Another day another excuse to bake a cake

This is a farewell cake to Pablo and Johan, both leaving Digit towers for pastures new after nearly 6 years service between them. They will both be missed. In case you're wondering the recipe is a raspberry variation of my old favourite, the Blueberry Sour Cream Cake, by the delectable BBCGoodFood.com

Caution HOT

This is very real and it was very painful, but this oven burn is also rather fetching in the form of an accidental exclamation mark.

See more accidental type here in this flickr group.

Holiday

I'm off on holiday for two weeks now, so limited blogging this week while I'm holidaying in this country. I hope to get some doodling done during this period, but in the meantime I will leave you with the beautiful sketchbook artwork of Ghost School.

Fling it!

I was lucky enough to come toe to toe with an exciting new brand, namely MBT, The Anti-Shoe, they had an intriguing promotion whereby you throw an old pair of shoes into a bin and receive an entry into a competition to win a pair of MBT shoes.

They also had lovely 'angels' giving massages, free shoe trials and free booze, can't be bad after a day at work. If you're able to try a pair, not only will they start to work out muscles you didn't know you had, you'll also me able to walk like Mr Soft.

I happened to have a dilapidated pair of shoes, so along with my colleague Joe (pictured), we promptly flung our belongings into a bin. Fingers crossed we can win a pair of posture correcting orthopedic shoes! Oh dear.

Image credit: Joe Turner-round mid-fling.

Spot ilustrations

I keep noticing these little spot illustrations on New York Times website, I think they're very fetching, but have no idea to whom the credit belongs. I may have to do some investigating...

Hidden Jeep

Such a clever and simple advert. As seen on I Believe in Advertising.

Illustration by Gary Lim, commissioned by BBDO.

It's the end of the world

DON'T PANIC!

I love the Guardian for this G2 cover, have a good look at it, it escaped my notice at first, the comedy genius is in the details...

Hattie Newman

I saw Hattie's handiwork at the launch of YCN Live in the form of a dead tree that was magically brought back to life for one day.

Her work is bright, fun (even the sad clowns) and playful of course! Multi-disciplinarian Hattie draws, paints, makes, her props and stage sets are a cardboard delight. Pass me the scissors and cardboard...

Her site is currently being refurbished but her blog is available. Take a peek.

Regent Bowerbird

Today I was educated in the way of the bowerbird by sculptor, artist, and all round creative type Jane Gillings, who sent me this Regent Bowerbird. It was Jane who made this beauty that I posted about a few days ago.

" We have quite a few native Australian bowerbirds, the blue one is the Satin bowerbird,
the black and yellow (above) is the Regent bb. I like the Satin because it collects blue things and regularly appears in my dreams"

I wish Satin bowerbirds appeared in my dreams, I'd better get cracking on the cheese before bed.

Thank you very much to Jane, I look forwad to seeing more of her birds, as she's exhibiting in November.

Winter is here, make a lantern!

I stumbled across This Is Limbo's flickr stream recently and had to post these beautiful pictures since it is getting chillier here in Blighty and that in itself is a tad depressing, so why not make one of these gorgeous lanterns...

You will need:
Cardboard
Pen
Tissue paper/tracing paper
Doodles
Tea light

This Is Limbo displayed theirs around the streets of Tel-Aviv, perhaps Stoke Newington will have some new street furniture coming their way...

Images Credits: courtesy of This Is Limbo's Flickr

Caw, clack, gobble and hoot

Ever wanted to know how to describe sounds better?

Have a little look at Written Sound, an aid to imitative or onomatopoeic words, I've highlighted (Bower) bird words for you here. Thanks to Chris for the link.

Image Credits: Bowerbird, 'Bird speak'

Rain, rain, go away

This one is dedicated to all the troopers at Bestival, bad luck on the weather guys. Head over to Little Odd Forest to see more quirky, felt goodies.

Uber girly

This post is unapologetically girly, these delightful sickeningly adorable bunnies are hand-made by The Vintage Magpie and are available to buy here. Made from vintage materials and mohair no less, any female of any age in your life should have one. Prices range from £25 - £85.

Thanks to Sarah to introducing me to this site, she has bought two already and says they're truly wonderful in person too. I've got my eye on Little Rosie (blue spotted ears above), so if anyone would like to make my day...

Tired and lack lustre

I've felt lack lustre all day and so thought I'd share some doodle illustrations I made a while ago that demonstrate how to have ideas, if only it were that simple.

Advice includes, get out and about in the fresh air, doodle, cut out inspiring images and doodle your dreams. Maybe I should take my own advice...

Play with words

Books are beautiful, and always make great birthday gifts (23rd March incidentally), but I also love to see what else clever creative types can do with them.

I once made a model of a dog's face out of a book, it was a dog-eared book, get it? I have a photograph knocking about somewhere, I should dig it out...

Image Credits:
Book computer seen on ffffound
Book stool by Laura Cahill, photograph by Bowerbird at New Designers

Play with type

Anyone who knows me will know about my love of 'play', I dare you to a game of scrabble. Words and play combined = heaven, anyway, I came across this blog about play with type and like it's jolly, simple and clean aesthetics.

More here

Britain From Above

For those of you not lucky enough to catch the full series of Britain From Above, the wonderful BBC and their iPlayer are at your service. I only caught the last episode but it is beautifully filmed and really quite interesting. I particularly liked the tagged teenagers milling around street corners. Enjoy.

www.bbc.co.uk/britainfromabove

Work in progress

It's been such a long time since I painted that I decided to paint for an hour as a challenge, I prefer the work in progress to the more finished piece, but thought I'd share. It's not the closest likeness, a little caricature, but has definitely given me the painting bug again.

Green Park doodles

I drew these a few weeks ago in Green Park and would like to make some collage pieces from them, so I'm putting them here to share, but also prompt me into action.

They're, there, their

I'm a bit of a stickler for good grammar, being a good Grammar School girl and all. I just received this link (thanks Toby) and thought I'd share my grammatical gripes.

20 examples of grammatical misuse

Illustration available to buy from Threadless, courtesy of Mr Florencio Zavala

We have known each other

I have a deep admiration for anyone who can draw well from memory, I am a real life sort of girl, I need the subject matter to be in front of me, these amazing photographs are overlaid with drawings from memory. The effect is a little eerie, but beautiful draughtsmanship all the same.

See more at www.tanjageis.com

Bowerbird

I saw this and couldn't resist posting it.
Found on This Bower My Prison, I think they're a hoarder/sculptor, nice Bowerbird!

I Love My Brompton

Apologies for the flurry of blogging activity, this illustration is a work in progress I thought I'd share.

I love my compact pal, I did try and give it a pet name, but Brompetta just didn't stick, so for now my lovely companion is just Brompton. It has a friend called Brompty.

There's a Brompton race happening at Blenheim Palace, but sadly I'm on holiday otherwise I would have joined all the other eccentric Brompton owners, I love that the rules stipulate all entrants must wear a jacket, shirt and tie.

Test-card Monitor Cosy

Ok, so do I buy it or copy and make my own? Really sweet item, too early for a self Christmas present? Beautiful creation from Sally England Designs, available for $45, limited stock...

I also love the Mr Moustache decorative pillow.

A Rubbish Idea

I love a good idea, I saw Oliver Bishop-Young's work at New Designers and recently noticed he's done a YCN Live skip project too. He's a Goldsmith's graduate, also take a look at his Climate Changed Tube Map, it makes for scary reading. I think Stoke Newington is wiped off the map, eeek.

Think outside the box

A recent doodle for a Shell brainstorm.

Birthday boy

Although they are pink and undoubtedly girly, these are for my boyfriend's birthday. The boy in question doesn't like sweet things but doesn't want to miss out on a cake either, (confused?) so I decided to make something lovely looking. The polenta makes them taste a little grainier and healthier than normal cupcakes, yum.

Here's the recipe for Strawberry and polenta cupcakes.

NB www.bbcgoodfood.com is an excellent website made by Poke, the site had a few initial teething problems last year but it's my first port of call for all amazing recipes, cakes especially.

This is London

I've just had a delivery from Amazon, which always makes me smile, BOOKS! Among which I received This is London, illustrated and written by Miroslav Sasek, he was inspired to create this series (18 different countries in all) after a visit to Paris.

What is beautiful, aside from the gorgeous illustrations is the snapshot of 1960's life they capture, from attitudes, dress sense and even colour.

My version is a reprint but has footnotes about modern day London. The tone of voice is just wonderful, I imagine it could enthrall adult and child alike.

"Queuing is for a Londoner a kind of sport" and "This is a street-cleaner. At the end of all things comes the broom".

Just wonderful, I want to go off exploring London town.

Green graffiti

I am completely in love with this project, I want one! Previous student bedrooms have been known to cultivate damp but this mossenger project is really beautiful in comparison, I'm going to go and find it, it's only around the corner from my flat.

Congratulations Anna Garforth and Eleanor Stevens for this simple and beautiful work, I wish I'd thought of it. It's part of YCN Live which I'm going to the opening of tonight, so I may keep an eye out for them...

Anna has somewhat of a green finger, she's also made some beautiful Head Gardeners from old milk bottles, I'm tempted to make one.

www.crosshatchling.co.uk

My First Commission

I haven't seen this in two years! It was commissioned by Paul Barlow of L&Co for Reed Education, I had to illustrate from a list of quotes about teaching.

There's a lot I'd like to change about these images, but it's still good to see what I did, just a little scary it was two years ago, pre-Digit.

I was digging about my old illustrations at the weekend and will have to post some of the findings, I need to photograph my 2.5D work from New York. It made me want to start making things again though, which is good! Watch this space.

100 Things Challenge

I've never backpacked around the world, but I have been a student and I have lived out of suitcases while looking for flats in London, but could you survive/cope for a year with only 100 belongings?

It sounds a lot, but actually think about it, four seasons, holidays, entertainment, clothes!

It's an interesting concept, there are people in the world who have nothing, so this act of humility(?) could make us all rethink our lust for products. I'm quite intrigued, the rules are fairly flexible, I could count all my books as 1 item...

100 Thing Challenge
Illustration Credit: Penelope Dullaghan

Home Tweet Home

Being back at home is a great chance to recharge your batteries, eat good food, and catch up on your old belongings. I love rediscovering old books and especially old illustrations. I'm a huge fan of the lost art of writing letters and Nick Bantock's intricately illustrated books are a marvel of detail and yarn spinning but at its core it's love story through time, space, flourishy handwriting and stamps.

If you're able to, read these books. You have to remove the letters from their envelopes to read their correspondance, it's a voyeur's delight and Bantock's love of detail makes sure you spot something new at every read.

Illustration detail from an envelope in the trilogy.

Photo credit: Fu Man Jew

Reading is officially sexy

I love Penguin. Anyone who knows me, knows this much is true. So I have to tell you that Penguin have teamed up with match.com to form www.penguindating.co.uk, so you can find your love based on the books you read, you have to have a common interest right? Unless you subscribe to the 'opposites attract' philosophy which I happen to.

Photograph credit: Eifion

Penelope Dullaghan

I'm a big fan of Penelope's work, and own a print of The Sweeping Print. Her work is narrative, delicate and soothing, take a look at her stuff, it spans editorial illustrations, painting, type and pattern.

www.penelopeillustration.com