pants!

February 3rd, 2012
Categories: nattering

My. niece. has. small. ones. x

 
 

how do you deal with reviews?

February 2nd, 2012
Categories: Writing for Children

[I have done a Very Organised Thing, which is quite rare for me. This blog post has been timed to coordinate with two brilliant children's writers, Meg McKinlay and Sally Murphy, who have also blogged on the topic of being reviewed. Not that I actually Keep reading →

 
 

the auntie brigade

January 28th, 2012
Categories: nattering

In her book Committed, Elizabeth Gilbert writes about the 'Auntie Brigade', of which she considers herself a member. She says, "the number of women throughout history who never become mothers is so high (so consistently high) that I now suspect that a certain degree Keep reading →

 
 

wiser

January 24th, 2012
Categories: nattering

In the last couple of days I have learned three truthfully life changing things. Firstly, there is such a thing as perfection. I hadn't realised, but it is real. It can be a person, a moment in time, a feeling, and it can be all of those things at once. Keep reading →

 
 

felt fairy wands

January 19th, 2012
Categories: Making things

I wanted to make something for a couple of small people who prefer things to be on the pink and sparkly side. I don’t have much in my craft baskets that runs along those lines but I’ve had a try. Keep reading →

 
 

Violet Mackerel’s Personal Space

January 18th, 2012
Categories: Writing

My heart did something a bit funny as I was opening the attachment to an email from Sue (my patient and lovely editor at Walker Books Australia) of Sarah Davis's cover art for the fourth Violet Mackerel book. My internet connection is quite slow, so at first all I saw was Keep reading →

 
 

a nest, an up-do and a helpful cat

January 16th, 2012
Categories: Making things

On the weekend I made a sort of nest out of recycled fabric. The ring of linen is actually an upside down trouser leg and the other bits are felted blanket and very soft indian cotton which I padded with wool in the base, so I think it would feel squishy and gorgeous if you were a bird.  Keep reading →

 
 

Violet in the UK!

January 14th, 2012
Categories: Writing

(Post title to be sung in manner of Sex Pistols' song about anarchy...) One of the most interesting parts of writing a children's book is seeing the illustrations for the first time. It is an extraordinary thing to see what your own innermost Keep reading →

 
 

colds and thoughts and things

January 12th, 2012
Categories: nattering

There are some sad thoughts that are worth really-thinking-through-and-definitely-getting-to-the-bottom of, because if you ignore them and just drink tea and read a book until they pass, you might never leave a job you don't like, or create a home you love, or write a letter that really, really needs to be written. Keep reading →

 
 

pebbles for all seasons

January 9th, 2012
Categories: Making things

I felted a small pebble. Keep reading →