New Elephant Cartoon-And a "Creative Block" Solution...

Hello there. Hope everything is going well for you. And that you've had a smooth and peaceful week.

If, like me though, you've had things turn out now quite as you'd hoped, and a little trip into Creative Block Land, then am going to share a tool I found that may help, and the story of how it helped me.

Which, believe it or not, is linked to this new elephant cartoon:

Please feel free to share this if you'd like, as long as the watermark
 and signature remain intact. Many thanks!

There I was, frustrated by project roadblocks, and feeling distinctly un-creative. (Which, thank goodness, is rare for me...but all the scarier therefore, when it strikes).

"What I need," I thought, "is a way of breaking old patterns, and creating new ones..."

And somehow, from that, the almost-magical discovery of the random word generator at, wait for it, randomwordgenerator.com.

At random, the generator presented me with five words. One of which was, "adoption". Which got me to think about those, "adopt an animal and get a cuddly toy and progress report," schemes run by animal charities...

Which led me to wonder what it would be like if a person ended up with more than they'd expected...And hence the cartoon.

Hope this has give you a laugh, and/or, an idea to try next time you need your mind to break free.

Have a lovely weekend. More soon.

New "Bowls Superleague" Cartoon

Hello there. It's been a while since I posted a cartoon, but this week has been full of them. Now that at least one has been received (with joy, it seems...phew!) I can post it here.

As this was a "custom-designed" card, it may take more explaining than your average cartoon. Basically, the recipient is a fan of both bowls and football (soccer if you're reading this in the US). 

Other salient points that might or might not need a similar explanation: 1) The bowls season has just started in the UK, and 2) There have been recent (unsuccessful) attempts to set up a football super league, involving eye-watering amounts of money, and no-one ever having to leave the league, no matter how badly they play.

So I started thinking about what would happen in a parallel universe, if those two things combined...

Anyway, if you know anyone who likes bowls or football, please feel free to share this with them if you'd like.

But the next project is different

The next project I'm working on should take much less explaining, and I'll be revealing it next week. I know that all the lovely people who read this blog (thank you!) come for different reasons. But I know that you also often like new designs, cartoons,  and/or items that you can use in your own projects.

As the next project combines both of these things, I'm hopeful (and hoping) that you'll love it.

I'll see you next week with that. 

Update May 12th: The next project has hit various snags. But I'll still be posting the art that is ready for you to enjoy. More soon!

If you enjoyed this post, please like, follow or comment about it on Facebook. Many thanks!

New Bluebell Painting: "Ringing in the Spring"

Hello there. Hope you're well and thriving.

And after a much-needed (staycation) break, it's time to reveal something new.

Enter this new bluebell painting. (Though am loving how it's turned out-and that it was inspired by a single walk in our local woodland, that was drenching itself in the magic and newness of spring).

In my original draft of this post, I was also going to be talking about how excited I was to have found a new way to get prints to you easily.

As am still having some  issues with that new service, that will have to wait. (And no, I don't want to name the service, because the teething problems could well be my own fault, and I don't want to be in any way unfair).

Which I guess is a roundabout way of saying that this print is still available, along with lots of other lovely items, in my Redbubble shop.

There'll be more soon, and thanks for waiting for this post!

PS. Update on April 30th: If you enjoy cardmaking and crafting, a sheet based on this painting is also available.

New Design: Purple and White Anemones Are Surprising...

This week's design is a surprise. The purple and white anemones were originally created for all the lovely people who buy my craft sheets. Thank you so very much, and here's a link to the latest floral sheets in action there.

What surprised me though, is how unexpectedly bright, striking and beautiful they looked on other items, from stickers to shower curtains. And especially on the small and pretty items that are so great and easy to send as gifts, like coasters, scarves, and pouches.

You can browse the whole collection over at my Redbubble shop, and find lots of other pretty florals and other bits and pieces there too.

And if you like this design (or have others you'd like to see) please do let me know on the BoundingSquirrel Facebook page.

Hope you enjoy this design in any event...and more soon!

PS and update on March 23rd. Have just realised that forgot to say I'd be taking a week's (staycation!) break to re-charge and soak in some of fresh air and lovely spring sunshine we now have. All has gone to plan, and, re-energised and re-inspired, I'll be back next week. Thanks in advance for your understanding and my apologies for not saying this last week.

New "Rose Girl" Design and A Dilemma...

Hello there. Hope this post finds you thriving, and (ideally) in temperatures much warmer than our own current *spring* cold snap.

In anticipation of all things summer though, this "Rose Girl" design appeared the other day. (I say "appeared," because was sat down meaning to draw something else entirely, and somehow this design happened instead). The whole business of creating things seems to be like that sometimes. You expect oranges, but get pears...And yet, it all works out.

Anyway, this led to a dilemma, because she's quite different to a lot of the things I normally draw (being a person, for one thing ;-)).

But after encouragement from some friends online, I uploaded her to my Redbubble shop, and am glad I did. Because it turns out she's rockin' it on greeting cards, wall art, magnets, pillows/cushions, and more.

Hope she brings you thoughts of peaceful summer days too. And in any event, have a happy weekend. 

More soon!

If you enjoyed this post, please like, follow or comment about it on Facebook. Many thanks!

Free "Sending Love" Animated Roses Gif

Hello there!

Hope things are wonderful for you whenever you're reading this. If you're also needing to send a quick message, or send someone some virtual roses for whatever reason, this animated gif/ecard features pink roses, and could be just the thing.

As ever, just right-click, click or tap, according to your device and save, and you're good to send it like any other image.

Hope this helps and more soon!

If you enjoyed this post, please like, follow or comment about it on Facebook. Many thanks!

"Chocs Away! Free Easter Rabbit Cartoon/ECard

Happy Easter everyone. Feel free to right-click/click/tap and share this image if you'd like

More soon.

Follow

Free "Floral Joy" Flowery Printable Background Paper and More...

Hello there! Hope you're thriving. Spring has sprung (at least temporarily :-) here in the UK, and sharing this background (which started off as a doodle, then just grew...) feels like a great way to celebrate.

As ever, just right-click and save, or click and save, or tap and save, depending on your device, and it's yours to use pretty much as you like (see my angel policy for full details).

Attribution's always lovely, but never required, and if you do you use it, I always love to see what happens to my stuff "out in the wild" if you're up for that.

More than a background

If you're looking for even more though, this background has a card and insert to match over at Craftsuprint, and also looks rather yummy on some lovely things over at Redbubble. 

The choice is yours and Happy Spring(/Autumn in the southern hemisphere!) wherever you are.

Follow

Free Happy Birthday Animated Dog Gif To Share

Hello there-hope you're doing well and thriving. Today's offering is a free Happy Birthday gif. 

I can share this little dog now that the birthday of the person for whom it was made has passed...And he's just too cute to sit in the dark on my hard drive, isn't he?

So please feel free to share and use it in your own projects if you'd like. Right-click or click/tap and save according to your device to grab and use him. 

(As ever, links back are always v. much appreciated, but never required).

Hope this is fun and useful for you-more soon!

There Are *No* Art Police...

If you draw, write or create anything at all, you'll probably identify with this feeling...

The time when you wake up and feel (for whatever mysterious reason) that you're a failure, and/or will never produce anything good at all/ever again.

That feeling has been creeping up on me for ages. And this week, it was time to Deal. With. It.

What I didn't realise though, was by 'fessing up to the situation  in a social media group, I'd get quite such an outpouring of support (thanks everyone), mostly from other people, saying either that they'd been to that place often, or were there right now.

Which led me to feel that I really had to do something about this now, not just for myself, but in order not to leave a loop open that was clearly very emotive for a *lot* of people.

The solution I came to was obvious and fun for me, and though it's had a lovely reception in that group, I have no idea yet whether it would ever work for anyone else.

Basically, that solution was to personify an imaginary inner critic, have them throw all my worst fears at me in a drawing and then, simply, erase them.

Which is the story behind this cartoon/four-panel comic...

The *really* interesting thing was that the act of erasing this heartfelt felt but fully imaginary "art policeman" felt incredibly cathartic. In other words, I really do feel free from a ton of inner criticism.

Hope helps for you or someone you know, and/or has given you some fun.

More soon.

Follow