Meet Richard Lawrence, Author of UFOs and the Extraterrestrial Message

A world-renowned UFO expert and spiritual investigator, Richard Lawrence was the first to bring declassified CIA and Pentagon UFO files to Britain in 1980. He is also one of the most respected names in the mind, body, spirit movement, with regular appearances on radio and TV around the world, including the Coast to Coast AM radio show, which is broadcast to millions of listeners across America. A workshop leader and speaker at the UK’s Mind Body Spirit festival, Richard has also lectured in the USA, New Zealand, Australia, Belgium, Italy, and Switzerland. His books include Prayer Energy (CICO), Contacts with Gods from Space, Realise Your Inner Potential, Unlock Your Psychic Powers, and the award-winning Guides, Gods and Guardian Angels.

How did you become interested in UFOs?
I was a drama and music student at Hull University in the North of England but my main interest was discovering the meaning of life, and studying many different philosophies. One of these was The Aetherius Society which had a group at the university studying contacts with extraterrestrial intelligences. Shortly after discovering the Society, I had a superb UFO sighting in Hull of a cigar-shaped object which was seen by hundreds of others in the area. This is how I became aware of the links between UFOs and spirituality.

What made you a believer?
You don’t have to see a UFO in order to believe in them. I believed in UFOs before this sighting and millions of others around the world do likewise. It was a study of the evidence from ancient records to the modern day that convinced me.

You are the Executive Secretary at The Aetherius Society, can you tell us about the organization?
The Aetherius Society is an international spiritual organisation based on the contacts between Dr George King, its late Founder/President, and beings from other worlds. It exists to propagate the teachings received by Dr King from the Cosmic Masters, and how to cooperate directly with extraterrestrial beings in spiritual activities and missions.

Why do you think the flying saucer phenomenon had such an enormous impact?
The implications of the existence of flying saucers or extraterrestrial spacecraft are vast. If more advanced and intelligent extraterrestrial beings can visit our Earth and contact us, which I believe they have, then potentially all the problems facing our world could be solved by direct cooperation with them. How could anything be more significant than this?

Have governments lied about UFOs and if so why?
Following the Second World War, governments lied for decades about UFOs and tried to cover up the truth. There is no doubt about this whatsoever, as my book demonstrates. There could be various reasons for this, but the main one, I believe, is that they have not wanted to admit their ignorance to the public at large, and thereby lose their authority with the people. Another reason often cited is to avoid mass panic. Yet another one is because the superpowers have each wanted to be the first to make contact for strategic, military reasons. It is likely that even leaders of nations have been kept in the dark by those mysterious figures who wield power behind the scenes. For example, based on a memo released under the Public Records Act, Sir Winston Churchill, the then Prime Minister of Great Britain, was misled about flying saucers by officials.

How old is the UFO phenomenon?

The UFO phenomenon is certainly as ancient as the oldest records on Earth and, I believe, pre-dates even these. The Sumerian records are said to go back hundreds of thousands of years and they refer to gods who descended from the sky. The Hindu scripts, which were passed down orally for, some say, many thousands of years, have an exact Sanskrit word for a celestial spacecraft, vimana. The Bible is comparatively recent but has several examples of UFOs within its pages.

Why is science embracing concepts which at one time would have been regarded as mystical?
Science is being forced to accept what would at one time have been regarded as metaphysical or mystical concepts. One factor is the discovery that there are huge quantities of invisible matter in the universe in order to create the gravity that exists there and holds the solar systems and galaxies together. Another is the enormous size of the electro-magnetic spectrum which includes undiscovered regions in which some cutting-edge scientists believe life exists, albeit, invisibly to the physical eye. It is estimated that if the electro-magnetic spectrum was 2,500 miles in length, we would be able to see some 2 inches of it. Another area is the investigation of out-of-body and near-death experiences, which some scientists believe have proven the existence of a super-physical or auric body. This is a very exciting area of research.

What made you write UFOs and the Extraterrestrial Message at this time?
This is the book I have always wanted to write, but have never found a commercial publisher who was open-minded enough to allow me to put down the full, undisclosed facts and their spiritual implications. I am very grateful to CICO Books for going with me on this, and I offer it as food for thought rather than an attempt to convert readers to a particular viewpoint. I could not possibly think of anything more important to write a book about than UFOs and the Extraterrestrial Message.

For more information on Richard check out his website: www.richardlawrence.co.uk

Interview by Marny Smith, marny.smith@rylandpeters.com

An interview with author and jewellery designer Linda Jones

Author of Making Beautiful Bead & Wire Jewellery, Linda Jones, with some tips on making beautiful and original jewellery from everyday objects.

Your new book Making Beautiful Bead & Wire Jewellery has 30 completely new projects. Where do you find the inspiration for your designs?

This book was born out of the financial global recession – in fact, I wanted to call it ‘Bling on a Budget’– because the conception behind it all, was to create a project book that would provide inspiration on how to create fashionable, stylish jewellery using everyday objects: such as buttons, bolts, washers, pebbles, feathers, etc… creating jewellery for next to nothing. However, if you don’t want to recycle household objects into your pieces you can supplement semi-precious stones, crystals or lamp-worked beads … so, it’s up to you and your budget!

A gorgeous necklace made from sparkly vintage buttons

and assorted pearls beads

Bead and wire jewellery making is one of the fastest growing crafts. What is it about wire that makes it such a great material for jewellery making?

Wire is such a flexible, malleable material and once you know a few basic techniques, you can attach and link it together, create structures and shapes, coil, twist, spiral, hammer and wrap it … there are endless permutations and variations … that’s why I shall never stop learning and developing with it – and after 6 published books with CICO, I still haven’t run out of ideas! I also think its popularity stems from the fact that it’s extremely affordable to purchase and you only need to invest in a few simple tools to get started. Basically, if you can tie your own shoelaces, you can be taught to make wire jewellery!

Yin-yang earring made from jade beads and silver wire

The idea of make do and mend is very popular at the moment and the projects in Making Beautiful Bead & Wire Jewellery use lots of creative and inexpensive materials. What advice can you give for creating beautiful jewellery on a budget.

There is a current trend for mixed media jewellery at the moment – so, my advice to anyone wishing to create their own unique pieces, is before they source expensive handmade beads, designer clasps, etc… and purchase from suppliers, they should first look at their own jewellery at home and find pieces that they no longer wear, or are sitting, broken at the back of a drawer gathering dust … or possibly, check out second pieces in Charity shops, garage sales and markets and use these as a starting point to designing a new piece. An old brooch can be recyled into a necklace pendant or wired onto the front of a ring shank. Broken chains can be re-connected to form charm bracelets … You can take the old and mix and match it with the new, to refashion something totally unique that blends with your style and personality.

You founded The WireWorkers Guild. Can you tell us more about it?

This came about due to a recent surge in popularity in jewellery craft magazines in the U.K. When I started teaching and writing books for CICO, my market was mainly based in the U.S. but now, there are half a dozen jewellery magazines in the U.K. and a wealth of bead suppliers. These magazines have created clear catagories: such as ‘beading’, ‘wirework’, ‘precious metal clay’ and ‘lampworking’ and I have been aware that ‘wirework’ has drifted into a craft that incorporates clipping and connecting ready-made components together, straight from the suppliers shelves. You can purchase kits with ready-made jump rings, ear wires, clasps, chains, etc… which means that the real craftsmanship of making wire jewellery is slowly being lost. Therefore, the idea of the Guild is a forum to share and pass on ideas. Anyone can join, it is a totally free forum for promoting, exchanging knowledge and ideas and ultimately, helping to inspire and encourage personal artistic development, elevating wirework as an art form. Please see: www.wireworkersguild.blogspot.com for more information.

Crossed wires bracelet

How did you get started in jewellery making and design? Is it something you were always interested in?

As a small child, I was always creating and making things, as well as drawing and painting and following school, I went to art college, but veered off into catering and then secretarial and clerical work as a means of paying the rent! However, at the age of 30, married but without kids, I decided to do an Enamelling Jewellery course to get some creativity back into my life … and I was hooked! Following this, I studied traditional jewellery and silversmithing for 2 years and when I found myself pregnant with my first child, I continued experimenting with metalwork from home, designing and creating pieces for my friends and family. However, my career into wirework and beading came totally by accident and purely as a means of financial survival. Sadly, my marriage fell apart and I had to think of how to get regular income as a single mum of two small children. I realised I couldn’t make enough profit from selling my metal jewellery – the competition from mass production was too great – so I set my mind to teaching, as this was the only way I could charge for my time, plus materials. So I set my sights on running portable workshops teaching Wirework and Beading – my metal being transposed to wire and the beads became my colour palette. I applied for a grant from my local Arts Council to set my first classes, which later led to running workshops at the local Adult Education Centre … and the rest has just evolved from there!

Making Beautiful Bead & Wire Jewellery (£12.99) by Linda Jones, photography by Geoff Dann, David Munns and Stuart West, published by CICO Books

Talking with Cupcake Queen, Lily Vanilli.

Lily Vanilli, aka Lily Jones, is a baker and cake designer. Originally a graphic designer, she began baking as a hobby and then started selling her cakes at Swanfield market near Brick Lane. Her cakes are made by hand in her own kitchen in East London, and are available online at www.lilyvanilli.com.

She is known for her unusual recipes and designs spectacular cakes and other edible treats, such as the marzipan insects she made for an Alexander McQueen film project, or the blood and gore cupcakes created for Maaike Meeking’s show at London Fashion Week. A Zombie Ate My Cupcake! is her first book.

Your new book, A Zombie Ate My Cupcake! includes recipes with names like Undead Gingerbread, Zombie Hands and Ghastly Ghouls. How did you come up with the idea of making grotesque desserts?
I have always had a fascination with horror and love comic book illustration. This book was a combination of that love and a backlash against all the pretty pink style over substance cupcakes that look glittery, but tasteless. None of the desserts in the book are so gross that they would turn your stomach (I hope!) - its just my dark and twisted humour combined with some really good cake recipes.

Can you talk about the process of putting the book together and testing recipes?

The recipes are some of my tried and tested favourite recipes and a couple of new ones just for the book - then the cake designs were just the result of brainstorming, experimenting and choosing the ones that came out well. I read a lot of food history and science news so I got a few ideas from there (eg: the raspberry space cakes). But then a lot of the designs I actually made for the first time for the photo shoot for the book - I just used the ones I liked in practise - its funny because now when I get an order for them I use the book to remind me how to make them!

You take basic cupcakes and make them into amazing edible sculptures that are true works of art. How did you learn to bake?

I'm a self taught baker and I've only just learnt how to make things with gumpaste and marzipan, etc. in the last year and a half - as soon as I realised the potential there is in terms of creativity! There are so many amazing edible materials that I got excited by the possibility that you could make anything - and make it very realistic. I think baking can be very artistic - in terms of flavour and developing recipes as much as appearance - its a combination of science and art - and when you consider cake design it also becomes about architecture, painting and sculpture.

You recently worked on an art installation for which you baked 5,000 cupcakes, each cake making up a pixel in a giant image. How did you handle baking so many cupcakes?

I had help! I hired an army of four of my friends (two of whom are talented bakers - the other two helping with printing the pixels and logistics) we hired in extra ovens, equipment and hit the cash and carry hard! Our car was sagging with flour and eggs. The real challenge was time - we had 6 days to source & hire everything & then bake & print the pixels & deliver - I didn't sleep for 3 days and 3 nights straight.

What has been the most creative or fun commission you've been approached to do?

I can't choose! I like a challenge and I like doing something new each time. I'm working on a very special event at the moment for the launch of the book here (in Harrods). It's an installation of a feast of zombies - with cakes from the book as the food. Paul Parker, who illustrated the book, is designing a setting of a haunted house and we are going to have some really fun surprises.

Where will you be on Halloween?

There will be a very macabre extra special dark tea party at Viktor Wynds Little Shop of Horrors here in London. I will also be selling cakes from the book exclusively in Harrods for the Halloween season.

For more on Lily, check out http://lily-vanilli.blogspot.com/ Become a fan on Facebook here.

A Zombie Ate My Cupcake! and will be featured in the Harrods Stationery Department on October 29th from 1-2pm as LilyVanilli delivers a book signing with a difference supported by Punchdrunk Theatre Group and set designer Mark Connell. The scene will be set with a feast of zombies, played by members of Punchdrunk,seated at a table designed by set designer Mark Connell, featuring all the cakes from the book laid out in a feast style.

Open to the public - visitors will be served by a realistic a spooky zombie waiter in coat and tails and can have their picture taken seated at the dinner table having a tea party with zombies. A huge image of a haunted house interior will provide the backdrop – designed by Paul Parker who illustrated the book. The feast event will launch the book but will also celebrate the new Lily Vanilli counter in the Harrods Food Hall patisserie, where Lily Vanilli cakes and will now be exclusively

available all year round – cake from the book will also be available at the counter from Oct 24th – 31st.

Interview by Marny Smith, marny.smith@rylandpeters.com

I'm Addicted to Your Sweet Stuff

Lily Vanilli's sweet creations feature in Ash's "Carnal Love" directed by Alex Turvey.

Ash - Carnal Love from Alex Turvey on Vimeo.

Lily is currently Curator of Cake at The Mad Artists Tea Party. You can find out more by visiting our facebook page and looking at events.

Meet Linda Peterson, author of Beading In No Time

Today we are speaking with Linda Peterson: crafter, jewelry designer and author of Beading In No Time

How did you get involved in the crafting world? Has it always been a passion of yours?

I come from a very creative family and was always creating something from a very early age. A couple of my fondest memories are sitting with my Grandma at night making Barbie clothes by hand. She never used a pattern and they were always awesome. When I was a teen-ager my Mom began china painting and joined an artist guild. She painted beautiful flowers on trinket boxes and I would write the inscriptions inside. We sold these at the art guild shows and made enough money to take vacations to see our family in California. There wasn't really a time in my life when I wasn't creating something, it's who I am and I am passionate about making things.

I've done everything from decorative painting, wearable arts and sewing to sculpting and jewelry making. "Wearing my art" seems to be my focus these days.

I kind of stumbled into the professional side of things. I was a stay at home mom to an adorable two year old boy, when my daughter came along. Unfortunately, she became ill at a very early age and was hospitalized a lot during the first several years of her life. I used crafts as therapy and a way to make an extra income to offset health care expenses. It was a perfect job for a stay at home mother. We did that as a family for many years.

In 1996 I attended my first professional craft trade show known then as ACCI (Association for Crafts and Creative Industries) in Chicago. I signed up for the "designer forum" where I displayed my original designs for manufacturer's, editors and the professional world to see. It was a huge step for me, but a positive one. I placed several projects in craft magazines that year. This was a huge stepping stone to get to where I am today. The ACCI and HIA shows have now merged with CHA - Craft and Hobby Association where I've teach classes for upwards of 150 students at a time, demonstrate products, provide consulting services and product development for manufactures.

It's at these tradeshows that I am able to network to meet new clients, catch up with designer friends and make new ones. I am proud to say that I have been mentored by the best. Donna Kato was and still is my mentor. I credit her with much of my success in helping me hone my talents in a positive direction and for introducing me to many of her well known friends in the industry - such as Carol Duvall. Her generosity and passion to help others has really inspired me to do the same. I can only hope to be as successful of a mentor as she has to me!

In your latest book, Beading In No Time, you present a myriad of jewelry-making techniques. How did decide which techniques and projects to include in the book?

That's a great question! When Cindy [Publisher of CICO Books] and I narrowed down the concept of the book, I knew it would be a great challenge since there are a lot of other fabulous jewelry making books out on the market. How was I going to make my book different? My first thought was to inspire someone who never tried jewelry making to jump in and do it by offering jewelry ideas that were simple and quick to make. In this fast paced world, I felt that was really important, plus it gives you a huge confidence boost when someone says..." I love your necklace" and you can proudly say "THANK YOU! - I made that". I also wanted to projects to build on skill level. So as you progress through the book, you will see that a variety of techniques are offered. The book is written so that you can mix and match your favorites - for instance, maybe you like the look of a certain necklace on one page, but you like the colors of another necklace on a different page. Mix and Match them for a look that is completely you!

Great jewelry too, does not have to cost an arm and a leg. I kept that in mind when designing the jewelry. While I did use semi precious stones in many of the designs, they are affordable and the findings are easy to find in most major craft stores.

I also tried to keep the projects very classic...because a good classic never dies, but ages well. That's why I focused on building techniques and skill levels which helps the reader get their creative juices flowing and hopefully they will discover something in themselves that they never knew.

Something else I thought about was all of the shows on TV that relate to style and makeovers. They focus on helping people of all shapes and sizes find ways to dress, accessorize and show off their best features. That was the inspiration of including the section on designing jewelry that fits you. I discuss different facial shapes, hair styles and how to create jewelry that is best suited to each of those. That way when you go out....you have the "WOW" factor!

In Beading In No Time, you include tips on how to sell your jewelry. What are some of the best ways to get started and grow your business?

I began 20 years ago, when there was no internet. We did not have the ease of online stores, sites like etsy, email or social networking. I grew my business with a good old fashioned mailing list. I took my mailing list book to every craft show I attended and followed up with newsletters and postcards afterwards.

Technology has made is so much easier to connect to millions of people. My first suggestion to start your business is be realistic. I know we all want instant fame and fortune, and I do too, but that is not reality. Reality is hard work and endless hours of self sacrifice and self promotion.

If you are new to starting your own business, by all means get business cards and postcards and hand them out like they are candy. There are many online stores that will sell your jewelry for a small price, so check out Etsy or Artfire are a couple off the top of my head. It's very easy to open an account, snap a few pictures, upload and have an online presence.

Create a blog and write about what you know. Share photos of your work as this can become your online portfolio.

After you've done that, now the real work begins - the art of promotion. This is time consuming, but very well worth the effort. Social networking is a must! So join facebook, find your friends or find people with similar interests and begin networking. Let them know about what you do and what makes you unique. Be active online and blog alot!

There are widgets available that allow people to subscribe to your blogs whenever you write new content. Keep these lists and email them newsletters to let them know of special events you are holding.

Can you tell us about your involvement in CraftTech University and Cool2Craft?

Absolutely, I'm very proud of these latest ventures.

For many years we were blessed with craft tv. Networks such as HGTV, DIY and TNN saw the need to bring us wonderful craft shows such as The Carol Duvall show, Aleene's Creative Living, DIY Scrapbooking and so on to millions of eager audience viewers. For one reason or another, the networks have dropped these shows and left us all out there hanging. I'm not sure why.

So, enter CrafTECH University and Cool2Craft. Tiffany Windsor, daughter of Aleene and producer of Aleene's Creative Living show saw the need to bring craft tv to viewers and launched Cool2Craft in March. It's an online LIVE CraftTV show available twice a week. Every Monday at noon eastern and Wednesday night at 9pm eastern you can watch LIVE craft tv right from your computer as well known demonstrators in the industry share trendy projects and techniques. I started with Tiffany's first show and have been a regular guest ever since. This format allows the viewers to chat live with the guests in real time. The shows are also recorded for viewing on demand. Recently Tiffany took the show to CHA where she, Lisa Fulmer and I hosted a Cool2Craft Live special event from the CHA tradeshow floor. For more details on the show check out www.cool2craft.com

In cooperation with Cool2Craft, I launched CrafTECH University in May. I've had the concept brewing for a couple of years, but the costs associated with bringing this about were out of my price range and the price I would have to charge for classes would be out of everyone elses too. Recently though, the web service that I use has lowered it's fees allowing me to bring this concept to reality.

At CrafTECH University or CrafTECH U for short, we bring together crafters with the best designers and instructors in the industry. Our classroom holds 25 people at the moment with room to grow and features 6 live webcams, a white board for slides and online and live interactive learning. The students can choose several levels of participation. They can watch and listen or participate right along side the instructor. If a student encounters a challenge with a particular technique, the instructor is able to help them work through it via webcam just as if they were there in person. At the end of class, we generally have a show and tell. The benefit to the student is that they are able to take classes in the comfort of their own home, with their own tools and with instructors that they might not otherwise be able to meet for various reasons.

An added benefit to these classes is that they are recorded. Our students can go back and re-watch and pick up anything they missed. This has been a huge plus! We also offer the recorded classes for purchase as on-demand to those who were not able to attend. This format is great for those one the go, being able to view the class at a time convenient to them.

You can check out all of our on-demand and current class schedule at www.craftechuniversity.com We are constantly adding new classes and growing our instructor base so check back often.

As an expert crafter you are at the forefront of your field. Are there any materials, types of jewelry or trends that are especially popular at the moment? What is the next big thing?

In today's economy, there is a huge surge in Do-It-Yourself for the obvious reason - it's less expensive! Currently I am seeing a jewelry trend towards metal jewelry and steampunk upcycled and recycled pieces using found objects - especially industrial parts like gears and watch parts. Copper jewelry is growing in popularity since it is much more economical than silver, and easy metal to work with and the cost of tools is not out of range.

I also see a trend towards green crafts and recycling. Manufacturers are becoming increasingly aware of the effects of pollution on the environment. I've seen an increase in companies offering more eco-friendly products from paints, varnishes to glues etc. I've also seen a surge in recycled crafts. A great inspiration to me in this has been Heidi Borchers aka Eco-Heidi, Tiffany Windsor's sister. She makes some amazing art using recycled products and is a great inspiration for me to do the same. Check out her website at www.ecoheidi.com

What’s coming up next for you?

I'm currently working on another book project with CICO, this time featuring Metalwork Jewelry which is now in the designing stages but will be released in March of 2011.

I will be with Cool2Craft Live in September at the Creative Connection event (www.creativeconnectionevent.com) An event for creative women. I'll be there with Tiffany Windsor and we'll be broadcasting Live from the show. I will represent Amaco and will be showing the attendees how to create a great pendant on the go made from Friendly Plastic.

And in December, I fly to New Mexico to tape several segments for PBS on the Creative Living with Sheryl Borden show.

So pretty busy schedule...but it's all GREAT!

To learn more about Linda Peterson, visit her website at: http://www.lindapetersondesigns.com/

Interview by Marny Smith, marny.smith@rylandpeters.com

Lily Vanilli cake sculptor

A former graphic designer, Lily Vanilli, started baking as a hobby in her Hackney kitchen. Now her creations are coveted by the fashion elite. She has baked Victoria Beckham's birthday cake and counts Heidi Klum as a fan.

http://leviscraftwork.com/craftworkers/lili-vanili/

You can find out more about Lily on her blog where she has posted photos from her book, A Zombie Ate My Cupcake, out this August:

http://lily-vanilli.blogspot.com/

© Lily Vanilli

The official launch of Rachel Ashwell's London store

Rachel Ashwell launched her new and ever-so-lovely Notting Hill Shabby Chic Couture store last week. The party included fans, media types, PR gurus and assorted admirers of the original Shabby Chic style. The London drizzle was an excuse to show off these beautiful umbrellas. They can even make rain chic.

Cupcakes, champagne and strawberries, and a shop chock-full of beautiful things. Is there a faster route to instant joy? Methinks not.


Pink lemonade very pretty and delicious to drink too.


Rachel provided a lovely spread for her guests which featured fluffy white vanilla cupcakes. Yum. Thank you Rachel for a lovely party and congratulations on your new shop!