scraps

I don't like to waste odds and ends of fabric, so I made these little starched vessels out of silk scraps from a repurposed kimono. They'll be very cute with tiny foil wrapped Easter eggs in them.

Prototypes

When I worked at Dorothy Butler's Children's Bookshop customers often talked about how easy it would be to write a picture book. In fact the opposite is true, but after a dozen or so attempts over as many years, I think I've finally written a story that I'm happy with. I can now begin the fun process of developing my illustrations, so here are three prototypes to show you.

Without revealing the plot at this early stage, I can tell you that my main character is invisible.

The illustrations will all be constructed from paper and card and I'll have them professionally photographed when they're finished. As you can see I'm developing the characters first. The backgrounds will follow soon.

Tazey and Lee

Breaker Bay, Wellington

The ceremony at Wahine Park

Breaker Bay Hall

Hall interior - detail of painted mural

decorating the hall

Lee and his best man Chuck

A cute knitted letter box and fence cosy we spied down the streetWe had a fabulous time.

I'm very pooped.

wedding bells

My gorgeous sister Therese is getting married in Wellington this weekend to the equally gorgeous Lee, and today I had the somewhat terrifying task of altering her wedding dress. It's a vintage dress made from ivory satin with beautiful handpainted roses on the bodice and skirt. She'd taken it to a seamstress to have the darts and armholes reinforced, but when she got it home she discovered with horror that the dress no longer fitted and that she couldn't breathe in it. I've carefully removed the darts and adjusted the armholes and even more carefully handwashed and pressed it. Apart from a few tiny moth holes here and there it looks great and it now fits perfectly. I'm sure she'll look a picture of loveliness in it on her big day.