Istock

Here's my latest istock acceptance. I wanted to continue the hair and beauty theme and this style seems to be popular. It will be nice to build up my portfolio more and show a few different illustration styles. I still have lots of ideas .....its just having the time to do them, along with my textile design and looking after the girls of course! Mind you life in general is the inspiration to most design and if I sat at my computer all day I doubt Id feel too inspired!

caricatures

Ive been doing a few caricatures lately. I like to make my subjects beautiful though ...rather than accentuate bad points!! Here's one I did for a friends birthday. You can also see a wedding one which my friend almost a bride kindly posted on her blog today! You never know someone out there may want to commission me to do one...............if not then obviously all my friends will be getting them for birthday cards!!

Worry dolls

The girls found these sweet worry dolls in our village shop the other day. They are made in Guatemala using tiny scraps of fabric. If you tell them all your worries and put them under your pillow they will take your worries from you and let you sleep well. (think I should try these when I cant sleep!) Not only do they make sweet toys but could be inspiration for the girls to make their own dolls with scraps of fabric from my studio.

Recycled peg bag.

Today I made this peg bag for a friend, using some of my old textile designs. I have lots of old designs that are just sitting in my studio, so thought this would be a good way to recycle some of them! It was lovely to sit and actually sew something. Ive been doing most of my designs on the computer lately, so it made nice change.

Repeat patterns

Ive had one of those technically challenging days today! I wanted to make a perfect repeat tile, something which you'd think a textile designer would be adept at doing.....not really! I never usually put my designs in repeat. However for istock I'm hoping to do some repeat patterns as they seem to be popular. Here is my attempt. I have slaved over this. Thanks to a tutorial on design sponge, which helped, but doesn't explain how to do it in illustrator. I expect someone clever reading may be able to direct me to a tutorial??!!

Old paper cut

Had to post a photo of this beautiful paper cut out. It belongs to Rachel and it looks to be an illustration of some kind, maybe for a nursery rhyme or fairytale. Its probably Victorian, as cut out was a popular hobby for women back then.....still is now! I think Snippety gibbet will appreciate this one. Have a look at her blog, she has some lovely paper cuts.

Cup of tea?

Continuing on my kitchen theme, I did these the other day for my istock portfolio. The sugar bowl is my friends, so thanks for that...always get inspired when I go to Rachel's house! The jug was my Grans and so was the tea pot. I only just realised how I should save my illustrator files in a high resolution! Whoops, that means all my previous ones don't have a high res jpeg....may have to send them in somehow!

Book illustrations

When I was living in Thailand (many moons ago!) I stayed in a Hmong hill tribe village with some friends who were writing a book about the hill tribe people of Northern Thailand. I was lucky enough to be asked to illustrate the book. I managed to do the paintings on a little wooden table outside my hut using just pencil and black ink! Heres a photo of me with some of the wonderful village children, they used to sit and watch me paint. It was an amazing experience!