wise words

I am full of admiration for a married couple that can work together (frankly, I am full of admiration for a couple that can even live together - but now is not the time or place!) These two, Alice and Martin Provensen are my current favourite illustrator pair, working together from the 1950's, they were also creators of breakfast hero Tony the Tiger. My sister and I are slightly competitively hunting down their portfolio of beautifully illustrated children's books and I know she will be coveting this one. Aesops Fables retold by Louis Untermeyer with the loveliest illustrations packed full of funny little details and busy characters.

climb every mountain

Apologies for lack of festive blog posting, it's been more than a bit challenging here lately not made any easier by dropping my phone this week and hearing the splash of doom as it disappeared down a drain. Imagine my language and double, no triple it.

Here's a goat to cheer things up, my Capricorn illustration for Red Magazines January issue. In the words of Julie Andrews 'climb every mountain'.

So, happy birthday to any Capricorns out there. That includes my sister, author and all round creative person Clare Youngs who has finally got herself online, take a look around her website and blog for hand made inspiration.

book art

After months of snipping and folding and living with tiny bits of paper glued to her fingers, my sisters new book is out today! Book Art by Clare Youngs published by Cico books, is full of inspirational ideas for creating magical and delicate objects from old books and manuscripts. The book is simply but beautifully designed and styled and has a suitably traditional cloth binding.
Clare is keen to point out that no precious books were harmed in the process! She has foraged for battered and torn volumes from boot sales and charity shops, saving unloved and forgotten books from disposal and transforming them into puppets, dolls, flowers, tiny houses, birds and nests.

Still no sign of a blog from Clare yet, but she tells me it's on its way, I will be the first to link to it!

by the sea

Some images from our weekend, we got away from the London madness and escaped to the seaside.  Twister cushion found a new home in my sister Clare's house among her collection of studio pottery and delicate paper sculptures, some destined for her latest book due to be published in the Autumn. We hung around Margate old town for a bit, amongst the vintage shops and bank holiday mods and rockers (all looking a bit vintage as well these days) and saw the beautiful Tracey Emin exhibition at the Turner Contemporary, not many mods and rockers there, a different bunch of people altogether.

busy family

Not the only one in the family who has been busy, my sisters latest book is out (at least I think it's her latest, I have rather lost track). Christmas Crafting (in no time - sounds good to me!) by Clare Youngs, published by Cico. Packed full of easy step by steps to Christmas lovelyness. I played a small part in the making of the book, providing various props including the tiny parcel for the mice.
And for all this sticking - you will need my favourite glue, the glue of my childhood! My father always used it to stick the pictures into the family album. Coccoina paper glue available from labour&wait. It smells deliciously like the stuff they put into the almond croissants at Costa, in fact I think it is the stuff they put into the almond croissants at Costa.

weekend break

Some images from last weekend, staying with my sister by the sea, sea breezes, corners of her house and cherry picking in the sun, perfect.

scandinavian inspiration

I am having trouble keeping up with my amazingly creative sister's craft books, this one came out earlier this year and is a lovely selection of Scandinavian inspired sewing ideas. It's called Scandinavian Needlecraft by Clare Youngs published by Cico Books. All 35 beautiful, original projects are perfect to be stitched in front of a cosy log fire on a gloomy wet day like today. However, I remember Clare making the thick felted wool slippers and mittens under the fig tree in 40º heat of a Spanish summer.
Clare and her family are leaving London today and moving to the Kent coast - so I want to wish them all lots of luck and I am looking forward to some seaside inspired books!

scissors and glue

My sister Clare Youngs has been very busy snipping and gluing and here is her latest book, Stylish Papercraft published by Hamlyn. An inspiring collection of paper projects from simple mobiles and decorations to stunning 3-dimensional objects. Full of ideas and simple step by step instructions to re-use and recycle scraps and ephemera into useful and stylish statements. It is a great celebration of the delights of pattern and endless possibilities in a simple sheet of paper.

all in the family

My incredibly creative sister has just published her first book! With two more in the pipeline, this first one is called The Perfect Handmade Bag by Clare Youngs published by Cico. It contains 35 wonderful ways to recycle your old clothes, fabrics and textiles into bags and purses both practical and pretty. We had lots of fun spotting our donated cast-offs in the pictures. The instructions are simple and photography inspiring as always with Cico books.