At the moment I’m continually snipping flower heads in my garden to promote new growth so I’m exploring pressing flowers to make full use of them. Here’s my very rough guide for beginner’s.
I like to think my home has always embraced the Danish concept of ‘hygge’ the idea of enjoying life’s simple pleasures – that’s what I try to show on this blog. I believe something like flower pressing reflects this concept as all I’m really trying to do is preserve some of the enjoyment Dr B and I get from spending time tending to our garden.
I haven’t bought any fancy equipment for my pressing (maybe I’ll live to regret this), instead I’m being strictly old school on this and applying a method me and my mum used to use when I was a kid.
I’m using one of my handmade coptic bound books to contain these blooms. I like these books as you can open the pages fully without having to worry about the gutter or breaking the spine.
As I say I haven’t got a fancy contraption for pressing the flowers. I’ve simply got my big heavy art books and a very heavy marble block pressing on top of them. I’ll show you how it turns out in a month or two.
Category: Uncategorized
How-to: Easy Glass Lanterns
Earlier this month I had great fun showing people how to use Posca pens to decorate glass lanterns the easy way at The Stitching, Sewing & Hobbycrafts show at EventCity in Manchester.
As you know I’ve been working with Posca pens all year, as I’ve done a lot of work with the company, but it’s always better when you can see what other people come with up when you show them how to use the pens.
I ran around five workshops in small groups of five or six everyday and it was such as pleasure to share some knowledge and see others’ creativity flourish.
I made the illustrated lanterns shown here in preparation for the show, to illustrate how you can use the pens to decorate onto glass, using the different sized nibs and various colours to create different illustrative effects.
The glass drawing preparation work I’d done was a great way of kick-starting new ideas from my workshop buddies who used the designs as a inspiration for their own work.
I did a combination of easy dots and strokes, simple girly designs and seasonal Christmas-themed, autumn and halloween illustrations.
I’d kept the shapes very simple and easy to copy and explored ways you can layer colour with the pen. And while some of my workshoppers stuck to simple dots and strokes or my easy shapes, others were more ambitious, creating stunning intricate designs of their own. It gave me a real buzz.
You can work directly onto these glasses with the pens. To seal in the design you simply bake the glass in the oven for 160-degrees (Gas mark 2 I think) for 45 mins so we’re using robust glass here. We used glasses from Ikea so that people could easily get more if they developed an addiction for easy glass painting.
I’m doing a mini-tour of with the company and will be doing my do with Posca and other Uni-ball pens at the following venues.
NEC, Birmingham: 3-6 November
ExCeL, London: 17-19 November
Join me if you can, if not just check out what you do with some pens and some glass. 
Drawing of the week: Badger
This week I’ve drawn a badger.
I’ve been experimenting with woodland creature drawings with watercolour and ink over the past couple of months and I must admit I’ve had so much fun illustrating this charming animals.
Actually I’m quite drawn to my woodland folk so I’ve made some of the drawings into prints. My hare, badger and fox prints are now available on my Not On The High Street shop.
How to change a plain notebook into a personalised gift
Transform a plain notebook into a personalised gift with my easy how-to.
It’s more Posca pen stuff from me this week as I warm up for some workshops I’m doing for the company in September. I really want to get the workshops right. 
As you know I like to make personalised gifts and I currently know three people are doing some quite daunting things… Gearing to go back to work after maternity leave, going back to college (scary) and embarking on an exciting new creative project, I thought a personalised notebook would make a great little gift for these three special individuals. 
This is a really simple illustration project but makes for a very effective and professional looking present. All I did was take a three-pack of Moleskine mini cahiers, got out some sumptuously coloured Poscas and went for it.
You can see how I created the laurel leaf motif by watching a tutorial I did for Posca pens earlier this year.
As you can see the drawing techniques are really easy and the pens are very nice to use. The initial on the books are quite ornate compared to the formal lettering illustrated on the wooden coasters. Depending on how confident you are, you can decided which style to go for.
Because the pens produce a paint-like effect even light colours can look clear and vivid on the book’s brown craft card covers. 
Just by using simple illustration techniques you can create an ornate, sophisticated looking gift, personalised for a special person. 
DIY: Ornate cases
I’m not gonna lie, these ornate cases took ages to create but they are quite a cool DIY. I have had a brief from the guys at Uni-Ball to create a selection of products updated with the company’s pens. I wanted to make a number of items at various sizes and using the wide range of pens they had on offer.
I also wanted an excuse to play with an ornate pattern idea I’ve had for a while. Because Uni-Ball’s Posca pens have a wide range of colours and shades I thought they would perfectly lend themselves to a pattern that utilised various shades of the same hue.
I have looked through loads of tile designs to come up with the ones I have worked out here.
These cases were plain brown mdf boxes. I traced on my design before filling in the light colours then layering with darker shades.
7 Strong AW16 Home Looks
Summer is nearly done (yes, sorry to let you know about that one) and I’m looking forward to refreshing JB towers with some new looks for AW16.
I’m very excited about this season – there are so many looks I love that can be enjoyed and adapted to suit your style. There are seven really strong themes that would work well in any kind of interior, large or small, grand or modest.
Colour pop fun
I can’t resist a pop in colour in my rooms. You can go bold with a Memphis-inspired scheme like the one from Very above or you can simply add colour accents to a more restrained room with accessories. How about some bright crockery or a statement lamp or piece of brightly coloured furniture.
Lush and plush
We all love a bit of luxe; gorgeous fabrics and textures that are tactile, soft and warm that make us feel warm and snuggly while still retaining a sense of style and opulence. Key colours are navy, purple and turquoise and beautiful metallic touches. Oh, and don’t forget a bit of greenery!
Understated luxury
This look reminds of years ago when, in another life I think, as production editor on Restaurant Magazine I went on my first press trip. It was to the Martel Chateaux in Bordeaux and it was really quite something. Woven carpets and tapestries, distressed wooden panels and floors. Studded sofas, elegant candelabra and pretty chandeliers – the whole place was just divine and now is rather easy to evoke with a few high street buys.
Quirky classics
If you’ve had a look at my menagerie pages you’ll know I love a home with a sense of humour and a touch of the unexpected. So I’m pleased to see accessories from so many leading retailers that make you smile this year. I’m particularly taken with this vase from Marks and Spencer.
Cool and clean
A calm colour scheme and well chosen, minimal accessorising can be a really rather wonderful thing. Its certainly something I like in a bedroom and this was definitely my approach when I lived in a small flat. There are so many collections available in terms of furniture and accessories that you can co-ordinate to get this grown-up look.
Cosy eclectic
As a former editor of craft mags I’m always drawn to a mismatched style that showcases knitting, crochet, patchwork, weaving and a nice bit of trimming. Check out this room scene from Homesense – it’s colourful and cosy sure but it also has such a cohesive style, it’s just so inviting.
Woodland wonders
No autumn round up would be complete without this season’s take on nordic and woodland. I think these ceramics and ornaments from George are really cool; contemporary and fun.
DIY: Easy Fancy Votives
This is a really easy DIY – a pretty pen project to make fancy votives that give cheap filled candles a designer feel.
As you know I love a scented candle and I do occasionally splash the cash on some expensive ones. However, because I go through quite a few of them, I do get some cheaper ones to light on a Friday and Sunday night when I’m relaxing with Dr B or when I have a cheeky Saturday afternoon bath.
Plain filled candles can look a little drab and I like to give them a nice look. As I’m currently doing some work for Posca pens I’ve got loads of various colours lying around – I’ve chosen beautiful gold and berry coloured pens and gave them a simple leaf pattern.
I wanted to create something really quick and easy as the last thing I wanted to do was spend ages doing an intricate pattern. So these are just scribbled little lozenges drawn on an angle.
In the spirit of all things green I recycle my glasses once the candle has been burned. Once I finish with them I will use them as vases. The lovely thing about this project is I can pop these glasses in the oven at 145C to seal in the design and I have some lovely gold and berry containers. 
Monday Moodboard Rio 2016
The Rio 2016 Olympics kick off this Friday so I thought it would be a fitting subject for my Monday moodboard.
It is such an amazing source of inspiration. I’ve already created a series of work looking at Brazilian birds and florals. I’m also fascinated by Rio’s fabulous tiled beach fronts and decorative, colourful buildings as well as its dramatic landscapes and glorious carnivals. I’m really looking forward to learning more about this wonderful place over the coming weeks.
Drawing of the week: A rainbow unicorn!
I know. Me? A rainbow unicorn? Drawing of the week? Yes, yes and yes.
The unicorn is a very special drawing for me as it meant doing something out of my comfort zone and taking a bold step.
Last month I visited the Not On The High Street partner day – it’s a great event for all the sellers on the site to come together learn from each other while also getting insights and advice from the NOTHS team. One of the services they offered was a clinic looking at my shop and evaluating all my products. To be honest this was a big deal for me – after creating the illustration, designing the products, shooting them, writing the products and marketing them, sometimes criticism, however useful, constructive and helpful, can be hard to take. But I have resolved this year to take the advice, learn from any criticism and act on it and most of all not to take things personally. So I made use of this years clinic for my shop.
Actually I received very little criticism. I was on trend, my products and photography were really good and I got the word ‘beautiful’ a lot (always good). I just needed to work on my SEO and put some of my products into a more lifestyle setting. After all that stealing myself it was one of the most positive experiences I’ve ever had.
God, this is getting to be a long story, sorry.
Anyway I asked the women running the clinic if there was anything I could do to improve my offering, anything my style could be suited too, anything new I could try. “A unicorn” they said, “Create a range with a unicorn.”
Okay.
But I don’t do girly stuff. I don’t do fanciful stuff.
Why don’t I?
Why don’t I try something I’ve not explored before?
So I set about answering this brief. I wanted to do it with enthusiasm, integrity, honesty and love, like I do with all of my illustrations. After lots of visual research, I got really excited about this new challenge and set myself seven days to create the illo then get it onto a print and get it into the shop.
I picked up my watercolour paints and fine nib black pens and went to work. Dr B was quite surprised, he envisaged a mythical, goth type creation instead he got a handsome steed with a rainbow mane – a girly unicorn!
So here is the unicorn print. I’m immensely proud of it as it represents more than a drawing but is a symbol of my journey as an illustrator and as a person, leaping into the unknown and trying something new. I’m hanging this bad boy in my office now to show me why it’s so important to keep striving. You can buy my print on Not On The High Street.
Monday Moodboard: Vintage illustrations
I’ve spent the past seven days hard at it drawing and my go-to source of inspiration is vintage botanical and nature illustrations.
I’m drawn to the detail in each drawing, the application of colour and the simple, clear composition. I believe these illustrations allow the viewer to really see what’s being depicted without distracting backgrounds or off-putting extraneous elements. I think that’s why they’re classics.