In case we forget her name or which room we put her in to sleep??!!

Hello again,

Marla's dad recently gave me a few hours peace whilst he looked after Marla.  I love her of course but this was bliss!  I haven't had a doodle in Adobe Illustrator for months now and I really miss it.  Always on my mind, I spent my time making a door sign for Marla's room.  It's pretty and garish............or pretty garish and she may object to it when she's older but in the meantime it's going up!.  Here it is:

Laura xXx

Thinking of you

Hello again,

Right, here is the second card illustration commision I did for Magi Design.

This task this time was to make a 'Thinking of You' card which will act as a kind of vignette to open out onto a photograph placed behind.  This is the rough doodle that they send to me which might make more sense than my description!:

The card is to be die cut (the shape cut out with a laser to leave behind a kind of stencil) so as usual, the hardest thing with this kind of design is to create something that looks good and will actually work in reality and not be too fragile in the flesh.

Another challenge for me personally was to not be too whimsical or overtly joyful in my approach to the design due to the delicate nature of why someone may be sending this card.  However, I did not wish it to look too melancholy either.  This is my final design, I hope you feel I fulfilled the brief!

Again, I might insert a photo when the card has actually been made and exists as a real object- always the exciting bit!

Love,
Laura XxX

Sorry and hello again

Hello and a happy 2013!

Been a bit quiet of late,  my personal life has been pretty manic lately.

To give you an update, I am heavily pregnant, selling a flat and my husband and I are renovating a house to move into imminently so go go GO!

However, in-between this I have squeezed in a little freelance card illustration work for the lovely Magi Design because as busy as I am I can never resist getting paid to doodle!

So, here is the first one, the task was to make a male birthday card in the style of one of those retro airfix kits- remember, the ones you had to snap off a plastic sheet and glue together?

I had to use masculine icons past and present and here is the result:

The final piece will be cut from balsa wood and will have a coloured insert behind to make the shapes stand out so I am looking forward to seeing what that will look like in the flesh as it were! Maybe I will insert an updated pic when the time comes.

Lots of love,
Laura xXx

Autumnal loveliness!

Hi,

Well, it's been some time since I last posted anything and l have no excuse other than life being pretty busy, but more about that soon.

It struck me the other day, whilst walking across Tooting Bec common in South London that IT'S AUTUMN! and it's damn pretty out there at the mo with the leaves and the squirrels and the crisp blue skies.  So, I made a little image in honour of the season, hope you like!:

 Laura xXx

Big belly bird home sweet home

Hi!

I thought I would show you a 'new house' card that I designed for a couple I know who have just moved home.

It's pretty daft!, oh and my friend is pregnant in case you were wondering why one of the birds has a bit of a prominent belly- I'm not being cruel!

Laura x

Unisex Congratulations!

Hello!,

Okay, that is probably one of the strangest post titles I have written so far!  The point being that I generally make cards that would be described as a bit 'girly' so you might send one to a female friend but not necessarily a male.

However I got this brief though for the greeting card company I do illustrations for and it had to be unisex, so no flowers, fabric swatches or cute animals, just a nice simple 'one size fits all' congratulations card. Bit of a challenge for me but I like a challenge.

And here is the result, the printed card will be laser-cut and foiled finished (okay, maybe that is slightly girly!), hope you like it!:

Laura xXx

A little twit twoo thank you

Hello,

Here is a simple little card I made to say thank you to a friend recently. Twit twoo!:

Laura x

People!, oh, and weddings

Hello!

I was recently asked to do another commission for Magi Design, another Rob Ryanesque laser cut wedding card. This was all fine and great until I discovered that it would involve drawing two figures.

Now, I knew they were not asking for any kind of Da Vinci anatomical study but ever since doing life drawing classes at art college where we had an angry tutor who chain smoked and dropped cigarette ash on our drawings whilst (heavily) criticising them, I have not been the biggest fan of drawing people. All manor of crazy animals, yes, but not humans.

However, as this design was a homage to Rob Ryan I was able to be a bit more free with the style and incorporate the figures into a whimsical backdrop.  Here is the result, hope you like it:

Laura x

Happy Mothers Day!

Hello,

Okay, I am a day late putting this one up here but this is a card I made for yesterday! 

Hope all the mothers out there had a lovely time, especially my Mum!

Laura x

Anniversary Card

Hi!

I made this card for my parents who celebrate a whooping 42 years together tomorrow!

Laura x

CV updating- aaaggghhhh!!!

Morning,

I don't know if anyone else dreads updating their CV as much as I do.  I have been putting it off for ages as the whole writing a CV process brings me out in a cold sweat. However, I noticed that mine was in need of a re-vamp and contained no examples of the 5 months of work that I have now done for Egmont Publishing (working on their Disney magazine portfolio) or the greetings cards I have illustrated for Magi Design so it was in need of some re-working.

I also think that (hopefully) it looks fresh and spring-like and suitable for sending out over the next few months. Here it is:

You can click on the pics to view larger. Thanks!

Laura x

T'will be the season to be jolly!

Hello!

Working in publishing means that you are never really in sync with the seasons and my latest card for Magi design is the perfect example of this- yep, a Christmas card for next year, done eleven months early!

I do like drawing owls though :o)

Please click on the image to view larger!

Laura x

Going green

Hi!,

A friend of mine is getting married this spring and asked if I could recycle one of my previous designs for them to use as their wedding invite and I (more than happily) agreed to.  The re-design included alterations to the illustration and the colour (it was previously pink) and a totally new design for the inside of the inside of the card.  Here is the result!:

Outside of card

 Inside of card

The invites will be printed on card and I look forward to seeing the final piece. I hope all the people who receive them will like the design too!

Laura x

Happy New Cupcake!

Hi,
Been a while since I posted because I have been busy beavering away at the office but I have just done another card for Magi Design so I thought I would show you.  This time the theme was cupcakes and the finished card will be laser diecut.......................and yes, I have heard of Rob Ryan ;o)!

Laura x

3rd time lucky!

Hey!

This is my third design for the lovely people at Magi! More frogs!

The finished card will have the frog and the gift on a raised attachment.

Laura x

A card for anybody who loves somebody

Squirrel love!:

Please double click if you would like to see the image larger.

Laura x

2nd commission for Magi Design!

Hi!,

Once I have completed my first design for a new client or company I always feel a bit unsure whether it was successful or not and I am never totally reassured until they contact me again to do some more work for them.

Therefore, I am pleased to say that I have just done my second greeting card design for Magi Design!, The final card will have foil finishing and gems attached but here is the design:

Laura x

New Babies!

Hello!

I currently know 5 couples all due you to have bouncing babies over the next two months so I thought it time to get my 'new baby card' thinking cap on.

I wanted to do something simple, bold and bright to make a change from all the usual pastel shades associated with babies.  Bring on the elephants!:

Laurax

Another meow

I really should give other animals a bit more air time,  but in the meantime.........................here's another cat!

 Laura x

Greedy Green Cat Card

Hi again,

The green cat has made another appearance, this time on a birthday card.  I think he's quite excited about his cake:

 Laura x