PRIVACY POLICY
 |
| (You are welcome to use my privacy graphic above, if you link back to BoundingSquirrel.Com to attribute it. Right-click or tap on the image to save the image.) |
Last updated April 28th 2026.
Who am I?
I am Clare Walker, artist, designer and blogger and my address is: Ground Floor, 31 Bardolph Road, London N7 0NJ, UK. Tel: 020 7607 4692 or email clare [at] boundingsquirrel.com.
Therefore, BoundingSquirrel is a trading name, but the person and legal entity and sole trader behind it is me, Clare Walker.
if you can though, as it tends to be faster for both of us, and helps to make sure that the phone ringing from another timezone in the middle of the night becomes a distant memory...
As data controller for this site, I'm registered with the UK Information Commissioner's Office, register reference ZB277686.
Ethos
BoundingSquirrel.Com is deliberately designed to respect your privacy as I would wish others to respect mine, and to keep you safe by collecting as little identifiable information about you as possible in the first place.
However, in the course of running a website, there are still some inevitable data issues, which I've done my best to explain below.
However, in the course of running a website, there are still some inevitable data issues, which I've done my best to explain below.
Basically, I try hard to continue to collect and hold as little data about you as possible, and only to use the services of other sites that will respect your data as well.
 |
| (You are welcome to use my privacy policy graphic above, if you link back to BoundingSquirrel.Com to attribute it. Right-click or tap on the image to save the image.) |
How I collect and use your data
Email Newsletter
Data Handling
After March 1st 2026, Mailrelay.com will be the main data processor for my/ the BoundingSquirrel.com email newsletter. Their own very clear data protection policies are here.
All newsletter data will be stored in the European Union.
The basis for my holding your data is consent (both to my holding it and to it being stored in the European Union).
Basis of handling
My intention is that consent will remain the basis even if you do things where legitimate interest might be claimed (eg buying a product bearing my design) . In which case, thank you so much for your purchase, but I would still prefer to hold myself to the higher standard of double opt-in consent. So I'll also always ask you to confirm that you've opted in by clicking a second link.
In the long run, this benefits us both. I'll know you really do want to read my newsletter, and you'll know clearly that you've asked for it, and that you want to read it, as well.
In the long run, this benefits us both. I'll know you really do want to read my newsletter, and you'll know clearly that you've asked for it, and that you want to read it, as well.
My intention will be to check with you at least once a year that you still want to receive the BoundingSquirrel newsletter by email.
 |
| (You are welcome to use my cookie-graphic above, if you link back to BoundingSquirrel.Com to attribute it. Right-click or tap on the image to save the image.) |
Cookies
Mailrelay do use cookies and similar technology to track how many times a particular newsletter link might be opened or clicked, and by which subscriber.
Nonetheless, I'll also do everything in my power only ever to use anonymised data, as I very much dislike receiving emails containing the phrase, "We noticed that...," and would hate to inflict any semblance of that deeply creepy behaviour on anyone else.
In other words, my asking Mailrelay to, "Please send this to all the people who signed up to receive X," will always be more than enough for me, with no need to poke into things any more deeply.
Unsubscribing
An unsubscribe link will included at the bottom of every email.
In addition, you can contact me at any time and either ask me to remove you from my mailing list, and I'll get that done, as fast as I can (ie, if possible, there and then, but please allow me some slack if I'm away or we have time-zone differences etc).
Contacting me via contact forms
If you contact me using the contact form on Linktree, then Linktree's Privacy Policy also applies (found here).
If you contact me using the contact forms that are part of BoundingSquirrel.Com itself, then the initial handling of your data (ie it getting sent to me so that (I can see it and reply to you) is handled by Google, because the site is administered through Google's Blogger service. Google's privacy policy details are at https://policies.google.com/privacy.
When you've contacted me using either email or contact forms
My email then uses the Google system (see their policy details at https://policies.google.com/privacy).
If you have asked me a question, then I will only keep your details for as long as it takes to resolve that question, which is in the legitimate interest of both of us, and delete them afterwards.
I store contact details offline, on a machine to which only I have access.
If we work on a project together as a result of your query, then the basis of my holding your contact info will be both contractual and legitimate interest, for as long as it takes the project to complete and for both of us to be sure you are happy with it afterwards.
I'll then give you the option to stay in touch via consent and the options to follow the site, but if you do not, will delete your contact and any other details from my system.
(I am obliged to keep secure records of payments received for 6 years, under UK tax law, and use MyBrightbook.Com for this, after which time all records of any individual who is no longer a client or customer will be deleted).
Subscribing via Linktree
If you subscribe to me via Linktree, your data will be handled by them, in accordance with their policy set out here.
Subscribing via Follow.it (This site no longer uses this service)
Following the blog on Bloglovin
Update on August 27th 2025: Bloglovin no longer appears to be working.
Visiting the BoundingSquirrel.com blog: Site stats via StatCounter.com
I've installed Statcounter onto this blog, to give me a basic idea of the numbers of people arriving, which posts are popular, and where people go to next.
My only reason for doing this is so that I can improve the content on the blog and give my visitors as a whole more of the kinds of posts they most enjoy.
So far as I know, Statcounter does not identify you as an individual when you visit this blog or anywhere else. Their stance on this is outlined here.
Your right to access any data I hold about you
You can contact me at any time and ask to see all the data I hold about you (which I promise will be minimal anyway) and I'll get that done, as fast as I can (ie, if possible, there and then, but please allow me some slack if I'm away or we have time-zone differences etc).
How other sites interact with this one and how you can check their data policies too.
Google's Privacy & Cookie Policies
This site is ultimately hosted as part of the Blogger network on Google, and their privacy policy is here: https://policies.google.com/privacy
They do collect cookies to get statistics, for example to better understand site usage. It's these terms to which you will have agreed by clicking OK on the grey bar at the top of the site, on your first visit to BoundingSquirrel.Com.
For more information about Google's cookie policy, please visit: https://policies.google.com/technologies/cookies
and
Please note that I cannot access any visitor tracking data which could be used to identify any individual, and I do not use a Google Analytics property ID on this site.
To the extent that your interaction on these general social media sites is with me rather than the site, and the extent to which I can help you recover or delete any content (which may be very limited, depending on the site) I will.
Embedded content from other websites and social media
Articles on this site may also include embedded content (e.g. videos, images, articles, etc.) from other sites. Embedded content from other websites behaves in the exact same way as if you had has visited the other website.
These websites are beyond my control, and may collect data about you, use cookies, embed additional third-party tracking, and monitor your interaction with that embedded content, including tracing your interaction with the embedded content if you have an account and are logged in to that website.
Any embedded content will mention the site from which it is embedded, and you'll need to check the policy of that particular site for more details.
Social Media Sites
If you follow me on other sites, this is obviously governed by the privacy policy of the social media site in question, for example:
https://twitter.com/en/privacy (As of September 2023, I am no longer posting there)
https://www.facebook.com/about/privacy/ (As of November 2022, I am no longer posting there).
Shops and Stockists with items carrying my designs
Spoonflower, Craftsuprint, Zazzle, and Redbubble (a privacy policy for each company can be found at each of those links) currently carry all my designs on downloads or physical products for purchase that can be used in your own projects.
If and when I have access to any data on these sites, I will always do my upmost to protect it as if you were communicating with me on BoundingSquirrel itself, subject to limitations inherent in any dealing by a seller with a large marketplace provider, and which are beyond my control.
Please note in particular that if you buy items featuring my illustrations and designs, the sales and most data issues are handled through and by those sites and their privacy policies, rather than this one.
If you decide to message me via any of these sites, then (if the site gives me any details about you at all) I will only contact you via those sites, and only keep your contact data until the project or query involved is finished or resolved.
For the record, I don't keep identifiable data from online print on demand or image sites on here either, and receive remuneration from these sites only through amalgamated and automatic monthly royalty payments from these sites. Or, to put it another way: I never see, know or store any of your payment or other details if you decide to buy anything that uses my designs. (But many, many thanks, if you do, or have!)
Free downloads
Any free downloads on this site are just that: free. They do not require you to give, or me to hold, any information about you, in order for you to be able to use and enjoy them.
Featured Artwork or Photography
Almost all of the artwork, content and designs featured are my own.
Occasionally, I might give a shout out to someone else's work, but where I do, this will be with their full agreement, and full credit and links to them and their projects. I'll also hold evidence of their consent to the feature securely for as long as their work stays on the website.
Obviously, if you're the person that's given that consent, you can let me know you want to withdraw it at any time, and I'll remove your details from the website, (and also delete related documents evidencing consent).
Affiliate Links
If I truly love a product, I occasionally use affiliate links, and announce them as such clearly in the text. They are links which pay me a small commission-at no added cost to you-if you decide to make a purchase as a result of following the link to another site. If you prefer not to use the link, that's absolutely fine.
If you do click on an affiliate to another site (eg Amazon), your data is controlled by that site, and I never get to know any details about you, just that another lovely person has made a purchase via an affiliate link . Hope that makes sense and is OK with you.
Polls
I may occasionally embed polls here, in order to provide you with blog posts that you enjoy. These are currently fully administered on the Poll-Maker.com website. However I have no way of knowing your identity or connecting it private and to your vote, and as far as I know, neither do they. In a nutshell, I've done my best to make this private as well.
Finally...
If there's anything you think I've missed, or other info of yours you even *think* I have that you'd rather was deleted, please contact me, and I'll remove anything and everything that it's in my power to remove.
I think that's everything, but will add anything else you need to know as it happens.
Thank you for reading all of this, (you're amazing!) and have a great day.