For a while now I’ve taken an unintentional break from writing and illustrating children’s books and have been trying to venture into other artistic areas. I’ve created portraits, (in my own FGB style), been commissioned for illustrations in children’s magazines and even had a go at window art, but I’ve found myself most comfortable in an area I wasn’t expecting and that is designing greetings cards and framed illustrations.

This all came about back in July, as the end of school year approached I couldn’t find a thank you card that I liked for sending in to the teachers and support staff at my little one’s school and so, I designed one myself! Then I did another and another! These mixed media illustrations made me smile and the puns just kept popping in to my brain. After getting great feedback from those who received them I began to create more and more and now I find new ideas pop into my brain almost daily.

I started by uploading my designs on to the FGB Redbubble shop, but then I decided to go completely bespoke and set up the FGB Studio, a corner of my kitchen that I couold devot to printing, trimming and adding the finishing touches to my cards. Then I hit on the idea of trying to create different cards for different occasions, rather than focussing on thank you cards. When my mom received the date for her hip operation in the post I knew I’d have to add a Get Well card to the collection and so, Get Well Spoon emerged.

At the same time I realised I wanted the cards to stand out and become 3D by adding googly eyes, but being an environmentally aware family and author (I have published Ruff’s Guide to Endangered Animals to raise awareness of issues like plastic polluction), I wasn’t keen on the protoype I created with plastic googly eyes and so the research into compostable googly eyes began. It turns out the only ones you can get are cake decorations, but they work brilliantly!

I got such super responses to these quirky mixed media illustrations that I decided to start selling them through the FGB Etsy Shop and I even approached a local shop, Leafy Seadragon Refill, who champion eco-friendly independents and asked if they would stock them and they said yes! I’m so grateful that they did, as that really spurred me on to create more and now I have framed illustrations avaibable too.

I add to my range as often as new designs spring to mind and just love what I’m doing, it’s such fun to come up with new illustrations and puns that really make people smile.