Stitches of Tibet!

Namaste!
Ok, so just wanted to share this awesome organisation that I visited a couple of years ago when I went travelling around India! We trotted around Northern India hitting Rajasthan and the likes and it was amazing...yep and the Taj Mahal was a beaut...
So we spent the majority of our time in India backpacking around a bunch of towns and villages up in the Himalayas and caught wind of this amazing initiative called "Stitches of Tibet" up in Dharamsala, round the corner from the Dalai Lama's house!


'Stitches of Tibet' is a programme that aims to teach Tibetan women living in exile, tailoring and handicraft techniques so that they can utilise these skills to make a living and re-build their lives following escape from Tibet.
Dharamsala/ McLeod Ganj hosts a huge Tibetan community of men, women and children who have trekked for a month to flee their home country and seek refuge. Stitches of Tibet offers a programme that not only teaches unskilled women handicrafts and how to make clothes but also teaches them maths and English.

I just wanted to let you in on this place as it's a truly inspirational project and I say massive HI-FIVE to the TWA (Tibetan Women's Association) who have created this incredible opportunity for their students.

As you can see above...when I visited their workshop I bought myself a "Chupa" which is a traditional Tibetan garment...it's pretty great and I might allow it to re-surface (in an attempt to dye my hair baby pink this morning, I have ended up with locks that resemble a similar shade to said garment...) I would like to apologise for the fact I am also wearing HORRIFIC combat pants in the photo...but come on, I had to get RUSTIC...also, appreciate the most amazing cake I have ever experienced!
So I will leave you with a few of my favourite pictures from the trip...

Love and Chupas!
Emma
xxxxx

When Cupcakes Go Wrong...

Oohh iyya!
So, being summer and all, a picnic was on the cards....I clocked onto some "burger" cupcakes recently, whilst indulging in a google-a-thon, so thought I would attempt to churn some of these bad-boys out....
As you can see, they didn't quite go to plan! What a mess....I thought I could execute these with panache instead they looked SICK. As if happened, it pissed it down with rain and the picnic was cancelled....they did taste GOURMET though!

In other news....I went to Edinburgh which was lovely! It had been years since I'd rocked some Scottish delights, so it was fun! I was especially excited that the National Gallery up there hosts my FAVOURITE ever painting in the world....Rubens' 'Feast of Herod'...I first spotted it when I was 16 on a school trip and Rubens has been my favourite artist since!



Also to report...I jumped for joy when I finally found Rainbow Tapioca Pearls in the shop!!! That means I can make my very own Bubble Tea!!Wooo! I'd like to add, it is a bit of a chore....so I might just whack the kettle on for a Tetleys in future!
Love and Sago Pudding!
Emma
xxxx

Puma (Not an animal, a shoe.)

Ooooohhh iyyyya!!!!!
So last month I co-styled a shoot with Alexis Knox Puffytropsss for the new PUMA L.I.F.T Racer, sneaker of dreamzzz....you can cop a juicy spy of this bad boy in Notion issue 40....
It was a particularly tropical day in which the dude in the corner shop once again moaned about a phantom flood...and I was excited to have Emma Box AKA "THE BOX" helping me....no energy drinks, mug smashing or Gnome appreciation today however....
Ch Ch Check out the shoot above!!!!
Credits:
Art Direction: Liam Gleeson
Photography: Mark Cant
Styling: Emma Bell & Alexis Knox
Models: Slinky and Kayt
Hair and Make-up: Svetlana Sorokina
What else to report??? I have a new hair colour....it's purple....or more My Little Pony Lilac...anyway, I like it.

Being summer and all, me and my chum Dicko hit the fairground....always a treat and good opportunity to spy on sick but hot dirty gypsy boys...YES PLEASE! I agonisingly put my back out on a ridiculous ride , fell in love with a chav spinning the waltzers and went to see a fortune teller called Shirley....Guess what? She mystically guessed that my favourite colour is pink...(hmmm NO WAY!) oh yes, and she also told me "You like the bottle but, you know when to put the glass down!"
Love and Unicorns,
Emma xxxx

Read All About it!!! (said in the voice of the dudes that sell newspapers....)

Yo Yo Yo.......
So the latest issue of Notion is now gracing the shelves of Borders and the likes....AND they ran a 2 page feature on Designers Against Aids and the NYC Against HIV event that I was involved with back in May!!! WOOOO exciting!
I was extra excited as I got to write the piece for them which was awesome!!!
Ooh yes and I got to have a special bit of spiel in the contributors bit in which I rambled on about my days starring in Byker Grove, having a bad perm and wearing tracksuits!!! Ch Ch Check it out!!!
Love and TOODLEPIPSSSS!!!
Emma xxxx

Hipster's Handbook 'innit

Hi There Hi There Hi There!!!
So, thought you would like to get your chops around this and check out the latest beaut courtesy of the current issue of Notion's special supplement, The Hipster Handbook.....You can see my men's shirt from my AW09 collection IN DA MIXXX there.....

And that's me there when I'm sporting my Hello Kitty disguise and writing this blog....

Love and a million phantasmagorical dancing unicorns!!!
Emma
xxx

SAMANDA'S 21ST BIRTHDAY!!!

Ahoy there!!!
oooh, it seems like ships are becoming a regular feature....although this story involves an actual (pirate) ship and not a knitted woolly one!!!
On Thursday, Hayley and I (after weeks of anticipation!) hit Big Brother starlets, Sam and Amanda's 21st Birthday party....the bash was held on a boat sailing up and down the Thames! Party central!!!
The promise of candyfloss and cupcakes was almost too much to handle as we climbed on board and sailed to sea!
The girls are two of my favourite people since they took to the catwalk with little dogs in hand at my last show at Fashion Week!!! (They rocked the banana intarsia knitwear for Autumn/Winter 09 with matching white terriers....and super hot De Havilland's on their feet!)
Anyway back to the bash...in keeping with the party theme, the girls both wore pale peachy pink dresses which matched the lovely cupcakes that were brought by Bakeaboo!!! Might I just add....the cupcakes were AMAZING!!! Check out:
www.bake-a-boo.com


We were also incredibly excited to get ourselves a couple of glitter tattoos!!! I ended up with a little cat and an armful of roses courtesy of the awesome Jinny Rainbow....www.jinnyrainbow.com

Ok....I'm not going to lie...the guests were pretty awesome too.....obviously with my obsession with reality TV and my daily homage to Heatworld and the likes.....I was particularly excited by the appearances of the Shipwrecked crew.....the plethora of Big Brother dudes....ooh and how could I forget,Callum Best!

Yes....so we had the BEST time ever!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY GIRLS!!!!
Love and Cupcakesss!!!
Emma
xxxx

Mystical Sparkle Pony!!!

Oooh iyya!
So, as you know...I love ANYTHING that sparkles.....so my pilgrimage to cop an eyeful of a mystical twinkly pony was a treat and a half....
I first went to visit the horse a few years ago so I was super pleased to see it was being exhibited again!
This equine glitterfest is courtesy of Stella McCartney and is made of 8000 individual Swarovski glass crystals and is titled "Lucky Spot" and is currently on display up in a ruined castle in Belsay! It's set in magical fairy forests....oooh very nice! It is based on Stubb's 'Whistlejacket' painting...(which Rael and I recently clocked at the National Gallery and got excited as we liked the name and thought we would like a pair of matching jackets made of a million silver whistles!)

There you go...APPRECIATE the sparkle pony.
Love and Sparkles,
Emma xxx

Special Stylin' Little Boots!!!

Ooohh iyyya!!!
I do like Little Boots.lots....she's awesome! So I was very excited when me and puffy extraordinaire Alexis Knox got to style her for issue 39 of Notion Magazine....(it's in the shops now, so go and whip one in!)
There it is above y'all so you can have a squizz....
And credits as followzzz...
Art Direction: Liam Gleeson
Photography: Stefan Sieler
Styling: Emma Bell and Alexis Knox
Make Up: Michelle Webb
and super star magical assistants: Emma Box and Lucie Wilde
Also....just to add...I also lacerated my finger pretty badly that day....on a rogue UFO lurking in the bottom of a satchel of doom....ouch....waterfalls of blood 'innit!
Love and Candyfloss,
Emma
xxxx

Can I get a REWINDDDD?!

HELLO HELLO HELLO!!!
Ok...so bit of a delayed responso here....but finally here is the lovely Suki wearing my stuff from my SS09 show in Super Super Magazine....a couple of issues ago, but better late than never?!
Ooohhh Look of the Month?! I would like to go out looking like that EVERY day!
Love and Coco Pops,
Emma
xxxx

Clash like a Mashed Potato!

Oooooh iiiyya!!!
So it's super hectic right now....but I wanted to take a few moments to show you one of my latest pieces of press....as I LOVE this image!
Stylist, Biki John recently used a bit of the Bell for her shoot for 'Clash' Magazine!
Photographed by Emma Engvist, some pieces were used from my SS09 collection as part of a feature on Paris based musical duo, 'The Do'.
Personally, I think this band are pretty awesome! Bringing a pop/hip-hop/gypsy aural treat with a whimsical, fairytale twist....they rock like a clock!!!!wooo!
Above you can see Olivia sporting my hand sequined, pink heart quilt jacket!!!
Check the band out....www.thedo.info
Oooh also today I had the delight of Le Mindu dedicating a special song to me during his super hot, gourmet radio appearance today....'ATC-Around the World'....YES PLEASEE! I LOVVVEE IT!!!
Love and Getting Troppy,
Emma
xxxxx

A Knitted Boat and Brussel Sprouts!

Ahoy there!!!
I would totally LOVE to be a Pirate....I would have a pet parrot called Sebastian....
This weekend whilst up in the old hometown, I decided to get nautical and go and visit a mystical woollen ship that I heard about on the regional newzzz....
I do LOVE a nice bit of knitwear as you all know...so when I heard about this corker of a knitted boat, I just had to hot foot it over to South Shields to have a cheeky peek!
AND...OH MY GOD.....IT IS ACTUALLY AMAZING!
Textile designer Ingrid Wagner hopped onboard as lead artist and this big, fat amazing community project unleashed itself! The project "Casting Off...A Coat for a Boat!" was created with the help of contributors hailing from the region as well as internationally and the support of The North East Maritime Trust. The delight was developed through a string of social knitting sessions (a bit like the ones we saw in whipping up my food dress-with a can of cider in hand!) and recycled bedsheets donated from Northgate Hospital Laundry.
I think the concept is AWESOME....and I was so impressed when I visited it! I wish I could have whipped up a starfish or two!!! :(
So anyway....have a gander at some pictures that I took....
Yes I want to be a mermaid and set sail on the woolly boat. Please.

If you are up in the North East, I would say you should DEFINITELY go and pay the ship of dreams a visit...super impressive! You can get yourself along to the Customs House www.customshouse.com or if you are down south, you can wait until October and see the boat at Alexandra Palace as part of The Knitting and Stitching Show... www.twistedthread.com
Ohh yah....and the experience was topped off with lunch on the seafront in which they served me the veggie option-Lasagna with brussel sprouts.....errm nice.
Check out Ingrid's work....it's amazing.mucho respecto!
www.ingridwagner.com
Love and a Golden Octopus!
Emma xxx

Ginger Pigs, Teal Locks and Bubble Tea!

Ooohhhh IYYYAAA!!!!
Ok....just a few random stuffsss as the past couple of weeks have been super busy.....working on a plethora of bizarre projects including listening to a bunch of people singing "Aint no stopping us now" (ON REPEAT EEEEK!), Regina Spektor and an abundance of photoshop.....there was also an incident involving a flood in the corner shop downstairs...."I'm going to KILL YOU...Bitch" just about sums that whole fandango up!!!!
Aside from that I am tropically happy to have reverted back to my Bubble Tea ways recently....The milk that the dudes seem to use tastes kind of sick...and not SICK in a good way....in honesty I just like choking on the Sago pearls and seeing which pot luck plastic lid I'm going to get....as you can see above...I was dealt a right corker last week!
Also in the mix was a magical day of London farm visiting...I wanted to visit the ginger pigs....but the temperatures were unbelievably exotic that day so they were just lounging around being lazy and rolling around in shit.

This month has also seen two magical hair colours....to avoid passport dramas when flying last month I went back to blonde...so my first mission upon return was to whip in some rainbow action....First was pink....then turquoise...my two favourite colours (well I also love yellow, it's the colour of lemons and Lemon Meringue Pie is my all time favourite dessert.)....
Here are the latest colours over the past couple of months....get yourself to Dalston and embrace the Pantone actionnnnn......FYI prepare to be asked by children on the bus if you are wearing a wig.



Love and Beans on Toast,
Emma xxxxx