December Release: Sparkle Creations Rubber Stamps

Two new stamps have been added to the Sparkle Creations Rubber stamps store! The first is Hokey Oliver!

I didn't know until I have read Sparkle's blog, her hubby is a hokey player. Hope he approves of my illustration...

As expected Simonne has created a beautiful card with this new stamp! If you read her post you will see that she did a bit of research to make sure she got all the proportions right for the Union Jack Flag.

The second new stamp is Ice Skating Chloe! I wish I was as active as her... I was bought up in Nagano (a city where they held winter Olympic Sports some years ago...) During winter there would be ice skating classes at my old primary school. I think I was the only one who couldn't skate, even after two winter seasons! I guess I just suck at it...

Anyway, Chloe went through a couple to roughs to get things right!

Above is a very cute card made by Kim. Loving the colour combinations and the added ribbon!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

 

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

I hope everyone is starting to enjoy the Xmas season now that we are well into the festive month! Here is a little illustration of Summer Santa in a wetsuit to help bring on the spirit (it's summer now here in NZ).

I remember the cold and cozy white Christmas when I was still living in Japan. We lived in a rural town called Nagano. It fell well below minus10 degrees Celsius during winter and we spent the Christmas making snow huts and eating snow with strawberry candies (tasted like strawberry slushies).
Now being living in New Zealand for over 20 years I'm really enjoying the summer Christmas here. People get very active during the summer break! Also we still get "white Christmas" at home as our garden has overgrown and we have white flowers (weed) everywhere! (not an ideal place for hay fever sufferers...)

Anyway Only a little left of 2011, will make the most f it! Back to work!

Fashion Illustration Entry

 

Above is my entry for the Fashion Illustration Rally. 

The instructions were to create a work that is inspired by the photos from the wonderful RedRock boutique clothing line.

The photos I have used were:

It's fun to illustrate something different for a change! :) Now back to work!

Aki is moving!

Hi everyone. I have moved out of my old apartment and will be house sitting a friends' house for the next few months while they go on an overseas trip. I will have to look for another place once they return but in the mean while I will enjoy eating looking after their vege garden, fruit trees, compost, rabbits and playing on their trampoline!
Above is a little illustration I have sent out to my work contacts (do let me know if I have missed you!).

Sparkle Creations November Preview: Snow Angel Ruby

Today is the November Release Day for Sparkle Creations Rubber Stamps Store and we are previewing the second new stamp Snow Angel Ruby.
Scroll down my blog for the previous preview of Snow Bunny Lucy Stamp.

Initially I have misread the brief (it must have been during one of those sleepless nights..) and did a rough for Snow Angel Chloe. Felt a bit stupid redrawing the whole image after realizing the mix-up. Ruby is wearing earmuffs, scarf and winter boots that the craft makers can have fun colouring in! Hope you like her!

Again Sparkle is GIVING AWAY Snow Angel Ruby to one lucky person! To find out how visit SCRS blog and follow the instructions! It's simple really, all you need to do is visit the blogs of the designers through the links provided and leave a comment on each blogs. You will have fun seeing how the designers utilized Snow Angel Ruby for their creations!

I've selected some to share with you for some inspiration!

 Simonne Clay : Love the combination of grey tones and deep red!

Sparkle Smith : She's the wonderful creator and owner of SCRS!

Jen Shults, she's a guest designer for this month's release!

Sparkle Creations November Preview: Snow Bunny Lucy

Welcome to the first preview for the November release for Sparkle Creations Rubber Stamps! Sparkle is releasing 2 new stamps illustrated by me and 1 new Karber clear set this Saturday! Today SCRS is previewing Snow Bunny Lucy and sentiment, "Warm Winter Wishes"!

As you can see, I was being too literal with the word "Bunny" when Sparkle first briefed me for this image. With a few adjustments we ended up with with the final image.

If  you are thinking about getting crafty for the Christmas season this stamp will be perfect for making greeting cards, tags, decorating paper bags for wrapping up presents or stamping Christmas recipes or part invitations??? 


Check out some of the greeting cards the designers have created using Snow Bunny Lucy!
Many of the designers of SCRS sell their cards so if you are too busy to get crafty yourself maybe contact the designers to get hold of some unique cards!

I love how Kim Yu used white as her main colour scheme for her card. Loving all the embossing.

Shaela Odd has also made another beautiful card!

Sparkle will be giving away Snow Bunny Lucy to one lucky person! For a chance to win visit SCRS Blog and follow the instructions! Good Luck!

Lily Lands in Bubble Trouble: November Release

The fourth book in Lily the Littlest Angel series is out in bookshop around New Zealand now!

Announcing the release of "Lily Lands in Bubble Trouble"! Published by Scholastic.

Yay!

I had so much fun illustrating this one. Especially since I got to draw a lot of Frumplepuss! I have made sure that the two roughs featured Frumplepuss so that the final design will have him on the cover!

Above is the final coloured illustration I've sent to the designer. The designer played around with the layout and colour options......

I remember feeling a bit sad seeing Frumplepuss being casted to the side, being cropped off....

And here goes the final design!! NO Frumplepuss!

Actually he got to feature on the back cover! Yay. He gets to have the entire page for himself! (actually the synopsis takes up majority of the back cover space, nevertheless I am happy!)

Angel Freya, Amelia's Angel Academy's nurse appears in this book. She is a strict, neat-freak Angel. Still, I wanted to make her likable. 

Lily interacts a lot with Frumplepuss. 

Aaaahh.. had so much fun drawing them playing (?) together. :)

Check out Lily's Blog written by the author Elizabeth Pulford. 

You can see the real-Frumplefuss there.