celebrating new wave craft in the uk #1

#1
We celebrate:
6  Pica Picks
7  Carrot Cupcakes
8  The Letterpress Queen
Interview with Aina Bergerud
11  Fire Starter
12  Make a Stand
Investigating Craftivism
17  Riverboat Love Affair
23  Pretty Little Bird
Interview with Anke Weckmann
27  What's Going On?
Join the dots
28  The Devil’s in the Detail
Copycat craft
31  Drawn In
The Scribble Project
33  Curiouser and Curiouser
Journey down the rabbit hole
34  Tied Up in Notts
Pica Pica city guide
36  A Day at the Races!
A fascinator instructional
38  Craft Britannia
UK clubs and collectives
42  Kawaii 101
A lesson in cute
45  Love is in the Air
48  Felt Up
50  Je Suis un Oignon
A plush project to make you cry
53  Kate’s Aviary
Colour it in
54  Pica Pica Wants You!
Cover competition results
56  Reviews

pica pica magazine 3 

 Greetings stranger
Contributors: Feel very privileged to be holding your  
Christine and David Penfold, 
Gemma Latimer, Amy Blackwell, copy of the first issue of Pica Pica Magazine  
Geoff Webb, Christine Nairne, 
Brian Fitzgerald, Annalisa D’Urbano,  - it’s like gold dust!
Lisa Hack, Jo Want, Kate Broughton,
Lucia Biagi, DK Goldstein  
Traditionally, craft titles have stuck to the seriously outdated ‘hobbies’ market
Pica Pica Magazine is a project  – none of them have been brave enough to really tackle the UK’s flourishing
created by a team of MA Publishing
students at the London College of ‘alt-craft’ scene. These are exciting times and Pica Pica Magazine represents all
Communication, London SE1 6SB. that is innovative and captivating about craft and handmade creativity in the UK
Printed on Robert Horne Revive right now.
100% Recycled Paper Sure, there are countless websites out there – but who doesn’t love that feeling
Cover design by Stephanie Baxter
of sitting back with a cup of tea and absorbing the beauty of a magazine in print?
©2010 Pica Pica. All work remains Pica Pica is something to touch, collect and truly appreciate. We aim to inspire
copyright of individual contributors you to make, sew, colour, bake, cut, paste, knit or create with insightful inter-
and owners. No part of this magazine views, articles, fun projects and inspirational finds.
may be reproduced without prior
permission of the copyright holder. So, what’s in the first issue? We investigate the attraction of the UK for migrat-
ing young creatives by discovering the lost art of letterpress with Norwegian
www.picapicamag.co.uk designer Aina Bergerud and delve into the life of Anke Weckmann, a German-
www.twitter.com/picapicamag born illustrator who sees London as her spiritual home.
We’ve scoured the country to find the UK’s best clubs and collectives and
unearth Nottingham’s crafty side. We also hand pick some Alice In Wonderland
themed finds to tie in with the release of Tim Burton’s remake and present three
fantastic beginner-level projects to get your creative teeth into.

So, read on for these and much more!

We’d like to thank our contributors for their wonderful work, Desmond O’Rourke,
David Penfold and Keith Martin for their continual support and guidance
throughout this project, Tony Yard, Scott House, Jim McBride and Robert Saints
from the LCC print team for helping bring our vision to life and all those great
folks who’ve championed us through Facebook and Twitter. 

Love and stitches,

and the Secret Squirrel Society x

4  pica pica magazine

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illustrations by belinda johnson

pica pica magazine 5 

 Pica Picks the
t
favo eam’s
urit
es!

cat: ‘Because...
well just look at
its wee face!’
Yum my donut pl
ush 
sucker
by Heidi Ken ne
y  m arie: ‘I’m a
in gs , an d
kidrobot.com for corny th
a ve this!’
just had to h
Edwar d C u llen 
by M an llow 
t to me’ etsy.com
n ec k la ce just calls ou s 
his y She Draw
nata lie: ‘T Neck lace b
g e P h on e
Vinta
k ari.co.uk
hanna hza

 
el l
rr
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c ry! Ge
y by
I ma b a g
MG ugs
:y ‘O t dr k
ck o .u
be gs n f.co
elena: P u z y oa
‘How to be animal-friendly without la
renouncing the thrill of an animal
around the neck’
Fantastic Mr. Scarf by  
ohioja.blogspot.com
:
gilli a n
e tt in g
es g
c a u s e n o one lik pped!’
‘Be s tra
their arm Snugg ie 
g ie.com
getsnug
belinda:
me
’s just like
‘Because it ister’
and my m lancuch a
 
pr int y B
b kathrin:
e s e c r e t
Th ‘Because cups should be cute’
etsy.com
Handleless cups with oak lids 
by Sandra Isaksson 
isak.co.uk

6  pica pica magazine

 d
rg er u
nd a i n a be
l ia n a
a’s gil
pica pic

The Letterpress Queen

Balancing her time between her work as a graphic designer and  
as a dedicated letterpress artist, Aina Bergerud shares her inspiring
account of how she fell in love with the lost art of letterpress.
words by gillian harris and cat millar
photos by cat millar and aina bergerud

Pica Pica’s Gillian and Cat met Aina Bergerud on a
Saturday morning bright and early. They were told that
she was a morning person, which worked well for Gillian
because she is one as well! Even if they hadn’t known
she loved mornings, they would have assumed so from
her bubbly personality and passionate conversation. As
publishing students immersed in the evolution from
print to digital, Aina and her letterpress is a refreshing
look at print as art.
To start with the basics, what is letterpress? Basically every
single letter is individual. So, to actually set a word you
need to physically put them together. There are different
blocks and brakes, different names like leads, rulers and
furniture. There are different sizes and measurements.
You have to put them all together into a form that doesn’t
move. If it moves, it’s not a very good print. Sometimes
things don’t turn out how you want, so you have to move
the type and try again. I always take a picture of my prints
so I can keep a record of how each one looks physically.

8  pica pica magazine

You initially came to London to study graphic design, how
did you get into letterpress? I took my Masters in
Graphics at London Metropolitan University. I had
learned about letterpress during my BA but never got to
use one. When I came here to go to university they had
a letterpress room. I’m a total typography geek, so I was
like, “Wow letters, lets try it!” I got so fascinated that I
did my whole Masters project on letterpress. I spent three
whole months alone in that room. some
of a in
a’s l e t
ter pr
So is setting up a letterpress piece time consuming? It depends ess w o
rk
on what it is. If it is a simple piece it can take 15 to 20
minutes but other pieces can take days. Sometimes you
have an idea of how you want your print to be but it can be
frustrating because letterpress is very limited, especially
bigger size fonts because the bigger sizes are always made
of wood and the pieces can be worn out, or damaged or
missing some letters. For instance, you will want to print
the word “Hope” but there is no “o!”

Is there any way to design your own letterpress letters?

Yes, you can do it several different ways. You can make
a design and send it to a plaque maker. He makes metal
plates that replace the individual type, a precursor to
offset plates in a way. I’ve never done this but I had a
two-week internship at a letterpress studio, during my
MA and they did this a lot to make logos and business
cards. These are digital files, which are made into plates.
I did some research and thought about doing this with
one of my posters but it’s very expensive! It’s nice to have
because you can use the plate over and over again.
Where do you get all of your letters? Do you buy any letters from
markets? There are people that sell their stuff when they
retire, or even give it away. There are also places where
you can exchange fonts. If you go to Spitalfields it’s really
hard to find the same fonts because they split them up.
This is really annoying because it is so hard to differen-
tiate them. It can look cool when every letter is not the
same but sometimes you want to use the same font. It is
also really expensive when they split them up like that!
Do you know many other people who do letterpress? I am a
member of a letterpress discussion group, with people
from all over the world but mainly Americans. They post
things during the night and I read them during the day.
It’s very cool, I would love to go to America and try to
meet some of them.
So does this mean you haven’t done many collaborations with
other letter pressers? No, I haven’t done that yet. It’s good
in a way, because in Norway I haven’t found anyone that
does letterpress. I know a couple of universities that have
a letterpress room but the students don’t use them often
and it is not a big part of their education. At the moment
I’m setting some pieces in Norwegian and English as
my friend at home can sell them in her shop. I’ll be at an
advantage, because nobody else is selling letterpress art
in Norway!
How are you going to showcase your work? Are you thinking
about an exhibit? I have a friend from university who’s
setting up a group of students and young professionals
to share their design work. I’m also going to set up a blog
with pictures of my work.
What do you think you will charge for one print? I am not
sure, that’s the hard part. I went to an exhibition of two
very famous artists, Alan Kitching and Celia Stothard,

pica pica magazine 9 

who are based in London. They are great, and
sell their posters for £1000. As long as I can
sell my artwork, and people know about it,  
I don’t really care about how much they pay!

Do you do any other hobbies or crafts? I plan

on doing some small books with letterpress
and hand binding them. I learned how to do
this during my MA. It looks simple, like it is
handmade but I like stuff like that. I made
a small book for my friend for her birthday
with letterpress and when I gave it to her she
started crying!

It must be refreshing because everything is so

digital now. Do you think that this is part of
the appeal? Yes, it is. It’s not because I hate
digital. I have a Mac and I love it! It’s about
getting both sides. I think it has to do with
how I grew up in the countryside and am
used to being outside and using my hands
physically. I’m not very good at drawing but
wanted to do something with my hands, I
found letterpress!

How long have you been doing letterpress for?

It is nice to see someone so passionate about
something! One and a half years. For my MA
exhibition I wanted to show why I enjoy it so
much. I brought washable ink from Norway,
made some wooden blocks and had several
different papers to print on, so people could
see what it was like. Everyone loved it!

Finally then, if you could leave behind one object

for the world to remember you by what would it
be? I would leave a huge letterpress poster
that spans the whole room. Whatever it is,  
it HAS to be with letterpress!

10  pica pica magazine

 mak
e
drag a
on!

Fire Starter
About Materials
This dragon is for your little sister, or for your girlfriend, Toilet roll tube
or for your father who just doesn’t understand! Scissors
Sticky tape
words and images by geoff webb Your choice of paper

Print out the template (picapicamag.co.uk/tp- Remember to cut out the tabs on the template to
dragon). Try sketching it out in small form first – cut help with gluing, folding and taping. I’d recommend

1
it out and try folding it to see if the dimensions are
working. If not, you can tweak them for the real
thing. You might find that even with the real thing,
you’ll have to make more folds in order to make it
work.
Think profile! What do you want your dragon to look
like from the side? While a 3D head is cool, most
2 people don’t mind if their dragons have flat limbs
that look good from the side (as long as they hold up
the body!)
3 colouring the paper with watercolour pencils before
you cut out the individual pieces. Draw the head so
that you can fold it into shape with the help of some
tape.
The back legs look the same as the forelegs, but bigger
so as to elevate the hips more angled towards the rear.
4 Make the top tabs larger to curl over the body. Fold
the feet down so the ankles are kind of springy like
accordions.
Wrap paper around the toilet paper roll to make the
5 body and tape it all together. You can decorate with
spikes on the back, or wings or anything that takes
your fancy. There you have it! Taadaa!

pica pica magazine 11 

12  pica pica magazine
 em bers
ec t ive m er
ist col l n
cra f t iv prot e st b a n
at t heir east l on
don
op in
wor k sh

Make a Stand
Delve a little deeper into the UK craft scene and it soon becomes clear
that many of those involved are seeking to create change and promote
awareness for issues that are often ignored. Wanting to find out more
about this underground movement, Pica Pica sent journalist DK  
Goldstein on a mission to find out what it means to be a craftivist.
words by dk goldstein
pictures by carrie reichardt and sarah corbett

Remember the days when an -ism wasn’t a flashing
beacon of trepidation but something to cushion your
beliefs like a mollifying hug? Socialism, communism,
veganism, even fascism, was something that was going
to save us at one point or another, something to take com-
fort in. If you weren’t happy with a dose of bolshevism
you’d whack on some Mussolini, he’d sort you out with
an -ism better fitted to your liking. But nowadays we’re
drowned in despondent -isms – sexism, racism, ageism –
these never leave the lips lightly, and when they do those
lips mean serious business. It’s difficult not to see them
shrouded in social awkwardness, so for craft to amalga-
mate with activism under the guise of craftivism is a bold
step, especially when activism is seen as confrontational
by the unapprised.
Originally coined in 2002 by the Goldsmiths graduate
and craft queen, Betsy Greer when her friend combined
two common words in Greer’s vocabulary, the term

pica pica magazine 13 

 ‘craftivism’ didn’t fully catch on until her first book,
Knitting for Good, was published in November 2008. Greer
believes that it’s about the “not-so-radical notion that
activists can be crafters, and crafters can be activists,”
and one person who agrees with that is Sarah Corbett, the
founder of London-based Craftivist Collective. As well
as lobbying her local MPs and boycotting major brands
such as Topshop and Primark, Corbett uses her “creativ-
ity to make the public aware of the struggles people are
still going through.” In the year that the group has been
established they have hosted events such as the ‘Craftiv-
ism Corner’ at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, Southbank, to
make badges, wishes and banners on themes surround-
ing the conflict in Sudan and collaborated with Oxfam
to hold creative campaigning workshops. “I wanted to be
surrounded by like-minded people and change the world
for the better,” states Corbett. “I couldn’t find a group in
London that did that, so I decided to set up my own.”
Another renowned craftivist on the scene is Carrie
Reichardt, who acts regularly with political prisoners in
mind. She works from her home, The Treatment Rooms,
“the UK’s only ceramic house of resistance” as she calls
it, which, for the last eight years has been covered in
ongoing mosaic art. Reichardt has been placing her
oms
t ment ro
t he t rea
14  pica pica magazine
anarchic tiles, mosaics and ceramic pieces around the
world for years and believes that craftivism works as
a better alternative to old-hat petitions and banners.
“Compare a normal stall with political leaflets on it with a
beautiful mosaic covered truck or large knitted banner,”
she muses. “It’s obvious which one will attract more
people. Often the art allows conversations to open up and
for more of an exchange of ideas to take place.” As well
as being involved in a number of community projects,
such as the mural under the Westway in Ladbroke Grove
as part of the Mutate Britain Winter Show, she was also
recently artist in residence with the SHP (Single Home-
less People) charity, running mosaic workshops.
I wanted to be surrounded by
like-minded people and change
the world for the better
With all those heavily involved in the craftivism scene
being girls, it may seem a daunting, feminist terrain to
enter into if you’re a like-minded guy trying to get your
foot in the door. But unlike second-wave feminists of
previous generations, who cast off their homely duties
with scorn, these third-wave feminists are all about a DIY
reichar dt at wo
rk
 philosophy, self-sufficiency and change. So it’s encouraging
to see that in 2005 four blokes got together and founded
Etsy.com. In an attempt to overthrow capitalism through
craft and cut out the middle man, thereby connecting the
buyer directly to the seller, Rob Kalin, Chris Maguire,
Haim Schoppik and Jared Tarbell started up a website that
made people feel like individuals again. In their ‘Alchemy’
customers can appeal for custom made items and sellers
will begin a bidding war in the hope that they’ll be the one to
make and supply those desirables.
“No one likes to show up at a party wearing the same
dress as someone else,” writes Greer on the Craftivism.com
blog. Up until the Industrial Revolution clothes were made
to fit the individual, rather than the individual squeezing
themselves into those ‘it-says-size-10-I’m-usually-a-10’
jeans or constantly grappling with that dress that won’t sit
properly because they ‘simply had to have it’, and all acts in
craft are helping us to achieve individualism. Early last year
the Etsy craftivism team had a debate over certain members
not being in it for the right reasons and if reasons were even
relevant when it comes to craft. Conservative members
of the group believed that the Modus Operandi assumed
a liberal agenda and argued that as they all had different
beliefs, politics should not be brought into it. Should politics
:
k out
chec a r dt.com om
ic h e.c
ier e cti v
ca r r t-col l e
i v is
c ra f t
Craf ti vist Co
ll ec ti ve’s
m in i protest
tool case
be left by the door? “Never!” argues Corbett feistily.
“The core element of craftivism is to make people
aware of issues and encourage them to act as well as
think about injustices in the world,” she explains.
But there are other organisations who dispute that
acting through craft will raise further awareness
than, say, a good old sit-in. LCAP (London Coalition
Against Poverty), a direct action advocacy group
help iron out injustices by offering legal advice and
organising demos rather than just raising awareness
through discussion. “If you’re trying to bring up kids
in London on the minimum wage, you probably don’t
have time left over in your day for cross-stitch,” puts
in Roy Marmelstein, a spokesperson for LCAP. “The
appeal seems very much for students and seasoned
politicos. You can’t change anything without the
support of all sections of the community.” But
Corbett explains that “lots of people who join [the
Craftivist Collective] feel that the activist world can
be elitist, scary, judgmental and extreme in views.”
And this is where craftivism comes in, to form a less
intimidating environment and provide you with a
cushy stepping stone into a world of activism, where
you can act and change the world at your own pace.
A ba nner from
the Renega de
Potters
an d Ex treme
Craf t ex hibi ti
on
pica pica magazine 15 
Riverboat
Love Affair
One of East London’s finest places and means of
transportation must be the Shoreditch Canal.
Whether taking a stroll, cycling or feeding the
ducks, the canal gives London an unmistakably
romantic touch. Our favourite location on the canal
is a hole in the wall coffee shop, which appears to you
out of nowhere and sells delightful coffee and cakes!
Embracing this romantic feeling, Pica Pica gathered
their best second hand pieces and turned them into
inspiring nautical outfits. Whether you prefer  
dressing as Captain, Cabin Wench or even Best Mate,
Pica Pica wants to show you how even a regular day in
the city can be transformed into a  
Riverboat Love Affair.

pica pica magazine 17 

18  pica pica magazine
 A flower
i
P u t it i n s a g r e at w a y to
y o ur ha add som
flower,
but rea l ir, or pin it to y e colour to you
C he c k o flo ou r lo
ut the P wers work wel l r jacket. T h is is ok.  
ica Pica too, and a fa ke
a fa bu lo w e b s ite s me l l a
us fa br ic for i n st lo t n ic
flower f r uctions on m er!
or yours a k ing
elf.

pica pica magazine 19 

 t y ou r
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If you w add a pair of th t
t h i s spr in g: , ju st f a ho
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shor t sh nee sock s to yo hose goosebum
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h ighs o d you can bat tle
l at t e a n

20  pica pica magazine

pica pica magazine 21 
 photos by brian fitzgerald
model: lisa hack
stylist: annalisa d'urbano
assistants: cat millar and elena biagi
words and direction by gillian harris

22  pica pica magazine

 by Heidi Kenney

Pretty Little Bird

Pica Pica takes a peek into the whimsical world of  
illustrator Anke Weckmann and finds out what it’s like to
see your first paid work in print.
words by belinda johnson and natalie ridgway
illustrations and photos by anke weckmann

pica pica magazine 23 

Anke is a freelance illustrator who draws the most gor-
geous of images – mainly cute indie girls wearing quirky
outfits, rosy cheeks, and super sweet shoes. Chubby
cats, enchanting plants, flowers and loved-up couples
also feature prominently in Anke’s work. When she’s
not working on one of her many commissions, Anke’s
probably tending to her Etsy shop, selling digital prints,
greeting cards and other small trinkets like magnets,
mirrors and pendants, to her numerous fans across the
globe. Anke sells and works under the name of Linotte,
which means ‘pretty little bird’ in French, perfectly
summing up her distinctive style for all things beautiful.
Originally from Germany near Hannover, Anke
moved to London in 2001 where she studied illustration
at Camberwell Arts College and Kingston University.
Since graduating in 2005, she has built up her portfolio
to include an impressive roster of clients, including the
likes of The Guardian, Channel 4, Newsweek, and Vogue
Italia. Pica Pica decided to catch up with Anke to find out
more about what makes her tick.
What was it about the UK that attracted you to come and study
here? I decided that I wanted to live in England when I was
about 12 years old. I just loved learning the language and
probably had a very romanticised idea I got from films
and books. Years later I was studying fashion design in
Germany and was very unhappy, so I thought – it’s now or
never. It was the best decision I ever made.
Do you think it’s important to be somewhere like London,
as a creative place, or could you work anywhere?
Theoretically as an illustrator you could work from any-
where, as long as you have everything you need to create
your work. I definitely feel some sort of ‘vibe’ in London.
I can work much better here than from my parents’ house
for example, which is in a very small town.
Were you very arty at school – what other things were you
interested in? I always really liked drawing, although the
art classes at school weren’t always very good, which I
found frustrating. I was always really good at English,
and I liked maths.
If you weren’t working as an illustrator what else do you think
you’d be doing? I really don’t know, I think illustration is
perfect for me. In another life I would like to be a dancer,
I think it must be amazing. (I don’t have any talent for it
in this life).
24  pica pica magazine
What was your first ever paid commission? How did you feel
when you saw it in use? My first commission was a young
fiction book called Roar, Bull, Roar, which I illustrated for
Frances Lincoln Publishers. It was surreal to
see my work in print for the first time. And a little anti-
climatic, because it never quite looks like you imagined.
You are seen as being quite successful as an illustrator – are
you making enough money to live off or is it still a struggle?
I still feel like I am just starting out in many ways. I can
live off illustration now and spend all my days drawing
and doing what I really want to do, so I’m very happy.
Do you use an agent, or have any thoughts on using agents?
I made a choice to work without an agent, because I want
to learn as much as possible about every aspect of the
job. I think it’s important to know about pricing jobs,
dealing with contracts and knowing about finances and
of course, promotion. It’s a learning curve but it gives you
confidence to deal with all the difficulties along the way.
It was surreal to see my work
in print for the first time.
And a little anti-climatic,
because it never quite looks
like you imagined.
Where do you do your work? What does your desk look like on
an average day? I work from home, which I love. I have
two big tables that get ridiculously messy when I work, no
matter how many times I tidy them up…
Is there one piece that stands out in your portfolio that sums
you up as an illustrator or that you are most proud of?
No, not really. Whenever I finish an illustration I’ve
already moved to the next thing in my head.
We know time is an issue for any freelance artist, but do you
do any other crafting in your spare time? I like knitting, it’s
nice to knit while watching a movie. Sometimes I think of
sewn projects for my Etsy shop, but there’s never enough
time for those. I really want to make a quilt this year, I
hope I can find the time for it.
What advice would you give to any budding artist or crafter
looking to break into the world of freelance? I think you have
to really, really want it, work very hard and have a lot of
patience.
 l i no t
te p oc
ke t m
ir rors

’
‘too cool for school
up ran ge de sig ne d
ma ke
rea)
for toda costa (ko

visit linotte.net to see

anke’s lovely portfol io!

a n ke’s
inspira
t ion bo
a r d!

pica pica magazine 25 

What’s Going On?
illustration by geoff webb

Did you know… Marvin Gaye loved to crochet?

pica pica magazine 27 

 The Devil’s in the Detail
Pica Pica looks at how the Internet has opened  
a Pandora’s box of copyright issues and investigates the
effect on independent craft and design.
words by cat millar and belinda johnson
illustrations by gemma latimer / gemmalatimer.com
The Internet! It’s killing the music industry, television, movies…
you know the score. But that’s nothing to do with craft, right? Sure,
at some point, we’ve all probably downloaded a few songs or shared
a film online and why feel guilty? There’s always the Robin Hood
defence: steal from the rich to give to the poor. But what happens
when the tables are turned?
Take the music industry as an example: if an unsigned band is
any good it’s likely a record company will sign them up. That band
probably had a Myspace page, or similar, which contributed to their
success. So why is it when independent designers promote their
work online, they increasingly find that, rather than helping them
win a commission, the medium has left them exposed to intellectual
property theft?
Anyone with an interest in art, design or craft is probably aware of
the grey area of ‘borrowed’ ideas and may have even come to accept it
as inevitable. If you’re talented, people will want to emulate you. The
art world even legitimises this to an extent through such genres as
appropriation art, in which exponents such as Jeff Koons and Sherrie
Levine reinterpret or recontextualise the work of other artists.
Modern art is all very well, but when it comes to real life, copying just
isn’t acceptable to the few feisty independents who’ve had enough.
For a number of years now, websites like You Thought We Wouldn’t
Notice have been naming and shaming the copycats and chronicling
the countless designs that have appeared a little too similar to previ-
ously published independent work. It makes for shocking reading
but hasn’t really garnered much mainstream press attention. Many
designers have no choice but to let things like this go quietly, they
just can’t afford to take legal action. However, for some, the means by
which their designs are stolen has finally provided a way of fighting
back.
One of the first to detail their feelings about design theft online
were the Sydney design duo Made By White, whose Little Red Riding
Hood brooch was poorly imitated by Topshop. They tweeted and
Facebooked and lo’ and behold it’d been happening to other indie
28  pica pica magazine
 
Pica Pica’s top tips!
Copyright DOES exist on the web so
make it clear from the outset that you
mean intellectual property business!
Display your © everywhere!
Make sure to exert it by marking your
name on all copies of your work, along
with the date and country. Also consider
the use of Creative Commons licensing.
Don’t forget your text
Editorial content is covered by copyright.
Watermark your images
A translucent but hard to remove water-
mark is an effective way to discourage
image theft online, but it doesn’t mean
they have to be ugly.
Keep a log of everything you do
Record and have a copy of everything,
including written content that may no
longer appear online.
jewellery designers too! Inspired to speak
out, Lady Luck Rules OK posted a blog detail-
ing the numerous designs they’ve had ripped
off, most recently a Russian doll necklace
copied by fashion retailers ASOS. This hot
topic built up around the online community.
Tatty Devine – another London based jewel-
lery designer, got in on the action, posting
pica pica magazine 29 
a ‘spot the difference’ collage of copied pieces and their
real counterparts but refusing to reveal the culprits’
identities.
Lady Luck Rules OK had a small victory in getting
ASOS to remove the offending article from sale, attribut-
ing this to the effect of social media. Sometimes brand
damaging incidents like this just aren’t worth the trouble
for the big companies.
However, don’t take this as an admission of guilt.
Corporate companies have teams of lawyers with tricks
up their sleeves. Most large fashion retailers buy their
jewellery in bulk from Asia and thus can claim no
responsibility for intellectual property theft as this lies
with the original supplier. It’s hardly up to them to check
every single piece purchased. Or is it? The validity of
this excuse could be questioned, why are companies that
employ ‘trend spotters’ to keep on top of underground
fashion seemingly so poorly informed about independent
design?
ASOS reacted quickly to LLROK’s blog post and the
bad publicity it generated, but what of the profits they
had already made from the design? The line seems to
be, as illustrator Hidden Eloise found out recently, if
the company has paid for a design then they believe it is
theirs to sell.
In one of the most recent and surprising cases of
design theft, Eloise found her work had been copied and
reproduced in a line of products for Paperchase. Through
blogging extensively and revealing her experiences bat-
tling the stationers, the young British artist has found a
lot of support. During the incident, Eloise’s tale became a
top global trend through Twitter and people outside of the
if it happens to you…
Stay calm and gather evidence
The first thing you might want to do is write a hysterical
email, Tweet about it or shout it from the rooftops. But,
first things first, take screenshots!
First contact
Be nice and send a friendly email. Show them your
evidence and request that the offending item is removed
from their website and from sale immediately. Back up
all correspondence, be the bigger person and don’t let it
ruffle your feathers!
30  pica pica magazine
craft community began to take notice, with newspapers
such as The Guardian covering the story.
But what did this mean for Eloise? Her blog details the
less than easy ride. Standing firm amidst an onslaught of
excuses and blame shifting she still wonders, “What to do
and what to say to a company that have made money out of
my own effort.”
At the time of writing, Paperchase have yet to admit
any wrongdoing and design company GatherNoMoss have
taken responsibility. Attempting to circumvent any legal
misconduct they sent Eloise a cheque for the design fee
received from Paperchase. She promptly returned this, as
to cash it would mean accepting payment from Paperchase
indirectly, thus legitimising the substandard versions of
her designs.
In a nasty turn of events, Elosie began receiving some
unpleasant emails about the situation and her stand
against Paperchase. When she traced the IP address, it
went back to the company’s central offices in London.
In further fallout from this sorry tale, the offending
employee has been fired, although Eloise is not so sure,
“Paperchase seem to be happy to just send me a private
reply and claim that they fired someone… who else knows
the whole story? Not many people I bet, and Paperchase
would be happy to keep it that way.”
Whilst a satisfactory resolution is still pending, what
lessons can be learnt? As LLROK and Eloise discovered,
the very fact there is a community of crafters out there
who are willing to help is a great asset. While it’s a
personal choice to speak out if this happens, it’s comfort-
ing to know that should you choose to call the big guys out,
there’s a lot of people out there who’ve got your back.
Think before you act
Think twice before reaching for the ‘submit’
button. Heading a revenge campaign at the early
stages of a dispute could potentially harm your
case.
Find out more
own-it.org
creativecommons.org
ipo.gov.uk
youthoughtwewouldntnotice.com
 Drawn In
words by belinda johnson
illustrations courtesy of hello oppy / thescribbleproject.com
Oppy, aka Lisa Currie, is a young doodling whipper-
snapper fuelled by pure instinct and plenty of guacamole!
Straight out of illustration school, her work is charmingly
bright and bold – defined by her use of vivid colour, thick
pen and ink, wild patterns and geometric textures. As
just a little Oppy from Melbourne, Lisa dreamed of run-
ning her own magazine to bring creative minds together.
Thinking up new ways to get in touch with people all over
the world and avoid any scary face-to-face contact, she
fell upon the idea of using ‘scribble sheets’ to collaborate
with others.
Put simply by Lisa herself, “a scribble sheet is an A4
page of simple shapes and words that encourage bio-
graphical doodling”. The first sheets were posted out to
her favourite illustrators, with the initial plan of making
a zine from their handiwork. Lisa was so blown away by
the results that she set up a blog and now that she could
share the doodles with others… the Scribble Project was
born!
In 2009, the project grew and grew in popularity and
became something of a phenomenon amongst the online
illustration community – everyone from Caitlin Shearer
to Gemma Correll wanted a piece of the scribbling action.
It now represents a real community project for anyone
with restless fingers and an untamed imagination.
The breadth of the Scribble Project continues to
expand – no longer limited to the biographical sheets
that made it infamous, the ‘Big Team Scribble’ encour-
aged submissions for a super totem pole doodle. Over 100
scribblers assembled the final totem pole and a small
portion of it can be seen in the January 2010 issue of
Anorak Magazine.
This year, Lisa is creating an extraordinarily long
doodle train, with each scribble representing a train  
carriage. Submissions have already closed, but keep
an eye on the Scribble Project website to buy a limited
edition ‘Big Team Scribble’ colouring-in zine, with all
profits going to Unicef.
pica pica magazine 31 
 POP CULTURE

“If you don’t care for tea, you could at

“I’m late! I’m late! For a very important date!” least make polite conversation!”
by Love Hearts and Crosses  by Love Hearts and Crosses
loveheartsandcrosses.co.uk loveheartsandcrosses.co.uk

Curiouser   “Who’s been painting my roses red?”

by Rock ‘n Rose
rocknrose.co.uk

“Exaketededly, what
is your problem?” and  
Curiouser
by Love Hearts and Crosses 
loveheartsandcrosses.co.uk

“Why is a raven like a writing

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll has desk??” by Rachel Hastie aka
captured the imaginations of many makers, designers Lunarra Star  
and artists (including one Mr. Tim Burton) due to its etsy.com
fantastical characters, beautiful storyline and edgy
undertones. Many craft projects have taken  
inspiration from the much-loved themes surrounding
the book and so we have collected our favourite  
accessories, prints and jewellery that represent
”
mad here! everything we love about Alice!
“We’re all e at le y 
W h
by Sa ra h o u si e
er m
a k a theoth om words by rebecca antrobus
folk sy.c

“Clean cup, clean cup. Move down!”

by Megan Price aka MrPS
etsy.com
“Mmm...tastes like cherry tart!”
by LovefromHettyandDave
etsy.com

pica pica magazine 33 

 Pica Pica Magazine :: Nottingham

craf
city ty
guid
e

Tied Up in Notts
Ey up me duck! This is Nottingham – a city as famous for creativity as
it is for Robin Hood, Brian Clough and the annual Goose Fair. It’s a trip
down memory lane for our Art Director as Pica Pica takes you on a journey
through Nottingham’s crafty side.
words by belinda johnson 
illustrations by jo want / hello-sunshine.co.uk

Apples and Pears and
Crafty Wares
This monthly arts market, run
by textile collective curiosity.
haus, is doing wonders for the
reputation of the city’s east
side! From work by established
designers to local students and
graduates - you’ll find a huge
range of clothing, papercraft,
accessories, jewellery, prints and
textiles on sale here.
4th Saturday of every month.
Sneinton Market, Gedling Street
(they do crop up in other places too!)
applesandpearsandcraftywares.
blogspot.com
Kathleen & Lily’s
Sewing witches Rachael and Jenna fight the
war against the mundane at the headquarters
of Kathleen & Lily’s, selling vintage and
customised clothing, hand crafted jewellery
and accessories sourced both locally and
further afield. Also, look out for their Sewing
Magic stall offering: alterations, mending
and customising at the regular Affordable
Vintage Fashion Fair (vintagefair.co.uk).
205 Mansfield Road
kathleenandlilys.co.uk
Lee Rosy’s Tea Shop
If you need a quiet corner to
relax (and knit) in or catch an
intimate show from a local band,
then Lee Rosy’s sounds like your
cup of tea. Offering probably
the widest range of loose-leaf
teas you’ll see outside of London
and delicious homemade treats
daily – 10am till late. A pot of
Green Tea Blue Sky and a slice
of chocolate cheesecake come
highly recommended (you can
thank me later).
17 Broad Street
lee-rosy.co.uk

34  pica pica magazine

Spinster’s Emporium Get Made
A lack of great supplies can be such a burden to any crafter! Taking pride in Founded in 2008 to bring
their ethos of recycling and re-using, there’s nothing ‘run of the mill’ about this together the city’s multi-
unique supply shop. Spinsters is the place to go for original fabrics, rainbow disciplined but scattered craft
coloured yarns and charming haberdashery. community, the Nottingham
3rd Floor (above The Vintage Warehouse) Craft Mafia aims to encourage
82–84 Lower Parliament Street everyone to get creative! Visit
spinstersemporium.com their HQ and boutique Get Made
to get your hands on some
beautiful handmade products.
16 St James’s Street
(next to The Malt Cross café bar)
nottinghamcraftmafia.com

The Art Organisation Lakeside Arts Centre Le Chien et Moi

Encompassing four huge buildings – includ-
ing the former police station, this recently
revamped independent art centre and com-
munity project offers exhibition space, artist
studios, creative workshops and a cosy tea
bar. Time your visit with their fantastic craft
fair, held on the first Saturday of each month.
3–21 Station Street
taonottingham.co.uk
Workshops with Hannah & Bella
Brush up your sewing skills with local
seamstress extraordinaire Hannah Wroe!
Her workshops range from making flower
corsages to pattern drafting and alteration of
vintage pieces. If you’ve fallen out with your
sewing machine and want to make friends
again, Hannah also offers private home
tuition that promises to get you raring to go
again in an hour and a half!
The Textile Workshop
678 Mansfield Road
hannahandbella.typepad.com
Take a short trip out of the city to
enjoy the palatial surroundings
of the University of Nottingham’s
campus and to take in some
culture at its unique public arts
centre. Lakeside also plays host
to Lustre, the most prestigious
craft event in the East Midlands,
featuring work from selected UK
designers. Held in November,
it’s perfect for those Christmas
splurges.
South Entrance, University Park
University Boulevard
lakesidearts.org.uk
A short walk from the city centre,
this lovely and inspirational
shop is totally worth the uphill
trek of Derby Road. Be charmed
by their collection of vintage,
recycled, antique and locally
sourced pieces and the shop’s
adorable ‘chien’, Mulberry the
basset hound. You’ll definitely
be spoilt for choice, whether
you’re buying for someone else or
treating yourself!
60 Derby Road
lechienetmoi.com
Knitty Gritty
Embracing knitting’s newfound
popularity, this contemporary
shop supplies everything you’ll
need to knit up a storm. Sell-
ing fresh, home-grown and
internationally sourced hand
and machine yarns, patterns and
equipment.
Unit 225, Victoria Centre Market
knittygritty.net

Want to find out more? Go online and get more Notts!

Visit Nottingham   visitnottingham.com
Left Lion  leftlion.co.uk
Nottingham Visual Artists  nottinghamvisualarts.net

pica pica magazine 35 

A Day at   mak
hair e a
band
!

the Races!
 
About Materials
Last year I attended a birthday party at the Hastings horse track. Living in   Headband
Vancouver, BC, going to the horse races is hardly an affair to dress up for, at least Felt (heavy-weight)
not normally, but this time was different. Everyone was told to dress to the nines Tulle
with Royal Ascot as the theme. I decided to go all out. Using pictures of headpieces Feathers
and hats from the Royal Ascot as my inspiration I created a turquoise and purple Fabric
‘fascinator’ to match the floral dress I planned to wear. This project started out Ribbon
simple enough with some feathers and tulle, but grew into one heck of a headpiece Hot glue gun
and was a huge hit at the party! Here are my steps to make a fascinator, so find Scissors
some inspiration and make your own. Hand sewing needle and thread
Styrofoam head mannequin
 words and pictures by christine nairne (optional)

Find your inspiration, theme, colours and supplies
1 (feathers/flowers/buttons/bows).
Use a headband that works with your colour scheme
or cover one with ribbon. To do this simply put a dot
2 of hot glue at the end of one side of the headband to
attach the ribbon, then wrap it tightly around the
headband at a slight angle and use a dot of glue at the
other end to secure the ribbon in place.
Cut a felt piece and glue it on to your headband.   your fabric of choice and folding the circles into
This will be the base for all of the fabulous feathers
and tulle you will be attaching to your headband.
The size of the felt piece all depends on how big
3 or small you want your head piece to be. I suggest
wearing your headband while you decide where to
place the felt piece and marking it with a pin. If you
are not using a head mannequin you might want to
wait to glue the felt piece on at the end so it is easier
to decorate. Or you can use the back of a chair to rest
your headband on while you work on it.
 
36  pica pica magazine
If you want to create a veil, cut a section of tulle and
4 let it hang over the edge of the felt piece, glue it down
first with a slight gather to create a nice shape.
Start gluing down your feathers, flowers, fabric,  
5 buttons and whatever else you want onto your felt
piece. I recommend starting at the edges and  
working towards the center.  
The flowers are made by cutting five circles out of
6 quarters, then tacking them together at the folded
point. They are now ready to be glued onto your
headband.
To make the fancy feathers like I did in my first
fascinator, tear the barbs of the feather down the
7 shaft leaving only a small clump at the end. Trim the
end into the desired shape, or leave it as is for a more
natural look. 
Once your felt piece is totally covered, you’re done!
8 Voila!
HEADBAND

:
ion a l
t r uc t o w n !
i n a t or ins y o u r
a f a sc e
o mak
how t
l ea r n

pica pica magazine 37 

 Craft  
Britannia
Pica Pica investigates the UK’s
burgeoning craft scene, with
cool collectives, clubs and other
crafty organisations being
spotted everywhere.
words by rebecca antrobus and natalie ridgway
illustrations by belinda johnson
patchwork by casia patchwork
photo by david penfold

38  pica pica magazine

 Make, Do and Mend
Exeter, Devon  UK wide
makedoandmend.info
info@makedoandmend.info
What do you do? Encourage people to
take up crafting and pass on skills. We
meet regularly to share, inspire, start,
continue or finish any type of craft
project. We encourage each other and
challenge ourselves with projects.
Inspiration: There was no group like
this in my area and I wanted to stop
traditional crafts from dying out.
Craft Guerrilla
Walthamstow, East London  the blog which keeps the research and documentation
craftguerrilla.com
What do you do? We’re a craft collective
made up of trained artists, craftspeople and
self-taught crafters. We hold impromptu
craft events which include monthly DIY craft
nights in pubs and monthly craft markets.
We’ve also hosted Crafternoons, swishing
events and a Craftea Party.
Aims: Our aim is to share, teach and spread
the enthusiasm for original, handmade
objects as well as teach forgotten household
crafts like darning and mending. This is not
restricted to the creative community and
includes the general public and local com-
munity. As a collective we aim to share our
web traffic, experience, ethos and knowledge
with our members but we also aim to serve as
a facilitator. We greatly encourage people to
work together with other craft groups to start
up their own localised craft guerrillas.
Inspiration: It was a question of wanting
something done and the only way to do it was
to do it yourself! Another reason was the fact
that there are many web based communities
but an actual community where people met,
socialised and made, was something we
didn’t have in the area.
UK DIY
 
ukdiycraft.blogspot.com 
twitter.com/ukdiycraft
What do you do? UK DIY is a window on a movement.
It started in Autumn 2005 when I realised so much was
happening with subversive/DIY contemporary crafts
in the US and wondered why it wasn’t so apparent in the
UK. The original work in 2005/06 was to research DIY
contemporary crafts across the UK, which I received
a grant for. My aim was that the research would then
lead on to a series of events, projects and exhibitions to
showcase what was happening the UK, and the potential
it had. A curator in my area was also really interested
in the project so paid me to work the research up into
an exhibition with other galleries in the North West of
England, and makers across the UK. Currently, we run
going. It’s different from other contemporary craft blogs
as we look at the theory and context of things – the why
as well as the what and where. In that way it continues the
research and isn’t just a bulletin board.
Inspiration: A passion for showing that the UK can and
is competing in contemporary craft on an international
level.
Stitch By Stitch
Southsea, Hampshire 
tinyurl.com/stitchbystitch
Aims: To build a community that is involved in
continuing crafts that are becoming obsolete, having
fun, and playing with this medium.
Inspiration: I’m only 25 and I dress like an old lady
and so I thought it would only be fitting to match my
pinstripe stockings with knitting needles! I believe
in make do and mend and because of this knitting has
always been a skill that I wanted to learn. I decided
to teach myself and soon realised there were many
like-minded people that also wanted to learn.
pica pica magazine 39 
 ArtYarn Craft Crunch
UK wide, based in Salford, Lancashire  London 
artyarn.org craftcrunch.com

What do you do? Contemporary knitting and
crochet installations.
Aims: To use traditional knitting and crochet
techniques in contemporary visual arts projects,
to promote the diversity and versatility of knit-
ting and crochet as a medium, and at the same
time explore ways to make art accessible through
participatory making and collaborative exchange.
Inspiration: After running a knitting club for a
year and seeing how much community engagement
this could bring, I decided I should use my love of
knitting and crochet in art projects that would ben-
efit the local communities and pass on my skills.
Aims: To encourage people to shop locally and directly
from the artist or craftsperson rather than paying
inflated prices in posh boutiques.
Inspiration: 2008’s economic downturn, which is still
reverberating, made a lot of people turn to alternative
and more rewarding ways to make a living. Craft Crunch
was set up to attempt to promote these people as well as
other more established artists.

UK Handmade
UK wide 
ukhandmade.co.uk/magazine

What do you do? UK Handmade is a design led online

magazine as well as a community of handmade artisans,
designers, crafters and creatives.
Inspiration: We wanted to create a central hub for the
handmade community in the UK and provide support
and information.

Nottingham Craft Mafia

Nottinghamshire 
nottinghamcraftmafia.com
hannah@nottinghamcraftmafia.com

What do you do? We’re a community of local art-
ists and makers. We work together to showcase our
members work and arrange exciting events to remind
Nottingham of its huge creative art scene. Nottingham
Craft Mafia is part of the larger Craft Mafia familia
founded in Austin, Texas. It serves as a model for
independent business owners to assemble with others
in their own communities to amplify their vision
through the power of a collective.  projects – specifically in the handmade arena. We felt
Aims: To bring like-minded makers and artists
together, to share a wealth of expertise and experi-
ence, helping each other turn hobbies into careers,
to market and promote craft in the region, to support
other local independent groups and businesses and to
inspire a whole new generation to pick up their pens,
felt, knitting needles, thread or whatever they fancy to
create something new, unique and handmade.
Inspiration: We realised that there was a gap in the
alt-craft scene for people of various design back-
grounds to get to know one another and collaborate on
we could create the right environment for this to occur
and happily we’ve seen many collaborations since
then!

40  pica pica magazine


Craftivist Collective
London and worldwide  craft-candy.org
craftivist-collective.com 
craftivist-collective@hotmail.com
What do you do? We want to show that making people aware of
the injustices and poverty in the world can be fun, fulfilling
and can build friendships all over the world. It doesn’t have
to be stressful or elitist. Anyone can be a craftivist, whatever
their skill or understanding. We meet every month in London
to plan projects and events, craft together and discuss injustic-
es that we are passionate about. We sometimes hold workshops
to improve our craft skills and we also have guest craftivists in
our meetings who bring a project for us to become part of.
Aims: To expose the scandal of global poverty and human
rights injustices through the power of craft and public art. This
will be done through provocative, non-violent creative actions.
Inspiration: I have always believed that we should try and love
our global neighbour and make a positive impact in the world
in whatever we do. When I moved to London two years ago I was
looking for groups to join. I loved craftivism, although I didn’t
know that there was a name for it until 18 months ago. Many
people I knew shared this interest so I set up a group.
Sugar Paper zine
UK wide 
sugarpapergang.blogspot.com
sugarpaperzine@hotmail.com
What do you do? We make a bi-annual zine that features
twenty things to make and do.
Aims: We want to to get more people crafting and create a
crafting network. It’s also for those that craft for a living: it
gives them something to do for fun, without the pressure that
making for a business sometimes has.
Inspiration: I’ve made zines since I was 16. Often, after putting
out a zine, I become unhappy with it. What I wrote before isn’t
necessarily how I feel about things today. Writing a craft zine
takes away the fear that what I write one day, I will hate the
next. We also really like making stuff so it seemed the perfect
combination, especially as in the past few years there has been
a boost, specifically within feminist communities, of crafting
and greater self-sufficiency.
Craft Candy
Sheffield 
Aims: To promote craft within Sheffield
and to help makers and artists join forces to
collectively promote their work in a friendly
environment.
Inspiration: We wanted a supportive forum
for crafters. Being an independent maker
can be quite isolating, so it’s good to know
there is a support network around you.
Yarn and Yarn
Cardiff 
tinyurl.com/yarnandyarn
What do you do? Collects people who like or
would like to learn knitting, crochet, quilt-
ing, sewing, cross stitch and more.
Inspiration: The group was set up by some-
one else who has since moved to London,
but it was concieved as a way of meeting with
like minded people and doing crafty stuff
together.
There is a hive of activity going on
with craft clubs, collectives and
other crafty endeavours all across
the UK. These are just some of our
favourites. We hope learning about
their motives and inspirations has
sparked your interest to find out
more. Remember though, this is
just a small selection. You’ll find
even more listed on our website,
and if you still can’t find something
suited to you, why not start your
own group?
pica pica magazine 41 
 Attention class! What started in classrooms in Japan with cutesy
handwriting and kitties that say hello, has grown into an unstoppable
force that’s certainly had its influence on the craft world! Designers and
crafters everywhere are creating quirky, colourful characters that are
just begging you to take them home! So when the big scary adult world is
getting you down and waking up to yet another grey and miserable day
makes you want to cry, take refuge in the land of kawaii, where every-
thing (and I mean everything) wears a happy smile.

words and illustrations by cat millar

Lesser than three <3 Just

how we feel about this
adorable brooch. By
Gemma Hogan aka
Roses & Gingham.
folksy.com

Purr-fect!
Bright pink? Check!
Kittens frolicking? Check!
This passes the cute test
with flying colours!
lazyoaf.co.uk

NOM NOM NOM! Avoid the

golden arches with this tasty
sweatshirt! Foodstuffs with
eyes? Weird but kawaii!
lazyoaf.co.uk

42  pica pica magazine

 Birdy Song
Shake your tail feather in
this totally tropical tee.
lazyoaf.co.uk

Wolf like me
Stay ahead of the pack with
this sweeter take on the
ironic wolf t-shirt craze.
lazyoaf.co.uk

Rain rain go away!

But look cute on a t-shirt or
bag any day! By Emily Boyd
aka emilythepemily.
folksy.com

Hold on to the handlebars!

Express your love for all the
From Russia with love
mustachioed men out there. By
Give these matryoshka dolls a home.
Emily Boyd aka emilythepemily.
By Bonita Keay aka Beaky.
folksy.com
folksy.com

Let the sun shine

Let these happy clouds brighten
your day. By Lucy Farfort aka
Lucy’s Happy Place.
folksy.com pica pica magazine 43 
 Love is in
the air
pica
pica ite!
ur
favo

Pica Pica chats inspiration, challenges and future plans

with Love to Print’s Karoline Rerrie.
words by natalie ridgway
pictures by love to print

If you’ve been paying attention at any number of the
handmade and indie craft fairs that have been taking
place around the country this past year or so, chances
are you’ll have encountered Love to Print, or at least one
of the artists involved. With gorgeous screen printed
and Gocco printed cards, postcards and prints, Pica Pica
became besotted with them and their ideals of mutual
collaboration and co-operation. We caught up with
illustrator Karoline Rerrie, original conceiver of Love to
Print and member of sister project Girls Who Draw.
What is Love to Print? Love to Print is a collaborative
project which involves printing various multiples to sell
or use for self-promotion. Basically it’s a means for me
to produce new work on a regular basis. Working with
others has its drawbacks, it is time-consuming but also
has the advantages of shared costs and the potential to
reach a wider audience.

pica pica magazine 45 

How and when was it started and whose idea was it?
Love to Print started about 18 months ago when I was
working on the first Girls Who Draw postcard book. I
was having problems getting enough people to commit to
the book, so I suggested to Yee Ting Kuit that we just do
it ourselves. Inspired by Mark Pawson and Sara Fanelli,
I wanted to make a hand printed box set of A6 prints by
different illustrators. It was intended to be partly a self-
contained exhibition which I could send to galleries to
promote our work as well as something which could easily
be displayed and sold in shops.
Who are the different people that are involved in Love to Print
and how did you all meet? Love to Print was initially
conceived as a one off project for Valentine’s Day 2009. It
involved myself, Yee Ting Kuit, Sarah Ray, Claire Lynch,
Sarah Lynch, Gemma Correll and Kate Seaward. Due
to the success of the project it carried on but because
everyone is so busy with their own work it’s been impos-
sible to maintain a set group.
I met Yee Ting Kuit and Sarah Ray on a course for
illustrators, we stayed in touch and eventually worked
together on the first Girls Who Draw book. I didn’t know
Gemma Correll but loved her work and initially ap-
proached her about the postcard book. Gemma put me in
touch with both Kate Seaward and Helen Entwisle.
I took a screen printing class along with Sarah Lynch
and her sister Claire Lynch, I loved their illustrations
so LTP was the perfect opportunity to work with them.
In fact the majority of LTP contributors are based in the
Midlands. Additionally, social networking sites like
Facebook and Twitter help us keep in touch as well as
helping to find other illustrators to work with.
Was it deliberately female only? Would you welcome guys?
Neither Love to Print or the postcard books were de-
liberately intended to be female only. But, admittedly it
was a good gimmick and has worked in terms of getting
both LTP and GWD extra attention. At the very least
it’s because there are so many talented women around,
there’s just no room for men.
46  pica pica magazine
Do you think more women are involved in illustration at the
moment? I have no idea if more women are involved in
illustration now or how many were previously involved.
I know more women illustrators but that may be because
they are more approachable than men. Possibly more
women gravitate towards illustration because graphic
design is traditionally quite male dominated. I did a
degree in graphic design and very few of the female
students carried on to have careers in graphic design.
One thing that’s interesting at the moment is the cross
over between craft and illustration. A lot of women are
illustrating, making and selling their own ranges of
products including cards, badges, ceramics and jewel-
lery. Obviously this is helping to raise their profiles and
make it appear that there are more women involved in
illustration.
 
One thing that’s interesting at
the moment is the cross over
between craft and illustration.
What projects has Love to Print done so far? The first project
was a limited edition hand printed box set of A6 prints
for Valentine’s Day 2009, accompanied by a range of
cards and affordable A5 prints. The next big project was
the Obsession zine which featured 9 illustrators, each of
whom drew something they were obsessed with. Sarah
Ray screen printed an alternative cover design so we
could also sell it as a colouring book. There have been a
few low key LTP exhibitions such as the Winter one last
year. This also included a box set of A6 prints, Christmas
cards and A5 prints. Additionally, this was followed by
a much smaller range of prints and Valentines cards for
2010.
How does it work practically – where do you do your screen
printing? Originally half of the group had ‘Goccos’ so were
able to use them, so it dictated the size of prints. (Print
Gocco is similar to screen printing but on a very small
scale and with everything needed enclosed in one small
piece of equipment). Some of the screen printers are
 sp ot.com
t.bl og
opr in
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Check

members of Birmingham Printmakers which

is where Claire Lynch printed the covers of
the Valentine’s box set. I was offered use of
the print facilities at Birmingham Institute
of Art and Design so I printed some of the
Obsession zine covers there. Since then I’ve
also joined Birmingham Printmakers and
no longer use my Gocco as much, the screens
and bulbs are getting too expensive and
because the inks are oil based they require
solvent based cleaner which isn’t great to use.

How long have you been screen printing and what

attracted you to screen printing as a method?
I spent a lot of time screen printing at school
and then on foundation but stopped when I
got to University because the print facilities
weren’t great and the technician was so
unapproachable. I’ve only recently started
printing again and it’s a shame I wasted so
many years.
Screen printing has enabled me to become
much more self-sufficient. I can see a project
through to a finished product which can be
exhibited or sold. It also suits my style with
its bold outlines and large areas of solid black
or white.

What’s next for Love to Print?

Right now I’m collaborating with graphic
designer Katie Parry from Supercool on a
zine of patterns which will have a similar
format to Obsession. The zine features
designs from screen printers Sarah Lynch,
Daisy Whitehouse and Helen Entwisle. I’m
spending a lot of money on getting this zine
printed so it may be a while until the next
LTP project.
I also need to start working on the Girls
Who Draw ‘Menagerie’ exhibition which will
be at Here Gallery in Falmouth in July.

pica pica magazine 47 

 Ow l B
by A ro o c h
hann dd ie Pea
a h za r
k a r i. l  
co.u k

Little Maki
… Salmon
by scru m Rol
ption sdeli l Felt Pencil Case up Set
ato Ketch
etsy.com g ht by Roiscroix Bout ique ip s, Pea s and Tom re s
rs, C h Sculp tu
folksy.com Fish Finge ecycled Felt Food
of R is h c r e a mtea
by br it m
etsy. c o

Felt, the weird fuzzy fabric used to cover pool tables.  

Or so you thought! Pica Pica has rediscovered their love for felt
and the things you can make with it! We instantly fell in love
with these cute brooches, figures and fake foodstuffs. Belinda
and Marie even went so far as to create their own felt friends.
words by marie haargaard

Penguin w
ith re
by a llth in d scarf
g ssm a ll
etsy.com

48  pica pica magazine

 elt Badge
Camera F d m ade
in H an
b y L up m
Kawaii Dinosaur folk sy.co
Barrette Hair Cl
by HeroineInd ip
ustr ies
etsy.com

Squir rel Keyring Kit

by Stich It
John Lewis

n
Felt Crow ra fts
C o tt a g eC
by Misty y.com
folk s
rooch
ox Felt B
10 Pink F f birdsshop
oxo
by theb .com
etsy

pica pica magazine 49 

 ‘Je suis un oignon!’
How to make an onion plush toy…

Be careful!
He could
make
you cry!

Rather a chestnut?  
Just change the colour
and turn that frown
upside down!

You will need…

1. Photocopy the pattern - dou-
bling the size of the body, bottom
and the rings and cut out.

felt

stuffing

sewing 2. Fixing the pattern to the felt

needle with a few strips of sticky tape,  
cut out the felt.

3. Glue the separate sides of the 4. Begin sewing the two body
sticky   arms and legs together but leave pieces together but stop when you
glue (look the very top parts unstuck. reach the arm.
for a fabric tape
bonding
glue)

strong
thread
(white and
white wool
50  pica picapurple)
magazine
 Patterns x2

x2

50% * 50%

x4

5. Here’s the tricky bit

- turn the body inside
out and sew the flaps
you left on the arm to
the inside. 50%

6. Sew all the way to the top of the

body and insert a little woollen
stork (made by knotting a This is my ass!
few strands together)
and repeat the
process for the
other arm. * Remember to  
double the size!

made by lucia biagi / whenaworld.com

7. Make two cuts in the base

(as marked to the left)  
and insert the legs by gluing
them to the inside.  
Glue the white rings to the base.

8. Stuff the body and   9. Glue on the eyes and mouth  

sew on the base. and… he’s ready!
pica pica magazine 51 
 Kate's Aviary
Break out your crayons and get colourful with
these beautiful birds. A lover of wildlife and
crafting, artist Kate Broughton creates unique
felt animal brooches, cards, tote bags, purses and
notebooks from original drawings.  
Kate’s products are available through her own
website and Etsy page, including her brand new
‘Colouring Book of Birds’.
katebroughton.co.uk

pica pica magazine 53 

 Pica Pica Wants You!
When searching for a great cover design, the Pica Pica team struck upon
the idea of running an open brief. Illustrators and graphic designers were
invited to submit pieces for the front and back on the theme of craft and
creativity, using three colours only.

We were blown away by the quality and variety of every submission and
the fantastic level of support each artist has shown for our little magazine
project from London. These are our five favourite runners up but there are
many more available for closer inspection on our website.

Our overall winner was Stephanie Baxter, whose work graces the cover of
this issue. We felt her adorable composition reflected Pica Pica’s values and
perfectly illustrated the diversity of new wave of craft in the UK. Stephanie
lives in Leeds and works under the name Steph Says Hello.
She loves drawing happy things, cats, drinking tea and of course, crafting.

words by belinda johnson

Melinda Francis  meeohmy.com

54  pica pica magazine

 Amy Blackwell  amyblackwell.co.uk Sarah Bagshaw  patternsfabricartpaperthingsilike.blogspot.com

pica pica to see al l

pica pica m
the entr
ag.c o.u k /c
ies, visi t
om pe ti tion

makesewcolour bakecut pasteknit create

Rui Ribeiro & Sophie Williams  behance.net/ruiribeiro Joseph Fells  hijamesarkblog.blogspot.com

pica pica magazine 55 

reviews by natalie ridgway, cat millar, rebecca antrobus and gillian harris

Made & Sold: Iron Me On:

Toys, T-shirts, Prints, Zines 30 Sheets of Awesome Fabric
and Other Stuff Transfers
Agathe Jacquillat & Tomi Vollauschek Mike Perry
(Laurence King, £19.95) (Chronicle Books, £6.99)

Love independent design? Maybe
this book was made (and sold) for
you! Made & Sold is a collection
of the self-initiated projects of
over 90 designers, artists and
illustrators. It was put together
by Fl@33, a London based design studio at the forefront
of the scene. From super collectible vinyl toys, to the
humble t-shirt, to out there furniture designs, over
500 products are displayed. Another nice touch are the
quotes from each artist, which discuss how the designers
feel about commissioned versus independent work, their
relationship with clients and their thoughts on designing
products. The book could have delved into this subject
further and it might have made it seem a little more
substantial in terms of content. As is, it’s a good start-
ing point if you enjoy things that are well designed, get
excited by limited edition runs and are hungry for more.
If you are a designer, there’s plenty in here to inspire a
myriad of ways to promote your work on your terms and
make a bit of extra cash in the process, so get making and
selling! (CM)
How to make a pleated skirt:
An instruction book by
DIYcouture
Rosie Martin
(DIYcouture, £9.00)
This pleated skirt how-to is
just one instalment in a series
which features other basic and
versatile items. Without the
sometimes complex and pre-
scriptive instructions of shop bought patterns, Martin’s
highly visual style will guide you through the process,
demonstrating how to tailor the skirt to your own
measurements. Beautifully produced and brimming with
inspiration, think of this book as part of an investment
in a whole new, handmade couture wardrobe. (NR)
I’m one of those people that buy
other people presents I secretly
want. So when I was Christmas
shopping for my brother and
spotted this book, I had a
REALLY good look through it
before reluctantly handing it over
on Christmas day. I’d never heard of Mike Perry before,
but since turning page after page of seriously colourful
and sometimes just downright demented doodles, I
could now be considered a fan. The concept of the book is
simple, “Cut, Iron, Flaunt.” One might question the crea-
tive input in this process, but the fact that the transfers
can be ironed on pretty much any kind of fabric and the
inclusion of numerous pattern pages to cut your own
shapes from means this problem is sidestepped neatly.
If I did meet someone who had used the transfers in the
exact same way as I had, it would have to be considered
as some kind of awesome cosmic event that would render
us bro’s for life. Speaking of bro’s, turned out mine loved
this book as much as I did, and as luck would have it
someone who obviously knows me very well indeed got
me it for Christmas too! (CM)
Knit, Purl, Save the World:
Knit and Crocher Projects for
Eco-friendly Stitchers
Vickie Howell & Adrienne Armstrong
(David & Charles, £14.99)
Find out how you can help the
environment through your
hobby using sustainable and
eco-friendly yarns. With 31
projects there’s bound to be something that takes your
fancy. Whilst I’m not sure you’ll quite be saving the
world, it’s probably a stitch in the right direction. (NR)

56  pica pica magazine

 Handmade Nation:
The Rise of DIY, Art, Craft and
Design
Faythe Levine & Cortney Heimel
(Princeton Architectural Press, £14.99)
Produced alongside the making
of a documentary film of the
same name, Faythe Levine and
Cortney Heimel have made it
their mission to chart the fast
growing indie craft scene. Featuring interviews with
makers across the USA, including Jenny Hart of Sub-
lime Stitching who makes quirky, contemporary hand
embroidered pieces and kits; Sue Daly the woman behind
Renegade Handmade, a Chicago craft fair which was
one of the first of its kind to bring together hip, young
crafters rebelling against the traditional arts and craft
scenes; and Stephanie Syjuco, of Anti-factory, making
handmade clothes in opposition to mass-produced, and
inevitably sweat-shopped garments. The crafters express
a shared sense of a DIY ethos, tapping into dissatisfac-
tion with manufactured commodities, and art and craft
worlds they could not identify with. An excellent reflec-
tion on the meaning of a handmade nation today. (NR)
Felt, Cut and Sew Unique:
Upcycle jumpers into
one-of –a-kind clothes
and accessories
Crispina Ffrench
(David & Charles, £14.99)
This book is chock full of crea-
tive ideas, for both children and
adults. It is also an inspiring account of what one person
can achieve by taking something completely ordinary
and making it into something sensational. Crispina first
began upcycling by turning felt and old sweaters into
adorable dinosaurs, which she calls Ragamuffins. The
focus of this craft, and others, is to turn something func-
tional into something desirable with little material cost.
Crispina guides you through this philosophy with her
remarkable knowledge of used materials and the basic
skills you will need to create. Not only is this economical
book packed full of great ideas, it will help you get rid of
those ugly sweaters too! (GH)
Radical Lace & Subversive
Knitting
David Revere McFadden, Jennifer Scanlan
& Jennifer Steifle Edwards.
(ACC Editions; illustrated edition, £18.99)
Based on the exhibition of the
same name for the Museum of
Arts & Design, this book is a
fascinating exploration of how
materials can be transformed
from their pre-assigned connotations into works that
question the current established genres of the art world.
David Revere McFadden, the Chief Curator explains
that this work strives to ask the questions, ‘how does
something as innocent and harmless as knitting become
subversive?’ and ‘how can lace serve radical ends?’ Many
of the featured artists are trying to shake up the norms
that exist in our society whilst promoting the renewal of
communities and the demise of traditional definitions of
knitting and lace making. With impressive images and
interesting explanations, this book allows the reader to
gain insight into the fluidity of art and the ever-growing
resurgence of radical crafting. (RA)
Yarn Bombing: The Art of
Crochet and Knit Graffiti
Mandy Moore & Leanne Prain
(Arsenal Pulp Press, £13.99)
Street art has become synony-
mous with the urban landscape.
Taking its name from the graffiti
term ‘to bomb’, meaning to cover an area in your tag,
yarn bombing, using knitted or crocheted tags, conjures
up a more cuddly image than the stereotypical graffiti
artist. Originating in 2005 in Houston, Texas, with a
bright knitted rectangle attached to a door handle, yarn
bombing captured the imagination of a new breed of
crafters, with tags appearing all over the world in the
form of sweaters for trees, street furniture coverings,
outfits for statues, or just little knitted flowers left in the
street. Now with international following, even the sleepy
seaside UK town of Whitstable has its own crew. Featur-
ing interviews with yarn graffiti artists with street names
such as PolyCotN, AKrylik, and Dropztitch together with
amazing pictures, the authors go beyond just charting
this growing trend. Participation is encouraged with
advice on getting started, important things to consider
and patterns to help get you on your way. (NR)
pica pica magazine 57 

Websites
we love:
Lapin & Me
Home of super kitsch bags,
purses and achingly cute
stationery. You can buy
online or swing by their
shop at 14 Ezra Street,
just off Columbia Road,
London.
lapinandme.co.uk
Be-Bop-A-Lula
Specialising in felt   and high-quality yarns and accessories from across the globe. Pica
appliquéd cushions,
brooches and accessories,
with a rockabilly twist and
prices you can afford.
be-bop-a-lula.com
Lola-Pop
Ticking all our boxes with
bright jewellery handmade
in the UK.
lolapop.co.uk
58  pica pica magazine
pica
favo pica
urit
e!
Going Loopy
words by natalie ridgway
photos by loop
Loop is a treasure trove for any knitter or crocheter, nestled just off
trendy Islington’s well-heeled Upper Street. Having opened in July
2005, the shop prides itself on sourcing only the most gorgeous
Pica caught up with shop owner, Susanne Cropper to find out more
about the store.
What was your background before the shop? I was as an art director
on magazines.
Why did you want to open the shop? I opened Loop as I wanted a
gorgeous knitting shop in London that I could go to and get great
supplies, inspiration and classes but there was none. So I did it
myself and opened Loop hoping it would be an inspirational, cosy
and helpful space for knitters and crocheters.
What are you favourite designer pieces and yarns that you have in stock
at the moment? My favourite yarn at the moment is Malabrigo 4 ply
yarn which is hand dyed from Uruguay and totally beautiful to look
at and to knit with.
Loop, 41 Cross Street, Islington, London, N1 2BB, 020 7288 1160
loopknitting.com
(Moving to Camden Passage in early June.
The new address will be 15 Camden Passage, Islington N1, so even handier for the Tube!)
illustrations by amy blackwell
amyblackwell.co.uk