A-hem. Right, so... it's been a while, February if you must know... look I'm doing my best....I've been busy....stuff happens....the dog ate it...it's not you, it's me....I don't have to explain myself to you....leave me alone....
Is anyone else constantly bullied by their nagging guilt-inducing blog? Nope? Just me then.
Anyhoo, I don't intend to bore (but then the road to hell is paved with good intentions) so here's a potted history of my doodling activities (amongst others) over the last 8 months...

February
- exhibition in Saffron Walden Library with Cee Biscoe - Cee sold 2 paintings, I sold 0 paintings. Not that I'm bitter....
- illustrating various books for Cowley Hunter, Parragon and Publications International...
- Join a gym for the first time - this is it, the dawn of a new fitter, thinner me...

March
- Couple of lovely school visits - Acton School, Suffolk and Howe Dell, Hatfield.
- First mini-gig with my musical ensemble 'My Man Jeeves' (we have yet to do our second)
- Quit the gymn. What was I thinking? I don't belong here.

April
- Write new picture book The Last Tiger

- Toby's 3rd birthday - made a passable Herbie cake...
- Top That agrees to publish my second book for them, 'Cub's First Summer'

May

- My agency gets a deal with Lion Hudson to publish The Last Tiger
- Visit 9 schools in Haverhill with the Torchbook project - (getting a group of schools to write and illustrate one book together)
- Sometimes is published

June

- Start illustrations for Cub's First Summer (Cub's First Winter came out last year....hmmm....I'm thinking there may be 2 more possibilities in this series...)
- Various marvelous events - Book readings and signings in Waterstones, Bury St Edmunds, Ipswich Children's Book Group event in, well, Ipswich, Storytimes in the local libraries...it's all guuud....
- Zoo Girl is published and get's Highly Commended in the Junior Design Awards
- EADT article about my 'idiosyncratic' life!?!

July
- Start running a 6 week children's book illustration and writing course in Bookends in Sudbury
- working on illustrating. 'Little Donkey Close you Eyes' for Parragon

August
- Perform my sell-out show at Edinburgh Book Festival! Ok, so it was one date in a venue that holds 45 people but, hey, I got to 'do' the Edinburgh Book Festival! Just fabulously exciting and wonderful.
- Greenbelt Arts Festival - workshops and bedtime readings, and free tickets to an event we attend every year anyone... I am a lucky chicken.


September
- My agency Bright holds a summer picnic on Clapham Common and I get to meet one of my all-time illustration heroes Sebastien Braun. He (and his wife) were utterly charming.
- Start writing a children's novel. I have literally no idea what I'm doing but love doing it anyway...








October
-Zoo Girl gets nominated for the Kate Greenaway medal and I almost wet myself with excitement
- Write new picture book 'Naked Trevor' about a bird who's, well, totally nude...





- Start 'Clembeau' - a new driftwood Christmas tree company with my Dad.
- Fragoline ('Frangoline' in the States)is published and is only reviewed in the New York - ruddy- Times!
- Start illustrating The Last Tiger


November
- Realise I haven't blogged in months, start to panic, write an overly long blog entry which no-one in their right minds will get to the end of. Ho hum. I'll be off now, see y'all soon. And if not, Happy Christmas, Happy Easter, have a great summer....