New Website Sparkles!

I've finally had chance to sit down and give my website a little TLC, these things always take longer than you think!
I've decided to keep it nice and simple so the work can breath and will soon be adding the screen prints and other products I've been making over at The Little Peach.
Plus, I decided it was only fair to let Daisy the Crazy be part of my new logo, what do you think?

Hope you all have something nice and cosy planned for this rainy Saturday (or perhaps you don't live under the soggy rock that is England and actually have some seasons that are warm!)

Helping share the love

As I've shown you here before, as part of my other job of working in a school, I often get asked to produce class reference sheets. Now, I'm not sure about you but a lot of the work sheets that flopped onto my desk at school failed to inspire me, with their word document, clip-art thrown together nature.
Bad design can make dull even the most exciting topic so I decided to have a bash at getting them to actually read and take in the information the teachers are trying to express.

The first one is a help guide on making a inspirational sketchbook, to try and get students to open up and try new ways of conveying their thoughts.

I like to include lots of little drawings and font styles, encouraging the students to explore the sheet and engage with the information within it.

And I designed it to fold up into a little pocket sized reference guide for the students to take away and store in the front of their own sketchbooks.

Next up was explaining to the students how to help their ideas flow from and original stand point...Mindmaps!

Now, it took me a good full hour researching to realise that mind maps is the new (overtly PC if you ask me) way of saying 'Brain storms' and to help the students see how ideas can generate other ideas I did a mind map on the subject of 'Holidays'

On the back of the worksheet I gave them a 'blank brain' to help them start there very own mind map!

The final help sheet I have made recently is one that I was extra enthusiastic to make (for my own evangelical reasons)...A Guide To Screen Printing!

 
The students learn how to screen print using the stencil method (where you cut the image you want out of a piece of card and stick it to the screen for a temporary method of printing your image) so the inside of the guide is a step-by-step photographic reference for all you need to know.

What do you think? Shouldn't school work sheets be a bit more exciting? Perhaps I should right to the people who make the textbooks?! We could start a 'Good design starts in school' revolution!

Happy stairs in Stamford

Good Afternoon Campers!

Have you been having a super duper Jubilee weekend? (for those of you out there in the wider world, did you know that the Queen of the United Kingdom has been our Queen for 60 whole years now, I mean WOW) 

It was a bit of a shame the weather didn't carry on from the heatwave we had the week before, but hey - it's England, having fun in the rain is part of who we are?!

Last week I was in the wonderful ancient town of Stamford, hanging about on some slightly precarious ladders painting a mural for new disco 'The Groovy Club'

 The club boasts to bring the coolest late night retro sounds to the people of Stamford, so we went for a mix of retro-cool images to adorn the stairs that lead to the club.

The Pink Floyd spectrum rainbow bounces off all sides of the walls, and was a sure test of my 'painting-straight-whilst-balancing-on-a-scaffolding-board' abilities, and the Northern Soul made me feel patriotically proud.

 And at the top of the stairs, celebrating his own 4o year ruby jubilee is Mr Ziggy Stardust, I think this is one of the favourite things I have mural-painted ever actually, so simple but so affective!

Drawmazing!

If you haven't heard/tried the amazingly addictive app 'Draw Something' yet I suggest you give it a try (unless you have something really important to do in the next 5 hours, like brain surgery or de-fleaing the cat)
And if you do you can add me, I'm 'thelittlepeach1' :)

The Little Peach Printing House of Magic

Running yourself as a one person draw machine is undoubtedly not a small undertaking. As well as pitching for illustration jobs and working art time in a school I have also been excitedly building a new extension of my ART MANSION, by setting up a print company - The Little Peach Print Company to be exact!

And I suddenly realised that I have not shared this news with you! Managing more than one blog can be baffling too so I thought I'd give you a round up of what I've been up to and if you so fancy to find out more you can visit The Little Peach Blog for yourself!

So the first asset to the Peachy printing business I wanted to set up is 

custom illustrated Wedding Stationery 

The idea is that you can be illustrated as a couple into your very own design and hand printed in your choice of ink and card colours, meaning your invitations will be truly unique and will be a gift to your guests!

There are a number of pre-drawn backgrounds to choose from in The Sweetheart Collection or you can choose to have a completely Bespoke design in a special setting of your own

I've had so much fun so far designing for some special couples and being involved in bringing their ideas to life!

And since I've had the wedding stationery up and running I've also been focusing my attention on developing a range of illustrated prints for everyone to enjoy!

Here is a peek at the first 6 designs you can buy right now:

I have been really enjoying developing my illustrations into designs to be printed. It's a nice feeling to hand print - like I can physically stamp my idea and technique on something tangible. I'm hoping to keep on printing every week so keep looking out for new designs. I want to have a go at printing fabric and other materials too like wood; screen printing is a versatile medium!

So far I have been mainly printing in the Outhouse at home which is at the moment a wonderfully basic but much appreciated set up! Prints dry on every surface and what was once one used for washing machine and lawn mover storage now bursts into a flurry of creativity!

I have even invented a new use for Mr Slinky!

Hopefully soon I will have my very own exposure machine (and drying rack!) so that the printing will be even more prolific!

You can buy the prints through The Little Peach Shop, Folksy or Etsy and I will also be looking to sell through exciting markets and regional shops - I'll keep you posted :)

Listen to your Teachers!

Would you have read your worksheets a bit more if your teacher was drawn on it? That's what we're hoping at our school!

I don't think Mr White was that impressed with my impression of him...but it's what he looks like honest!