If you happen to be in Exeter, England over the next few days, you should make a beeline for the Craft Festival on the Cathedral Green.

Click on pic for a larger image. Photo by John Evans.

Exeter’s Summer Festival, which organizes the Craft event, runs until the 10th of July. There are a number of highlights on the Art front.

Internationally famous artist, Theo Jansen will exhibit his world famous “strandbeests” at Princesshay and the Spacex Art Gallery.

John McDermot and Raya Herzig will also show their exhibition Aftermath at Exeter Castle. And there are several excellent exhibitions at Exeter Phoenix too.

In conjunction with the exhibition of Theo Jansen’s work, Spacex has co-produced a major new piece by the artist.

This work is a twin version of his last work, named Ventosa Siamesis. Each of the twins will be approximately 45 feet long. Under the guidance of the artist, this enormous creature will explore Exmouth beach from 25–27 June, before arriving in Exeter’s city centre, to be part of Exeter Summer Festival.

Theo Jansen will be present to demonstrate how his new creation works throughout the weekend. The work will be sited in Princesshay Square from 11am – 5pm each day. At times when he is not present, others will be operating the sculpture.

The artist will also be giving a talk about his work on Friday 2 July at 7.00pm at Exeter Central Library £6 (£4 concessions). Tickets will be available through Spacex. Booking is essential: telephone 01392 431786.

Here’s an interesting use for recycled leather. Make a pouch for your mobile phone.

I don’t know about you, but the official holder supplied for my BlackBerry is virtually useless as it has to be carried in the pocket. What looks like an embryonic strap for a belt is stitched up and unusable.

So head on over to ecouterre.com for a tutorial on how to use recycled leather to make a case for an iPhone — or any other mobile device.

LINK

There are many forms of “craft”. Witchcraft used to be called “the Craft” by its adherents.

Nowadays, New Age crafts are all the rage among the young and those left over from the 1960s. Here’s a taste of New Age crafting by Rhian Gibbings:

Orbs are mysterious, spherical forms of energy and light that we simply can’t explain. The most common form of orb is the small white sphere often captured on digital cameras, although they have been spotted in many colours and a variety of sizes.

Orbs are the most common form of paranormal phenomena captured on video or camera by psychics and paranormal investigators. Be aware that not all photographs of orbs are genuine, however, as particles of dust and moisture can appear as orbs in your pictures. Perhaps the only genuine orbs are the ones that we can see with the naked eye if we are perceptive enough and release our limitations.

There are a number of theories that attempt to explain the strange phenomenon of orbs. Some say that they are a basic form of ghost or spirit – the portion of us that leaves the body after death.

Another suggestion is that orbs are the manifestation of elementals or nature spirits. Shamanism and other ancient, nature-based belief systems have always revered the consciousness of flowers, plants and the land itself.

Finally, the idea that orbs represent consciousness from other realms or dimensions is perhaps the most plausible. This suggests that the spherical, light form is how other-worldly or multidimensional consciousness can project itself into our third dimensional existence. Some say that orbs collect information, while others claim that they deliver wisdom and healing to our realm. They suggest that the origin of this consciousness is angelic, faery or even extra terrestrial and that if we open to the possibility, we can even communicate with them.

Whatever the explanation for orbs, experiencing them real-time is much more powerful than viewing them in photos. If you’d like to try to see orbs, find a safe, quiet place, meditate or raise your vibration.

Project the strong intention of lifting your limitations and seeing some energy spheres. When you are ready, use all your senses to perceive what is around you.

Keep your digital camera handy but remember the most important record keeping facility we possess is within our own minds, so concentrate on the experience rather than capturing the proof.

We’re all looking for ways to economise and reduce our weekly shopping bill as well as to maintain our health by eating nourishing foods. Unfortunately the healthiest options are often the most expensive, and this is certainly true when it comes to bread.

Investing in a breadmaker will certainly help you cut costs and develop a new craft, especially if you enjoy luxury breads packed with the goodness of seeds and nuts, for example.

Today’s breadmakers are also fairly versatile, allowing you to make mix cookie dough or pizza bases, and you can enjoy different types of fresh bread according to your weekly requirements.

If you have particular dietary needs, then baking your own bread is ideal as you can have full control over the ingredients, eliminating artificial additives and limiting sugar, salt and fats if you choose to do so. What’s more, your home will be filled with the delicious aroma of freshly baked bread, and that can’t be bad.

Some machines have a ‘quick bake’ facility so that your bread is ready to eat in a fraction of the time. Others will keep your loaf warm for a set period of time, which is attractive if you’d like to return home from work to a slice of fresh, warm bread and jam and a cup of tea or coffee.

Finally, check the size and shape of the breadmaking tin before you buy so that you’re baking the right sized loaf for your family’s requirements – there’s nothing more frustrating than not having enough bread to go round.

Once you’ve got to grips with your new breadmaker, why not try some adventurous recipes – Sundried Tomato and Olive bread with a hint of Pesto is the ideal accompaniment to Italian food, and a rustic Rosemary and Potato loaf makes the perfect partner to a chunky winter soup or Cottage Pie.

Honey and Flaxseed bread is great for the digestion whilst a slice of whole wheat bread enriched with fruit and nuts makes a delicious teatime treat.

For other craft information, try Devon & Cornwall Online.