Easter makes with Frida... keeping creative hands and minds busy during the break!

Here's our top tips of things to make, drink, eat and do during the Easter break inspired by the life and art of Frida Kahlo!

"Why Frida Kahlo?" you ask? Well my response is "Why not?!" as she is after all one of my favourite artists and people who has ever walked the earth!

I'm not one to celebrate Easter in the traditional sense but I do love the more pagan based rituals of welcoming in Spring so here are a few projects which I hope you'll be making too regardless of your views on Easter.
It is after all  a holiday about rebirth so lets welcome the new season with a crafty celebration! It's definitely needed after the long dark winter we've had where everything seemed to be suspending in its sleepy grip...
And Frida Kahlo's work touches a lot on the ideas of birth, spirituality, the renewal of traditions and the celebration of popular culture plus her bright and eclectic sense of style always reminds me of spring.
Must be all the flowers, the folk designed embroidery and colourful fabrics she wore!

And on a side note it is totally alright to eat your own weight in chocolate during Easter break! You see Easter calories are empty calories but only on this particular holiday - I promise!- so eat up... I'm sure Frida would certainly agree, after all she was a lover of pleasure!

• Make some Frida-tastic Easter eggs!

image ©http://littleinspiration.com

We love these! Just the right amount of kitsch... well can you ever have too much kitsch? Ha, probably not but these are really lovely and stylish!
For a complete tutorial on how to make these visit Little Inspiration!

• Make a flower Head Band!

©MyPoppetMakes

This amazing and great tutorial will show you how to achieve one of Frida's signature looks. Anyone can make this and we love the easy to follow step by step instructions!
Flower head bands in our opinion should be worn at all times even as Frida did in bed though she was painting and not snoozing! But hey, we're making one to go with our jim jams...
Thank you My Poppet Makes!

• Read something inspiring!

Reading these days seems like such a luxury, there never seems to be enough time in the day to sit down and read an entire book so this illustrated book written by Zena by Zena Alkayat and illustrated by Nina Cosford is the perfect easy read to get you inspired!
Frida Kahlo, Life Portraits is part of a wider collection including Coco Chanel and Jane Austen!
Read our review* which will be posted here very soon!
*Includes a special CG blog reader discount code!

• Paint some eggs!

©http:bhg.com

I'm loving these but I think I'm going to try this tutorial with white chocolate dipped eggs and food colouring instead!
We need more chocolate in our lives so yeah... lets definitely thy this technique with chocolate eggs too!
I just love the colourful, happy and loose brush strokes on these. They do remind me of Mexico and all the vibrant colours in their folk art. I might even throw in some edible paste flowers onto them just to add an extra layer of kitsch!

• Welcome the new season with a new hairstyle!

©ABeautifulMess

Learn to make Maiden Braids to create your very own Kahlo inspired up-do! I wish I hadn't chopped off my long locks but it was time to go shorter... but remember you can also use hair extensions to get the look!
Tutorial via a beautiful mess here!

 

• Toast to a long weekend with a cocktail or two!

Spiced Passion photo credit ©complex.com

As the days grow longer and we find ourselves out socialising more there's nothing like a great little cocktail to help kick back featuring tequila another great Mexican export!
I can imagine that though Frida was mostly bed bound that she loved parties so lets clink our glasses to Frida Kahlo!
Here you'll find a few recipes which aren't Margaritas  here!
*P.S. Remember to drink responsibly!

 

• Find 50 Fridas!

 

Finding 50 Fridas is the latest exhibition at the The East End Prints Shop. Exhibiting 50 of the very best portraits of Frida Kahlo by a selection of artists.
See works including drawings, mosaic, street art, painting, printing and all other mediums!

• Head East, to North East London that is!

As a lover of bright and shiny things we love God's Own Junkyard in Walthamstow and we think Frida would have loved it there too!
Plus there are a few other treats at the same industrial estate including Mother's Ruin Gin Palace and the Wild Card Brewery.

• Listen to music!

It's a well known fact that Frida loved Mariachi bands so here's Mariachi El Bronx's a modern and fun take on a much loved traditional!
We love them and have been bopping away in maison Craft Guerrilla! Or should that be la Casita Craft Guerrilla?!

 

• And finally... Eat Chocolate cake! 

©Waitrose

I love this recipe from the good people of Waitrose... looks fairly easy and it's chocolate so well worth making to celebrate Easter!
And thanks again to Mexico for giving us chocolate, those Mayans were really clever folk!
You can find the recipe here!

So whatever you're doing, don't forget to take time out and relax a little bit too... but if you're anything like me you'll be getting cabin fever after the first day off so a little creativity can be the perfect solution to helping you through the long Easter bank holiday! Don't forget to share your crafty makes Instagram... tag us @craftguerrilla and add the hastag: #EasterIsForCrafting

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Happy Home Outside!

I've been a huge fan of the homewares company RICE Denmark for quite some time now.
I was so excited to hear that fresh from the success of her first interiors book Happy Home Charlotte Hedeman Guéniau; the founder and designer behind RICE Denmark; has taken her famous signature style and given us yet another treat to delve into! Or should that be "to delve out to"?

Happy Home Outside is officially released on the18th of February -just in time to see Spring come into bloom!- and is published by Jacqui Small. 
In this chunky hard back you'll find all sorts of easy to reproduce signature looks from amazingly simple but effective party decoration ideas, a few craft tutorials to even a couple of food recipes to help you get in the outdoor living mood.

I love Charlotte's eye for mixing the classic with the quirky and vintage objects with new modern pieces. OK that may not sound like anything new but what comes across is the genuine passion and design flair which Charlotte effortlessly weaves into everything she touches. And that is an art which can not be faked!
I'm so happy to have had the chance to preview it as I haven't stopped smiling since I first clapped eyes on it.
This new book is refreshingly and unashamedly an assault on the senses... You could describe it as technicolour riot on the home front!!!
So if you're not a fan of bright and cheerful living then look away now...

Danish-born CHARLOTTE HEDEMAN GUÉNIAU founded RICE in 1998. Charlotte and her French husband Phillippe wanted to change their lives, having lived and worked in Paris for 15 years, so moved to Odense, Denmark and founded their ethical homewares empire. Now, RICE Denmark has a lovely office and showroom in an old shipyard building near the waterfront in Odense. The company employs 75 people internationally, and creates influential homeware collections that are ethically sourced and produced all over the world. RICE products can be found in the smartest stores worldwide - See more at: http://www.quartoknows.com/books/9781910254110/Happy-Home-Outside.html?direct=1#sthash.CDZ6yW71.dpuf

As a city dweller I find any outside space a bonus so making it look as good as it potentially can be is key and with Charlotte's guiding hand you'll be able to transform any space into your own private oasis.
Whether you are lucky to have a full on garden  or just a veranda, a small balcony or even a window box... what you come away with from reading this book is the sense that any outdoor space can be more then just a spot to park your bike or leave your muddy boots in.
An outdoor space should be an extension of your living home so... get out there and make it work for you!
And it shall do so for me as after 20 years of living in a flat without an outdoor space it looks like that's about to change very soon.
Though you wouldn't tell by looking at me but I absolutely love bright colours... so I will be using this book as inspiration to make my garden into a fun, welcoming, vibrant and relaxing area to enjoy.

Though it won't be all about relaxing, it'll also be about living!
I'm already planning my first summer party and all I can say is that I've just spotted a few old tulip shaped lampshades in the charity shop and that I'm going to transform them into outdoor party chandeliers. I can't wait!
Colour and a sense of fun are central to the RICE philosophy and I admire that they take due care to source their products from sustainable and ethical producers too so it's not just about the "look" but there's also a heart behind it all!

 

From the front cover to the last pages you are treated to a mesmerising load of cheery offerings...  from sunny vintage caravans, bright beautiful linen awnings to heady secret garden hideaways. So all you bright hue haters listen up...
"If  bright colours bring happiness to our world then surely that can't be a bad thing!"

And that's the motto I'm sticking to from now on.

To order Happy Home Outside at the discounted price of £20 including p&p* (RRP: £25), telephone 01903 828503 or email mailorders@lbsltd.co.uk and quote the offer code QPG409.*UK ONLY - Please add £2.50 if ordering from overseas.

Taste, the infographic book of food!

If I had to give an award for the cutest book of the year this title by food writer and author Laura Rowe would take the prize! But it's not just about the cute, it's actually quite beautiful, stylish and informative too. And the Illustrations by Vicki Turner are simply delicious!

But you know... it's not all about the looks, it's also an exciting exploration into the complex and colourful world of food!
You see, I actually love knowing about the inspiration and origins behind certain foods and recipes so I literally didn't put down this book until I read it cover to cover!

Taste, The Infographic Book of Food is not just for the eyes but also a feast for the belly as it's packed with recipes and tasty food facts!
I also found it to be a really emotive book as I got the sense that the author is genuinely passionate about the subject.

*If you'd like to know more about the author, she is also the editor of Olive magazine: www.olivemagazine.com

Packed with amazing facts and tips including a simple how to roll sushi tutorial this book also offers  readers weird and wonderful food factoids, great recipes plus a very handy weights and measurement conversion chart.
There's even a few cocktail recipes that'll get your party guests talking, a guide to Fizz, a comprehensible table setting layout and a seasonal eating calendar. And can I just say that I am quite excited about finding what flavours and notes I can find in a glass of Champers! Ha, any excuse, right?!

Published by Aurum Press "Taste, The Infographic Book of Food" is a book I'm sure most foodies will love but it will also delight art lovers and the knowledge hungry gourmands!!!
Historians, chefs and the curious will definitely love this title and consuming it in its entirety will be a joyful snack rather then a heavy laborious meal... and I can bet you'll be back for more,
just like those repeat visits to that cookie jar in search of yummy bite sized literary tidbits.

I found myself totally immersed and whilst in the middle of cooking my dinner I couldn't help but to reach for my copy -again!- just to check what it said about my chosen ingredients. This gave me immense pleasure learning about beets and courgettes but I also lingered a bit too long so I managed a slightly burnt pot too...
Hum, I never knew Beetroot had a wild sea variety which you can still find on many European coastlines. Next time I'm down the coast I shall have a good old forage!

But it's not merely a facts and figures book nor a collection of recipe index cards thrown together, each section is divided nicely and neatly into easy to find chapters which veer into different food related tangents.
Some of these are:
From the plot, Off the farm to Any other business which covers - as the chapter title aptly describes- all other food related stuff like an explanation of the five taste groups and a knife guide.
So no more muddling your fish knife with your steak knife!

So if you love food, pie charts and graphs all gorgeously illustrated, a sprinkling of history, info packed factoids plus a recipe or two thrown in for good measure then this book is perfect for you! It truly is a tasteful title, you could say it's the modern food bible for stylish food lovers. Bon appetit!

I'm keeping my copy close...

Order Taste at a special price available only to our blog readers: 
 The Infographic Book of Food at the discounted price of £16 including p&p* (RRP: £20), telephone 01903 828503 or email mailorders@lbsltd.co.uk and quote the offer code APG392. 

*UK ONLY - Please add £2.50 if ordering from overseas. 

Cinnamon biscuits? Hell yes!!!

Cinnamon  has to be one of my favourite spices... Warm, slightly bitter and deep... like a nervous "making-up" hug when you knew you were in the right but had to swallow your pride because you love them!
I've been baking and tinkering in the kitchen since I was a little girl. At the age of 10 I was given my favourite toy, a Betty Crocker Easy Bake Oven.

Yes thanks Betty, it was easy but also darn dangerous! The amount of times I burnt my arms removing the red hot cake tins from the oven are way too many to mention but hey, that was the 1980's so toy safety was a little bit different then but what it did was ignite my passion for baking!

The scars quickly healed but what baking gave me in return was worth every blister and burn!!!
You see baking always has a positive affect on my mood. So however down I feel taking time out to produce something sweet seems to put the world in order and my problems in perspective...
Baking can save us a whole lot of heartache plus the bonus is that you get to eat your way back to happy!


Having just returned from mum and dad's in the Algarve I thought it would be nice to share with you guys a great fuss free recipe of something I always crave when I go there on holiday.
So here's my version of the traditional Portuguese cinnamon biscuit which are more a mixture of cake and biscuit rather then a pure biscuit... they sit quite deliciously and contently between the two worlds.

I've added cardamon to add a Scandi flavour to them but for purists remove the cardamon from the recipe. You can also use butter for a richer biscuit but as I'm trying to go vegan I opted to use soya marg instead and it works pretty well. The result is a lighter, airier biscuit but still packed with tasty flavours!

Ingredients:
1egg
1 sachet of vanilla sugar or vanilla essence to taste
1 tsp of powdered cardamon
100g Sugar
110g room temp margarine
300 self-rising flour (or 300g of plain flour and 3 level tsp of baking powder)
Enough cinnamon to roll biscuits in
(makes about 20/24)

1. In a bowl mix the egg, sugars, cardamon, margarine and flour until you get a homogeneous dough. Don't overwork or the biscuits will be quite hard. You can use a food processor for this but I found it just as easy with a wooden spoon.

2. Cover and chill for about 30 minutes.

3. Roll into small balls -about the size of a chestnut. Dust a small plate with enough cinnamon and roll your biscuits in cinnamon until completely covered.

4. Place cinnamon balls on a baking tray lined with parchment paper, leaving some space between them as they will double in size if not more.

5. Bake in the oven at 180 ° C for 20 minutes.

Remove with the aid of a spatula and leave to cool on a wire rack.

These biscuits go really well with a cup of tea, chai or coffee! Personally I love them with a strong dark espresso... but I'll let you find your perfect beverage to go with these babies!

"Collage & Keep" A journal you create!

Collage has long been one of my favourite art forms. Because of its simplicity and scope it's something most people are able to do.
Arm yourself with a glue stick, a few images, magazines and some scissors and you're good to go!

This title by Eleanor Shakespeare ( and you ) from Quarto Publishing Group UK is a great way to start your journey into the world of cut out art!

Back in school I used to cover my note books with collage mainly depictions of my deities and idols which were the likes of Nina Hagen, Siouxie Sioux and Maria Callas. They seemed to be nestled among cascades of leopard print, flowers and skulls to remind myself that one day I'd be out of there school and on the stage where I belonged! Ha, it's not quite turned out that way but it's a great memory I keep in my mind of my teen aged self and of my then plans!

So this book "Collage and Keep" is a great companion for anyone who'd like to put their memories, momentos and dreams into paperback... look at it as a book of your life, a diary or a journal. Your very own memoir!!! And something you can pass down the generations too.

In an ever increasing digitalised world it's really nice to have something physical and real. It's a shame that we no longer keep photo albums (Yawn, everything is on our mobile phones now!) and I guess this book is just like a photo album but with the difference that you can add to it by way of an arty twist.

From a page that offers a  "collage your own portrait" to "collage yourself as a superhero" the accompanying illustrations are both cool and unusual which make a great background to your own creations. It also serves as a nice design guide for those who think they aren't creative.
*Which boo hiss  to you... everyone can be creative, it just takes a little self belief and we know you can do it!*

So go as intricate as you want or simply add your favourite photos as they are. This fun and quirky book is a great little time capsule where the subject is YOU!

To order a copy of Collage and Keep for the special offer price of £8, including free p&p in the UK, telephone 01903 828503 or email mailorders@lbsltd.co.uk and quote the offer code APG379 with your name and address.

Make your mark with "Sharpie Art Workshop"!

If you're anything like me you'll probably find yourself doodling at any given moment.
Usually it happens when I'm on the phone, in meetings, on the tube and shamefully even when talking to friends face to face... but... it's something I really can't stop doing!

So when the opportunity arrived for me to review Sharpie Art Workshop I immediately dropped my pen and got very excited!
This book by artist, art director, designer and all round creative Timothy Goodman is a great way to get everyone making something!
You see Sharpies can be used on pretty much  most surfaces, from paper, canvas, fabric to even metal plus they come in a variety of colours! They are truly a very versatile and flexible tool for any budding artist.

Sharpie pens are also inexpensive which means you can be playful and flexible in your design ideas.  Because you haven't spent a fortune on materials and tools you can allow yourself to experiment, and personally I love that, but what it means is that you can allow yourself the freedom to not have to commit to a particular design because you've spent your future inheritance on paints!
Sharpie pens have long been favoured by designers from all fields for their clean, bold, dense lines which help create an instant and immediate graphic impact.

Funnily enough I've just started an artist's residency in a primary school where the theme is Pattern and this book has tons of it! I just wish I had seen this amazing book before I got the job as there are so many great projects my school kids would have loved exploring... Though I'm sure I can creep a few projects in, there's still time!

Sharpie Art Workshop by Quatro Publishing Group offers a fantastic variety of ideas and projects by leading world renown artists and graphic designers as well as a good number of exercises like mark making, pattern creation and tips on using sharpies on a variety of surfaces.
I really like the up to date bold graphic look of the book too (hum, I guess you could say that's pretty Sharpie-esque!)... so it's not just a great coffee table book it's also a book I'll be using again and again.
And as far as the coffee table reference goes I have to say that it's meant in a totally different sense then usual. Ha, you see my copy will be a coffee table book due to the fact it'll be living on the coffee table to be within easy reach of my busy hands!


To celebrate the launch of this great little book we're giving away one copy and a set of sharpies to one lucky reader, courtesy of Quatrobooks (UK only, sorry!).
Enter your details in the comment box below this post for your chance to win! Good Luck!
*A winner will be chosen at random on the 10th of October and will be contacted on the date or shortly thereafter. Unfortunately we will not be able to contact all entrants directly.

But if you're not feeling lucky this amazing book is available at a special discount just for you if you order with our blog reader code:

To order a copy of Sharpie Art Workshop for the special offer price of £12, including free p&p in the UK, telephone 01903 828503 or email mailorders@lbsltd.co.uk and quote the offer code APG369 with your name and address.

Discover your craft with Quodo!

Quodo.com is the place where you can get your craft on by linking leading artisans & artists with Londoners who want to rediscover their creativity outside of the office!
With summer wrapping up and the kids back at school it's the perfect time to get creative with some of London's brightest artists and artisans.

Quodo was founded in London in March 2015 with a mission to make the world more creative by allowing anyone to learn direct from local artisans and artists. ​
Bringing together 30 of London’s finest artisans and artists offering unique arts, crafts and cooking classes starting from just £20. 
Well that sounds like a winner to us and we're sure that as time goes on that they'll get bigger and better so we'll definitely keep our eyes on these guys!

Plus we're super chuffed to say that there's a class just down the road from us (Walthamstow) so we're definitely checking that out on the 26th of September!
If you'd like to join us at Daniel H's Wallpaper screen printing class then you lucky people can use the code below to get yourselves a £20 discount!

Daniel is a brother of the Artworkers' Guild and a published academic working in textiles so we really can't wait to learn from a master craftsman!

But if screen printing isn't your thing then fear not... there are other great classes from millinery, ceramics to healthy cooking so get on to the Quodo web site and start crafting your life a bit more interesting!

For further information, classes and what Quodo can offer you visit: www.quodo.com

Daniel is a brother of the Artworkers’ Guild and is a published academic. - See more at: http://www.quodo.com/teacher/danielh/#sthash.N88VvdSJ.dpuf

Daniel is a brother of the Artworkers’ Guild and is a published academic. - See more at: http://www.quodo.com/teacher/danielh/#sthash.N88VvdSJ.dpuf