My Illustration Process with Derwent

In all the craziness and excitement of the last week or two I completely forgot to mention that I had a post up on the Derwent blog, this one is sharing my illustration process as I prepared some pieces for the Bologna Book Fair.

You can pop over and see the whole thing here.

Thanks for popping by!
Sarah x

a Gorjuss 3D card...

Today I'm sharing a card I made over the weekend (I got time in my studio, yay!)...

and a couple of close ups... (just click to make them bigger and see all the details)

I made the box frame from Kraft card, cutting an aperture in the middle. The cloudy background I made using watercolour paper and distress ink with a homemade template. The fence is cut from leftover kraft cardstock using my cricut and then run through my Cuttlebug with a woodgrain embossing folder, I then stained it with tea dye and walnut stain distress ink, adding gold screws with a metallic pen.

I stamped Gorjuss girl stamp onto bleedproof card and coloured with Promarkers before layering with 3D foam for a dimensional look, I then added glitter to the butterflies and dragonfly and some glossy accents to the toadstools and finishing touches like her coat buttons.

I've never made one of these before but I love the effect, I think there may be one or two more coming soon!

This morning I finished up my magazine submissions and sent them over before a quick lunch, a phone meeting with a new client (more about that soon!) and then back to work on my illustrations for the Bologna Book Fair - today is my last day to finish them up - eeeeek!

Thanks for dropping by today.

Sarah x

Illustration with Derwent

Another illustration today! This one you may recognise as I showed you a teeny tiny preview of it a few weeks ago and some of you made some brilliant guesses as to what it could be :o)

This was done using Inktense and coloursoft Pencils from Derwent. I loved using the Inktense pencils to create the water and the jellyfish, it's such a rich colour and it's permanent once dry so I could use the coloursofts over the top to shade and blend. I can't wait for my next project using these two sets together again!

Also, you have to pop over the the Derwent Facebook page today, you can see their fantastic Magestic Box set being packed - I do love a sneaky peek!

Sarah x

Illustrating with Promarkers

This weekend I locked myself away and spoke to noone, a big bout of the Blues had hit and I'm best on my own when that happens! So apologies for my lack of tweets, emails etc... thank you to those that sent messages, normal service is now resumed :o)

Another illustration from me today, this time with Promarkers! This is an Alice in Wonderland picture that I done for the Book Fairs.

You can see the rest of the illustrations shown at the Book Fairs on my Facebook Page.

I'll endeavour to post something crafty tomorrow as I've mostly been posting illustrations the last few days!

Sarah x

Some more Illustrations

As promised here are a few more other illustrations from the Bologna and London Book Fairs.... :o)

Noah's Ark (Digital)

Happy Bug (Digital)

Froggy (Collage)

I'll be showing some over the next couple of days, including those done with Promarkers and Derwent pencils, or for a sneaky look you can pop over to my Facebook page where I've uploaded them!

I'm looking forward to a crafty weekend now, lots of projects to be getting on with...

Have lovely weekends!

Sarah x

Fairytale Illustration

I mentioned the other day that I can now start showing some of the illustrations I have been working on for the Bologna and London Book Fairs, I will be updating my portfolio with everything over the next few days and will blog as I go, there are some handdrawn, (some with Promarkers and Derwent Pencils) some digital and some mixed media collage. Here is the first piece I can show, Snow White & the Seven Dwarves....

More tomorrow!

Sarah x

London Baybeeeee!

Today was another day in London for me and what a lovely day it was, the sun was shining (but not too hot) and everyone seemed to be in a good mood, me included!!

I started off in Islington, which is lovely - much better than my last visit about 10 years ago!! There are some nice shops and at one point there is a bookshop, CyberCandy and Starbucks all next to each other - it's like it was made for me!!! Me and B have planned a little day out these when I go to another show there in a few weeks time - I can't wait!! Now just have to decide which of the lovely little places and pubs we will have lunch in!

Anywaaaaay! the point of that was my visit to the UK Stationery Show which was held at the Business Design Centre. It was a lovely show, quite small but very buzzy and seemed to be lots happening! I met some nice people, good potential things and I look forward to seeing how it develops at the next one :o) Unfortunately I only got this one pic as I got distracted by all the pretty notebooks and things once I got inside - Booootiful!

Then I was off to the London Book Fair, I was soooo nervous as it was my first time and I knew it was a big show (though I didnt realise quite how big!) My work was being shown there as well after returning from the Bologna Book Fair and I was meeting with the agent who was representing me in person for the first time for an update and a chat as well as having a scout around the publishers to see who I'd like to work for (they are all my new best friends and I'll be ringing them every ten minutes til they give me some work :o) s'joke, honest!)

Now my work has been shown and pawed over (and admired, hopefully!) I'm now free to show off all of those pieces I was working on - yay! So look out for those over the coming days.

Now I'm back to my sunny corner of Essex, my feet are broked, I'm dehydrated from all the talking and laughing with lovely peeps and my arms hurt from hauling back a TON of publishers catalogues. I kinda wish I could go again tomorrow but instead I'll be drawing, e-mailing, planning and looking forward to the next one :o)

More exciting things tomorrow!!

Sarah x

A Whole New Look!

This weekend I completely re-designed my website, it has a completely new look and hopefully is a bit easier to find what you are looking for!! Please pop over and take a look and let me know what you think!

Unfortunately that means I didn't get much crafting time as I made the collage background for the site and was then drawing and putting together the whole site. I have also designed some new stamps this weekend - details coming soon!

Today is the first day of the Bologna Book Fair and I'm so excited to think of my work being there - arghhhhhh! Everytime it comes into my mind I do a little scream, you know the kind where your tummy flips? love it! Today has been a busy day of illustrating as well, its just flown past, although I think the clocks changing hasn't really helped either!

Also... Emma has taken up the Royal Wedding Box challenge today with the Kuretake templates I mentioned last week - she had some different shaped ones and they look fab! Pop over to her blog and have a look :o)

Sarah x

Crazy Day!

Today has been a mad day, I stayed up last night til about 2am working on one of my book fair illustrations using my lovely Derwent Inktense and Coloursoft pencils, I can't show too much or I'll be in trouble!! but here is a sneaky peek.

the lovely peeps at Derwent were trying to guess what this could be today, the guesses so far include an Alien Landscape, A mountain scene and a Bird - none of these are correct though! I will reveal as soon as I can! In the meantime please feel free to leave a comment with your guess, if anyone does actually get it I'll be so impressed I might send you a little something... ;o)

I also finished off the two mini collections I was doing today, they might need some changes, I shall wait for the verdict! Will be able to let you know what they are as soon as it's all signed off - yay! I made that deadline with about 3 minutes to spare today...

All in all a pretty good day after a bit of a yucky start (I'm over it now so won't rant again! LOL) Thank you to everyone that patiently puts up with me on Twitter as that usually where my venting ends up! Luckily B came home with a Belgian Bun and some drawing pencils (I'm always losing them!!) so that cheered me up and of course once I start working, drawing and colouring is so therapeutic you can't not be happy!

I'm off for a quick dinner before more drawing!
Sarah x

A Day Out!

Sunday I had a day out, a visit to Stitches, the UK craft trade show. I had lots of meetings lined up, all of which went very well, you'll be seeing new developments soon! and I met some lovely new people, some of whom I hope to be working with in the near future... :o)

While I was there I met some of the regulars I speak to on Twitter, here I am with some you may recognise,

I saw lots of the lovely new products which will be hitting the shops soon, I can't wait to get my hands on them! I also watched some demos including Tim Holtz (of course!) no pics this year though, despite taking my camera, I was rushing around so much and chatting so much that I didn't get to take many pics and didn't even grab a coffee until we passed Starbucks on the way home!!! By the time I got home I was EXHAUSTED and crashed in bed at around 8.30, was asleep by 9!! shocking LOL

Of course that meant an early start so I thought I would be productive and take Fuzzybutt for a nice long walk - she wasn't at ALL happy with that - she is a funny dog, she doesn't really like walks and would prefer to just have a run around on the green outside our house and then go back inside! She's been glaring at me from her snuggly duvet position all day, don't think I'm forgiven.... take a look at that moody, sulky face!

This week I have crazy deadlines, finishing off designs for 2 different clients, designing 2 new mini collections for another, finishing up my illustrations for the Bologna Book Fair and some other bits and pieces. I do love busy times though, I think it keeps you motivated and enthusiastic about your work when you have a busy and varied schedule!

I'm trying to decide whether to go to the London Book Fair in a couple of weeks, if any of you have been please let me know what you thought (you can e-mail me if you prefer)

Until tomorrow!
Sarah x

Early Bird!

Today I'm posting early as I really need to get off my pooter and get some drawing done!! I have been saying I can draw at my desk but i'm sure you know what its like, an email comes through, you reply, the phone rings, 2 more emails come through, the phone rings again, you turn round and you have 40 unread emails - WHAT!! Typical, LOL. I do have my Blackberry with me but get less distracted when I'm not in front of the pooter checking every email, tweet etc....

I now have a little over a week to finish my pieces for the Bologna Book Fair, they are all sketched out, some are started but none are finished - yikes!! I also have the trade show Stitches at the end of the week and a couple of client meetings as well as my usual crafty projects and working on some new products, it's a long list! I actually stayed awake til 2am last night / this morning just to clear my backlog of emails, luckily I feel quite awake today!

I finished my projects with the alcohol inks but am waiting for them to dry so I'll photograph them tomorrow and hopefully blog them in the next day or two, I used them with my Lavinia Stamps which are beautiful silouhettes - I found them at last years Ally Pally and fell in love! Definitely some more on this years Ally Pally shopping list!!

I also have to sort my Skype out soon as my list of calls to make and receive is growing ever longer! Thats tomorrow mornings job, definitely!

Finally I'll leave you with a very very quick layout from the weekend, its a very similar colour palette to the Vogue one I done a week or so ago, not sure why I'm so drawn to these colours at the moment!

ooops, and just remembered (this really is finally, I will stop babbling - see what I mean about getting distracted!!) the lovely Crafty Ribbons who I design for have their ribbons in this months 'Lets Make Cards' magazine, so you can test a few of their products and see the quality for yourself, bargainous!

I'm definitely going now, Fuzzybutt is waiting on the sofa office...!! LOL

Sarah x

Busy Busy Busy!!

Today I had SOOOOO much to do, seriously, I cannot begin to tell you how crazy my schedule is, I worked til 2am yesterday and was back up at 7 to start again, and will probably be working again all night tonight. have to say though, I'm having the BEST time!

Working on new designs, sorting out new products, working on my illustrations for the Bologna Book Fair, looking at all the DT applications coming in, and all the other stuff going on that I'm not allowed to say yet, crazy! I havent even had chance to check in with my DT girls yet - thats what later tonight is for, right? LOL

Today I decided to get myself "in the zone" LOL, I wrote a condensed list of what needed to be done TODAY (down from my 4 page list of what has to be done at some point this week) on a pretty post it note and everything, I wore teal tights to match my nails and my fave boots, I was all stocked up with coffee and currant crunch ryvita - ready to GO!

The positive approach definitely worked, I got everything sketched out and started working on final pieces, lots and lots done - yay! Think with a few more hours tonight I will be very happy with todays progress.

I also got a lovely parcel from Crafty Ribbons with their new Seam Binding, it is SO gorgeous, the colours are lovely muted tones, perfect for vintage / shabby chic projects and they also sent me some undyed so I can use it with my Ink Sprays and Promarkers to recolour it, I really can't wait to have a play with them, I'm almost sad to cut them as they are all my favourite colours, I just want to wrap them round a canvas and frame it! LOL

At the weekend I made a couple of Easter cards with the previous lot of ribbons they sent to me, it's so hard to find lovely things for Easter! The bunny ribbon was so nicely printed I cut a couple of the pictures out and used them as embellishments. The big button is also from Crafty Ribbons.

I have quite a few more of these to come but won't bore you with them all at once!

I also had an email from an old friend today, it was so nice to hear from him and I'm hoping to get my Skype set up this week so I can chat to him later in the week properly (he's not in the UK) and a couple of other people. I speak to a few of my European and American contacts via MSN messenger but it would be nice to speak to them in person a bit more often! It certainly racks the bill up if you do it all the time (hence the MSN now, LOL).

Anywayyyy.... he said to me today that you can see my sense of humour in my work, I thought that was such a lovely thing to say and I hope others see it too and not just because he knows me!

And one last thing, yesterday I got an Invite to Pinterest - wow! it is SO addictive, at first I couldn't see the point but as you get going it's fab - if you're on there let me know or if you would like an invite leave me your email address and I'll send you one!

I'm off for a quick dinner before I get back to burning the midnight oil!

Sarah x

p.s. if you're looking for the DT call please scroll down a bit!

What was I so excited about yesterday??......

well now I can tell you..... :o)

Some of my illustration work is being shown at this years Bologna Book Fair!! How exciting is THAT! The fair is a HUGE event where lots of agents and publishers and book packagers meet and do booky / illustratory meetingy things and make deals and coo over pretty pics - some of them will be mine this year - woooo! - and other important businessy type stuff, natch ;o)

So now I have 3 weeks to work manically on some new things and dig out some of my existing best work - as well as everything else I'm doing obviously. I'm on kind of a manic schedule right now, on the surface I seem very calm (mostly because at least half of what I'm working on I'm not allowed to tell anyone about right now!!!) but under the surface I'm paddling away like a crazy person - but to be honest I wouldn't have it any other way!

On top of all that, today I got turquoise nail polish, it totally rocks my world... I'm working my way through bluey tones at the mo as I find they compliment the yellow my engagement ring the best, this is my absolute fave though, think I need a big turquoise ring for the other hand, Primani here I come ;o)

My heads a little bit spinny now, too much excitement (and coffee most likely)

On another note please pop over to the Challenge Blog - Clare's new challenge has gone up today.

Sarah x