Hay Festival, Day two...

Today we (including first and second nephews) went to listen to Jez Alborough read Six Little Chicks and Nat the Cat as well as the brilliant Emma Dodd's Cinderelephant!

 I spoke to Emma briefly afterwards about how she became a successful illustrator, and she was so lovely and kind and her husband chatted to Pedro for a while as they have similar jobs! :D 

The nephews laughed heartily at Cinderelephant getting stuck in her limo *as did I, not sure who enjoyed it more actually!*

Jez Alborough

Emma Dodd (And Cinderelephant's HUGE slipper)

You could make crowns at the end, which second nephew took advantage of...

...whilst first nephew was more interested in drawing knights and me *on the right here* with a crown and buttons. :)

Old man and dog Tilly during lunch at the Swan in Hay.

Nephew #1's knight on a horse and me with buttons and a crown. (looking slightly porky if you ask me :/ ! )

Hay Festival! Day one...

So as you know I'm up for Hay Festival and on Sunday I saw Ali Sparkes talk about her young fiction books, and afterwards chatted to her and her family as my boyfriend Pedro has a mutual friend and her son set up a band after attending one of Pedro's workshops at Hay a couple of years ago! Really interesting to hear how Famous Five was such a big influence on her writing.
 Then later that evening we listening to Bobette Buster who is a story consultant for Pixar. Well, WOW. I could have listened for hours, such a fascinating talk. Fairytales, unity of opposites, facing your fears or becoming the living dead and so on!... It was incredibly inspiring. I think you can see more of that talk here and buy the book, which I've done!

Ali Sparkes

Bobette Buster

Back in Hereford for Hay Festival!

(Anyone recognise this as the inspiration for the third page from The One and Only Pablo?)

I'm back in Hereford at my folks house as it's Hay Festival all this week! I'm going armed with my iPad portfolio just incase, and hoping to get lots of events in. First up tomorrow is Ali Sparkes, hopefully the Linda Parry from the V&A about William Morris Textiles (He had a mill round the corner from where we live in South Wimbledon!) And the most exciting of all is a talk by Bobette Buster a Pixar story consultant and filmmaker about how to shape your story and how an emotional connection is key. Soooooo looking to that, think it'll really help the story ideas I have for Henny Bear and Duck. 

Do give me a message if you are at Hay this week, I'm there everyday pretty much would be nice to see some faces I know through the internet! :D 

Here's what I did with the vinyl iron on!

I put the smaller one on the back of my AOI tote and made a tote for the big one! Self promotion for free :)

Some doodles!

Bear swimmings back right legs a bit wonky, but hey! Tis a doodle after all! :)

Clerkenwell Design Week

I went along to the Clerkenwell Design Week yesterday with my lovely chum Zoe! There was a definite sheep thing going on.

This lamb was 5 DAYS OLD! 

Zoe and I had a good potter about and listened to a talk about Chromophobia and snuck along to another one for a free glass of champers and mini cupcakes :)

At Milliken Fab Lab you could create a wooden postcard or print your own design onto vinyl stickers or t.shirt iron ons. I opted for a spot of promo sticker which I'll iron one onto a tote bag I'll whip up and Zoe went for classic boob design for a sticker :) Much fun!

FINALLY! A Freesia has flowered!!

I planted these two years ago and I've finally had a freesia flower! In the same pot I've a quince and a lupin, but the lupin is suffering badly was an attack of snails and an insane amount of aphids this spring. I think I'm going to have to pull it out, poor thing!

Don't let me get shampoo in my eyes!! *doodle*

Banana Bread!

Finally managed to do some baking this afternoon. It's been ages! Pedro and his amazing chef brother Dorian polished off half of it whilst going over his plans to set up a restaurant :) You can see more of Dorian's amazing food knowledge here at A Rule of Tum :)

Magi Design blog feature!

I went into Little Tiger Press a couple of weeks ago and I also saw the lovely folk from Magi Designs whilst I was there and they've done a little feature on me!! :D
Click here to have a read...

Pooey is 1 years old!

Yay. It's my birthday. I'd rather just eat this hat.

Think my lucks in!

Nom nom nom

Die feathery hat die!

Ok killed hat, now bored, BYE!

More knights fighting doodles...

Starting to break the back of it! Need to give my knight some sort of story other than sneaking up on wyverns and swinging his sword. Might look into working on his trusty steed next... :)

Some doodles!

Here is a doodle from last night and this afternoon. The whole focus on boy stuff has gone out of the window. My hand just naturally goes to draw something and come out girly :S

Phipps Bridge Road, Merton

On one of my strolls round Morden Hall Park I sometimes come back to my flat via Phipps Bridge Road, as you suddenly come across after the council estate a little row of the cutest cottages and a mock castle at the end!! I love them, and always keep an eye see if any go up for rent. I wish I knew more about the history of this part of the street, it seems so suddenly like going back a century when you come across them :)

Aha! Just found this pdf and this on flickr with some information about them. 

Knight fighting doodle!

Trying to get him to move a bit from climbing up a cliff to grab a wyvern!

Garden update!

Not much happening in the garden at the moment. Waiting for everything to grow more and flower! The lillies are coming on and the rose is in bud, but it's that in-between flowering time!

Bear card in M&S!

Isn't this lovely? I wish I knew who illustrated it. 

Knights horse

Knights horse doodle for finishing up for an activity page...

RIP Ray Harryhausen

As you know Ray Harryhausen passed away this week. The man is one of my heroes and one of the inspirations for how I got into illustrating. I remember watching Jason and the Argonauts as a small child (still a fave film today!) and being absolutely scared out of my wits when Talos turned his head and that noise it makes!! I jumped out of my skin!

The Gates of Argonath in the Two Towers always make me think of the shot of Talos above. I recently learned that Peter Jackson is a huge fan of Harryhausen, well, there you go then!