Life of Cattoo

Let the studying commence!

2011-10-06T04:18:00.000-07:00

This will be my last post for a while now, studying for a BA in Community and Youth Studies has now begun! I am in the final year of the degree and I am doing this on top of my full-time job as a Voice and Influence Forum Worker at Hull Youth Council. This does not leave me with much time for blogging and my artwork, which really bugs me but I have no choice but to get on with the first part of the semester. I am aiming to get back into the artwork during the Christmas break and I will keep adding photos to my Flickr :-)

It is so hard to get back into the books when all I can see is Neo my cat snoozing on her favourite puff! x

Blink Bonny Wood

2011-09-20T06:54:00.000-07:00

Hello Peeps! I cannot believe we are already halfway through September. My printer is still unwell, so my new art print is still not ready to go into my Etsy and Folsky shops. I have also been busy with my job, enrolling at Hull University to do a top up degree in Community and Youth Studies, including working on three new illustrations which I hope to get out soon.

At the end of August, UK bank holiday weekend my husband and I went on another little camping trip, this time we stayed at Blink Bonny Wood on the edge of the Lammermuir hills in Scotland. This is a very secluded campsite and has very basic bathroom facilities, including one compost toilet (which took me a while to get used to, as I was paranoid that something was going to bite my bum! ) and no shower facilities just bottled water. The bonus is that you get your own little camping area in the wood, including your own fire pit! No cars are also allowed on the site, you have to abandon your car at the entrance which is about a 10 min walk from the campsite down a muddy lane. This means that you need to bring a trolley or something to carry all your stuff! This we forgot and the kind owner offered us a wheel barrow and commented that we had more stuff than a family of four who had camped there the previous week!

This campsite is also a good base if you like a bit of retail therapy, people, buildings and cafe culture as Edinburgh is only a 30 minute drive away. I have been to Edinburgh a few times before so when the bad weather arrived, we decided to adventure around Edinburgh's charity shops and I bought a lovely red knitted hat for the coming winter months from Oxfam.

Here are some photos from our camping adventure!

Our camping breakfast!

This photo was taken just after we set up camp.

Back to basics.

Camping fodder!

Al my husband going for a little wander.

I wondered what was on the other side?

Although the bridge looked a bit delicate.

A lovely handcrafted shed.

The campsite shop where I bought two handmade bug boxes.

A mushroom soaking up the morning due.

The compost toilet!

The woods behind our tent.

The forest fern smelt amazing after it had rained!

A Scottish Thistle and a bee searching for some pollen.

Lush plants and textures!

A fairyland mushroom!

Bye for now! xx

Skyride

2011-08-21T15:24:00.000-07:00

Today my friends, husband and I took part in the Skyride in Hull and it was the most beautiful day. Skyride is a national campaign from Sky and British Cycling created to inspire everyone whatever their age or ability to get on their bikes. This includes an aim to get 1 million people cycling regularly by 2013.

Skyride closed off the streets to motorists between 10am - 4pm so cyclists could cycle freely around the city centre. It was a great way to spend a sunny Sunday with friends, explore the city centre of Hull including such places as The Deep, shared with a few drinks at the end of the day at Fruit and Pave :-)

Skyride at Queens Gardens, Hull

My husband Al, looking cool waiting for his bike to be coded by the Police.

My friend Matt riding on his friends custom long wheel base low rider.

I think the overall message from the day was, get on your bike, its free and good for you :-)

Moving on a Little

2011-08-10T12:42:00.000-07:00

Things are moving on a little! I have now finally managed to scan in my latest illustration pictured above, kept my youth work job in a recent restructure and have been approached by an arts centre in Gloucestershire who would like to sell my art cards!

The past few days I have been trying to make my studio more organised and prettier to work in. The most recent items I have purchased for my studio are the two pin boards from Ikea. I have been collecting postcards and little prints for a while now and so it was nice to finally give them a home. My favourite print on there is the 'Small Acts Transform the World' which I bought from The Big Harumph on Etsy.

It also saddens me to see what is happening across the UK at the moment and that three people have been killed. I feel that the original protesters have nothing to do with the riots and that the rioters have ruined the protesters cause. The student demonstrations, were similar in that sense. It is also very moving that communities are coming to together through social networking to help clear the mess and try to amend the damage done to businesses and homes. Young people that I have worked with, who have been effected by the cuts would not want to see this sort of thing happen. These sorts of acts put young people down and who is to say that they are all young people involved. There is no excuse for this type of behaviour but there is definitely something that has changed in society for people to react in this way.

To finish on a positive note, last Saturday I made this most amazing Banana Bread, using this BBC Recipe. I decided to bake it in a heart shaped tin and add a bit of crunch with some icing sugar and Hundreds and Thousands. It was then mostly eaten the next day with my husband, during a 5 mile walk in the countryside :-p

Bye for now xxx

Lots of things going on.....

2011-07-04T12:58:00.000-07:00

A few weekends back, I went on a bookmaking course at Artlink in Hull. It was part of the annual Humber Mouth literature festival in Hull and was delivered by Guy Begbie, who is an internationally established book artist. During the course I learnt various bookmaking skills, including Japanese book binding and the creation of a multifunctional pocket sized book. I really enjoyed learning a new craft and this is definitely something I would like to try again. The books you see above, I made during the two day course and my favourite one being the pull out book . Hopefully I will remember how to make them :-)

This weekend Al and I visited Thornwick Bay near Flamborough. The sun was out and the East Yorkshire coast was calling! This is a great little beach, as there are many rock pools and caves to explore for such things as Sea Glass!! I will return to this area of the coast again one day. We left refreshed and ready for the week ahead of us :-)

I have also been busy working on my most recent illustration titled 'Opposites Attract'. I will soon scan this in, so you can see the finer details of such things as the little fox man serenading outside the window to the beautiful cat lady. The inspiration for this piece came about whilst on holiday in Barcelona last summer, I think it was the mixture of romance, beauty and pattern that I saw whilst exploring the place that inspired it. A printed version of this illustration will follow shortly in my Etsy and Folksy shop.

Hope you all have a good week :-)

Just a little hello........

2011-06-17T07:53:00.000-07:00

Just thought I would say a little hello! I am currently working on a new illustration and I am waiting to see if I have a job or not in the current restructure of my local authority, say no more ......I guess what I am trying to say is, that I have been a little preoccupied and a little down in the dumps.

Yesterday I was cheered up by a lovely little email from talented illustrator Lucy Farfort. Lucy posted a write up about artists who sell greeting cards on Folksy and I was happy to find out that one of my cards had been included. I especially like Sue Woollatt's greeting card called 'Dinner is Served', it has such great detail and perspective. Thanks Lucy for including me amongst such talent, you've given me a boost!

And stretch........

This afternoon I also decided to chill out, stretch my podgy feet and watch Neo do some weird cat manoeuvres. Doing nothing sometimes really helps to put a perspective on things :-)

Bye for now!

April Sunny Days

2011-04-21T07:40:00.000-07:00

I am so enjoying the sunny weather here in the UK, the flowers, the birds, my garden, smiling people, the smell of BBQ's, the sound of adults and children playing in their gardens. The Easter holidays have started and I am now off work for 12 days!!!! Today I am making the most of my garden, as the next 11 days will consist of Alan and I knocking through our separate toilet and bathroom. The bathroom and toilet are very old, the current interior includes horrible pink tiles from floor to ceiling and a blue bathroom suit. I will try to take some before and after photos :-)

Whilst chilling in the garden this afternoon, I took some photos of my garden and Neo enjoying the sun. I thought you might like to see them :-) I am kind of new to gardening and have been experimenting with potted plants, which is becoming quite addictive! I source most of my ceramic pots on Ebay and Freecycle, including the old Belfast sink pictured above which was free from Freecycle! I have also got into the habit of collecting stones, bricks and drift wood whenever I visit the seaside.

My Rhododendron

Neo enjoying the rays :-)

My potted Raspberry plant is growing fast, I will soon have to tie it to the canes.

Neo and her shadow :-)

Stretch! Back rub!

Happy Easter!!

I hope you get lots of chocolate!!!

XXX Helen & Neo XXX

Things I LOVE on Etsy!

2011-04-10T05:47:00.000-07:00

Acorn Salt and Pepper Pot by The Nest Shop

Ship in a Bottle T-shirt by Poppy and Moe

Large Flower Wreath - Bluebird of Happiness by The Bakers Daughter

Dog Collar Corsage by Bean Town Handmade

Lasso Me the Moon - print by Mkendall

Rainy day - Journal by Mamaroots

Bye for now x

No:1 Crazy Cat Lady

2011-04-03T03:40:00.000-07:00

For all those wonderful crazy cat ladies out there, including gentlemen :-)

I would like to introduce you to my newest illustration the 'No:1 Crazy Cat Lady'!
As mentioned in a previous post this illustration was inspired upon the most craziest of cat ladies out there. I came to realise that the most committed of crazy cat ladies would probably have the 'No1 Crazy Cat lady' tattooed along their arm, including all the names of the cats that had gone to heaven.

The 'No:1 Crazy Cat Lady' print is now available to purchase in my Etsy shop.

Before I go I just want to say HAPPY MOTHERS DAY to all the lovely Mums out there, especially to my Mum :-)

Mum, you are the BEST MUM in the world!

XXX

Help Japan - 1000 Birds Project

2011-03-28T13:49:00.000-07:00

What is it?

This project has been set up by Makiko Hastings, Japanese ceramicist who currently lives in North Yorkshire, U.K., aiming to raise money to help Japan for their recovery from the devastating Earthquake / Tsunami on 11th March 2011. Makiko has family and friends in Japan, where many others are effected by the Earthquake. As you can imagine, Japan’s recovery will take a long time, it can be decades for people to get back their life. They need help more than ever. Makiko believes every little helps and can make a difference, which lead her to the idea of selling1000 handmade ceramic birds. All sales of the birds will go to Japan Earthquake appeal.

Why 1000 birds?

The idea was influenced by the Japanese story of 1000 paper cranes. Please click here for the information.

What does the bird look like?

Each piece is handmade and individually decorated by Makiko from her home studio. The birds have no wings, instead ‘HELP JAPAN’ logo were embossed on its body, which emphasising the wish that with YOUR HELP they can hopefully fly for their life once again. Red chest is a symbol of Japan. Individual birds are numbered from 0001 to 1000. This is for administration purposes so please bear in mind that Makiko will NOT take any order for any specific numbers. Makiko’s signature is embossed on the tail.

Birds are made out of ceramics, in a form of a chopstick rest. It is small enough to hold in your palm. You can also keep it as a lucky charm, which is a tradition in Japan. (e.g. to wish for your child’s growth and good health)

How long will this project last?

The project opened to the public from 27th March. It is set up as an on going project to help Japan long term. Makiko will be making birds until the sales reach 1000 birds. Remember, even TV stops showing Japan related news, it does not mean that they are fine. So please don’t forget they need continuous help. Every Little Helps.

Where does money go?

Each sales will be calculated regularly and will be sent to a Japan Earthquake appeal organization in Japan. Makiko will inform the outcome on her blog.

Who can help?

YOU! Anyone who are happy to help. Every little DOES help for people in Japan now and the future. This project is accessible worldwide. You can also help by spreading the word. What individual can do might be small, but putting many of those individuals together, ‘WE’ can certainly help Japan. So please spread the word.

How much is it?

These beautiful birds are only £3.50 each! There will be an additional fee for P&P. There is an option for those who are happy to donate extra.

Please go to: Makiko Hastings blog to find out more about how to purchase one of these wonderful birds and make a donation to the Japan Earthquake appeal.

GOOD LUCK MAKIKO!!

I am looking forward to holding my little bird

Notre voyage à Paris

2011-03-19T10:58:00.000-07:00

As mentioned in my last post, my husband Al and I recently visited Paris to celebrate my 33rd birthday (yikes!) and our 5th wedding anniversary! Below are some photos from (notre voyage à Paris) our trip to Paris :-)

Paris - Montmartre

Great use of urban space I think!

Paris - Montmartre

Vintage shopping in the Montmartre district.

Paris - Montmartre

One of the many lovely cafes

Paris - Montmartre, Eiffel Tower from Sacre Coeur

Paris - Montmartre, Eiffel Tower from Sacre Coeur
Al and I on the night of our 5th Wedding anniversary

Paris - Père Lachaise Cemetery

Jim Morrison

Paris - Père Lachaise Cemetery

Oscar Wilde

Paris - Père Lachaise Cemetery

Oscar Wilde

Universcience Museum, Paris, Science Fiction Exhibition, R2D2 & C3-PO - originals

Universcience Museum, Paris, Science Fiction Exhibition - Me in The Matrix

Universcience Museum, Paris, Science Fiction Exhibition - Al in The Matrix

Paris - La Défense

“Le pouce” (the thumb), created by French sculptor César Baldaccini. Designed in 1965, weighs 18 tonnes and is 12-meter high.

Jewish quarter, Paris

Parisian Bakery

Au revoir!

Try Handmade Interview

2011-03-15T09:48:00.000-07:00

On Sunday whilst sipping a cafe au lait and browsing the web at an internet cafe in Paris, I came across my interview with website 'Try Handmade'. I must have squealed like a five year old child when I saw it, as everyone in the cafe turned around to look at me with great distaste. This was my first interview, so I was very excited! I would like to thank 'Try Handmade', especially Ellie Thouret for giving me this opportunity and putting together such a nice interview :-) Please see interview here

Before I go I would also like to mention, Alan and I celebrated our 5th wedding anniversary at the weekend, including my 33rd birthday (yikes!). We celebrated both of these events in Paris, photos will be in my next post :-) Bye for now xxx

Happy Husband on Valentines Day

2011-02-15T11:12:00.000-08:00

This Valentines Day I surprised my husband Al with this t-shirt 'Pursuit of Hoppiness' from Brewershirts on Etsy. Al loves to brew his own Ale and so I wanted to find him something related to this interest. After a bit of searching on Etsy I found him this fantastic t-shirt. Thanks Brewershirts he loves it!!!

Work in Progress

2011-01-31T14:21:00.000-08:00

Here is a sneek peek of some new artwork, that I am currently working on.

The orange cat illustration is titled 'No1 Crazy Cat lady' and I am thinking of reproducing this into a print, greeting card and a tote bag. I know that there are many crazy cat ladies out there but this lady is more crazier than any others. I came to realise that the most committed of crazy cat ladies would probably have the 'No1 Crazy Cat lady' tattooed along their arm (soon you will see).

The next illustration (top right) is titled 'Opposites Attract'. This is currently in sketch format but I am planning on transfering this onto canvas once the above illustration is finished. I first imagined this illustration whilst on holiday in Barcelona last year and it touches upon romance and that opposites do attract.

Bye for now x

Dear Cat

2011-01-21T14:03:00.000-08:00

Dear Cat, I promise......
I will always give you a little kiss on the head everytime I leave the house
I will always jump with joy when I put my keys in the front door and
hear your MEOW!
I will always love you, even when I find a poop in the bath!
I will always make sure you are safe and warm!
I will always make sure when mowing the grass that I leave a bit uncut for chewing on!
I will sometimes let you sleep on my bed.
I will not complain too much when you are malting everywhere!
I will play evil paper ball with you until the newspaper has disapeared
I will tell you when I think your grooming has turned into an obsessive compulsive disorder.
I will tell you when your breath smells!
I will try not to fidget to much, whilst you are a sleep on my lap.
I promise you this much for now.........

What do you promise your cat?

An Artist's Studio is Not Complete Without a Cat

2011-01-17T00:42:00.000-08:00

Not everyone will agree with this comment but I think most cat lovers will :-)

'The Artists Studio is Not Complete Without a Cat' print will soon be available to purchase in my Etsy shop.

Bye for now x

Happy Christmas & Happy New Year!

2010-12-24T02:40:00.001-08:00

geriatric canines in the snowstorm, day 3.5
Originally uploaded by Secret Lentil

I do hope you all have a magical Christmas and that 2011 brings you lots of happiness :-)

Throughout 2010 I have seen many wonderful photos on Flickr and thought I would share some of my favourites with you: http://www.flickr.com/photos/cattoo_etsy/favorites

Bye for now xxx

More snow!!!!

2010-12-03T06:47:00.000-08:00

More snow fell last night and it is the deepest snow I have ever seen! For the past few days I managed to get to work THANKS to EAST YORKSHIRE BUSES and my CATERPILLAR boots!!! The snow is so thick in some parts, it goes past my knees and into my boots. I am also feeling a little sad for the birds at the moment, so today I decided to buy them some birdseed.

More snow pics from around my house:

Bye for now! Hope you have a fantastic weekend :-)

Still Alive!

2010-12-01T03:29:00.000-08:00

Today my husband and I could not get to work, it has been snowing lots here in East Yorkshire and public transport has been few and far between. We could not get the car off the drive and some of the roads and bridges were also closed, so we decided that the best place to be was at home! Below is a photo of my husband clearing the snow in our back garden so the birds could get to the fallen Apples, how sweet awwwwwwwww!

Bye for now!

The Amazing Elephant Jumbo landing

2010-08-20T02:31:00.000-07:00

If you don't live by the sea, you can always bring some home!

2010-08-08T11:02:00.000-07:00

This weekend my husband and I visited a local coastal place called Spurn Point. This beautiful place attracts an abundance of wildlife such as migrant birds, insects and from what I saw yesterday Seals! Yorkshire Wildlife Trust own it and the 'Humber Lifeboat Crew' live on there. Spurn Point is well worth a visit and may not be accessible to the general public or even exist one day, due to erosion. On one side of Spurn Point is the River Humber and the other side is the North Sea. Have a look at these Google pics

Above are some treasures I found whilst out beach combing at Spurn Point. I have plans for each item , for example I would like to turn the brick into an insect house for my garden.

A moody looking photo of Spurn Point, taken by (my husband) Al.

Another moody photo, taken by (my husband) Al.

Along our walk, we also came across a lost hat hanging on some drift wood. Anyones?

By for now :-)

Power of the Flower!

2010-08-07T11:42:00.000-07:00

Power of the Flower

My Treasury 'Power of the Flower' made it to the front page of Etsy!

I adore each and every item!

Derbyshire

2010-07-21T05:59:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I went on a little camping trip with some friends, we stayed at the Bushey Heath Campsite 2 miles from the village of Tideswell based in Derbyshire, Peak District. The owners of the campsite run the site on wind power and have a small holding of sheep, chickens and some lovely alpcas which are pictured above.

On our 2 mile walk to the village of Tideswell we came across this pub called 'The Anchor' and found their outside display quite amusing.

Till next time :-)

I'm back!!!

2010-07-16T00:27:00.000-07:00

Mmmmmmm well, I am nearly back.

I have been busy sketching lots of wonderful new illustrations, which I hope to share with you soon. I was given some time to sketch during my recent summer holiday and was very inspired by what I saw. My husband and I spent two weeks in Spain, we visited Barcelona, Lloret de Mar and Girona. Here are some pics:

View from our holiday appartment in Barcelona.

Barcelona beach

Antoni Gaudi Building, Barcelona

Gaudi cathedral, Barcelona

Inside Gaudi cathedral

My husband and I inside the Gaudi cathedral

Park Güell, Antoni Gaudi Museum, Barcelona

Park Güell, Antoni Gaudi museum, Barcelona

Park Güell, Antoni Gaudi, Barcelona

Lloret de Mar, Spain

Dona Marinera (1966) Fisherman's Wife Bronze sculpture by Ernest Maragall

Lloret de Mar, Cat Museum

Girona, Spain

Girona Park, Spain

Wall Art: Sleep - Le Sommeil Salvador Dali

Girona, Spain

My husband Al sat infront

Wall art outside a school in Girona, Spain

Film museum

Girona, Spain

My husband Al stood infront

Bye 4 now :-)

A tiny break is needed

2010-03-28T13:54:00.000-07:00

Art is not happening around here at the moment, as my studio and house are in bits! So I thought I would let you know that I am taking a little break. I have been refurbishing my home for the past three years and this year I want it to be finished. I need calmness and simplicity around me to be able to create art and I can't do this whilst my house looks like a bomb has hit it! This is frustrating as I have so many wonderful ideas running through my head and want to draw and paint them now. My artwork and style are beginning to mature and I am so excited about sharing my new projects with you.

I will be back soon, just not until my house is back in order! x

Country Cottage Break

2010-03-28T05:31:00.000-07:00

Goffa Mill Cottage set in the village of Gargrave (North Yorkshire)

To celebrate my 32nd birthday my husband, a bunch of friends and I spent two nights at this lovely little cottage in Gargrave just on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales and 7 miles from Malham. We booked it through 'Cottages 4 You' and for 2 nights stay for 6 of us it cost £150, only £25 each. The weather wasn't great but we still managed a 3 mile walk around Malham, a place I fell in love with when I was about 9 on a school trip.

This is the living room inside the cottage where we spent the evenings chilling out, watching films such as 'Withnail and I'

One of the twin bedrooms, love the stripey carpet!

The other cosy twin bedroom..

The lovely double bedroom, where Al and I spent the two nights stay.

The centre of Gargrave, which includes two pubs, a little sweet shop, a Butchers, a flower shop, a Co-op and an indian resturant called the Bollywood Cottage.

My mates and hubby (far right) waiting for the bus to take us to Malham.

Spot the pair of ducks! Start of our Malham walk.

The wishing tree stump at Janet Foss

Add a coin and make a wish with Jennet the Queen of fairies.

Me hammering a penny into the wishing stump.

I wonder if all these wishes came true?

My friend Jannine in awwww of the green mossy wood and Janet Foss water fall.

Janet Foss waterfall (Malham)

Jannine and Robin looking very wet but happy :-)

Looking at Malham from the village

The Buck Inn at Malham where we spent most of the afternoon drinking Ale.

Jannine and Robin getting dry infront of the roaring fire at the Buck Inn

The incredibal Ploughmans lunch at the Buck Inn

Al telling us that the Buck Inn rocks!

Bye 4 now!

Can't cook but will try :-)

2010-02-28T07:47:00.000-08:00

Below is an email I recieved recently from my best friend Jannine and this post is to prove that I did what she asked me to do! I am not so blessed in the cooking department of things and if you are someone like me who thinks they cannot cook, you can make this.

Email from my friend:

Right, I've decided that I'm going to give you recipe challenges in order to kick start your learning how to cook. Hope that is alright with you.

Today, we will learn how to do a real nice hearty soup. I made it today and it is yum-a-doodle-do and really simple to make.

Ingredients:-

1 Kg sweet potato's
1 large onion
1 chorizo sausage (RSPCA welfare standard)
1.5 litres veg stock (I use marigold swiss vegetable bouillon powder)

How to make:-

Chop the onion
Remove the skin thing off the chorizo sausage and cut into discs and then cut the disc into smaller bits (makes blending easier)
Fry the onion and sausage in a little bit of oil - 5 mins or so in a large pan
Chop up the sweet potato into chunks add to pan
Pour over the hot stock, bring to boil and simmer with lid on for 20 mins or until potato's are soft.
Blend in the pan with a hand held blender. Be careful to keep the blender under the soup.

Don't worry if there are still chunks of sausage in the soup, as these are rather nice.

The soup doesn't really need anything else but add ground black pepper if you like it.

Serve up and lick your lips!

Jannine

All good things come at once, it seems!

2010-02-20T16:27:00.000-08:00

Last Saturday I met my Mum for lunch to celebrate a recent achievement and along the way we visited a few charity shops and oh my did we find some bargains!! Firstly the sewing box pictured above was found hidden in a dark corner under a rail of clothes. As soon as I saw it, I dived right down there and grabbed it! It was purchased for the wonderful price of £14.99!

I also found this vintage stainless steel fire place set and coal container for the bargain price of £2.99 each! Perfect for my 50s open fire place :-)

The achievement I was celebrating with my Mum was a one year secondment opportunity I have recently been offered with Hull Childrens Fund as one of their Childrens Participation Workers! The ethos of the project is that children's views are central to the planning, development and evaluation of services. The project is city-wide and works with children aged 5-13 years. Pictured above is a vase of beautiful Tulips I recieved from my husband for getting the job :-) Thanks Alan xxxx

Sunshine Award

2010-02-07T11:26:00.000-08:00

So honoured!
My blog has been nominated the Sunshine Award and was passed on to me by the wonderful jewellery artist Red Bird Jewellery

The Sunshine Award is awarded to bloggers whose positivity and creativity inspires others in the blog world.

Please take a look at the wonderful jewellery by Red Bird Jewellery on Etsy and Folksy

There are some rules that come with the award which are as follows:

Put the logo on your blog or within your post
Pass the award onto 12 bloggers
Link the nominees within your post
Let the nominees know they have received this award by commenting on their blog.
Share the love and link to the person from whom you received this award

Below are the 12 lovely bloggers, who I think deserve the award:

Make a cuppa & get inspired!

Bye 4 now :-)

Busy, busy, busy

2010-01-29T12:24:00.000-08:00

Title: I like to Read my Stories in a Special Place.

Here are four new illustrations, that I have created for an exhibition at Artlink in Hull. The inspiration for them is based upon my love of nature and my childhood days, endlessly exploring my back garden in all weathers and dreaming up many adventures.

You can see all four illustrations exhibited at the 'Every Picture Tells a Story' exhibition at Artlink in Hull from Saturday 30th Jan until March 1st 2010. The exhibition is inspired by the National Storytelling Week and showcasing bright and cheerful illustration, artwork and photography by nine other talented regional artists, which include Anna Bean, Alice Beasley, Ragna Blades, Rebecca Dennison, Rebecca Eden, Mike Harman, Katy Holmes, Rosie Scott Massie and Judy Musselle.

Please pop by and have a look :-)

Title: Moments in Time

Title: Who will Win

Title: Everything is Possible

Bye 4 now :-)

Last 2009 post!

2009-12-30T07:49:00.000-08:00

Oh no, the Christmas holidays are nearly over! Back to work for me on the 4th Jan and for many of my friends and family too. Not sure what to say really, just that I have enjoyed spending lots of quality time with family and friends.

This is a picture of a wall mural, that I am currently painting in my neighbours garden. I started painting it in Oct 09, here is a link to my first post. Adding the leafs has taken me some time, especially amongst all the rain, snow and wind. This pic only shows you half of the mural, there are three other trees to the left. Once finished I will show you the whole thing :-)

Happy 2010 everyone!!!

Just wanted to announce that ............

2009-12-20T15:34:00.000-08:00

I am so happy to hear that Rage Against the Machine 'Killing in the Name' is the UK's 2009 Christmas No.1!

Just a little up date :-)

2009-12-07T01:29:00.000-08:00

I do hope all my readers are well and that planning for Christmas is not stressing you out too much :-) Take a deep breath and it will all work out or pass quickly, however you want to look at it. I love Christmas but get a little stressed out, I always feel that I have forgotton someone a card or not bought the right present. The two week break off work is definately the one thing I am mostly looking forward too and spending some quality time with friends and family.

In the meantime here are a few pics of my cat Neo!

xx Bye for now!

Xmas Thrifting

2009-11-29T14:53:00.000-08:00

I love to scrumage in charity shops, especially this time of year. I found this amazing Reindeer for £1.50 and ....

these old glass baubles for 10p each and ...

Lastly this 1930's/50's looking nut bowl for £1.75!

Christmas doesn't have to break the bank does it!

Lovely Liverpool

2009-11-25T04:01:00.000-08:00

Here are a few pics from our recent trip to Liverpool, european capital of cultural 2008 and famous for The Beatles!

Busy Liverpool city centre

Liverpool Christmas switch on :-)

A cool Costa Coffee Building

Me in The Cavern where Brian Epstein first saw The Beatles perform on 9 November 1961.

Beatle Street

We also took a visit to the Tate Liverpool gallery, here are a few famous scultures we saw there.

Tate Liverpool: Pablo Picasso’s Cock 1932

Tate Liverpool: Richard Long

Tate Liverpool: Salvador Dali Lobster Telephone 1936

Liverpool is definately a cool place to visit, we stayed for three days and were amazed by the amount of shopping areas especially Liverpool One which is a new open air multi level shopping area. We also visited the Liverpool football club shop and bought a few xmas pressies for my brother who has been a big fan since he was a child (Not telling what they are though Jaime!)

Our tired Christmas shopping feet!

Bye for now :-)

New Cattoo Cards

2009-11-22T08:41:00.000-08:00

All cards can be purchased at my Etsy shop

November Sunbeam

2009-11-11T12:12:00.000-08:00

Whilst working on some new illustrations in the studio, Neo was loving the November sunbeam.

Desert Flower

2009-11-07T03:28:00.000-08:00

This is one of the most inspirational books I have ever read.

Desert Flower is a memoir written by Waris Dirie, its about her journey of leaving Somali where she was brought up as one of 12 children of a Nomad family. Waris runs away at the age of 13 escaping a marriage to a 60 yr old man, surviving a traumatic trek across the desert to end up in London. Waris then works for her rich uncle and aunty, becomes homeless, then through shear instinct and courage she finds her way and becomes a supermodel and a Bond Girl.

The one thing that really sticks in my mind is the brutal female circumcision she survives at the tender age of 5, which I will not go into detail about as its too horrific. In 1997, Waris decided to focus her work against female circumcision, this being appointed UN Special Ambassador for the Elimination of Female Genital Mutilation

A film version in German has now been published, here is the trailer link

Its been a while ............................

2009-10-18T15:08:00.000-07:00

Just thought I would let you know what i've been upto!

October is now and truely upon us, the leafs are changing colour, the dark nights are setting in and I have been a busy little Bee. Pictured above is me working on the largest painting I have ever attempted to do! This wall mural is in my neighbours back garden on the side of my garage, its going to be a jungle scene including such things as cats, birds, monkeys, insects etc This will become part of a sensory garden that my neighbours are currently developing for their beautiful little daughter Annie-May who is 5. I will be posting more updates on here soon, so watch this space :-)

Munro and his Magic Dragon Kite

Acrylic on Canvas: 11.69 x 16.54 inches

I have also recently finished this commissioned painting, created for a 2 year old little boy called Munro on behalf of his Mother Claire. Claire asked me to create a painting for her son based on the things he likes, such as flying a kite, going to the beach and dragons. A blue heart was also added in the corner of the painting to match his 4 year old sisters commissioned painting, that I posted about in May.

Hope you like the painting Munro :-)

I will be back soon with a new exciting Cattoo addition :-)

VW Action

2009-09-14T09:00:00.000-07:00

Every year my husband and I go to at least one VW festival, this year we went to VW Action at Santa Pod Raceway, UK. The weather was mainly sunny except for a blight of gale force wind on the Friday, which wasn't fun whilst putting up our tent! We usually attend these events in our 1970s VW Campervan called 'Buzz' but he needs a little TLC at the moment, so tenting it was! Here are some photos that I took whilst I was there.

This Beetle owner must have been taking a large family on holiday ;-)

Don't you just love the artwork on this Campervan!

Dusk at our campsite.

My hubby chilling out in the morning rays.

Breakfast time, beer or juice?

Lastly, just little me enjoying the last of the summer.

I will be back soon after a commision painting is finished :-) In the meantime please take a look at 'Florance and the Machine' a band I went to see perform live last night at the Hull Freedom Festval. Florance Welch had the audience of Hull captivated last night, her voice so beautiful and her lyrics filled with layers of magic, melancholy and love. Thank you Florance for putting on such an amazing performance, my friend and I left with goosebumps and our hearts warmed! x x x

Summer End

2009-09-02T04:36:00.000-07:00

You know when the summer is ending when you start to notice the nights drawing in. In a month or so, darkness will sadly be upon us British by 4pm!!! Above is a photograph I took yesterday of my wet washing, one moment it was glorious sunshine and the next heavy rain. I am on holiday this week doing DIY jobs, outside DIY jobs in fact! Whilst painting the gate in the glorious sun, the largest rain drops decided to shower upon me.

Whilst I enjoy the change in season's, I always try to hold onto the Summer as long as possible. These Sunflowers have been one aspect of this, purchased for a sale price of 65p from Tesco! I am also looking forward to a camping trip next weekend at VW Action, sadley the last VW festival for my two friends Maggie and Graham before they emmigrate to New Zealand.

Come on September let us have an extened summer!!!!

P.S. Don't miss new documentary 'Cat Women' with Joanna Lumley. Sunday 6th Sep, ITV1, 7pm (Watch it!)

Youth Space

2009-08-27T13:01:00.000-07:00

As many of you already know I work full-time as a Youth Worker, this is for a project called Hull Youth Council a citizenship project for young people aged 11 -25 yrs. I decided to take some photos for you to see, of the young people's graffiti outside the youth centre where our office's are based. I especially like the first graffiti art shown above, 'Bless This Mess' just makes me smile :-)

I think it's really important for young people to have their own space to go to, where they can escape from the stresses and strains of the adult world, allowing for their childlike behavior to be explored and enjoyed in a safe environment.

I will be back soon hopefully :-)

Whilst your away............

2009-08-04T14:17:00.000-07:00

Who knows what the cat gets up to!

Okay, maybe not what is pictured above but I did think of some strange things whilst I was away on my recent holiday :-)

Thanks to my Dad and Lydia, I knew 'Neo' my cat would be safe whilst we were away and maybe not rummaging through my knicker draw :-)

This is my latest Cattoo illustration and will be available to purchase soon in my shop.

Bye for now!

Cyprus, Cocktails and Cats

2009-07-31T06:30:00.000-07:00

Hello peeps, its been a while since I last blogged :-) My husband and I have just returned from a little summer holiday in Pafos Cyprus. This was a last minute booking, after deciding not to go on a camping holiday to Wales due to the typical bad British weather. Above is me enjoying a 'Tequila Sunrise', with a very strange looking Pink Panther resting on the side.

Pafos is a wonderful place, with a beautiful harbour surrounded by pretty little restaurants and many archaeological sites to visit.

There are many bars and restaurants to choose from, for example this Baywatch cocktail bar where I sampled a 'Pamela Anderson G-string' cocktail, which was fabulous :-)

We also spent a few days chilling out at this fantastic beach called Coral Bay located in Pegeia near Pafos. If you ever visit Pafos I would highly recommend this beach, as the shallow bay is great for swimming.

Stray cats and kittens are everywhere in Pafos, with many looking on the brink of starvation. This made me wonder about the animal welfare rights in this country and if there was any kind of controls put into place like neutering. After returning home I found this Cyprus Animal Welfare centre online.

On our travels around Pafos we also found this beautiful tree called Delonix Regia.

Close up of the beautiful tree.

Panagia Chrysopolitissa church near the tree we found, which was built in the 13th century!

Anyway bye for now and I will be back soon with a new Cattoo illustration :-)

Why?whynot?! on Flickr

2009-06-30T01:04:00.001-07:00

I would like to share with you one of my favorite photographer's and artist's on Flickr called Suzy of Why?whynot?!.

Suzy takes the most amazing photographs of nature, landscape, old decaying buildings and objects. I especially love these recent photos she has taken of her cats watching the birdies :-)

Here is what Suzy said about the photos:

I have these American Bluebirds nesting in the birdhouse on my back deck. I am not sure why , but during mating season, they congregate on my screen, on my patio door and bathroom window. They spend hours gazing at their reflection in the glass. I have spied as many as 4 at a time doing this. It's rather strange seeing birds peeping in your windows....of course my cats are fascinated and spend hours trying to " catch" them. The birds fly away and then fly right back and the cycle continues......

Please also take a peek at the fabulous JunK aRt Suzy also makes.

Nominated One Lovely Blog Award!

2009-06-23T12:05:00.000-07:00

Big grins! Big grins! :-)

I was selected by Stacey and friends at 'STUFF for Kitty and You' to receive this ONE LOVELY BlOG AWARD. I am so pleased you like my blog !

'STUFF for Kitty and You' are fabulous artists who create purrrrfect things for cats and their owners so please check out their blog and ETSY shop Osha.

Here is a list of 15 blogs that I think deserve the ONE LOVELY BlOG AWARD.

All About Cats

Blackbirds Learning to Fly

Buttons & Flowers

Felting in Fibrespace

Hannah Nunn

Hens Teeth

Laurie Coyle designs

Miss Frugality

Notes From A Fellow Songwriter

Ravenhill

Teamzvonik

The Creative Spirit

The Disordered Life

The Seventh Magpie

Which Goose

As promised

2009-06-21T03:38:00.001-07:00

Here is my latest illustration titled 'The Cat Friendly Landlord'. Prints will shortly be available in my Etsy shop.

Bye for now :-)

Oh I do like to be by the seaside.........

2009-06-20T09:43:00.000-07:00

Middleton Farm Campsite

Here are some photos I took on a little camping expedition last weekend to Robin Hoods Bay and Whitby, UK. My husband and I stayed at the Middleton Farm campsite, which is a great place to stay. About a five minute walk from the campsite through some Cow fields (yes Cow fields with some Cows in them) and a small Woodland area, you eventually enter Robin Hoods Bay.

Robin Hoods Bay

There are plenty of beautiful rock pools to explore.

My husband Al chilling out in front of the Bay.

I so wanted a dog to walk on the beach.

Brick men sculptures in someones garden, just outside Robin Hoods Bay.

Beautiful front garden display.

Cute little window display

Ice Cream!

Whitby Abbey in the distance, which was found in 657 AD and was the inspiration for Bram Stoker, author of Dracula. Twice a year Whitby holds the Whitby Gothic Weekend.

The Magpie Cafe, which I think is the best place to buy fish and chips in Whitby.

La Rosa Hotel a fabulous kitsch hotel that I would like to stay a night at sometime.

A scary dog that had watchful eyes and saliva chops!

Someone is keeping an eye on that seagull, see it :-)

Bye for now :-)

Park Life

2009-06-04T08:57:00.000-07:00

Amongst all the hussle and bussle of the daily grind my husband and I find some sanctuary in our local park 'Pearson Park'.

Bye for now and next time with some new artwork :-)

Aurelia and Kitty Ribbons

2009-05-26T08:26:00.000-07:00

Aurelia and Kitty Ribbons
Acrylic on Canvas: 11.69 x 16.54 inches

This is a recent commissioned painting, that I have created for a 4 year old little girl called Aurelia on behalf of her Mother Claire. Claire asked me to create a painting for her daughter based on a story they shared together about Aurelia and her pink fluffy cat called Kitty Ribbons.

This is what Claire said:
"The Story is about Kitty Ribbons being made and looking for an owner to love. Its about when Aurelia walks into the shop and finds Kitty Ribbons and they fly home together from America. It centers a lot around Aurelia showing Kitty Ribbons her bedroom and where she and Kitty Ribbons are going to live. Aurelia’s bedroom is full of all things pink and she is totally a girly girl. The story ends with Aurelia and Kitty Ribbons cuddled up in bed one night looking at the starry sky, knowing they have each found their best friends"

Kitty Ribbons

The painting also includes these two Sleepy Bears, which Aurelia also cuddles up to in bed every night and names 'Sleepy Bear and Sleepy Bears Cousin'.

Hope you like the painting Aurelia :-)

Frances and Vinegar

2009-05-20T12:27:00.001-07:00

I simply love this photo taken by Katie Henry, designer and creator of fabulous Made by Hank. The best part of this photo for me is, the little pink tongue hanging out Frances mouth :-P

I asked Katie how long Frances and Vinegar had been living with her and if there were any funny stories to tell us about them. Here is what she said:

Frances is my dog, and Vinegar is my new housemate's cat.
We all just moved in together at the beginning of April, so
they have only known each other for a little over a month.
There aren't really many funny stories about the two of them
yet as they have mostly avoided each other, but Mike
(Vinegar's person) went to Guatemala for ten days and
during that time Vinegar definitely warmed up to Frances
and they started hanging out on my bed and napping together,
probably because it is the sunniest and fluffiest spot in
the house!

I suppose the story of how Frances came to be my dog is a
little funny. A little over a year ago, i went to a
friend's bar for happy hour, and when i left, i had a pug!
no joke. A friend of a friend had her because her original
owner couldn't take care of her anymore, and she was
fostering her. I agreed to take her for the night since my
house was very pet-friendly, and decided i wanted to keep
her forever because she is seriously the best dog ever. So
i went to happy for a quick beer, and left with a furry best
friend.

Thanks for liking the photo!

katie

Adventures in Edinburgh

2009-04-21T00:53:00.000-07:00

I have just returned from a little trip to Edinburgh, which may I say was very foggy and cold :-) The fog created a great atmosphere to the place, the photo above represents this I think.

Around the corner from our Travel Lodge hotel was this amazing looking park, if we had more time we would have explored it more. This was taken on Deans Bridge on Queens Ferry Road.

Above is the Travel Lodge hotel we stayed in for two nights. My husband Al managed to book this hotel online for a bargain £9 a room!

We also went on a Pub crawl. The Halfway House Pub., pictured above is the smallest Pub in Edinburgh and serve's a great lunch!

Inside the Dirty Dicks Bar on Rose Street, bits and bobs where hung all over the place :-)

Al and I inside Dirty Dicks Bar after a couple of Real Ales and Black Russians.

Bye for now :-)

My painting request from an 8 yr old :-)

2009-04-07T11:46:00.000-07:00

In my last post, I mentioned that my friend and her two beautiful daughters Evren (8) and Maddison (2) came to visit me. During the visit Evren requested a custom painting, which included such things as kittens in a basket, flowers, ribbons and lots of pink stuff! Well I took on the challenge and above is the custom painting. I presented it to Evren on Saturday at her Roller disco birthday party, she smiled lots and said the painting was very cute :-)

I have also been wanting to share these little trees with you, they are made out of recycled cardboard and fabric! I think they look quite pretty and am thinking of making some more to sell in my Etsy shop. So watch this space :-)

Sunny Sundays Forever

2009-03-29T09:35:00.000-07:00

This Sunday morning I was up bright early, 7am in fact! The spring sun was poking through my curtains, inviting me to go out and do stuff! Well, firstly I cooked some Apple Scones, which turned out a bit burnt but tasted yummy!

I was then visited by my best friend Sara and her two beautiful daughters Evren (8) and Maddison (2), who sampled the Apple Scones and loved them! Except for Maddison I think, who kept asking Mummy if there were any cookies! I will remember to get some next time Maddison, I promise!

I then did a spot of digging in the garden, or shall I say rotivating the soil for planting some veggies! Whilst doing this, I was hoping that the it was burning off the Apple Scones I scoffed earlier!!

Here is the recipe:

Apple Scones
8oz white or wholemeal self raising flour (or mixed)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
4oz butter
2oz soft brown sugar
2 medium size cooking apples, peeled, cored and finely diced
1 medium egg

Set oven to 375 f or Mark 5. Sift flour, cinnamon and baking powder together into a mixing bowl. Rub in the butter, stir in the sugar and apple pieces and lastly stir in the egg. Mould into 10 or 12 heaps (as for rock buns) and place on a floured baking sheet. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Allow to cool slightly before transferring to a wire rack. Serve sliced in half with butter.

Now I'm off to do a bit of spring cleaning, then into the art studio!!

Bye for now!

If I had the money, all these dresses would be mine :-)

2009-03-25T03:11:00.000-07:00

Now spring has arrived, I have started to think a lot about dresses!! Below are some of my Etsy vintage favorites.

Polka Dot 1950's Day Dress by Claridad

Flowered white dress by Owleyesvintage

Floral dress with pockets by JforneyOOO

1970's Spring floral shift dress by NickeyVintage

Silk pink tunic sakowitz by PlatypiVintage

Springtime floral dress by NinthAvenueVintage

Bye for now :-)

Celebrations Galore

2009-03-15T11:07:00.000-07:00

Below are some photos I took whilst on my visit to London this weekend with Al my husband. This was to celebrate my 31st and our 3rd wedding anniversary.

Fiat 500 window display in Italian cafe on Portobello Road

Blue house on Portobello Road

Portobello market & shops

Busy Portobello market!

William Blakes grave, on Bunhill Fields Burial ground not far from Old Street Station

John Bunyans grave, on Bunhill Fields Burial ground not far from Old Street Station.

On the way back home from London, I was very amused to find this horse box with a tail hanging outside :-) I so wanted to plait it and add a pink ribbon :-)

Bye for now!

Blimey its cold!!

2009-02-12T13:12:00.001-08:00

My journey from work to home today consisted of, walking home with my bike in lots and lots of snow!!!!!!!!!!! This morning was fine, no snow just wet and cold so I decided to cycle to work. At 1pm the little flakes started show and shine in all their glory and I knew that my little bike and I would not be cycling home together. Anyway here are some photos I took along the way :-)

Once home, I brewed a cuppa and played about on Photoshop. Below is a photo of my cat 'Neo' that I digitally changed on Photoshop.

Bye for now :-)

Tagged!

2009-01-18T07:56:00.000-08:00

The talented Kendra of Teamzvonik has tagged me so here we go! 6 random things about myself...

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

the rules:
link to the person who tagged you > post the rules on your blog > write six random things about yourself > tag six people at the end of your post and link to them > let each person know they've been tagged

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

1.I am happily married and will be celebrating my 3rd Wedding anniversary this year!

2.I love to explore new places and my favorite city is Paris!

3.One of my favorite things to do in my spare time is to rummage for bargains in charity shops!

4.As many of you will already know I love cats!

5.As well as doing the art thing, I also work full-time as a Youth Worker for a young people's citizenship project.

6.lastly I believe in the '3 Bs' for when thinking things through! Which are, when I'm in bed, in the bath or traveling on the bus.

And now I'm tagging:
DingsInsainity
AllAboutCats
LaurieCoyleDesigns
ecram1

2009!!

2009-01-02T15:55:00.001-08:00

Happy 2009 to you all!!

I don't know about anyone else but I am kind of glad Christmas is over and that we are now into the New Year.

I spent New Years Eve in London at my sister in-laws house, singing cheesy karaoke songs and stampeding around the living room to "The Final Countdown!" at midnight.

News Years day my husband and I woke up to lots of whispering and giggling at our bedroom door. This we knew was our niece and nephews wanting to get us up, so my husband got up and I stayed in bed for a bit longer! Once up, my 5 yr old niece Darcey wanted to show me two cats having a staring match with each other outside. Darcey shouted "What is that cat doing on my Wendy house!" I said "Its trying to be the king of the castle, being higher than the other cat gives him more power". If you look closely you may see the cat perched on the little Wendy house in the photo above.

During the Christmas break I have also been reading 'The Book Thief' by Markus Zusak. A novel narrated by Death, a compelling and heartbreaking plot and a fascinating heroine ... once started, the book just won't let you go.

Is the season to be jolly..........

2008-12-19T13:55:00.000-08:00

Neo and I would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas !!! We are both so very happy to meet so many wonderful people on and off line this year and hope to keep developing those new found friendships :-)

King Tom says..........................

2008-12-14T10:36:00.001-08:00

REGAL, originally uploaded by dashing denzil.

To become a proper King
you must first learn to look down you're nose
and secondly whenever the occasion demands
learn how to strike up a pose
as a kitten I learnt quickly
and my mother taught well
that to get the top perch in this world
see off the opposition, strike a good pose
and always look over you're nose.

By Carol http://www.flickr.com/photos/quartzyboy/

I recently came in touch with Carol on Flickr and fell in love with her cat Tom. I thought I would share him with you all too, here is a little intro about Tom by Carol:

Tom was the first of our Maine coons. We have 3 and two moggies.
He is 9 now and although not quite the heaviest he is the biggest. He measures a metre from end to end spread out. Far from being arrogant he is a proper wimp, and eats less than the others. However, he knows how to pose and we have showed him a little in the past where he sits just like that in his pen and knows he's beautiful.

Maine Coons are very gentle cats usually with no attitude, just bumbling their way through life.

Exhibiting and Masquerading

2008-12-08T11:27:00.000-08:00

If your hanging around Beverley 'UK' please pop by the East Riding Open Art Exhibition 2008, held at Beverley Art Gallery. This includes 147 pieces of artwork by artists and crafts people from the East Riding and Hull area, including one of my Cattoo paintings 'Sweet dreams are made of birds....'

I'm so chuffed to be part of it!!!!

Beverley Art Gallery is open Monday, Wednesday, Friday 9.30am - 5pm; Tuesday and Thursday 9.30am - 8pm; Saturday 9am - 4pm.
Admission is free!

This weekend I also attended my friend Maggie's 30th birthday Party. To celebrate she held a Masquerade ball including live music from Ska Wars a fantastic Ska tribute band from Yorkshire, UK.

(My friend Jenny & Me)

(Sister in-law 'Rachel' and brother in-law 'Ian')
Pretty gold princess mask, not sure about the Owl look alike one :-)

Anyway I hope you all have a great week

Not just for Christmas

2008-12-01T11:36:00.000-08:00

This Sunday I visited my local animal welfare centre RSPCA (Royal Society for the Prevention to Cruelty to Animals) with my Dad and his Wife Lydia , to find them a cat.

Before I made the visit I promised Alan my husband and Neo my cat that I wouldn't return with a new pet, which was so so hard to keep :-(

Above is a photograph I took whilst on my visit. These two little guys were so cute, the black and white kitten kept brushing up against the window every time I put my hand towards it. If I didn't have Neo I would have adopted both of them in an instant!

Currently my local RSPCA is full to the brim with cats and dogs who need loving homes. More and more people are apparently handing over their pets to the centre, due to no longer being able to afford to keep them according to my local news paper Hull Daily Mail.

Walking round the centre was so sad and made me wonder why so many people pay thousands for a pedigree cat or dog when these are waiting for a home.

My Childhood Inspiration

2008-11-28T15:44:00.001-08:00

Today is the 40th Aniversary of the death of my favourite childhood Author Enid Blyton (11 August 1897 – 28 November 1968).

My most memorible novel is 'The Magic Faraway Tree' which reveal's to its reader's (young and old!) the most magical adventure and character's, for example 'The Land of Topsy-Turvey' and 'Moon-Face'.

I also enjoyed reading 'The Famous Five' for the daring adventures and 'Malory Towers' to gain insight into what it might be like to go to an all girls school.

Here is a Wiki link to find out more about this amazing Author.

Bye for now :-)

Crafting, Snow and my Husbands Strudel!

2008-11-24T03:40:00.000-08:00

I have been a busy little Bee in the studio lately, below is the new edition to my Cattoo collection titled 'Bumper Cat!'. A paper mache sculpture which will be available to purchase in my Etsy shop later on today :-)

Since I was a child, I've always thought the way a cat holds its tail up is like the aerial of a Bumper Car.

Another thing to show you are some photos I took of the snow we had here in Hull this weekend!!

Neos paw prints!

Birdy prints :-)

My foot prints!

Neo exploring the snow covered garden!

Also, on Sunday my husband baked this amazing Apple and Blueberry Strudel for my sister in-laws 24th birthday. Below is the pic & recipe:

Apple and Blueberry Strudel

Preparation time 30 mins
Cooking time 35 - 40 mins

Ingredients

4 large cooking apples peeled, cored and chopped
1 Small Punnet of blueberry's
2oz Semolina
4oz Brown Sugar (muscovado if possible)
2tbs Cinnamon
3 Slices Wholemeal brown bread (turned into breadcrumbs)
1oz Butter
1 Square of puff pastry

Greaseproof paper
Icing Sugar for dusting

Put the apples and sugar into a pan and gently heat until softened leave as-side to cool a little,

Cut a piece of greaseproof paper about 2 foot and place on work surface, flour a little and put the puff pastry in the middle, lightly flour the top and roll out into a rectangle about 35cm x 65cm without lifting.

Add the breadcrumbs, blueberry's and cinnamon to the cooled apples and mix well, the mixture should be fairly dry. Pour the mixture into the centre of the pastry and flatten out over the whole surface leaving a gap of 3cm on the longest edges, butter the longest edges.

Now using the greaseproof paper roll the pastry starting as the long edge making sure to keep the mixture inside, once you have reached the end of the buttered pastry roll it back a little so the buttered lip is facing up.

Using a large nonstick tray sprinkle the semolina in a line where the strudel will sit, this will prevent the bottom of the strudel from getting soggy. Using the greaseproof paper lift the strudel and then roll it onto the tray making sure it sits on the join.

Slice across the top of the strudel to allow the moisture to escape and make it look nice, then butter the whole strudel lightly to help it brown.

Stick it in the oven until lightly brown and serve straight away with a good custard!

Bye for now! :-)

15 Second Bob

2008-11-17T11:59:00.001-08:00

15 second bob, originally uploaded by Tom Knapp IV.
My friend Tom recently posted this strange looking fluffy thing on Flickr, can you guess what it is?

It made me laugh anyway and I thought I would share this little jem with you too :-)

Holly & Mr Tigers Adventure

2008-11-11T05:15:00.000-08:00

Here is the 'Holly & Mr Tigers Adventure' painting that I have been working on for the past few weeks. Mentioned in my last post, this is my first Cattoo commisioned painting and I really enjoyed creating it I handed it over to Lee yesterday, who seemed really pleased with it and I hope his friend Christine who he commisioned it for will be as happy :-)

If anyone else would like a commissioned Cattoo painting, please contact me for a quote :-)

Bye for now!

November Bites

2008-11-03T02:38:00.000-08:00

Neo my Cat looking out the studio window on a frosty cold November morning.

November is here and its getting colder and darker in the UK. This time of year for me is about reflection and planning some new goals.

At the moment my studio is surrounded by scribbles of new ideas, not only Cattoo illustrations but also some Cattoo clutch bag designs and some whispery petal illustrations for maybe a new venture. Even though I feel excited by all these new ideas, it is also a little over whelming as I want to get started on it all. I wish, i wish, i wish like many other artists that I didnt have to work so I could focus my heart and soul on to my artwork. This, having a morgage to pay is not going to happen unless my creative business flourishes one day.

On a positive note, i'm currently working on my first commisioned painting, which is really exciting and hope to do more of them in the future. If you have a cat and would like a Cattoo illustration, incorprating your cat's characteristics please contact me.

Bye for now and happy November :-)

Happy Halloween!!!

2008-10-28T02:09:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to say Happy Halloween!

Above is a photo I took last night of my cat 'Neo' , getting cosy infront of the fire and watching some telly!

Manchester

2008-08-04T10:56:00.000-07:00

I recently visited Manchester, which may I say is a fantastic city. The place I decided to visit whilst I was there was Manchesters Craft and Design centre, which is located in the Northern Quarter. The centre includes 18 independent retail/studio spaces that sell and showcase artists jewellery, ceramics, textiles, glass, furniture, photography and paintings. This is all sited in a beautiful building, that was formerly a victorian fish market. Below are some of the photos:

Whoop Whoop

2008-07-28T15:02:00.000-07:00

My Etsy shop is now offically open!

Opening up an Etsy shop, spending time with friends and family, refurbishing a 1950s house as well as working full-time isnt easy! I honour anyone who manages to do this with children :-0 You must have to be extremely organised.

Through out this week I will be submitting around 10 prints on Etsy, so watch this space!I would not have managed to have done this without the support of my husband Al :-)

Above is my latest Cattoo illustration to show you titled 'Hide & Seek'. Prints will soon be available to purchase at my Etsy shop :-)

This was inspired upon 'Neo' my cat who kept getting lost in my garden, which has been a forest of weeds this summer!! It took my husband and I nearly a whole day to get rid of them all.

Below is a photo I took of 'Neo' sat on top of my husbands Spiderbug, beyond you may see a small forest of weeds!!

Bye for now :-)

Happy Camping

2008-06-23T00:24:00.000-07:00

I'm back :-)

Well we didn't go to Robinhoods Bay, we followed the sun and ended up staying at The Elms Caravan & Camping Park for 3 nights, which is based in Epping Forest near London. This is a great place to stay, as you can both enjoy the open space of the forest and the hussle and bussle of London. A 30 minute walk from the campsite through Epping Forest takes you to a Central Line London Underground Tube Station in Loughton, a further 20 minutes on the tube and you are in central London. Here are some of the photos I took whilst I was there :-)

Camden Town, London

My husband Al happily drinking beer in Camden Town.
Tate Modern & Millennium Bridge, London

We then went to Oxford for a further 3 nights and stayed at the Oxford Camping and Caravan Club Site. This is also a great campsite, as its about a 30 minute walk into the center of Oxford or a 15 minute cycle ride from the campsite. It cost around £53 for 3 nights for the two of us, cheaper if you are a member.

Parked bikes are everywhere in Oxford, students and locals seem to like to cycle here. As we took our bikes on holiday with us, we also decided to cycle around too. We went on a lovely 4 mile bike ride along the Thames near Oxford, which I would highly recommend as there as some great pubs to visit along the way :-) We also found this beautiful boat house along the way.

Anyway bye for now, I will be back when my Etsy shop is open.

Some like it hot!

2008-06-10T12:37:00.000-07:00

Everything has a Purpose

Well its a hot hot hot British summer, the festivals have started and everyone seems much happier :-) We Brits lap up as much sun as we can get, which isn't often. Neo my black cat isn't happy though, she much prefers the doom and gloom of our regular British weather.

Above is my latest Cattoo illustration titled 'Everything has a Purpose'. This is painted with acrylics on canvas. Prints will soon be available at my Etsy shop. Im getting nearer to opening honest :-)

Poppy Fields Forever

2008-06-01T07:19:00.000-07:00

Here is my first brooch to show you titled 'Poppy Love' and will soon be available to purchase at my Etsy shop.

I'm hoping to have my Etsy shop open in the next two to three weeks. I'm currently sorting out the packaging and printing side of things.

In the meantime take a look at this fab pic my husband took of Neo. She really wants to kill that ball!!!

Sweet dreams are made of birds...?

2008-05-27T04:23:00.001-07:00

Ever wondered what your cat is dreaming about when they are making those funny noise's, erratically moving their paws and claws, twitching their whisker's and flicking their ears?

If you watch closely, you might be able to work out what scenario is being enacted in your cat's dream.

I,m sure all my cat 'Neo' dreams about is food, food, food and food. Including having the ability to fly for the birds in the sky!

Here is my sixth Cattoo illustration titled 'Sweet dreams are made of birds...?'. This is painted with acrylics on 7 x 5" canvas. Prints will soon be available at Cattoo.etsy.com

16 hours a day!

2008-05-18T05:13:00.000-07:00

Did you know cats will sleep about 16 hours a day, and some even more than that.

Here is my fourth Cattoo illustration titled 'Her Majesty's Mattresses'. This was hand drawn in ink on A3 paper then digitally coloured. Print's will soon be available at Cattoo.etsy.com

Hello Sun!

2008-05-14T15:06:00.000-07:00

This is my second Cattoo illustration titled 'Hello Sun!'. This was hand drawn in ink on A3 paper then digitally coloured. Print's will soon be available at Cattoo.etsy.com .

Here's my Inspiration

2008-05-13T01:18:00.000-07:00

This is Neo my cat, she has been living with my husband and I for about 5 years. She was a stray and was found on the brink of starvation in my mums back garden.

She has recently become my little model for the Cattoo illustration's. As you see she doesn't mind posing for a photo.

Firstly, welcome to my blog 'Life of Cattoo'

2008-05-08T01:42:00.000-07:00

Above is my first Cattoo illustration to show you, titled 'That Sunday Feeling'. This was hand drawn in ink on A3 paper then digitally coloured. Print's will soon be available at Cattoo.etsy.com.

I live in Kingston Upon Hull, situated in the North of England, with my husband 'Al' who is currently selling old cameras on Etsy and my cat 'Neo' who enjoys eating, sleeping and sunbathing.

I am a nationally qualified Youth Worker, currently working full-time for a young people's voice and influence project. In 2007 I gained a HND in Community and Youth Work at Hull University and in 1999 I also achieved a HND in Creative Studies at Humberside & Lincoln University.

At some point soon, you will get to see more of my artwork. In the meantime take a look at this fantastic bag I have found on etsy.com by Iragrant and these pretty earrings on allthingsoriginal.com