The Postman rings (more than) twice

...and he brought - another lovely Goddess doll from dear Ms Robyn...like the last one, she must have taken a detour in her travels, as she was supposed to arrive in time for Christmas, but arrived safely in January. Here she is sat with Duncan, waiting for the 2007 festivities.

...bizarre yet scrummy chocolate mushroooms from the Laundry Fairy, these are the last survivors saved specially for the photo...

...and the strangest taste experience I have had in 2007, Hot and Sour soup - I am not sure how something which set my mouth on fire could taste so delicious. By the end of the bowl my lips felt as if they had had a triple injection of collagen. But it was definitely worth the pain...

...and on Valentine's Day, from the Queen of SOSF, the ever generous Tara of SIlver Apples...her own delightful handmade soaps (WHERE does she find the time!) and general hearty-loving-goodies...all packed beautifully as always...

...incuding this hot chocolate kit, with a frighteningly large dried chilli - just look at the size of it - it could serve a pillow for a newborn baby! I am somewhat in awe of it, and prod it from time to time to see if it is alive...


(There was something else especially wonderful in this parcel, but I don't think I can show it yet, suffice to say that Tara, you are amazing, and everyone is going to love it when you can spill the beans!)

...and finally, my copies of 'Pinwheel Days', which has finally hit all good USA bookshops everywhere, but especially your local Amazon. I am finally published!

Goodbye Pinwheel

And so another job rolls to a close. I've been flat out (as far as I ever am, anyway) finishing off the remaining artworks for 'Pinwheel Days'. In the end there were 49 of them, including the cover. They are quite pretty when all laid out together. It doesn't look like much, but what you don't see is the big wad of roughs, layouts, pre-sketches and failed paintings - not to mention early scribblings long since burned.

Every single one had to have an address label on the back, and its own protective piece of paper, as drummed into me at college, because you never know when something is going to get mislaid at the other end. And every chapter had a separate folder...and now all there is to do is wait for the final OK from the publishers; there is still a bit of doubt about one of the pictures, and I am keeping my fingers crossed I won't have to re-design it.

Now I am having some enforced relaxation - no major jobs on the horizon, (just another poster for 5-7 magazine) and waiting with anxiety for a few cheques owed me, before the wolf hurls himself against the door. It's a bit odd really, as since September I've had several jobs buzzing about my head - and now my mind feels blank, like a wrung out flannel. It was quite sad packing Pinwheel up. I've been working on him now for about 11 months and when I'd taken the artworks off my noticeboards, labelled it all up, cleared my tables and sorted through the huge pile of prep work, it felt like the last day of term. You know, when the walls are bare, and you all take games in and some lucky so-and-so has 'Spooky Castle' or 'Mouse Trap', when all you've got is your mum's box of Scrabble. Perhaps I'll take a game of solitaire in, and some lemonade.

RIP DYLAN the Lovely Rabbit from Higgledy Piggledy's blog. I'm sure I'm not the only one who will miss seeing his sweet ink splashed face munching on illicit plant cuttings.

Good morning!

Everything is on hold for the moment as I have a final push on 'Pinwheel Days'. It's been put on the publishers website already, so I have to get it all finished and sent off in the next week. Look, you can even see inside it here. I can't believe I've been working on this since September; it's been a huge learning curve and fun to create, but I am looking forward to having a clear desk and taking a couple of weeks off. And getting more of 'Trinity' written. Apologies to anyone who is following it.

Have a good weekend everyone!