Merry Christmas!

 

Wishing everyone a fabulous Christmas and New Year break!  We couldn't resist this little elf costume and Jimmy certainly looks like he enjoyed dressing up! It's his first Christmas so we're all excited, but this year Lee and I will be the ones having fun opening his presents...

I'm looking forward to some more blogging in 2012, see you next year....x

Post Early for Christmas

These are my latest illustrations for Woman and Home just out in the December issue.  

I saw a Christmas tree up in someone's window yesterday which is a little bit early for me!  It's just around the corner though so it's time to think of getting organised...

The last international posting dates this year are: Australia: 5th December, USA and Canada: 12th December, and for the UK: 2nd class 17th December, 1st class 20th December.  So if any of you lovely people want to buy something from my etsy/folksy shops for Christmas you'd better get your skates on!

btw Folksy has just had a revamp! check out the new look site here

Illustration Friday - Stripes

I haven't posted anything on Illustration Friday for ages, but I thought this old one might be a good fit for this week's topic.  It was done a while ago for an article about stretch marks, and to emphasise it I added stripes to everything in the illustration.  It's also quite topical for me now with the recent arrival of Jimmy, although I don't look quite this skinny!
Well he isn't standing up in his cot just yet so I guess there's time!

Pink Ladies

Here are my latest illustrations for Woman and Home, just out in the November issue.  This month's tips are how to avoid losing your keys and how to ice cupcakes. 

5 a day

These are part of a set of illustrations just published in the October issue of Best Health Magazine, about different foods and how they affect your mood.  Apparently pumpkin seeds help you relax and bananas help you concentrate.

I'm quite fond of drawing vegetable characters so when we spotted this broccoli soft toy in Ikea we couldn't resist.  As you can see Jimmy is already a fan, let's hope he still loves broccoli when he's older!

Woman and Home

Here are some illustrations I did recently for Woman & Home magazine, for a new regular monthly feature on making life easier.  These are about using peppermint tea as a stomach remedy, keeping fit while doing the housework and using apps to save money at the shops.  I always like drawing women and using a simple colour palette so I'm enjoying working on these....

It's a boy!

I am excited to introduce the new addition to our family! Jimmy Lee was born on August 24th weighing 8lb 12oz.  He was due yesterday so was a little early and is absolutely wonderful, Lee and I are over the moon with our little boy:)

Hogging the limelight!

I couldn't resist posting this little pic of our hedgehog visitor earlier today.  We had 2 coming to see us for a snack every evening last summer and I was wondering if any would come back this year and lo and behold this little cutie stopped by at lunchtime for a drink and a bite to eat from our cat's bowl!  It's quite unusual for them to be out and about in daytime so I was quite surprised and I guess now he knows where the food is, he'll be back....

Nesting!

Sorry to be a little quiet on my blog of late, I've been busy nesting and preparing for a new arrival...
We are expecting our first baby, due in 6 weeks!  So I've been sorting through a ton of my stuff to make some room for our new family member, and found lots of old work in the process.  This little couple in a nest were part of an old commissioned piece on family trees in the days when I used to make 3d work.  They also slightly resemble me and Lee,
if we were made of wooden pegs!

I'm also sorting through a lot of my old 'treasure' from the loft, much to my husband's delight, some of which I'm hoping to sell in a new vintage etsy shop, opening soon......

Safety First!

I recently worked on a safety advertising campaign for the Salt River Project, a utility company based in Arizona.  It was a great project to work on and the illustrations were used on animated web banners, in print media and on billboards too!  I haven't seen them all yet but here are a few samples of some of them in context, I was pleased with the background colour too as I'm quite a fan of orange!

Flower Power

I've been making a few more felt brooches, one as a little extra birthday gift for my Mum, and one of them is on its way to Australia as part of a brooch swap organised by Susie at the flowerpress blog.  I hope my secret swapper will like her brooch and I'm looking forward to seeing what I get in the mail in return...Thanks Susie for organising a fun project:)

Seaside Soirees

I recently illustrated a feature on beach weddings in the July/August issue of Destination Weddings and here's the front page and one of the spots.  I enjoyed working on these, especially as I don't have any real weddings to go to this year!

Matchbox Labels No 10

 

I haven't posted any of my matchbox label collection for a while so I thought I'd pop this little Czech set up, all featuring different occupations.  I was curious about the text and with the help of good old google found out: ' 'take care of your feet, wear rubber boots in the wet'

Well it is a holiday weekend here in the U.K so whatever job you do I hope you enjoy the extra day off on Monday.  The weather isn't looking too bad so hopefully there won't be any need for the wellington boots!

Illustration Friday - Safari

I've been a bit quiet on my blog of late so I just thought I'd post this image, which I did for Vegetarian Times magazine a little while back about taking a volunteer vacation.  It seemed to be a good fit for this week's topic Safari!

Illustration Friday - Journey

Here's a little spot illustration just published in the April issue of Cincinnati Magazine.  I thought it would be quite appropriate for this week's topic, as it's about the journey from green coffee bean to cup!

I have a little obsession with drawing faces on mugs and cups, probably inspired by my love of the Bourn-vita advertising campaign from the 1950's.  The bakelite sleepy faced mug was produced as a promotional item at the time and I had wanted one for ages, I finally found one without its hat and then a few years ago my brother in law bought me a complete one as a gift and I love it!

Illustration Friday - Bottled

Just a quick entry for this weeks topic. I'm working on some illustrations for a wedding magazine at the moment and that's probably what inspired this little pink love potion doodle!

Mother's Day!

I couldn't resist posting this cute pair of piggy banks as it's Mother's Day today!
Funnily enough I bought the big one from a charity shop recently and then just the other day in a different charity shop in another town I found the little one, seems like it was waiting to be reunited with its mum don't you think?

I really like this type of cute and kitschy vintage pottery and these are now happily at home on my studio shelf!

Illustration Friday - Stir

I wanted to submit something for this week's topic but ran out of time to do anything new so I thought I'd put this image up which was a recent job for Reader's Digest Magazine.  I seem to get asked to draw food quite a bit, and always enjoy it but not quite as much as I enjoy eating it!

I've got a little promotion over in my shop for free shipping until 31st March, take a peek here.

Illustration Friday - Sweater

 

"Oh well, at least you can grow into it" said Grandma!

Just a quick one for this week's topic and my first submission this year!

On the Record

Two posts in one day, whatever next! Anyhow I found these old 45 rpm records in a charity shop yesterday and was drawn to them for their groovy graphics, probably from the 1940's.
I do have an old 1960's portable record player so I will have to dig it out to have a listen... I particularly like the abstract design on the green cover and may just pop it into a frame...

Matchbox Labels No 9

I've been a bit slow with my blogging this year, must make amends, so in honour of Chinese New Year here are some Chinese animal themed labels from my collection.
I couldn't find a rabbit but I think these are really stylish and I love their simplicity, but I think the abstract black cat is my favourite!

Sew much fun!

I started making some felt flower brooches last year as little stocking fillers for my family and friends and I think I may have caught the sewing bug!

It's a great way to use up my large collection of old buttons and the recipients were happy which was nice.  I also made a rather strange brooch at the request of my husband which you can see here.  He was rather pleased with it, but has yet to be seen wearing it around town!

I received this rather lovely shiny red sewing machine for Christmas and I am looking forward to having a go on some slightly bigger projects this year... Many years ago I did a dress-making class but found it all a bit too technical and I have various half finished garments in the loft!
I think I'll probably start with making things for the house as you can never have enough cushions in my opinion!

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year everyone, although it's probably a bit late to be still saying that!  I always think that January is a good time to have a good ol' sort out and start afresh with a tidy desk and therefore an organized mind - I'm still working on mine!

Here's a little illustration I did for the January issue of Today's Parent magazine which fits in with that as it's about giving your handbag a good clearout. Apparently us women carry far too much about with us and the client wanted me to include some 'over the top' items to emphasise the point.

Well I'd better get back to the decluttering so I can start putting all my exciting work plans into action....