Coooooooo..eeee

Hi Bloggers...!!

I'm back again...phew I have been busy.



To fill you in if you don't know I work as a full time illustrator in the day for a greeting card publishers in Bath, and I'm also trying to break into illustrating Children's books too. Illustrating Children's books is a very competitive market, there are soooo many fantastic illustrators already out in the big bad world, but its something I've always wanted to do, so I'm giving it my best shot working on different illustration samples. So for the last few weekends and evenings I have been preparing a full storyboard for a children's story that has been written for me...a 32 page book in total.



So its been a lot of work, and I have been learning to use photoshop too...so all in all my little sprout for a brain is very tired!



I almost feel like flaking out like Miss Silkie Sue...she really has been finding the heat here in the UK very tiresome! and she has taking to moooing at 4am, when the sun comes up to let us know she needs a wee...the upstairs is so warm, too warm to sleep in to be honest.. thanks to the airing cupboard...so between me and you and blogland...I think we may be camping out in the living room tonight as its sooo much cooler to sleep in!

AND to top that off...I have my parents coming to stay for a weekend in a couple of weeks...THEN my bedroom is being redecorated... (By me and hubby I might add) and what a treat...Mr M bought us new bedroom furniture....(Which he has to make) ...and he bought me my very own very grown up dressing table!!

Oh bloggers its all good, but the thought of it is EXHAUSTING!!

So I will be able to show you soon my new fancy bedroom...homes and gardens watch out! (Only joking :0)

Hope you are all being careful in the sunshine...don't forget suncream!!

Happy Tuesday

Love Sam xx

Another 'Quicky!'

Hey lovely Bloggers...

well this week has been a busy one...hot and clammy...and tired eyes.

I'm busy busy working on new pictures too...I'll keep you updated!!

Now I'm off to work!

Happy Friday xx

Its Aslan..

sort of...

Dotted about all around the city of Bath (where I work) there are models of Lions, that have been decorated in different ways, by all kinds of people. This fellow I spotted near to the CK shop...and I thought he had a lovely face.

Can't be doing with the hot weather at the mo..don't get me wrong its lovely to enjoy it on holiday..but not while you are at work...

I've updated my Illustration blog too..if you are interested www.sammyspixnmix.blogspot.com


Happy Monday!
Love Sam x

2 posts on a Sat?

Well I couldn't resist...

Stanley is looking forward to 'leaving home'...well to be fair I don't know whether him and Silkie ever saw eye to eye...if you know what I mean!



Oh and I know I know...I'm a mad cat lady...but I had to show you the proof that Silkie thinks shes human...




Now come on Sue...thats not very ladylike!

Happy Saturday...again!!

Sam xx

New Blog!

Hey bloggers ...just a quicky got to dash to the Post Office...If anyone is interested I have set up a new illustration blog...Oh know not another???I hear you say...Well this is a blog that is my development work into the scary place that is the land of Children's book illustration...

www.sammyspixnmix.blogspot.com

Its all of the ideas I have been getting out of my system, as I'm trying to learn how to do this very different kind of illustration, from the day job, where I illustrate for greeting cards and stationary.

So I'm planning on some more pix this weekend...so from now on I will be loading them up here.

Have a lovely Saturday bloggers!!

Love Sam

I make funny noises when I watch the football...

Yes its true..and I'm not really into football at all, but I can get a bit 'vocal' when I'm watching...
I shouted something ridiculous like...Yoahhhhhhhhhh at the telly???? what was that about?

Well Phewy..the weeks over. I did have some good news...Stanley my Lakeland Terrier has been adopted, and is moving to the City of London, which he is very excited about! I will be packing him safe and sound for Genevieve...and I have told him to be nice to Genevieves Kitten Coco....



Cover your ears Silkiesue...have you ever seen a more beautiful Kitten!!!?

I have also been working on yet another Blog...unfortunately, I am unable to link and show my illustrations from my day job any more...but I have been busy painting my own illustrations...so I will link my new blog hopefully tomorrow as I'm still fiddling with it.



I'm glad I've got my 'mojo' back..the last couple of weeks, I have been feeling really lazy and in a can't be bothered mood..but I'm fired up again...its weird, but I always feel more inspired when the days are more like Autumn...me and the Sun just don't see eye to eye...(that maybe something to do with my red hair and freckles!)

So I'm happy tonight...its raining, we are about to watch a scary movie, and I'm having a large glass of vino....

Cheers dear Bloggers...Happy Friday!

Love S xx

Help Bloggers..

Sorry, its not a show and tell today....:0) (Multitasking right now...cooking, cleaning the house (and me!)
Just a quicky..I have started to receive chinese messages...of the unsavoury type and wondered
if any of you could advise me on how to block these on my blog?

Thankyou!!

See you soon

Sam xx

11 ish weeks til Autumn?

Hey Bloggers..

Yes I've been counting roughly...you'll have to bear with me as I was bushed tonight, after a bit of a busy day today...

Yes...summers just not for me!!

Although if I could spend my summer around this pool I would...Do you recognise it???

I'll give you a clue...its the house from one of my favourite shows...and this is the pool today...and it looks EXACTLY the same!!
Yes I can't wait for the Autumn...I love the cozy evenings indoors..with a yankee candle on the go..a good vintage movie like Bell Book and Candle and a glass or 2 of wine..




I am working on some 'spec' work for a freelance project, which involves a lot of drawing..so I'm trying to summon up some energy to do it..(As you can see I have a furry friend who likes to sit all over everything!)



And my Paypal bag nightmare still hasn't ended, although I have out a claim in with PP...and I now have out a request on Alchemy on etsy for a custom made bag....

I sooo want a satchel a bit like this....

Hope you are having a good week so far!

Love Sam x

Big Clean nearly finished...

Yes...for over a week now, every nook and cranny here at Chateaux McPhillips has been cleaned and sorted...I still have a few things to do..but I'm nearly there.

I bought some new lovely cushions from ebay... to tart things up a bit!

My own cushions were looking a bit tired and too 'handmade' if you know what I mean..

They are beautifully made and were £3.99 each..

I really love punchy colours..

Little Sue even had a little make over..she really didn't like the pink whiskers I had given her..so off they came...shes been listed in my etsy shop...

Mr M, just came back from Asda with this for me...it was £2...he knows I love Stationary..

And today I was sketching the pencils for the children's book samples I'm working on..so I'm busy penciling the whole thing...I love working on characters as its something I don't tend to do in the day job..

Oh but there has been something that hasn't worked out...namely this bag..


Guess what hasn't turned up...and guess whose emails seem to have been ignored..yes mine..

How can people do that ?

2 weeks ago I paid for this...and by today I was getting really worried, understandably. Turns out as the bag is a designer inspired bag, the seller is blaming something called VeRO, even though the money has come out of my account and into hers...no bag has turned up. There is even a Royal Mail ref no on my details..guess what it doesn't work...

GGGGrrrr...so I have complained to PP...but is a real person there? I'm worried now that my hard earned pennies are lost....I really believe in bag kharma..

I would have LOVED that bag...

So send me some bloggy luck if you don't mind xxxx

Happy Saturday xx

Sam xx

Mega Clean

Well I have been on a mega cleaning mission this week at home, literally every night I have been sorting out one room or another. The loft, the understairs cupboard, the kitchen...my undies drawer, woo hoo my life is one massive excitement at the moment!

I have set up an Etsy shop too though and I'm gradually listing the toys I have for sale, not massively holding my breath though as I'm not sure how good selling on Etsy is...but I will give it a go.

I have bought some beautiful cushion covers too, from ebay which are beautiful, 1950s vintage styley, and only £3.99 each as I was worried that the house was looking a bit like Steptoes and Sons.... so I will take a pic to show you and the link to ebay...really good value and well made!

Happy Thursday!

Love Sam xx

Back again... update!

Hi Dear Bloggers..

Well to be honest, this week I couldn't think of what to blog about, I have been working on some new illustration samples...and Silkie has been doing a lot of Snuzing...



Everything has seemed a bit dull this week. Getting up, working full time, home by 6.30pm...getting up going to work..you know a bit like my own personal groundhog day.

Mr M and I this week did decide to have a huge tidy up and chuck out old DVD's and videos, then I decided, to have a massive spring clean, cleaning the oven, tidying the loft...

I didn't stop there, even my sewing boxes got tidied, and the garden and garden shed too!!

I think sometimes I'm my own worst enemy, I surf the net, reading blogs and websites like Apartment Therapy which shows the most beautiful homes, then I spend my time looking around my own house thinking what a mess.

Guess what, sometimes my pillowcases on my bed don't match the duvet, my bathroom towels have seen better days..I battle dust ALL the time...my curtains could do with a dry clean...I cheat and avoid cooking...

so maybe I should avoid some of these ooober websites...is real home life as perfect and shiny as it appears on these websites....I don't think so :0)

So enough of me grumbling...and yes If I'm honest I'm too much of a perfectionist ..

Well I've not completely had a housework meltdown...I have been doing a spot more 'colouring in..here are some pictures for a story called 'The Silent Owl'

They are just sample pieces...but I have had fun doing them..


Although I am looking forward to doing some sewing ..

Trouble is I'm not sure what!

See you soon!

Love Sam xx



I had to show you this picture....Silkie decided to join in the photoshoot!! xx