check it out.

... I re-read my old Virago edition of Elizabeth Taylor's Angel in anticipation of the new film adaptation which I think comes out later this month. I haven't read it since I was a teenager and had forgotten what a spectacularly peculiar book it is. I have mixed feelings about it: it's a pretty depressing read but also oddly compelling. I'll be interested to see how they attempt to transfer the book - and the character of Angel herself in particular - onto the big screen.

... I also had quite a lot of my hair chopped off. It was a bit scary. I didn't think I'd be that bothered - after all, it's only hair, it grows back - but I actually felt strangely emotional about it. I'm starting to get used to it now, but I have felt very tired ever since - I am starting to suspect that my hair contained all my strength, Sampson-style. It also worked very well as a substantial blonde security blanket - very good for hiding behind. I've not exactly got a 'short back and sides' now, but even so, it is a bit of a shock to the system.

... And I marvelled at knitting wizardry from my friends Rachael Elwell and Sarah Hardacre. Check their lovely and very inspiring new artyarn blog out here. They have been commissioned by New Islington festival to knit guerilla art. They are making tree cozies! They have knitted a chandelier! I love it...