Getting ready for my Sale


Red Rose tea at the ready


Making the coffee ring with a pie plate dipped in tea
(I used to use a big pail - this is a much more delicate solution)


Tivoli radio and ipod keeping me going.

In prep for my sale I tea stained my last remaining penguins prints today.
I am also working on several new designs (!) plus note card sets.
Very little sleep is happening at the moment.

Good book: Penguin 75


This a great read. Really fun to get the inside scoop on 75 of Penguin's best covers from the perspective of the creative director, designer and writer.
Penguin's Creative director Paul Buckley is a funny guy and I was pleased to read that "he follows illustrators the way some people follow musicians". (Me too)
Also loved the comment by one of my favourite designers Kelly Blair who wrote that she was looking forward to hearing what the Bronté sister's thought of her design for their book.

New lettering Work


Charlotte Gainsbourg - has smarts + incredible style. A real muse.
I love working with white lettering on top of photographs.
I am also currently obsessed with drawing garlands.

A bit about my process below.

I start by drawing with a pencil crayon on white paper.
(I love the chalky look you get from a pencil crayon as opposed to a smooth marker look)

Next I scan the image and bring it into Photoshop.
I then invert it under Image - Adjustments.

I then make the background invisible, create a new layer and then place on top of the photo.
This was another idea.
I especially like the look of white text on top of blurry photos.