Today is Muhammad Ali’s Birthday. To celebrate here is some excellent images of the legendary boxer from Sonic Editions.
Available in four sizes, all prints can be purchased from www.soniceditions.com
Category Archives: Design
New Year, New You, New House! – Part 4:
So, it seems that I’m still loving this whole “New Year, New You” series of mine – I keep thinking of more things to write about! Well, in this series (which I think is part 4 – however, I have lost count a little bit…), I’ve decided to write a little chapter for those who are deciding to build their own houses in 2013. After all, taking the decision to build your own home can be an exceptionally daunting prospect for most, so it’s always nice to have a little helping hand along the way.
Part of the problem of building your own home is actually knowing where to start; how do you know what design to choose? How do you go about choosing the best sub-contractors? How do you source the right materials for the right price? With all of these questions, it’s easy to get lost in the self-build-construction-jungle.
Well, in order to help you along a little bit, a good place to start is with the actual structure of your future home; from the bricks, to the walls, to the roof. Surely it’s just as simple as a few bricks and tiles, right? Wrong. Because, the key to a well built home lies with a strong and sturdy well built frame.
You’ve been looking at the range of options available to start with this all-important structure, but with so many choices available, you feel like you’re back at square one with all the confusing questions and decisions. However, in your desperate hunt to find one, you have come across one that sounds quite interesting; timber frames.
But, how do you know if timber frames are the right option to exactly meet the requirements the planned structure you hope to build? Well, this run-down of these benefits may just help you decide:
1. Highly Adaptable
Timber frames are the perfect option for all kinds of building design needs; whether you’re looking to self-build communal buildings, flats or housing, as they can be altered and adapted to fit any structure. As well as providing the highest quality supports for your build, they also boast high environmental performance, energy efficiency and the ability to meet top sustainability targets.
2. Reduce Building Times and Costs
Timber frames also dramatically reduce building times – in fact, timber frame construction requires 20% fewer on-site labor days than traditional methods. So, that means 20% fewer days your sub-constructors have to be on-site, and therefore, 20% less time that you have to pay them for! Sounds like a good option, right? And what’s more; timber frames also save up to 5% in building costs compared to traditional brick and block construction – so you can save your money for other aspects of your home build process.
3. Environmentally-Friendly
Another key advantage of using a timber frame, such as those available from http://www.eco-dam.com/, in a self-build project, is it’s ability to help cut onside waste into the environment. So if you’re looking to help the environment and are particularly conscious about being ec-ofriendly throughout the entirety of the construction process, then a timber frame structure will be the perfect option for you!
Pixengo: New iPhone App helps people with their Christmas trimmings
Last year people spent nearly 1.4 billion pounds on greetings cards, more than was spent on tea and coffee put together! But with many families looking to slash festive costs this Christmas, tis the season to be thrifty.
Now you don’t have to spend a fortune posting Christmas cards. Pixengo, an innovative new App for the iPhone available to download from iTunes, is FREE and allows you to add thoughts and emotions to still images by fusing them with 30 second sound bites.
Record a festive message, whisper sweet nothings to a partner or even sing a Christmas carol if you are brave. Let your photos do the talking!
Pixengo means you can send personalised Christmas greetings to friends, family and loved ones. Capture a photo using the App or select an existing one from your camera roll – perhaps one of you, your family or even a pet! If you want to enhance the image Pixengo comes complete with special creative tools and filters.
Add a recording and share via your Pixengo stream, email, Facebook or Twitter publicly or just with your nearest and dearest. If you mess up you can rerecord, simple.
Lucky recipients see the photo, click on a play button to listen to the sound clip and have the option to like or comment. You can view ‘Pixengos’ in a web browser on your mobile or a computer; you do not need the App.
Pixengo saves you time and hassle as well as money by allowing you to send Christmas greetings on the go from your iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch, and to multiple recipients if you wish – all at the touch of a button! This means you can spend more precious time with those closest to you.
Personalised Pixengo greetings are perfect for any celebration or special day, not just Christmas. You can send birthdays wishes, congratulate someone on getting married or having a baby, and wish people luck in a new job.
Check out our example Christmas greeting Pixengo by visiting http://new.pixengo.com/p/
Handpicked Media release charity #HPMemory2012 book
Handpicked Media in collaboration with Blurb, the creative publishing
platform, has created a book showcasing memories of 2012. Curated via the eyes of Handpicked
Media’s blogs and websites it’s about capturing the mood of the nation in 2012 and all the incredible
but personal times that were had.
Frost Magazine has our own entry in the book and we have already ordered our copy.
Entitled ‘This is my #HPMemory2012, what’s yours?’ it is a snapshot of what they experienced from
new babies, and exploring new cities to iconic London events with the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and
London 2012 Olympics.
An ebook version can be bought for under £5 from http://store.blurb.co.uk/ebooks/361990-this-
is-my-hpmemory2012-what-s-yours, with a printed copy available for £25 via www.blurb.co.uk/
bookstore/detail/3872418. 100% of all proceeds from the book will go direct to When You Wish
Upon A Star, a charity that grants wishes for children living with life-threatening illnesses.
Callum Watt, Marketing Director of Handpicked Media says, “With the release of this book we hope
to capture a snapshot of 2012 and share people’s memories. It doesn’t stop there though; we
want to get people talking about their own memories on social media channels using the hashtag
#HPMemory2012.”
Teresa Pereira from Blurb says, “It’s been an unbelievably exciting and eventful year for the UK and
this book celebrates everything from the personal right through to the epic. What better way to
capture the highlights of the past year than with a beautifully designed book that can be shared with
friends and families and cherished as a lasting memento of 2012 for years to come.”
Team GB starlet Jessica Ennis admits ‘I’d love to start my own fashion label
Jessica Ennis has had quite a year, winning gold at the Olympics and becoming an idol for young girls everywhere. Now Jessica is branching out.
Speaking exclusively in City’s AM luxury magazine Bespoke, Olympic starlet Jessica Ennis said:
“I ADORE Victoria Beckham and Alexander McQueen…”
“I’d love to start my own fashion label…”
“I’ve been to two award ceremonies in the last two nights…”
You could be forgiven for thinking these were the words of a Hollywood starlet or seasoned pop star. But this is Jessica Ennis – the poster girl for the 2012 Olympics and contender for BBC Sports Personality of the Year, who, in the mind of the nation, wears lycra as a second skin.
Almost overnight she has become a focal point for the post-Olympics revival of Cool Britannia, as likely to be spotted in Stella McCartney as the new Adidas collection (which she is modelling the day City’s AM luxury magazine Bespoke caught up with her).
The change must be startling: one moment she’s a promising heptathlete, relatively unknown outside a group of loyal fans committed to the sport, the next, she’s an unexpected fashion darling.
So how is she enjoying the transition from tracksuits – and looking very good in them, mind you – to being dressed by some of the most sought after labels in the world? “It’s a brilliant position to be in,” she says. “It’s nice to have the option to pick and choose – it’s less stressful when you’re deciding what to wear.”
Her reinvention as a poster-girl has also given her design ambitions of her own and she confides that a collection is definitely on the horizon. “I would love to go down that road,” she says, “whether it’s collaborating with [a big sportswear brand] or doing the more fashiony side of things.”
With the amount of work coming her way, plus the prospects of further gold on the horizon, don’t expect Jessica Ennis, national treasure, unlikely fashion queen, to take her foot off the pedal for long.
HRH The Duchess of Cambridge unveils Natural History Museum Treasures
Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge was guest of honour at the grand opening of the Natural History Museum’s new Treasures gallery this evening. Treasures displays 22 of the most extraordinary specimens that have ever been on show at the Museum, and opens 30 November to the public.
The Duchess, who wore a green Mulberry dress for the evening, commented:
‘The Natural History Museum has a very special place in the heart of this nation. William and I are just two of millions of people who have passed through these doors, and marvelled at the spectacular wonders of the natural world, housed in this beautiful gallery. I care passionately about what this museum stands for. Being here tonight, seeing some of nature’s finest treasures, reminds me just how precious and awe inspiring the natural world is. That is why the opening of Treasures is so incredibly exciting. If it were ever needed, there is now even more reason to visit this wonderful museum.’
The Duchess met curators and viewed four star specimens in detail:
- Archaeopteryx fossil – the most valuable fossil in the Museum’s collection, this 47-million-year-old rock slab contains the remains of the earliest known bird. With its combination of bird and dinosaur characteristics, it is a famous snapshot of evolution in action.
- Audubon’s The Birds of America – the world’s most expensive book and one of the best-known natural history books ever produced. It was first published in double elephant folio size between 1827 and 1838 and is famous for its stunning life-size illustrations of birds.exquisite glass models of marine life
- Charles Darwin’s pigeons – Darwin’s pigeons provided him with the crucial evidence for the theory of evolution by natural selection. He bred them in his garden as an experiment and donated these fancy breeds of rock dove to the Museum in 1867
- Wold Cottage meteorite – earliest surviving meteorite seen to land in the UK. The rock formed during the birth of the solar system, 4.6 billion years ago, and was seen to fall near Wold Cottage, Yorkshire, in 1795, confirming the extra-terrestrial origins of meteorites.
Each of the 22 objects have been hand-picked by Museum scientists for the fascinating story it has to tell and all objects represent an important part of the Museum’s scientific, historical, social and cultural worth.
Treasures in the Cadogan gallery is free to visit, giving a snapshot of the vast collections in a short space of time. It is located in the upper mezzanine floor of the awe-inspiring Central Hall, overlooking the iconic Diplodocus.
Dr Michael Dixon, Director of the Natural History Museum said;
‘We are thrilled Her Royal Highness joined us to celebrate the opening of Treasures. We hope that she is the first of many visitors to discover everything the Museum represents in this special gallery.’
QVC Spring Summer 2013 | Frost’s Pick
We popped along to the QVC SS13 press day to find out what you will be buying next season.
I love Lulu Guinness. Her quirky bags are beautiful and original. 
Stationary from Anna Griffin. Very elegant. Stationary says a lot about a person. This says all the right things.
I love this Honora bracelet.
Jack Murphy Clara Quilted Jacket.
Kelly Hoppen Buddha.
These Marta Jonsson Peep Toe Court Shoes are divine. I love the red detail.
Nails Inc nail polish. Always a classic.
Nina Leonard Maxi Dress.
Perricone MD Necolletage. Pricey at £123 but it really works.
Tiana B Geometric Print Maxi Dress.
Strivectin Advanced Overnight Serum. Good stuff. Relatively easy on the wallet.
The sun won’t be out for a while, but when it is you will want Ultrasun Tinted Moisturiser.
I love these Lotus Catherine Sandals with a beautiful flower detail.
Brilliant detail on this beautiful cuff bracelet from Rush by Denis Charles.
Top Handmade Gift Ideas For Your Loved One This Christmas
With Christmas now only a matter of weeks away, it’s time to finally get started on the mammoth task of the Christmas shopping – time to traipse through every single store on the high street and attempt to tick off every item on your wish-lists as quickly and as easy, as physically possible.
All-in-all, everyone in your family is pretty easy to buy for; the kids know exactly what they want, your mum has given you a strict set of instructions and your dad is happy with any item that’s either a book or a CD. Sorted, right? Not quite. Because there’s one last person you need to buy for; lovely other half. And, you have absolutely no clue what to get them.
If I’m talking to all of you females out there, you know that no book, CD, aftershave or even stylish jumper is going to solve your problem, after all, you’ve already bought him hundreds of these. And, if I’m talking to you boyfriends out there, well, you’re guaranteed to get the jewellery wrong and flowers don’t quite cut it for Christmas. You’re in dire need of some help.
Well, it’s time to get creative. Because, if you’re dab hand at being creative, then making your own Christmas presents is the perfect way to surprise your loved one this year. As well as helping to cut down the cost of Christmas, they’ll also add a bit of sentiment to your gifts that no shop could ever provide.
So, grab any craft materials you get your hands on and take a little inspiration for some of the ideas below:
For Him : An iPad Cover:
So, you may wonder how on earth you’re going to tackle making an iPad case for your man, but believe me when I say that it’s actually relatively simple.
All you need is a bit of felt, cotton lining material, some wadding, a needle and thread, some Velcro.
Method:
1. Cut out rectangles measuring 11¼in (28.5cm) x 16½ in (42cm) from the felt, cotton and wadding. Layer the wadding, felt and cotton (right side down), lining up edges.
2. Machine-sew (or, if you don’t have a sewing machine, use your needle and thread!) the three layers together with a ¼in seam, leaving one short edge. Clip corners and turn right side out by sliding your thumbs between the felt and the cotton.
3. Press and turn in the raw edges by ½in and sew a ¼in seam on outside.
4. Then using any leftover felt, cut out a small piece measuring 9in (23cm) x 6in (15.5cm). You can use a contrasting to colour to make it look more professional.
5. Fold this small piece of felt in half lengthways and sew a 1/4in seam all the way around, leaving one short edge.
6. Turn this small sewn piece right side out, turn in raw edges, sew a ¼in seam on outside and press. Pin and sew to outside of felt cover, 4in (10cm) in from one short edge.
7. Pin one side of Velcro to end of tab and sew in place. Fold cover in half and bring tab from back to front to work out where other piece of Velcro should be. Sew to body of cover.
8. Blanket-stitch top and bottom edges of cover together using embroidery thread.
And there you have it, a lovingly made iPad case that he’s bound to use everyday!
For Her: Customised Photo Frame:
Right guys, some of you may prefer to just go and buy your other half a present from the shop, because in your mind, it’s ten times easier to do. But, making a present for your loved one really will surprise them and add a whole new meaning to the gift you give to them.
So, if you’re not the creative type but fancy doing something different for your loved one, making a customised photo frame is the perfect thing to do – us girls love all of this kind of sentimental stuff, so it’s guaranteed to put a smile on her face.
I bet if you take a look around your home, you’ll have plenty of materials kicking around that’ll be perfect your customising your photo frame with; from buttons, ribbon, patterned paper, glue, glitter and marker pens are good places to start. If not, you can always invest a few bits and bobs from craft shops, such as craft supplies uk, to help you on your way.
Simply start by buying a plain wooden frame. Then gather up all of the items you’ve managed to find (or those you’ve bought from the craft shop) and simply decorate it in anyway you like. Spread on some glue and dust it with glitter, cut out material hearts and stick them around the frame, or simply write them a little love note around the wooden edge. Then all that’s left to do is find your favourite picture of you both, maybe change the colour settings on the computer to make it a little bit different (sepia or greyscale are always a good option), press print and place it in the back. Perfect!