More screenprinting!

I've been playing again! This time I've been making some lovely tote bags. For this little experiment I put Harvey on the front but I'm hoping to print some new designs in the new year!

 

 

They are now available in my Etsy shop -> https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/166610037/harvey-the-cockapoo-screenprinted-long (unfortunately the actual Harvey is not for sale)

Raaaa! Birthday!

My sister asked me to design a card for her friend. She asked if it could include dinosaurs or cakes, so I threw the two together.
This little fella had to be kept secret till now so I didn't spoil the surprise!

 (Hope you had a nice birthday Jazz!)

Happy Halloween!

It the time of year again where I get the urge to slice pretty pictures into a squash! This year in keeping with my current bout of cockapoo madness I have gone ahead and carved my dog into a pumpkin. It only took 2 hours, caused sever arm pain and blunted one craft scalpel but it worked! Plus I have somehow managed to keep all my fingers intact! Yay!

Only 108 days till christmas!

... So I'm cracking on making Christmas cards. This first one if for fans of Harvey - my cockapoo- with his very fluffy winter coat!

 

What happened in August

I seem to have neglected my blog over the last month... whoops! Here a quick little update on what I've been up to during August.

I've been on a lovely little week down to Cornwall for the boardmasters music festival, lots of paddling and sand dolphin making.

At home I've invested in a couple of sheets of shrink plastic and I've been making necklaces and brooches as well as starting to make a couple of Christmas cards - the first of which should be finished soon!

So that's August, I’d better crack on with September...

This little chap is available to buy, along with his friends at my shop which is here

--> http://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/RachaelSnapeDesigns

A Pride of Lions

A few weeks ago I got a very quick phone call from my sister requesting a picture of some lions like the ones she had just seen in the zoo. So being the nice sister that I am I made a card for her. The card was sent ages ago but I just realised I hadn't but the image up here, so here it is.

 

***Shop Now Open***

I've finally got round to opening my shop! At the minute I've got some lovely blank cards and a couple of my screen prints for sale... I'm sure I'll add some more things soon!

Playing outside with the doggy woofs

Hello summer!

It had been while since I had drawn something that didn't have wings, fur or more than 2 legs. So here’s an image based on a photo of me and my sister when we were tiny... with something furry with 4 legs... I think everyone will soon realise I’m a dog person (although quite a few people know already)

Harvey Bo 2

A while ago I was playing with screen prints... then I ran out of paper. So while I am waiting for Mr postman to bring me some more here's another picture of Harvey, only this time he's little more awake.

Harvey Bo Bumbles

A few people have pointed out that I haven't uploaded any images of Harvey, my dog. So to correct this problem here's one of him sleeping with his favourite teddy. He does have a really nice comfy dog bed... he just chooses to sleep on the hard laminate floor, I suppose with that much fur everywhere is soft, warm and fluffy!

Time to get my hands mucky

My laptop has been shelved for a few days while I try my hand at a little screenprinting.
So far so good, although it has taken over my bedroom!

And finally...

I’ve made it! All the way from A to Z with minimal cheating! I'm sorry for all arachnophobic people who see this, but Z is a zebra spider. These little chaps are really tiny and - once again, sorry arachnophobic people - they are also jumping spiders and are very common. They also don’t build webs, this guy is just gate crashing some poor other spiders’ web.

Caught in the bath

Here's Y. One little bird interrupting bath time for the other!

A Family of FoXes

Okay, the time has come to cheat, just a little. I've drawn some cute little foxes so I hope this will help you to forgive me.

Teensy-weensy Wood mice

Here are a couple of itty-bitty mice! You can probably guess by the cutesy adjectives that I'm not squeamish when it comes to rodents.

Little Purple Beetle

This little chappie is a Violet Ground Beetle. (He's probably a little more purple than he is in real life but this way he looks prettier!)

Urtica Dioica

... also known as the common nettle.
I failed to find anything that begins with U so I had to get a little creative. In the end I found a solution, to use a little bit of Latin! (If you think this is cheating slightly I apologise in advance for what I’m going to do for X)

Shiny new website!

Its may have taken three years, many drawings and a few arguments with dreamweaver - but I've finally got round to giving my website a face lift! It can be perused at www.rachaelsnape.com

Two Tawny Owls

20 done...6 to do!

Stoats and Snowdrops

Weeks ago my sister requested that one of these images included snowdrops. She even suggested ignoring the s and just calling them nowdrops so I'd get round to it quicker. But I've made her wait till I got round to doing S, because I’m a good girl and I'm doing this alphabet properly. So here's your snowdrops Em (with a couple of stoats)

Back to my little project...

Here's the latest addition.
Of course I was going to fit a couple of squirrels in somewhere. These little guys are - I’m about to state the obvious - Red squirrels.

That’s R sorted - Emily you'll be happy to know S is next!

Rainforest Adventures

Now for something a little different!
This is a book cover for a collection of short stories written by the children my sister works with. I could have easily got carried away and had monkeys hanging all over the place, but I had to leave room for the title somewhere... maybe there’ll be room for more monkeys next time!

I found a Q!

There were 3 letters I was struggling with while working my way thought the alphabet with the British wildlife and plants theme. This was one but then I found Quaking grass.

The other 2 are U and X. I may have found a solution for U, but - as with the majority of a to z books that don’t include a xylophone - I might have to cheat just a little on X.

Pleasant Pheasants

Here’s Letter P. Quite simply, it's a pair of pleasant pheasants perplexed by a closed gate.
Try saying that three times fast.

O is for Otter

Considered making this one T...for Tarka, but what else begins with an O?

So here it is, O for Otter.

I wonder if I can get the next one done before the end of the week...

N is for... Dragonfly

I’m not going crazy! I know that it’s been over a month since I decided to work my way though the alphabet, but I'm still going. You may think that I've got this far and just fancied drawing a dragonfly, but this particular little fella is a Norfolk Hawker dragonfly. Now onwards to O.

14 down...12 to go!

Making Molehills

Here are a couple of troublesome moles, blind destroyers of lawns and ornamental grass verges across the country.

Emily - your snowdrops are on their way, I have a plan.

Leaf cutter bees munching on lilac

Special treat today! Two Ls for the price of one!

The Kestrel and The Pylon

I have returned to my desk - which is now almost free from inky smudges - to draw another bird.
This time it's a kestrel flying near a pylon. Seeing as the first thought in my head when it comes to drawing birds seems to be 'stick it in/near a tree', I fancied including something a little different . However, with a few more bird drawings before I get to Z, I may stick one in a tree. Just because I can.

A party of jays

Okay, this image isn't showing jays partying as wild as they could be. It looks more like the day after a party. The one on the right does look like he’s regretting something... I do have an illustration of an actual jay party somewhere. Partying jays seems to ring a bell...

Tonight I'm a happy bunny! I have ink that works as it should so I can now clean the black fingerprints off my laptop!

I is for Ivy

Ignore any information in my last post that implied I had learnt my inky lesson! This turned out to be another pretty messy drawing, I'm going to stop being cheap and throw my ink out and buy a nice new bottle!

A very messy little Hedgehog

Note for my future self (and anyone else it might help)-
If the ink in the pot is really thick and gloopy, water it down first! Don't think it'll be fine and slap it on anyway, its makes a lovely mess and turns your hands black every time you touch it. Lesson learnt! Now I've just got to clean it off my scanner...

A little birdie

This little fella is a Goldcrest. The Goldcrest is the smallest bird in the UK. Even though it's tiny the females have still me known to lay up to 12 eggs at once.

The Foxgloves that nearly didn't make it

I had a little help with this one. Harvey (my dog) decided the drawing would look better ripped into little pieces all over the floor. Ive managed to jigsaw it back together. Unfortunately this experience has made him discover that my desks full of fun chewable stuff, so far we've played tug of war with a ruler, some paintbrushes and a pencil. The pen didn't survive.

Emperor Moth

Time for another insect. This Emperor Moth loves to eat heather and is easily identified as its the only large moth with eyespots on all wings. Although it is often mistaken for a butterfly.

 

Bellis perennis

Daisies! This has given me the urge to make daisy chains, if only it was summer. Nevermind I will have to just play in the snow instead.

 

A charm of Chaffinches

Chaffinchs the most common finch in the UK. These are male birds, the females are brown and black. They have many nicknames including pink twink, chaffey and pinkery.

 

B is for...

Lots of things (see dictionary for examples) But I have chosen Badger. Time to start planning C.

 

Hello internet, its been a while...

This blog has been neglected for sometime now. (Sorry blog) Time to wipe off the dust and start adding new stuff! This is what I am playing with at the minute. I am working my way through the alphabet, starting with a of course. This little chappy is a Alder fly. He usually has a home on plant life near water. B to follow shortly...