Happy Christmas!

Opened the last door on the Playmobil Calendar this morning. Father Christmas is now ready to go!

I hope you all have a great Christmas. Thank you for all your lovely comments over the last year. Jane x

HOME FOR CHRISTMAS

The best thing about Christmas for me has to be decorating the house.

Every year I add a few more bits to my collection either

homemade or bought.

1. Vintage stocking, tree stocking by Samantha Stas, Santa

by my little'un!

2. Tree decorations by Fisher Price-excellent!

3. Paper snowflake, vintage angel, stained glass effect angel I cobbled together last Christmas from acetate and sweet wrappers!

4. Playmobil Santa from this years advent calendar. I don't know who's more excited each morning, me or the children! This years lego Christmas decorations.

5. My gorgeous Little Wanderer by the brilliant Yoshitomo Nara dressed up ready for Christmas.

3 More Days to Go!

The String Shop will be closing for Christmas on

Friday 16th of December.

Order a print this week and receive a free pack of greetings cards!

I'm afraid I currently only deliver within the UK unless you

are Santa Claus!

Merry Christmas from Hubert and his friends!

Inspiration

Winter Wonderland

The New Nutcracker Suite by Ogden Nash and Ivan Chermayeff 1962.

The Happy Owls illustrated by Celestino Piatti 1965.

Two great wintery books.

I am usually feeling pretty festive by now but I'm struggling this year. I think it may be down to the unusually mild weather.

Illustration

Christmas Card 2011

For some reason I had the urge to produce a rubber stamp for my card this year. I'm now fighting the temptation to go out and by stamp pads in every colour under the rainbow!

Inspiration

It's That Hat Again!!

Nobody in our home is safe from a mini bobble hat at the moment!

This lovely ceramic figure is by a local artist Phil Lyddon.

Illustration

For Your Eyes Only!

I have been trying out ideas for my personal Christmas Card recently.

I liked this one but decided not to go with it in the end as I felt the front of the card wasn't Christmassy enough.

Not long to go now!!!

Under My Hat

I'm busy working on some fun things at the moment hence the lack of new images here on my blog. I'd love to show them but I've got to keep them under my hat for now.

I've still managed to find enough time to dress up some of the characters around my home in these gorgeous little bobble hats!! The hats are currently decorating Innocent Smoothie Bottles for the big knit campaign which raises money for Age UK.

You can find out more here.

Halloween at Home

Illustration

Percy Pig Bus

I spotted the New Percy Pig Bus in M&S at the weekend.

These are a few of my favourite details. If you know of a Percy Pig Fan this is a good buy as it's absolutely packed with sweets! See more of my Percy illustrations here!

Percy Pig © Marks and Spencer Plc

Illustration

Illustration Friday-Scattered

I have been looking for an excuse to use these lovely sticky dots for ages!

Illustration

New Percy Pig Bus

I have been waiting to see this latest Percy Pig artwork in print ever since I illustrated it over the summer. I was really excited to get the brief as I have a bit of a soft spot for these old London Buses. I haven't spotted the Percy Bus in stores yet but I spotted the 159 in the November issue of Good Housekeeping yesterday in the Christmas Present ideas. Sorry to mention the C word!!

Percy Pig © Marks & Spencer Plc

Inspiration

LEGOLAND Windsor

Some favourite images from our visit to Legoland over the weekend.

My best bits-Miniland and the motor boats. Wasn't so keen on the big queues!!

Illustration

School Dinners

Liver & Onions, Spam Fritters, Watery Cabbage, Lumpy Mash, Prunes, Semolina....Mmmmm!!

Illustration

Juice Time!

© Jane Massey 2011

Inspiration

HOME

1. I absolutely love this mat which I picked up at a Vintage Fair in Brighton recently. Now the weather is changing I am drawn more and more to cheery reds and oranges.

2. & 3. Two favourite Pre School projects brought home by my youngest this term!

4. Wednesday - 'PE Day'.

5. This weeks harvest! Not self sufficient yet!

Illustration

Illustration Friday-Mesmerizing

'My First Assembly'

Illustration

Knight School

by Jane Clarke

My blog has been a little neglected over the summer as I have been flat out artworking the sequel to Knight Time. Knight School is due to be published in 2012.

I have finally updated my page on childrensillustrators.com this week. It has been on my To Do List for far too long! I have now added many of my published books.

Inspiration

Back to School

This Ladybird classic really takes me back to my school days. Warm milk, the smell of the canteen, the nature table and dancing in the school hall in big knickers!

Illustrated by J. H. Wingfield 1959.

©Roger Hargreaves 1980

I love the line and humour of Richard Scarry.

©Richard Scarry 1969

This image reminds me of trips to Woolworths for my new school kit. A geometry set, garish fluffy pencil case and new pumps!

My very dog eared copy of The School by John Burningham.

First published 1974. This image reminds me of my very first school. It was a victorian building in a small village in Suffolk.

Pieces from a wooden puzzle by Victory picked up at a car boot just the other week.

Inspiration

Peppa Pig World

I became a fan of the Peppa Pig merchandise long before my children had me hooked on the animation. Surely we all NEED a Peppa Pig Caravan!! So I was very excited when I heard that Peppa Pig World had opened this Spring just along the coast. We popped along last week and were all very impressed with the rides especially Miss Rabbit's Helicopter Flight.

Illustration

Illustration Friday-Influence

Watching TV..........a good and bad influence,

but indispensable with an early riser!

Inspiration

August