Home.

'Home' by Gabrielle Aplin is my theme song at the moment - have a listen while you read. 

Well, the Summer is over - the kids are back in school, the ice bucket challenge has been completed

and we're all counting down the days to pretty much every weekend ahead. 

We did do a Summer List (see earlier years here and here) and got about half of the things done. 

The summer was strange as we spent it in a rented house while we were getting major work done on our own. The most anticipated 'tick' on the Summer List was the 'Move Home' box. 

This made us all very happy!

It's been nice to re-imagine our old house and put in design details or practical elements that weren't there before. If you follow me on pinterest, you might know that I have a board where I hoard all of my chalkboard ideas. People are so clever with their spaces! 

I knew I wanted to put in a chalkboard wall - a place where the whole family could add the things of their heart - and I plan to change the theme with the seasons. 

This season, unsurprisingly, the theme is HOME.

It's not as 'designy' as the pinterest chalkboards because, let's face it, most of them are done in studios by artsy people and no kids. Ours is.. well, used. We love it. 

What about you? How was your summer?

x

Friday Happy Quote

Well. I found this lovely quote from the master of thoughtfulness, A.A. Milne. 

And I had a balloon. So I thought I'd test this theory. 

  I tried it with Isak. 

And then with Ruby.

Yep. Apparently it is true! 

Summer List 2013

It's Summer List time again! 

This piece of paper got me out of several brain freezes last year (see last years Summer List here.)

Are you doing one?

:)

A little colour study

Compiling a list of colour combinations 

- thought I would share My Water Baby Sketch!

Happy Love Day

Maiden Voyage

Today's quick sketch is looking at light and perspective - and the joy of setting sail for the first time. x

Something to do

Happy Friday everyone! Mx

Let's do this thing.

Sketch from your life experiences' they said - 'it will inspire and lift the spirit' they said. 

Well, ok then.

Over the next while I plan to work on my drawing skills, 

and put down the results here! 

I'm not promising anything astounding but just some sketches from the heart. 

Make it patterned and colourful. And please, don't cry if it breaks!

I decided a long time ago that there were far too many pretty kitchenware patterns for me to devote myself to just one. And with some beautiful new bowls as birthday presents,

I thought I'd take out some of my favourites to show you.

Some are vintage. Some are from Avoca, Anthropologie, Fishs Eddy,

Emma Bridgewater and Ikea.

Some are from travels abroad, but most of them given to me as gifts.

And I love them!

And I use them. Which sometimes is stressful because they get broken.

The cherry glass in this image is the last remaining glass

from a set belonging to my lovely grandparents.

(ok, so I don't let ANYBODY use that one!)

And in a dramatic Everyone-help-clearing-the-table accident,

I now only have 10 days of Christmas. oh well.

The bottom bowl here was one of the 4 bowls I got for my birthday.

It came with a note attached:

'From us 3, because we love you, and because sometimes we break things.'

Perfect.

Inspiration in New York City

I've just arrived home from my break away. 

I had the joy of having time to shop for craft supplies and goodies in the city that never sleeps. 

 Rifle Paper Co.  and tea towel goodies from Anthropologie.

 Louis Vuitton window display

 

Pottery Barn Kids fabric loveliness

  

Tinsel Trading Co. - apparently Martha Stewart's favourite store in all the world..

Love that bird!

Our Summer Bucket (and Spade) List 2012

So - the Summer Holidays are here...

And we have started a new Summer Tradition - 

Our Summer To Do List! 

It remains to be seen how many we'll accomplish

 in the next few weeks but we'll try hard!

And we've ticked off a few already :)

Father's Day 2012

I set to work on a little project with the kids last week for Father's day. 

I had planned to do something like this from How About Orange, 

but there wasn't really enough sticky gluing for my two. 

So we cut out and sticky glued our words and then I just made a rough photo collage in Photoshop, threw in a brightness and contast layer as the weather has been soo dull, and well, we were done. 

 This one is for Phil...

And this one for my Dad! 

Ruby took my photos - not bad for a 4 year old!

And guys, as a foot note, sorry for the extra present of a tummy bug. 

That bit was an accident. 

x

Things they did not teach me in school - A Book Review

It always disappoints me that my Art Teacher in school didn't teach me how to really draw. 

I mean, yes, we were given poster paints and paper and were encouraged when our pencil drawings vaguely resembled the Junk-Shop-Oil Lamp-and-Dirty-Shoe Still Life. 

But negative space and perspective?! The delicacies of line quality? Blind drawing? Composition? 

Nah.

So when people ask me to recommend a drawing book this is the one I suggest - 

'Drawing for the Artistically Undiscovered' by Quentin Blake & John Cassidy.

This drawing book is for head and heart and for adults as well as kids. 

It deals with all aspects of drawing and delightfully encourages the imagination too. 

We love it - and often dig it out and spend an hour drawing and trying things out. 

Here's Ruby with her first Still Life... Hello Kitty of course... No dirty old shoes here!

Today

I worked very late last night.

The birds nearly came out to greet me.

It wasn't as productive as I wanted,

which means tonight will also be a late one.

So I am indulging in some online wanderings.

I am listening to this

I am thinking about getting these.

I plan to make this.

I'd like to get a daintier version of this.

Newness...

So I'm not very good at blogging.

I might just plan to make it a New Year's Resolution (to be better, at least!).

I have been busy updating a few things around here and getting things sorted.

I've wanted to finish my Alphabet Wall for a while and got it done the other day.

I love it, and while I still have a few placeholder letters,

I love the collective craziness of it.

I got to do a few illustrations of the kids in it too which was fun.

I also got around to framing these beauties - covers for two Puffin Classic books.

And I have a new illustration to show you!

I love the iconic image of a retro red london bus, but was thinking recently I'd never seen an illustration of a Green Irish Bus.

So. It had to be done! And it's also available in red :)

Its full title is 'Adventure with me - there and back again.'

You can buy it here and have it customised.

Right better make some dinner!