The hungry girls here at The Red Door are drooling over the latest edition of 'The Hungry Girls Cookbook' which is coming our way in the next couple of weeks. Leah Holscher is the photographer, the recipes are by Rachel Pitts, and the design and illustrations are by Katherine Bird who all hail from the sunny shores of Melbourne, Australia.

Each copy is bound with cloth, stamped and hand sewn and has been printed on 100% recycled paper. A perfect gift for yourself or another hungry pal, we think these are great and know you will too. I can hear my stomach rumbling already!

Artist Lucy Gough has shown her work here at The Red Door for the last three years and yesterday we recieved an email letting us know that her blog is now up and running. Lucy will be using her blog to keep you all up to date with her current projects, new pieces and inspirations. Go and check it out.

'Make your Own Monster' kits from Donna Wilson, are the newest thing to grace our shelves. These super fun packs are filled with a pre stitched creature shape, stuffing and felt bits and bobs as well as step by step instructions to help make your own unique friend. No sewing skills are required. Donna recommends that the packs are not for young children unless accompanied by an adult, but if you are an adult that's ok too!

Mike Inglis solo show 'Transmit' opens here at The Red Door on Friday the 6th June. To give you all a little bit more information on Mike, we thought you might like to check out a few question we asked him.

Q - So that we get to know a bit about you - tell us some of the things that inspire you?

A - Comic books (but not superhero stuff), graffiti, cities, travel, cinema (I devour films), type, music, architecture (particularly the avante garde genius Daniel Libenskind), artists books, flea markets (althought I never bought a flea yet). Any kind of type - signage, printed, installation, motion type, I just love a nice bit of typo. William Burroughs and William Eggleston are my two favourite Williams. There are so many other artists that the list is endless.

Q - How long have you been a practicing artist?

A - It's only in the last couple of years that I've begun working seriously for myself. Not necessarily for a gallery space, but certainly not for a client or to a brief. The transition between graphic designer and artist has been a very long, evolving process. Working with a lot of clients who were artists on show concept and the resulting promotional work they required kind of blurred the boundaries of my graphic practice and my postition relative the either discipline.




Q - You work mostly with screenprinting. Do you have plans for any other mediums to creep into your work?

A - I work with screenprinting at the moment because I was producing a lot of work which was very graphic and quite illustrative and needed an output that suited those ideas. Screenprinting was an obvious route to realise these images. The process is so similar to graffiti and its immediacy appeals for those reasons. I am planning a new body of work at the moment which has more of a mixed media response involving a cabinet installation and a moving image piece utilising old super8 film loops. There will still be a large printed element to the project but it is really about executing the idea in the best possible way. In the past I have produced books which used found flyers, polaroid photos and deconstructed novels as well as one off personal collage pieces.

Q - Do you start with an idea or story and build around this as you go or do you always have a clear idea how a finished piece will look?

A - I don't consciously pick something; I just get hooked on something and begin to document it. The more I begin to collect the more the theme of an idea begins to emerge. I never really understand it fully until it's almost complete. There is an intuitive, sub-conscious flow that feeds my process and I never question this. I had a dream the other night that I made the most amazing little book. When I woke up I couldnt remember it, but I know it will come out somewhere along the line. Finding it will drive me on.

Q - What doe the future hold for Mike Inglis? Is there anything we can call look forward to?

A - I am keen to move on with my next project that I've been researching whilst finishing off this body of work. I have become fascinated by a great Aunt (who was a spiritualist) and her connection to me grandmother who lost her first child at a very young age. The new project has an installation centrered around a piece of furniture my grandmother had. I am hunting for a venue and playing around with old cine film. I'm enjoying the process and it all still links to belief systems in a way.

Please contact us to get a copy of the full interview with Mike Inglis.
'Transmit' opens with an exhibition preview and opening night on Friday 6th June from 6-8pm. Please come along and join us. x

SNEAK PEAK - for those of you who have been asking, here is a sneak preview of the Seymour exhibition flyer for his July show 'Under the Looking Glass' which runs from the 11th July - 3rd August. More information shortly.

Postable jewellery is a flat-packed, plywood cut-out ring that can be sent by post like a postcard or a letter. Just like other mail items, Postable Jewellery will bear the evidence of the journey; marks, stamps, stain or scratches, adding to the romance and uniqueness of them. This great product comes from London based designer Nutre Arayavanish and we are in the middle of choosing some designs to stock in the shop - not an easy task.

Some things that caught my eye on Etsy today; (from left to right, top to bottom). 'The Flutist' by BoyGirlParty, 'Jogging Ladies Running Cake Decorations' from Skelataltwelve,'One La Mano card' by Essimar, 'Choo Choo Train Japanese Trim' from Nunoplus,'Bermuda Pantaloons' by Potatohavetoes, 'Snack Time' by Apak, 'Tricycle Suck-Up' by Pogonip, 'Seasonal Fruits of California' by Claire Nereim, 'Vintage Wing Earrings' from Nikkifaith.

Check out our new flyer designed by the super talented Seymour. We love his design and can't wait to get the online shop up and running so we can start handing them out to people. Seymour is busy preparing for his solo show here which begins on the 5th July which is shaping up to be amazing!

Alice Melvin popped in today to drop off some great new work and to have a good old catch up (its been far too long since I last saw her). Alice lives and works here in Edinburgh as a freelance illustrator. She graduated from Edinburgh College of Art with first class honours in Illustration in 2004 and hasnt slowed down since. She had her first book, 'An A-Z Treasure Hunt' published by Tate Publishing in 2007 and is about to begin on her second book with them. Alice is a total talent and we love stocking her quirky books and beautifully coloured prints. Alice also has a solo show with us pencilled in for the beginning of next year so watch this space!

Fear not origami lovers, you still have until May 16th to get down to the Museum of Edinburgh (142 -146 Canongate) to check out their current Origami exhibition. Outlining the history and development of the Japanese art of paper folding, the exhibition also boasts a beautiful assortment of origami models. And if you're feeling inspired to get your own fingers folding, some Saturday classes under the guidance of members of the British Origami Society are available. To book a place, or for more information call Margaret Findlay on 0131 529 3963/2.

Wishing you a very happy May Day!

Goodies, from left to right are- Atelier LZC bird and flower mobiles, Good on Paper card, Glitter and Twisted brooch, and Atelier poster. xxx.

Maybe its because its mid afternoon, but as soon as I saw these gorgeous photos I began craving the sugary sweetness of a good cupcake. Of course who does them better than everyones secret favourite, Martha Stewart. These three look delicious - Strawberry, Chocolate-Buttermilk and Chocolate (follow the links to the recipes). Mmmmmm. x

Time to get out your diaries as we have finally set concrete dates for the remaining solo shows for 2008. There is some amazing pieces being done at the moment by this bunch so the shows are shaping up to be pretty exciting (we can't wait)!

Schedule as Follows:
Mike Inglis 6th - 20th June
Seymour 11th - 20th July
Alison Hardcastle 19th Sept - 5th Oct
Laurie Hastings 17th Oct - 2nd Nov

To keep you all up to date, here are a few images from around the store at the moment. Check out our new card racks which mean we can finally stock all the cards we want! I hope you are all enjoying the gorgeous sunny day. x

When Homeless take over the world is a collection of hillariously clever ideas from the brain of Sydney based product designer Chris Thomson. This website is a "sarcastic glimpse into the future of product design, taken from the perspective of when homeless take over the world". It boasts some great products all made with card (the future gold) and pokes fun at some desirable objects which are just as good make with card as well touching on the all important issue of sustainability.

Take a look and check out which is your favourite product. I'm stuck between the 'braille jigsaw puzzle' and the 'back up tie'! So, so funny.

For those of you who have been asking to see some photos of the The Red Door team, here you go. Sit back, have a cup of tea and get acquainted with who we are and what we like.

SARAH - Is having trouble making her list concise enough so that people don't get really bored. Here is a selection from her massive list of things that she likes - new magazines, mornings, rabbits, cookbooks, nicely wrapped presents, cheese, dresses, having a diary, tidying, music quizzes, sketchbooks, road trips, teapots, late nights with friends, lillies, museum shops, travelling, collecting, train journeys, ceramics, baby photos, spring, cushions, posting letters, giving presents, a new bag, walking through autumn leaves, all berries (esp strawberries!).


ANNIKA - At the moment Annika is liking - red wine in the bath, band beginning with B (Belle and Sebastian, Beirut, The Bird and the Bee, Bjork, Bob Dylan, Brian Jonestown Massacre, Broken Social Scene ), Peter Carey Novels, Babuska Dolls, Bangers and Mash on a winters day, tea tea and more tea, tulips, new cities, national rail, daylight saving, T.S Eliot, using the words 'bizarre' 'horrific' and 'curious', indian ink, and her bed!


MELANIE - Melanie likes you mostly, but also - white sneakers, twin peaks, fluffy animals, palour games, paper goods and stationary, G+T in the sun, postcards, berlin, quick wit and puns, records, polariod photos, collecting, hunting, gathering, hoarding, assembling, rearranging, magazines, any and all chocolate!

Maybe I am slow with this one (its so hard to keep up with everything these days), but after reading Saturdays Guardian, I came across Mixwit -the time wasting, lots of fun website. Now, we all used to make mix tapes to give to friends (see a great previous post by Mel in March) and Mixwit is pretty much the next version of this. Make your own personal mix and share it online. Just another addition to all those websites we cant get enough of!

At the moment I'm loving - 'New York' , 'Surf Music is Good Music', 'Big Band and Swing'.

Yesterday Michael Kirkham popped in to say a quick hello reminding me that I have been meaning to post some of his amazing illustrations for awhile now. Michael studied Illustration just around the corner at the Edinburgh College of Art, graduating in 2006. He has since taken the illustration world by storm along with the help of Heart Agency, meaning he has worked for clients such as Dazed and Confused, Time Out, The Guardian and The New York Times. He also recently won the gold award (new talent) in the AOI's 2007 annual. We love his work and hope you do too!

I've just been having a long overdue browse at Craft and realise how long its been since I last took a leisurely browse through their wonderful world of craft. If you haven't stumbled across this website yet, then you must go and check it out. It is full of useful and inspiring information about pretty much everything to do with craft. A magazine, blogs, forums, recipes and amazing projects and tutorials just touch on what they offer. Even if you arent particularly crafty, you will love this site (and probably want to check out their sister/brother site Make too). I thought that their cheif in charge editor Mark Fruenfelder summed them up nicely; "Our vision with CRAFT is to unite, inspire, inform, and entertain a growing community of highy imaginative and resourceful people...".

Check out just a couple of images above from some of Crafts recent blog posts. I love the dos directories embroiderd cushion by Art Lebedev Studio and adore the sunlight poem projector by Jiyeon Song.

Here at The Red Door we have some very excited toys. Joining our current cuddly residents are some of Donna Wilsons new wooly wonders, bursting with character and charm, we're sure they'll all get along smashingly. Red Door resident Mitten Kitten and new commer Tig share a love of playing a good game of hide and seek. As well as sharing biological ties Ralf and Rill both lead an active lifestyle, Ralf loves mountain biking and extreme sports, and Rill is a lively sort of character, forever on the go. And who's not going to love Harry Hairyhead when they watch him sporting his moves on the dance floor of the roller disco, bopping his big, green, cuddly head. While the toys get aquainted with each other, the residents of The Red Door (of the human variety) are aquainting ourselves with the couch, and why not with a pretty view of one of Donnas new owl cushions to accompany us, as always beautifully designed, amazingly soft and totally gorgeous.