Love this
I thought these were actual little models of fish until I saw that he was painting them !
http://www.thisiscolossal.com/2012/01/riusuke-fukahori-paints-three-dimension...
http://www.thisiscolossal.com/2012/01/riusuke-fukahori-paints-three-dimension...
This custom of taking down the decorations on the 12th day of Christmas has been around almost as long as us. If like us you hate waste then why not make something useful and unique out of them. First you need to gather and sort all your cards. Most cards have a nice blank section on the reverse of the picture side. Now using a sharp knife (careful kids) and a steel rule cut all the cards down the crease. Cut all your cards to same size. We have also thrown in some scrap paper we found in the recycle bin. (that interesting Christmas letter from a distant Aunt works well) You need to clamp all the paper and card together. We have added a grey board back to our sketchbook for extra stability but this is optional. If you don’t have a clamp you can use a pile of books of magazines. Just remember to use some plastic sheeting to stop it sticking. Glue the edge with PVA glue. Allow to dry and coat with a 2nd layer. Once dry remove from clamp. You should now have a nicely glued edge holding all your recycled Christmas cards and scrap paper together. Next you need to make an interesting cover for you new sketchbook. We had some wood grain card lying about but what ever takes your fancy. Cut to size leaving enough to wrap around the back. Use double sided tape to attach to the back and spine of your sketchbook. For a finishing touch we cut one corner off. Not sure why but it looks good. All done. One unique sketch book and the great feeling of all that card not going to waste. Now you have somewhere to write next years Christmas lists.
Our story began in Manchester in 1886 with a man called Fred. Fred had two things – a bright idea and a cracking beard. He had been working in a cotton mill, like many people in the city at the time, when he noticed that the cotton was being trundled around in baskets. This gave him the idea for a business – he wanted to start importing the cane for the baskets from abroad. We, Fred Aldous Ltd, were born out of that idea.
We’ve grown a fair bit over the last 125 years but we still do what Fred, aka Fred the First, did all those years ago – supply materials to people who make things. We started off with just three products (cane, willow and yeast) selling to the cotton traders and master brewers of Manchester. Now we stock more than 25,000 products and sell to customers all over the world.
Don’t go thinking we’ve had an easy ride though. We began selling craft products when Fred the Second (Fred the First’s son) spotted that the city’s cotton industry was declining. He decided to ramp up the handicrafts side of the business and this genius decision not only saved us but transformed us into what we are today. The fall of the cotton trade wasn’t the only obstacle we’ve had to overcome during the last 125 years. We’ve also had to cope with two and a half fires, a flood, a demolition ball, scam artists, two world wars and the invention of television.
We’ve always been a success because we’ve always had the support of our lovely dedicated staff, some of whom have been with us for almost 40 years (heads up Pauline), and our wonderful community of customers (you know who you are). For this we thank you. Your relentless enthusiasm for our products and projects has fuelled creativity in thousands of people and made sure that we’re constantly growing and evolving.
Inspiring new ideas and encouraging people are values that Fred the First instilled in the company when we began. We’ve flourished thanks to these simple ideals and we’re pretty sure that’s why we’re still a family run business after all these years. Five generations of the Aldous family have lead us over the last century or so and each generation has had the same passion for craftsmanship. We just love those people who have that urge to pick up a pencil, brush or needle and want to create. If you’re one of these people we salute you. And we figure that if we still want to be around in another 125 years we need to keep encouraging people like you to try out new ways of making things.
That’s why we’re constantly developing fresh ideas and coming up with new schemes. And that’s why we can provide the right tool or material for whatever project you might be working on.
This first 125 years has been a blast. We reckon the next 125 will be even better!
