[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":11},["ShallowReactive",2],{"blog-post-jampires-book-launch":3},{"_type":4,"body":5,"bodyHtml":6,"excerpt":5,"featuredImage":5,"publishedAt":7,"slug":8,"tags":9,"title":10},"blogPost",null,"\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/feastival_jampires_books_zpse5e8a0d9-b297279d2b.jpg\" width=\"550\">\\r\n\u003Ci>\u003Cfont size=\"1\">Photo by James Petrie\u003C/font>\u003C/i>\\r\n\\r\nHee hee, it's great fun to stand in the middle of a field wearing sparkly red platform heels when everyone else is walking around in wellies. This weekend my co-author \u003Ca href=\"http://scribblehound.com/\">David O'Connell\u003C/a> and I launched our new picture book, \u003Ci>Jampires\u003C/i>, at \u003Ca href=\"http://www.jamieoliver.com/thebigfeastival/\">The Big Feastival\u003C/a> in Oxfordshire.\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/feastival_jampires_haybales_zps01583477-77163fc9df.jpg\">\\r\n\u003Ci>\u003Cfont size=\"1\">Photo by James Petrie\u003C/font>\u003C/i>\\r\n\\r\nI couldn't believe it, I forgot to pack my Bakewell Tart hat! Nooooo!\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/feastival_jampires_portraits_zps2fef3ab2-e002dc1f4d.jpg\">\\r\n\u003Ci>\u003Cfont size=\"1\">Photo by Dave Warren\u003C/font>\u003C/i>\\r\n\\r\nBut never mind, our book was well and truly launched with a dramatic reading by David and me. (Dave's very good at doing \u003Ci>the voices\u003C/i>.) And I can rock a converted poodle skirt. (Thanks to my mum for helping me sew on all the Jampires.)\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/feastival_jampires_show_neill_zps883e8d2e-91c4360139.jpg\">\\r\n\u003Ci>\u003Cfont size=\"1\">Photo by Neill Cameron\u003C/font>\u003C/i>\\r\n\\r\nAnd I taught everyone how to draw a Jampire! 'But what is a Jampire?' you may ask. Well, if you've ever bitten into a jam doughnut and found it disappointingly dry and jamless, they are the culprits. These little critters suck out them jam. They LOVE jam. Our book is basically a hymn to jam. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/feastival_jampires_drawing_zps283d36a3-22d46169bc.jpg\">\\r\n\u003Ci>\u003Cfont size=\"1\">Photo by James Petrie\u003C/font>\u003C/i>\\r\n\\r\nAnd you can learn how to draw a Jampire, too! David and I have put all sorts of goodies on our new website, so do have fun exploring it: \u003Cfont size=\"5\">\u003Ca href=\"http://www.jampires.com\">jampires.com\u003C/a>\u003C/font> \\r\n\\r\n\u003Ca href=\"http://www.jampires.com/activities/\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/how2draw_jampire_zps37ecb3f6-3457330f17.jpg\">\u003C/a>\\r\n\u003Ci>\u003Ca href=\"http://www.jampires.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/how2draw_jampire_level1.pdf\">View as a PDF\u003C/a>\u003C/i>\\r\n\\r\nWe have masks, too! Check out the website! :)\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/feastival_jampires_masks_zps5ae0975f-5740993c25.jpg\">\\r\n\u003Ci>\u003Cfont size=\"1\">Photo by James Petrie\u003C/font>\u003C/i>\\r\n\\r\n\u003C!--more Click for more under the cut!-->\\r\nSince the Jampires are obsessed with jam, we had \u003Ci>actual jam\u003C/i> on site...\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/feastival_jampires_jam_zps9076c2ce-50948dee5f.jpg\">\\r\n\u003Ci>\u003Cfont size=\"1\">Photo by James Petrie\u003C/font>\u003C/i>\\r\n\\r\n...and an \u003Ci>actual jam maker\u003C/i>, who has joined our Jampires team! Meet \u003Cb>Emma Preston-Dunlop\u003C/b>, jam maker extraordinaire, who gave us a little lesson on how to make jam, and treated us to samples of her tasty concoctions.\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/feastival_jampires_team_zps5f9bd9e2-4a5c076096.jpg\">\\r\n\u003Ci>\u003Cfont size=\"1\">Photo by James Petrie\u003C/font>\u003C/i>\\r\n\\r\nEmma runs a jam company called \u003Ca href=\"\\r\nhttp://www.thebutchinstitute.co.uk/\">The Butch Institute\u003C/a> and while raspberry jam is always my favourite, she gives it a real run for its money with her Cherry Bakewell with amaretto syrup and almonds. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/feastival_jampires_butch_institute_zpsdee1004a-795a297ed4.jpg\">\\r\n\u003Ci>\u003Cfont size=\"1\">Photo by James Petrie\u003C/font>\u003C/i>\\r\n\\r\nSince The Big Feastival's all about food, we explored, and went straight for the PIE. Gotta love a pie. Emma taught me how to eat it from a carton without getting gravy all over my skirt. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/feastival_jampires_pie_zps0a18b50b-26fb8378c5.jpg\">\\r\n\u003Ci>\u003Cfont size=\"1\">Photo by James Petrie\u003C/font>\u003C/i>\\r\n\\r\nAnd our lovely publisher, David Fickling, cycled all the way over from Oxford - a two-hour journey across many hills - to be there for our launch. Hurrah! (He didn't cycle in his signature bowtie, but he put it on as soon as he arrived.)\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/feastival_jampires_bowtie_zpsecf20498-442655088e.jpg\">\\r\n\u003Ci>\u003Cfont size=\"1\">Photo by James Petrie\u003C/font>\u003C/i>\\r\n\\r\nJAM. Who doesn't dream about The Great Jam Pot in the Sky? *wistful sigh* \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/jampires_pb_spread_zps48997ddb-ab63c937ec.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nDave and I couldn't be there both days, so actor \u003Ca href=\"http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1495502/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1\">Devon Black\u003C/a> stepped in and led her own Jampires session on the Sunday, which looked brilliant. She made a costume, a whole new show, and I hear she did a brilliant job! Thank you SO MUCH, Devon!!\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/Devon_black_featival_zpse41dc819-83e085853e.jpg\">\\r\n\u003Ci>\u003Cfont size=\"1\">Photo tweeted by Philippa Perry\u003C/font>\u003C/i>\\r\n\\r\nFeastival had some rival vampiric creatures, not all as small and cuddly as our Jampire. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/feastival_jampires_monster_zpsa3b3884f-b80112b4b7.jpg\">\\r\n\u003Ci>\u003Cfont size=\"1\">Photo by James Petrie\u003C/font>\u003C/i>\\r\n\\r\nAfter a little scare, he got a cuddle from \u003Ca href=\"http://www.neillcameron.com\">Neill Cameron\u003C/a>, and everything was all right. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/feastival_jampires_neilljam_zps043c41dd-b64666966f.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nSo Neill was mostly busy drawing comic characters over in \u003Ca href=\"http://www.neillcameron.com\">The Phoenix Comic\u003C/a> area. He's the amazing creator of stories such as \u003Ci>Pirates of Pangaea, Mega Robo Bros\u003C/i> and has a new book out, \u003Ca href=\"http://www.thephoenixcomic.co.uk/product/how-to-make-awesome-comics/\">\u003Ci>How to Make Awesome Comics\u003C/i>\u003C/a>. Here's a Cyborg Mode Jamie Oliver (the chef who hosts the festival, along with Blur bassist-turned-cheesemaking-farmer Alex James):\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/feastival_jampires_neilldraw_zps1bc64b46-ab6f53baf6.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nThe drive to Feastival was quite a long one, and our friend James Petrie was a hero and gave us all a lift in his car. As you can see, Dave and I were terrible back-seat drivers.\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/feastival_jampires_backseat_zps78e3ab76-1377171e7a.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nLovely Dave. It's not just his genius talent, you see; I mostly work with him because he has such beautiful flowing tresses. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/feastival_jampires_davehair_zpsf9993a7b-e127e40fe9.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nBig group selfie! Huge thanks to David Fickling for publishing us, Emma for being such a great Jam Master, Devon for Sunday's awesomeness, Feastival for hosting us, fab publicist \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/LoisNina\">Philippa Perry\u003C/a> for organising the day, James for driving and photos, and \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/apytown\">Ann Lam\u003C/a> for our knitted Jampire. Jammy times! \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/feastival_jampires_dfb_zps76e6dd15-060ca9f5cd.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nHead over to the \u003Ca href=\"http://www.davidficklingbooks.com/NewsStory.php?item=199\">David Fickling Books website\u003C/a> to see their blog about Jampires, and \u003Ca href=\"http://www.jampires.com\">jampires.com\u003C/a> for all your jammy needs.\\r\n\\r\nJammy Twitter links: \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/davidoconnell\">@davidoconnell\u003C/a>, \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/DFB_storyhouse\">@DFB_Storyhouse\u003C/a>, \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/ButchInstitute\">@ButchInstitue\u003C/a>, \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/search?q=%23Jampires&src=typd\">#JAMPIRES\u003C/a>","2014-09-02T07:11:00.000Z","jampires-book-launch",[],"jampires book launch!",1776628726770]