Teacup and Cakes

Teacup (formally 'Cup On the Wall') is one of my favourite places in Manchester. That it is owned by local DJ Mr Scruff (&friends) only adds to the cool, not that it needed any help.

The decor has changed a bit over the last year or so and there is a stronger focus on bringing something special to their menu- I blame their big queues on their huge choice of yummy cake, so hard to decide! (But the queue is worth it). I could go on, but you can find all of the details on their website here.

Their vintage crockery is beautiful and it's always a treat to go there- the only thing I miss since the re-vamp is that they have stopped selling the art prints they used to have! But enough of that, here are some photos I've taken on various trips...

If you live in Manchester then follow them on Twitter, they post info about events and freebies as well as what specials they have!

http://twitter.com/teacupandcakes

The Great Paper (back) Caper

Walking through *unnamed supermarket* today (buying single cream and a loaf of bread NB- not to be eaten together) when I saw this-

-and was overjoyed as I thought Oliver Jeffers had written another book... oh the sadness, when upon closer inspection my hopes were to be dashed by the realisation that his only input was the cover. However, clever publishing people can high five each other- this did prompt me to read the blurb. So the nub and the gist of all this was that I remembered how much I love Oliver Jeffers, and not just for the pictures. I used to read them to the children at work all the time! oh the good old days. Here are some more of his beautiful illustrations...

Gothic and Gorey

So I'm still feeling full of the gothic and macabre as I continue making Halloween goodies, which makes me want to talk like Vincent Price and quote Edgar Allan Poe. Whilst looking for something relevant to listen to, I remembered a video I watched at the Tim Burton exhibition at MoMA when we went to NYC in January- and was surprised when Google yielded the information almost immediately...

... Recognise the voice? Plus listen out for the Edgar Allan Poe references! I couldn't believe it! I suppose in the back of my mind I must have remembered and that's how I'd made the connection. Still, it was almost as exciting as the time I opened a bag of M&M's and they were all the same colour...

Unfortunately the only photo I was allowed to take at the exhibition was this one

All of this put me in mind of Edward Gorey- I love his alphabet, or 'The Gashlycrumb Tinies' as it's better known. My favourite being 'K', obviously.

His drawings are just beautiful and manage to combine a simple elegance with a lovely attention to detail. Dry, gothic humour has never looked so good.

Another video I found was this one (music by Ceri Frost)

Which sums it up nicely as it seems to be a kind of Burton-Gorey hybrid. The animation is by Giles Timms, not too sure if I like the song though so maybe watch with the volume down. But then that still leaves me in need of something to listen to...

The Witching Hour

..Or the graveyard shift. Or other Halloween related things.

Christmas is slowly seeping into our shop windows, and as much as I love it, Halloween comes first. So lets not miss it out- que this years Halloween stock!

The wicked witch of the East

Lions, and tigers, and bears! Oh, my!

Some people say the Wizard of Oz is just a film about two women fighting over a pair of shoes, and hey- if you've always fancied getting your hands on the ruby slippers, now's your chance!
Just remember- there's no place like home!

Halloween cat

Halloween cat likes to make people jump by shouting 'BOO'. Admit it, a talking cat would FREAK you out.

Zombie cocktail recipe

Know someone who's terrified of the undead? Send them this.

See? Zombies aren't that bad after all! It should even steady the nerves.

Still feeling brave? See the rest at our online shop here.

Have a spooktacular Halloween!

Penguin Classics

.. Or not. I accidently found this while I was looking for penguin pictures (long story), it's a redesign of the first Harry Potter book cover to look like the classic penguin books. You can view all 7 designs here. I love the simplicity, and the black and red are a perfect combination.

Actually, while I'm on the thread of Penguin book covers, I love love love these beautiful water colour illustrations by Michael Gillette.

My favourites are 'For Your Eyes Only' and 'You Only Live Twice'- if only you could buy them as prints!

You are where you work

We moved in to the house in November and this was the first room I wanted to get sorted. It's been in a workable state since about February, but wasn't completely finished until now. It's a lot smaller than the studio space I used to rent, which was in an old converted mill, but it's so nice not having to go out to be creative- you can't beat working in your pj's!

Alexander Girard screen print from MoMA in NYC

(l-r) Little Red Riding Hood screen printed card (Pinecone + Chickadee), Henri Matisse postcard,

letter press print (Raa Raa Press on Etsy)

My notice board- a lot tidier than in the previous work space.

Obsessive compulsive order.

This was a birthday present a few years ago and it's never had a real home. It's now hanging from the door handle so every day when I walk in I walk past it. Written on the wings is a quote from Coco Chanel which reads 'If you were born without wings, do nothing to prevent them growing'. A lovely thought.

I'd chosen a lampshade from M&S and stupidly didn't buy it straight away. Of course when I went to buy one there weren't any left. Determined not to go home empty handed, I then spent the rest of the afternoon looking for something similar before buying this one which was completely different.

Pretty things

I love Muji, and when I saw this clear acrylic box I knew it would be a perfect place to keep all of my thread- the compartments are just the right size and I can easily find whatever I need.

Letter press designs from Jessica Hische

I recently found these little beauties and fell in love with them. I think they have a lovely sort of romantic feel to them in an old fashioned fairy tale kind of way. If I could afford the $2,000 (or £1,254.31. Just thought I'd check.) for the set then I'd be trying to find a wall big enough for them all right now.

I could settle for buying one of my initials for just $40

But I secretly wish my initials were

as they aren't, I'd have to fake some kind of camper van obsession instead.

Based in New York, Jessica seems to have worked for so many big names that I feel that I should have heard about her sooner. Shame on me.

You can view the whole alphabet as well as her other work at her website here , everybody should see it, it's truly beautiful.