Lady Lucy

Many years ago (hmmm let's say it was about 5 or 6) I helped put on Ladyfest Bristol. Lady Lucy and I were responsible for the visual arts side of things, and these photos are from when we sat in the garden of a cafe after visiting the gallery space we were going to use. I treated LL to lunch and she popped out to get money and came back with Karisma colour pencils for me. We drew each other in her sketch book using each others materials- I used her brush pen and she used my pencils. My picture of her says 'Live to skate, Sk8 to live' and ' I've forgotten how to draw'. Her picture of me says 'crunchcandy' and 'I have four diaries'. On the journey to the cafe, from the gallery Lady Lucy's skateboard had gone in the docks, never to be seen again, and I had told her about how I had multiple on-line diaries.

I found these photos the other day and scanned them in- just in time for me to let you know that Lady Lucy has just completed her MA at Chelsea and her show opens on the 18th September, running til the 21st.

technology...

I've been battling all day with trying to install my old scanner (that I love) onto my new computer (that came with one of those all in one printer/scanner things that I don't love) it seems that it's not going to happen and after about 4 attempts i'm going to admit defeat. I was just about to write off technology completely, until I came across an old disc that I didn't know I had, full of photos taken by my friend Lisa Brook at Ladyfest Bristol back in 2003. I've just uploaded the photos of the Comic Book Queens exhibition to my flickr.

I'm so glad Lisa was around to take photos because by the time this show was up I was just about to drop down dead. I don't remember much of the actual festival, just a whole heap of stress related to it, but being able to see these photos now makes me realise we did a good job!

Last week and next week

On Saturday I went and helped out at a fundraiser for Ladyfest Bristol. I was due to be the second seamstress for the event, but when I unpacked my sewing machine I realised i'd left the foot pedal at home- thus rendering it pretty useless. Instead I helped people make badges for themselves and their friends, did a bit of t-shirt refashioning and ate some of the amazing cakes that other Ladyfesters had brought along for the event. I've really not been that involved in Ladyfest Bristol this time round, so it was nice to meet up with some of the people that are running it this year, and great to see what good hands the festival is in.

Next week I shall be running my re-scheduled workshop for Nanocamp. On wed 15th august there will be badge making at here shop and gallery with local artist Alys Paterson, and clothes making with me. There's still plenty of spaces, so if you are the owner of a child aged 8-12 years old then bring them along to join us!

Clothes swap

Old clothes that don't fit? Need a new button, pocket or entire wardrobe re-vamp? Then come along to the Ladyfest Clothes Swap and Sewing Party! You can swap your clothes for those other people don't want. And if you can't find something to suit your taste, our sewing whizzes will save the day and whip those tired threads into shape. That dull old skirt will go to the ball!

Hope to see you there, we're going through the wardrobe already..

Snacks and soft drinks will be available. Any leftover clothes will be donated to a Mind charity shop.

I is for

I is for Misako Inaoka

I came across this artist via Lisa Congdon's blog, and I really don't know very much about her, other than the images charmed me and I fancy she would get on well with Tom Bugs if they ever met up. I am a sucker for birds (isn't everyone these days) but what I really like about this work is the way that technology such as motion sensors combines with bird forms and fake moss to create work that is both natural and artificial. Yet another artist who I would love to see 'in real life'. If you live in the US you may just get a chance to see her work as she has a residency at the Headlands Center for the Arts and in September will be showing at Stephen Wirtz Gallery, San Francisco, CA

I is for Ileana Rodriguez

Ileana (aka India*Romeo) is a lovely-thing-maker, and a super helpful nice person too (she offered to track down some unreturned items from a show that I took part in that was held in her home town). She has a shop on etsy (click on either of the images above to buy them), a collection of photos on flickr and is one of the people behind the NC craft collective known as the Handmaidens.

I is for Independent Heroines

Independent Heroines started life as a zine by Lady Lucy (here or here) and in 2003, along with Lisa Brook (who made the film Two Girls Kissing, which the b/w image is from), it became a film festival as part of Ladyfest Bristol 2003. In 2005 it became a fully fledged feminist film festival in it's own right, and Lisa and Lady went on to take the festival on tour.

ps- Lady Lucy used to be my nemesis but not any more.


I was actually a really hard letter to find artists for, so if you have any suggestions to add to the list i'd love to know them!

Ladyfest Bristol is coming...again

In 2003 I was part of the team of people that put on Ladyfest Bristol, which in turn lead to the creation of the here shop and gallery, cafe kino, local kid promotions, Stitch'n'Bitch Bristol and the Independent Heroines film festival.

This year there's going to be a new Ladyfest Bristol, and they've just launched their website, which will have updated info about events leading up to the festival (at the end of August) and a full programme of events nearer the time. I'm going to be taking part in a small way by hosting the Stitch'n' Bitch at Cafe Kino on the Sunday, so if you've got a few hours to spare on September 2nd, come along and join me. Put it in your diary now! (I should also have some of my work on exhibit during the festival too, but i'm not sure where that will be yet)