Happy Christmas!

Here's the mitten shaped christmas card I designed to send out to all the people I work with this year. I feel really lucky to work with so many nice people,

it really does make freelance work and life more enjoyable.

I'm signing off for christmas now....

I can't wait to catch up with lots of family and friends over the coming week.

I will be back in the new year with pictures of my recent break and lot of new projects to share with you. 2012 is going to be an exciting year!

I hope you've all got a nice break planned and enjoy the festivities!

Take care and safe travelling!

Happy Christmas One and All!

**please note that the copyright of the above design belongs to beth gunnell design ltd**

FREE download

Hello all...I'm back after my lovely Malaysian break...photos coming soon!

But now it's time for work and present wrapping!

AND....listening to this wonderful EP from Abimaro and the Free.

A FREE gift for us all....it's brilliant please do check it out.

Abimaro's voice is beautiful. One to watch out for in 2012!

Click here to download for FREE.

If you're a fan of the super cover artwork...check out the Lakwena the artist here.

a winter break....

we're off on a winter break...our first trip to Asia!

I'm so excited...after saving and saving I can't quite believe it's here!

We're off to Malaysia for a fortnight, for a mix of beach and city...

Langkawi and then onto Kuala Lumpur.

I'm sure I will have many photos to share on my return.

Take care everyone and enjoy the christmas build up!

coming soon....

...well quite a while to go!

Perfect Patterns will be published at the start

of May and is available to pre-order here.

I'm really excited to see the cover is now showing on Amazon,

I'm pleased with how the colours have come out

and can't wait to see the whole book now!

This is my latest colouring book with Buster Books!

It's a follow on from Pretty Patterns which was released earlier in the year...

see my earlier blog post here for more detail.

Pretty Patterns is available to order here!

Pinterest Addict!

I'm aware Pinterest is old news for many...and I've been a member for a little while now

but only over the last few weeks have I actually started using it.

I LOVE IT!

There's so much to see, smile at, be inspired by, cook, read etc etc!

I see it as creative and productive Facebook!

Though I'm sure anything is more productive than Facebook!

Here are some of my pins and if you'd like to follow me here's my link....

www.pinterest.com/bgunnelldesign

1. Embroidered car from here

2. I am now growing my hair for this reason...Gaga but better!

3. Love the colour and designs see more here

4. Cute charactes....from Happy Doodle Land

5. perfect breakfast treat from Martha Stewart

6. cutest monkey ever

Cockpit Open Studios competition....

I had a quick trip to London last weekend and had a sneak peek at my lovely friend Abigail's space in Cockpit Arts Studio. Abigail is running a competition on her blog this weekend to win tickets to their up and coming Christmas Open Studios event. Click here to win!

The artists who are based there have such fantastic work I certainly think it's worth visit...

even Vogue says it's 'London's most exciting creative talent'!

Here's some pictures I took at the weekend of Abbie's wonderful work.

See previous posts here and here too.

Abbie also has an Etsy shop and blog!

**PLEASE NOTE COPYRIGHT OF ALL ARTWORK SHOWN

IN THE PHOTOS BELONGS TO ABIGAIL BROWN**

A Nordic Tale...

Nordic Tale is a range I worked on some of the patterns, prints and embroideries for with the talented babywear team at Mamas and Papas.

There's some lovely photos online, their styling is always so brilliant.

It's available online and instore now.

**PLEASE NOTE

COPYRIGHT OF IMAGE AND ARTWORK BELONGS TO MAMAS AND PAPAS**

Monday....

This is great....you can customise with your own message here.

Thanks to Victorinox and of course the talented Rob Ryan.

And I found this super link via Mrs Cheese....a blog certainly worth checking out

there's a new blog about....

My lovely friend Abigail Brown has started a new blog that is

certainly worth checking out....here

Not only is she great at making beautiful birds....she's also a very talented illustrator.

spooked....

I don't really like Halloween...am I the only one!? It seems like it's getting more popular.

But this is coming from someone who is put off seeing a

film if it's a 15! and an 18 certificate is out of the question!!

The one thing I do like though is carving pumpkins! I had a lovely sunday morning carving these faces this weekend!!

Here's some more pumpkins from a couple of years ago...click here.

I hope you all enjoy Halloween and you aren't as scared of Trick or Treaters as I am!

I'll be the one with the lights off pretending I'm not in tonight! haha!!

oh so girly....

...it's always great to see the artwork I have worked on in store...

here's a couple of girly tops available instore and online now at George@Asda

and below an up close shot to show more detail....I loved working on this design.

***ALL COPYRIGHT BELONGS TO ASDA STORES LIMITED***

Happy Birthday Mary Blair

Good ole google has informed me that it would have

been Mary Blair's 100th birthday today!

From the moment I saw her work I loved it,

I bought this book and then went on to add this one to my collection...lovely stuff!

Her colours are so vibrant and the characters are always so charming and lovely.

Have a super weekend everyone....

I'm really looking forward to mine....it's full of friends and family,

including 4 little nephews!

My African mural....

The main purpose of my trip was to create some artwork on the walls of the

Timbutini Pre school which is linked to Hawane Farm.

I have no realised that I haven't taken very good 'after' photos...most of them are close ups

but hopefully you still get a good idea of what I was up to over in Swaziland....

Me and mom in action below...I certainly couldn't have completed

it in time without her help!

Me with the lion below....my favourite! I loved decorating his mane!

Timbutini Pre School now has a sign...it wasn't clear that it was actually

a school before I got my hands on it!

At times I missed my 'apple-z' option while I was painting but I am overall pleased

with how it's all turned out and really enjoyed working on a large scale.

I had no idea of what the school was like beforehand so I had to plan quickly once I arrived.

Below are some close ups, I really wanted to include some textural detail...

It was important to get some health messages across to the children...

Daily at Timbutini Pre School the children are given multi-vitamins and also

brush their teeth after their lunch.

Here's the queue for toothbrushes...

Lovely faces above and below that made my days painting very cheery...

above: singing to me....again! and the boys are fighting in the background...again!!

I'm sure boys will be boys no matter which continent we're in!

The head teacher Patricia, below, with the welcoming lion.

Above, our last day....it was all so much fun!

a fact for you: Timbutini means goats in siSwati the language of Swaziland!

I hope you've enjoyed having a nose this week at pics from my trip! It all feels like a dream

after a week back in the UK....a a very good dream!

Have a great weekend everyone....time to get those Autumn clothes out!

More photos from my African trip!

This trip to Swaziland was with my mom, she has been before with my dad a couple of years ago.

A couple of my mom's friends live and work over there so we were fortunate to be able to stay with

them and see the work that they do....all part of the Lighthouse Project.

Their aim is to set up care centres for children, pre-schools, feeding stations, churchs,

clinics and life skills centres for the communities in Swaziland and train up

people in the community to run these centres. It was fantastic to see the work that is happening there....

a lot of people in Swazi, the majority, do struggle.

It has the highest rate of HIV in the world and medication (including contraception)

and healthcare isn't free (except for ARVs which are used for HIV).

Schooling isn't free either and a lot of areas don't have a pre-school.

The unemployment rate is high so money is very tight or non-exsistant for many.

I was surprised to see that the supermarkets are the same price as here if not more expensive!

But there are some positives, the work that the Lighthouse Project is doing is really

helping a lot of people both in the communities as well as in the centres they have

set up thanks the fantastic people involved and the donations from others.

Here's some more of my pictures....click on the pics to see larger versions

(I will be posting photos of the mural I painted while I was there tomorrow)

1.We were delayed for 24 hours in Paris on the way over....

so we deserved treats and here's a very good looking hot chocolate!

2. Beautiful wild flowers

3. I got dragged up to dance like a Swazi at the cultural village! cringey

4. Me and my mom trying Pap for the first time thanks to the welcoming staff at Noahs Ark Pre-school

and feeding station! the kitchen is in the background

Our tastebuds liked it but our bodies didn't!!

5. Getting fit to a Davina dvd with some of the ladies from Hawane Farm!

Hawane Farm is where we mainly stayed, we stayed in the hospice.

6. An amazing breakfast at Nisela after a 5am start on our way to a clinic in Lavumisa!

Chips for breakfast are the way forward!

7.My mom being pharmacist for the day at a clinic in Lavumisa....

I had the job of weighing people.

8.The clinic at Lavumisa in the new church.

9.Parachute fun at the brilliant Noahs Ark school and feeding station.

10.Putting on a show at Noahs Ark before lunch.

11.Getting crafty with the girls at Elustwini.

12.The strong girls of Elustwini Refuge centre.

13.Facepainting....a mini man!

14.More facepainting!

15.A huge joy to see zebras up close on our mini safari at Mlilwane.

16.Hawane Farm dogs Roxy and Maxine.

17.Birthday cakes, a double celebration on the farm.

18. Bandele the little poser!

19. Setsibele ready for a little trek at Hawane resort.

and last but not least....20.the Hawane Farm fire alarm!

Swaziland....

....already my trip over the last fortnight is feeling a bit like a dream.

I had such a great time. Despite many many troubles, Swaziland is a beautiful country...

1. The wonderful Jane admiring the view after a nightmare drive up a 4x4 track (we weren't in a 4x4!). 2. Payphone anyone! 3. The best view from the loo ever! 4. Now time for a handwash.

5. Lovely old truck with the beautiful Swazi scenery. 6. With the lovely people from Noahs Ark school.

7. My trainers have never been so clean...daily view in the background. 8. Proud peacock!

More photos coming soon....it was a jam-packed fortnight!

back home....

....and it's all a bit surreal!

Here's a quick snapshot of me and my mom with the kids

from Timibutini Pre-school in Swaziland on our last day!

Mural complete, thanks to lots of help from my mom!

I will be posting more photos soon....its been a truly fantastic trip!

off I go to....

Swaziland!!

Hawane Farm to be exact! I'm flying this evening!

As I don't normally get much further than Majorca it's really

quite an adventure for me. I will be going with my Mum and staying

with a couple of her friends that live and work there.

I will be getting creative with the kids as well as hopefully

creating a mural, so hopefully I will have lots to show on my blog

when I return in October!

Have a great couple of weeks everyone!

take care.

a cat in a hat...

Some of the designs that I've worked on for

George at Asda's toddlerwear is now in store.

This cat in a hat is my favourite so far,

click here to see it on their website,

as well as another one here of a dog

and also a little bird here.

**please note copyright belongs to ASDA stores Ltd**

home for the weekend

This weekend I've been at home....it's been a while since that has happened.

Was very nice to potter about...shopping, hanging about with my nephews, eating takeaway, reading and cooking my first successful cake ready for my husbands birthday!

I can't quite believe I've made an edible cake!

I also popped round to Bagthorpe Gardens with our new neighbours....

the gardens/allotments are just next door to my house....

it feels much further than the mile or so we actually are from the

city when wandering around there. Very peaceful!

A very wholesome weekend....

a big contrast from my husband's weekend. He was at Bestival dressed as Lady Gaga!

cotton baked treat....

After yesterday's post I thought I'd share with you another

birthday present that I received last month!

Again made by a super talented friend...this time Nicola Pearson!

I've been admiring her characters for a long time so it's great to now own one!

You can see more of Nicola's great work on her blog

and also her shop...Cotton Baked by Lulu.

Her characters sell fast so get in quick!

red red robin....

I'm really lucky to have very talented friends....this beauty of a robin was a

30th birthday present last month! It's such a treat!!

Perfectly made by a very extra-ordinary bird maker and designer.... Abigail Brown!

Be sure to check her out! blog is here and website here and shop here.

UPDATE

***check out Abigails blog before the 16th September and enter her competition***

a boy or a girl...

Here's some little characters that I've designed for some outfits that are available to

buy online or in store now. Click here for boys and here for the girls link!

the last wedding of the year!

It's been wedding year for us this year...we've had 7! They have all been so so brilliant!

Lots and lots of fun! It's so so special to see close friends and family get married.

Here's some pics that I took at my sister in laws wedding last weekend.

All their planning was certainly worth it.

The wedding service was very special, complete with a super gospel choir.

There were tears a plenty!

The marquee looked fantastic, complete with a dressing up box, kissing booth, cake table. There was also a raffle, barn dance, a pub quiz and singing from the very talented Mary Leay!

It was a perfect day and I'm so proud to call the new Mr and Mrs Leay family.

60 years as Mr and Mrs

It's a special weekend for our family this weekend as we celebrate my

Grandparents 60th wedding anniversary!

Here's a photo from their wedding day.... and they really are still smiling 60 years on!

They are such wonderful people that I'm so lucky to have as part of my life.

Happy Anniversary Nan and Grandad!

Have a great weekend everyone!

It's been a little while...

It's been so long since my last post, time has flown

and I'm wondering how on earth it has got to September so quickly!

Here's some little snapshots from weeks gone by....

1. Surprise birthday trip to the Edinburgh Fringe thanks to my Ed!

we LOVE Edinburgh!

2. Treats thanks to John Lewis...

my jewellery is so well organised now!

3. Thirty!! thats me! 4. Beautiful giant Lilys

5. Tweed dreams....Ed's perfect shop!

6. Smiles from gorgeous god-son Danny.

7 and 8. Got to be one of the happiest days of my year! My best friends wedding!

LOVED being bridesmaid and wish the day had gone on and on!

9. Our Gary and my new birthday scarf and watch.

I hope you've all had fun this summer....it's not over yet!

Lovely balloon....

I love this card, purchased earlier this week...in fact I love the whole range,

see here.

Happy Friday everyone!

And the winner is.....

CT Mom!! who loves going to drive-ins and eating ice-cream!

(If you could email me on beth_gunnell@btinternet.com with your address that would be great!)

A big thank you to everyone who entered,

I really enjoyed reading what you love about summer!