Amelia’s Magazine | Easter Biscuits from the Biscuiteers

Biscuiteers Easter egg biscuit tin
Biscuiteers Easter egg biscuit tin.

Think buttered icing is over-rated? Fed up with cupcakes? Sick of chocolate eggs? Then how about trying something a little different this Easter? Biscuiteers have a knack of producing wonderful decorated biscuits for every occasion.

Biscuiteers Easter Biscuits-crown
Easter Egg Biscuits by Holly Rogers
Easter Egg Biscuits by Holly Rogers.

And in the run up to Easter the nice folks at Biscuiteers have sent me a delightful selection of Faberge inspired Easter eggs to sample. The tin contains nine gorgeous decorated biscuits, sick thick with sugary icing, crystals and crunchy baubles – my favourite ones feature crown designs. The Easter Egg mini collection costs £30 but if you feel like splashing out there is also the Easter Family Tin for £38.50, containing bunnies, ducklings and lambs alongside the eggs – a sure fire hit for the kids.

Biscuiteers Easter Egg Biscuits mini collection

Or, for those on a smaller budget there is also an Easter Bunny Card, with two bunnies for £9. In true Easter style the biscuits are chocolate flavoured. My one quibble would be that it’s a shame the tin is decorated with very pretty Easter illustrations that have been printed onto stickers rather than integrated into the tin so that it can easily be washed and re-used: something for the future?

Biscuiteers Easter Biscuits-bunny tin

For the monarchists out there there is also the Royal Wedding Tin, which contains crowns, Union Jacks, sparkly heels fit for a princess, a cake, a wedding dress (possibly not THE ONE, whatever that might be) and the world famous engagement ring. These biscuits come on a vanilla flavoured base as a tin of 16 for £40. Perfect if you feel like celebrating… for whatever reason.

Royal Wedding Biscuits by Rosemary Cunningham
Royal Wedding Biscuits by Rosemary Cunningham.

NEWS JUST IN: use the discount code AMELIA when ordering to get 10% off the Biscuiteers Easter range up until midday on Thursday 21st April 2011.

Categories ,Biscuiteers, ,Biscuits, ,chocolate, ,Crown, ,Cupcake, ,Easter, ,Easter Bunny Card, ,Easter Egg mini collection, ,Easter Eggs, ,Easter Family Tin, ,Engagement Ring, ,Holly Rogers, ,Icing, ,Princess, ,Rosemary Cunningham, ,Royal Wedding, ,Royal Wedding Tin, ,Union Jack, ,Wedding Dress

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Amelia’s Magazine | Biscuiteers Book of Iced Biscuits: a perfect idea for Mothering Sunday

Biscuiteers Book of Iced Biscuits
Biscuiteers Book of Iced Biscuits. All photography by Amelia Gregory.

Okay, order so I know it’s Pancake Day, and International Women’s Day. But I want to talk about BISCUITS. And why not? Mothering Sunday is coming up this weekend and what better excuse to get baking. In fact, there are plenty of good reasons to make biscuits at any time of the year, as you will discover if you get your paws on the fabulous Biscuiteers Book of Iced Biscuits. I promise you’ll be drooling before you’ve even opened the delicious front cover.

Biscuiteers Book of Iced Biscuits

I discovered Biscuiteers a bit late for Valentines Day, but they kindly sent me a copy of their book, written by Harriet Hastings and Sarah Moore. Biscuiteers Book of Iced Biscuits is the most divinely designed and photographed bible of biscuit goodness. And what I like is that it is very clearly a collaborative effort, with thanks to Victoria Sawdon – who not only art directed the book but illustrates all the Biscuiteers tins – mentioned alongside thanks to all the biscuit icers: Rina Wanti, Ceridwen Olofson and Belinda Chen. I want their skills!

Biscuiteers Book of Iced Biscuits

Biscuiteers was started with the aim of making biscuits that look as beautiful as they taste. They are launched in seasonal collections to match specific events, and are aimed at adults in high end stores such as Harrods, Liberty and Fortnum & Mason. The Biscuiteers are proud to have built a business on old fashioned non-industrialised techniques and all the biscuits are still hand made and therefore individual. However, with the help of the Biscuiteers Book of Iced Biscuits the common biscuit baker can give it a go ourselves.

Biscuiteers Book of Iced BiscuitsBiscuiteers Book of Iced Biscuits

Biscuiteers Book of Iced Biscuits is an extraordinarily beautiful book that features all the information you need to know to create the perfect dough and that all important icing, both royal and flooded. As well as easy to follow guides the book offers recommendations for how to package and post your biscuity creations. As you would expect it includes chapters on biscuits for a huge variety of occasions, from the biggies such as Christmas, Halloween, Mother’s Day (this weekend) and Easter, down to individual ideas such as New Baby biscuits – pastel bears and ducks – and garden themed biscuits. There are even some jokey cupcake biscuits, which says something about the enduring popularity of the cupcake, though I’d be happy to wager a bet on the biscuit take over.

Biscuiteers Book of Iced BiscuitsBiscuiteers Book of Iced Biscuits

I made some dodgy Valentines Day biscuits using an online recipe, but with the help of this book I hope very soon to be somewhat more skilled, and I bet your mum would love nothing more than a batch of beautiful home made biscuits for Mothering Sunday – even if they don’t turn out quite as perfectly as the ones in Biscuiteers Book of Iced Biscuits. Hey, it’s good to have something to aspire to!

Valentines biscuits
My feeble efforts…

You can buy the book on the Biscuiteers website. The book won Best Desserts Book UK and this month it goes into the international final for the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards, held in Paris. Well done! And well deserved.

Categories ,Belinda Chen, ,Best Desserts Book UK, ,Biscuiteers, ,Biscuiteers Book of Iced Biscuits, ,Ceridwen Olofson, ,Christmas, ,Easter, ,Flooded Icing, ,Fortnum & Mason, ,Gourmand World Cookbook Awards, ,Hallowe’en, ,Harriet Hastings, ,Harrods, ,International Women’s Day, ,liberty, ,Mother’s Day, ,Mothering Sunday, ,New Baby, ,Pancake Day, ,Rina Wanti, ,Royal Icing, ,Sarah Moore, ,Valentine’s Day, ,Victoria Sawdon

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Amelia’s Magazine | Biscuiteers Book of Iced Biscuits: a perfect idea for Mothering Sunday

Biscuiteers Book of Iced Biscuits
Biscuiteers Book of Iced Biscuits. All photography by Amelia Gregory.

Okay, order so I know it’s Pancake Day, and International Women’s Day. But I want to talk about BISCUITS. And why not? Mothering Sunday is coming up this weekend and what better excuse to get baking. In fact, there are plenty of good reasons to make biscuits at any time of the year, as you will discover if you get your paws on the fabulous Biscuiteers Book of Iced Biscuits. I promise you’ll be drooling before you’ve even opened the delicious front cover.

Biscuiteers Book of Iced Biscuits

I discovered Biscuiteers a bit late for Valentines Day, but they kindly sent me a copy of their book, written by Harriet Hastings and Sarah Moore. Biscuiteers Book of Iced Biscuits is the most divinely designed and photographed bible of biscuit goodness. And what I like is that it is very clearly a collaborative effort, with thanks to Victoria Sawdon – who not only art directed the book but illustrates all the Biscuiteers tins – mentioned alongside thanks to all the biscuit icers: Rina Wanti, Ceridwen Olofson and Belinda Chen. I want their skills!

Biscuiteers Book of Iced Biscuits

Biscuiteers was started with the aim of making biscuits that look as beautiful as they taste. They are launched in seasonal collections to match specific events, and are aimed at adults in high end stores such as Harrods, Liberty and Fortnum & Mason. The Biscuiteers are proud to have built a business on old fashioned non-industrialised techniques and all the biscuits are still hand made and therefore individual. However, with the help of the Biscuiteers Book of Iced Biscuits the common biscuit baker can give it a go ourselves.

Biscuiteers Book of Iced BiscuitsBiscuiteers Book of Iced Biscuits

Biscuiteers Book of Iced Biscuits is an extraordinarily beautiful book that features all the information you need to know to create the perfect dough and that all important icing, both royal and flooded. As well as easy to follow guides the book offers recommendations for how to package and post your biscuity creations. As you would expect it includes chapters on biscuits for a huge variety of occasions, from the biggies such as Christmas, Halloween, Mother’s Day (this weekend) and Easter, down to individual ideas such as New Baby biscuits – pastel bears and ducks – and garden themed biscuits. There are even some jokey cupcake biscuits, which says something about the enduring popularity of the cupcake, though I’d be happy to wager a bet on the biscuit take over.

Biscuiteers Book of Iced BiscuitsBiscuiteers Book of Iced Biscuits

I made some dodgy Valentines Day biscuits using an online recipe, but with the help of this book I hope very soon to be somewhat more skilled, and I bet your mum would love nothing more than a batch of beautiful home made biscuits for Mothering Sunday – even if they don’t turn out quite as perfectly as the ones in Biscuiteers Book of Iced Biscuits. Hey, it’s good to have something to aspire to!

Valentines biscuits
My feeble efforts…

You can buy the book on the Biscuiteers website. The book won Best Desserts Book UK and this month it goes into the international final for the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards, held in Paris. Well done! And well deserved.

Categories ,Belinda Chen, ,Best Desserts Book UK, ,Biscuiteers, ,Biscuiteers Book of Iced Biscuits, ,Ceridwen Olofson, ,Christmas, ,Easter, ,Flooded Icing, ,Fortnum & Mason, ,Gourmand World Cookbook Awards, ,Hallowe’en, ,Harriet Hastings, ,Harrods, ,International Women’s Day, ,liberty, ,Mother’s Day, ,Mothering Sunday, ,New Baby, ,Pancake Day, ,Rina Wanti, ,Royal Icing, ,Sarah Moore, ,Valentine’s Day, ,Victoria Sawdon

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Amelia’s Magazine | The ACOFI Book Tour: visiting The Fruitmarket Gallery in Edinburgh

ACOFI Book Tour Fruitmarket Edinburgh 2011

On Tuesday I hit the second date of my ACOFI Book Tour, this time at the rather wonderful Fruitmarket Gallery in Edinburgh. I chat with super friendly bookshop guru Matthew via the wonders of twitter, so it was a delight to meet him in the flesh.

ACOFI Book Tour Fruitmarket Edinburgh 2011 Narcissus Garden Yayoi Kusama
Narcissus Garden by Yayoi Kusama.

After settling in for a nice piece of fruit tart and a glance at a selection of the newest titles in the incredibly well stocked bookshop I had a brief chance to wander around the current exhibition Narcissus Reflected, which features a painting by Salvador Dali on loan from the Tate and for the very first time shown as it was meant to be, with the poem that accompanies it. Upstairs a mass of light silver balls floods the airy space – Narcissus Garden is an update of a piece by Yayoi Kusama first shown back in the 1960s. A small darkened room strewn with comfy floor cushions has been cordoned off to showcase a beautifully soporific film by Pipilotti Rist.

ACOFI Book Tour Fruitmarket Edinburgh 2011 biscuitsACOFI Book Tour Fruitmarket Edinburgh 2011-iced gemsACOFI Book Tour Fruitmarket Edinburgh 2011 biscuits

The Fruitmarket Gallery cafe was sadly closed for our evening event so I went a bit crazy in the local supermarket: plates of colourful Jammy Dodgers, Iced Party Rings, Jaffa Cakes, Iced Gems and Pink Wafers were soon adorning the cafe tables. Yup! It was a veritable E number fest. If it’s not going to be beautifully homemade why not head off to the other end of the spectrum I say?! These biscuits remind me of many a childhood party…

ACOFI Book Tour Fruitmarket Edinburgh 2011 Dr.Hauschka
At the front I arranged a tray of yummy Dr.Hauschka goodies for guests to take away and try later.

ACOFI Book Tour Fruitmarket Edinburgh 2011 Juiceology
Matthew’s expert merchandising skills came to the forefront as he arranged a (fashionable) colour block display of Juiceology juices and appealing piles of ACOFI and AAOI atop a round table next to which I sat to give my talk.

ACOFI Book Tour Fruitmarket Edinburgh 2011
ACOFI Book Tour Fruitmarket Edinburgh 2011
ACOFI Book Tour Fruitmarket Edinburgh 2011
Abi Lewis of We Are Caravan.

I had been a bit nervous about travelling all the way to Edinburgh because it’s so far away from my normal stomping ground and I don’t really know many people up there… but I needn’t have worried because the cafe packed out very quickly with about 50 people, who gathered in friendly groups, chatting and taking the opportunity to sample the colourful Juiceology offerings before I settled down to do my talk, a very good write up of which you can read on the We Are Caravan blog.

ACOFI Book Tour Fruitmarket Edinburgh 2011
ACOFI Book Tour Fruitmarket Edinburgh 2011
ACOFI Book Tour Fruitmarket Edinburgh 2011
ACOFI Book Tour Fruitmarket Edinburgh 2011
v
Lesley Barnes and her friend Libby.

Luckily my only Scottish-based ACOFI illustrator Lesley Barnes was also in able to make it along to The Fruitmarket Gallery – she brought along some wonderful work to share with us, and talked a little bit about the process of working with me so it was really wonderful to have her there, especially now we’ve been working together for nearly two years since she answered the brief for my first book. I only realised this week that this was in fact pretty much the start of her involvement with briefed illustration, although she was doing lots of her own work beforehand.

ACOFI Book Tour Fruitmarket Edinburgh 2011-Lesley Barnes

I do like to remind people that hers is an exceptional talent – Lesley Barnes has never been formally trained, instead choosing to do a degree in English Literature, and yet she has managed to develop an utterly unique and identifiable style that is finally garnering some acclaim: she featured in a recent issue of the Sunday Times Style magazine and her work is stocked in the Soma Gallery, to which I will be trundling along on Thursday 26th May.

ACOFI Book Tour Fruitmarket Edinburgh 2011

After the talk there was more time to speak to everyone and I managed to take snaps of just a few of the delightful creative people that I met: some of whom I persuaded to pose against the excellent neon sculpture in The Fruitmarket Gallery cafe area.

ACOFI Book Tour Fruitmarket Edinburgh 2011-We Are Caravan
Ian, Julz and Abi run We Are Caravan, with whom I’ve been chatting on twitter in the run up to my Edinburgh visit. You can also find Abi Lewis, who was dressed in the most wonderful patterned vintage dress, at Hateful Snippets. We Are Caravan run a mobile gallery that travels around in yes, you guessed it, a caravan.

ACOFI Book Tour Fruitmarket Edinburgh 2011-Kirsty Jay Anderson and Emily Hall
Kirsty Jay Anderson and Emily Hall had come along to get inspired. Kirsty studied textiles and now runs A Wooden Tree which sells gorgeous upcycled vintage textiles and ephemera, whilst Emily has recently decided that she is going to turn her hand to illustration after doing many other things for years, including stone carving in castles, which sounds fantastic! I look forward to seeing what she produces.

ACOFI Book Tour Fruitmarket Edinburgh 2011-Mabel Forsyth and Siobhan Murchie
Mabel Forsyth, aka Pink Pig came along with her work colleague Siobhan Murchie of Shiv Illustration – who just happens to be the cousin of Amelia’s Magazine contributor Sam Parr. What a small and wondrous world.

ACOFI Book Tour Fruitmarket Edinburgh 2011 Roger la Borde
The Fruitmarket Gallery stocks my new range of Roger la Borde cards alongside my books (above), and so it was great to meet Lucy, who distributes my card designs all over Scotland. What a lovely lady she is! Here with her friend Sara.

ACOFI Book Tour Fruitmarket Edinburgh 2011-Lucy and Sara

A very enjoyable part of the evening was giving a few portfolio crits. Yay! I hope I get to do more of these at the next few places I am visiting.

ACOFI Book Tour Fruitmarket Edinburgh 2011-Casey Otremba
Casey Otremba.

First up I met American lass Casey Otremba, who was formerly a packaging designer in New York before becoming inspired to come to Edinburgh to study illustration a few years ago. The reason? Someone showed her a copy of issue 4 of Amelia’s Magazine. Double yay!

ACOFI Book Tour Fruitmarket Edinburgh 2011-Casey Otremba
Her fashion illustration portfolio features some really wonderful fine line pencil work with some stylish injections of pure vibrant colour. I particularly loved the meticulous fluidity of the poses she draws and I hope she’s going to start contributing to Amelia’s Magazine soon so you’ll get to see more of her work…

ACOFI Book Tour Fruitmarket Edinburgh 2011 Culloden Robertson and Elizabeth Hudson
Culloden Robertson and Elizabeth Hudson.

ACOFI Book Tour Fruitmarket Edinburgh 2011-doodle by Lizzie Hudson
A doodle by Lizzie Hudson.

Elizabeth Hudson had travelled all the way from Glasgow, where she studies fine art, along with her friend Culloden Robertson of Iko Art. It was wonderful to see how a trained fine artist adapts to illustration briefs and I was particularly enamoured of the sweeping fantasies of her impulsive narrative work which make imaginative use of colour, line and text.

ACOFI Book Tour Fruitmarket Edinburgh 2011 Culloden Robertson and Elizabeth Hudson, Amelia
Myself with Culloden Robertson and Elizabeth Hudson. I’m not sure why I thought it was a good idea to stick my finger in my ear. It was late.

As a special thankyou to everyone who turned up for this event we are extending the special offer that was available on the night at The Fruitmarket Gallery. Just quote Amelia’s Blog offer when you go in, and you’ll be able to purchase both Amelia’s Compendium of Fashion Illustration and Amelia’s Anthology of Illustration for £40 together, or for £22 apiece. The offer is valid for one more week, so if you didn’t decide to purchase on the night you can still take advantage of some very reasonable prices indeed. Thankyou Fruitmarket Gallery!

Next week I will be embarking on a triple whammy: Brighton on Tuesday 24th May at Castor & Pollux, where we’ll be fed by cupcakes from the Angel Food Bakery, then on to Comma Shop on Wednesday 25th May, where there will be the chance to sample a specially blended new flavour of ice cream from G & D’s Cafe: raspberry with white and dark chocolate chips. Nom nom nom. Plus rosette button making lessons from Anna Butler at Custom Made UK. Really, what’s not to like?!

Then on Thursday 26th May I’ll be turning up at the Soma Gallery in Bristol: where Hart’s Bakery will be providing home made iced biscuits, custard creams and gingerbread hearts, whilst local girl and Lahloo Tea founder Kate Gover will be on hand to answer all your tea-related questions.

Finally, I will be back at Tatty Devine on Tuesday 7th June the week after, where I will round up the ACOFI Book Tour with a little help from Biscuiteers. Looking forward to seeing as many of you as possible en route! Don’t forget to join the facebook events by clicking on the various shop links above.

Categories ,A Wooden Tree, ,AAOI, ,Abi Lewis, ,ACOFI, ,Amelia’s Anthology of Illustration, ,Amelia’s Compendium of Fashion Illustration, ,Angel Food Bakery, ,Anna Butler, ,Biscuiteers, ,Biscuits, ,brighton, ,bristol, ,Casey Otremba, ,Castor and Pollux, ,Comma Shop, ,Culloden Robertson, ,cupcakes, ,Custom Made UK, ,Dr.Hauschka, ,edinburgh, ,Elizabeth Hudson, ,Emily Hall, ,G & D’s Cafe, ,Hart’s Bakery, ,Hateful Snippets, ,Ice Cream, ,Iced Gems, ,Iced Party Rings, ,Iko Art, ,Jaffa Cakes, ,Jammy Dodgers, ,Juiceology, ,Kate Gover, ,Kirsty Jay Anderson, ,Lahloo Tea, ,Lesley Barnes, ,Mabel Forsyth, ,Narcissus Garden, ,Narcissus Reflected, ,Oxford, ,Pink Pig Illustration, ,Pink Wafers, ,Pipilotti Rist, ,Roger La Borde, ,Salvador Dali, ,Sam Parr, ,scotland, ,Shiv Illustration, ,Siobhan Murchie, ,Soma Gallery, ,Sunday Times Style, ,Tatty Devine, ,The Fruitmarket Gallery, ,Yayoi Kusama

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Amelia’s Magazine | The ACOFI Book Tour visits Soma Gallery in Bristol

ACOFI book tour Soma Gallery 2011

Soma Gallery has been a faithful stockist of Amelia’s Magazine since the early days of its print version, generic so I’ve had a long and lovely relationship with gallery owner Fiona Hamilton:

ACOFI book tour Soma Gallery 2011 Fiona Hamilton

Fiona started up Soma Gallery in 2005 as a place to show up and coming artists, and thanks to her good eye she picked up on the likes of Rob Ryan, Anthony Burrill and Gemma Correll early on in their careers.

ACOFI book tour Soma Gallery 2011

Soma Gallery used to be housed in a tiny space inside the Clifton Arcade but last year Fiona moved into a bigger shop across the road and it was in the upstairs gallery that we held the ACOFI Book Tour gathering just over a week ago.

ACOFI book tour Soma Gallery 2011 LahlooACOFI book tour Soma Gallery 2011 Lahloo Tea

When I arrived (last minute, slightly flustered, again. must learn to manage time better) Kate Gover from Lahloo Tea already had the kettle on. She was joined by Vicky and Stu, who were both excellent people to have helping out. Kate came to the tea trade via restaurant retail, but it was a slightly strange career path to choose because she hates normal builders’ tea.

ACOFI book tour Soma Gallery 2011 Kate and Fiona
Kate Gover shows Fiona some of the tea.

Due to her inquisitive nature she decided to find a tea that she did enjoy drinking and spent many years developing her palette by training with some of the best tea masters – through them she met with the small scale producers who now supply her with the very best quality teas from their estates. Lahloo Teas can be bought in Chandos Deli and Arch House Deli in Bristol, as well as in fine food stores across the UK. I particularly love Kate’s dedication to the way her teas are presented – she has developed some lovely flyers to promote the tea, her logo features a great fat red heart, and larger quantities come presented in a wooden box. Each tin is decorated with an old shipping map that was inspired by the travels of a famous clipper that her great grandfather sailed on, after which the tea brand is named. Clearly she is a lady for whom attention to detail is important and it certainly pays off with her fragrant teas. Choose from such delights as Amber Oolong Tea, grown on a misty mountain in Taiwan or Guricha Green Loose Tea from China.

ACOFI book tour Soma Gallery 2011 Hart's BakeryACOFI book tour Soma Gallery 2011 Hart's Bakery iced ginger heartsACOFI book tour Soma Gallery 2011 Hart's Bakery iced bicycle biscuits

Lahloo Tea is the perfect accompaniment to a very good hand made biscuit… and on the table were three expertly packed boxes of the most stupendously gorgeous biscuits from Hart’s Bakery: as promised Laura had hand made heart shaped custard creams, iced gingerbread hearts and the cutest hand iced shortbread bicycles. Honestly, I am flabbergasted at pâtissière Laura’s skills – she’s trained with the best of them and it shows. Good folks of Bristol, if you want to try something really special then you should visit her in her shop in Hampton Lane for some artisan delights, where you can also try rhubarb and almond danish, eccles cakes alongside savoury delicacies such as olive and rosemary bread and filled croissants. It really doesn’t get better than this. I am jealous of you Bristol folks.

ACOFI book tour Soma Gallery 2011 Juiceology
ACOFI book tour Soma Gallery 2011 Juiceology
Of course we once more had a little help from Juiceology drinks and Dr.Hauschka goodies, much appreciated by everyone who attended, thankyou!

ACOFI book tour Soma Gallery 2011 Bex Glover
At my Bristol leg of the tour I was lucky enough to be joined by two of the illustrators who are featured in ACOFI – Bex Glover of Severn Studios, whose work just keeps getting better and better. She’s just done a mural for a cafe in Harrods and she is currently featured in several other magazines including The Mighty Pencil – combining two of her favourite things: fashion illustration and animals.

ACOFI book tour Soma Gallery 2011 Bex GloverACOFI book tour Soma Gallery 2011 Bex GloverACOFI book tour Soma Gallery 2011 Bex Glover
She has also been doing tutorials for the likes of Digital Artist Magazine, so you can catch up with some of her techniques there. I’m sure you’ll be seeing much more of Bex’ unique style.

ACOFI book tour Soma Gallery 2011 Bex Glover Hart's Bakery
Bex Glover with a Hart’s Bakery bicycle biscuit.

ACOFI book tour Soma Gallery 2011 Katie Harnett Lahloo Tea
Katie checks out the Lahloo tea – she’s a big tea fan! Hence her moniker Teabelle!

Katie Harnett is just coming to the end of her degree at UWE, so she’s been very busy putting that together – I look forward to seeing the show in July when it comes to London!

Jasper Conran A/W 2011 by Katie Harnett
Jasper Conran A/W 2011 by Katie Harnett. She has also been experimenting with some new techniques and animal drawings.

ACOFI book tour Soma Gallery 2011 Katie Harnett
She came along with an old school friend and fellow UWE student Lilly Allen, but sadly no one else from UWE came along. I put it down to the frantic time of year…

ACOFI book tour Soma Gallery 2011 Kat and Rog of Howkowpow
It was a pleasure to meet Kat and Rog of Howkapow, who stock a delicious range of goodies on their website. Kat is a girl after my own heart – a lover of bright colours and patterns with an 80s flavour. All good things I say! She was wearing an eye-catching Gonzalo Cutrina Extinct necklace from her website. It’s a mere £55 – what a bargain:

ACOFI book tour Soma Gallery 2011 Gonzalo Cutrina Extinct necklace Howkapow
The Howkapow website invests in new and unknown designers and they plan to open an agency to fully support them alongside. Why not find out more about what they are up to on the Howkapow blog?

ACOFI book tour Soma Gallery 2011 Ben Newman
It was lovely to finally meet illustrator Ben Newman, who illustrated for two issues of Amelia’s Magazine back at the start of what has become a very successful career. What a lovely smiley chap he is!

ACOFI book tour Soma Gallery 2011 Lauren Neko, Bonina Silvestre and Charlotte Pain
Lauren Neko, Bonina Silvestre and Charlotte Pain.

It was also nice to meet the fabulously named Bonina Silvestre and her friend Charlotte Pain, both studying art. Lauren Neko sings and reads dreams. Impressed!

ACOFI book tour Soma Gallery 2011 Lesley Barnes badgesACOFI book tour Soma Gallery 2011 Lesley Barnes dancing bear tote
There are countless good reasons to visit Soma Gallery, either at Fiona’s space in Bristol, or online from anywhere in the world: Soma Gallery stocks Lesley Barnes prints, and also Lesley Barnes dancing bear badges… and tote bags.

ACOFI book tour Soma Gallery 2011 Fiona Hamilton badgesACOFI book tour Soma Gallery 2011 Fiona Hamilton badges
Fiona has an old specialist printer with which she makes these adorable badges: I couldn’t resist buying a metallic pair of brightly coloured rodents. Also stocked at Comma Shop.

ACOFI book tour Soma Gallery 2011 Tom Frost
Soma stocks a wide range of one off and limited edition art, including this lovely screenprinted wooden piece from Tom Frost.

ACOFI book tour Soma Gallery 2011 Donna Wilson creaturesACOFI book tour Soma Gallery 2011 Donna Wilson creatures and Lisa Jones cushion
Donna Wilson animals are in abundant supply, as are Lisa Jones prints, cushions (above) mugs and cards:

ACOFI book tour Soma Gallery 2011 Roger La Borde cards
And of course Soma also does a roaring trade with my new Roger La Borde range. Yay! Make sure you visit Soma Gallery soon.

ACOFI book tour Soma Gallery 2011 Ben Newman
Ben Newman reads my Anthology of Illustration.

ACOFI book tour Soma Gallery 2011 Lauren Neko
Lauren Neko.

ACOFI book tour Soma Gallery 2011 Lilly Allen
Lilly Allen.

ACOFI book tour Soma Gallery 2011 Rog, Fiona, Kat
Rog, Fiona and Kat.

ACOFI book tour Soma Gallery 2011 Stephanie Weise
Stephanie Weise.

ACOFI book tour Soma Gallery 2011
I sat on the floor to give my talk, it was all very informal!
You can read Fiona Hamilton’s marvellous account of the night here.

Don’t forget that I have one more date on my ACOFI Book Tour – if you live in London please do join me at Tatty Devine, Brick Lane, on Tuesday 7th May. I’ll be talking from 7.30pm and there will also be the opportunity to learn how to make iced biscuits with Biscuiteers! Read about my first tour date a few weeks back at Tatty Devine, Covent Garden. Lovely stuff. Join the facebook for the event here.

Categories ,ACOFI, ,Amber Oolong Tea, ,Anthony Burrill, ,Arch House Deli, ,Ben Newman, ,Bex Glover, ,Biscuiteers, ,Bonina Silvestre, ,Book Tour, ,Chandos Deli, ,Charlotte Pain, ,Clifton Arcade, ,Clipper, ,Comma Shop, ,Digital Artist Magazine, ,Dr.Hauschka, ,Dreaming with Neko, ,Extinct necklace, ,Fiona Hamilton, ,Gemma Correll, ,Gonzalo Cutrina, ,Guri-Cha Green Loose Tea, ,Guricha Green Loose Tea, ,Hart’s Bakery, ,Howkapow, ,Jasper Conran, ,Juiceology, ,Kat and Rog, ,Kate Gover, ,Katie Harnett, ,Lahloo Tea, ,Laura Hart, ,Lauren Neko, ,Lesley Barnes, ,Lilly Allen, ,Lisa Jones, ,pâtissière, ,rob ryan, ,Roger La Borde, ,Severn Studios, ,Soma Gallery, ,Tatty Devine, ,teabelle, ,The Mighty Pencil, ,Tom Frost, ,UWE

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Amelia’s Magazine | Valentines Day: Last Minute Ideas

Lucy-Eldridge-Valentines-Biscuiteers
Valentines Biscuits by Biscuiteers. Illustration by Lucy Eldridge.

They’re adorable to look at, ailment sweet to eat and best of all they’re NOT CUPCAKES – yes, there I have finally discovered Biscuiteers. Boldly going forth where no decorative iced biscuits have gone before. Why send flowers when you can send biscuits, sale I say? This discovery is unfortunately a tad too late for Valentines this year, but nonetheless I had to share this find…

Biscuiteers Biscuits by Madi Illustrates
Biscuiteers Biscuits by Madi Illustrates.

As a child I spent many an hour icing biscuits in the run up to xmas – they were cack-handed affairs that would never be saleable, but at least they were brightly coloured, covered in tooth cracking silver balls, looked great arranged in the centre of the table and most importantly were oh-so-fun to make. Every year I have best intentions to make iced biscuits for gifts, maybe in a slightly more professional manner. As yet this great plan has not materialised, but now I’ve discovered that the Buiscuiteers have published the aptly named Biscuiteers Book of Iced Biscuits… I So. Want. To. Have a go.

Biscuiteers Biscuits by Madi Illustrates
Biscuits by Madi Illustrates.

Inspired by the Biscuiteers I’ve been looking online for a simple iced biscuit recipe, something which, oddly, is unbelievably hard to find. No wonder the Biscuiteers have managed to corner the market. The best I could come up with is this recipe on the good old BBC, which I plan to adapt.

Phoebe Coleman (Love me tender collection) by Bianca Hamilton
Phoebe Coleman Love Me Tender collection by Bianca Hamilton.

Another late find was these gold heart spattered pieces from the Love Me Tender Phoebe Coleman Collection (I discovered this new jewellery designer at LFW last season) – I particularly like the Flying Love earrings and the matching Flying Love necklace. Delicate, yet big enough to make a statement.

Valentines-something for the weekend

And if you’re in the Shoreditch area why not pop into the RCA jewellery graduate show Something for the Weekend, which runs until this evening. All the jewellery fits inside a condom box which is cunningly displayed in a condom dispenser, and most of the pieces are very reasonably priced at under £150.

It’s unfortunate I didn’t hear about this exhibition earlier, but I had a good chat with the two girls curating on Sunday and they explained that Something for the Weekend is just the opening exhibition of what will be a regular initiative to promote new jewellery graduates as they begin to negotiate the tricky ways of the commercial world.

Valentines-Heavy Heart by Kelly McCallum
Heavy Heart by Kelly McCallum.

Heavy Heart by Kelly McCallum is wonderful – a satisfyingly heavy gold plated silver heart of the beating kind. And nothing remotely cutesy about it.

Valentines-Jonathan Boyd

Jonathan Boyd‘s clever ring is a stand out piece. It features the words I prefer to keep my emotions hidden nestled in the middle of the ring, only to be seen when it is snapped open – the perfect statement from your typically emotionally stunted English man… but also a serious purchase at £800.

Valentines-Lucie Gledhill

Some of the jewellery is more conceptual than wearable, including the Love Trap silver pin by Lucie Gledhill. But much fun indeed – this could easily be displayed as a piece of miniature art on your wall. I look forward to seeing more of these jeweller’s work in the coming year.

Happy Valentines all… look out on twitter for my iced biscuit progress today….

Categories ,Bianca Hamilton, ,Biscuiteers, ,Biscuiteers Book of Iced Biscuits, ,Biscuits, ,cupcakes, ,Flying Love Necklace, ,Flying Necklace Earrings, ,Goldsmithing, ,Iced Biscuits, ,jewellery, ,Jonathan Boyd, ,Kelly McCallum, ,lfw, ,Love, ,Love Me Tender Collection, ,Lucie Gledhill, ,Lucy Eldridge, ,Madi Illustrates, ,Metalwork & Jewellery Department, ,Phoebe Coleman, ,rca, ,Silversmithing, ,Something for the Weekend, ,Valentine’s Day

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Amelia’s Magazine | The ACOFI Book Tour closes at Tatty Devine in Brick Lane

ACOFI Tour Tatty Devine Brick Lane Biscuiteers

Okay, hospital I admit it, more about it’s taken me over three weeks to get around to writing about my final date on the ACOFI Book Tour… but it was all part of my cunning plan to let you all forget about it and then bring it up all over again! Plus, let’s be honest, I had some pretty darn great coverage around the time of the event. For example this beautiful blog by Alia Gargum, who describes how the process for working for me as a contributor to Amelia’s Magazine has helped her to develop as an illustrator. It’s really nice to get this kind of feedback as I work devilishly hard to promote up and coming creatives and it doesn’t exactly earn me much of a living.

Tatty Devine Brick Lane ACOFI 2011
Tatty Devine Brick Lane ACOFI 2011
All photography by Amelia Gregory.

A few ACOFI contributors also came along for the night – read lovely blogs by Emma Block (who has just graduated from Middlesex University with a first) and Gareth A Hopkins. Emily of Tatty Devine also did a round up, as did Mistry of Habs, Ickleson and Katie of The Young Creatives. Spoilt really! And they wrote theirs a lot faster than me… In the intervening weeks time just seems to have flown past and as the graduate shows have piled up I’ve let it slip and slip…

ACOFI Tour Tatty Devine Brick Lane 2011-Emma Block
Emma Block.

Tatty Devine Brick Lane ACOFI 2011-Alia Gargum
Alia Gargum.

ACOFI Tour Tatty Devine Brick Lane 2011-Gareth A Hopkins
Gareth A Hopkins – pretending that the camera is not really there. I’m not fooled.

ACOFI Tour Tatty Devine Brick Lane 2011-Emily
Emily Prichard of Tatty Devine helping out on the door.

Plus I just knew that this blog would become a bit of biscuit porn fest (in a good way). You have been warned.

Tatty Devine Brick Lane ACOFI 2011-Biscuiteers cassieTatty Devine Brick Lane ACOFI 2011-Biscuiteers cassieTatty Devine Brick Lane ACOFI 2011-Biscuiteers

The last date on my ACOFI Book Tour was held on Tuesday 7th June at the Brick Lane branch of Tatty Devine and it was a homecoming of sorts… mere minutes from my house. I had expected it to be a busy night but I was really quite overwhelmed by the amount of people who turned up: creatives of every age, stage of career and creative discipline, not just illustrators – although it was wonderful to meet so many contributors to Amelia’s Magazine who I speak to regularly by email.

Tatty Devine Brick Lane ACOFI 2011-Biscuiteers
Colourful icing ready to pipe onto biscuits.

Tatty Devine Brick Lane ACOFI 2011-Biscuiteers cassie
Cassie Merrick of the Biscuiteers with her assistant Lou Newton.

Cassie and Lou had laid out a wonderful Biscuiteers display on the counter by the time of my (as usual) frantic arrival: a delightful carpet of pretty biscuits – tiny iced gem tasters in a rainbow of colours and plenty of half iced biscuits on which guests were invited to pipe their own designs. It took awhile for people to warm to the idea, but once we got going there was no stopping us. Even my boyfriend had a go! (and he wasn’t the only boy who stepped up to the mark)

Tatty Devine Brick Lane ACOFI 2011-Biscuiteers Tatty Devine Brick Lane ACOFI 2011-Biscuiteers

Biscuiteers biscuits come in yummy vanilla and chocolate flavours but it is the handmade decoration that makes them so special. They have a rotating team of trained icers, and Emma Block (having met them at my event) will be joining them as a freelancer this summer. What a great part time job – where can I sign up?! In the meantime Biscuiteers will be helping out with the Letter Lounge event at Tatty Devine Covent Garden on Wednesday 6th July, a result of meeting up on the ACOFI Book Tour.

Tatty Devine Brick Lane ACOFI 2011-Biscuiteers Tatty Devine Brick Lane ACOFI 2011-Biscuiteers

Tatty Devine Brick Lane ACOFI 2011-Sonja
Sonja from Tatty Devine welcomes a visitor to the shop.

It was also lovely to meet Richard Watson, who is the maestro behind Juiceology, the new juice brand that has been supporting all ACOFI Book Tour dates. He’d brought along some updated flavours for us to try in slightly bigger bottles of the type preferred by bars. I really couldn’t have hoped for a better sponsor, and it’s nice to know that the ACOFI Book Tour has enabled yet more introductions – Juiceology recently sponsored the Andy Smith solo show at Soma Gallery, which I visited a month ago.

Tatty Devine Brick Lane ACOFI 2011-Richard Watson Juiceology
Richard Watson of Juiceology.

I’ve started to see Juiceology for sale in boutique sandwich shops, so make sure you check them out next time you see them on the shelf – I can’t recommend them highly enough. Richard has some other flavours in the pipeline and I’m looking forward to trying his next flavour soon.

ACOFI Tour Tatty Devine Brick Lane 2011-Lahloo TeaACOFI Tour Tatty Devine Brick Lane 2011-Lahloo Tea
Lahloo Tea once again provided some delicious peppermint and earl grey tea for the event, which was served to guests in dainty china cups.

Tatty Devine Brick Lane ACOFI 2011-Heather Stanton
And of course no event would be complete without some samples of Dr. Hauschka products. This time Heather Stanton of Dr.Hauschka was actually able to make it along and join in the fun with her hubby Will. It was lovely to catch up with her.

Tatty Devine Brick Lane ACOFI 2011-Biscuiteers
Tatty Devine Brick Lane ACOFI 2011
ACOFI Tour Tatty Devine Brick Lane 2011
Tatty Devine Brick Lane ACOFI 2011
Tatty Devine Brick Lane ACOFI 2011
ACOFI Tour Tatty Devine Brick Lane 2011

Once everyone had had ample time to meet, mingle, share work and decorate a Biscuiteers biscuit I invited everyone to gather around and stood with my computer held aloft on my shoulder to give the talk. Having done the spiel five times already I raced through it even faster than I have done in the past – mostly because I was aware that everyone was squished into the shop, all standing, and I felt pretty bad about that. I think everyone enjoyed it though.

Tatty Devine Brick Lane ACOFI 2011-Amelia Gregory

Amongst the many Amelia’s Magazine contributors who came along to the event were these lovely illustrators:

ACOFI Tour Tatty Devine Brick Lane 2011-Kristina Vasiljeva
Kristina Vasiljeva has just finished her FdA illustration course at Camberwell. She has been contributing some wonderful fashion illustrations to the magazine.

Tatty Devine Brick Lane ACOFI 2011-Biscuiteers
Hannah Simpson was recently awarded a prize at the V&A illustration awards. Here she is icing biscuits with Kristina.

Tatty Devine Brick Lane ACOFI 2011-Helena Maratheftis
Illustrator Helena Maratheftis also posted some photos of the event.

Tatty Devine Brick Lane ACOFI 2011-Naomi Law and Matt Bramford
Naomi Law is of course featured in ACOFI, here with her old chum, my ex fashion editor Matt Bramford.

ACOFI Tour Tatty Devine Brick Lane 2011-Soni Speight, aka IcklesonACOFI Tour Tatty Devine Brick Lane 2011-Soni Speight, aka Ickleson
Soni Speight, aka Ickleson showed us her wonderful business cards.

Tatty Devine Brick Lane ACOFI 2011-Lou Cloud
Lou Cloud and her boyfriend.

Tatty Devine Brick Lane ACOFI 2011-Katie Byrne Emma Block
Other guests included Katie Byrne of The Young Creatives with her friend Emma Block, who showed us through some loose collage bits in her portfolio.

ACOFI Tour Tatty Devine Brick Lane 2011-Emma BlockACOFI Tour Tatty Devine Brick Lane 2011-Emma Block
Emma Block’s delicate collage work.

Tatty Devine Brick Lane ACOFI 2011-Alia Gargum
Alia Gargum and a friend enjoy a nice cup of Lahloo tea.

ACOFI Tour Tatty Devine Brick Lane 2011-plastic seconds
Tatty Devine Brick Lane ACOFI 2011-Maria Gareth and Alia
Maria Papadimitriou of Slowly the Eggs came along again (she also came to the first Tatty Devine event) this time sporting yet another amazing Plastic Seconds necklace (here with Gareth and Alia). Maria even went to the trouble of doing another write up on her blog. What a star!

Tatty Devine Brick Lane ACOFI 2011-Gareth a Hopkins
Tatty Devine Brick Lane ACOFI 2011-The Intercorstal: Valentine
New work by Gareth A Hopkins – The Intercorstal: Valentine.

Tatty Devine Brick Lane ACOFI 2011-Karen
I first met Karen from Stepney City Farm on my twitter feed. Since meeting Gareth and Alia at my event they have helped to create artwork for the Paul Foot Farm Favourite Jigsaw Puzzle East End Weekend which is taking place at the farm on the 9th-10th July to raise much needed funds. You can see their wonderful artwork on Paul Foot’s website.

Tatty Devine Brick Lane ACOFI 2011-Agnes Bataclan Melinda Barbi
Tatty Devine Brick Lane ACOFI 2011- Melinda Barbi Sara Lofwander
Other attendees included Melinda Barbi, an LCF Fashion Photography student who came along with Sara Lofwander and Agnes Bataclan in advance of my lecturing visit to the London College of Fashion. Inspired by the ACOFI event they made me cookies and cake for my visit, which was MUCH appreciated.

Tatty Devine Brick Lane ACOFI 2011-Siobhan of Flamingo Magazine
It was nice to see Siobhan Leddy of Flamingo Magazine – with whom I did an interview awhile back.

Tatty Devine Brick Lane ACOFI 2011-Susannah Cartwright
Susannah Cartwright is a textile designer who is taking part in The Stinging Netil Art Mart on Sunday 10th July in the Netil House car park. Why not check it out?

Tatty Devine Brick Lane ACOFI 2011-Harriet Vine
Tatty Devine’s Harriet Vine.

ACOFI Tour Tatty Devine Brick Lane 2011-Cari Steel Emma Crosby
My former music editor Cari Steel popped in briefly and I made her pose with sales agent Emma Crosby like they’ve known each other forever. Convincing no?

Tatty Devine Brick Lane ACOFI 2011

Don’t forget that you can buy Amelia’s Compendium of Fashion Illustration on my website or from all good retailers (including Amazon) – please do buy the book and support the wealth of talent within. And that, my friends, is the ACOFI Book Tour done and dusted…

Categories ,ACOFI, ,ACOFI Book Tour, ,Agnes Bataclan, ,Alia Gargum, ,Amelia’s Compendium of Fashion Illustration, ,Andy Smith, ,Biscuiteers, ,Book Tour, ,Cari Steel, ,Cassie Merrick, ,Dr.Hauschka, ,Emma Block, ,Emma Crosby, ,Fashion Illustration, ,Flamingo Magazine, ,Gareth A Hopkins, ,Hannah Simpson, ,Harriet Vine, ,Heather Stanton, ,Helena Maratheftis, ,Ickleson, ,Juiceology, ,Katie Byrne, ,Kristina Vasiljeva, ,Lahloo Tea, ,Letter Lounge, ,London College of Fashion, ,Lou Cloud, ,Lou Newton, ,Maria Papadimitriou, ,Matt Bramford, ,Melinda Barbi, ,Naomi Law, ,Netil House, ,Paul Foot, ,Plastic Seconds, ,Richard Watson, ,Sara Lofwander, ,Siobhan Leddy, ,Slowly the Eggs, ,Soma Gallery, ,Soni Speight, ,Stepney City Farm, ,Susannah Cartwright, ,Tatty Devine, ,The Stinging Netil Art Mart, ,The Young Creatives

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Amelia’s Magazine | The ACOFI Book Tour closes at Tatty Devine in Brick Lane

ACOFI Tour Tatty Devine Brick Lane Biscuiteers

Okay, I admit it, it’s taken me over three weeks to get around to writing about my final date on the ACOFI Book Tour… but it was all part of my cunning plan to let you all forget about it and then bring it up all over again! Plus, let’s be honest, I had some pretty darn great coverage around the time of the event. For example this beautiful blog by Alia Gargum, who describes how the process for working for me as a contributor to Amelia’s Magazine has helped her to develop as an illustrator. It’s really nice to get this kind of feedback as I work devilishly hard to promote up and coming creatives and it doesn’t exactly earn me much of a living.

Tatty Devine Brick Lane ACOFI 2011
Tatty Devine Brick Lane ACOFI 2011
All photography by Amelia Gregory.

A few ACOFI contributors also came along for the night – read lovely blogs by Emma Block (who has just graduated from Middlesex University with a first) and Gareth A Hopkins. Emily of Tatty Devine also did a round up, as did Mistry of Habs, Ickleson and Katie of The Young Creatives. Spoilt really! And they wrote theirs a lot faster than me… In the intervening weeks time just seems to have flown past and as the graduate shows have piled up I’ve let it slip and slip…

ACOFI Tour Tatty Devine Brick Lane 2011-Emma Block
Emma Block.

Tatty Devine Brick Lane ACOFI 2011-Alia Gargum
Alia Gargum.

ACOFI Tour Tatty Devine Brick Lane 2011-Gareth A Hopkins
Gareth A Hopkins – pretending that the camera is not really there. I’m not fooled.

ACOFI Tour Tatty Devine Brick Lane 2011-Emily
Emily Prichard of Tatty Devine helping out on the door.

Plus I just knew that this blog would become a bit of biscuit porn fest (in a good way). You have been warned.

Tatty Devine Brick Lane ACOFI 2011-Biscuiteers cassieTatty Devine Brick Lane ACOFI 2011-Biscuiteers cassieTatty Devine Brick Lane ACOFI 2011-Biscuiteers

The last date on my ACOFI Book Tour was held on Tuesday 7th June at the Brick Lane branch of Tatty Devine and it was a homecoming of sorts… mere minutes from my house. I had expected it to be a busy night but I was really quite overwhelmed by the amount of people who turned up: creatives of every age, stage of career and creative discipline, not just illustrators – although it was wonderful to meet so many contributors to Amelia’s Magazine who I speak to regularly by email.

Tatty Devine Brick Lane ACOFI 2011-Biscuiteers
Colourful icing ready to pipe onto biscuits.

Tatty Devine Brick Lane ACOFI 2011-Biscuiteers cassie
Cassie Merrick of the Biscuiteers with her assistant Lou Newton.

Cassie and Lou had laid out a wonderful Biscuiteers display on the counter by the time of my (as usual) frantic arrival: a delightful carpet of pretty biscuits – tiny iced gem tasters in a rainbow of colours and plenty of half iced biscuits on which guests were invited to pipe their own designs. It took awhile for people to warm to the idea, but once we got going there was no stopping us. Even my boyfriend had a go! (and he wasn’t the only boy who stepped up to the mark)

Tatty Devine Brick Lane ACOFI 2011-Biscuiteers Tatty Devine Brick Lane ACOFI 2011-Biscuiteers

Biscuiteers biscuits come in yummy vanilla and chocolate flavours but it is the handmade decoration that makes them so special. They have a rotating team of trained icers, and Emma Block (having met them at my event) will be joining them as a freelancer this summer. What a great part time job – where can I sign up?! In the meantime Biscuiteers will be helping out with the Letter Lounge event at Tatty Devine Covent Garden on Wednesday 6th July, a result of meeting up on the ACOFI Book Tour.

Tatty Devine Brick Lane ACOFI 2011-Biscuiteers Tatty Devine Brick Lane ACOFI 2011-Biscuiteers

Tatty Devine Brick Lane ACOFI 2011-Sonja
Sonja from Tatty Devine welcomes a visitor to the shop.

It was also lovely to meet Richard Watson, who is the maestro behind Juiceology, the new juice brand that has been supporting all ACOFI Book Tour dates. He’d brought along some updated flavours for us to try in slightly bigger bottles of the type preferred by bars. I really couldn’t have hoped for a better sponsor, and it’s nice to know that the ACOFI Book Tour has enabled yet more introductions – Juiceology recently sponsored the Andy Smith solo show at Soma Gallery, which I visited a month ago.

Tatty Devine Brick Lane ACOFI 2011-Richard Watson Juiceology
Richard Watson of Juiceology.

I’ve started to see Juiceology for sale in boutique sandwich shops, so make sure you check them out next time you see them on the shelf – I can’t recommend them highly enough. Richard has some other flavours in the pipeline and I’m looking forward to trying his next flavour soon.

ACOFI Tour Tatty Devine Brick Lane 2011-Lahloo TeaACOFI Tour Tatty Devine Brick Lane 2011-Lahloo Tea
Lahloo Tea once again provided some delicious peppermint and earl grey tea for the event, which was served to guests in dainty china cups.

Tatty Devine Brick Lane ACOFI 2011-Heather Stanton
And of course no event would be complete without some samples of Dr. Hauschka products. This time Heather Stanton of Dr.Hauschka was actually able to make it along and join in the fun with her hubby Will. It was lovely to catch up with her.

Tatty Devine Brick Lane ACOFI 2011-Biscuiteers
Tatty Devine Brick Lane ACOFI 2011
ACOFI Tour Tatty Devine Brick Lane 2011
Tatty Devine Brick Lane ACOFI 2011
Tatty Devine Brick Lane ACOFI 2011
ACOFI Tour Tatty Devine Brick Lane 2011

Once everyone had had ample time to meet, mingle, share work and decorate a Biscuiteers biscuit I invited everyone to gather around and stood with my computer held aloft on my shoulder to give the talk. Having done the spiel five times already I raced through it even faster than I have done in the past – mostly because I was aware that everyone was squished into the shop, all standing, and I felt pretty bad about that. I think everyone enjoyed it though.

Tatty Devine Brick Lane ACOFI 2011-Amelia Gregory

Amongst the many Amelia’s Magazine contributors who came along to the event were these lovely illustrators:

ACOFI Tour Tatty Devine Brick Lane 2011-Kristina Vasiljeva
Kristina Vasiljeva has just finished her FdA illustration course at Camberwell. She has been contributing some wonderful fashion illustrations to the magazine.

Tatty Devine Brick Lane ACOFI 2011-Biscuiteers
Hannah Simpson was recently awarded a prize at the V&A illustration awards. Here she is icing biscuits with Kristina.

Tatty Devine Brick Lane ACOFI 2011-Helena Maratheftis
Illustrator Helena Maratheftis also posted some photos of the event.

Tatty Devine Brick Lane ACOFI 2011-Naomi Law and Matt Bramford
Naomi Law is of course featured in ACOFI, here with her old chum, my ex fashion editor Matt Bramford.

ACOFI Tour Tatty Devine Brick Lane 2011-Soni Speight, aka IcklesonACOFI Tour Tatty Devine Brick Lane 2011-Soni Speight, aka Ickleson
Soni Speight, aka Ickleson showed us her wonderful business cards.

Tatty Devine Brick Lane ACOFI 2011-Lou Cloud
Lou Cloud and her boyfriend.

Tatty Devine Brick Lane ACOFI 2011-Katie Byrne Emma Block
Other guests included Katie Byrne of The Young Creatives with her friend Emma Block, who showed us through some loose collage bits in her portfolio.

ACOFI Tour Tatty Devine Brick Lane 2011-Emma BlockACOFI Tour Tatty Devine Brick Lane 2011-Emma Block
Emma Block’s delicate collage work.

Tatty Devine Brick Lane ACOFI 2011-Alia Gargum
Alia Gargum and a friend enjoy a nice cup of Lahloo tea.

ACOFI Tour Tatty Devine Brick Lane 2011-plastic seconds
Tatty Devine Brick Lane ACOFI 2011-Maria Gareth and Alia
Maria Papadimitriou of Slowly the Eggs came along again (she also came to the first Tatty Devine event) this time sporting yet another amazing Plastic Seconds necklace (here with Gareth and Alia). Maria even went to the trouble of doing another write up on her blog. What a star!

Tatty Devine Brick Lane ACOFI 2011-Gareth a Hopkins
Tatty Devine Brick Lane ACOFI 2011-The Intercorstal: Valentine
New work by Gareth A Hopkins – The Intercorstal: Valentine.

Tatty Devine Brick Lane ACOFI 2011-Karen
I first met Karen from Stepney City Farm on my twitter feed. Since meeting Gareth and Alia at my event they have helped to create artwork for the Paul Foot Farm Favourite Jigsaw Puzzle East End Weekend which is taking place at the farm on the 9th-10th July to raise much needed funds. You can see their wonderful artwork on Paul Foot’s website.

Tatty Devine Brick Lane ACOFI 2011-Agnes Bataclan Melinda Barbi
Tatty Devine Brick Lane ACOFI 2011- Melinda Barbi Sara Lofwander
Other attendees included Melinda Barbi, an LCF Fashion Photography student who came along with Sara Lofwander and Agnes Bataclan in advance of my lecturing visit to the London College of Fashion. Inspired by the ACOFI event they made me cookies and cake for my visit, which was MUCH appreciated.

Tatty Devine Brick Lane ACOFI 2011-Siobhan of Flamingo Magazine
It was nice to see Siobhan Leddy of Flamingo Magazine – with whom I did an interview awhile back.

Tatty Devine Brick Lane ACOFI 2011-Susannah Cartwright
Susannah Cartwright is a textile designer who is taking part in The Stinging Netil Art Mart on Sunday 10th July in the Netil House car park. Why not check it out?

Tatty Devine Brick Lane ACOFI 2011-Harriet Vine
Tatty Devine’s Harriet Vine.

ACOFI Tour Tatty Devine Brick Lane 2011-Cari Steel Emma Crosby
My former music editor Cari Steel popped in briefly and I made her pose with sales agent Emma Crosby like they’ve known each other forever. Convincing no?

Tatty Devine Brick Lane ACOFI 2011

Don’t forget that you can buy Amelia’s Compendium of Fashion Illustration on my website or from all good retailers (including Amazon) – please do buy the book and support the wealth of talent within. And that, my friends, is the ACOFI Book Tour done and dusted…

Categories ,ACOFI, ,ACOFI Book Tour, ,Agnes Bataclan, ,Alia Gargum, ,Amelia’s Compendium of Fashion Illustration, ,Andy Smith, ,Biscuiteers, ,Book Tour, ,Cari Steel, ,Cassie Merrick, ,Dr.Hauschka, ,Emma Block, ,Emma Crosby, ,Fashion Illustration, ,Flamingo Magazine, ,Gareth A Hopkins, ,Hannah Simpson, ,Harriet Vine, ,Heather Stanton, ,Helena Maratheftis, ,Ickleson, ,Juiceology, ,Katie Byrne, ,Kristina Vasiljeva, ,Lahloo Tea, ,Letter Lounge, ,London College of Fashion, ,Lou Cloud, ,Lou Newton, ,Maria Papadimitriou, ,Matt Bramford, ,Melinda Barbi, ,Naomi Law, ,Netil House, ,Paul Foot, ,Plastic Seconds, ,Richard Watson, ,Sara Lofwander, ,Siobhan Leddy, ,Slowly the Eggs, ,Soma Gallery, ,Soni Speight, ,Stepney City Farm, ,Susannah Cartwright, ,Tatty Devine, ,The Stinging Netil Art Mart, ,The Young Creatives

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Amelia’s Magazine | The ACOFI Book Tour: visiting The Fruitmarket Gallery in Edinburgh

ACOFI Book Tour Fruitmarket Edinburgh 2011

On Tuesday I hit the second date of my ACOFI Book Tour, buy this time at the rather wonderful Fruitmarket Gallery in Edinburgh. I chat with super friendly bookshop guru Matthew via the wonders of twitter, symptoms so it was a delight to meet him in the flesh.

ACOFI Book Tour Fruitmarket Edinburgh 2011 Narcissus Garden Yayoi Kusama
Narcissus Garden by Yayoi Kusama.

After settling in for a nice piece of fruit tart and a glance at a selection of the newest titles in the incredibly well stocked bookshop I had a brief chance to wander around the current exhibition Narcissus Reflected, information pills which features a painting by Salvador Dali on loan from the Tate and for the very first time shown as it was meant to be, with the poem that accompanies it. Upstairs a mass of light silver balls floods the airy space – Narcissus Garden is an update of a piece by Yayoi Kusama first shown back in the 1960s. A small darkened room strewn with comfy floor cushions has been cordoned off to showcase a beautifully soporific film by Pipilotti Rist.

ACOFI Book Tour Fruitmarket Edinburgh 2011 biscuitsACOFI Book Tour Fruitmarket Edinburgh 2011-iced gemsACOFI Book Tour Fruitmarket Edinburgh 2011 biscuits

The Fruitmarket Gallery cafe was sadly closed for our evening event so I went a bit crazy in the local supermarket: plates of colourful Jammy Dodgers, Iced Party Rings, Jaffa Cakes, Iced Gems and Pink Wafers were soon adorning the cafe tables. Yup! It was a veritable E number fest. If it’s not going to be beautifully homemade why not head off to the other end of the spectrum I say?! These biscuits remind me of many a childhood party…

ACOFI Book Tour Fruitmarket Edinburgh 2011 Dr.Hauschka
At the front I arranged a tray of yummy Dr.Hauschka goodies for guests to take away and try later.

ACOFI Book Tour Fruitmarket Edinburgh 2011 Juiceology
Matthew’s expert merchandising skills came to the forefront as he arranged a (fashionable) colour block display of Juiceology juices and appealing piles of ACOFI and AAOI atop a round table next to which I sat to give my talk.

ACOFI Book Tour Fruitmarket Edinburgh 2011
ACOFI Book Tour Fruitmarket Edinburgh 2011
ACOFI Book Tour Fruitmarket Edinburgh 2011
Abi Lewis of We Are Caravan.

I had been a bit nervous about travelling all the way to Edinburgh because it’s so far away from my normal stomping ground and I don’t really know many people up there… but I needn’t have worried because the cafe packed out very quickly with about 50 people, who gathered in friendly groups, chatting and taking the opportunity to sample the colourful Juiceology offerings before I settled down to do my talk, a very good write up of which you can read on the We Are Caravan blog.

ACOFI Book Tour Fruitmarket Edinburgh 2011
ACOFI Book Tour Fruitmarket Edinburgh 2011
ACOFI Book Tour Fruitmarket Edinburgh 2011
ACOFI Book Tour Fruitmarket Edinburgh 2011
v
Lesley Barnes and her friend Libby.

Luckily my only Scottish-based ACOFI illustrator Lesley Barnes was also in able to make it along to The Fruitmarket Gallery – she brought along some wonderful work to share with us, and talked a little bit about the process of working with me so it was really wonderful to have her there, especially now we’ve been working together for nearly two years since she answered the brief for my first book. I only realised this week that this was in fact pretty much the start of her involvement with briefed illustration, although she was doing lots of her own work beforehand.

ACOFI Book Tour Fruitmarket Edinburgh 2011-Lesley Barnes

I do like to remind people that hers is an exceptional talent – Lesley Barnes has never been formally trained, instead choosing to do a degree in English Literature, and yet she has managed to develop an utterly unique and identifiable style that is finally garnering some acclaim: she featured in a recent issue of the Sunday Times Style magazine and her work is stocked in the Soma Gallery, to which I will be trundling along on Thursday 26th May.

ACOFI Book Tour Fruitmarket Edinburgh 2011

After the talk there was more time to speak to everyone and I managed to take snaps of just a few of the delightful creative people that I met: some of whom I persuaded to pose against the excellent neon sculpture in The Fruitmarket Gallery cafe area.

ACOFI Book Tour Fruitmarket Edinburgh 2011-We Are Caravan
Ian, Julz and Abi run We Are Caravan, with whom I’ve been chatting on twitter in the run up to my Edinburgh visit. You can also find Abi Lewis, who was dressed in the most wonderful patterned vintage dress, at Hateful Snippets. We Are Caravan run a mobile gallery that travels around in yes, you guessed it, a caravan.

ACOFI Book Tour Fruitmarket Edinburgh 2011-Kirsty Jay Anderson and Emily Hall
Kirsty Jay Anderson and Emily Hall had come along to get inspired. Kirsty studied textiles and now runs A Wooden Tree which sells gorgeous upcycled vintage textiles and ephemera, whilst Emily has recently decided that she is going to turn her hand to illustration after doing many other things for years, including stone carving in castles, which sounds fantastic! I look forward to seeing what she produces.

ACOFI Book Tour Fruitmarket Edinburgh 2011-Mabel Forsyth and Siobhan Murchie
Mabel Forsyth, aka Pink Pig came along with her work colleague Siobhan Murchie of Shiv Illustration – who just happens to be the cousin of Amelia’s Magazine contributor Sam Parr. What a small and wondrous world.

ACOFI Book Tour Fruitmarket Edinburgh 2011 Roger la Borde
The Fruitmarket Gallery stocks my new range of Roger la Borde cards alongside my books (above), and so it was great to meet Lucy, who distributes my card designs all over Scotland. What a lovely lady she is! Here with her friend Sara.

ACOFI Book Tour Fruitmarket Edinburgh 2011-Lucy and Sara

A very enjoyable part of the evening was giving a few portfolio crits. Yay! I hope I get to do more of these at the next few places I am visiting.

ACOFI Book Tour Fruitmarket Edinburgh 2011-Casey Otremba
Casey Otremba.

First up I met American lass Casey Otremba, who was formerly a packaging designer in New York before becoming inspired to come to Edinburgh to study illustration a few years ago. The reason? Someone showed her a copy of issue 4 of Amelia’s Magazine. Double yay!

ACOFI Book Tour Fruitmarket Edinburgh 2011-Casey Otremba
Her fashion illustration portfolio features some really wonderful fine line pencil work with some stylish injections of pure vibrant colour. I particularly loved the meticulous fluidity of the poses she draws and I hope she’s going to start contributing to Amelia’s Magazine soon so you’ll get to see more of her work…

ACOFI Book Tour Fruitmarket Edinburgh 2011 Culloden Robertson and Elizabeth Hudson
Culloden Robertson and Elizabeth Hudson.

ACOFI Book Tour Fruitmarket Edinburgh 2011-doodle by Lizzie Hudson
A doodle by Lizzie Hudson.

Elizabeth Hudson had travelled all the way from Glasgow, where she studies fine art, along with her friend Culloden Robertson of Iko Art. It was wonderful to see how a trained fine artist adapts to illustration briefs and I was particularly enamoured of the sweeping fantasies of her impulsive narrative work which make imaginative use of colour, line and text.

ACOFI Book Tour Fruitmarket Edinburgh 2011 Culloden Robertson and Elizabeth Hudson, Amelia
Myself with Culloden Robertson and Elizabeth Hudson. I’m not sure why I thought it was a good idea to stick my finger in my ear. It was late.

As a special thankyou to everyone who turned up for this event we are extending the special offer that was available on the night at The Fruitmarket Gallery. Just quote Amelia’s Blog offer when you go in, and you’ll be able to purchase both Amelia’s Compendium of Fashion Illustration and Amelia’s Anthology of Illustration for £40 together, or for £22 apiece. The offer is valid for one more week, so if you didn’t decide to purchase on the night you can still take advantage of some very reasonable prices indeed. Thankyou Fruitmarket Gallery!

Next week I will be embarking on a triple whammy: Brighton on Tuesday 24th May at Castor & Pollux, where we’ll be fed by cupcakes from the Angel Food Bakery, then on to Comma Shop on Wednesday 25th May, where there will be the chance to sample a specially blended new flavour of ice cream from G & D’s Cafe: raspberry with white and dark chocolate chips. Nom nom nom. Plus rosette button making lessons from Anna Butler at Custom Made UK. Really, what’s not to like?!

Then on Thursday 26th May I’ll be turning up at the Soma Gallery in Bristol: where Hart’s Bakery will be providing home made iced biscuits, custard creams and gingerbread hearts, whilst local girl and Lahloo Tea founder Kate Gover will be on hand to answer all your tea-related questions.

Finally, I will be back at Tatty Devine on Tuesday 7th June the week after, where I will round up the ACOFI Book Tour with a little help from Biscuiteers. Looking forward to seeing as many of you as possible en route! Don’t forget to join the facebook events by clicking on the various shop links above.

Categories ,A Wooden Tree, ,AAOI, ,Abi Lewis, ,ACOFI, ,Amelia’s Anthology of Illustration, ,Amelia’s Compendium of Fashion Illustration, ,Angel Food Bakery, ,Anna Butler, ,Biscuiteers, ,Biscuits, ,brighton, ,bristol, ,Casey Otremba, ,Castor and Pollux, ,Comma Shop, ,Culloden Robertson, ,cupcakes, ,Custom Made UK, ,Dr.Hauschka, ,edinburgh, ,Elizabeth Hudson, ,Emily Hall, ,G & D’s Cafe, ,Hart’s Bakery, ,Hateful Snippets, ,Ice Cream, ,Iced Gems, ,Iced Party Rings, ,Iko Art, ,Jaffa Cakes, ,Jammy Dodgers, ,Juiceology, ,Kate Gover, ,Kirsty Jay Anderson, ,Lahloo Tea, ,Lesley Barnes, ,Mabel Forsyth, ,Narcissus Garden, ,Narcissus Reflected, ,Oxford, ,Pink Pig Illustration, ,Pink Wafers, ,Pipilotti Rist, ,Roger La Borde, ,Salvador Dali, ,Sam Parr, ,scotland, ,Shiv Illustration, ,Siobhan Murchie, ,Soma Gallery, ,Sunday Times Style, ,Tatty Devine, ,The Fruitmarket Gallery, ,Yayoi Kusama

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Amelia’s Magazine | Diamond Jubilee Party and Gift Ideas!

This weekend (most of) Britain will come together to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee, marking 60 glorious years on the throne. Here’s a selection of Jubilee-themed goodies we like for your delectation…

For Sweet Tooths…

Union Flag Cupcakes and Jubilee Biscuits by Biscuiteers

For Excited Royalists…

I’m So Excited I Could Wee… Tea Towel by House of Holland

For crafty types…

Make Your Own Bunting Tea Towel by Cerys Turner

For Tea Drinkers…

RoyalTea tea bags available at Oliver Bonas

For Souvenir lovers…

Alternative Her Majesty plate by Katie J Spragg

For Glamazons…

Corgi scarf by Liberty

For Hipsters…

Jubilee Tattoos by Lydia Leith

For Girlies…

HM Queen necklace by Jaymie O’Callaghan

For Help With the Dishes…

Jubilee Tea Towel by Jane Denham

For Decorators…

Recycled London bunting by Stephanie Wheeler

For Snarfle Monkey

Reusable Jubilee Cloth Nappy by TotsBots


Queen babygrow by Rosie Wonders

For Jewellery Addicts…

Crown necklace by Tatty Devine

For Illustration Fans…

Tea Towel by Charlotte Fleming

For Foodies…

Jubilee Jelly Mould by Lydia Leith available at Selfridges

For Fashion Lovers…

Union Flag Tights by House of Holland for Pretty Polly

For Thrifties

Free toys by Samantha Eynon – download the templates here!

…And for Republicans…

Jubilee Sick Bags by Lydia Leith

Categories ,Biscuiteers, ,Biscuits, ,bunting, ,Cerys Turner, ,Charlotte Fleming, ,Cloth Nappy, ,cupcakes, ,Denham Design, ,Diamond Jubilee, ,House of Holland, ,Jaymie O’Callaghan, ,Jelly Mould, ,liberty, ,london, ,Lydia Leith, ,Nappy, ,Necklace, ,Oliver Bonas, ,Plate, ,Pretty Polly, ,Queen Elizabeth II, ,Rosie Wonders, ,RoyalTea, ,Samantha Eynon, ,Selfridges, ,Sick Bag, ,Stephanie Wheeler, ,Tattoos, ,Tatty Devine, ,Tea Bags, ,Tea Towel, ,tights, ,TotsBots, ,Toys

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