Alternative lunchbox

Bit of a boring post, but thought I would share...Got caught out last week with no food containers to carry fruit in. Used this alternative which I think you will agree is far prettier! Not sure I'll be able to go back to the boring plastic version. It didn't leak and kept the contents fresh. It made the fruit look far yummier and inviting to eat too. Try it! Some really pretty jars out there...

Diamond Jubilee

Well, I'm a little late for the actual anniversary, and a little early for the other festivities, but anyways - here is a pic of our Queen in celebration of 60 years on the throne. 

Happy Easter!

Wedding doodles

Some illustrations I did for a friend's 'Save the Date' card, and her wedding invitation.

Gemma Correll's What I Wore Today

I've been meaning to do this for a few weeks...Look what arrived in the post!!

The lovely people at Octopus Books sent me a brand spanking new copy of Gemma Corrells long awaited book! For those of you who don't know about this book - or are familiar with Gemma's work, (where have you been??) I should tell you that she is a super doodler who's work is everywhere! I've been a fan of Gemma's simple yet unbelievably quirky style (and also the regular updates of one of the loves in her life - her Pug, Mr Norman Pickles...) for some time. Gemma was inspired by fashion forward websites and other platforms were people can post pictures or blog about their favourite outfits etc. She thought while some people may not like to post pictures of themselves, doodling might be a fun alternative. 

(Copyright - Gemma Correll)

What I wore Today started off as a Flickr group that Gemma set up to allow people to upload drawings of their outfits from that day. The response has been huge over the past few years attracting people with all ranges of artistic skills and different mediums. Men, women, young, old - everyone was getting involved.  

In May last year Gemma announced that her wicked idea was being transformed into a book and that she would be chosing 32 people to appear in the book with her. I was over the moon to learn in early June that mine was one of the first 16 to be chosen! Woohoo!!!

So a year on here it is - this 122 page hardback, part sketchpad, part journal is packed with ideas and top tips, plenty of doodling space to record your favourite outfits, quirky styles and generate ideas to allow your style and collections to grow. Design your own accessories, tote bags and even hairstyles. Cleverly sectioned into seasons so you can record and plan the seasons styles. Gemma's illustrations pop up throughout the book for a little inspiration and guidance...

All in all an awesome book for all levels of artistic ability, ages, genders, shapes and sizes. It was an absolute honour to be chosen to be included in something as exciting as this. It's a great gift for any aspiring fashion fanatic and I highly recommend it! 

Check out all the wonderful pieces of submitted artwork on the what I wore Today Flickr stream here

Gemma's What I wore Today book is priced at £9.99 and available from most bookstores and also Amazon.

If you would like to find out more about Gemma Correll and her lovely 

doodle-y world and also see pictures of her handsome pug- check out her website and blog.

Rescue mission.

Bouquets of flowers the day after Mothers day, looking a bit sad, bruised and droopy. I rescued four bunches from the supermarket. One bunch was even covered in glitter (bad). So sad they didn't get their chance to sparkle on the day! Brightening up my living room...and kitchen...and bathroom now though!

New blazers

What I wore yesterday and today...Showing off my two new snazzy blazers that I bought in Beyond Retro www.beyondretro.com last week. Love the Soho store - some really cool bargains to be had.

Flamingos in love.

1st Wedding Anniversary

Can't quite believe it was a year ago today that I got hitched! Time does fly. Thought I would share this with you...the gift to give for the first anniversary is paper so my very talented husband made this papercut which includes the lyrics from a very memorable song for the day - 'One day like this' by Elbow. To say I am well impressed in an understatement - I cried when he gave it to me! Here's to the next one GB - you set the bar pretty high this year!!!

Can't quite believe it was a year ago today that I got hitched! Time does fly. Thought I would share this with you...the gift to give for the first anniversary is paper so my very talented husband made this paper-cut which includes the lyrics from a very memorable song for the day - 'One day like this' by Elbow. To say I am well impressed in an understatement - I cried when he gave it to me! Here's to the next one GB - you set the bar pretty high this year!!!

First Stencil Cards - Farm and Animals now available

 

 

The next two titles in this First Stencil Cards series that I designed and illustrated are now available to buy.
Check 'em out at theUsborne website.

*SPOTTED*

Caught up with my Italian pal and super fiction designer, Elisabetta today after the Christmas break. She spotted some Usborne titles in this beautiful book store in Bassano del Grappa, VI Italy - http://www.palazzoroberti.it/it/index.php (check out the gallery! WOW!)

Amongst the many titles spotted, there were two of my Sticker Dolly Dressing books - Sports Girls (middle left) and Movie Stars (peeking out, bottom right). These books get everywhere! 

Happy New Year!

Just what you wanted to celebrate the New Year...a doodle of me in my new onesie - donated by my lovely friend Laura! I'm having those 'back-to-school', and also 'not-wanting-to-part-with-my-onesie' feelings today. Not sure my art director would appreciate me wearing my onesie to work but I am very tempted to wear it underneath my regular clothes and burst out of them Superman style at around 3pm tomorrow afternoon when I KNOW I will need a nap. Urgh.

Hope 2012 is filled with everything you wish for and more. Going to sort some things out this year...starting with that Etsy shop...

Cool things

Just uploading the rest of my NYC pics and remembered I took these. The first two are part of an art installation featured in the awesome Flatiron building. The exhibition features loads of decorated cups hanging from string. The artist, Gwyneth Leech, rescues the cups from her social meets and greets with friends and other artists, which would otherwise end up in the bin, and transforms them into art. 

Secondly, I snapped these pretty birds in the changing room at H&M on 5th Ave. Would like to find out who the artist was...

Santa doodles

A little doodle of Santa from my sketchbook, and then coloured up in Illustrator.

Super Festive screen printing

Printed some Christmas cards in my kitchen a few weeks ago to give to friends and family. I love to print on brown cards, so hope I made the right decision using it here! Looking to take this screen printing malarky a bit more seriously in the new year and get myself an Etsy shop to start selling the things I make.

Christmas in NYC

Just got back from a lovely trip to the Big Apple. Anyone who knows me, knows that this is my most favourite place on earth! I'm lucky enough to have visited many times - but never at Christmas, so we decided to squeeze in a few nights during the festive season. Think I walked a million miles and eat my body weight in things that are bad for me but it's what I love about New York. We took time to visit our favourite foody places, book shops, comic book stores and galleries etc. Also made time to go visit Brooklyn which was ace and reminded me very much of East London. 

Anyways - thought I would post a few pictures to show you how festive the city was. Our hotel was opposite the Rockefeller tree and I did a little *squee* everytime I saw it out of the window, or passed it on the streets! No snow this time, but still magical!

Ooh, ooh, ooh! Also - *SPOTTED* - a few of my books that I have illustrated for Usborne. In Barnes and Noble at Union Square I found Sticker Dolly Dressing Sports Girls which I did last year, and in a very cool children's boutique in Brooklyn called Mini Jake, I saw my First Stencil Cards: Christmas! The very same stencil cards I blogged about last time! 

Christmas is coming!

Seeing as there are only 45 days until Christmas (eeps!) I thought I would share with a you a project I was working on in February! Christmas comes very early in the design department at Usborne Publishing. As the masses are still full from mince pie overload, we begin working on our titles for next Christmas.

So here is the first in a series we are doing - First Stencil Cards Christmas. A box of 12 festive stencils cards specially designed for little children to use. These are great as stocking fillers, or maybe a pre-Christmas gift so they can get crafty and make their own Christmas cards and wrapping paper. A fun way to improve younger children's co-ordination and motor skills. These have been designed and illustrated by yours truly, each card has a little doodle of mine as an example to copy.

To buy, or find more information on these cards, you will find them here on the Usborne website.
Here is a very sweet review of the cards by First4Dads

We have two more titles in this series to pre-order. Will post more details and pictures when they are available. © 2011 Usborne Publishing Ltd

 

Remember Remember to support Movember!

How are your 'taches coming along then? Hope you are all embracing your facial fuzz and supporting this chartiy.  The aim of which is to raise vital funds and awareness for men's health, specifically prostate cancer and other cancers that effect men. 

Visit http://uk.movember.com to find out how you can get involved.

Happy Movember!

Super Screenprint Sunday 6th November

Elisabetta and I got creative in the kitchen again today. I did a little painting and we both did some screen printing. Elisabetta worked on a Christmas card design and I did a little of this and a little of that! I painted some Christmas decorations that I may give as Christmas cards, and also finished off an autumnal screen print I started last week. Not sure how I feel about it but it's another one to add to the collection and sell I guess.

Elisabetta's sweet Christmas card design. Hope she gives me one!

Bits of my stencil