[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":11},["ShallowReactive",2],{"blog-post-ellens-longer-studio-commute-chris-haughtons-design-show":3},{"_type":4,"body":5,"bodyHtml":6,"excerpt":5,"featuredImage":5,"publishedAt":7,"slug":8,"tags":9,"title":10},"blogPost",null,"Our fab fellow Fleece Officer, \u003Ca href=\"http://www.whodunnknit.com/\">Ellen Lindner\u003C/a>, has always shown dedication in her studio commute, coming all the way to \u003Ca href=\"http://fleecestation.co.uk/\">The Fleece Station\u003C/a> in Deptford from her home by Oval Cricket Ground. But she's stretching it out even further next week by moving back with her lovely husband \u003Cb>Stephen Betts\u003C/b> (founder of \u003Ca href=\"http://comixinflux.com/\">Comix Influx\u003C/a> translation website) to New York City. So we're not actually losing a studio mate, it's more that we're sending an ambassador to the fine comics folk on the other side of the pond. Despite all the budget cuts, Gary, Lauren and I persuaded the government to invest in an important bit of construction to make their to-ing and fro-ing much easier. (Purportedly it was for the Olympics, but people in the know realise it's just for Ellen and Stephen). \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/lindnerbetts_cablecar-d9b7265971.jpg\">\\r\n\u003Ci>(We told them that Lauren drew most of the card, but you might spot quite a bit of \u003Ca href=\"http://www.garynorthfield.co.uk\">Gary\u003C/a>'s handiwork right in the middle of the card.)\u003C/i>\\r\n\\r\nWe presented them with their cable car ignition keys last night at Bloomsbury Lanes, which is a little bit of America right in the heart of the city. I didn't get a good shot of Ellen and Stephen together (they were sitting across the most enormous table, but here are \u003Ca href=\"http://www.barnabyrichards.co.uk/Barnaby_Richards/BARNABY.html\">Barnaby Richards, \u003Ca href=\"http://www.milkkitten.com/\">Tanya Meditzsky\u003C/a>, Ellen, \u003Ca href=\"http://www.whodunnknit.com/\">Lauren O'Farrell\u003C/a> and \u003Ca href=\"http://www.karriefransman.com/\">Karrie Fransman\u003C/a>. We've had some good times with Ellen and Stephen, including our \u003Ca href=\"http://jabberworks.livejournal.com/270395.html?thread=2232891\">trip to Angoulême comics festival in France\u003C/a> and \u003Ca href=\"http://jabberworks.livejournal.com/391570.html\">working MoCCA\u003C/a> and \u003Ca href=\"http://jabberworks.livejournal.com/393597.html\">Stumptown comics festivals\u003C/a> in NYC and Portland. We're really going to miss having her around the studio: singing funny songs with accompanying excellent dance moves, her imitation sounds of the studio pigeons just outside the door, her retro fashion tips, her little fingerless gloves-made-from-socks that she wears while she's inking comics, and her general enthusiasm with Stephen to encourage and help build the comics community right here in London.\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/ellenstephen_leaving-a2cf052293.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nWe've been saying goodbye to Ellen for awhile (and she's still planning to pop back into the studio) so Stuart and I didn't feel too terrible about bagging out of the post-dinner karaoke to meet up with Alex Milway to see illustrator \u003Ca href=\"http://www.vegetablefriedrice.com/\">Chris Haughton\u003C/a>'s show of design work he's commissioned from textile artists in Nepal. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/chris_haughton_3-40b7df3eb5.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\n\u003C!--more Click here for lots more about Chris's show under the cut!-->\\r\nChris spent eight months in Kathmandu, where he got to know the weavers and set up his own company to have them make rugs, bags, wall hangings, lampshades and plush toys, all based on his picture book illustration work. How cool is that? His merchandise looks amazing, and you can see it at \u003Ca href=\"http://www.so-far-the-future.co.uk/\">So Far, the Future\u003C/a> gallery, down a tiny alleyway off Lamb's Conduit Street in Bloomsbury. Here's the owl from his picture book \u003Ca href=\"http://www.vegetablefriedrice.com/\">\u003Ci>A Bit Lost\u003C/a>\u003C/i>.\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/chris_haughton_2-346da9b64f.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nI was very surprised and pleased to run into \u003Cb>Tom Donegan\u003C/b> from \u003Ca href=\"http://www.childrensbooksireland.ie/\">Children's Books Ireland\u003C/a>. (He's the guy \u003Ca href=\"http://www.ztoical.com\">Cliodhna Lyons\u003C/a>, Gary and I have worked with during our exciting book forays into Ireland.) Actually, I almost DID run into Tom, I couldn't see anything in the gallery for the first five minutes because my specs steamed up so badly... Here's Tom with Chris, and Stuart with \u003Ca href=\"http://www.alexmilway.com/\">Alex Milway\u003C/a>, in front of one of Chris's beautiful carpets.\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/chris_haughton_4-e66f47e353.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nSpeaking of Children's Books Ireland, I've written a big interview article with \u003Cb>Alison Green\u003C/b>, a publisher with \u003Ca href=\"http://www5.scholastic.co.uk/zone/book_alison-green.htm\">her own imprint\u003C/a> at Scholastic UK, who publish me. It's just come out in the new \u003Ci>Inis\u003C/i> \u003Cb>Issue 36\u003C/b> (\u003Ci>Inis\u003C/i> is pronounced 'Inish'), and editor \u003Cb>David Maybury\u003C/b> promises me there's a copy winging its way to me. If you subscribe to Inis magazine, do look out for my article, or find out \u003Ca href=\"http://www.inismagazine.ie/\">more about \u003Ci>Inis\u003C/i> here\u003C/a>! In fact, Chris Haughton designed the cover for \u003Ca href=\"http://www.inismagazine.ie/issues/entry/inis-34\">Issue 34, which you can read online here\u003C/a>, and it includes interviews with writers such as \u003Cb>Philip Reeve, Darren Shan\u003C/b> and \u003Cb>Philip Pullman\u003C/b>\\r\n.\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/inis36_cover-608b4908d2.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nFuzzy plushies by Chris! A few of them weren't for sale, because he'd stitched them himself and he said they were too flawed to sell, but their handmade look is really what makes them so lovely, and they're a bargain at £35 each.\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/chris_haughton_1-d39165978f.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nCongratulations, Chris, and thanks for the heads-up about the show, Alex!","2011-12-02T12:19:00.000Z","ellens-longer-studio-commute-chris-haughtons-design-show",[],"ellen's longer studio commute + chris haughton's design show",1776628721040]