{Christmas} Bits & Pieces

Only 2 days to go! So excited about christmas....especially as it is Stanley's first. And although he doesn't really understand what's happening it does feel that extra bit special this year. So my bits & pieces this week are obviously xmas based. i hope you are all ready for xmas and don't have any last minute shopping to do?! We are having Christmas lunch here at ours which I'm excited about. My husband is a vegetarian, but I am not, so there will be everything to choose from on the table on Sunday! I will try and post pictures from our day.

Pic 1 - Christmas tree top
Pic 2 - Decorations up high due to baby and kitty
Pic 3 - Giant snowflake
Pic 4 - Beautiful cold blue skies and no snow...yet?!
Pic 5 - Wrapping begun
Pic 6 & 7 - Vintage Santa
Pic 8 - New teeth ready for his first Christmas lunch!

I wish you all and very Merry christmas and a Happy New Year. Thanks so much for reading my blog...I have picked up a lot more new readers since starting to blog more frequently and I really appreciate you visiting and especially when you leave me comments - it does really keep me going and makes me very happy to share my work, thoughts and life. So thank you.

Here's to 2012!
S xoxo

Getting there....

....hope to be halfway by Christmas. So 6 double page spreads finished out of 12.

Deadline end of January to make the Bologna deadline....wish i could go again, really such an amazing experience.
Ah well, maybe in 2013!

On Tuesday we Read...

...A LOT!

Wonderful find up in my parents loft. All these books brought back so many great memories of my childhood...but most of all they are fantastic finds! I'd be pleased if I managed to find some of these on ebay or in my local second hand book shop. So pleased my ma and pa thought to keep them!
I've tried to photograph a few of the best...but basically I was chuffed to bits to see David McKee, Richard Scarry and Eric Hill in there!

And so I think is Stanley!

Do you have a favourite book from your childhood?

tools of my trade...

I thought I'd post a little about what I like to use to make my illustrations...and please if you have time I'd love to hear what you like to use. I also find it helpful to have recommendations to try out new products, and ways of working. So please feel free to leave a comment with any 'must have items' or tips....and maybe even a link to your website or blog so we can all check it out!

First up is my beloved CARAN d'ACHE NEOCOLOR wax pastels. Literally my life changed when I found these. They lay down a beautiful waxy colour like no other oil pastel I've ever found. The only very small negative I have is that they are hard to draw over the top of with other colour pencils to show detail etc. I find a 'clicky' pencil is really the only thing that will do.

Then my dwindling supply of Karismacolor pencils. Why they've stopped making these I don't know. I have found nothing similar to replace them. Even the PRISMACOLOR pencils which I ordered online from the US because they were supposed to be the best replacements aren't anywhere near as good! Anyone reccommend a really good waxy colour pencil??!!!

So instead (as it's easier for me to pick the right colours etc being in the uk) I've found the CARAN d'ACHE Pablo colour pencils pretty good, and I'm slowing explanding my collection of these.

All sorts of bits of paper to add to my drawings as collage.

Some other pens and pencils I can't live without...

So. That's my stuff in a nutshell. Quite nice being geeky about pencils! I never use the computer for my artwork - not because I don't like it (hey check out marc boutavant!) but because I just personally prefer to work this way.

Love to hear from you all on your tools of choice!
S xoxo

On Tuesday we Read...

..."Rosie's Walk" by Pat Hutchins and "The Happy Lion" by Louise Fatio and illustrated by Roger Duvoisin.
I chose two books today because they are so similar in colour and they are published in similar eras. It just felt right!

Rosie's Walk is an amazing book. A full 32 page picture book story told in just 31 words. It has suspense, humour and drama captured in its stunning illustrations. a very good first read book I guess for children, but I love it for it's beautiful 60s illustrations.

The Happy Lion is illustrated by Roger Duvoisin who was born in 1904. He's illustrated 40 books - including those featuring Veronica, the conspicuous hippopotamus, and Petuna the silly goose. and more than 100 written by other authors!

When I say 'we read' what we actually wanted to do today was climb away....

Still at least for the first time in weeks I've managed to post this on a TUESDAY!!!! Hooray!

S xoxo

Bits & Pieces

This week's bits & pieces are mainly work related. I'm beginning to manage my illustration work juggling things with Stanley. I found it very hard at first not being to work when the hell I liked, always doing things in a stop/start fashion. I got frustrated and cross that my precious 'me' time is no longer 'me' time...and that made me feel bad that somehow I was cross at Stanley for this change in my working life. However now I know I have pretty much two 'baby free' days (thanks to family) I'm learning to work well in those two days. In fact it seems to be working better - I am a lot more focused than I used to be - no faffing around the house doing unnecessary chores in order to put off what I was supposed to be doing. My illustration time is precious now and I use every last minute properly....it certainly focuses the mind knowing Stanley will be back soon and needing my full attention...and he deserves it too :)
Happy work mama = happy home mama.

Pic 1 - Xmas card result from the elf photoshoot...excuse the shocking photoshop! Was fun though!
Pic 2 - A finished book spread
Pic 3 - Roughs for the next...
Pic 4 & 5 - Plans chest my Dad gave me
Pic 6 - Sketchbooks lined up
Pic 7 - Working mess

**As always thanks to Bleubird for the idea and encouraging us to share....

On tuesday we read...

... "Olivia" by Ian Falconer

Ok clearly it is now thursday. Such a busy week trying to fit in work, Stanley's first morning at nursery (eeek!) and last minute christmas shopping! Phew. Feel like I'm getting on top of a few things now, but I'm still a bit behind with work so this post will be mainly pictures....not too much chat! But needless to say I love these Olivia books - simple use of colour pleases me a lot...as does the incredible skill with that charcoal. LOVE LOVE LOVE!
Enjoy xxx