South Lambeth Market

Today was the try-out of South Lambeth Market, and now, like finding true love, I have no heart for any other. Always I meet the most awesome people at any market or craft fair, but ideally, I would like to meet awesome people and make a few martini tokens while I am at it - and so it was true today. I have to tell you, I had some misgivings: I didn't know the area, and as usual in the morning, I was grouchy.  But there really was something good about the place. something loved and treasured, like a garden.
 Like a garden that has concrete bambi sculptures and S&M Barbie as candle holders,  What is not to love?
I managed to sell things, buy some lovely things and buy a couple of beers once it was classy to do so, and still made some money. Can't wait to be with these people again.  Oh yes, as I hugged the lovely M goodbye, she said: " meeting other crafters is a bit like sex", perplexed, but curious I asked her to explain, she said "well, its an intense, loving experience, but once its over you just kind of want to go home and can't quite remember their name" so true! hey baby, it's been great, call you!
So there you have it folks, crafts fairs are a big arty orgy akin to a one night stand! Can't wait for the next one.  What I also loved about this craft fair was the quirky range of arts and crafts on offer.  Even traditional lavender bags had a twist.... Did spend a part of my profits on a papier mache flying lady. Again, what's not to love?

my table

 The totally wondeful Pippa...

And to get me over the break up - I find this works...

Mills and Boon: a love story

I am proud to own a collection  of Mills and Boon from the mid eighties to the early 90's (I haven't actually read one yet - I am scared it will be literary heroin).

I own them all because I am in love with the artwork -it has everything: the unlikely backdrops, the tumbling hair, the half-hearted resistance to throbbing advances, the cable knits ...

As you can see in the slide show below - there are two Mills and Boon men (or Alphas, as Mills and Boon describe them)  There is the teen pop band looking blonde guy, but he only appears when the Alpha Alpha is not available, it seems, which is unquestionably the Dark Haired Chiseled Jaw Guy with the veiny hands  and who looks a bit like the chap who models "Just for Men" hair colourant and just a leedle bit like Richard Madeley

I am convinced it is the same model through the years  and I am sure if I had the time (which in fact, I do) I could correlate the date of publication with the amount of dashing silver in his flicked back mane.  Watch this space.  Only recently have I discovered the artists who seems responsible fopr most of my favourite covers and has a style that epitomises Mills and Boon cover art at it's peak.  Step right up Mr Len Goldberg.  A trawl of the Googlenets reveals very little trace of the man and artist, whether he's alive or not I have no clue. I hope he is/was proud of his work.

Below is my library of M&B covers plus a few projects using the scans in jewellery and collage.

Folksy Friday - around the world

On this day in 1933 a certain Mr Aviator Wiley Post ended his first around-the-world flight on this day.  The good old boy travelled 15,596 miles in just over a week  on his plane the Winnie Mae.  So for my very first Folksy Friday, the theme is Around the World.

(Links to the items are under the pictures, the seller's shop under their name - be sure to check out their other delectable items)


First up - Fluffsstuffs with their power-punchy "Where's the Pilot".  I just love the arrangement, it reminds me of the style of 1960's Romance comics and it looks beautifully well made.

Fluffsstuffs

Next up the folksy famous Bookity.  Some truly paper-passionate people.
I am sure Mr Post would have appreciated a little pendant of home to rest next to his heart.  What a pretty present that would be for a travelling world wanderer.

And finally, another pendant this time from Sour Cherry.  Very different in style, but simple, modern and super stylish. The name Sour Cherry seems to fit the style too- such the opposite of icky sweet it kind of makes you pucker.

The Old Nun's head & the Old Bill gets wed

My first night at the Old Nun's head was marvellous - I was in a Northern Soul kind of a mood to begin with, bringing in some classic hip-hop, rock n roll, 80's synthy stuff, boogaloo, blues and pretty much anything else I had the ear for. I always like it when people come and ask me what a particular tune is, then I know I am on the right track.

The easy generosity and friendliness of the bar staff nearly killed me with kindness - decongestants and a seemingly endless wine tab (and most crucially, combined with a infantile lack of discipline on my part) was not the best mix.

so, I hope my music spoke for me when I could not.

Here's a small selection from the start of the night.



On the Saturday we had a booking via the agency for a wedding. We were sent a playlist, which luckily had some great tunes on it, a couple of funk/ soulers were joining in matrimony, carrying on their fine, musical line. The groom was an upstanding member of the South East London Constabulary, and below are 5 songs we DID NOT play on his special day.



The venue was an old London town dream. A quiet square in Fitzrovia.  Once home to Viginia Stephen Woolf and current home of the Consulate of Liberia, a private hospital, it's very own resident's opera company, and so the owner of the Italian cafe round the corner claims: Mel Smith, Gary Kemp and Guy Ritchie. If you want to rub shoulders with them in the resident's only square, there's a 3 bed house to rent on the square for £795 per week (and the same again in parking). See you there!

Persia in Peckham

 

Persepolis website

At Last - two things I have been postponing for some time now can be ticked off the list: 1. Write a blog. 2. Visit Persepolis in Peckham.  Point two was infinitely worthwhile, point one has yet to be proven, and not to be decided by me.

If you have been travelling between Peckham and Camberwell you would have noticed a bright, sunny yellow shop front with a window full of peacock coloured glass and signs exhorting passers by to spread a little sunshine with a smile. Usually people who tell me to "cheer up, love" get a mushroom cloud stare, but somehow, their message was sweet and I have been longing to explore Persepolis for some years.

Inside we have everything Iranian and rather more random loveliness, like Kennington Honey.
With so much to look at I was not too sure how to limit my purchases in some sensible way.  Thankfully, the nice lady guided me to their own free newsletter with their recipe of the month and I gave that a go and adapted it a tiny bit. The highlighted ingredients were bought from Persepolis for a bit over £7, which I thought was very reasonable.

Grilled barberry trout (for two)

Ingredients:

Two whole cleaned trout

1 teaspoon harissa spice

salt and pepper

olive oil

15g sour orange peel

butter

5 bunch spring onions

37g Barberries, soaked and drained

25g nibbed almonds

generous handful each of fresh mint and coriander chopped

1/4 cup basmati rice

pinch of saffron strands

Steam the basmati rice and set aside. Soak the Barberries in cold water until you need them in a bit.
Wash your fish and pat them dry, and make a few incisions in the skin of each one.  Mix the harissa seasoning and some olive oil together, and rub it into the skin and cavity of the fish.

Bring some water to the boil in a saucepan, and blanch the sour orange peel for a few minutes before draining.  Next melt a little butter in a frying pan, and toss in the onions, barberries, and orange peel, followed minutes later by the almonds. Fry for a minute or more and then take it all off the heat and allow to cool before mixing with the herbs and rice.

Pour a little boiling water into a small bowl, sprinkle on the saffron and whisk some butter into it. (it melts fine in the hot water)

Place each fish on a piece of greased foil, fill the cavities with the stuffing and then tie with kitchen twine.  Drizzle the buttery saffron over the fish, turning so that they are well coated.

Next, bring the foil around the fish up slightly so each one is sitting in a sort of foil dish.  Place the fish under a hot grill and cook for 4-5 minutes before turning each fish over and repeating the other side.  If you are cooking whole fish, wait til the skin was kinda crispy, the trout was cooked perfectly. 

As I leave Persepolis looking forward to their next recipe of the month and the new fragrances and tastes to look forward to, I turn and find a shop that sells my idea of a "designer" classy cakes. I know the one I want.

I have often wondered why anyone should interrupt a person's psychic space with "cheer up, love" as according to my own Vox Pop, it is sure to inspire a bad mood where there was none before.  Surely a dangerous thing to do in this part of the world? It has occurred to me that it must be something in my face provokes such a near suicidal reaction out of such disgustingly chirpy white-van-man types, and reviewing my immediate behaviour I realise I am usually thinking hard about something, perhaps a bit of mental arithmetic.  On the way home from Peckham, I chanced upon this hairdressers, and my thinking-hard face was back on...

Pricise? It's fantastic - so beautiful it deserves it's own category of misspelling.  So for a few hundred yards I thought hard to find a word that means: a mispelling of a word that negates or reverses the original meaning of that word, like Sofisticated, or civelized or something like that.

Finally, seen in New Cross from the 172...

Ah! Damien Hurst - New Cross' favourite son.  Perhaps he had a need for an adjustable office chair when he does his self-assessment online - or does he get a team of students in to do his accounts for him?