Little studio snaps

My studio, it has to be said, is full of many things - it is my creative nest, where I can surround myself with the treasures I have found and been given. Although I may not use many of them from day to day, they inspire and console me. Many tokens from blog and non-bloggy friends...spot the Lily Moon card from my friend Maya -

(for detailed notes, please go to the Flickr image)

The old year ended with the little people in 'Cat's Cradle' journeying far away to their first job. It is always a wrench to know I will probably never see most of my paintings again, but good to know that they are watching over someone, somewhere.

The new year started with one of Rima's beautiful calendars. I cannot think of a nicer way of getting through the year - she still has one or two left I think, so if you hurry...

Entering January with some gorgeous letter blocks, with huge thanks to fellow illustrator Paula for her thoughtful gift...

...and my triple good luck charm, to keep bad things away from me this year, especially timewasters, as I had enough of them in 2007. White china heart from Tara, rosehip heart from Higgledy Piggledy, textile/embroidery heart from Border Tart - thank you my dears - I defy anything truly bad to happen with the combined love of these three friends.

A big red hand to point the way bravely forward to 2008 - there is something very commanding about this stern indicator. It arrived unexpectedly in the post this week, mysteriously unsigned...for a few minutes I felt like my all time hero, Tintin, receiving an anonymous signal summoning him to a new, exotic adventure. But then I remembered kind Alan Brignull of the Hedgehog Press, and his lovely picture on Flickr which I had fav'd. Thank you so much!

I am under the weather and feeling like this at the moment -



So I am going to retire for a few days, and bury myself in my sketchbook, as I seem to have got my drawing mojo back at last. Have a good weekend everyone!

Boxes and swap

Sometimes I am the recipient of such thoughtful kindnesses it takes my breath away. I am not sure what I've done to deserve this, as I am a grumpy so and so at the best of times...so thank you to my sweet friend Francie, who sent me the most amazing box of bits and bobs, all of it beautifully packed and smelling gorgeous, as it should do, from the gracious lady who runs the Scented Cottage shop. Aromatic vintage seed packets, bubblegum and bubbles, and best of all, art supplies - I get through pencils like wildfire, until they are tiny stumps. And such a useful holder which is now one of the few things allowed on my precious workspace. Some tubes of yellows and greens, which form the main part of my palette, including aureolin yellow, which I have never used, but is my new favourite colour.

I am somewhat embarrassed about this next, as it is my end of a vintage book swap held by Jenny at the Polka Dot Pixie blog - that is to say, my partner, Jen (another) of the Jennifer Yellow Hat blog sent me my bit and I have not yet done my bookmark to accompany the books I have for her. I hate excuses, but I have been all week working on artwork revisions for a couple of jobs. It is on my list of things to do before I go completely grey. So if she is reading this, I am sorry, and I am on it. And thank you so much for the lovely books - Moshi the Jackal, which is wonderfully illustrated and a blast from my past, the Ladybird book of Heath and Woodland birds.

Coming in last but certainly not least, this Tardis-like box from Captain Rupert, with a little help from Joanna of Higgledy Piggledy blog. Who would have thought that so small a box could hold so many delights? Just when I thought I'd emptied it of - lucky cat fortune cards, Jo's beautifully seed packets, a sachet of Charbonnel and Walker hot chocolate, mulled wine spice bundles, one of Jo's cards, AND a lovely Jo-illustrated recipe for plum cake - I found one of her rosehip hearts nestling at the bottom, in a bed of red tissue. Thank you so much to both of you, but especially to Captain Rupert, for his kind thoughts.

(All pictures go bigger if clicked on, Blogger has squished them a bit).