FREE p&p on your tee

little bird by post, from the red sketchbook

I said I'd post some more seaside prints but then I remembered that I had to tell you this...

Bag yourself a bargain, there's free p&p on all our beautiful Little Bird tees at the moment. And if you get the Green Parent magazine you'll find an extra 10% discount offer, go on you know you want to!

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the great british summertime

"Mermaid", limited edition print

"Lickety Split", limited edition print

"Miss Yum Yum", limited edition print

The sun was shining hot enough today for my thoughts to turn to summer. And I thought it was about time to get these prints up on Etsy. More seaside prints tomorrow!
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bottoming

Freddie and the Fairy, double page spread idea, gouache and ink

Bessie Belle, character sketch, gouache and ink

My friend Jay was over last week, we were sharing Battenburg and listening to Womans Hour when Jenni Murray announced that her mother used to refer to spring cleaning as "bottoming". Jay has a wry sense of humour and had a few words to say in response which (sadly) I can't repeat here. Anyway, it struck me as such a wonderful description that I have been going about the housework today smiling to myself! Our house is such a state that even my boy noticed that the dining room carpet looked bad, that is to say you could identify what meals we have had over the last week just by looking at the floor. I'm not usually so slovenly, in fact I am boderline OCD, but I've had a busy week working on these illustrations.

Waterstones have held a competition to find a new, unpublished illustrator for Julia Donaldson's new book.

The book is all about a boy (Freddie) who rescues a fairy (Bessie Belle) who grants his wishes to have some pets... Unfortunately Bessie Belle is a little hard of hearing and Freddie doesn't quite always get what he wishes for.

The winner of this competition will have their illustrations used in the new book to be published next Christmas - how amazing would that be? It's being judged by an illustrious panel including Julia Donaldson, Lauren Childs and the editor of children's books at Macmillans publishers, just to have the opportunity to have some illustrations seen by these people was enough to get me working all night for a week, I'm so shattered now though!

The competition is fierce, view the pool on Flickr here. Wish me luck!