Here's a Free Month of May Animated Gif...

If you'd like to use this "May" gif online.
tap or click here to download.
Credit and links back here are
 never required, but always appreciated

Hello there, and hope this post finds you thriving.

Over here, I seem to have fallen down a rabbit-hole. One in which, creating images for screens instead of print, just like Alice in Wonderland, I suddenly need to do everything in reverse.

The largest possible sizes in print become the smallest possible file sizes for screens, for example.

However, it is *loads* of fun.

Even more importantly, it gives me the chance to share some expressive graphics with you. Like this one, which I hope gives the feeling of "bursting into bloom," which is May at its best in these parts.

(And yes, Southern Hemisphere people, I hear you. Contact me with your thoughts about what *you*'d like to see in an equivalent image, and I'll get onto it).

Will there be more? I hope so...Thanks so much for being here, and...Happy May Day!

More soon.
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The Toucan Returns...

Please vote for this design if you use Spoonflower 

Hello there

One day, I promise I'll design something that doesn't involve our toucan friend. This isn't that day.

Note, if you're in a hurry, the upshot here is: if you use Spoonflower.com please vote for my Lilies, Toucans and Bird of Paradise tropical floral design in the latest Spoonflower competition.

Site visitors are welcome to vote too, I think. It's just that the process may be easier for those familiar with it already.

And yes...

The theme of the competition is "hot house flowers". So, I diligently drew all my lilies, found little-used (!) bird of paradise motifs on my hard drive, and spent a whole afternoon on banana and other types of palm leaf.

A peek at some of the "work whilst it was in progress,"
for this tropical floral project.

Then I noticed that the more fulsome instructions for designers said, "Consider including tropical animals."

So obviously, our extrovert toucan friend from a few weeks ago was a shoe-in for a spot of tweaking and inclusion.

And whether or not this design wins amongst the many other simply amazing ones (if you're reading this during the competition window, you'll have a lush and exotic time just looking at all the gorgeous entries, I promise).

The new "maximalist", style in the air at the moment might not be to everyone's taste, but I'm loving the colours, the richness and the joy of it.

Plus...

Even if you're reading this way after the competition (which closes around May 5th 2026, I believe), this is a surprisingly livable design, even at scale, despite all those bright and tropical colours. Eg, if we had stairs, I think I'd enjoy seeing the design beside them.

Find this design on wallpaper at Spoonflower

Finally...

Whether or not you vote in this, thanks so much for reading down this far, and for being here. It means the world.

The next newsletter is more likely to come out around the beginning of May. But there will be...

More soon.

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Lots of Blossoming, and a Sale...

It's Time to Blossom...

Hello there

Despite everything going on in the world, here, we're lucky enough to be experiencing all the joy, and the feeling of unstoppable blossoming, that the spring brings with it. So, I just had to capture that in a digital watercolour in Krita (the result of which is above).

Not even just blossom...

It isn't just blossom. During my time off, there were sooo many parks and gardens that suddenly seemed full of flowers, sunshine and hope, as if the world had gone from grey to colour in just days.

Here's a selection of the gorgeous spring inspiration that we (well, OK, mostly The Computer Man) managed to photograph since I was last writing to you...(I love the sleeping duck, too...)

Hope you can feel some spring from these photos...

And it even goes even further...

There's also been joy and blossoming of a different kind here, as a family member has received so much benefit from this course for adults who stammer that they participated in a live story-telling event this week, in front of 150 people.

(And yes, you're right. This is waaaay off-topic for an art blog. But I very much wanted to give a shout-out to such an important resource, in the hope that it can benefit others as well). 

Last but not least, there's a sale...

Firmly back in the world of illustration again, I'm delighted to let you know that there's a sale on all my items at Redbubble from April 16th-20th 2026. How that works in practice and different time-zones etc is up to Redbubble, So if you're reading this close to the time it's written, now's the time to visit my shop.

Personally, I'm eyeing up more stickers (they're so useful for sending to others to make cards etc a bit more special) such as  last week's toucan, my ever-popular, "bear-hug" design, and of course, this week's encouraging cherry blossom...

It's Time to Blossom Sticker
Click or tap here to buy on Redbubble

And with that said (thank you so much for reading down this far, and for being here). I shall leave you to your week. May it blossom for you too, in whatever way will give you the things you most love.

More soon.

___________________________

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The Tale of an Encouraging Toucan...

Want to encourage yourself
(or someone else) with this toucan?
Tap or click here...

Hello there

And as ever, I hope you're well and flourishing in these crazy times.

Here, I had so many " Spring wildflower" intentions for you. And this post is the tale of how they got overtaken, by a toucan.

He (and he is a he, because, as I found out, they seem to have have brighter beaks and feet than the females), came flapping into my mind, full of life and joy, about a week ago.

Apart from checking online how many toes toucans have, and their beak size relative to their bodies (answer: huge) this image is pretty much that which I "saw" in my mind's eye from that first evening...Which definitely doesn't always happen. :-).


At first...

At first, I thought this was an entirely private thing, great for sending a boost to a friend. then, as this bird absolutely wouldn't leave my mind, on he went onto some products to inspire and cheer.

Here he is on a fridge magnet...

Being great on a greeting card...

And absolutely rocking it
on a tote bag...

But when he still wouldn't leave my thoughts, I modified this image, and a new toucan pattern was born. So if you're up for happy toucans on, for example, a mug, or cushion/throw pillow, here they are.

Happy toucans on multiple mugs...

And yes, this is how much a toucan throw-pillow

or cushion can brighten up a space...

So...

So, adorable cute and joyous though he undoubtedly is, this is one toucan that clearly wants to multiply, and bring as much joy to people as he can. If he floats your boat, please make him happy too, and grab some toucan joy here.

Finally...

As you can imagine, the "problem" of having an unexpectedly happy toucan is an absolutely excellent one to have. But if you're craving considerably smaller birdy/ easter type designs, if you tap or click here, you should find a selection of all my previous offerings on that theme.

I'm not sure whether they'll be a post next week-it's more likely to be the week after.

(Update on April 9th: Yes, the next post will be on or around April 16th. But if you need even more toucan joy until then, this toucan has joined friends and made his way onto fabric...

Happy Toucan Fabric,
available on Spoonflower.Com

But in any event, and whether or whatever you're celebrating or not at the moment, I wish you lots of joy (whether toucan-related or not) and send you huge love and thanks for being here.

More soon.

P.S To get details of new posts by email, please join the newsletter here. Many thanks.

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New Idea: Customise My Spring Floral Design...

Customisable spring floral wrapping paper.
Click or tap here to see it at Zazzle.

Hello there, and hope all is well with you.

This week, I'm both keeping a promise I made last week, and showing you something new.

To keep the promise first, the floral wrapping paper/giftwrap you see above with its uses from presents to crafts and more in the photo collage above, is the first design to have come from all that watercolour work-in-progress last week.

If you love the new design just the way it is, you can find it here, as normal.

This time though, *you* can change it...

The stand out thing  and new thing about the way I've designed this is that, if you want to, you can change it, right in the Zazzle editor.

So, if you'd rather have, for example,  a more dramatic background...

Here's how the design might look with a
 blue-mauve background added...

Or just a subtle pale grey one instead of white...

A potential pale grey background
has been added in this mock-up...

You can.

You can even alter the colour and effect of the pattern itself, turning it, for instance, into a greyscale, more  monochrome design, if you want...

Colour is completely taken away here
to show how the design might look in greyscale.

How is all this possible?

All the magic can happen so easily because of the Zazzle site's amazingly flexible new design editor. I'm happy to record a full tutorial on this if you'd like. For now though, please know that the basic steps are:

1. Visit the product page.

The editing button on the product page...

2. Click on the edit button (circled in green in the picture above).

3. For changing the background, you're working with the background layer...

A view of the editing screen showing
how to find the background layer.

4. And for changing the effects, you'll click the main image artboard, to bring up the effects menu (again, circled in green below). The effects tool then gives you all the ways in which you can change colour tones and effects.

Image showing the main artboard in the design 
screen, and the location of the effects button.

5. Save your changes and checkout as normal.

It's long been a dream of mine to give you more ways in which you can customise my designs and make them your own.  So this is, at last, at least a small way that I've been able to start achieving that. I hope you enjoy this, and that it's helpful.

Finally

Finally, a huge thank you for reading down this far, and to those who have re-subscribed after all the newsletter problems, a huge shoutout and thanks too. It means a lot.

As you can probably tell (eg a version of the original, more fun and upbeat logo and "look and feel" has been reinstated :-) ), changes are still afoot, and maybe for some time. 

But on the tech side (ie me and the Computer Man) are getting there. Thank you so much for bearing with it all.

Have a  wonderful week, whatever you're up to.

Thanks and love-more soon.

Clare

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Hyacinths and Vases in Watercolour-Work-In-Progress

Work-in-progress ink and watercolour hyacinth flowers and vases

Hello there.

Hope you're well in these crazy times. Am just dropping in to show you a colourful work-in-progress peek of the  images I've drawn and painted so far for a new collection. And yes, they're hand drawn and water-coloured. (For those who like to know, I used Sakura micron black pens, and a combination of Innktense and my new Viviva watercolours, on hot pressed watercolour paper).

I'd hoped to have the collection (and indeed, all the site changes) ready this week. But in the scale of things, these are such minor issues that I count myself totally lucky instead to be able to work on lovely things...and ask you to tune in next week, to see everything that they've become and are becoming...

In the meantime, thanks so much for being here, and enjoy the colours, the flowers, and another breath of spring.

More soon.

Love,

Clare

PS. If you are still receiving this blog on follow-it 1) Huge apologies, as I genuinely thought it had already been switched off (I have messaged follow-it in an attempt to sort this out), and 2) Please sign up instead to the new-look newsletter if you wish to keep receiving posts. Many thanks!

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A Free Spring Illustration to Enjoy and/or Download

Click, tap or right-click here
to download this image

Hello there, and I hope, as ever that life is treating you well.

Today's offering is an illustration of spring to download and use as you wish (my angel policy about such things is here).

The original size of this illustration was about a third of an A4 or US letter-sized page. So, after upload, it may be even a bit smaller than that. What I'm saying, therefore, is that whilst this should make a good graphic to share online, its printed size will probably only be useful for smaller cards or projects.

Having said that, it's yours to use in line with the angel policy and with my blessing, especially given that:

a) I really appreciate your still being here after and during all the site upheaval,

b) Most of us could do with a treat at the moment, and

c) It's Spriiiiiingggg. (Or at least, odd days are showing big signs of it her after a couple of months of seemingly continuous gloomy weather). 

And yes,  I know, only in the Northern Hemisphere. But (again referencing that couple of months of seemingly continuous leaden sky) please allow me this indulgence if you live south of the Equator. You are of course, completely welcome to use or download this anytime, such as September ;-) if you wish.

(And I really am *that* person who actually goes round the house shouting, "Spriiiinngggg!", (quite loudly) at times such as these).

Finally

Thanks again for bearing with me as the site changes. If you're reading this from the site and would like to sign up for the new newsletter notifications in your in-box, please visit this page and fill in the form, confirming by email afterwards.

Otherwise, have a good week, and thank you yet again, for being here.

More soon.

Update on 13th March 2026-The blog is on an unexpected hiatus this week. Nothing serious, just lots of stuff going on that was unforeseeable and needed attention. I'll be back soon-hopefully next week.

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Urgent Action Needed*** Please Subscribe Again*** Details Below

Click or tap here to
download this bouncing bunny
animated gif for 
web or email use.

Hello there

This newsletter is urgent because I need to ask you please to re-subscribe in order to keep getting BoundingSquirrel in your inbox after this post that you're reading. 

It's easy (and free) to do, and to get to the  *very* short form for it, tap or click on the link below:

https://newsletter.boundingsquirrel.com/l/sign-up-for-the-boundingsquirrel-newsletter

(After subscribing, you'll be asked to click a link in a confirmation email. And once that's done, that's it).

Why is this necessary?

I'm really sorry that I have to ask you to do this, and at such short notice too.

It's just that as part of the site re-vamp, I found out that I needed to move the newsletter, and then an end-of-the-month deadline outside my control appeared.

And in order to move a newsletter properly and observing the GDPR data protection regulations (my privacy policy is here) the safest, most transparent and above-board way to do that is to ask you to sign up again.

Good news

The good news is that the new system is a-maz-ing, and should give you much more of everything that's fun, and looks like cuteness and joy, with great security and simplicity (as far as I can reasonably tell from here).

Plus, yes *of course* if you have any questions about this, please do contact me.

And yes, *of course* if you'd like to use the "jumping bunny" animated gif from this post, feel free to download and use him, (either from here, or simply from the image itself, above). This bunny is optimised for web and email use, and my gift to you as a thank you for doing all this.

And if you don't want this newsletter any more...

If you don't want to get BoundingSquirrel updates in your inbox any more, you don't need to do anything. This will be your final BoundingSquirrel post.

I'll be sad to see you go, but love that you've spent time here, and wish you well. Please also feel free to re-subscribe at any time too, if you wish.

In any event...

Thanks so much for being here, and have a great week.

If you've decided to subscribe to the newsletter in its new home, I'll be back next week-on or around March 5th, (with much more of the usual fun fare, I'm hoping).

More soon.

Clare

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Please excuse the mess...

Hello there

Hope all's well with you.

Here, the image says it all. Please excuse the mess (and any broken links etc) as this week has been one of revamping everything about the look and feel of BoundingSquirrel. Click here to see the website, if you're reading this as a newsletter,  and you'll see even more of the changes that have happened already).

All-in-all, it just felt like time to keep every bit of the whimsy, but update everything to reflect that some of my designs also find happy places on fabric, wallpaper and home décor as well.

All the potential changes could take some time, but it's all gone well so far. My intention at the moment is to keep on posting without any interruptions.

In the meantime, thank you so much for being here, and for your forbearance.

More soon.

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Introducing...The Springtime Garden Collection

Tap or click here to visit
the "Springtime Garden" collection

Hello there.

This week's post is a simple invitation. Take a nice deep breath, and come for a stroll in the fresh air of a whimsical springtime garden, filled with yellow, white and blue wild flowers...

That's the feeling I most wanted to create in my new "Springtime Garden," collection at Spoonflower. In addition to fabrics, the designs are also available on wallpaper, as this picture shows...

Delicate Blue "Forget-Me-Nots on Cream" Wallpaper...

(Seeing that wallpaper may also solve any mystery you might have felt around just why I was drawing all those forget-me-nots a few weeks back, too...).

Floral "Springtime Garden" Curtains

The image above shows the "Springtime Garden" design after which the collection is named, in action on some happy curtains, lifting everything in the space around them.

But I'll leave you in peace now, so that you can have a proper stroll around the full collection here.   

Have fun, and I'll see you next week.

More soon.

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The Happy Land of Bears on Bicycles...

Just a bear on a bicycle...

Hello there, and may life be treating you well, wherever you are.

This week,  I found myself yearning for something more. A deeper, cuter, and more profound level of escape. And I found it in a brilliant new course run by the illustrator Lisa Glanz.

"Drawn to Whimsy" has reminded me that, some time ago, I used to draw lots of whimsical animals, like this one, or these marmots.

The Drawn to Whimsy workbook (besides being a permission slip to spend extra time in the happy land of bears on bicycles) has given me just the encouragement and structure I needed to approach it all in a more unified way. As well as *the* cutest course notes I've ever encountered.

And a whimsical whale with a suitcase.

So both the drawings you see on this page are informal coursework and work-in-progress, rather than having any final outcome or destination as yet. (And no, I'm not an affiliate for Lisa's course-just enthusiastic about it).

Also, yes, the flowers will return (and/or join the animals...). But in February here, the fastest route to a world of whimsy, just for now, has been these cuties and their friends. I hope you've enjoyed it too, and as ever, thanks so much for being here.

More soon.

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Everything's Coming Up (Sketchy) Roses...

Tap or click here to see my "Sketchy Roses"
whimsical floral patterns on fabric, home decor
and wallpaper at Spoonflower...
(Product images courtesy of Spoonflower)

Hello there

Hope this post can help you find some much-needed whimsy in the world.

In truth, I was going to blog about something else today. But this collection became finished and on sale today...And so I couldn't resist sharing the news, and an initial pic or two, with you.

The story behind it...

The "Sketchy Roses," collection is designed to bring the country-cottage feeling of a sleepy Suffolk village into your home and life, but with a modern, line-drawn, and more whimsical twist.

Like quite a few of my designs, it's a homage to centuries-old house we lived in when I was small, complete with multiple fabrics, textures, and yes, roses growing by the door. Whether you prefer maximalist bright pink roses and dopamine decor, tiny subtle petal textures, or a more traditional print in between, there will be a pattern or print in this collection with your name on it.

Spriggy roses take the stage

This design, with its sprigged roses...

Watercolour Rose Sprigs & Leaves
 Patterned Fabric-
(Image courtesy of Spoonflower)

 
has somehow become a central piece, with its country freshness being the spirit behind the whole collection. And if you happen to be a Spoonflower member, please do vote for it amongst the other lovely designs in their latest competition (if you see this post before the competition closes on Feb 10th 2026).

Yes, it's also confession time...

If you've been reading this blog for a very long time...First, thank you. And secondly, yes, there was a previous "Sketchy Roses" collection. It was (and is)  on printable papers only, and after weeks of work, I managed to list it in the wrong section of my Craftsuprint shop, and then fail to promote it properly...

So these designs are both a re-birth of those original papers, and a complete re-imagining of the collection. Some designs, especially the tiny blender patterns, are completely new. Other very "loud" designs from the original collection have been taken away completely.

I hope that this collection will bring you the joy it was always meant to, but in a much bigger way, in its 2026 version.

Finally...Let's Not Forget the Forget-Me-Nots...

Finally, as promised, here are the answers the "Forget-Me-Not" quiz from last week.

A2

B4 (Digital Acrylic brush/pen-either brush or pen is a correct answer)

C1

D3

As I said last week, there are no prizes, but hope the guessing was fun. More on those motifs anon.

In the meantime, thanks so much for reading down this far, and for being here. I really appreciate it.

More soon.

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Lots and Lots of Forget-Me-Nots...And a Quiz...

Hello there

If you're in the mood for something completely different today, you're in luck. 

During the past few days I've been experimenting with drawing and painting forget-me-not floral motifs in various media. This has left me with lots and lots of images of forget-me-not flowers.

So, just for a change, I thought it might be fun to set a quiz. Participation is entirely optional, and totally  for the fun of it only. I'll give the answers in next week's newsletter post.

The image (A-D)

Each of the following sets of forget-me-not image motifs (labelled A-D below)  have been drawn and/or painted in a different way. 

Your task is to match each lettered picture below, with its corresponding technique, numbered in the next section below. 

Image A

Image B

Image C

Image D

The Technique Options (1-4)

1. Line and Wash Watercolour

2. Soft pastels from an eyeshadow palette

3. Acrylic paint pens

4. The digital equivalent of one of the techniques 1-3 in this list. (give yourself extra congrats for naming the technique too).

Finally...

Hope this is fun for you, and as I said, stay tuned for answers next week. (Update on Jan 29th 2026 -the answers are now at the bottom of  the post at this link).

 Have a good one until then,

More soon.

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Drink in These Colours-And Their Story...

Hello there

Now, I do realise that the design in today's post might very much either be to your taste, or not.

But as it's the middle of January, even if a  bright pink crochet effect pattern isn't your thing, I thought you might at least enjoy drinking in the colours...

1970s-Inspired Bright Pink
Crochet-Effect Boho Pattern

And if, on the other hand, it's made you go. "That would be perfect for my 1970's-inspired [insert your project details here]," then you're in luck.

It's available at Spoonflower on fabric, wallpaper and other goodies (and indeed as an entrant in the "Craft Maximalism," themed contest on there at the moment). 

Every design has its day

Here's a fun fact about this design. The actual motifs in this pattern have been on my hard drive for several years. But I could never see a use for them until that contest (and a big swing in the world towards bright colours) came about.

I guess the comforting moral of that story, if there is is one, is that every dog (or design, in this case) really does have its day.

Thanks so much for being here, and have a great week.

More soon.

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A Happy Pink Floral 80th Birthday Card Design

Hello there

Hope that the last few weeks have treated you well. Here, I'm still doing my best to get back in kilter, so this post will be a short but cheery one.

So, at long last (after the initial recipient loved her card), it feels like absolutely time to unveil a floral 80th birthday card over that's one of my newest designs over at Craftsuprint.

See and buy the full "Pink Floral
80th Birthday" card sheet to make,
over at Craftsuprint

The full card sheet gives you the choice of making this as a simple-but-stunning one-layer card, or adding in extra layers of cut florals (which can be cut as widely or in as much intricate detail as you like or can handle).

And if you're enjoying this blast of pink summery-ness, there will be more pink (and quite possibly more spring and summery-ness) in upcoming posts.

As ever, thank you for being here, and let's do all we can to make it one that's joyful and full of colour, and let that ripple out.

More soon.
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