Saturday 31 August 2013

Daisy Buchanan


This illustration has been in the works for quite some time now, but I really didn't know whether to illustrate Daisy or just go with Lana to tie in with the lyrics a little more. I actually really dislike the character of Daisy Buchanan but oh well! The mansion seemed to take me ages to get right but I think that's because I'm not really used to drawing architecture so it was good to get some practise in! Anyway, I hope you guys like this one - let me know! 

C xxx

Friday 30 August 2013

Parcel Tips!


During the past couple of years I've sent parcels all over the world, to customers, friends, and family. I thought it would be nice to put together a little post featuring some of the tips I've learnt along the way! I actually do worry quite a lot when I send a parcel off, because I want everything to be perfect and I obviously don't want anything to be damaged in transit so that's why good wrapping is essential, especially if your item might get jostled around a fair amount! My mum brought me a cute set of plastic drawers to keep all of my bits and bobs in, and it's just really handy to keep everything I need together and feign some organisational skill at least!



1. Cardboard & cardboard boxes.
Whenever we get something delivered to the house I like to keep the boxes just in case I need to re-use them to send my own parcels (you can also flat-pack them to save room). I have found this to be so useful and has probably saved me a lot of money on packaging. I also use the card to place inside an envelope when I send illustrations or prints just to provide a little more sturdiness to the package. I would recommend doing this even if you are using a hard-backed envelope as they can easily be bent and folded! 

2. Jiffy bags.
I suppose this is another obvious one really! Jiffy bags are incredibly useful for sending a variety of items. I have used them for sending small to medium sized canvases in the past and they have always arrived in perfect condition. I just wrap my canvas up well with bubble wrap and use card on either side of it to keep it super safe and secure. You could easily use a box to send canvases too, but I find that to be a little more expensive. 

3. Bubble wrap.
Bubble wrap is another obvious one but what surprises me is how much of the stuff I go through just sending one parcel! It really doesn't last very long, so I would recommend stocking up on a lot of this stuff if you intend to set up a little online store or send a lot of delicate parcels. When I'm sending a canvas, I like to wrap a couple of layers of bubble wrap around it until it is quite bulky to ensure it doesn't get damaged. 

4. Cute stationary.
I always like to send a little note to my customers when I post a parcel off. I just think it is a really cute personal touch and makes the parcel seem extra special. You could also use stickers to decorate the envelope and jazz it up a little, or even a ribbon! It's fun to get super creative with things like this as the possibilities really are endless. 

5. Pens, scissors, & various tape.
Again, these are all fairly boring essentials that you will need for sending most parcels! Although, you could try using washi tape to make your parcel stand out and look a little more interesting; I would really recommend using sellotape as well just for a little more security. I might also invest in some fun pen colours!

Here is a little wishlist I put together of some crafting bits.



I would also recommend buying all of your essentials from places such as Wilkinson or Ebay. Ebay is probably better for bulk buying, so again if you are thinking of setting up a small online store, this would probably be the best place to look. I've bought lots of jiffy bags, bubble wrap & tape from Wilkinson and the prices are always very reasonable and affordable. 

Now, when sending a parcel there are such a lot of options. I've used the Royal Mail to send packages in the past, but when sending parcels abroad the delivery times can vary wildly. If you are sending a particularly valuable or irreplaceable piece I would recommend using a specialist delivery service such as Parcelforce to ensure your item gets to it's destination on time and arrives in perfect condition! I've used them to send a massive illustration to my cousin in Australia and it arrived in absolutely record time and my cousin was happy so that's the main thing! 

It's easy to calculate how much your parcel is going to cost on most parcel delivery websites, all you need are some cheap scales and a measuring tape so you can really shop around and find the best price for you.

If you have any questions about selling online then please just drop me a comment below and I'll see if I can help you out.

C xxx

Tuesday 27 August 2013

Bunnies


I've been incredibly slow at posting lately but I should hopefully be back in the swing of things now! Jennie and I are working on a special project together at the moment (which is in the very early stages) but I hope I can share more about that soon. The one thing I will say is that the project is very much character based and that their will be bunnies involved! This pattern features some of my ideas for the rabbits, let me know what you think of them. I decided that I would illustrate a Hotot rabbit as I think they are adorable (they look like they are wearing eyeliner!).

I hope you all enjoyed your bank holiday weekend. 

C xxx

Sunday 18 August 2013

The Girl with Kitten Paws


So, this idea basically popped into my head the other day. As you may know, I love cats and cute girls so I decided to combine the two! I'm really pleased with how this turned out. The background was loosely inspired by the Alps, so maybe I will do a little series about this girl travelling all over the world. 

Where do you think she should go to next?

C xxx

Thursday 15 August 2013

TLL


Here is the second illustration in my new 'Zoe' series! I really hope she doesn't mind me using her as inspiration but I just think she's really awesome, has a cool look, and is a lovely person in general! I decided to make a cute pattern for the background featuring a couple of the items I've seen on her blog recently, as well as some of my older illustrations. I'm actually struggling for background ideas now, so if you have any suggestions please feel free to drop me a comment below. 

C xxx

Tuesday 13 August 2013

T on the Beach


As you might know, I'm a big fan of The Style Rawr girls, and when I spied Tara's new haircut, I knew I had to illustrate her again! Tara's a bit of a global traveller, in fact she has just come back from a wonderful trip to beautiful Barbados - so that's where I chose to illustrate her. This is a little different to a lot of my other work, but I wanted to create something cute, playful, and colourful with a fun feel. I hope I've done Tara justice as I think she is absolutely adorable and looks ever so pretty with her new haircut. I hope you like this Tara!

C xxx

The Glitter Detector Store!

My lovely blog pal Marta started up a little online store over on her blog Glitter Detector a couple of weeks ago, and she very kindly sent me one of her new headbands (made completely by herself). My photography skills are horrible so I can't really do the band justice! In real life it's a gorgeous neon coral/peach type colour, and it's looking a lot more pinky in these photo's for some reason. I really love it, it's so cute and perfect for summer!



Marta is such a sweet girl, so I would love it if you could pop over and have a little look at her store! If coral isn't your colour, then not to worry - Marta also has an adorable mint green version in stock! These headbands are so well made, and I definitely think they would make lovely little gifts.

Thank you so much Marta! I've already worn my bands lots of times and it's awesome! I will have to find a little present to send to you now. 

C xxx

Friday 9 August 2013

Zoe amongst the Peach Trees


I showed a little 'work in progress' snippet of this illustration a couple of days ago on Twitter, and finally here is the finished piece! Of course it is based on ZOE LDN, but I'm sure lots of you will be able to see that straight away (I promise I'm not obsessed with her! I just think she's cool). I was originally going to have three different versions of Zoe in one illustration but I realised it was looking a little cluttered so she's flyin' solo unfortunately. I will definitely use the other 'Zoe's' for something else, I'm just not sure what yet. I will also add a bigger version of this illustration to my portfolio if you wanted to take a little look

Oh, and don't forget to order your copy of Aesthetic magazine here

C xxx

Sunday 4 August 2013

Dancing Skeletons


Trapped in a box by a cockney nut job! There was no real reason for creating this illustration, it just sort of came to me today. 

Talking of skeletons, does anyone remember Funnybones? I used to love that cartoon when I was little!

C xxx

Saturday 3 August 2013

Aesthetic

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A little while ago I think I mentioned that I would be contributing to the late Summer edition of Aesthetic magazine, created by the wonderful Michelle Chai of Daisybutter! Well, the magazine is now available for pre-order and it's due to land on 15th August  - so very soon. The magazine costs just £5 which I think is super reasonable for something so interesting and unique. And guess what, my illustration is on the front cover! There are so many amazing contributors including the very talented Ella Masters so you won't want to miss out - make sure you pre-order your copy here!  

I have a special illustrated fashion editorial in this edition which I'm really pleased with, I think they are my favourite illustrations to date! If you have a few pounds to spare, I'd love it if you ordered a copy to support Aesthetic and everything it represents. 

C xxx