Read more over at The Guardian.

Ha ha ha the Russian police does not take kindly to protests, even those carried out by toys and dolls:

Police in the Siberian city of Barnaul have asked prosecutors to investigate the legality of a recent protest that saw dozens of small dolls – teddy bears, Lego men, South Park figurines – arranged to mimic a protest, complete with signs reading: “I’m for clean elections” and “A thief should sit in jail, not in the Kremlin”.

“Political opposition forces are using new technologies to carry out public events – using toys with placards at mini-protests,” Andrei Mulintsev, the city’s deputy police chief, said at a press conference this week, according to local media. “In our opinion, this is still an unsanctioned public event.”

Furthermore I am pretty darn sure that it’s the amazing ‘models’ for these clothes which has sent Melanie Manson’s designs VIRAL. A serious work (when we have all finished laughing at the cats) point being that this right here is exactly why I insist on using Nathan Pask for all my projects photography as it is such a crucial part of any creative project. A fact often massively underestimated by PR agencies who just go for one key press shot, or a series of. Have a strong viral image and it can drag the story along with it such as this case (note none of my projects need dragging!). Sometimes this the key image is the same thing for on and offline but not always, with boundaries disappearing between on and offline coverage it’s always important to look at this carefully.

The cat in the purple jumper is beyond brilliant.  He or she totally rocks this shot and, as Tara Banks would say, has totally mastered the art of “smeyesing”. Dearly wish I was working with a brand which could sign these two puddy cats up as models *sulks a little but that I don’t*.

(read more – sorry link is the Daily Mail, don’t judge me)

I find it hard to believe I have not come across the work of Sally Hewett before – it’s simply stunning. More to the point it’s unique which is getting harder and harder to do in crafting these days. I hope I get to see a lot more of her work in 2012.

Could not more be dropping her a line to investigate some form of collaboration for the Edible Autopsy.

I am interested in the social and political history of Embroidery as well as in the development of embroidery and stitching as a craft. The use of particular embroidery stitches for particular effects – e.g. French knots for the centres of flowers satin stitch, chain stitch, stump work etc.

I am also interested ideas of beauty and in the things people do to their bodies in the name of beauty. Men and women almost ritualistically shave and remove hair from their bodies – beards, underarm hair, pubic hair, leg hair etc, whereas other hair – hair on the head, eyebrows, eyelashes – are valued and encouraged to flourish. But there is other hair which not everyone has. This special hair seems to be, for some people, reason to feel ashamed. A large number of women and men submit their bodies to extraordinary procedures in the name of convention or beauty – liposuction, implants, scarification, surgery, lazer treatment, electrolysis etc.

My embroidery and stitching practice centres on bodies, beauty and ugliness and the conventions that determine which is seen as which. My medium is mainly stitched and embroidered fabric. I am interested in how we see things, how we interpret what we see and how the connotations of needlework and embroidery as a medium affect how the content is seen – is it seen as ugly, beautiful or funny?

M.A.C have teamed up with Miss Piggy for their latest collaboration. Coinciding with the launch of Disney’s ‘The Muppets‘ film next month, the limited edition range features a frosty pink eye shadow (£11.50), black pen eye-liner (£14) and dramatic full lashes (£10) à la Missy Piggy herself (via).

I am unhealthily obsessed with the new Lurpack ad from  Wieden + Kennedy although I can’t quite put my finger on why, although I do LOVE sprouts.