Organized Scenery

... Au Revoir Simone. They always make me feel a bit festive with their slightly jingley songs.

I have been terrible with my posting since not having the internet. But since it's Christmas and I'm feeling pretty festive with crackers floating around the office, I thought I'd share what I've been keeping myself busy with.

I present to you, Alex's Homemade Christmas: Part One.

Last weekend Adam and I had a lazy festive weekend picking out his Christmas tree, building a mini igloo from icing (which i forgot to take a picture of), and making wreaths. Which, if I do say so myself, are pretty darn great.


If you're not interested in how we made them, stop reading now, but I thought I might as well share for anyone who is.

You will need:

• A bag of moss
• Some form of meshy wire
• Sturdy wire
• Leaves/ branches/ berries/ twigs
  
• Ribbon

1. Cut a long strip of the meshy wire a few inches wide, and enough to make a big loop. Shape it so it makes a long tube and then attach each end. This is the basic structure.
2. Stuff it with moss.
3. Make a few loops with the sturdy wire and attach to the back so it holds its shape.
4. Stuff the front with your leaves and things. Can do it full all the way round in the same direction like the top one, or more rustic by using bigger branches to curve round, leaving bits of the moss on show.
5. When its full, use string or wire to fix any of the loose bits.
6. Add ribbon and berries for decoration.

The end.

Trick Pony

...Charlotte Gainsbourg.

A few photos from Beijing's 798 art district, which is a neighbourhood filled with galleries, artist studios, cafes, art shops and street sculptures. Despite spending all day there, i'm sure there is plenty we missed.

With a bit of cash and dedication, this is what Digbeth could/ should be.

Also filled me with burning a desire for a white wash studio apartment/loft complete with plants.

Selfmachine

...I Blame Coco

My camera popped out of hibernation this week for a quick trip to an aircraft hangar in Coventry, where Rosie Kay was filming her dance piece '5 Soldiers: The Body is the Frontline'. It all looks like it's going to be pretty great, there's lots of photos in Meshed Media's Flickr.

Fader

...Temper Trap

Last night I went to an experimental drawing class at mac. I went armed with my pencils and sketchbook, not really sure what to expect, but to my delight ended up with a pallet containing brown furniture polish, coffee, vegetable oil, black ink and mud. Everyone was also given a big piece of paper and a photocopied image of a landscape - i picked a nice mountainy one - and for two hours had a go at creating a piece using experimental materials.

This was my result - in true me fashion, my final larger attempt only got as far as the mountains after taking too long on the tester, so I decided to bring it home and try it myself with various materials in my cupboards. Need to find something which I'll be able to use to do the water a bit better - clearly coffee wasn't my thing.

- oh that also just gave me a thought about substituting water colours for tea. Fab :) Now, what can I char in substitute for charcoal...

-

... I'm getting real lazy with my titles lately. I have no excuse. Just pure unoriginality and lazyness.

Last weekend the girls came to visit, half because we wanted a night at Snobs, and half because it tied in nicely with Alex's birthday. So I made some more cakes :) Ditched the swirly icing in favour of these multicoloured cupcake-kebabs. Icing was yum, cakes a little dry, I have yet to reach perfection...

Oxford Comma

...Vampire Weekend

It was Adams birthday yesterday, so I made him these yummmmy brownie cupcakes with peanut butter frosting, from a recipe posted by Dujour. Of course, I had in mind that mine would also look beautiful and perfect, and then got to icing and found that I have still not mastered the art of cupcake decorating. After my first few attempts looked like a tiny dog had actually trotted along and done his business on top of my little brownies, I did get a tad better. Ah well, I guesssss I'd better make more for practice :)

We also took a trip to Oxford, which obviously made me very jealous of everyone living there, and made me wish I'd tried harder (much harder) in school, so that I could be one of those casually smart and brainy students swanning around all those lovely buildings. Hmph.

We also stopped by Bicester outlet village, and I got some nice spotty wellies from Cath Kidston, adding to my seemingly growing collection of bottle green clothing. (This purchase was very justified due to last winter's weather and my lack of waterproof, grippy footwear. I have yet to think of valid justifications for my other purchases, other then I never have to reach far to tell the time, thanks to my new 'time piece' necklace.)

-

The last few of China photos for now. The last of my film at least, (there's a few more on Flickr) still plenty of un-posted, un-edited other photos (mainly from 798 Project, which which is a great place as shall be seen in due course). These are from inside the Forbidden City, which is just pretty huge.

And of course, I do like lamp posts. And Beijing-ers do love their bikes.

Midnight Club.

...Russ Chimes.

Love these. Parts 1, 2 & 3.

Sprawl II (Mountains beyond mountains)

...Arcade Fire

Despite the swarm of tourists that congregate at Badaling to see The Great Wall of China, the view is pretty amazing. When we were warned about climbing the wall in such heat, I had no idea we actually had to CLIMB. Vertical slopes in flip flops meant I made it the closest high point, took a moment or so to poke my head out and catch some cool air, before retreating.

Opus 36

...Dustin O'Halloran

A misty day at the Summer Palace. It rained all morning. Then it stopped and we took a peddle boat out on the lake. It was rather surreal, a mix between peaceful and eerie, I half expected a huge dragon boat full of warriors to emerge from the mist.

My Best Theory

... Jimmy Eat World

Yes still a major lack of posts, but we've been busy making our own internet-less fun over bank holiday. Sherree and I made this choccie cake with our new heart tin, which we bought on our shopping spree to spruce up the flat. Also purchased a nice welcoming door mat (everyone has them, I felt left out) and some fake flowers from the cash and carry at the bottom the road.

It almost makes up for how upset I was at missing the farmers market, which has amaaazing cakes.

Also popped down to Ikon Eastside, which I've been walking past everyday but never had the chance to go in. The video installation on at the moment was a lovely break from the busy bank holiday crowds. Lazing about on bean bags gazing at Sergio Vega's paradise is a good way to spend a Sunday afternoon.

-------



Just so you don't have to listen on their website and have them sneakily post to your facebook at the same time.
Listening to this, plus all my old music which I've finally loaded on the mac, also reminds me that I haven't been festival-ing this year. Which is slightly sad. But a break from Leeds was needed, and as of yesterday I have a burning desire to do a different one next year, perhaps even abroad. Yes, I'm pretty crazy like that. Anyway, I have a year to plan.

Skippin' Town

...The Drums

As usual my lack of efficiency has meant that I forgot to write about going to China, possibly the only exciting thing that would have made for good reading. But I did do a little post on the Meshed Media blog, so you can read that instead if you're interested.

Have slowly been working through some photos though, so can write a bit with those...

1. This was at a restaurant by the side of the lake at Houhai. It just so happened that this was the only resturant with a table free by the water, and it had the most beautiful turquoise sequined tablecloth, with pink cushions. Lovely.
2. At the end of a long day, David and I were too lazy to walk all the way back to the subway from the Forbidden City, so we risked our lives and took a ricksaw through backstreets and rushhour traffic. (even though it's always rush hour in Beijing centre) It was great fun though.
3. This day I walked around Beijing city centre for hours and ended up going in a massive circle. It was in the mid-late thirties. Very very hot. But this was a cute park I passed through.
4. This is the market street inbetween the University and my hotel which I walked through every morning and night, in rain and shine. Lots of people stared at me, but after a while I gave a smile and a wave to the street food vendors, and picked up some sweet bread from the same man with his little bread stand, yummeee.
5. Another little street, this one was by a great shopping street - so good we had to go twice, I cant remember the name, but it's amongst lots of Hutongs.

Carousel

...Paper Route

Way back when it was the Christmas German Market, Sherree and I had a go on the carousel. We had a whale of a time, and laughed all the way round. Out of a whole roll used in my shitty supersnapper camera, this was the only photo which came out alright.

City with no children

...Arcade Fire

I'm a bit of grown up now. I have a grown up apartment in the city (which doesn't yet have the internet, hence lack of posting). This is our view of the lovely industrial wasteland come creative canvas that is Digbeth. It might not look much, but it's kinda distracting when your just sat there.

Films of Colour

A few months ago Alex, Jaime and I decided it would be fun to spend a day making an animated music video, amid a shed load of work. So we did. We roped in Jaime's sister Shawnee, who was good enough to lay in their freezing cold living room all afternoon and wiggle around on demand, as Alex and Jaime crawled about with props and I balanced on a not so stable chair above with the camera.
For a days planning and creating using the contents of our 'making baskets', we were pretty impressed with our efforts. But then time went by and we had lots of boring work to do. But finally Alex has found time around working in her burger van to edit the photos together.
And this is the result.

Films of Colour - 'Actions' from Alex Carruthers on Vimeo.

Young Blood

...The Naked & Famous

I forgot to post this (along with everything else), but while looking for a flat last weekend, we popped into the BMAG Waterhall to have a look round the Steve McCurry exhibition. It was real good, well worth a look.
More than just 'man+camera+far east= oooo isn't that good', makes me wish I'd had more time and an adventurous spirit in China. Not that I saw any children with guns... just sayin.


On a lighter note....

the naked & famous don't seem to be on spotify, so here's a bit of youtube

Airplanes

...B.o.B Feat. Hayley Williams

I just kinda like it okaaay.
Finally have photo shop, so thought it was about time to sort through my China photos. Also using this as an activity to avoid organising all my belongings.

Siberia

Goodbye Holland. Short but sweet