Today has mostly been about paper. I had a day off from Niblet duties (nursery & Grandma took over) and went into Manchester.

My first stop was Paperchase, where I picked up some washi tape in the sale and the, long overdue, issue 14 of Uppercase magazine, a very expensive, but oh so gorgeous, publication that I LOVE. I also picked up an art book for later in Niblet’s life.

I then trawled a few shops looking for supplies to make this. I saw it on Poppytalk and immediately thought of a friend of mine, she also blogs and her blog is called Project Awesome – so I thought it would be perfect. I haven’t found nice white 3-d letters, but instead found some sparkly white stickers that should look good too.

One of my pre-planned activities for today was to go and see the new exhibition at Manchester Art Gallery called The First Cut. As a paper obsessive I knew this would be fantastic, and I was not disappointed. I have some poor quality phone photos, as I decided against taking my camera due to rain/shopping(!!) A decision I regretted many times during the course of the day.

(from top: Chris Kenny – Capella; Sarah Bridgland – Matemaatika; Claire Brewster – The Harbingers 2 (detail);

Manabu Hangai‘s forest; Nicola Dale‘s oak tree)

I headed off to the Northern Quarter to find a spot of lunch. After a quick trip to the Richard Goodall Gallery to lust after Jay Ryan and Leia Bell prints, I decided upon Home Sweet Home for a toasted sandwich and (not very hot) hot chocolate, it was nice despite the long wait.

After lunch came part 2 of pre-planned trip to Manchester Metroplolitan University’s Holden gallery for the artists book fair, run again this year by the lovely folks at Hot Bed Press. Lots of lovely things to look at (and buy). I came away with free samples of paper (tiny bits) from Conways of Halifax (see opening image), some lovely cards and a lucky dip bag from Charlotte Vallance, some map magnets from Letterpress Etiquette Network, some rejected cards & a block of printed pages from two wood press and a mini stamp album set & cute card with envelope from Lynne Shaw.

On the way back to the station I walked past the ever decreasing remains of the BBC on Oxford Road, it’s weird as it has been there all my life. I’m sure mega-city (as the delightful Radcliffe & Maconie have named Media City) is better for the BBC, but a Manchester icon (hideous, but iconic building) is going.  What will arise from it’s ashes???

I also stopped in at the Cornerhouse to have my portrait done in the Sketch-O-Matic. I had read about it in the Cornerhouse programme and decided to give it a whirl. I had to queue for about 30 minutes, this meant I got a glimpse of the pictures those in front were coming out with. They looked like nice, colourful sketches and I was looking forward to being done. Just before the man in front of me was done, it was time for artist change over.

I guess I should have read the ‘Enter, if you DARE’ first.

Oh how I wish I had been 15 minutes earlier. My ‘portrait’ came out after what seemed like forever looking at not much, besides myself, in a mirror (not my choice of how to spend my time). If this is what I looked like today, after making an effort, I may as well stick my head in the oven now. Despite what the ‘artist’ wrote on it, I was still horrified.

I think it is a great idea and would go back and do it again, if only to have a more flattering picture produced.