Ruth Marshall’s Ivy the Snow Leopard (2006) is a leopard hide, accurate in detail and size which is knitted out of colored yarn and stretched on a bamboo frame.

Ruth’s aim behind the piece is to have people consider faux pelts as a desirable alternative to the harvesting of skins belonging to endangered species. A highly noble aim, given how popular the Snow Leopard fur is.

You can see Ivy at the Knitted, Knotted, Netted exhibition at the Hunterdon Art Museum, 7 Lower Center Street, Clinton until January 24.

Curzon over at ComingAnarchy.com (and via top writer Warren Ellis) took some great pictures of the opening event. And then there’s this video of the view from the very top of the building:

Click here to view the embedded video.

For those wanting to see these magnificent animals, it’s certainly easier than travelling to their natural habitat.

I remember reading a piece earlier in the year that said when it came to buying presents for females, underwear just pipped one-off bottle purchases – normally a wine or a vodka – and that popped back into my head when I saw that Victoria’s Secret was going for a more artisan approach this Christmas with their new video by hiring top Hollywood director Michael Bay to make their new video.

Does it work? Judge for yourself. I think I’ll stick with the Snow Leopard Vodka though…

Click here to view the embedded video.

It’s going to take place at Exeter Castle for just 500 fans, with all proceeds going to learning disability charity Mencap.

Tickets for this once in a lifetime gig are sure to sell out quickly so will be available from 8th December, subject to subscription, at www.littlenoisesessions.org.uk costing £50. Those living in Exeter will have an additional chance to buy tickets as a limited number will go on sale at HMV, 191 High Street, Exeter on 10th December before going on general release the next day.

The stunning Exeter Castle will serve as a backdrop for this unique event, which will be staged inside a marquee transformed into a Christmas winter wonderland. It will be in this festive, intimate setting that La Roux, Lily Allen and the mighty Coldplay will perform unique, stripped back sets ensuring the audience is in for an incredible treat as the decade draws to a close.

This spectacular Christmas present comes hot on the heels of last month’s hugely successful Mencap’s Little Noise Sessions which, over 8 nights, saw artists including Editors, Alexandra Burke, Mika, Richard Hawley, Arctic Monkeys, Lostprophets, David Gray, Florence + the Machine and Newton Faulkner perform acoustic sets to a delighted crowd at Islington’s Union Chapel.

Now in their 4th year, the Little Noise Sessions are curated and hosted by the legendary DJ and Mencap ambassador Jo Whiley who, along with Coldplay’s Chris Martin, has been the driving force behind this brand new event, dubbed Mencap’s Big Noise Sessions.

Chris Martin says “I don’t think there could be a better way to end the decade… La Roux, Lily Allen, Jo Whiley – what more can you ask for? We’re proud to support Mencap and, for me, it’s exciting to play my hometown. We haven’t played there since 2000. It’s going to be really, really special.”

Snow Leopard Vodka was involved as sponsors for this year’s Little Noise Sessions, so here’s hoping this event goes well.

The full picture can be seen at the World Press Photo exhibition at the Royal Festival Hall, London and the aforementioned Times article, which is quite interesting as it shows the challenges that face people trying to spot the elusive animal:

It took us four days to get our equipment in by horse and set up a base camp. Snow leopards are habitual: they mark locations by rubbing their necks on rocks to leave a scent, especially during the mating season. To see one, you have to find a trail: you won’t see one just walking around.

Steve’s also quite open about the challenges to taking the pictures:

This project was the hardest thing that I’ve ever done. We spent six and a half months in the valley and at night, it reached -50C (-58F). I spoke to my wife at night on the satellite phone until my hands were freezing.

We would check the cameras every one to two weeks so that we didn’t leave our scents there and put the leopards off. There was one camera with a frame that I loved, but the cats never went past it. Then one day there was this shot of a leopard in a snowstorm at night. I couldn’t have asked for better. You look at it and your jaw just drops.

Anyway, the article is well worth a read – and to see the picture in full glory. The Exhibition is on until December 13.

Troubleshooting, manufacturing, and Calendar Mark chatter. Glean, recycle, extend the life of obsolete items, technology and the fight against their alienation. Ask, question, influence, sarcasm, irony and paradox.

I like the contradiction, I like poetry, simplicity and complexity together, surprise and amaze. I like people to smile when the piece explodes inside, I like, incite, I like to think that art has a transforming power, politics and creative, concrete and tangible results and with sublime and subtle effects.

I like the tools, materials and enjoy transforming joy of the forms, I try my pieces have various levels of reading, I love the metaphor and puns. I love the humour simple and lucid. I like the sound and its ability to evoke and provoke. I enjoy the process and the collective work, I tend to be obsessive about good bill of parts.

Playing the last science and doubt it, doubt everything, doubting the doubt itself, verge on the metaphysical comments and concluded., Fearless and fearful, I inference arrogance and social injustice.

Born in Guadalajara, Mexico in 1977. Puig studied electronics in Guadalajara and then plastic arts in Guanajuato, Mexico. A multidisciplinary artist, his work has been exhibited in Mexico, the United States, Spain, Canada and Germany

To see more of Puig’s work, visit his website at www.ivanpuig.net

Stella McCartney has already had quite the desirable career in fashion, and now the young designer is looking towards designing a new line of leather-free shoes with British singer/song-writer, Morrissey.

Both the singer and McCartney have spoken candidly about their hatred of animal products, with the designer banning the use of fur, leather and other animal-derived fabrics in her designs.

According to Stella:

I’m working with Morrissey on a line of leather-free shoes which I’m really excited about…we are still in the early stages, but the shoes could be launched next year.

It had been thought Stella was also working on a range of ethical clothing with Leona Lewis, but the fashion icon has dismissed that as rumour.

Having been bought by the Gucci Group in 2001, the Stella McCartney brand has been extremely profitable, going through vast expansion in the last two years – particularly in Asia.  Stella McCartney has also designed several collections for Adidas and Puma, as well as a sell out H&M line.

A good friend of Snow Leopard Vodka, the luxury vodka was served as the drink of choice at Stella’s Paris Fashion Week aftershow party and her private shopping event for Amex Black Card holders last month.