I'm not dead...

...and neither is Shock Paper Scissors! I'm so so so sorry about the unexplained absence. Issue 2 has been sitting, near-completion, on my computer for ages - but I just haven't had the opportunity to print it off to sell. It WILL be released, as a Spring issue, but as a downloadable .PDF file.

As you may have noticed, we sold out of copies of Issue #1 fairly quickly and I hadn't come up with a solution of how to match demand until fairly recently. Check back soon, it will be available to buy as a downloadable .PDF file within the next week. This will hopefully solve the COPIOUS postal/international postal problems we had as well.

I'm sorry! Please forgive me!!

Love,

Anushka

Issue Two - Information

All is well at HQ. I am currently wading through the depths of writings, pictures and tutorials, formatting and designing pages, and trying to stay sane at the moment.

Shock Paper Scissors Issue #2: Autumn 2006 is currently predicted to be released on or around the 14th of October. However I'm not going to promise anything! I am incredibly busy with school and home life and have been neglecting both in order to work on the 'zine.

The issue looks extremely promising. There are a number of very interesting articles, and the focus of the issue has fallen towards yarn crafts, knitting and crochet in particular. This is in the same way in which Issue #1 leaned towards jewellery making. (Unintentionally, but nonetheless obvious.)

Keep your ears tuned for more news! I will be updating fortnightly as things come together.

--Anushka
xx

Postage Price Changes

Royal Mail have decided that they are not making enough multi-millions as it is and are changing the way post is being priced in the UK. As a result, postage on copies of the zine within the UK is being raised from 50p to 70p.

The change takes place on Monday 21st August; however I am altering the cost now as I won't be able to send [new] orders before then.

I am now back from holiday and happily plonked back in England. All currently outstanding orders will be sent out today.

Seeking Submissions

Shock Paper Scissors is now actively seeking submissions for its second issue, Autumn 2006, due for release in October.

If you would like to write an article or tutorial for it, please e-mail shockpaperscissors@gmail.com. We welcome all suggestions, and are open to suggestions. Some features which we are particularly in need of include the following:

• Crafty city guide - a guide to the best crafting places in your city. Must be a city in the United Kingdom. (Would need to include pictures of places and descriptions.)
• Crafty confessions - what secret are you willing to divulge?
• Creative writing - short stories no longer than 1200 words; poetry no more than 30 lines
• Comics - a longer strip is appreciated
• Reviews - of books, magazines, businesses and products
• Knitting or crochet patterns - of easy to intermediate difficulty
• Debates - is there an issue you wish to explore? It could be an approach to a particular craft, or an issue related to arts or crafts.

Please e-mail us if you are interested in writing. All suggestions must be recieved by August 20th. I will try to get back to you as soon as I can to confirm or otherwise discuss your e-mails. The deadline for the final draft is 19th September.

News

All outstanding copies of Shock Paper Scissors have now been sent. You can expect them to come by Tuesday. I apologise once again for the wait, and thank you for your patience.

With all of this hassle due to printing problems, quality, and both printers that I use breaking, I am now seriously considering having SPS printed 'properly'. When I started the project I had no idea how popular it would be, and am so grateful to my readers for all its successes. However this growth in demand for the zine has lead me to be somewhat overwhelmed (as you may have realised!) and I'm looking for an easier, more productive option.

Of course, a change in printing would also mean an increase in price, as costs still have to be covered.

In other news, I am going to be away from home the 29th to 31st of July, and then again the 2nd till the 12th of August. All orders placed within this time will not be dealt with until the 13th of August at least.

Please remember that I will never let you down: if you have ordered a copy, it will always be sent. And if you ever have any questions or comments regarding the zine, or the whereabouts of your copy, feel absolutely free to contact me. The e-mail address is shockpaperscissors@gmail.com; alternatively if it's me in particular you want to chat to, you can write to editor.sps@googlemail.com.

Thank you very much, and have a fantastic summer! I'll be back from a holiday in Italy (and visiting relatives beforehand) with lots of news about crafty activity in the country. Keep your eyes peeled.

Love,

Anushka
xxxx

Apologies

If you have ordered a copy of Shock Paper Scissors on or after the 4th of July and have not yet recieved it, I apologise sincerly. We are having various technical difficulties with the printing. However we hope to be able to make up a new batch of zines by Wednesday of next week.

Once again, so sorry for the inconvenience and delay.

--A.T.

Masks in Action

Editors of magazines are often seen at swish parties, dinining with the famous and dancing with the rich. But I run Shock Paper Scissors, and we're far more original than that.

If you by now have read your copy from cover to cover, you'll recognise what I'm talking about: the masquerade! We featured a tutorial on mask-making, and more specifically on Venecian masks like these. They were really simple to make, and a great activity for kiddies.

In case you've forgotten, the masked ball that we went to was being held by the dramatic society which Jen belongs to. It was at a lovely place in Ongar, Essex; the ball was in a relatively small hall next to a big country house which had fantastic grounds. They even had a farm! It was very funny to look up from a plate of salmon to see a turkey approaching the window every few seconds.

Everybody's masks were stunning. There were a lot of very artistic creations which were gorgeous; from what I gather there was a large group outing to Hobbycraft at which glitter and sparkles were binged on!

The evening was very memorable, and the masks only made them better.

Left: Anushka Tay; Right: Jennifer Gould

If you make a mask from our tutorial, we'd love to feature it here! E-mail at least two pictures of your creation to shockpaperscissors@gmail.com .