To the right is an umbel drawing which I have been working on for that children's book this week.

I particularly love the wild romantic treatment I gave it in the above image - it's kind of Granny's attic and old books. Above all, it reminds me of cyanotype photography.

It won't be long until the illustrations are finished and I will be able to share full pics with the author's blessing.

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A version of the pattern from the sketchbook pages I showed here last week, placed against a mossy background.
A real quickie today because I am full steam ahead and getting near to finishing the children's book illustrations!

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This is one of my digital sketchbooks. I am full-on with the children's book illustrations at the moment so there isn't much time for anything else, but occasionally I like a little light relief. Throwing together a simple pattern is great fun, and sketchbooks like these make it easy. Each image is drawn in Procreate on its own layer, so I can easily copy, paste, and rearrange different elements to play with different patterns. The sludge-green background is so I can spot any unwanted marks and tidy edges nicely.

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Another pattern this week for my Redbubble Store - birds and potted plants gardening, inspired by the fact that I have been doing a lot of gardening recently. I was delighted to launch this one on the full range of 'kids' clothing' as well as home décor, adult apparel, accessories - and of course, socks! I do love the socks.

Warm, sunshine-filled days must have gone to my head last week because I totally forgot to post this! I back-dated it while I was posting next week's, if that makes sense (beginning to feel a bit Time Lord)
Anyway, I took a bit of time out to tidy up my Redbubble Store and design a new pattern - birds and berries, all ready for Autumn. I am loving the way the pattern works on the products and I have discovered I definitely have a thing about socks. Here is last week's pattern on some products, too.

I have been working on a pattern this week, based on a watercolour I made in a sketchbook a couple of years ago. I remade all the flower motifs from scratch and assembled them into a motif for experiments. Left here shows the first play around with a tile, just seeing what looks good and getting a feel for how it might look in repeat. It is in a more advanced stage in the image below, in fact nearly finished following a few more experiments and alterations. I want to make a grid pattern, then a half drop version.
There is a deliberate nod to the 1970s in the shapes and warm palette. The first play around had been put to one side while I continued work, but when I looked back at it It really reminded me of the '70s - of something in particular which I can't quite put my finger on. It's something like a cookery book, or a Clothkits design, or a kitchen mat; whatever it is, I am definitely going to have a go at recreating the look when I have finished this version of it.

My birthday, with the full Blossom Super-Moon occurring at the same time. That, together with some super weather and B cooking his superb tikka chicken thighs on the barbecue meant one thing only - pop-up tent in the garden!

The apple trees, after what appeared to be a holiday last year with virtually no blossoms or fruits, are going crazy this year, and this one is right in front of my tent door. This view, a glass (hem-hem bottle) of Prosecco, B's heavenly thighs (so to speak) on the BBQ, the radio playing quietly, birds singing in the warm evening sun ... living the dream.
I did actually do some work in the tent during the week, as well!

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I was so excited when Redbubble launched their face masks I couldn't wait to get my patterns on them! I loved the way they looked, and it occurred to me that stylish shoppers could sport some phenomenal accessorising (phrase courtesy of my friend Tish) with matching face masks and shopping bags! - or socks, or scarves ... etc!

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This trio of ladies singing and humming evolved from character studies for a leading lady in the children's book I am working on, and I am sure it came from the current lack of hairdressing facilities! I got into the details of the different hairstyles in a big way, as my own hair grows more out of shape and shaggy in not a good way every day. It was a bit of fun which provided something to post on Instagram.

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