Originally set up by photographer and stylist Karen Mordechai as a gathering of close friends in her Brooklyn loft, the tradition of Sunday Suppers has escalated into a community cooking and dining experience like no other. Now an official class – open to anyone – local chefs are invited to teach and the guests cook an entire meal from scratch using only local, seasonal produce. The sell-out events bring friends and strangers together to learn new skills and then sit down and eat the results in a fabulous informal feast.

Every ‘supper’ is exquisitely styled and photographed by the host, and the results can be seen on their website. It is worth a visit, not only to browse through the fabulous photography and salivate over the delicious meals (making me hungry right now!), but you can also book classes and read local restaurant reviews that pay as much attention to the aesthetics of each eatery, as to the food itself.

And if you can’t make it or (like me) live approximately 7000 miles away from Brooklyn, fear not! You can still indulge in the delights of this website by downloading the recipes for various mouth-watering meals (from the actual classes) online.

Right, this is all getting too much. I have to go and eat my breakfast now.
Have a marvellous weekend Magpies!

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Happy Thursday from sunny Melbourne! At the weekend I went to check out a nomadic shop that goes by the name, The Super Cool and I can confirm that it was, indeed, very cool. Run by Aussie duo Noonie and Kate, The Super Cool is ‘a mobile emporium that goes to the people with an eclectic mix of everyday objects from around the globe.’ Currently touting their wares in various locations around Australia, they sell a fabulous array of home decor, magazines and quirky gifts by both local and international artists. I could have spent hours hunting through everything on display. The best thing is that they offered such cool, quality products at really affordable prices and they support small businesses too. Great concept, awesome products. Well done The Super Cool.

I was also pretty excited by their branding, created by Studio Alto. It perfectly reflects the unique and individual things that they sell and the hand drawn logo gives a human feel to their products. From Studio Alto “Our visual concept for TSC was built around the carefully curated curios in their unique pop-up stores – ‘the unearthed gems, the super-special, the things you fall in love with’. To reflect these sentiments, we crafted a hand-made logotype and series of signets to be scribbled, stamped, stenciled and stuck on their goodies.”

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Learning – something they forced us to do at school – where I was always a reluctant learner. But now, as we have become fully-formed adults, it has come to my attention that learning really can be can be fun.  With this in mind, I’ve been on the look out for engaging, creative, alternative learning projects taking place in your community; get your pen and paper at the ready:

At Pub Art School (London) you can learn to draw, print and hand stitch in the informal and relaxed atmosphere of the public house.  With a glass of wine in your other hand, you should find your inhibitions sufficiently loosened to allow your creativity to really flow.  A great way to make new friends too.

Sweat Shop is a sewing café in Paris, where sewing machines can be rented on a super informal basis, so you can sew and drink café au lait to your heart’s content.  There are workshops too, for complete beginners as well as more experienced tailors.  And often a designer-maker from a big fashion house drops in to teach a one off workshop, making this place sound even more hip and deliciously Parisian.

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With one of our Magpies away on holiday, I have taken it upon myself to pick out this week’s beautiful book covers and found myself feeling inspired by these bright vintage titles…and a little bit of Karma Sutra!

JM favourite, Malika Favre designed this saucy black and white cover (above) – I love her use of negative space and clean lines. You can read more about the process behind the design, right here and the other books can be found here, along with tons more visual inspiration from my ever-growing Pinterest page. Enjoy!

I like to start the week with some colour, to brighten up this gloomy Monday morning. Today it is thanks to the eye-popping palette of artist Lucie Sheridan, whose confused dogs caught my eye today (cockapoo anyone?!) Based in Bristol, Lucie screen-prints her beautiful designs to sell as cushions, tote bags and other products as well as working for commercial clients like Penguin books and The Guardian.

I adore this boob cushion which also comes as a bag.

Lucie will be selling her wares at The Affordable Art Fair in Bristol this weekend (18th-20th May.) She also sells her lovely prints online here.
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I came across Iker Spozio through his record cover designs for two of my favourite musicians: Colleen and Hauschka. I was delighted to discover that these album covers were just the tip of the iceberg in a whole world of beautiful and haunting handmade prints, collages and illustrations, fuelled by Iker’s love of literature and music. Iker is based San Sebastian, Spain, but was born in Italy. He very kindly answered a few questions about his work, musical inspiration and exciting new projects to come…

I discovered your work initially through record artwork, in particular Les Ondes Silencieuses by Colleen and Foreign Landscapes by Hauschka. Would you be able to tell me about your inspiration and process for both of these and is this the approach you usually take with record artwork?
First of all I must say that I adore music; it is my biggest passion so I guess it’s pretty natural that most of my work is inspired by music and devoted to it.
Les Ondes Silencieuses was the third record artwork I did for Colleen. Technically speaking, it’s Indian ink on paper and it strongly echoes the influences I had at the time, such as Aubrey Beardsley, Koloman Moser and Carl Otto Czeschka. In terms of imagery, I tried to convey the mystery and magic of Colleen’s music and to evoke an atmosphere that is at the same time peaceful and potentially dangerous. Like, for instance, that beautiful episode in Charles Laughton’s The Night of the Hunter, when the two children are drifting by night on a raft, in a river…

Foreign Landscapes, is monotype and collage, and stylistically speaking it’s closer to the stuff I’m currently doing. Hauschka asked me for an imaginary landscape, part real and part dream-like. He actually first thought of a kind of map, but in the end we opted for a more “three-dimensional” image.

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Alice Berry is all about quirky things. A graphic designer and illustrator from New Zealand, she creates beautiful vector graphic prints and cards. “My Nan inspires me, she was kinda crazy, but in a good way. I hope to be like her. Also David Bowie… He’s a little bit weird but a big bit awesome.” The simplicity of the vector graphics and bold colours are definitely eye catching and I love how she adds a bit of kiwi flavour into her work by drawing New Zealand’s beautiful native birds. Alice is also taking part in the 100 Days Project (along with me!) where she is illustrating a bird a day for 100 days. You can see more of her progress here. I’m loving the results so far!

Alice has a range of stockists throughout New Zealand and you can pick up one of her fabulous prints online.
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Dear Magpies, after a couple of rather stunning interviews, * takes a bow * let me just tell you that this week there is no interview – but fear not, since the feelers are very much out for another epic one very soon. So today, instead, I reveal to you another of my favourite things: the humble magazine. Here are a few not to miss:

Oh Comely! - When I spied a copy of this periodical for the creatively curious on the shelves of my nearest magazine retailer, I quickly realised I was going to have to make it mine. There are interviews with artistic types, nostalgic stories, divine illustrations, even a cake recipe. The whole affair has a gentle, unassuming, welcoming feel about it. If this magazine was a person, I’d want her as my new best friend.

Anorak – Anorak purports to be for children but it’s so good looking that I would prise it out of the tiny, sticky fingers of my child (if I had one) and adorn my walls with the images contained within.

It’s Nice That – A magazine that champions newcomers in the worlds of art, design and other arty pursuits in a delicious creative casserole kind of a thing. Quite slick looking on posh paper with properly decent photographs and interesting features, this is not so much a magazine as a dictionary of what and whom is hot right now. Read more

It is hard not to be impressed by the gleaming portfolio of London based graphic designer, James Kirkup. Chock-full of bold, graphic posters and a minimalist colour palette, he clearly has an eye for balance and has quickly racked up an impressive client list to boot. With big music names like Metronomy, Bloc Party and Ellie Goulding clammoring for his expertise, we’d forgive him for resting on his laurels a teeny bit. Not a chance. As well as holding down a full time design job and freelancing in the evenings, James launched Fragment Magazine in 2009 as a way to channel his passion for music and he is currently in the process of marketing his latest venture, Twin Apparel, a clothing company set up by himself and Mike Oman. Not bad going for the Brighton lad who dropped out of university but has proven that a degree is not always a prerequisite if you have the right amount of talent, energy and some serious determination.

I caught up with James to hear more about his next projects, the music that inspires his work and what it’s like working with those picky musicians!…

You have a full time graphic design job but still seem to make time for tons of exciting freelance projects. What are the perks of freelancing work, compared to working in-house ?
Although I don’t work as a freelancer full time, my main trigger for doing work on top of studio time is getting the chance to work with like-minded people who give you a ton of creative freedom with room to experiment with new ideas – things I can’t always get away with for our studio clients. For instance, for the last year or so I’ve been working with Double Denim Records. I get a real kick out of working for those guys, simply because their standards are so high. We’re always working to get a really top-end product and there’s a strong feeling of pride when they release something new. I get an immense satisfaction from looking back and saying – I worked on that. Unbeatable.
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What do a bestselling author’s highly anticipated third novel, a coffee-table ‘must have’, and a collection of short stories written by an India-born American have in common? Well, the answer is pretty much nothing… only that they all have brilliant, eye-catching covers!

The Perfectly Imperfect Home: How to Decorate and Live Well by Deborah Needleman (Clarkson Potter)
Now, I saw this book the other day and I immediately appreciated it for its role as a totally indulgent, lovely looking object. Needleman’s gorgeous guide to decorating your home is beautifully adorned throughout with the watercolour illustrations of the talented Virginia Johnson (who also designs rather beautiful clothes.) The inside is as pleasing as the cover, with sumptuous end papers, and Needleman’s expert advice on how to pick out everything from curtains to cushions is far from flippant. She knows how to make a house a home and tailor everything you buy to suit your style and tastes. Easier said than done!

I am an Executioner: Love Stories by Rajesh Parameswaran (Bloomsbury)
What a fab cover! It’s fun and bright; simple and linear, but with lots going on. I really like the garish tiger-print background and the playful tiger-tail heart. If you tried to describe this cover to a blind person it would sound pretty gross, right? But somehow it’s not – and I love it! Parameswaran’s debut collection of short stories ranges from a tiger that has fallen in love with its keeper to an executioner who can’t comprehend why his new wife won’t touch him. Powerful, magical and very dark.

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Happy Friday! I have something a little different for you this week…
I was back at the beautiful Royal Exhibition Building in Melbourne last weekend for another amazing show – this time I went to experience Rites of Passage, a tattoo convention and arts expo ‘that celebrates creativity as a means to connect.’

I had never heard of this exhibition before, but tattoos and the skill in creating them, have always really intrigued me – despite the fact that I have never dared to get one myself! There is such beauty and a huge amount of talent involved in tattoo design – not to mention a steady hand. It was so inspiring to see so many artists at work and the mind-blowing variety of colourfully inked people around the exhibition.

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I spotted this handmade treasure over here a few days ago and knew I had to share it with you. This delightful project is the work of Rhode Island students Kebei Li, Barbara Yang and Angela Lee. Believe it or not, it is actually a solid, fully-functioning chair (tested on actual kids,) as well as being a bizarre and intricate cardboard city, full of twisting turrets, opening doors, nooks, alleyways and assorted ‘citizens’.

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Hi Magpies, this week I have had the privilege of interviewing Nicola Rowlands, designer, illustrator and purveyor of (amongst many other delights) Pocket Manfriends; I am the proud owner of one of these hunky chaps – Eric, if you must know. Nicola lives and works in Manchester, otherwise known as ‘the cosmopolitan, London-esque, metropolis of the North’ (I made that phrase up but you get the idea). Nicola’s drawings can be politely referred to as ‘wacky’ though in many instances are downright mad – in a good way.

Read on for an interview with the lovely (and bonkers) Nicola and a fantastic offer on her cards, exclusive to JM readers!

Have you always been a draw-er?
I think so! As a little girl I mostly drew fairies with really long arms and castles. Since then I have branched out to cats and sharks. I’ve certainly always been a do-er. I used to organise all sorts of entreupenerial schemes as a kid, from mud pie sales to dance shows, and later on Dr Marten trades and summer camps – I loved organising things and running things and generally bossing people around.

Did you study illustration?
I studied Design & Art Direction – it was a mix of marketing, graphic design, editorial publishing/magazine design, typography, styling, photography and advertising. A delicious pic-n-mix of useful and not useful skills.

What would you be doing if you weren’t doing this?
When I was younger I wanted to be a hairdresser or a dance coordinator. It’s probably best I’m not doing either of those things seeing as I’m 5’11 with really long arms and legs and thick, unruly hair.

What’s good about Manchester?
My brother lives here, but he is moving away soon; I will miss him a lot. He writes a pretty funny blog and his girlfriend cooks amazing cakes in the shape of cat’s heads. Maybe when he moves away I will lose the ability to draw guinea pigs and revert back to the dance coordinator idea.

Your Manfriends are strange and good all at once. Are they intended as a substitute for real life boyfriends?
They are indeed! See, they don’t leave their pants on the bathroom floor or tell you to stop watching Friends episodes on repeat. Unfortunately, they can’t hug you when you feel sad, cook you dinner or collect you from the bus station when you’ve spent 12 hours in the cheap seats. Read more

Here at Jackie Magpie, we fully support buying something purely because it looks pretty. While I am a fan of functional creativity, I really love stuff that is just totally wonderful and utterly frivolous. So when I saw this book at a friend’s house last week, I knew I just had to have it!

Paris versus New York: A Tally of Two Cities is the creation of graphic artist and city blogger, Vahram Muratyan. In 2010, Muratyan started his blog, Paris versus New York, which became an overnight internet sensation.

Like the designs Muratyan produced and posted online for his travel journal, each spread offers a bright, witty graphic comparing everything from food, to fashion, to flirtation, in the eponymous cities. Is breakfast a croissant or a banana? Do you aspire to be Amélie or Carrie Bradshaw? Is it a cigarette on the Champs-Élysées or a jog through Central Park? His illustrations playfully make light of the people, places and peculiarities of the two counterpart capitals.

I love the concept and I love the ironic, hilarious and – in most cases – insightful contrasts he draws between these colossal cities. Next up, I’d like him to do one for London, please!

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Thanks for all your lovely comments last week when I posted the LOVE print giveaway by the super-talented illustrator, Helen Lang. A big thank you to Helen for sharing her talents with us! I used a random number generator to pick the lucky winner who commented on the post. So well done Therese – a beautiful signed print is on its way to you. Not a bad way to start the week…