nine lives

Another meeting with Gracie, the author of Morse, on Saturday and a couple of lattes later I think we finally nailed it! I have my list of illustrations, a (very) rough idea of where we're going with it and, most importantly, a starting point to begin. Morse sounds like he will be quite the character and already there's talk of a second book, so I hope I can do him justice. Now the real work starts!

The rest of the weekend was given over to J's birthday - I can't believe he's nine already. A sleepover with a few of his friends (from which I'm still recovering!). When I finally get over it, I have my new website and blog to get up and running.... More to follow!

the brains behind the technology (or not...)

So walked 10k with technology this morning, me and my vivobarefoot shoes and a bracing faceful of hail between the sunny spells. A lovely country walk I thought, except the left hand turn I was looking for to loop me back round never materialised, so I basically marched 10k into the middle of bloody nowhere, and had to sheepishly phone dad to come and get me (never good when you're as old as I am, but no way was I walking 10k back!). Dad when I get in the car: "I'm surrounded by a family of buffoons" - I don't think he was joking!

family affair

I've gone card mental... Although in reality I have talked about getting my Dunnottar Castle cards out there for years now, so really it's that I've only just got around to it now.

 It seems fitting that they're now part of the Mother's Day display in my son's shop, except having just uploaded and zoomed in on the image he sent me this morning, the signage is less than appropriate.... "Remember to treat the angry woman who raised you, or else!". The "angry woman who raised you"?!? Oi! Wait til I get hold of him! (although, yeah ok, he maybe has a point...).

letter from America

Well strictly speaking, a parcel to America, but it seemed a shame not to reference the Proclaimers... And a double post today as my Blessings image continues its quest for world domination: I've spent this sunny Sunday morning putting together a card order which will be winging its way to Utah, US tomorrow. (I think there's only one continent to go now!).

So, some shameless advertising:

You'll see from the pics that there's now a natty recycled brown envelope option, as well as the original white envelopes. If you want more information about which other images are available, or you want to place an order, just get in touch.

The cards cost £2.50 per card, or £2.00 per card for bulk orders of 20 or more.

printed pages

The latest issue of Juno arrived yesterday, these are the spreads with my illustrations. It looks good, I really love the way the whole magazine is looking these days - editor Saffia is doing a fabulous job. They're using one of my illustrations on a card for subscribers too...

picture it

A little graphic I knocked up to illustrate the figures in the Standard and Poor's report on an independent Scotland. Mainly because I don't think they're getting the attention they deserve and it's always easier to visualise than wade through a dry report, but also as an old design colleague of mine has created a site where I now have an outlet for this stuff! It's still in its infancy, but already boasts Alan Bissett as a follower - not too shabby! Anyone can post, just contact Gordon through the site and he'll let you know how.

Another of our ideas was to have an Instagram gallery of Yes Scotland signs from around the country, #ayescotland - so if you see any, please take a pic and upload, alternatively send them to me and I'll do it for you!

barefoot and books

Obviously overtaken by a moment of utter madness, I have signed myself up for a charity walk. There was a lovely, gentle 8 mile walk (kids and dogs welcome), but am I doing that? Nope, I am doing a marathon 26 miles!!! Not really sure what I was thinking! 

Anyway that means training, so this spring-like weekend, in between the roughs for the Morse book, I have been dragging myself out of bed at ridiculous o'clock to speed walk (ish) 5 miles a day - which is not as easy for me as it sounds, on both counts! I've also ditched my supermarket socks and clumpy hillwalking shoes for some high-tech barefoot shoes and aerodynamic socks. Well something like that, I'm not exactly sure, just rest assured there is oodles of research, development and technology behind what's on my feet. As far as I'm concerned, the fact I have no blisters is good enough for me and a definite result.

Between my walking with technology around the local countryside estate (the logo on the signage of which features, bafflingly and a tad disconcertingly, a wild boar), the Morse layouts and roughs continue to progress.