Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and A Happy New Year!

Christmas Tree E card

Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer Tree Topper

I ran a Christmas Tree Topper workshop at the Quad in Derby, It was great Fun and everyone worked really hard to make their creations. We Had Rudolph, Fairies, Angels, Santas, a Snowman hat and not forgetting a Festive Frog.

Fairy & Santa Christmas Tree Toppers

Festive Frog Tree Topper

Minty & Monty Logo

YIPPPPPEEEeeeee! I’m on cloud nine!! I’ve been waiting for this moment for 3 years! I’m introducing you to my secret friends here goes the drum roll…………….

Welcome to the green and friendly world of twins Minty & Monty.

A world where spiders webs can be kites tails ..

and butterflies help with the recycling.

The treehouse kids are smart, savvy, fun and crafty!

Please visit Getting Personal Website to view a Minty & Monty Calendar, more products will available by 10th December 2010.

The World of Minty & Monty The Treehouse Twins

It’s a very cold and snowy day,Minty & Monty love the snow!

Minty & Monty love the snow!

Bonfire-Make a Wish on a Shooting Star

Wishing you all a very Happy Bonfire night! I love fireworks, there’s something magical about them, They light up the night sky! Hope you like my illustration-” Make a wish on a shooting star”?  Remember to Take Care!

Witch Illustration

Witch Illustration

Happy Halloween!

I’ve been experimenting again with mark making and colours. I’m afraid I have drawn another Witch, I’m not quite sure what to call her, have you got any suggestions?

Halloween is drawing near …I have experimented a little to try and  come up with a new illustration style. I hope you like her?

I’d like to introduce a new character I designed last night her name is Wendy Whisper .

Witch Illustration

I always take a little sketchbook and a few colour pencils with me and I often find myself

drawing  a variety of  illustrations, which are very different to my Juvenile Children Illustrations.

This illustration is of a view that makes me feel happy and I love to draw tulips, it’s close to my home village of West Hallam.

It’s a view which is at a the back of St Wilfrids Church over looking the Cat & Fiddle Windmill and there is a road

coming down the hill. I’ve used a  black biro and coloured pencils!

Cat & Fiddle Windmill West Hallam Derbyshire

We spent a weekend in Bristol to see the Fantastic goose pimply, shiver down your spine Musical ‘Les Misérables’ , I enjoyed every minute and at the end I was in flood of tears it took me about Half an hour to recover, know i know why they are celebrating 25th Anniversary this Year.

Hippodrome Bristol -Les Miserables

Bristol is a really interesting city we walked past a Banksy on Park Street and lots of interesting shop windows!

Banksy Bristol Park Street

Window Shopping Bristol

Bristol Sphere

Can you spot me taking a Photo in the mirrored Sphere?

At the end of July I on a sunny evening I visited  Peak 2010held in the grounds of Chatsworth, it’s an International Scout & Guide Camp which happens every 5 years,floods of memories came back when I was a Girl Guide .

My Family I involved in a Well Dressing Activity so they camp for a week. All the groups are divided into  Subcamps all of which have a special hand made entrance the theme this year was Biomes, What is a Biome you may ask, take a look at the Wikipedia definition by clinking on Biome. The Subcamps were: Amazon, Arctic, Barrier Reef, Everglades, Himalayes, Kazakh, Nile, Pacific, Sahara, Serengeti and Taiga. I captured a few whilst walking around and I had to take a photo of the blue and white bunting very tasteful!

Peak 2010 Badge

Top of a Tent

Peak 2010 Sahara

Peak 2010 Serenget

Blue & White Bunting & Tents

Cotwolds white Butterfly

Wyck Hill House Hotel

During July we had a lovely weekend in the Cotswolds and we stayed in a lovely place, which we managed to get

a late cheap booking at Wyck Hill House Hotel & Spa, Stow on the Wold. the staff are very friendly and welcoming,

The first morning I walked into the courtyard after a lovely full English Breakfast and spotted a white butterfly fluttering in a hanging basket.

Holiday fish & chips

I’m really enjoying keeping a Doodle Diary, I write about the days events and doodle

illustrations to go with the topic. I find it a comfort after a really good day or a sad grey day….

I’d like to share with you some pages from my Diary that I did on holiday following on from the

previous post!

If you ever stop on North Morte farm , do try Miles Fresh fish and Chips there the yummeist Fish & Chips I’ve ever had.

sun bathing on the beach

fishing boat

Football & dressed crab

Girl on Beach

I have decided that when the weather is good I like to sit outside and illustrate, whether it’s in my back garden, a pub garden or better still on the beach. This summer I have spent a lot of time drawing on Woolacombe Beach, I’d like to share with you some of my illustrations…

Tom with a kite on the beach

Kate Smith Designs-'In a Whirl Wind!' Illustration

I’ve been in a real whirl wind of work…Papers have been flying, steam has been coming off my pencil, ideas and butterflies flying around my head and know leaves are falling off the trees.

I have had some relaxing times too in the next few blog posts I hope to bring you up to speed with everything…..

Hello…..Again!

just to let you know I’m making you a promise…

In the next month I’m going to update you with everything I’ve been up to in the last few months…
I have lots of things to tell you, photos and drawing to show you and hopefully at the end by Autumn
an updated website.

I’m off to Chesterfield College tomorrow to do a course and to have a nosey at what the Art students work.
This will be my second visit the first time I went was last Friday, I got rather emotional as 15 years ago I completed my Art Foundation there one of the happiest years of my Art studies.
I was happy to see that they were painting the hand rails blue when I walked up the outside stairs
towards the North Block, a tear was in my eye!!  

Pictures to follow soon….

Colourful Pencil fencing Centre Parcs

March- were did March go?

On March the 10th it was my birthday , to celebrate we went to away for the weekend to Centre Parcs -Sherwood Forest.

We had a lovely time we had a special treat as we spent one afternoon in the Aqua Sana Spa rooms, with a combination of different spa rooms to explore and a warm outside  swimming pool to relax in , even the sun shone for us!

My Favourite room was the Greek Herbal Bath Room followed by a scented cool shower , it was heaven!

We ate out most evenings and on Sunday night we had a french dinner with a jazz band playing in the back ground.

Yes I did go down the big sides,  the rapids and  inflatable dinghy ride, I was a big kid for the weekend, but seriously realised I’m very unfit. Riding a bike was very hard work, I think really the gears weren’t working properly!!

The nearest I got to drawing when I walked past these giant sized pencil fence-thinking this would look great at the back of our house!!

I did a favour for a friend and made some badges for her daughters Birthday Party, The theme was  a Prom Party and had instructions to make badges saying Prom Queen, Prom Princess, Cool Dude and for my friend and husband Prom Queen Mum and Cool Dude Dad. My friend was delighted with them.

Party Badges illustration

I visited the Art Room this month,  I was really impressed with a members painting, so decided to take a picture of it to show you!

Long Eaton Art Room Painting