imeldific

Imeldific is the term coined by Philipinos to describe Imelda Marcos' style of ostentation, long before bling became household terminology. On the 18th November, Imelda launches her own range of jewellery, The Imelda Collection, cobbled together from flea market finds and 'vintage gems'. The Metro draws a link between her new found creativity and the confiscation of her tiaras, rubies and emeralds by the Philippines government since her husband was ejected from the army in 1986. Mrs Marcos returned from exile in Hawaii in 1991 and has since run for president.

ahrc

The ensemble project is supported by the Arts and Humanities Research Council through their Arts and Science Fellowship award. There is also a more academic website related to the project which gives motivations and related work in some detail.

Anyone interested in digital jewellery should look at the work of Hazel White, Jayne Wallace, Ulli Oberlack, Norman Cherry and Biojewellery, to name just a few. Mike Press, previously of Sheffield Hallam, and now at Dundee, also maintains an important web resource on issues in digital design, and a further blog on craft research can be found attached to activity at Dundee.

Those wishing to follow up the debate in craft and digital practice would do well to start with the Challenging Craft website, where the full papers presneted at the 2004 conference are still available.

Craft debate with or without the digital can be found at New Craft Future Voices, a conference website currently showing abstracts and exhibition proposals, and taking place next year in Dundee. This is connected with the AHRC project Past, Present and Future Craft Practice: exploration of the interrelations between skill, intent, and culture, headed up by Georgina Follet and Louise Diamond.