Christmas Card Designs For Woodmansterne Cards

I was contacted by Woodmansterne Cards a while back about licensing a couple of my designs for their Christmas card range, which was totally exciting as it's something I've often thought about looking into, but didn't know how to go about it.  I was also delighted to discover that my designs would be helping to raise money for two great charities (British Heart Foundation and Childline).

These cards have been in the pipeline for quite a long time, about 18 months or so I think, so it was pretty thrilling to receive the samples in the post a few weeks back - and it's taken me that long to find a moment to photograph them.  Luckily, Isla and I had just been to the local garden shop and had snaffled a load of helpfully tidied up their assorted crab apple windfalls, so while we were playing with them and arranging them in in size and colour order (we know how to party), I squeezed in a quick photoshoot.

Available online from here.

Icon Design for TreatNOW App: Update

About 2 years ago I was approached by Sara Hill to design some icons for a new app she was launching, called TreatNOW (you can read more about it in my previous blog post here). 

She had seen my contemporary stained glass designs on Pinterest and thought the simple, graphic style translated well to the icons she needed for her app, which enables users to find and book appointments at health and beauty salons.  

Fast forward to the present day and the app is now up and running and already gaining press interest.

I'm so proud of Sara for pursuing her vision and dream, and for making it happen.  

I was also quite excited to see my little icons appear on my phone as proper, tappable buttons.  I nearly accidentally booked a full body wax, botox and a chemical peel in my enthusiasm...

If you're interested, you can get the TreatNOW app by visiting treatnow.co from your phone and using the "add to home screen" option. 

T-shirt Design for Soulshine Café

I was recently asked to design a t-shirt for my friend Lisa's side-project to her bustling café Soulshine. As well as getting some printed with the Soulshine Café logo which I designed, she also asked illustrator Suzanna Hubbard to add a couple of her charmingly exuberant designs.

Although I was curious to see how one of my stained glass designs would look as a t-shirt, I thought it would be a good opportunity to brush up my Photoshop skills and work on a completely new design.

Inspired the dazzling array of gap-toothed kiddos exiting from Class Three every afternoon (one of them being my own) and the endless comparison of gaps, stumps, wobblability etc, I created a little gang of peg-toothed weirdos.

If you're curious about the latin motto at the bottom, Google Translate will sort you out.

The t-shirts are a limited edition and available to buy directly from Soulshine (☏ 01308 422821) and are available in a range of children's sizes.

Hedgerow Jelly (Autumn in a Jar)

If you have kids and, like mine, they love to collect everything and anything they spot while out walking (shells, stones, feathers, broken blue and white pottery, coins, bottle tops etc. etc. etc.) then you might enjoy making this with them.

On our last walk we collected all sorts of edible Autumnal treasure - crab apples, sloes, rose hips, rowan berries, black berries, haws... but what to do with it all? Hedgerow Jelly, that's what.

We found this recipe, which worked brilliantly, and really you can be fairly flexible with what you put in, depending on what you find.  Always be careful to check that what you have picked is actually edible though, and not deadly nightshade berries for example. Make sure you wash everything thoroughly before starting.

As long as the sugar to juice ratio is 1 pound : 1 pint, you should be ok. And we totally cheated and squeezed the muslin straining bag (which looked like something out of a terrible slasher movie as the thick, red, viscous liquid oozed over our hands). Yes our jelly is a little cloudy, but we got twice as much, which is more important than perfection in my jam making school.

Then when it was done and poured into jars, we made labels (Isla's was so nice I copied hers).

It tastes very nice on porridge, crumpets and pancakes and would probably be very nice with game too, as it is quite sharp and sweet.

Logo Design, Soulshine Cafe Bridport, Dorset

I've been itching to post about this for ages, but wanted to wait until the café was open so I could get some shots of the interior as well.

My friend Lisa approached me a while ago to ask if I'd design a logo for the new café (including shop, deli, juice bar, coffee house) that she was opening.  I sketched a few initial designs involving coffee cups, juice drips, that kind of thing, but nothing really encompassed the whole of the venture.

So Lisa suggested the idea of a character that summed up the ethos of the café: creative, wholesome, curious, adventurous, playful, fresh...

She had kept a party invitation I had drawn for Isla's birthday about 5 years ago, and said she had always loved it.  So that little sketch of mischievous, bold 2 year old Isla became the basis for The Soulshine Kid.

The café is stunning.  Lisa and Chris have done a fine job of creating a place that people are already flocking to, because it is just such a great space.

Selling independent magazines, children's books, Moomin mugs and other delights, alongside artisan bread and deli-produce, this is way more than just a café.

Their attention to detail is awe-inspiring, and the fact that they have used pretty much all local tradespeople and craftsmen in the build, as well as suppliers of the food and produce is commendable.

I'm thrilled to have played a small part in this endeavour, and lucky for me it's just down the road from my house.  My flat-white consumption just increased ten-fold.

Even more thrilling is seeing random people out and about sipping from their takeaway cups, with the kid on.

Icon Design for TreatNOW App

I love it when I get random incoming.  Y'know, the kind of email that plops into your inbox that looks interesting and shiny and full of possibility.

A few weeks ago, I was approached by a new app that is soon to launch.  The founder, Sara Hill said that she'd had one of my stained glass designs on her pinboard for the look of the app since day one, and it occurred to her to try and track down who made it and ask if they would design the icons.

"Oh that sounds really exciting" I said in my head, but then the other half of my brain said "Ha, yeah, shame you know nothing about designing icons for apps".

Luckily for optimistic brain side, Sara wanted the icons to have a hand-drawn feel, not to be computer designed and basically "Just do your thing".  So lots of black felt-tip pen and paper later, here they are (ok, I did the colouring and tweaking on the computer).

The app is called TreatNOW, and frankly it's genius and is going to be huge.  The app will put you in touch with health and beauty practitioners wherever and whenever you need one.  So say you're at a conference in London and you suddenly get terrible toothache, TreatNOW will not only tell you where the nearest dentist is, it'll tell you if they have an appointment.

The app is currently in development, with a mini-launch and trial in France and a full launch in London later next year.

It's been great working on the icons, and pessimistic brain side has had to eat major humble pie.

Thank You Letters

Normally at this time of year, I'm suffering with the guilt of the as-yet-unwritten children's Thank You letters.  Last year we left it really late and sent a hasty email with a quicky Instagram piccy.

This year, I thought I'd try something different.  We haven't written any letters, because as wholesome and morally fibrous as they are, let's face it, they're a chore.  So I thought we'd do something altogether more fun.

Although you wouldn't think it, looking at the expressions on the girls' faces... cutting out is serious work!

✷✷✷

Isla's 5th birthday is coming up soon.  I usually like to try and draw the invitation for her party (although I'm always quite envious of Helen Dardik's amazing invites she does for her daughters).

This year's is inspired by this photo I took the other day.  She has become very attached to my old Paddington Bear, so I had to include him.  And the rain.  The never ending, freezing rain.

I like the nervous, not-quite-sure-about-this look on his face. 

D.I.Y. Paper Chains

We've been having fun making paper chains.

Firstly we just cut up A4 sheets of coloured paper into strips across the width...

...but then I remembered some wonderful Eastern European embroidery designs 

on some faded paper that my mum had unearthed in a dusty old shop

on a visit to the Czech Republic a couple of years ago.

A bit of scanning, slicing and sticking later....

To make them, you will need: 

Good quality A4 paper (I used card from the pound shop)

A ruler, cutting mat, sharp blade, pencil, double sided tape.

You can download the three A4 sheets I used as printable PDFs here:

Sheet 1

Sheet 2

Sheet 3

Enjoy!

***Not for commercial use - please only use for personal projects.  Thank you!***

Recycle, Reuse, Repurpose

About this time last year I ordered some festive postcards of my work.

But I managed to get the text upside down on the reverse (idiot).

I didn't want to waste these nicely printed cards, and then I had an idea.

They make very lovely gift tags.  Which I shall be attaching to all my gifts.

*cough* and selling on Folksy and Etsy in packs of 5 for £3.50 (free UK postage) *cough*

Blank Cards

Yippee, hooray and huzzah etc.

Blank cards featuring my stained glass designs now available on Etsy & Folksy

Professionally printed on 350gsm card stock 

and supplied with a recycled paper envelope.

Perfect for dropping someone a line, or wishing them a Happy Birthday

You can buy them individually or in a 3 pack (choose your own designs)

*** Free UK postage too ***

Peg Dolls / Winners

I'm recovering from 4th Birthday Party mayhem, although we did have a great day, the weather behaved itself and the bunting fluttered to order, so all good.

I decided that I'd had enough buying plastic crap to put in the party bags, and I'd seen a couple of things on Pinterest that gave me the idea to make some peg dolls to put in the bags (along with the usual sweeties and obligatory balloon). No time for complicated stitchery though. But then I remembered this book that I'd been given by my sister for Christmas. Aha, I thought... paper skirts! I love folded paper!

Not only that, after a recent shopping spree (read: revoltingly over-the-top splurge at a certain fashion establishment *coughwhitestuffsalecough*) I had a good stash of little bits of haberdashery that I saved from the swing tags: lace, twine, velvet ribbon etc.

I used pvc electrical tape to make their bodices. It is possibly my new favourite material. Stretchy. Sticky. Lots of colours. Available from just about anywhere.

I was even organised enough to take a few in-progress shots like a real proper blogger.

The girls spent a long time trying to decide which one they wanted in their party bag. Yes, even the host kids get a party bag round here.... and why not, it does take the sting out of everyone going home a bit.

<<<<<<>>>>>>

Thanks to everyone who commented on the giveaway. The lucky winners are....

No. 23, which is Maddie and No. 38 which is Rike. Congratulations - I shall start on your leaves tomorrow! Sorry, I would love to be able to furnish you all with a little something. Maybe I'll have to start doing giveaway party bags, so that no-one has to go home empty handed...