innocence

<----------- look what i got

one of those darling innocent smoothies with the bobble hats - i was very lucky as well as it was the only one left at the time. (i was a tad disappointed because i wanted another but i'll keep my eyes peeled for more)

i really wanted to get involved with making the little hats but i only found out about the project just before the deadline. they are being sold with innocent smoothies to help out the charity age concern and each of the little hats has been hand knitted and sent in by helpful little knitters throughout the country. there is a pattern telling you how to knit them on the innocent website if you want to try your hand at it - i hope they do this project next year too (because i know they did it last year) and then i can knit knit knit for charity.
i really do like innocent smoothies - they are nice and fun and playful - now i just want MORE little hats.



what other news do i have?

o yes, i have discovered this new range of penguin books that are being sold with blank covers for people to design themselves and send in to the gallery. which i think is a super nice idea (if not an easy way for the designers at penguin to avoid doing much work, heh).

i want to have a go.

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knitted something

i wanted to try knitting something without following a pattern as i really really want to be able to invent nice knitted things. so here is my first attempt - don't ask what it is. my mum kept asking me what i was knitting and i just kept saying 'a thing' as i wasn't even sure what it would look like. and yup, i realise it looks quite deranged, which is probably mostly due to the mouth i stitched onto him (i thought wonky features may suit him though)
























i don't know quite what i was trying to achieve with that second image but i thought i'd post it up because it is quite delightfully coloured.

i feel quite inspired to try and invent something better than this now (surely it can't be too hard) and i have a couple of things up my sleeve...i'd better get knitting. ---> i really should finish off some of the things i have started knitting and never completed (there are two scarves and a hat on the go at the moment) but they just don't seem nearly as interesting right now. i also have some xmas related things in mind.

gosh! lots to do.

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how very exciting

today my copies of capricho magazine came in the post - i had been asked to submit one of my illustrations a while ago and now it is finally here - oooOOooo. the illustration i sent in was a montage of scenes from my necropolis animation which was created entirely using the typewriter.

it is so very exciting to see my work in print - here are some pics of the magazine...


it was a double page spread!

i think the most exciting part of it was seeing a my little typewriter men featured on the contents page:




obviously the magazine is in brazilian so i can't actually read what is said about me - though renata (who put it all together) sent me a rough translation and it was all v.nice.
the magazine itself is very delightful --> the headings on each page are embroidered and there is a lot of creative stuff in it.

a good day for post indeed.

also i was told the other day by colette from artists unique that there was going to be an article out today in the southampton daily echo (a bit random i know) about my button phobia books. luckily my brother lives in southampton so i have sent him on an errand to track down a copy to bring back at the weekend - what a good sibling he is.

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show & tell

i thought i'd post some pictures of some of the nice things i have come across over the weekend.

firstly whilst out hunting in charity shops on saturday for some new necklaces (which are yet to be found) i came across this beaut of a flower press which i couldn't resist buying.


i already have quite a few flower presses - think i will start collecting nice ones like this. i do have a HUGE one somewhere (in the loft i think) and that one is definately a keeper.
what else? o yes, i got a lovely gift from rach who popped off to lille on friday for a chistmas market. such a nice little tea jug.


and lastly here is a birthday card i made for a friend. i got in a bit of a sticky mess with the felt and it looks a lot like a child made it...but that is probably a good look i reckon.


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drawing whilst watching tv

i practised speed drawing whilst watching the telly the other day.
first i drew eyes:


then i tried noses:


as you can see some are more successful than others

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cook in

we have a kitchen !



hooray - no more microwave meals for a looooooooong while (apart from tonight as the oven hasn't been wired up yet).

i have been having a big tidy today and have sorted out my nice magnetic board - i bought some magnets the other day so now have more than just the one with which to stick things up.


looking tidy, no? give it a week and there'll be loads of scrap bits and pieces flapping all over the place.

i thought i'd post up a drawing i did today along with a photo so you can see just quite how realistically i can draw ---> that's the drawing on the right if u weren't too sure :D
















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safari

another something

i just keep finding things i feel i should share so here is another drawing with type flash toy to keep you amused.

you can create some beauts with this one:



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you have to see this!

yet again i have been wasting time browsing the internet (but i am having a tea break at the moment so at least i'm multi-tasking). anyway i found this. it is one of the nicest examples of drawing with type i have seen and i love the fact that they are animated.





i really want the book but i looked on amazon and it is a tad pricey which is a pity but i think the moving image versions on the website are enough to keep me entertained for now.

they really put my own attempts at drawing type animals to shame though.




(that is a cat at the bottom if you weren't sure) heh


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it's been a few days

and we now have half a kitchen (whoop!) - by thursday it should all be done and dusted and i will be able to get on with cooking and baking and wearing all my new aprons

here is a close-up of the lovely fabric they are made of:


v.pretty.

the other day my mum noticed owly sitting on my shelf and dug out this beaut of a book which has patterns for making a whole bundle of felt toys:



i am definately going to make some of those adorable little horses that are shown on the cover - i do like horses and donkeys

and

these two little bunnies (jimmy rabbit and jane rabbit) are also on the list of things to try



maybe i'll get making tomorrow...though i will first have to pop to the shop and get a pile of felt. i also feel i have been rather a neglectful knitter of late - need to get back in the swing of things so tomorrow i am going to have a hunt for a delightful pattern to get me in the knitting mood. maybe i will try and make my own pattern for something - - -> i'll have to give it some thought.

that is really all for now.

oh, i want to go to this:


i think it might inspire me somewhat.


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broken

today i have been feeling mostly fed up. we have had electricians in our house all day which is v.noisy & means the kitchen is off bounds so i haven't had a cup of tea since first thing this morning!!!!!!! -> shocking.

i am rather parched.

and to top it off both my favourite necklaces have broken:



o well, guess that is an excuse to pop to some charity shops and hunt for more tomorrow.

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a nice find

take a look at this site that i found last night.

it is oh so fun to play on ---> you can see my attempts at creating nice drawings here and here.

do go have a play! and send me your links so i can go have a look at what you've done - i'm sure they will be delightful!

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ps. and here's another one (i think i'm obsessed)

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type drawings

the other day whilst i was online talking to derek we got a bit carried away drawing pics with the type - here is a little selection of some of my attempts:


(derek did a far better drawing of a chicken that me but i didn't have that to post up - which is lucky really as he would have shown me up)

drawing with type is one of my favourite things to do

i also made a (somewhat laughable) attempt to draw some people -> me and derek went to see 'the two faces of mitchell & webb' in brighton the other week so i had a bash at drawing them:


ha ha ha ha ha

i have a skill there, no?

in other news...my invitation to the v&a awards ceremony + private view came at the weekend (v.exciting). less than a month to go now...


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teapots

a lovely pot of tea

have a look at this blog that has been dedicated to teapots. it is so very nice.

it belongs to andy titcomb, who makes teapots in his garden studio in cornwall (which sounds like a pretty perfect setting to me)

he also makes salt and pepper shakers - these ones caught my eye:



they are great.

andy has also put one of my drawings on his blog - which is v.much appreciated!

i always think i want to start collecting something like salt and pepper shakers. egg cups are probably my ideal choice though. i heard somewhere that it can be called a collection when you have 3 of something.
so i do have a teapot collection (a very small one) but unfortunately only have one nice egg cup on my shelves (so i am not doing too well as of yet).

i will keep my eyes peeled in the charity shops though....

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apron

my, what a pretty pinny!













and not just one but two ------>






















ps. sorry about the bad pictures. night time is not at all a good time for indoor photos.

i like piles of books

i thought i would just post a few line drawings today (including some of the piles). there is something i quite like about my wildly inaccurate and simple drawings, even though they are often just a jumble.



oh, and here's a link to a lovely illustration portfolio for your viewing pleasure.

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i made something

he is an owly and has been named 'early' (somewhat accidentally) by derek.
i made him from a pattern found on lizette greco's flickr blog

he did not come out quite as planned as i am not too pro at following patterns yet - he is a bit tatty + i had to give him button eyes to make him look more approachable after i bodged them.
but it all adds to his character i suppose, and as he is one of my first attempts at making a soft toy i think he is pretty acceptable - he is going to perch happily on my shelves today.

there is also a flickr group dedicated to the little owly's, have a look at them all --> here


on another note...

while browsing the web this morning i found the blog/portfolio website of kate copeland, a foundation student from south devon college - and guess what? she had a link to my site on her page.
it was a really nice find, it's great to know that someone is a fan of my work. so have a peek at kate's site, she has some nice embroidery work there and i am sure there is a lot more to come...!

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remember remember, the 5th of november

when i went to the fireworks celebrations on saturday i took my camera along with the plan to take many a picture only to find that my batteries were dead - how very disappointing!

luckily i forgot to use my sparklers on saturday and so yesterday i had some fun with my friend milkan taking loooooooooong exposure pics while we played with them.

here's the best of the crop:

1. m for milkan
2. deb
3. a sailboat (my personal favourite)

joined up

i just thought i'd post something delightful i found today - it's a continuous line music video by Dan Lowe

-->watch it here<--

i am a big fan of continuous line drawing and this is a super nice piece.

talking of continuous line - i set up a flickr group not long ago based around continuous line drawings so if anyone wants to submit any pics please come and join!
if i get a few joiners i was thinking we could have different draw topics every now and then - but for now just post up any drawings you have- super!

thats all for now,
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touch type

today my new keyboard arrived and i am back on my mac after a week using the clunky old pc (well, at least it's reliable).

so i thought finally starting my blog would be a good way to break in the new keys (and a good way to waste a morning of course)

i have drawn a pic of my nice new keyboard:




what a beaut!
anyway, that is all for now - more to come soon! i am off to see the fireworks in farnham tonight - i am going to wear my newly knitted green hat (i hope it doesn't get set on fire or anything unpleasant ----> fireworks scare me a bit) wish me luck...

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