clunky collage demo for visit to st christopher school

i did a school visit the other week to st christopher school in hertforshire. they were all amazing pupils with lots of crazy ideas for picture books of their own.

these clunky collage characters were part of a demo that i did with them to show how you can create lovely and odd characters out of simple graphic shapes. it is a really good way to play and experiment with new characters with out getting bogged down and depressed about not being able to draw well. it is so liberating... try it!
these pictures were my quick efforts just to check that the demo would work.
i quite like them, i love how just the tweak of the odd eye can change an expression from cute to suspicious.
i like this approach alot, as you come at it without any preconcieved ideas about what your character is, and always end up with something surprising... like the little koala girl at the bottom.

anyway... it was a great day at the school and i hope they all enjoyed it as much as i did... can't wait to see their finished picture books!

uber cool south bank design shop

well looky what i found whilst drooling about in the uber cool south bank design shop the other day...
why only goldilocks and just the one bear! Ah, made me so happy to see it all nestled in nicely with lots of lovely designed stuff that i would love to own. go bear!

baby eva

card for baby eva.

lovely that she is called eva as eva was her mums maiden name.

hope we get to meet her before she is all growed up

(ps eva isn't really a bunny, she is a human girl as it happens)

Mix-Ups at Hay Festival 2012

i am doing a glittertastic magical mix-up event at this years hay festival. exciting.... as i have never been there during the festival whoop whoop!

so in between drawing trolls i have been devising my workshop and have some fun crafty things up my big sleeves. we will be making paperdolls and costumes for main characters Sapphire and Emerald and also a rather nice paper fairy mobile featuring three fairies from the book (Princess Sneezebelle, Queen Mimsy and Twinkle).

below is just me quickly testing out the mobile peices to see if they work ....

 Princess Sneezebelle

Queen Mimsy

 Twinkle

 group shot

and this is eebees and Grandma Brendas colourful additions!

didnt get around to hanging them from a string to form a mobile- but that is the idea. Also at the festival i will be armed with suitable amounts of glitter, sequins and other sparkly matter. should be fun!

it is sold out already.... gulp!

magical mix-ups "Birthdays and Bridesmaids" is published today!

the first of a new chapter doodly book "Magical Mis-Ups" hits the shops today!
it was written by the rather brilliant Marnie Edwards and illustrated by yours truely.
see what our publishers Nosy Crow have to say about it here.

my favourite bit is when they call me "cool and contemproray".ha! I suppose i am cool, if the new cool is being not cool that is. I always saw myself as luke warm (who ever he is!). very nice never the less.

fingers crossed all of the fairy/princess/witch/pink loving little girls like it.

how cool are nosy crow?! Today they sent me a lovely fox card and this whistly birdy keyring. it is such a clever idea, as the birdy has a house that you are meant to stick on the wall- so when you come indoors you have somewhere pretty to put them.

thanks nosy crows... you are fab!

yum yum snuffle waffle mad hatters tea party at dog sniffer towers!

so on friday fabbo illustrator and animator Mister Steven Lenton and me went for high tea party with our good chum the book sniffer..... look here to see what we got up to.



we even got a doggy bag bursting with percy pigs and posh chocco flapjacks AND VIP rosette lollichocs. naughty old book sniffer ambassador was really spoiling us (burp!)