Pen art: Most people use a ballpoint pen for taking notes. Not Samia Al Homsi Dagher of Tripoli in Lebanon. This talented artist, who is also a software engineer, uses the ubiquitous writing instrument to create beautiful and realistic portraits. The illustrator has had lots of time to hone her skills; she was only five years old when she started drawing. Now, she is well-known for her work and receives commissions from many individuals, including celebrities as well as average folk. That's because her work is so precise that the portraits could be mistaken for photographs.

Icky desserts? How would you feel if you were presented with a dessert that looks like a kitchen sponge topped with a sudsy soap bubble? Or beans on toast? However, if the dessert is made by British chef Ben Churchill, you'd be wise to overlook the illusion and take a bite. That's because Churchill's creations are sweet treats. For example, the beans are made of marzipan and sit atop a cake drizzled with a sweet orange-red syrup that appears to be ketchup. The kitchen scrubber is really an olive oil sponge cake topped with green mint crumbs, with sweet milk foam as soapsuds. It's a weird but interesting hobby!

Bottle cap art: A Russian grandmother discovered a unique medium with which to make her art plastic bottle caps. Nina Krinitsina lives in the village of Makarye and designs mosaics using caps of different colours. She displays the mosaics on the walls of her house and in her garden, and passersby have noticed. To get the caps, Krinitsina searches for discarded bottles. She will even go on searches at the town's landfill site to find them. The artist's subject matter leans towards Russian folktale and cartoon characters. She is so prolific that families bring their children to view her works, bringing bottle caps as payment.

Blue man: A Canadian man really likes the colour blue. In fact, Donnie Snider of Scarborough in Ontario, likes a certain hue of blue so much that he decided to tattoo his whole body with the colour. Formerly a forklift driver, Snider now makes and sells jewellery, but he's also spent a lot of time tattooing himself. He started by asking his sister to tattoo some blue onto his leg. After that, he decided to become a complete non-conformist. He slowly, but surely, completed different portions of his body, including his hands and face. Needless to say, Snider attracts attention from friends and strangers alike.

The growth of true friendship may be a lifelong affair. ~ Sarah Orne Jewett

Endurance is patience concentrated. ~ Thomas Carlyle

International Dyslexia Awareness Month DyslexiaPLUS invite supporters, friends and families to join Down Walk of the Town Basin Loop on Sunday 18th of October. Start time 6am at the Canopy Bridge at the Town Basin. For more info call 09 430 0693 or email admin@dyslexiaplus.co.nz

Support Creative Northland: Creative Northland has opened a fund to bring new creative projects into our local creative communities. To donate, get in touch with the team on 09 430 0710 or visit www.creativenorthland.com for more details

Multicultural Whangarei Presents: Belly Dance Fusion classes every Friday from October 2nd until December 11th 12.30pm - 2pm. Come and make friends. Suitable for al ages. Please contact info@multiculturalwhangarei.co.nz for details

Free notices for not for profits rudy@coffeenews.co.nz

1. In what galaxy is our solar system?

2. What is kleptomania?

3. What prominent mountain overlooks Cape town, South Africa?

4. The symbol for krypton is Kr, Kp, or Kn?

5. What is referred to by the French as La Manche??

Different colours: Very few people have one eye that is a different colour than the other eye. Called heterochromia, this rare condition is usually caused by heredity, but can be acquired due to an eye injury or a medical condition.

Big quake: The Cascadia earthquake, largest known earthquake in Canada, occurred off the southwest coast of the western province of British Columbia. It happened on January 26, 1700, and is estimated to have had a magnitude of nine.

Early sitcoms: Today, situation comedies (sitcoms) are a big part of television programming. They got their start in the 1950s, with such well-known shows as I Love Lucy, The Honeymooners, and The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show.

Good for you: Almonds are good to eat. They are high in monounsaturated fat, which helps to reduce the risk of heart disease. They also contain other nutrients, such as vitamin E, magnesium, and potassium.

Fake title: When making the 1997 movie, Titanic, American director James Cameron didn't want other movie studios to know that his project was about the doomed luxury liner. So he used a fake title, Planet Ice.

What do you get when you cross a mink with a kangaroo? A fur coat with pockets.

Golfer: Notice any improvements since last year? Caddy: Yes, you bought a new golf bag.

Trial lawyer to a spouse: It was a terrible day in court. I exhibited moral outrage when I meant to show righteous indignation.

We have one of those floor lamps with three degrees of brightness: dim, flicker, and out.

Inflation hasn't ruined everything. A dime can still be used as a screwdriver.

1. The Milky Way 2. Obsessive desire to steal 3. Table Mountain 4. Kr 5. English Channel