What I have been up to!

Good afternoon dear readers!

I'm sorry I have been up to nothing for the past year! it was a bit hectic!
Lots of things happened, and things leading to another, I ended up opening my own little shop in Afflecks Palace, Manchester!

THis is the space before I moved in...it was a bit crazy, as I signed it on an impulse, thanks to Jackie, from Wacky Jax creations . I cannot say how grateful I am , as she let me have the space (the shop I used to manage had just shut its doors). THe space looked very small, and i wondered if everything would fit in! I then had to ask my suppliers if they would follow me, and they did!

So here is the shop, before!

The lovely sight on Church Street <3

 THe glassbox and pretty colors caught my eye big time <3

THis is my happy face, after I started moving in, with the help of Jackie and Mike. As always, I look a bit ghastly :

THe shop filled up very quickly, with Wacky Jax, Chlo Lo Steph,Wraptious and Dandygoose being some of the first to move in!then Sue Langford, Chris Rose photography, Kate Conaghan,cityscape, Tishy's,
Lots of the artwork was carried through the bus, I think one of the bus drivers now boycots me ;)

Little by little it started to take shape!

New creators joined us, but i will talk about this in another blog post! <3

Our customers really love everyone's work, it's lovely to get such a positive answer, it's lots of hard work (60plus hours a week when I'm lucky), 6 days on 7 when I'm lucky, but it's worth every bit!
I am my own boss, and I think supporting blossoming artists is amazing!  I have met some amazing people in Afflecks, and I'm enjoying the challenge!
Once the website will be launched, I hope to start creating again....so keep an eye on this blog chaps!

the new step willl be an A board shared with Soapy J (go check his shop there: https://www.facebook.com/SoapyJ?ref=ts&fref=ts He makes lovely vegan friendly soaps, I'm addicted!)

Mourning...

Today, as everyone knows, twelve people lost their lives during a terror attack. Members of the Charlie Hebdo, like Charb, Cabu, Wolinski, Bernard Maris, Tignous and two cops named Ahmed and Frank who tried to protect everyone.

When I was a small kid, and was around 4/5 years old (a long long time ago), I remember watching a few tv shows. Two of them were Recre A2, and later, Club Dorothe. I remember discovering Cabu, and growing very fond of his drawings. They made me smile, and I just loved the fluidity of his drawings, but also the joy of his work.  He was that kind of Ovni on TV and it was so refreshing.
One day, with the help of my mom, I made a drawing of Dorothe, inspired by Cabu's wonderful drawing, and sent it for a drawing contest. Of course I did not win, but I can still feel the joy of doing it!
What happened today is terrible. I cannot find the right words for what I feel. It's a mix of sadness, revolt, and anger, but the sadness prevails.

These creators, and cops, died for a drawing! for artists being creative, for expressing an opinion.

They died because three terrorist acted in the name of their god.

The Charlie Hebdo artists believed in laicity.
It's weird, as yesterday I was talking about it with an artist. I talked about how important it was that Laicity was respected (and religion equally respected, but staying in people's hearts...not trying to impose your personnal beliefs on everyone....and I talk about ALL RELIGIONS)
What these terrorists did is put a gag on the Freedom of speech. They did not see that behind the humor, there was definitely tenderness and love, however satiric these drawings were.

What is aggravating, is that some people might make an amalgam, and put everyone in the same bag. Right wing extremists, which are not any better than these terrorists, will try to use what happenned today as a lever for their elections battle. They will try to instill a hatred, and a sense of fear, when all of this was caused by an extremist minority, and not by the peaceful majority.
 
As an art creator, I don't want to end up being gagged. I don't want my opinions to be repressed. I don't want these people to win. Because shutting up would be letting them win. Art has allowed me to express myself for so many years, when I was unable to reach anyone, nor to express verbally any kind of my emotions. Drawing gave me strengh, gave me words, and these people won't steal that.

Don't let hatred consume you. Don't play their game. I don't think their god would be proud of them.

 Here is a little extract of Recre A2, with Cabu...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WNBTCayvqt8

Just me

Dear readers,

I got tagged by the lovely Nella Fragola (which you can find here http://www.nellafragola-vintage-blog.com/) ;)
It's the Just me tag game and it's a nice way for you all to get to know a little more about me. So the first part is 25 facts about me (and it won't be much exciting!)

1 My name Elisabeth comes from the little girl my mom babysitted when she was "Au Pair" in the UK. The fact my mom lived there for a while, probably highly influenced my love for british food and books!
2 There is never enough books! I rarely get rid of books, unless they left me totally indiferent (or plainly hated them). Happily it rarely happens. On the other hand, it makes the house look smaller and smaller every month . My ideal house is a house where there would be bookshelves going up to the ceiling in each room!
3 I secretely dream to live in a wooden house...or a hobbit hole, in the middle of the forrest, a bit like an ermit!
4 I used to be quite sporty, with synchronized swimming and french boxing. I quited after some girls started making fun of a new pupil as she was not "slim"enough!
5 I really like quiet places. I run away from cafes when you cannot chat with people, or just cannot think because the music is too loud.
6 I've been living 2 years in the UK. I don't miss France at all (but do miss my family and friends), and feel much more in my element in Manchester. It is much easier to be yourself here. But sometimes I have gigantic cravings for Saucisson and Cheese. I went to the french cheesemonger on the christmas market, and I looked like a junkie!
7 When I was a kid, I wanted to be a Knight of the Round Table, or/and Indiana Jones!
8 Even at the age of Kindles and Ipads, I still dream to open a tea room, whic would at the same time be a bookshop. All served with high quality teas and delicious cakes.
9 But my biggest dream is still to become an ilustrator one day. I just feel very frustrated with my drawing, as I don't have some basics for perspective and anatomy. It always end up with the drawings being torn lately.
10 I have a tendency to have cold hands and feet. Too bad for Dave who has to put up with it.
11 Speaking of Dave, I met my boyfriend in France, when recovering from a surgery for a begnin finger tumor. If it had not been for this, I would not have met him!
12 I'm quite a big anime and books geek. I love nothing more than discovering something new. Nothing gets me more excited than discovering a little hidden gem (like Ayakashi:Samurai horror tales:mononoke).
13 My cat is named Kitsune, because she looked like an arctic fox when she was a baby. Now she looks a bit like Jabba the Hut. Sometimes she is a little shredder, but I still think she is quite a good cat. But not between 7PM and 9PM (before food time).She has a mild food obscession for curry, butternut squash, and chesnuts.
14 When I was a kid, I loved poison Ivy, Jean Grey, and Rosseti's paintings. It ended up with me dying my hair bright red. I still think these females rock ;)
15 If I could, I would wear dirndls everyday, it feels a bit like a secondskin, and it makes me feel like I'm not too bad looking and somehow feminine!
16 I dream to go to Japan and meet my friend Yosuke. And to go to Wagashi tea rooms, eat oden, hiking into the wilderness, and foraging! I think it would be a truly gastronomic trip!
17 I love horror and ghost stories. One of my hobbies is to watch tv shows with haunted houses while drawing.
Also, horror movies are my favorites when I draw! I think it sets me right into the mood...
18 I think when I take time and am relaxed, I can whip some amazing food. I haven't done it properly for ages. I miss it a lot!
19 I think I really am terrible at girly stuff. Last time I tried to keep my hair long to have sophisticated hair dos, I ended up cutting my hair (myself), as it was much more simple! don't even talk about manicures!
20 So far, only one indoor plant has survived me. I feel very guilty, but it never works out!
21 My guilty pleasure is watching Romantic movies. My biggest pride is to have succeeded to make Dave watch Pride and Prejudice (and he liked it)
22 I like playing records on a turn table. Ella and Louis are my good mood choice!
23 I cannot stand my voice, and people saying I'm cute! heh! I'm a tough cookie!
24 I love foraging! it's something my grandad and my parents taught me, and you cannot imagine how amazing it is to eat food you found and not die or get poisoned :D. And it's even better if you can make your own Elderflower liquor!
25 I'm a lady who loves whiskey,  peaty and slightly sweet at the same time. Nothing like sharing it with my sweetheart or my friends Francois Amoretti and Nella Fragola :)

1. What is the meaning behind your blog name?

It's a blog about food, books and movies. Paul Loudon helped me find the name for it :)

I miss blogging and hope to have more time to do it. But each blog took me a whole day minimum!

2. Best thing that happened to you this year?

I made an illustration for Box Tale's soup "Casting the runes". It happened just two days after something really terribly bad hapenned, and it enabled me to empty my heart out in this drawing. I think you can get the mood.

3. Why do you blog?

I blog,as it kind of pushes me to draw for pleasure. After I had taken fine arts, I kind of lost track about why I loved drawing. But blogging re-made me discover the simple enjoyement of drawing, having fun, and doing things because I love them... I think it's something you should never loose track of! This blog especially mixed a few of my passions with drawing and I cannot wait to go back to it, but as a manager of a shop, I sometimes find hard to find energy (I'm hibernating on my days off).

4. What are you afraid of?

People not caring for what happens around them. People not looking. Earth becoming a tip because people don't care.

5. One beauty product you would recommend to your readers?

I never stick much to beauty products, as long as it does the job (minimal as you can see heehee). Does perfume can be ticked as one? I love La chasse aux papillons de l'artisan parfumeur. I miss that perfume so much, it makes me smile every time I wear it. It's a truly incredible perfume with linden, light tuberose and Orange Blossom.

Otherwise, orange blossom water. Simple but effective.

I tag Amelie Siria-Ellenen xxx

Challenge taken Nella! x

ALS Ice Bucket Challenge!

Here is a little out of the theme of Eat, Read, Watch, but it is worth the rea none the less (if not more).
I got nominated for the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge by Shena Wolf. :) ( THank you Shena!)

You can read a bit more on ALS  on the english website: http://www.mndassociation.org/

I took the challenge, and donated five pounds, because I think doing it without donating would be totally pointless...
So don't hesitate to donate by mobile, ICED55 £5 (or more, or whatever you can afford) to 70070.

I nominated David Carden (vaudevillian troubardour...he has done it in such a dapper way!), Krisandra Adams, and Paul Loudon (the amazing illustrator!).

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=824173604293580&l=4488504125877880828

And honestly, it's not that terrible ;)

THank you for sharing and/or donating!

(Special mention to the lovely Benedict Cumberbatch for the 5 buckets of ice https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YOa7ZjxRuKM, and the adorable Tom Hiddleston who has nominated him ;) <div id="fb-root"></div> <script>(function(d, s, id) { var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) return; js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src = "//connect.facebook.net/fr_FR/all.js#xfbml=1"; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs); }(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk'));</script>
<div class="fb-post" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=765532283490559" data-width="466"><div class="fb-xfbml-parse-ignore"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=765532283490559">Publication</a> by <a href="https://www.facebook.com/twhiddleston">Tom Hiddleston</a>.</div></div>
 ) .

Eat: Raspberry and Espresso Biscottis

One month ago, I was invited by Java, to a girls clothing swap. I had brought along some homemade biscotti, and out of craziness, dipped one into some fizzy wine. And surprizingly, it worked really well! it reminded me of these pink biscuits "biscuits de Reims", from the north of France, which you can dip in champagne (but I'm not a champagne girl).
It made me think i could try to add fresh raspberries into these wonderfully crispy biscuits!

 Biscotti means "cooked two times". The biscuits were particularly useful during journeys, and were a staple food in roman legions.

                              This japanese plate is a present my grandad made me years ago. :)
   ( Grand-Pere et Serge, je pense a vous a chaque fois que je presente mes biscuits dans ces assiettes!)

You can hardly find a much healthier breakfast biscuit (without the glass of alcohol of course). There is no fat, it's rich in almonds, and hence will bring you energy, and the rasberries bring a subtle sweetness to it.

So here is the recipe:

Dry ingredients:
260 g organic flour
200 g sifted brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 Teaspoon baking powder
1/2 Teaspoon sea Salt

Liquid ingredients:
1/4 cup strong coffee (room temperature)
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 big egg

Ingredients to add in the last step:
100 g almonds
1 cup of fresh raspberries, slightly crushed

Preheat oven at 170 degree Celcius

Toast the almonds 15 minutes until fragrant and golden.
Mix all the dry ingredients together.
In another bowl, mix the liquid ingredients.
Chop the almonds coarsely.
Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients without overmixing.
Finally, add the almonds and the raspberries (don't add the raspberries at the liquid state, I find bigger chunks of rasberries are lovely)
Mix the preparation.
Separate it into two streched logs (the size of the lengh of the tray), and place them on two baking trays, covered with baking parchement.
Bake 30 minutes or less, depending on your oven. the logs should be firm to the touch.
Change the temperature of the oven to 150 degree celcius

Take out from the oven and let them rest 10 minutes.

Slice the logs into 1cm thick slices.
Place the biscottis on the trays. Let them cook 5 minutes or more on each side, or until firm to the touch.
Let it cool down (otherwise the taste of rasberry won't be as strong as when it's cold ;) )...try to resist!

Read: Nimona, by Noelle Stevenson

 I think around 6 months ago, I was out of comics to read, and I wanted a little something to follow a few times a week. I found on a few websites (including the Mary Sue http://www.themarysue.com/40-webcomics-you-need-to-read/), regular high praise about Nimona.

I got so wrapped up in this webcomic, that I caught up with everything in a single night, finishing at dawn. And then I had to start WAITING for the chapters, like everyone did, twice a week!
The end is nigh for Nimona, we are coming to the final chapter, and I could not have gone without making a blog post about this beautiful webcomic.

One day, Lord Ballister Blackheart, a supervillain, takes under his wing Nimona, a shapeshifter.
But Ballister is not a villain as we could think, and he is trying to reveal the dark plots behind the people who claim to be the righteous ones, who are the "protectors of the Kingdom". He will try to canalize Nimona, who has quite destructive and explosive ideas.

First, the character of Nimona, I love the fact that she is no cliche girl, she has a punk hair style, piercings, and a generous body shape! exit the cliches of super slim heroin like we can see all the time. She can transform into a shark (to bring the best sense of humor), or into a dark beast (for the most dramatic scenes).
I love seeing the different transformations of Nimona, who reflect so well her emotions.
She is a whole mystery during the whole series, and you will be heart broken to discover her backstory.

Lord Ballister Blackheart is a splendid SuperVillain, who never accomplishes much, until Nimona pops into his life. Little by little, we will discover how he lost his arm and got his scar. His relationship with Nimona is of a father daughter relationship. He tries to calm her down, and understand her, and will go very far to help her. But Nimona is so deeply hurt I cannot help but wonder if it is going to finish nicely for these two.

Sir Goldenloin is the archeitypical knight in shiny armor (with a codpiece ;) ), and has become Ballister's Nemesis. I'm curious and anxious about his fate following the last few pages.

Overshadowing all this story, is the Director, a not so human character, head of dark scientific studies, she is pulling the strings of the Kingdom.

The world itself is a mashup of fantasy and science fiction.

Noelle Stevenson's style is really evolving through the whole run of the story. Her line is tender, and so is her story. She can bring you from laughter to being left eyes all watery, and the whole story develops beautifully. You might know of her as she has worked on Adventure Time

I have grown so fond of her characters, and the whole world of Nimona. When the comic is going to end, it's going to feel a bit empty.
But it is definitely a read I recommend you warmly. :)

Just so you know, there are some news about Noelle Stevenson's publishing!
Nimona will be published into two books by Harper and Collins (I cannot wait to hold it between my hands!), and she will also work on the adaptation of Sleepy Hollow comic books (which is a double hurray, two of my favorite "things" fused together!!).

Here is the link to Nimona, have a good sleepless friday night!
http://gingerhaze.com/nimona

Watch : Sleepy Hollow Season 1, by Alex Kurzman and Roberto Occi.

Following a mission from George Washington, Ichabod Crane beheads a Hessian soldier, and in the process looses his life. He is resurrected two and a half centuries later, as the Headless Horseman is summoned.
Lieutenant Abbie Mills starts investigating the Headless horseman, following the decapitation of her mentor, the Sheriff August Corbin.  Ichabod and Abbie's destinies will be closely intertwined, as they try to resolve the mysteries and strange events suddenly happening in Sleepy Hollow.

I don't want to give away too much about this tv show, as it would spoil it ;)
I really love the Ichabod and Abbie's relationship. Ichabod is  catapulted into modern Sleepy Hollow, where everything has changed. He brings an interesting point of view on things, as much as he is freaking out or revolted about how things have changed. For example, he is shocked that the doughnut holes cost $4.95 (and he's really shocked by the tax).
He gets surprised about how many Starbucks there are in town, or that you have to pay for bottled water.
He has a very pertinent eye on things.
Ichabod's story, we will discover, is more linked than he initially thought to the headless horseman.
I love the fact that he keeps his antique costume for most of the series, but for an episode where he tries the "constrictive" skinny jeans.  Needless to say, Tom Mison's accent and voice are a little extra

Abbie is a very interesting female lead. She was initially going to become a member of the FBI, but decides to stay in Sleepy Hollow to resolve her mentor's death. She happens to be the witness of the apocalypse. She has a sister, Jenny, who was sent to an institution following one of their childhood events. Abbie will have to cope all the first season with the fact that she tried to avoid facing her past, out of fear of being instutionalized too. But Abbie Mills will prove to be brave, resilient and quick witted. Her sister, Jenny (Lyndie Grenwood), is a tough woman who had to live a secluded life, and felt betrayed by her sister, which creates a tense atmosphere between the two.

Ichabod and Abbie will build a friendship based on loyalty, and maybe more. Their relationship reminds me a bit of Mulder and Scully in The Xfiles (ah beloved 90's tv show!).

The Headless horseman himself is a wonderful character, he adapts himself to modern weaponry and when his identity is revealed its such a big shock!

Katrina, Ichabod's wife, is stuck in a Limbo, where Moloch, the main antagonist, keeps her prisoner.
Once Ichabod discovers this fact, he will do anything to find her back.

Captain Irving (Orlando Jones) is a great character, you cannot help but wonder whose side he is with for the first few episodes. In the season finale, he has to make a terrible choice, which might compromise our two protagonists's future.

John Cho plays the agent of the evil forces, who is tortured between his feelings for Abbie, and his fear of the evil forces. He tries to gain redemption by helping Abbie resolving the cases.

John Noble is the cherry on the cake. He plays Henry Parrish, the Sin Eater, a much more complex character than you could think. I just think he is brilliant in that role, and I cannot wait to see how is character develops during season 2.

The costumes are brilliant, and so is the whole city of Sleepy Hollow, including the past version. There is a whole mythology of monsters and creatures, artefacts, and boobytrapped places, which make me enjoy each episode as much as a good old Indiana Jones.
The sense of quest and fight between good and evil is here, but nothing is black or white.
The season ends in an epic season finale, which will leave you in an agony to wait for season 2 . You will be lucky, if you just discover Sleepy Hollow, and will just have to wait a little bit less than two months for season 2.

OH ! in other Sleepy Hollow related good news, Noelle Stevenson, the creator of Nimona ( http://gingerhaze.com/nimona GO AND READ IT!), will be working on the comic book version, it makes me so happy!

Next season 22 of September!