harriet gray illustration

pro.mo.jo

2012-02-01T16:23:00.000Z

did you know february is self promotion month? ... ok, so i made that up. but it will be for me at least, i have decided. i have been working on my promo packs over the last couple of days, and thought i would share them with you. this is my first real attempt at contacting art directors, so i'm kind of nervous and excited all at the same time.
you may have seen me post about my handmade envelopes before, i make them out of prints of my illustrations.
no boring brown mailers for me. no thank you.
i think it's always nice to get something a bit different in the post, so i'm hoping these will stand out a little.

i'm keeping the inside simple, a select few postcards and a hand written letter, bound in vellum and secured with a sticker.

for some other mail related eye candy check out this amazing book by Harriet (great name) Russell, it documents envelopes she has sent with the most inventive ways of writing the address.
also for some beautifully executed mailshots check out luke waller's exquisite lettering.
what do you send out in your promo packs? i'd love to see, leave a comment and a link if you have one.

tombolalala

2012-01-26T17:42:00.000Z

why not try your luck to win some super duper prizes, donated by some lovely people! all proceeds go to action for children. head on over to cants cans, dreams plans for full details on what's up for grabs, how to enter and, of course, to buy some tickets!
roll up, roll up ...

new news

2012-01-20T20:48:00.000Z

i just updated my website with some new work for your eyes to see
.p.s. you may need to refresh the page if the old one still shows
.p.p.s. please do let me know if you spot any bugs, so that i can cry over not knowing how to fix them, ha!
.p.p.s. enjoy!

celebrate with a mini print

2012-01-18T12:49:00.000Z

hooray, you may notice a new item in my shop today. it's a mini print which doubles up as a postcard to send to your mum, sister, friend, enemy, cat to let them know you're thinking of them.
brill for birthdays, thank you's, party invites, celebrations etc etc etc ... you get the gist.
printed on lovely matte card stock, comes with a pretty pastel envelope for sticking a nice stamp on and posting.
good. old. fashioned. snail. mail.

letterbox love

2012-01-14T19:48:00.000Z

i spent a little time today packaging orders and other goodies (in an accidental red, white and blue colour theme, which i have only just noticed) ready to post out on monday. if you'd like a pretty parcel through your door too, head on over to my shop

?!X

2012-01-09T21:12:00.000Z

i had been waiting for permission to share this with you all, you may recognise it from the wip shot in my previous post ...

i heard about an interesting project a few months ago through the wonders of twitter, organised by think act vote (?!X) which encouraged people to dare to dream about a world they wanted to live in

'we express the future that we choose through how we spend our money, time and energy. everyday we make choices that shape our world. think act vote is built to inspire us to think positively about our future and the votes we cast, today. tomorrow and forever...

run by a powerhouse of volunteers and a vibrant community of collaborators and supporters, think act vote have spent the past two years asking thousands of individuals to think deeply about, and to believe in a future that they choose'

52 futures have been selected and 50 illustrators have been handed the task of bringing them to life; with the hope of displaying all work submitted in an exhibition

... and, one day, to be bound in a beautiful anthology, celebrating and imagining the futures we choose

we were told to choose a future which we felt we could relate to and could believe in; i chose to illustrate :
'the future i choose is one where we give all we can and take only what we need' by rory costello
to me, this doesn't just make reference to the fact we need to become less of a drain on natural resources, but also to society as a whole, to the care and help we show fellow human beings. we could all improve by being a little less selfish.

to read more about the project and interviews with those involved, take a peep at the website
if you'd like to help make the exhibition a reality please head on over and donate

a boy! :o

2012-01-04T23:39:00.000Z

i have been fulfilling my #13 goal today ... here's a little WIP shot* of what i've been doing today. very pleased with how it's going so far - managed to draw a BOY, TWO whole hands and one and a half EARS --- these are scary things to draw, you see!
lots of hair, fur and a little colour to add tomorrow
also keeping on track with #20 by doing this blog post ... i realise i may be a little premature with my celebrations since it's only jan 4th ... but never mind

*apologies for the gloomy shot, i took it on my blackberry

alsoooo
if you get a moment, do check out my stall over on blogandbuysale.com lots of lovely sellers on there at the moment. if you'd be so kind to like my stall on facebook or tweet about it (using the links to the right) you'll help me to possibly get a months free advertising, which would be nice. thank you!

hello 2012

2012-01-01T22:32:00.001Z

did everyone enjoy their new year celebrations? mine included fun with my boy, visiting our friends in manchester, meeting their beautiful (but terrified) cat, getting merry, some silly dancing, conquering my fear of going 'out' in flat shoes and many failed attempts at letting off chinese paper lanterns ...

i made a list like this last year and have managed to tick off a few things but not as many as i'd have liked, so i thought, this year i'd share it with you.
twenty-six things i'd like to do in the year i turn 26 ....

1. less spending more saving
2. get mum to teach me how to knit (again!)
3. knit/crochet something for myself - so far everything i've made has been for someone else!
4. make six new items for my shop - not including prints
5. get to 100 etsy sales
6. take better care of my health - i've become a hypochondriac
7. be dairy free! - i'm lactose intolerant but sometimes chocolate is just too tempting
8. stop cracking my joints
9. collect beautiful things for my new home ...
10. find new home to put beautiful things in!
11. get in a better routine, this includes but is not limited to - better sleep patterns, drawing everyday, exercising (almost) everyday
12. keep website up to date
13. don't waste my days off from pt job / be more focussed / disciplined / procrastinate less
14. but at the same time don't be so hard on myself to 'get it right'
15. finally put to use my coupon for a six month online course to learn spanish
16. read more books
17. monthly accounts / bookkeeping
18.be more conscientious about my impact upon the world! be more green, steer away from mass produced, use smaller shops/markets/charity/ebay etc instead
19. send more hand written letters
20. blog regularly - ideally at least once a week
21. take more pictures - get some printed and framed
22. leave comments on blog posts i read
23. make an animation - for fun or otherwise
24. have a thorough de-clutter - and continue to do so
25. have my work shown 3 times
26. be braver

i'm feeling really positive about 2012, and am looking forward to ticking some of these things off my list. if you've made any resolutions this year i'd love to read them, do share a link in the comments box ♥

if you'd like to help me cross off #5 i've still got 20% off in my shop til 06.01.12 with code FREEZING

***** g i v e a w a y w i n n e r s *****

again a massive thank you for all your support, comments, purchases, kind messages over the last year. and thank you to everyone who entered my little competition. i wish i could send you all a little something, but alas there must only be three winners. i used that clever random number generator to pick and the winners are ... drum roll please ...

. 7 . Rose
. 20 . Zoe
. 5 . Louise

congrats and all that, i shall be in touch to get your details ♥ wishing everyone a wonderfully happy new year x

eve

2011-12-24T18:31:00.000Z

i didn't think i had time this year to do a little festive themed drawing but after reading this i realised i was just being silly. hope you like it (paper cracker hats are the best kind of hat) ...

i wanted to take a moment to say a supersized thank YOU for being so wonderful! to all who follow me on twitter, or my blog, for favouriting (and sometimes even buying) things from my little shop, for all the lovely comments, kind emails, and special snail mail post i have been lucky enough to receive ... you've really made my year ♥

... so who fancies another little giveaway! just comment on this post and you could win a mini mirror of your choice (and some other little surprises) i'll pick THREE winners on new years day ... good luck!

also don't forget you can still get 20% off in my shop until 06.01.12
aaaaand i'm nearly at 50 sales (my goal for this year!) ... to celebrate the 50th sale gets extra FREE treats and goodies in with their order ... only two sales to go!

here's to wishing you all a fabulously merry christmas and new year. i'm off to get jolly!

♥ we are the aviary

2011-11-24T22:28:00.000Z

i have been working on a charming collaboration with the aviary recently, along with a couple of other talented drawing ladies. we had the fun task of illustrating a few of their magical trinkets and treasures.
head over here to see the entire collection, a beautiful write up by victoria and a small q&a with me.
absolutely loved working on this project, hope you like it too :)

--

in other news ... i will be updating my website with some new work in the next few weeks, i will post an announcement on my blog so you can check it out when it's done, but please do excuse any unsightly appearances if you happen to look whilst i am doing the change ...

also just wanted to give a heads up, there's a 30% sale on at moo until 28th november ... and you can can get an extra 10% off your first order just by following this link

don't be late

2011-11-23T19:30:00.000Z

as you know the postal system can get a little hectic this time of year so i thought i'd remind you of the last posting dates (according to royal mail's guide to christmas mailing services) ... y'know, incase you were wanting to buy something in time for christmas.

also, i will be away from 1st - 6th december, the shop will be left open during this time, but i will be unable to send any items until i get back

uk : 14th december
western europe : 12th december
eastern europe, usa and canada : 9th december
everywhere else : 1st december

get those orders in quick to avoid disappointment! please feel free to contact me for any urgent requirements

happy shopping x

evolution&us giveaway

2011-11-21T08:34:00.001Z

head on over to evolution&us to read a little q&a about me, and to find out how to win their giveaway of my work! competition ends on wednesday, so be quick!

petra doe

2011-11-17T00:06:00.001Z

i was chuffed to find a little email waiting for me in my inbox the other week from these two lovely ladies. i've been keeping this illo on the down low until the long awaited release of ballad of... my dios de los muertos girlie will be appearing somewhere within the pages of the latest issue, 'little book of horrors' to mourn the loss of petra doe.

and guess what?! it's finally here! very sad i couldn't make it to petra doe's wake, i have been enviously looking at the photos from last night's shindig - the goodie bags that were handed out to the guests look amazing! i wonder who snapped up my hand drawn tote ... if you're reading this, hola!
if you'd like to buy a copy of ballad of petra doe for your very own self, head on over here

splendid!

i feel smug

2011-11-16T23:41:00.001Z

i am so so happy i finally managed to make it down to see the pop up print shop at smug, and ohmygosh i am totally in love with that shop! luke and i had a short trip down to london last week for some fun and frolics. i was delighted to finally meet smug's owner lizzie, and also the lovely louise (from wallpaper rose) who works there too.

i was obviously very distracted by all the pretties during my visit that i totally forgot to whip out my camera to take some photos, doh! so the snaps above are courtesy of louise - thank you. pop over to her blog to see more pics and a selection of her favourite prints at the pop up.

i couldn't leave empty handed so here's a little snap of my swag - 'good digging' print and christmas card (which i am going to keep for myself ha!) by victoria whincup, 'boston terrier' by isobel khor, some washi tape and a sweet little notebook with honeycomb like pages. i also picked up the latest issue of wrap which, if you've not come across it before is filled with beautiful sheets of wrapping paper - far too nice to be used!! fell in love with one of the prints inside by ruth munro. it was hard not to buy more

full details of the pop up can be found here, it's running through to january so you still have time to go and see it, and you really should go and see it!

ohh deer

2011-11-16T21:23:00.001Z

don't worry, despite the title there's nothing wrong :) very very right in fact.
ohh deer have finally launched their jolly site. they have a whole host of illustrators involved (including me) offering an impressive selection of products, some of them exclusive to ohh deer; it's definitely worth a look
i totally missed blogging this in time for their launch on 11.11.11 as i was in london for a couple of days - could be worse! to celebrate their new adventure ohh deer are holding a gigantic giveaway on their blog, with big, medium and mini prizes. winners will be drawn on november 25th, go go go!

FIZZ POP BANG!

2011-11-05T16:00:00.000Z

happy bonfire night everybody! are you off to see any fireworks tonight? i wish i was *sigh*

just thought i'd let you all know about some savings you can make in my shop!

-all mini mirrors are on offer for the minuscule price of £2.50
-i've been able to get my perpetual calendars printed for less, so i'm passing the savings on to you! grab one now for a sweet £10
-ALSO you can save an extra 10% on your entire order with coupon code BONFIRE today and tomorrow only

all hallow's eve

2011-10-31T15:38:00.000Z

i am awaiting the cover of darkness before i begin prowling the streets this evening for a spot of trick or treating ... hope you all have a spooky evening

here's a treat for you all : get 10% off in my shop today and tomorrow with coupon code : SCARY

lucky dip ...

2011-10-29T17:22:00.000+01:00

instead of doing a big prize for one winner, i thought i'd spread the love and do a lucky dip of little prizes! i have packaged up postcards and greetings cards with stickers ready to send out ... i've sealed them all up so no one knows who will get what! *mysteriousssss*

everyone's a winner! ... well 25 people will be winners as that's how many envelopes i've done !

* to enter *
just leave a comment on this post - first 25 will win
oh, and this is open to the whole wide world, i'll post anywhere

hope everyone has a spooky halloween weekend :)

********************************update********************************
massive big fat thank you with a cherry on top to everyone who entered my little giveaway! some lovely comments there!
last night i realised i'd miss-counted the envelopes and there were actually 26 prizes to giveaway!

i think i've managed to either email or tweet all of you to request your postal address - if not please could you send it over to me through my website contact page

remember, remember

2011-10-28T15:36:00.001+01:00

the darker days and frosty mornings can only mean one thing ... christmas is just round the corner! i can't believe how quickly it's come round, i'll be spending this week getting all my bits and pieces ready for my first (and probably last, as i forgot to apply in time!) christmas market of the year!
at 'the place' theatre in oakengates on november 5th from 10am - 2pm
i wasn't brave enough to apply for an outdoor stall, so i'll be all toasty inside selling items from my shop, prints, cards and cushions by luke waller (he may even be making a guest appearance) and a selection of crochet items by my lovely sister, liz :) do pop over for some festive merriment

totes special tote

2011-10-22T12:06:00.000+01:00

i've been working on a fun little project recently, some of you may have seen some of work in progress snaps i posted on twitter ...

the lovely ladies from ballad of... have been busy bees getting together goody bags for guests attending the next issue's launch party in november, only to find they were short by 10 bags! so they called for help from ten illustrators
the task : to create a super special one off horror-esque tote bag for the next ballad of... party, to be given away (yes GIVEN away!) to the first 10 lucky so and so's through the door! ...is it too early to que up now?!!

so here's my offering. i've got to admit i wasn't thrilled about the idea of having to draw in pen. but actually, i was pleasantly surprised with the results! i used an ultra fine black uni posca pen, and the effect it's given on the tote is really lovely. the resistance of the cotton allowed me to do more shading than i thought i would, which was a nice surprise.
i also tried my hand at a bit of embroidery (not sure if i'll be doing this again!) but it was a nice excuse to use my metallic thread to make the gemstone.

looking forward to seeing the next issue of ballad of... (i submitted an illustration for it *sneak peek here* so am keeping my fingers crossed for that) really hoping i can make it to the party too!
i am quite surprised how much i enjoyed this little project, i'm thinking of making a few more one off totes like this to sell in my shop ... what do you think?
hope you're having an ace weekend so far :*

SMUG exclusive

2011-10-17T19:03:00.000+01:00

very nice news to share with you today : a selection of my prints will be available from a beautiful shop called SMUG this winter. from 26th october, through to january SMUG will transform the upstairs area of it's camden passage store into a pop up print shop. if you take a peek at smug's website you'll see that it's a bit special, sooo many handsome items i'd love to fill my home with

even nicer news : lizzie (creator of smug) invited me to produce an exclusive illustration for an exhibition of prints unique to smug, which will run alongside the pop up ... so this is one of the drawings i've been busying myself with recently, my brief was to produce an illo based on the old definition of the word smug 'to smarten up a room' with a lovely 50s style lady, feather duster in-toe

so make sure you get yourself down to smug - 13 camden passage, islington, london n1 8ea - to have a good rifle through some lovely work ... and maybe buy one or two

ps. this is my 100th blog post! huzzah!

puck

2011-09-28T15:18:00.000+01:00

sorry for the lack of posting recently, is it just me or is the new blogger layout a teeny bit confusing? hmmm, just me then? ok anyway

a couple of little things to share with you today.
this week i've been working on a tiny little something for a postal art project, here's the concept :

orange dot gallery (bloomsbury london) in association with the british postal museum are producing a show.
artists are selected, and then given 32 blank postcards each.
that artist pieces the postcards together in a grid to make a single canvas.
they produce a singular image covering all 32 postcards.
once done, the postcards are separated and posted off to 32 differing creatives.
those creatives interact with those postcards in any way they see fit and then send them back to the gallery.
the gallery then rebuilds the original larger image, now with 32 individual and unique additional pieces contained within,
once all are rebuilt they will be on show as part of an exhibition on october 20th.

after a call out on twitter, 'robbies brown shoes', from puck chose me as one of his 32.
robbie drew his illustration in black ink and i worked over the top in pencil and coloured crayons, i must admit it was quite a challenge to work so small and on textured paper! just as difficult to draw on as it is to scan in, so apologies for the small image - i assure you it looks a whole lot nicer in real life! i'm too used to working on big sheets of super smooth bristol board
more details of the exhibition can be found here.
i'm looking forward to seeing what these mysterious inked lines become with the other 31 postcards!

--

also this week i was featured in issue 8 of burst magazine, the pen and pencil edition. go here to download. lots of nice work in there, including some from ohh deer's jamie mitchell, he's a bit special - keep an eye out for my exciting collaboration with ohh deer coming in the near future!

ohh aaand i don't think i blogged about this at the time but matt spencer created a few illustrations based on our cat loving, tea drinking twitter bios, including my wiggly worm one!

pretty penny

2011-09-20T00:10:00.004+01:00

... i thought i'd quickly let you know that i've finally gotten round to listing my new purses in my tiny shop. four sizes to choose from. all lovingly hand sewn and waiting for you to take home, sowhatareyouwaitingfor?

soupa one day zine : reveal

2011-08-30T10:27:00.000+01:00

also, did you see? the results of the soupa meet to create a zine in one day : to read more about who was involved, how we made it and to see photos of the event head over to soupa.co.uk

promo

2011-08-30T10:06:00.000+01:00

i have been keeping my fingers busy making some envelopes ready for sending out my promo pieces, and possibly for smaller etsy orders
they're recycled out of old & not-perfect prints (thought i'd make use of them) nice to get something a bit more interesting through the door!

following advice from my previous post i have listed a brand new item in my shop : this perpetual calendar / birthday book
to test the market i will make the book to order at the moment, this may change depending on how popular it is.
don't forget as a thank you to all who entered my giveaway, you can get a huge 25% off your order until the end of august with discount code : NOTAWINNER

remember not to forget

2011-08-25T17:13:00.000+01:00

you may have seen me tweet a photo of something in the making for my mummy's birthday present. well it's all finished now; printed, rounded, ordered and bound up to make a pretty little birthday book.

it's a kind of perpetual calendar, to be used as a way of remembering special dates, birthdays, anniversaries and such. each month is a different colour to the next, allowing for easier flicking! it's a6 in size, has lovely rounded corners and is printed on nice thick paper stock (the whole book is about 1.5cm thick)

i am wondering whether to make some more of these to sell in my etsy shop, probably for around £15 but i'm never good at judging the market, so thought i'd call upon you all for advice!

and the winner is ...

2011-08-25T13:48:00.001+01:00

i would just like to say a humungous thank you to everyone who entered my giveaway! i really had no ideaso many people would enter, you've made me very happy :)

because of this i have decided to pick three winners! hooray!

i felt bad picking out the names so i made luke do it (so if you're sad you didn't win you can blame him haha!)

aaaand the winners are ... eve bentley kellee rich & sumi
congratulations! have a browse through my esty shop and let me know what you'd like as your prize

as a consolation to all of you who didn't win, you can use discount code : notawinner to get a huuuge 25% off anything in my shop until the end of august

wolf bones

2011-08-24T08:41:00.000+01:00

did you hear ? 'i heart ...' has changed their name. that's right ... but what to? i hear you cry ... umm ok you've probably guessed that by now

the creative crafters who bring you community workshops, collaborative and charitable projects (like post a patch) a beautiful online eco shop, and of course the makers of the lovely heart and lungs zine now answer to the name : wolf bones

and these are some logos i came up with for them ... i do hope you like them.

soupa zine day

2011-08-22T20:35:00.000+01:00

i've been in london the last few days. i was whisked off for a long weekend away as a birthday surprise, i felt very spoilt indeed!
it just so happened to coincide perfectly with the soupa zine day (a day dedicated to working together on a collaborative zine for soupa members) ... and what a super fun day it was! we met at the book club and had a lovely day of drawing, meeting new faces, catching up with old friends, and some more drawing. looking forward to seeing the zine all finished (photos courtesy of jo, see more here)

also, thank you to everyone so far who has entered my little giveaway! (and thank you for all the sweet birthday wishes) ♡ you still have a couple of days to enter, so if you haven't entered yet whatareyouwaitingfor? i will pick the winner on 25th August

giveaway time!

2011-08-17T23:58:00.001+01:00

soooo, you may or may not know it's my birthday this week (yay!) i thought i'd do a little giveaway! as a way to 1. celebrate, and 2. to say a massive thank you to all of you for supporting me in my little drawing career, it really does mean a lot and it always makes me smile when you leave me nice comments on my silly little blog posts :)

*the prize*
you can choose! - pick something out from my etsy shop or choose a print of one of my illustrations (which i am yet to list in my shop!) ... and i'll also throw in some extras too like postcards, stickers, lalala

*to enter*
just do the following two things :

- follow me - either on this blog, or on twitter
- leave a comment on this post - in your comment it would be helpful if you could you give me a way of contacting you (your email/blog name/@twitter name etc)

---

extra entry if you tweet : fingers crossed i win @harrietgray's giveaway http://harrietgray.blogspot.com/2011/08/giveaway-time.html

it's open to everyone and their cat (extra points for cats ... no not really) but seriously now, where ever you live is fine by me, i'll post your prize worldwide.

last day to enter will be august 24th, all entrants will be put into a hat (or something similar, as i don't actually have a hat) and one lucky fellow will be chosen at random

exciting stuff ...

it's a moo point

2011-08-17T21:27:00.002+01:00

early in july you may have heard me squeal with excitement over a great big lovely tax repayment, so to celebrate (in stationery geek style) i placed a rather large order with moo ... it was timed perfectly with their 30% sale, i like to splurge yet be thrifty at the same time you see
i treated myself to a bunch of new postcards, i'm going to round of the corners of these before sending them out. and i also thought i'd try out their new stickers and labels
unfortunately with bad luck coming in 3's and all that : 1.imac breaking 2.being rediculously ill the day i got back from holiday; number 3 was for my moo order to get lost in the post! sad face
thankfully moo are very nice and reprinted my order for me and i think it all looks fab, i hope you like it too!

i also have this 'refer a friend' link where new moo customers can get 10% off their first order, which is nice

anywayyy extra cool points to those who get the friends reference in the title, lols
a cow's opinion *ehem*

psssst

2011-08-11T21:25:00.002+01:00

hello again, just to warn you i am going to pester you a teeny tiny bit for the next 7 days as i have uploaded a new design onto alltropical.co.uk and it needs your votes to win!

it would be super if you could head on over there to vote and comment on my design. you can also vote by tweeting and liking on faceyb

pretty peas with a cherry on top! ♡

ps.. you can use the little apps to the right of the image on the voting page to share the link on twitter/facebook/blogger/email etc etc without having to sign up to alltropical x

hola

2011-08-11T12:20:00.000+01:00

apologies for the radio silence that has fallen upon my blog recently, if you follow me on twitter you may have seen that towards the end of july my imac hard drive decided to die (very inconsiderate of it!) which meant i had to have it sent away for repair for a little while.
unfortunately the only solution was to have it replaced, which obviously resulted in me losing all of my data ... and since i hadn't backed anything up for about a month prior to this, i lost a fair bit. very sad.
all of this has made me very thankful that i do the majority of my work by hand. so all my illustrations that weren't saved can be re-scanned and re-edited, so i'm trying to look at the bright side as it could have been worse (now i just need to find the time to do all of this re-doing...)

so on that note i'm afraid i don't have that much to show you at the moment, above is a sneak peek of one of my recent illos that i did whilst i was sans imac ... but that's all you're getting for the time being

i wish i was a whizz kid

2011-07-16T19:41:00.001+01:00

so i decided to upload my new website layout despite not having chance to put any new work on there yet - sorry for the ugly 'coming soon' thumbs! i need to find a spare bit of time to get all my new pieces web ready, make thumbnails for them, import them to dreamweaver yawwwwn etc yawnnnnnnnn ... that's not my favourite part as i'm sure you can tell!
anyway no real drastic changes* i'd really appreciate any feedback especially if you notice any bugs so i can try to zap them before i next upload the whole site again! thanking you kindly x

*no drastic changes, yet it still took me forever to work out how to make it all stay in the middle - i wish i was a computer whizzzz

creatures of the night

2011-06-20T23:30:00.003+01:00

i've been working on this for a little while now, felt like i couldn't get it quite how i wanted it. you may have seen parts of it here and there. i think it's all done now. what do you think?
special thanks to my cat jelly for allowing me to draw him. he's a good boy. meow

good night

2011-06-19T00:25:00.001+01:00

it's live!

2011-06-15T22:50:00.002+01:00

a couple of days ago i made a little journey up to birmingham to see the grand unveiling of the pointe blank exhibition ... i realised half way there that i had forgotten my camera, so unfortunately i don't have any shots from the night apart from this quick one luke took on his phone (thanks luke) i managed to refrain from sticking my leg up on the bar and posing like a ballerina for the shot

the exhibition was held in one of the birmingham hippodrome dance studios, a very fitting venue i thought. i'd only seen a few little snippets of people's work before the exhibition so i was eagerly awaiting seeing the whole collection together on display ... and ohmygosh it didn't disappoint! i was really impressed by the quality of all the pieces and how unique they all are - despite all being based on the same brief. but you really shouldn't just take my word for it, take a look for yourself. the collection is now available online for your viewing pleasure - keep an eye on the pointe blank blog for photos of the opening night, and also future updates relating to the project (there were talks of the work possibly being shown at different venues this summer)

exciting stuff

i personally would like to say a massive thank you to claire hartley and rob lindsay for inviting me to be part of such a brilliant project, and also a big well done/pat on the back/high five to them for making the exhibition such a big success

coppélia

2011-06-07T13:38:00.004+01:00

here are a few little sneaky snippets of my illustration for birmingham royal ballet's pointe blank project ...

i didn't mention before but some of my soupa chums are taking part too! ♥
to see more sneaky peeks of what's to come head on over to the event's face page or blog

the collection will be unveiled on monday 13th june ... exciteddddd!

beards & bears

2011-06-02T13:10:00.000+01:00

you may have seen in a previous post that i made a bearded lady for the first issue of heart&lungs zine ... well my little drawing made it onto the inside cover ... lovely stuff! this issue features an interview with the rather fab sandra dieckmann, upcoming events and projects to get involved in and lots of other beard and bear related goodness ... have you got your copy yet? if not, there really is no excuse ... you, yes you choose what you want to pay!

pointe blank

2011-06-02T12:48:00.002+01:00

i have been invited (along with a small selection of other artists) to take part in a pointe blank project with birmingham royal ballet, to create an original piece of artwork inspired by the story Coppélia. the collection will go live on 13.06.11 at the birmingham hippodrome and online ... more details to come.
see here for full details about the project, info about other artists involved, and little sneaky-peeks of what's to come ...

rejig

2011-05-22T14:55:00.002+01:00

i've updated my website a tiny bit - added some new drawings, changed some of the links and that. also messed around with the blog layout a bit ... you may have noticed? maybe not.
so go and take a look around
i heart getting feedback so if you have any comments etc do feel free to shoot them my way. sorry for the short blog posts recently, my time is being taken up with my hollyday - sigh

2011-05-21T20:40:00.002+01:00

just so you know you can now follow my blog with bloglovin

*

2011-05-20T19:08:00.000+01:00

i've finally taken a photo (albeit not a great one ...) of my first winning all tropical design ... it's now up for sale through their website and on asos marketplace which is rather exciting!
looking forward to seeing my other design when it's printed ... eak!

heart & lungs

2011-05-19T10:32:00.002+01:00

a saw a little call out for submissions for a new monthly zine called heart and lungs ... you may have seen their little banner i added to my blog recently ⬅ it's the brainchild of Iona Bruce a very clever lady with several projects on the go - see what she's up to at i heart dot dot dot
i didn't end up getting this finished in time for the submission deadline (due to other commissions/holiday activities/changing my idea at the very last second...) but thought i'd post it up on here anyway ... the first issue will be released june 1st, it's sure to be smashing so do take a look

i've seen my work popping up around tumblr recently, which is lovely - and a bit surreal! it's nice to be featured places and blogged about, be sure to let me know if you do so i can thank you - i do appreciate it ♡
i came across this sweet little blog that wrote a little something about me

some of you may know i'm having a kind of semi-holiday at the moment ... in the sense that we're away from home, but not holidaying much as we've bought all our work stuff with us.
i'm staying on the isle of wight for a few weeks with my lovely lukey, we're house sitting (and cat sitting - yay!) for his parents whilst they're on holiday.
don't worry though we've managed to squeeze in some holiday activities here and there ... my list includes : lovely bike rides, seeing my lovely friend's pregnant belly, dipped my toe in the *freezing* sea and accidently found a nudist beach, saw a nudie man on said beach! teheee!

*those of you with beady eyes may have noticed i have changed the bear! i decided i didn't like the first one. i so i redid it. i much prefer this manly bear. grr

muchas gracias

2011-04-30T11:45:00.002+01:00

just wanted to say a humongous thank you to all you beauties who voted/commented/liked/tweeted for my latest merrimaking-inspired design on all tropical ... as i found out i won this weeks competition ... yipppeeeeeeeeee!!

first the worst, second the best ...

2011-04-29T21:23:00.005+01:00

i promise this isn't a wedding post ... but wasn't it just lovely! i've had a good few hours away from work to celebrate, my sister held a little royal party, with a strict dress code of red, white or blue ... i made sure i had some suitable attire to join the fun. twas a marvelous day, my mum even got to show off the meringue to the queen ... oh lols

but anyway, as i'm sure you can tell - my latest illo has absolutely nothing to do with the royal wedding! no no, this is one i have been working on for versus. it's a collaborative project of illustrated playing cards, where you design a card based on it's number. as you can see, i chose #3 ... do you get it, do you get ittt? ... will find out soon if it makes the cut, i have a feeling it might be a bit too weird!

last week the ladies from a beautiful blog called leivos kindly asked me to take part in a little interview with them & i was very flattered to be asked. you can see what i said here.

strangely enough, this interview was published the very next day --- even though it's like a year old! ('in to views' blog asked me some questions about a year ago. but then i never heard anything back from them after i sent off my answers) so, you can do a little virtual time traveling by reading it ... oh and don't forget to lol a little bit at the grey/gray. always baffles me when people spell my name wrong even when it's written right there!

in other news ...

any of you bear lovers out there might be interested in seeing this collabortive blog post organised by the very lovely jessica gowling... or grrrowling as i like to call her! it's filled with lots of lovely bear related things, and includes my 'heidi bear' illustration

speaking of which, i donated two a3 prints of 'heidi bear' to be sold in the ganbare nippon shop, to help raise money for the japan tsunami appeal. so much beautiful work for sale there, so do take a look and buy if you can as you'll be helping a really worthy cause.

oh and skipping back to the wedding for a moment, i was asked to do a few portraits of some royal ladies for the latest edition of cellardoor magazine - you cans sees thems heres

oh and and and ... i'm now on pinterest ... because i didn't have enough things to distract me. n o t
♥

ammo

2011-04-29T21:00:00.003+01:00

so, i've been looking forward to this for a while ... the newest ammo mag is out now! ... and it features one of my little illos - yippee! you can get it here for the teeny tiny price of £4, such a bargain to say it's filled with loads of great work, and look at that cover - so so beautiful! do you need anymore convincing, i think not .. go go go!

*photos courtesy of ammo

BD

2011-04-26T10:33:00.001+01:00

to celebrate the beautiful weather i've decided to have a little sale in my shop, some items are reduced and you can get an extra 25% off your order with coupon code :

CAPITALBCAPITALD

enjoy!

♡

2011-04-15T12:53:00.004+01:00

i'm calling upon you for a favour again ... i thought i'd put my merrimaking-inspired* illustration up for judging over at alltropical.co.uk

like before, votes are counted as facebook likes, tweets, palm ratings on the all.tropical website, and comments left on the design - so if you fancy helping me out by doing one or all of those things i'd be eternally grateful.

so go on ... show my design a bit of love. and just think, if it won you could max out the merri-ness by wearing the tee and the hood together! super cool ♥

*see my previous post for my guerilla merrimaking antics x

**update**

22/04/11 voting has now closed, thank you!

merrimaking

2011-04-14T20:21:00.001+01:00

so, i am probably a bit slow in discovering the wonders inside merrimaking.co.uk, but i am totally in love with their bespoke animal hoods. and so, to show my adoration i made a little illo and posted it around various locations for all to see. hope the merrimakers like it!

... dreaming i will one day own a beautiful arctic fox hood ♥

soupa new site

2011-04-14T00:40:00.001+01:00

the soupa website has a brand spanking new look. you really should head over there to see it with your own eyes. it's really very nice.

pre release sale ...

2011-04-04T22:48:00.002+01:00

i had a little message from the guys at alltropical.co.uk the other day to say that my t shirts will be ready next week - e x c i t i n g!

as always new designs are available at a lower price for a limited time before general release ... soooo here's your chance to get one for the special price of only £15 until this Wednesday 6th (after this they will be the usual price of £20 ... still not bad but we all like a bargain, don't we)

soooo if you are interested in getting one you just need to email all tropical directly requesting my 'heidi bear' tee for £15 at toucan@alltropical.co.uk

*ps i realise i have posted this image many times on my blog. i'll stop now. promise.

*pps here's a link to the american apparel tee's that my design will be printed on, if you're wondering what size to get have a look at their size guide

stoned

2011-04-02T10:04:00.002+01:00

i was struck with inspiration this week when i saw these beautiful painted stones by Natasha Newton (click the links to see her paintings, they are actually A-mazing)

Natasha's stones reminded me of something i have been meaning to make for my mummy ... and timing couldn't be better with mother's day right around the corner! a while ago, my mum had seen what she called a 'chatty rock' in someone's garden and said she wanted one ... so i made her this (pictured above) a bossy little rock that on one side says 'turn me over' and the other says 'ahh, that's better!'

aren't i a nice daughter ey ...

♥

2011-03-19T14:25:00.001Z

just wanted to let you all know i'm dontating 50% of all sales in my etsy shop this month to the red cross disaster relief in japan. such awful news, i cannot begin to imagine what turmoil they must be going through. my heart goes out to all those wonderfully brave people.

if you'd like to get involved with sharing love and support to those effected by the horrific events in japan check out illustration rally's ganbare nippon : japan tsunami appeal sumbit/donate/get involved. you will find more links to donation websites there too ♥

...

in other news, i heard yesterday that my design had won this week's competition over at all tropical, which is beyond ace! so massive thank yous and hi fives to all of you who voted. My design will soon be printed and available to buy in t shirt form to adorn your wonderful torsos.

also incase you missed it the lovely ladies over at ballad of... did a little feature on my work the other day, do have a peek.

zine time

2011-03-13T21:12:00.002Z

the very clever jo spencer has been a busy bee creating this little zine of soupa's recent antics.

updated wwwebsite

2011-03-07T21:52:00.001Z

I've updated a few little things on my website, removed some old pieces of work and added some new drawings to my portfolio. Do pop on over and take a look, i'd love to know what you think ...

Also don't forget there is still time to vote for my t shirt design from my previous post, over at all tropical. winners are chosen not just on 'palm rating' but on comments, facebook likes and tweets/retweets so feel free to do any of those wonderful things ... pretty peas ♥

all tropical

2011-03-04T19:45:00.005Z

i don't usually ask (or beg) for favours, but i'm making a little exception here ... i have made this little drawing into a tshirt design on alltropical.com - if you've not been there before it's a jolly little site where you rate tshirt designs. every friday a winner is picked to have their design printed onto real life tshirts and sold in their online shop, exciting stuff.

it would be smashing if you could pop on over there and rate my design (preferably 5 palms of course) also if you're feeling extra lovely, you could leave a little comment on there too, that would be wonderful. you will have to log in to cast your leafy vote but it only takes two ticks and i'll ♥ you forever. you can also vote by 'liking' my design on facebook or tweeting about it on twitter
t h a n k s s s s s !

**update**
11/03/11 voting has now closed

the end of the pencil

2011-02-27T17:46:00.001Z

i've had a busy day today taking down my work that has been on show for the last month in shifnal. just wanted to say a massive thank you to all who came to see the exhibition, for all the lovely comments and feedback, and an extra special thank you to those who bought some of our originals and prints - i have spend this afternoon wrapping and packing said works to be delivered to their new owners! exciting ♥

here'e a little glimpse at a new illustration in progress (taken using my blackberry so sorry for the bad picture quality!) as an apology you get to see georgia snoozing in the background. lucky you!

a yarn good weekend

2011-02-22T19:23:00.003Z

for those of you who couldn't make it this weekend to yarn fest 2011 here are a couple of pics of my contribution as part of the illustrationarium on sunday evening. representing soupa i collaborated with luke waller to illustrate (live!) a story written and read aloud by katy darby.

i have to say i was rather nervous before the event, mainly for the fact i couldn't use my trusty pencil, instead we were drawing with pens on acetate for the over head projector ... all with the added difficulty of drawing upside down - which resulted in slightly wonkey faces hehe! but once we got started it was actually very fun!

katy's story was a slightly disturbing tale about a man who becomes possessed by the spirit of a murderous victorian artist! *hence the slashed throat!

the first two days of yarn fest were held down stairs in a very beautiful venue called 'the book club' in shoreditch (check out that ceiling - i want to have this in my house!) lots of fun things happened over the festival including zine workshops held by soupa, quizzes by acorn press, and a hilarious improv performance by the scat pack. the festival continued at the queen of hoxton where the wonderful jamie littler took part in a live illustration battle to create a cover for buddha of suburbia ... he totally should have won! for more photos of the various events as part of yarn fest visit the links below

photos courtesy of ok jo, luke and gemma from yarnfest

tell me a story

2011-02-16T20:09:00.002Z

well well well, hasn't it been a busy month already!

i mentioned in a previous post about some exciting illustrationey plans that were being conjured up between soupa and yarn fest, and yesterday i was sent the details to share with the world ...

yarn are teaming up with soupa and cure studio for this years yarn fest :
celebrating story and storytelling - showcasing film, theatre, music, illustration and literature and providing a platform for mixing them all up! yarn fest 2011 will be running from 19 to 23 February

for full details visit the website

i will be there helping out over the weekend AND you can see me looking all scared doing some live drawing on sunday evening between 6 and 8, where a bunch of illustrators will be drawing stories as they are read aloud by the authors, live. LIVE! eak!

basically it's going to be a totally ace weekend full of fun creative events so make sure you come along for some super fun times!

speaking of soupa i made this month's banner for the blog using one of my new illustrations (there's also loads of info about yarn fest on the soupa blog too) if you want to get involved in soupa you can design your very own blog banner, we're always looking for contributors! click on the 'blog banners' link under the blog banner for all the details you need! ... have i said blog banner enough?! blogbannerblogbannerblogbanner

in other news:
i've recently posted a few new items up in my etsy shop, you should totally go check them out if you get a moment.

i've been working on some more new drawings recently (as always) so am planning on updating my portfolio page at the end of the month for your viewing pleasure.

also i've spent a few days this week in a local primary school working with all the little kiddies to create a mural for their entrance corridor. the children were all given some acetate and pens to make some wonderful drawings, and it was my job to paint them on the wall! somewhat different to what i usually do, but it was all good fun! going in again on friday to finish it all off so will post a pic of the finished project then!

♥day

2011-02-14T21:01:00.001Z

happy kissy huggy day to you all!

as a gift, here is a drawing for you.
the original is currently being displayed in 'the pencil' exhibition here this little illustration is inspired by a poem that i like a lot and is rather fitting for today called 'when the heart' by michael leunig

...

when the heart

is cut or cracked or broken

do not clutch it

let the wound lie open

let the wind

from the good old sea blow in

to bathe the wound with salt

and let it sting

let a stray dog lick it

let a bird lean in the hole and sing

a simple song like a tiny bell

and let it ring

...

i took part in a little project to spread the love called shhhhhhhh ... secret valentine! where a whole bunch of lovely creative people sent little packages of joy to each other in a secret santa type way. it was all dreamt up by the lovely alicia rose, who you can follow on twitter @iamaliciarose
alicia is composing a giant blog post revealing what everyone sent/received, i'll be sure to let you know when she has it all ready for your viewing pleasure

much lovey and dovey stuff to you! ♥

much ♥ and many thanking yous

2011-02-03T21:54:00.002Z

just wanted to do a quick post to say a big thank you to all who came to the opening night of our exhibition 'the pencil' last night. we had some great responses about the work on show and made a few sales, which is always nice ♥ unfortunately we were having such a good time playing host and hostess we forgot the get our camera out till towards the end of the night, so didn't get chance to take as many snaps as we'd have liked, but here are some that we did manage to take before everyone left!

(photos courtesy of luke)

the work will be on show for the whole of february, so do feel free to pop into the wheatsheaf anytime to have a look. if you do go, do let me know what you think

i'll be uploading a load of new work to my website portfolio at the end of the month, including the pieces i created for this exhibition, so if you don't get chance to see it in person you don't have to wait that long

remember not to forget

2011-01-31T21:51:00.003Z

has january gone already? ... well nearly! so those of you with your heads screwed on will realise that my exhibition goes up tomorrow, yes, TOMORROW! eak! anyway, luke and i will be there from around 12 putting the work up, making any final adjustments, and generally just being frantically stressed. tis all very exciting really.

so this post is just a little reminder to you all that the opening night for my little exhibition is wednesday 2nd Feb it's from 7pm and you are more than welcome to pop along! bring some friends, enjoy some drinks, nibbles and pretty pictures.
did you notice the little sneak preview above ooooOOoo

venue's address: Wheatsheaf Inn, Broadway, Shifnal, Shropshire, tf11 8BB

incase you missed it there is a little interview with me over at the young creative's blog, you can read that here if you so wish.

also, had some exciting news from the very lovely jo at SOUPA about doing some illustrationey things as part of London yarn fest in feb, more news to come soon about that!

the pencil

2011-01-07T16:37:00.004Z

well well well it's all come round very sudden, less than a month to go til my exhibition! The Pencil will be held at the Wheatsheaf's exhibition space 'arty bars' in shifnal, shropshire and will run for the whole of february. i will be sharing the space with the rather marvelous luke waller, who will be presenting his response to our trip to china in 2009 for the yangste river spring arts festival. i shall be showing a selection of brand spanking new work based loosely around the theme of 'beauty and beast'. exciting stuff.

also luke got his shiney new dslr camera the other day and this was one of the first shots he took, a very little sneak peek of my newest drawing.

don't forget about the sale going on in my etsy shop at the moment, you can use the code HELLO2011 for the whole of january to get an extra 10% off whatever you want.

aces.

goodbye 2010

2011-01-02T16:18:00.002Z

well i'm a day late with this post but happy new year to you all! to welcome in the new year i am having a huge sale in my shop, most items are reduced aaand as an extra thank you to all you lovelies who have supported me in 2010 by reading my blog, following me on twitter, visiting me at craft fairs and buying from me online, i'm offering you an extra 10% off anything you buy from my etsy shop with coupon code: HELLO2011

super!

speaking of etsy, one of my items has been featured today in a treasury made by the very wonderful Natasha Newton from the black bird sings. how very flattering indeed! you should take a look at Natasha's work, it's rather fab!

i don't often make new years resolutions, if i do they are usually very vague or about something a bit useless. but this time i have decided to make a very detailed list of things i'd like to achieve by the end of 2011, i may share it with you ... depending on how well i get on!!

here's to a new year filled with fun and excitement ♡

all good things must come to an end

2010-12-09T00:07:00.002Z

sad news today that the soupa emporium shall be closing down in the new year, so don't miss out on your last chance to grab some of the lovely goodies from there - some items are even on sale! - just in time for you to buy some smashing gifts for your loved ones this christmas! or for you to put on your hint list to santa.
you'll be pleased to hear that the soupa creative network is still going strong and you can expect some fun things happening there in 2011, phew!

also i made a little poster for the charity craft fair i mentioned in the pervious post ...

fred's a lazy bear ...

2010-12-05T15:37:00.001Z

i don't usually post about other peoples work, but i thought you'd like to see these!

i have for sale in my etsy shop these rather lovely christmas cards that were created by the very clever luke waller from fred bear
sorry for so many links! ^.^
they come in packs of five but if you'd like more just let me know and i can make a new listing just for you ... or if you'd prefer not to buy them through etsy just contact me or luke and we'll sort you outtt

perfect for sending to your friends/family/pets etc

...

alsooooo
a big big thank you to all who came to the shifnal christmas craft fair yesterday, your purchases were, as always, very very much appreciated.

anddd
for all those who couldn't make it but would like to buy some handmade local goodness, we will have a stall next sunday 12th december at cherry's real food cafe in ironbridge, from 11 till 4pm. The christmas fair has been organised to raise money and awareness of Leukaemia research, so you'll be helping a good cause and getting your christmas shopping ticked off, ace!

ho ho ho

gimme five for 10% off!

2010-11-21T20:39:00.003Z

i feel a tad guilty as i've neglected the blog a bit recently ... i was obviously deeply traumatised by the thievery that prompted my last post, which by the way NOONE has owned up to, which means my mega bezza is STILL without a birthday present. sad times.

on a happier note, i've had a nice day today as i've started my christmas shopping, which was made even better by the fact i didn't even have to get up off my bum and brave the cold outside to do it ... good old etsy!
aaaaand i got a load of stickers from moo the other day! i'll be using these to package up any online orders from now on, lovely stuff. andandAND if that doesn't tempt you enough i'm offering 10% off all orders in my etsy shop this week until midnight sunday 28 november. just enter the code: hifive

don't forget to hi five ;)

if you'd like more than one of any of the items listed in my shop just let me know and i'll make it happen! i'm nice like that.

Stolen Present

2010-10-15T22:22:00.003+01:00

Sad news today :(

Just arrived in cardiff to see my lovely friend for her birthday. And me, being a nice friend bought her a super cool birthday present. However me being me I stupidly accidentally dropped it somewhere on my way from where I parked my car to her house (literally across the road)
And someone has picked up her special present and taken it home all for themselves.
One of the presents is a handmade purse which I made especially for her. Pictured in this post. I am hoping whoever has robbed it visits my website or blog and sees this post. It's a long shot but thought it was worth a try. Please please if it's you give it back, ill even send u something as a thank you.
The other pressies were an OMG bag from alphabetbags and a long gold necklace with a flower on the end.

Pretty peas give it back we are very sad about this and we don't want my weekend visit to cardiff to be remembered as "the weekend you lost my bday present" waaaa

ps. sorry for the gloomy picture it was taken on my blackberry

pps. the present was dropped on Cathays Terrace, Cardiff. please contact me to find out where to return the gift to pleeeeeeease!!

welcome home turns one!

2010-09-29T14:43:00.002+01:00

you may remember that i had some of my work exhibited as part of 'prints charming' last december - one of the many wonderful exhibitions and events held by welcome home - and now, to mark their first birthday welcome home is inviting you to join the celebrations! pop along this sunday and feast your eyes on a rather lovely exhibition, featuring work from artists and designers who have contributed to welcome home's first year. the night will also include the launch of the new welcome home annual, and a chance to win your very own birthday present. what more could you ask for! ... maybe some cake?

+ Sunday 3rd October, 4-8pm +

You are invited to Welcome Home's first birthday party!

Join us for a drink to celebrate at the exhibition, grand raffle and annual launch where you can win your own birthday present from one of our artists and designers! There will be music from special guests, Berk djs and visuals by Florence To.

If you can't make it along this Sunday, Birthday Presence runs until Sunday 31st October when the raffle will be drawn. Come and see the exhibition and buy a ticket for your chance to win an amazing prize.

All are welcome so spread the word and hope to see you there...

+ + +

follow welcome home on twitter

+ + +

Welcome Home

19 Keith Street

Glasgow

G11 6QQ

new stockist

2010-09-26T20:23:00.003+01:00

my my delilah, what a busy month it's been. here are a couple of pics from our most recent market as part of shifnal festival ... many thanking yous to every one who came to say hello whilst luke and i kept ourselves amused by playing battleships and twenty questions!
i have been a teeny bit adventurous with the needle and thread the last few days and have made a few little purses, perfect for filling with pennies, phones, pencils, and teeny tiny kittens etc

they (the purses, not teeny tiny kittens) are now available to buy from another real life shop that's agreed to sell my wares cherry's real food cafe a super cute woodland cafe in coalbrookdale, ironbridge filled with organic, free range and local produce. hi five!

new webbysite

2010-09-01T18:09:00.003+01:00

i have finally uploaded my website, after ummmmming and arrrrring about it for quite some time! i've still got a bit more to do on it, and lots of new wok to eventually scan in and upload, but i thought it will do for the time being... any comments or helping hand tips you fancy winging my way will be very much appreciated!

in other news, luke and i have started to get back into the craft fair swing of things, we had a lovely little stall at the burford flower festival last saturday (little being the operative word) wasn't quite what we expected, and got very wet feet in the super long grass, but lovely all the same! our next stall will be at the craven arms artwalk in shropshire on september 11th, and another on 25th september as part of the shifnal arts festival. i'll be sure to keep you posted on anymore! here's a quick snap from the last one!

backbone

2010-08-07T17:38:00.002+01:00

here are a few little piccies of a collaboration i did for an album cover with the lovely tiny from design by if (she's ace!)

pretty little things

2010-07-30T10:46:00.005+01:00

a wonderful little shop is opening up in Huddersfield and will be stocking some of my wares, located in the beautiful Byram arcade in the town centre, this victorian shopping arcade is perfect for a little spot of shopping.

why not pop along for the grand opening of 'pretty little things' this saturday 31st July (9am til 5.30pm) for some yummy cupcakes and bubbly, and peruse all the lovely items in store, which include handmade items from artists (including me!) vintage home wares and gorgeous brands.

don't forget to bring your pennies!

there's a bit more info on facebook

see you there! x

amelia's mag

2010-07-27T23:51:00.004+01:00

here's a little something i whipped up for amelia's review of her time at secret garden party, for amelia's magazine

new minis

2010-07-06T14:20:00.004+01:00

oooo just had a brand spanking new set of mini mirrors made, some new designs hiding in amongst my most popular ones (which are now back in stock!)

all ready to be snapped up by you, in some pretty new packaging ... it's all recyclable tooooo ... oooo

new designs soon to be available in my etsy shop

**update**
the rather marvelous soupa emporium is now stocking my new mirrors tooooo!

guerilla update

2010-06-18T16:55:00.006+01:00

as you may have read in an earlier post, i've had some of my work featured in the latest craft guerilla zine (issue #6) ... and it's out to buy NOW! you can buy online and chose between the pdf version or a lovely real-life-hold-in-your-hands-pretty-pink-hand-sewn version! all that for a teeny tiny price of £2!

go on ... treat yourself

♥

i ♥ handmade

2010-06-05T16:35:00.005+01:00

Soupa emporium has been featured on this lovely blog, and they chose to use my heart ornament for the post! sweet!

etsy peasy

2010-06-02T20:26:00.002+01:00

oh my golly gosh! i have finally opened my etsy shop ... tis all very exciting indeed! i've only listed a few things in there at the moment, but i will be adding lots more over the coming days/weeks/months etc!

extra goodies will be going to my first buyer as a way of saying a big thank you! (that could be you!)

sneak preview

2010-05-31T16:05:00.004+01:00

craft guerrilla's next zine will be filled with soupa goodness, designed by ok-jo, articles by clare kelly, and illustrations from the likes of jason lear, luke waller, anna spencer and ... yes, you guessed it, little old me!

✄full of crafty goodness

out to buy soon

2010-05-26T11:38:00.002+01:00

lots of celebrating and cake eating to be done this week!

pass the pattern

2010-05-18T20:58:00.004+01:00

the very lovely clare kelly has posted about me on her equally lovely blog, pass the pattern.

to see it and other wonderful things click here!

visual nourishment

2010-05-06T10:25:00.001+01:00

i have designed another banner for the wonderful creative network soupa click here to go to the blog, and while you're there why not have a look at the shop ... some gorgeous gifts for your lovely friends and family ... or of course you could keep all the beautiful treats for yourself ☺

the old studio

2010-04-03T22:07:00.007+01:00

marvelous news! some of my work can now be bought in a real life shop!!

a selection of my items are now available at 'the old studio' a cute little shop on ventnor high street, isle of wight. filled with lots of beautiful artwork, sculptures, handmade jewelry and vintage/antique furniture ... tis very exciting! so if you're in the area pop in and have a peep ... here's their website too

2010-03-29T16:20:00.003+01:00

the brand new soupa lookbook is now available to view online and is full of lots of yummy work by fab creatives. yay!

badging extraordinaire

2010-03-20T19:13:00.009Z

luke and i randomly decided to make a few badges iver the last few days and i thought i'd show you the results so far ... oh the fun we have!

all are individually had drawn and hand made (luke still has to package his up a bit more) but i particularly like my colourful bags!

planning on putting these in our soon to be etsy shops ... eeeeee

♥

2010-03-08T23:28:00.006Z

results from an evening of rubber stamp making (from actual rubbers!) ... so far i have stamped up a few bags to use at upcoming markets and craft fairs

to be honest, i am most proud of the fact i didn't cut myself once this time!

2010-03-02T21:13:00.004Z

here's a little sneak preview of some new drawings i have been doing recently, also wanted to give a little heads up to anyone down shropshire way that i will be selling some of my work at an arts and craft market held in st john's church hall in lawley on saturday 13th march, from 11am.
pop in and say hello

soupa emporium

2010-02-03T19:47:00.009Z

happy new year everyone! ... errrrmmmmmm ... yeh i'm a tad late with that one!

just thought i'd let you know after the success of the christmas market in london we (the soupa collective) are selling a few specially selected items online and you can find them all HERE

(the photo in my previous post shows my items for sale ... again i apologise for the bad photos) ☹

tis very exciting

lots and lots to come this year, i am hoping to get a scanner soon so i can actually upload some new work and get my website up and running --- it's about time don't you think!!

2009-12-08T11:07:00.003Z

just a few other bits and bobs i've made

prints charming

2009-12-04T21:31:00.005Z

i have a couple of prints available to buy for a limited time at the lovely 'prints charming' exhibition ... such a cool name don't you think! for more info go >here< or >here<
also don't forget about the soupa market this december ... because looking for christmas gifts in the supermarket can be dull ...looking for christmas gifts in the SOUPAmarket however, is anything but xD

mirror mirror ...

2009-11-28T00:00:00.004Z

i've had a few mini mirrors made to sell at the market and my up and coming etsy shop ...

for more info about the christmas soupamarket have a look here, i'll be uploading some more photos of my wares soon so stay tuned ... but if you reeeally can't wait for the market and would like to buy a mini mirror this very second send me an email and i'll pop one in the post

apologies for the poor photo quality! eak!

a bit random but ...

2009-11-13T17:22:00.004Z

i just love the backs of these labels i had made! lol

2009-10-23T13:15:00.004+01:00

soupa excited

2009-10-18T17:12:00.004+01:00

in my excitement for the soupamarket i have designed a new banner for the soupa blog

soupa exciting!

2009-10-15T11:38:00.001+01:00

Well I'm very excited to say that the Soupa collective will be holding a stall at the 'All I want for Xmas' market at the Truman Brewery, filled with lots of handmade christmas goodies! ... my plans for today ... making lots of christmassy things of course!

Shrewsbury Arts Feast

2009-08-01T15:13:00.001+01:00

I will be having some of my work displayed digitally at The Platform!

Platform is an arts and music event held on the first Thursday of each month at the Old Post Office in Shrewsbury.

This month’s event will take place on Thursday, August 6, at the Old Post Office pub on Milk Street, Shrewsbury, from 8.30pm. Admission costs £1.

pop on over!

did you know...

2009-07-11T02:33:00.000+01:00

3 in a bar

2009-05-30T20:04:00.003+01:00

just thought i'd add a little link on here to my lovely daddy's band! they're called 3 in a bar. here are a few old (hehe!) pictures of my daddy with some of many bands he has played with throughout history! ... enjoy!

banneranner

2009-05-20T18:37:00.003+01:00

i designed a banner for the soupa website! see it in the flesh here ....

harriet gray illustration

pro.mo.jo

tombolalala

*new news*

celebrate with a mini print

letterbox love

?!X

a boy! :o

hello 2012

eve

♥ we are the aviary

don't be late

evolution&us giveaway

petra doe

i feel smug

ohh deer

FIZZ POP BANG!

all hallow's eve

lucky dip ...

remember, remember

totes special tote

SMUG exclusive

puck

pretty penny

soupa one day zine : reveal

promo

remember not to forget

and the winner is ...

wolf bones

soupa zine day

giveaway time!

it's a moo point

psssst

hola

i wish i was a whizz kid

creatures of the night

good night

it's live!

coppélia

beards & bears

pointe blank

rejig

*

heart & lungs

muchas gracias

first the worst, second the best ...

ammo

BD

♡

merrimaking

soupa new site

pre release sale ...

stoned

♥

zine time

updated wwwebsite

all tropical

the end of the pencil

a yarn good weekend

tell me a story

♥day

much ♥ and many thanking yous

remember not to forget

the pencil

goodbye 2010

all good things must come to an end

fred's a lazy bear ...

gimme five for 10% off!

Stolen Present

welcome home turns one!

new stockist

new webbysite

backbone

pretty little things

amelia's mag

new minis

guerilla update

i ♥ handmade

etsy peasy

sneak preview

new news