Open Houses and other creative stuff

As a freelance illustrator I was lucky enough to work for a GREAT company called CAMDEN GRAPHICS (now owned by UK greetings). Bob Borzello set the company up and now throws fantastic get
together's for all people that were part of the company. 
Bob's an amazing person and entrepreneur, who made Camden Graphics a brilliant place to be part of. Quite a few of the 
creative department went on to work on books. Like Lovely Deborah Allwright and Phil Powell who worked as a designer at Egmont books. Pip and Chris came up from Brighton too. It was great to catch up with everyone!


And I'm getting to the age where 50th Birthday parties are coming up thick and fast. Pete Greenwood's 50th a few weeks back where his wife Claire brought out a cake with some serious fireworks on. (Pete's illustrations are superb...take a look.)


Once the LADYBOY posters go up in Brighton, you know the May festival is on the way. Managed to get to a few open houses last weekend which great. And did a talk at DAVID HIGHAM ASSOCIATES (my agents) last week too. More about that below... 

The unique Bob Borzello

Pip Adams (Textile designer and artist) and me.

Lovely Deborah Allwright.
Look at all her wonderful books.

The very talented Pete Greenwood's 50th
birthday.I shared a studio with Pete at the Annex. Take a look at his work here.

Chris Scott (Pips husband) Pip and Phil.

Fredericks in Islington

Monica Willett
(and editor at Camden Graphics)
and Phil.

Deborah and Peter Kimpton
( Journalist and writer.)

There was a magician entertaining us.
I made half his head disappear.

My Mum took this photo...

My Mum - look at the WAITRESS in the mirror
and her expression!

BRIGHTON OPEN HOUSES and the festival started in May 1st.

Lots of nice houses stuffed full of all kinds of ARTS and CRAFTS. Wonderful gardens too (with tea and cake if you're lucky.)

Took my Mum to a few including this 

caravan and THE GARDEN HOUSE, which is 

huge and not what you expect from the 

outside. I bought a plant which is being eaten by slugs as I type.

Flower beds in The Garden House

Real chickens...

... not real chickens.

Lily's oil pastel drawing is very good.
(I would say that!)

The Team at David Higham Associates. 

Last Wednesday, I was asked to do a talk at David Higham Associates (MY AGENTS) about my work, how I started and anything else I could think of. Which was fine, until I walked into the room and everyone was sitting there looking at me! They were all very kind and it was so interesting listening to the other author (Victoria Routledge) talking too who writes adult fiction.Caroline Walsh (right at the back of the picture next to Alice) has been ,my agent since 1997.  She told me I'd done 30 pictures book to date. Doesn't



time fly when you're having fun?