and lastly for the day...

Tomorrow welcomes brand new resident Debbie Isley, to the Pop Up Gallery on Linthorpe Road where there will be lots of sumptuous things for you to feast your eyes on! Debbie is a screen printer and will be having an exhibition of works and will also be screen printing live in the space! So make sure you make time to go along and see her and check out her skills before she leaves on 27th June.



And for those budding film makers, get yourself along to the newly furnished Writers' Block HQ at 95-97 Linthorpe Road tomorrow evening for 7 o'clock for the 'How NOT to make a film' workshop. This is a crash course in simple film making by watching badly made films for a couple of hours! Muchos fun!!

Today saw the launch of A J Garrett and Rebecca Little's D.I.Y. publishing house: ZINE. For those not in the know, a zine is a small press comic or magazine that's printed up on a photocopier and then assembled by hand, making them totally unique! AJ and Rebecca will be hosting a zine library for you to peruse, holding workshops for you to have a go at creating your own zine, as well as making, publishing and selling zines that reflect the diversity and creativity of Middlesbrough and Teesside. ZINE is for everyone so get yourself down!

ZINE will be at number 9 Newport Road until 10th July, but don't wait till then to go along, go asap!!

To contact AJ, e-mail info@pegpowler.com or visit the website www.pegpowler.com.

Catch Up : Part Two!

Saturday saw the end of the Imaginary Parlour Files in the Pop Up Studio hosted by Inspector Lewis, Notebook Norm and Lady Loveless. So, for those of you who didn't manage to get down, here's some of what you missed...

For those Karen Lewis fans, and for those who have yet to meet her, you have another chance! From the 13th July - 7th August Karen Lewis, teamed with Chris Eves, will be showcasing their award winning garden designing skills by transforming number 9 Newport Road into a garden! So put it in your diary and save your pennies to buy a plant or few when they have a fantastic plant sell off at the end!

Catch Up!!

Going back a few weeks, those of you wandering past, and hopefully going into the Pop Up Studio at 9 Newport Road will have met Jayne Elwell, A.K.A. The Libertarian. Jayne specialises in one of a kind hats and head-wear, but also creates jewellery, accessories and clothing. Oh, and some lovely items for your home!

For those of you who missed her, or if you just want to indulge yourself with another peek at her beautiful creations, here's a selection of photos from her stay in the Pop Up Studio.

And for those of you having a hat emergency or if you just fancy a new piece of head-wear, you can contact her to buy a piece that's taken your fancy or to commission something specific, through the link above.

Interview with the divine Miss Alex Bloundele!

Name of business? Russian Doll Vintage
What did you study? Social and Cultural History

What is your favourite piece from your collection?

My favourite piece actually sold, it was a black lace 50's ball gown - absolutely beautiful and one of a kind, I was sad to see it go.

What are your hopes and dreams for the future?

I would love to own my own vintage shop, as well as having a range of my own dresses which have been made out of vintage fabrics and are of a vintage style.

What was your most memorable moment while in the We Are Open space?

It was all amazing, but my favourite parts were when customers would tell me their stories of their own clothing that they had worn in 50's/60's/70's etc. One lady actually brought me in a range of vintage costume jewellery that she no longer wore, which was so nice and generous of her. I felt very grateful towards all these people who supported the shop.

If you were commissioned to create a piece of street art, what would you do?

I would probably create a giant ball gown! I love big tulle dresses and if it were feasible i would wear one everyday of the week, haha! The giant ball gown would be a shelter and the underneath of the skirt would be filled with mirrors so if a girl/guy needs to sort out their hair, make-up or just check they look ok, then they can pop up and have a check out of the rain/wind/watchful eyes of others!

If you could be in an exhibition with any artists or designers, dead or alive, who would you choose?

Vivienne Westwood - I adore Queen Viv, I love her style, the clothes she makes, the shoes she sells and the handbags she wears. In my opinion she is one of the most iconic and diverse fashion designers of the later part of the twentieth century.