Merry Christmas, Goodbye 2013!

Living in a different country meant that returning home for Christmas with my family really felt as special and exciting as it was when I was little.

Ho ho ho! ... Merry Christmas folks! 

I hope you all had a wonderful time with your families and friends, eating and drinking everything in sight until you fell asleep in front of the TV... Like me. It's that time of year again and, although i'll refrain from a tiraid about how quick time is flying by, it really is staggering how swiftly his year has come and gone. 

I apologise for the lack of updates in the last couple of months. I had been doing so well until November! I had the adventure of a lifetime when myself and my partner went to California for 3 weeks for an incredible road trip that ended with us flying in a helicopter to the Grand Canyon and a stint in Vegas! It was our first trip to CTNX which was truly an amazing experience. It was invaluable to meet artists I have been friends with online for years, a couple for over a decade! I spent time laughing and learning from heroes, peers, teachers and strangers who became contacts and friends. We were fortunate enough to meet with our friends at Disney Feature Animation, Pixar and Disney Imagineering to show us around and give us a glimpse of the magic that really happens in these places. It's safe to say I absolutely fell in love with California, I have always strove to get over there but having now been there as a visitor it's really fanned the flames of a burning desire to get out there on a more permanent basis one day.

The end of the year is always time for reflection and as I sit here polishing off the last of a mountain of Christmas chocolate I can't help but marvel at what a crazy year it's been. If someone had told me at the beginning of 2013 (or even half way through!) that I would be ending the year living in a different country and working in another new country I would've laughed a lot and backed slowly away from you, careful not to break eye contact with the crazy person.

It's really thrown light onto the fact that you really don't know what's around the corner! This is an odd concept for me because, although I've always known this to be true, It's rare to be faced with something so immediately life changing. It's been difficult at times but I'm striving to embrace it and I do love a good challenge!

I didn't intend on this being a rambley end-of-year post but it's definitely turned into one! I wish everyone who has read this far and wonderful, healthy and prosperous 2014. Enjoy one more day of festive over indulgence before we all get our heads down, diet, detox (for January at least!) and draw like maniacs for another year.

Summit Plummet iPhone Case

Unfortunately, a few weekends ago, after nearly three wonderful years together my beloved iPhone4 was stolen while I was in a bar in London :( Massive sad/frustrating/angry emotions gave way to the realisation that I needed a new phone. Off I went to my first ever trip to the Apple store where i walked out with a shiny new iPhone5 (that I will now be guarding with my life). I'm one of those people that won't take my phone out of the house without a bullet proof case and a perfectly positioned screen protector. Hence, my iPhone4 was in beautifully mint condition after nearly three years *cry*

The long and short of this anecdote was that I decided to illustrate a design that could be printed as my iPhone case. I wanted to make something that makes me smile, as i'll be looking at it a lot - as my phone's always on me. I also wanted to play on the longer, thinner shape of the iPhone5. All this culminated in Summit Plummet. If you have no idea what this is have a read here: https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/parks/blizzard-beach/attractions/summit-plummet/

It's not spot on the reference as I wanted to adapt it for my purpose. It's also a more graphical style than I usually go for but I thought it'd work best :)

Here's some photos on it on my phone!