Painters, photographers and illustrators: tomorrow's your last chance to submit your work to the Papergirl Manchester project--although they do hint that they're a little flexible on the deadline.

Papergirl is a rather beautiful art project that originated in Berlin. An army of girls and boys on bikes will deliver hundreds of rolls of donated artwork to passers-by on the streets of Manchester. 

They say, "Giving the work out by bike means that there is no time for any stereotypes when choosing recipients of the pieces. You have to react fast and spontaneously. Chance plays its part."

This is Papergirl's first outing in the UK. We'll have some more about the project as their launch gets closer. 

Thanks to Just.Ekosystem.org for the photo of the original Papergirl in Berlin.

Oh Comely is based in the Biscuit Factory, which sounds attractive on our business cards, but is actually full of distribution companies, recycling plants and some rather dodgy-looking offices under the railway arches. So it's a rather unromantic place for the most part. 

But last night was the opening of a rather lovely gallery space, Vibe Gallery, tucked away underground below the site's cafe. It'll host a rapid turnover of exhibitions, with a new launch every week. Mark, who runs the space, is looking for exhibitors at the moment, so get in touch with him if you're interested ([email protected]).

Last night, the highlights for us were this wall of illustration from Higginson Hurst and some curious cast bronze dogs by Robson Cezar. His work is a very thoughtful reflection of his and his family's escape from poverty in the favelas of Brazil. Robson's work is so interesting that it really deserves its own blog post. So, watch this space.

We've had some rather weird and wonderful things through the post lately. 

Kirsten from Quernus Crafts sent us this adorable 'Comely Snail'. We're featuring a couple of her lovely creatures in the next issue and she said, "Here's a little something extra to wish you luck." We were charmed. The comely snail is now crawling up the office window, with the aid of a little blu-tack.

Then there were two odd-looking letters. The photo, from Emma, arrived written with a stamp and some tiny dense writing on the back. She says, "I've had this hanging around for ages. I found it on the pavement. I'll be sad to see it gone because it makes me smile." Well, we hope it makes you smile instead. 

The last one we cut open very carefully. It's from Naomi, who says, "Thank-you very very much for getting me through what would have been a very dull wait at the airport." Ah, that explains why it's wrapped in a Times crossword.

Ah, to be in Tokyo in a few weeks' time. oh comely has been invited to send some copies to the remarkable We Love Magazine Library, and we wish we could go ourselves. This is the fifth event of its kind: a vast exhibition of independent magazines. 

Visitors can browse around and read any magazines on display. As well as current issues, there'll be fashion vintage beauties from as far back as the 1920s. We Love Magazine have featured over 1000 titles in their past four outings. 

We're geekily enthusiastic when it comes to magazines, and we'd love it if someone started an event like this in the UK. Anyone?

Our new issue is on sale now. You can find it in all WHSmith shops, as well as our independent stockists. 

Inside, we had tea with Emmy the Great and took some pictures of her in her home. We tested the ingenuity of Royal Mail with everything from clothes pegs to umbrellas. We explored lost things with four illustrators and wrote about lost best friends.

We're really proud of this one. Please give it a nice welcome.

The Edinburgh Festival Fringe is in full swing, but if you fancy a break away from the operatics and dramatics, then try and find your way along to The Spider and The Fly, a beautiful pop-up gallery shop in the centre of the city.

With an aim of showcasing the best of independent Scottish designer makers alongside further-flung finds and delights, the shops stocks an eclectic mix of curiosities - from knitted moustaches to embroidered brooches, tweed cufflinks and Irn Bru embroidery kits. In addition, the gallery runs a range of craft-tea workshops, including zine-making and clothing alteration, in a twist on traditional crafting circles, but still with the obligatory tea, natter and cake.

The girl responsible for spinning such a web of wonder is Emily Chandler, and we asked her to tell us a little more...

What inspired you to set up the Spider and the Fly?

It's been my ambition to open a gallery or shop pretty much forever, but I'm not really sure there was one thing that inspired the shop - it was more of a lovely coming together of various circumstances, ideas and happenstance.

I started running Magpie Market (a craft and design fair) last year and I wanted to continue that work during the Festival in a way that wasn't just a one-off event, and I just thought this would be a great way to promote local artists as well as some of my favourites from further afield. All the things in the shop are things I'd love to own, and it provides a base to run workshops and events from, as well as generally spread the word about handmade crafts!

We love the poem that the gallery is named for...

I love the whole feel of it as it conjures up such fabulous images in my mind, but the first few lines were what sold me on the name:

Will you walk into my parlour?" said the Spider to the Fly,
'Tis the prettiest little parlour that ever you did spy;
The way into my parlour is up a winding stair,
And I've a many curious things to shew when you are there."

The gallery is a pop-up space, have you got any plans to continue with the idea once the doors close again?

Yes would be the short answer, the long answer is that I have lots of ideas, but I'm unsure which will come to fruition yet! But the gallery will definitely continue in some way... wait and see.

Finally, can you tell us five things we should keep an eye out for on the Edinburgh arts and craft scene?

There's so much going on at the moment because of the Festival... but a few choice things...

Magpie Market, a monthly craft/design fairs run by myself and a couple of friends.

Retreat! Festival, not so much arts and crafts, but a great DIY music festival in Edinburgh at the end of August.

Attack of the Knitted Tentacles at Transreal Fiction

The ECA postgraduate degree show

Hannah Zakari, gorgeous hand made jewellery and accessories has also just joined the great independent shops in the Grassmarket / West Port area of the city.

The Spider and The Fly: 65 Bread Street, Edinburgh, EH3 9AH.

In praise of the English summer, I made a trip down to Cornwall with a couple of friends over the weekend. We spent Saturday in Truro and discovered The Guild of Ten, a pretty marvelous design and craft co-operative in the centre of the city. Founded in 1979, the Guild's members are all artists and makers based in Cornwall. They began by selling their work in the local market and today it has 16 or so members. Elsewhere in the city, the Lander Gallery is also worth a visit. They too exhibit art and craft with a Cornish connection. This huge elephant in a boat caught my eye.

Viv at the Lander explained that it's a lantern made for the annual City of Lights festival held every November in city. That's me back to Cornwall then.

Opening today is Drink Shop Do, a new design shop and café bar set up by childhood friends Christie and Coralie, who between them longed for somewhere where they could drink tea and play scrabble while displaying work from upcoming artists and designers.

The result is a fantastical shop space where everything has a price on its head, from crafts, vintage tea sets and 1950's dressers, tables and chairs to the hand-made cakes, ice creams, finger-sandwiches, drinks and cocktails.

They open for browsing from midday to bedtime, as well as for lunch, afternoon tea and cocktail hour and a whole array of 'doing' - including Dot-To-Dot-Disco and the intriguing 'Play with Clay, 80's Style!'

For more information and an invite to the grand opening, check out their lemon-yellow striped website

You can find Drink Shop Do near King's Cross in London. 9 Caledonian Road N1 9DX.