Wallace & Gromit present - A World of Cracking Ideas

Mixing it up!

We apologise for being quiet here at Cracking Ideas HQ, however we have been working on the ingredients for our exciting new venture for 2013-2014!

We are pleased to announce this year’s Cracking Ideas competition theme is going to be….1 potato, 2 potato, 3 potato…4……FOOD!

If you didn’t already know, Intellectual Property can protect everything from the clever gadgets that help us make the delicious food, to the well designed labels and names that encourage us to buy them!

This year’s competition will allow you to be a gastro genius or fantastic foodie innovator by letting  you develop your incredibly edible cracking  ideas. We really want to see your fully loaded, yummy creations and once you’ve cooked up your gourmet treat remember to enter them in to the competition.

Entering the Cracking Ideas competition is easy-peasy lemon squeezy, as long as you are 4-16yrs old, live in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland or Wales and enter by 30 April 2014. The competition form can be downloaded here or is available as a hard copy from Cracking Ideas Competition, Intellectual Property Office, FREEPOST CF4185, Newport, NP20 1ZZ and ideas@crackingideas.com.

There are some fantastic prizes up for grabs so don’t be half baked…Go gastronomic and get cracking!

Yes, today is Pancake Day, Shrove Tuesday or Mardis Gras and at Cracking Ideas HQ we dont need more of an excuse than the day being labelled ‘Pancake’ day to participate in some cracking flipping fun and then munching on the sweet (or savoury) treats! Wallace & Gromit are keen on baking as you know from their adventures in ‘A Matter of Loaf and Death’  but can you think of a cool pancake mixing and tossing gadget or gizmo of your own? If so we’d love to see and hear about your designs, innovative features and what makes your cracking contraption the best it can be in fritter flipping fun! Post your comments on this page here or upload your cracking pancake flipping gadgets and see them appear in the Eureka Gallery.

Anyone for Baking?

In addition this February and as an alternative to the standard ‘giving up’ of something for lent we at Cracking Ideas HQ have decided to start something new instead!  To these ends we are planning our splendid next competition and what an adventure it is proving to be so far!  It’s looking like its going to be cracking great fun with a brand new fun theme and we are all very excited.  However, don’t panic  if you havent yet entered the current galactic themed competition  where you are challenged to develop a cracking space innovation for Wallace & Gromit …  there’s still time to enter before the closing date of 30 April if you get your supersonic space skates on!

It would be cracking to hear from you this February.

Oh, and enjoy your pancakes!

Nick Jenkins

Cracking Ideas

‘Not a lot’ you might say but here at Cracking Ideas we beg to differ! Read on to find out more:

Predicting the Inevitable
This week in the UK we’ve experienced snow blizzards followed by heavy rain, thunder and lightning and hailstorms and no doubt you’ve been following the forecasts of the weathermen as closely as we have at Cracking Ideas HQ.Cracking Ideas innovative ambassadors Wallace & Gromit, as you might expect, have created their own weather predicting equipment dictating whether they wear a bobble hat, sou’wester, take an umbrella or (if they’re lucky) don a knotted hankie as a sun hat! If you were able to visit the recent World of Cracking Ideas Exhibition you will have seen this cracking contraption in all its spinning weather forecasting glory!

Shadow Tradition
Well, in celebration of all things weather-wise this week at Cracking Ideas HQ we’ve discovered a rather unusual ‘this week in history’ anniversary which on February 2nd marks the first Groundhog Day of 1887 in Pennsylvania, USA. According to tradition a rodent meteorologist (aka groundhog, aka woodchuck) comes out of its burrow on this day and by his / her actions lets the local Pennsylvanian human residents know what the future weather is going to be! If groundhog sees its shadow there will be six more weeks of winter weather; (brrr … more snow, hailstones, wintry rain and gales …no thanks!) Whereas if the rodent observes no shadow this means an early spring accompanied by warmer weather is imminent (bring it on we say!)

Big Squirrels
Groundhogs or woodchucks live in North America and our equivalent in the UK would be a large squirrel although their cousins in USA and Canada dig burrows like rabbits and don’t bury their nuts! In the absence of weather predicting rodents and not having access to Wallace & Gromit’s fair or foul weather-accessory-selecting-contraption this might be just the conditions for staying in and creating your own storm or fair-weather forecasting gadget. Have a look at the ways you could measure, rainfall, collect samples, tell wind direction and gauge temperature then describe it, draw a plan, make a model of it or write a list of instructions of how to use your weather measuring and predicting gadget and let us see what you come up with. Upload your cracking forecasting gadget ideas into the Eureka Gallery and let’s see if any of you can match the predictive powers of squirrel-like woodchuck. Don’t forget if your idea is space related you can enter it into this year’s Cracking Ideas competition and be in with a chance of attending the 2013 award ceremony and scooping up some fabulous Wallace & Gromit goodies and cracking prizes.

How Much?
If you’re not in a contraption-making kind of mood why not have a go at some literary creativity and develop a weather-wise story, poem or blog article or maybe have a go at a tongue twister like the one here featuring good ol’ rodent meteorologist himself:
How much wood would a woodchuck chuck
if a woodchuck could chuck wood?
A woodchuck would chuck all the wood he could
if a woodchuck could chuck wood

I Spy a Shadow!

Go on, get cracking on some resourceful ingenuity of your own! Upload your ideas and lets see what your made of!

Nick Jenkins
Cracking Ideas

Wintry Cracking Ideas

Yes?  Well at Cracking Ideas HQ so are we!

On the plus side though wintry weather gives us a good excuse to perfect our sledging skills and when we’re all finished with the cold outside we can retreat back indoors for some cracking January creativity and innovation!

Whatever way you choose to spend it don’t let this time of year get the better of you … why not use the crisp wintry start to 2013 as inspiration for some fresh and novel new year thinking? If traditionally January heralds the start of resolutions and the inauguration of new-found practices why have a go yourself and start 2013 afresh with an innovative approach … Banish the January doldrums and commit to some self-affirming enterprise and cracking creative endeavours!

Our ultra- inventive partners Wallace & Gromit adopt that approach … they never let a snag or an obstacle stop them. They always aim to find a solution to a predicament in the most innovative and creative way they can. Just look at the invention of the brilliant Snowmanotron shown here in answer to the January snow which is fabulous at clearing the drive of 62 West Wallaby Street whilst at the same time sculpting cracking snowmen! Like Nick Park’s claymation duo, previous winners of the Cracking Ideas competition have proven their creative problem solving skills too. Last year in the 8 – 11 age group of the 2012 sports themed Cracking Ideas competition BritneyAnn danced her way to victory with her sport-tastic stylish shoes ‘Mini Flatleys’ which come with the luck of the Irish in the form of a free promotional charm bracelet and the promise of comfort and high performance on the dance floor. Very innovative and enterprising and a cracking worthy winner!

The current Cracking Ideas competition does not close until 30 April so there is still plenty of time to celebrate the start of the New Year by indulging your inner inventor and taking part. All you have to do is come up with Wallace & Gromit’s next cracking space innovation. Look at the enterprising pair for inspiration – see a problem, a dilemma, a predicament that needs a solution and set about creating something that fixes it. Whether you’re into rocket launching science, lunar landscape art, deep space design or galactic gizmo technology this year’s Cracking Ideas space competition has something for you.

Whichever way you decide Wallace and Gromit will get creative with their space age innovation be sure to look into how patents, trade marks, design and copyright can help them. Don’t forget there are lots of helpful hints and tips and information about intellectual property here on the Cracking Ideas site and on the Intellectual Property Office’s website which you can use when completing your competition entry. We need your super-sonic, space age Cracking Ideas rocketing their way to us. So, go on – go galactic - get cracking, oh, and stay warm too!

Today’s sound breaking post comes from Cracking Ideas guest editor Jess Whitely, of Newport:

Cracking Job Felix!

In true innovative style the latest news it is all about Austrian Felix Baumgartner who has become the first ever skydiver to exceed the speed of sound, reaching a maximum velocity of 833.9mph.

In pure Wallace & Gromit fashion Felix launched himself out of a balloon 128,100ft (24miles) above New Mexico. Although everything was ok when he stepped out from the balloon, not everything went according to plan when descending and his attempt almost ended up a disaster. Whilst descending 43year old Felix started to spin uncontrollably, as soon as he fell he was suppose to get into the delta position – head down, arms swept back – but unfortunately this did not happen but with his great experience from more than 2,500 career dives, he was able to correct his fall and get back on track into a stable configuration. Cracking!

Before the mission it is said to have been almost called off, after last minute checks in the capsule saw that the innovative heater in his visor was not working, meaning it would fog up every time he breathed out. However the dive continued to go ahead as planned. In a media conference after the dive Baumgartner said “let me tell you – when I was standing there on top of the world, you become so humble. You don’t think about gaining scientific data – the only thing that you want is to come back alive.”

Jumping from a balloon in order to break the sound barrier isn’t everyone’s cup of tea but it’s certainly worthy of Wallace & Gromit’s support … What a cracking example of world class inventive creativity!

Thank you Felix, thank you Wallace & Gromit and thank you Jess!

In the current mini gap in celebrations between the Diamond Jubilee, the Olympics and the Paralympics at Cracking Ideas HQ we’ve been musing about what makes people strive to be the best they possibly can be at something. Following in the (very fast) footsteps of Team GB we’ve been wondering how as humans we play on our strengths and build on our good points to build success. And how by acknowledging our weaknesses and using the knowledge of our frailties positively we can turn our Achilles’ heel into feats of fantastic achievement.

It can’t have escaped your notice what a busy couple of months the UK has been having! As a nation we’ve had the opportunity to celebrate outstanding Olympic success with Team GB’s total of 65 medals highlighting many personal victories.  We’ve marvelled at the opening and closing ceremonies at the Olympic Park and earlier in June witnessed the Jubilee celebrations in London and enjoyed an extra bank holiday to boot!

Celebrate Success Lad!

Whether it’s the creative recording artists at the Queen’s Jubilee concert who rocked your world or the Olympic sportspeople who raced to first in your list of summer highlights one thing is in no doubt – the unfaltering determination of all the contributors to succeed and their drive for ultimate best time after time. Whilst Kylie would come second to Usain Bolt in the 100 metre sprint (in fact wouldn’t everyone?) and Bradley Wiggins’s soulful vocals might not equal that of the JLS boys, (presumptuous?) ONE thing is for sure – they all give 100% (plus some) when it comes to taking part.

In the same vein Danny Boyle’s homage to successful UK innovation at the launch of the 30^th Olympiad exemplified the same spirit of ‘do your best’ and triumph. Whether one of the seven torch carriers, an NHS nurse or a bearer of a Heatherwick Studio Olympic Cauldron petal; the message was clear –  singular determination by individuals to achieve the best possible outcome thus contributing to the success of the event as a whole.

Is this then the legacy we should try and take forward from summer 2012?  To put in maximum effort in order to achieve the best we are humanly capable of? If so then perhaps too we should take a further example from the trail-blazing 2012 sportspeople, volunteer contributors and rock stars and not be frightened to celebrate our own personal victories and wear our successes, like medals, with pride. It can be all too easy sometimes to shy away from success but why shouldn’t we rejoice in what we are good at and honour our conquests?

It occurs to us there is more than a slight similarity in this 2012 message of with the world of innovation, enterprise and intellectual property: ‘contribute – accomplish – mark’ your own successes for positive benefit and give due reverence and respect to the winning creativity of others.

As we move forward into September and a fresh start out of the blocks with the new term what better way to say ‘thank you’ to the summer of 2012 by carrying on the legacy of the Olympic vision – of achievement, innovation, exuberance and respect; and strive to create, succeed and celebrate goals and ambitions of our own.

Go for it … get cracking! And don’t be frightened to shout out about what you’ve accomplished and celebrated – we’d be thrilled to hear all about your creative conquests and cracking successes. Get in touch and tell us all about  your very own summer ‘take part – achieve – celebrate’ moments!

The Dog, The Whole Dog And Nothing But The Dog!

Another special news story today created by Cracking Ideas guest editor Emily who has a surprising tale about a particular dog and his nose!  In Emily’s piece you’ll find out how both the story and the dog are actually not ’shaggy’ at all and how the tale is about a nose and not a tail at all … confused? Then read on:

For over 20 years Wallace & Gromit have been a  much loved clay duo watched all across the nation. But their creator Nick Park has recently revealed that Gromit was originally a cat! ‘I had this idea about a guy who builds a rocket in the basement of his house, then I thought he had to have an assistant so I drew a cat called Gromit.’  However, when it actually came to making the model of Gromit out of clay Nick just simply found it easier to make a dog! He also happened to have a packet of  ‘dog noses’ from a craft shop so Gromit the cat became Gromit the dog and so history was made!

Thanks Emily for that piece of insider info on our favourite innovative canine! If you have any comments about Emily spilling the beans on Gromit’s origins we’d be happy to hear them. What do you reckon about Gromit being a cat? It doesn’t seem right to us here at Cracking Ideas HQ  … we can’t see Wallace’s sidekick as a stripy ginger feline or a long-haired tortoiseshell moggy but what do you think?

Some special news stories today featuring  creativity and innovation worthy of Wallace & Gromit praise. Articles created by Cracking Ideas guest editors Jake and Josh … Thanks Guys!

Top Creativity Lad!

Music: On this Day in 1967, a private party was held at the Speakeasy Club in London, England for the Monkees. Guests included: John Lennon, George Harrison, Paul McCartney, Dusty Springfield, Eric Clapton, Lulu and all the members from Manfred Mann, The Who and Procol Harum.

Also Javier Weyler, drummer with Stereophonics, who replaced Stuart Cable who left in 2003, was born on this day in 1975.  July 3 is also a Birthday for  Boyzone vocalist Shane Lynch.

Don’t forget any music you write, lyrics and promotional material like posters, websites etc will be automatically protected by copyright. Mark your work using the © symbol and make sure you have evidence of date of creation. Cracking! 

Science: In 2002, NASA launched Contour (Comet Nucleus Tour), an unmanned satellite on a mission to get within 60 miles of a comet nucleus tostudy frozen samples of the solar system from its infancy. It was launched aboard a Boeing Delta 2 rocket from Cape Canaveral and sent toward an encounter with Comet Enke in 2003, then Comet Schwassman- Wachman 3 in 2006. It was equipped with a special debris shield so it could navigate closer to the comets and survive bombardment from dust and frozen water in the tail.

Cracking Innovation that Kevlar®

Contour’s shield included a layer of Kevlar®, the material used in bullet-proof vests. Created by Stephanie Kwolek,  Kevlar® is 5 times stronger than steel on an equal weight basis and is a registered trade mark.  Strong stuff!

Cracking Winners Each And Every one!

What a grand day out!
Yesterday saw the annual Cracking Ideas Award Ceremony take place at Liverpool’s Spaceport and as with previous years the standard of Cracking Ideas entries has meant it was a tough call when it came to choosing winners!

4 to 16 year olds throughout the UK were tasked with creating a Wallace & Gromit style sporty innovation whilst incorporating information about patents, trade marks, copyright and design. We received over 4000 Cracking Ideas in total from contraptions to help you score goals (useful in the Euros!) to brand conscious surf-board designs; and buoyancy aids to help nervous swimmers jingles and tunes to promote team spirit.
Each entry portrayed the creativity and ingenuity characteristic of the Cracking Ideas’s resourceful young innovators.

In the end, as with all competitions, there have to be winners and we think that the top three selected by Aardman’s Creative Director Merlin Crossingham really are worthy of their winning ‘podium finish’ status!

In the 4 – 7 age group Jessica Williamson came first with her Wallace & Gromit-like spring loaded football boots. Inspired by a visit to the World of Cracking Ideas exhibition in Newcastle Jessica developed her idea in order to help her school soccer team score more goals.

In the 8 – 11 age group BritneyAnn’s danced her way to victory with her sport-tastic stylish shoes ‘Mini Flatleys’ which come with the luck of the Irish in the form of a free promotional charm bracelet and the promise of comfort and high performance on the dance floor.

In the 12 – 16 age group Elliot Comnene came top with his ‘Footie Chair Spring-O-Matic’ which was designed with wheelchair users goal scoring in mind. In true Wallace & Gromit style gadgets and contraptions with multiple levers and buttons allow shooting, tackling and dribbling skills to be improved. Elliot’s clear style and development of a brand using a well thought out logo for his Cracking Idea proved to be a real winner with the Aardman judges.

The National winners were presented with their prize of a bespoke Cracking Ideas trophy made by the Aardman model makers by Baroness Wilcox, Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Business, Innovation and Skills amongst much celebratory congratulations from an audience comprising special guests including children’s TV presenter Gareth Jones and Cracking Ideas very own ambassadors Wallace & Gromit.

Regional finalists came from Scotland, England, Northern Ireland and Wales with teachers and family to receive their prizes of special animation software, board games, Nick Park signed books and certificates. A great time was had by all! Details of all their innovative and creative Cracking Ideas can be found on the Cracking Ideas website The new Cracking Ideas competition based on a super-sonic galactic space theme is available now so why not get in touch with your inner-innovator and take part … it could be you who is being crowned Cracking Ideas winner this time next year!

Cracking Winners Each And Every one!

This week, undoubtedly, has been a time to celebrate what with the UK double bank holiday, torch relay and Jubillee high jinks and at Cracking Ideas we are joining in the fun and jubilation.

As well as enjoying the party atmosphere induced by the summer shenanigans we are celebrating our own Cracking Ideas successes. The preparations for the annual Cracking Ideas award ceremony are well underway and we are currently getting in touch with the successful regional finalists from the recently closed and wonderfully supported sporty themed competition.

Did you enter the 2011 – 2012 Cracking Ideas competition with a cracking golf contraption designed for a winning round; or did you create a Wallace & Gromit style gizmo to ensure perfect horse husbandry? Perhaps you developed super goal scoring footie boots or elegant dance shoes designed for twinkle-toed prize-winning pirouettes? If you had one of these Cracking Ideas or any of the other fantabulous sport-tastic creations we received at CI HQ then it could be you we are contacting to let you know you’re a finalist … Stand by your phones and man your e-mails the Cracking Ideas team are getting in touch now!

If you are one of the lucky finalists then you’ll be invited to the Cracking Ideas Award Ceremony on the 19th June to be held at Spaceport, Liverpool, home of the current Wallace & Gromit in Space exhibition and  Cracking Ideas Moon Bug workshops for schools. It’ll be a grand day out for every one concerned and a great way to say a huge thank you to everyone who took the time to develop their own fantastic Wallace & Gromit style sporty Cracking Ideas.

So come on … let’s join in the jubilation and celebrate creativity and innovation and remember you’re all winners as far as Cracking Ideas are concerned!