Judy Garland Linocut Print

I've just recently been drawn into the world of musicals & who best to introduce me to them than Judy Garland, here classic Meet Me In St Louis, with the most amazing Trolley Song (shot on the first take), The Wizard of Oz & Easter Parade, I look forward to watching others too.

  

 So to celebrate her in all her fabulousness I created a linocut print which features a beautiful quote of hers: 'Always be a first rate version of yourself, instead of a second rate version of somebody else' It's now for sale in my etsy shop 

Here's the print framed in gold on an old illustrated copy of 'The Wonderful Wizard of Oz' by Frank L. Baum.

& for all the Judy Lovers out there here's a little spotify playlist of all my favourite Judy at the moment:

 

Thanks Judy!

Year of Printmaking: Starfish & Coffee

I'm still only listening to Prince, with his huge back catalogue there's so much variety of greatness, he truly is a once in the whole lifetime of this planet, truly unique artist and creative force. My favourite tracks change on a daily basis, here's a few of my lesser known favourites in this moment: She Gave Her Angels, The Truth, Race, Mountains, Head, Dolphin, Crucial, The Ladder, God, Bambi, The Holy River, Black Sweat and the Cream -acoustic live on VH1 unplugged shows off his abundance of sweet playful charm perfectly.

For this weeks print I did a tiny Starfish & Coffee linocut, see his cutest performance of it on the Muppets Tonight:-

Year of Printmaking: Purple Rain

I'm still feeling purple after last weeks news of the death of Prince & I've been in a purple fog of his music, tributes, videos & films. I've been listening to this great list of tributes, radio shows & videos done by the BBC & Rolling Stone has some other great ones.

So this week I only had time for a quick purple rain linocut print. Stay Purple & Yourself.

Year of Printmaking: Prince

 

Wearing purple & listening to prince on repeat while printing this mini portrait of Prince today. Thanks for all the funky music, fashion, soul, individuality, creativity, sexiness, weirdness & you being you. 

June Playlist: Galaxy

 

I often forget that we're all hurtling through space on a giant ball of rock surrounded by millions of other floating rocks, just a small speck in a vast expanse that is our galaxy in the humongous universe. Here's a lot of songs to remind you:-

See all my other playlists here

May Playlist: Eurovision

 

What do you think of when May comes around? why EUROVISION of course! and as the finals are not until 23rd May, I thought why not enjoy some favourites from the epic song contest this month in to get ready for the big night (or nights if you tune in to the semis). It's not just cheesy craziness (but that's what we love right?) there's also plenty of classic ballads and good songs too! (also did you see Eurovision's Greatest Hits with Graham Norton & Petra Mede? Bobbysocks!)

Thank You Europe!

(and Australia as they are competing this year for the contests 60th anniversary and not forgetting the rest of the world who tune in!)

April Playlist: Swedish Spring

 

After a long snowy cold winter there's finally some light (and hopefully heat) on the horizon. Putting the clocks forward here in the UK makes such a difference, having lighter longer evenings. And to fill those evenings you need some Springy Swedish Tunes. Sweden has produced so much amazing music here's some of my faves in my April Playlist. 

{see all my monthly playlists here)

March Playlist: Film & TV

 

The Oscars seems like ages ago now, and overall it was a bit rubbish, but the best thing about it was the song 'Glory' by John Legend & Common, (which won best original song), see the video again here. So this months playlist is all songs from Film & TV. Some amazingly powerful, some amazingly cheesy & hilarious but all invoke beautifully powerful inspirational emotions that can only be achieved through music & lyrics, whether it be humor, laughter, love, power, strength or even time travel, sung by Common or Angela Lansbury.

Do you recognise which Film/TV show some of them come from?
{Log in to Spotify here}

February Playlist: Winter Snow

We've had some deep deep snow for the past couple of weeks & while it starts out being amazingly beautiful and wonderous, pretty soon it's dirty snow, you're slipping and sliding over the pavements, you're fingers are cold all the time, you haven't got the right shoes....etc but there's some great songs to get you through it too, here's my 'Winter Snow' playlist:-



See my other playlists here.

January Playlist: Workout

 

I'm going to do a monthly playlist this year, here's the first, I'm just getting into running and I love Jillian Michaels' workouts so of course it had to be a workout playlist, with lots of 90's dance & classic cheese to get you moving!

Happy Burns Night!

    

It's Burns Night tomorrow night and in celebrating all things Robert Burns, here's a few little illustrations of him and his works. It's great there's a whole night devoted to the Scottish poet, not heard of him? he wrote a little poem tons of us sing on New Year's Day-- Auld Lang Syne! Check out Eddie Reader's 'The Songs of Robert Burns' album for a great introduction and this beauty 'I'll meet thee on the lea-rig' sung by Roddy Woomble.

I've just put these up on my Society6 Shop so you can get them as prints, t-shirts, clocks, tote bags, laptop/phone cases and mugs!

Have a great Burns Night, I won't be having haggis, but some neeps n tatties will go down a treat. Hope you recite lots of his works and don't forget to pipe in the Haggis!

Feature Friday: Telegramme Studio

 

Telegramme Studio produces and screenprints these beautiful gig posters, simple and powerful with a retro hint,
Most are limited editions and they're all for sale in their store!

   

     

Rockabilly playlist #06

To celebrate my etsy shop opening and specifically my Buddy Holly tote bags going on sale I've got a little treat of a rockabilly playlist featuring 50 songs by legendary rockabillys such as Jerry Lee Lewis, Wanda Jackson, Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Buddy Holly (of course!) and lots more...

The image is a version of my Rock-a-billy print, buy it here on society6!

 

{Did you see my other playlists?}

& here's an Etsy Treasury I curated full of great Rockabilly items from posters, washi tape, t-shirts and patches to finger puppets, pins and a place to keep your tissues, check it out!

 

Rockabilly print

 

I love a bit of Rockabilly and here's all my favourites from Buddy Holly to Little Richard, Chuck Berry, Jerry Lee Lewis, Wanda Jackson and loads more. Get it as a print & on Ipad/phone/computer cases, cushions, cards bags and t-shirts on Society6!

  

  

Look out for more Rockabilly amazingness coming soon involving the great Buddy Holly & the opening of my etsy store! 

Why not follow my blog on bloglovin' and/or twitter updates to keep in the loop and remember to Rave on!

Change playlist #05

'Change is the only constant' so said the Greek philosopher Heraclitus.  I'm on the cusp of some big changes: moving house, jobs and countries (okay it's only Scotland!) but the need to reflect on what's past and what is to come overtakes and overwhelms everything. The only thing in life that you can be sure of is that things will change, so let's take it easy and go with the flow as nothing lasts forever {see more great quotes about change from Heraclitus here}. So here's a little playlist about changes, may they be revolutionary or everyday, let's relish new challenges and try and walk unafraid into the future, whatever awaits....

 — Did you like playlist #01 Chains/freedom, #02 Aloha Hawaii!, #03 Quiet/Solitude and #04 Spring

Idlewild Zine on Issuu

I made a zine a couple of years ago for one of my favourite albums '100 Broken Windows' Idlewild's 10th anniversary (see here). Recently someone got a tattoo! of one of the images from the zine! So I thought I'd release the zine online for all to see, so here it is on Issuu.

 

If you want a printed copy which has a hand-stitched binding, email me for more details!

 

There's so many great magazines that use Issuu, and they're all free to view! Here's a few of my faves: huck, little white lies, oh comely and refuelled.

What online mags and zines are you reading?

Spring playlist #04

I'm so ready for Spring over here, it's been a tough, long, snowy winter and with the last of the snow (it better be!) still on the ground, I need some springy tunes to help me welcome a new season, even if it's being stubbornly late to arrive! Here's looking forward to leaves on the trees, lambs, daffodils, growth, new life, eggs, warmth, more daylight and the clocks going back (which I forgot this morning!)

 

SXSW Music Festival 2013

It's time for the annual SXSW Music Festival in Austin, Texas and each year there's always tons of amazing bands to see, almost 24 hours a day for the 4 days it's on. (It's also a film fest & interactive conference & grumpy cat was there!) Here's a little poster I made for it and here's my picks to see, some old faves along with some unheard of fresh meat:

WEDNESDAY 13TH MARCH

Camera Obscura

Ash

Field Report

Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds

THURSDAY 14TH MARCH

Frightened Rabbit

Emmylou Harris & Rodney Crowell

Gregory Alan Isakov

Josh Ritter

Josh Rouse

Sea Wolf

Balmorhea

FRIDAY 15TH MARCH

Vampire Weekend

Andrew Combs

The Flaming Lips

Hollis Brown

Wild Moccasins

Brendan Benson

Less than Jake

Museum

Sad Baby Wolf

SATURDAY 16TH MARCH

David Wax Museum

Iron & Wine

What music's on your radar? who would you see?

Quiet solitude playlist #03

Here's a little playlist on quietness & solitude: the need to be silent with your own thoughts and reflections is so needed and in this on the go, connected all the time world, can be hard to achieve. So while these tracks aren't necessarily quiet, they are the perfect (un)companion for solitude, time alone and inspiration for being by yourself. 

I'm a really quiet, introverted person and while for me it's natural, a lot of the time it's seen as a negative, Susan Cain is helping to turn this thinking around & on its head, did you see her amazing TED talk and I really need to read her book 'Quiet: The power of introverts in a world can't stop talking' and visit 'The Silence Room' at Selfridges in London

 

(playlist created on grooveshark)

— Did you like playlist #01 Chains/freedom & #02 Aloha Hawaii!? —

Aloha Hawaii! playlist #02

As we're still in what feels like the depths of winter over here in the UK and with more snow forecast, my thoughts can't seem to stop drifting over to blue skies, palm trees, waves, surfing, beaches, volcanoes, island life and all things Hawaiian. So to warm me up here's a little hawaiian/island/beachey playlist, now just to make a pina colada and I'm there (in my head at least)!

Playlist created on grooveshark

(Did you see playlist #01? Chains/Freedom)