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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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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Look Who Bounced Into My Sketchbook Today...

Tap or click here if you'd like to download and share
this rabbit's take on spring. Image is best for screens,
not print, and please keep all the attributions. Many thanks!

Hello there

Well, this image says it all, really. Here in London, it actually feels like spring (well, for this week, anyway :-). And so, in place of my planned post, I thought I'd share the joy of this cute rabbit... Tap or click on the image, or here, if you'd like to do the same.

The story here...

The story is simple. Earlier today, I was about to start on the planned post, when I had an irresistible urge to enjoy the sunshine...And then to take out my sketchbook...And half an hour or so later, (time may have warped a little as I sketched ;-),  this cute bunny  had appeared. 

Amazingly, though utterly unplanned, this rabbit is also  just in time for the Spring Equinox, which is on March 20th this year, I believe.

So you get to have this little cutie, at pretty much the same time as me. Which means I haven't had chance to "do anything with" this image yet (though will post links if and when that happens).

Previous rabbits and bunnies...

If you've been here a while though, you'll know that plenty of cute rabbits and bunnies have appeared in this blog over the years already. Such as the ones in Easter sheets and kit available here and here.

And of course, the ever-popular cartoon rabbits on an Easter card over at Zazzle:

Tap or click here to see more... 

Finally...

I know that as I'm adoring the spring, people in the Southern Hemisphere are also welcoming autumn. So if you're on the hunt for an autumnal image today, have a look at this post.

Overwhelmingly and overridingly though, my joy at the change of season is so profound that have just got to end this post by saying...Happy Spring!

More soon.

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Announcing: That The New Spring Florals Mini-Collection Has Arrived...

Click or tap here to visit my Craftsuprint shop...

Hello there and I hope you're thriving.

If you're one of the card makers who reads BoundingSquirrel, thank you so much for your patience...

The watercolour spring florals have finally made it into a mini-collection in my Craftsuprint shop. 

(Every sheet in the mini-collection links to the others at the bottom of the Craftsuprint site page, so it doesn't matter which one you browse first).

Each sheet gives you a watercolour design, (shown above) a blank insert, and a choice of six occasion tags, and six verses that fit into any insert. So, for example, even though these tulips are for Mother's Day by default...

Click or tap here to see the "Wild Tulips"
 card front sheet

you can change the tag to a different occasion, and mix and match with the verses that go with the crocus birthday card, 

Tap or click here to see the
 "Wild Crocus" Card sheet

or the verses that go with the daffodil card. As with all the cards in this series, the spring flowers intentionally burst out of the frame, as if in joy...

Tap or click here to see
the full daffodil card sheet...

This is much easier to see than to describe. So to have a peek, please take a look at the daffodil, crocus and tulip sheets in my Craftsuprint shop.

And, if cardmaking sheets aren't your thing, thank you for your patience too. There'll be something new and different for you too, in the next post.

Until then, thanks so much for being here, and enjoy your week.

More soon.

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The Flowers Are Coming...(Work-In-Progress)...

Wild Tulip Sketches: Work-in-Progress

Hello there

How are you doing? Up here in the northern hemisphere at least (for I know I have other readers too-hello, and I see you...and can you send some sun, please?!) it feels as if things have been rather grey and cold for a looong time, as I type this.

But in this post, am doing my best to remind both you and myself that the flowers will be here soon.

The first signs of it are in the flower and leaf buds on some branches...

(OK, I exaggerated their progress somewhat in this Daphne bush sprig, but you get the idea...)

"Sprig of Daphne Flowers"

All of which is to say, spring will be arriving soon (rather like an upcoming collection, of which these are my some of my first, tentative, ideas). 

So far, it's mostly my wanting to evoke that *feeling* of walking around a garden in spring, when all the buds are beginning to burst into life, a gentle breeze is blowing, and the first warm sun begins to kiss your face again...

If that sounds good to you, stay tuned to see what becomes of these flowers, and in the meantime, as ever, thanks so much for being here, and for reading down this far.

More soon.

PS. Update on Feb 27th 2025: If you want to see how the final mini-collection turned out, tap or click to this post...

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Thrive: Bright New Tulip Painting

Thrive, by Clare Walker.
Available on Redbubble.Com

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

This week, it felt like time to offer you something *really* bright and cheerful. We first saw these tulips in Holland Park, west London, last weekend.

And in a spring that's still to get going full-time (I'm wearing a winter jumper and two layers as I type this) their brightness was *such* a huge beacon, as they danced by their yew hedging...

Tulips in Holland Park. Photo Jim Fernbank.

There's something about them that's so cheering and full of "get up and go," isn't there?

So, I guess it shouldn't have been a surprise when those there tulips almost began to draw themselves, (and in a wilder, freer way than I'm used to) as soon as we got home.

Once the art was done...

Once the art was done, something still felt undone. And there seemed no better word to add as a finishing touch, given all that, "get up and go," than, "Thrive".

I hope you like this design too, and can get any and all the energy you need from it, whether life itself is revving you up or not.

Should it float your boat, it turns out, not surprisingly, that this design also shines rather scrumptiously elsewhere too.

Such as on magnets and stickers...

Thrive magnet, available on Redbubble

Postcards and greeting cards...

Thrive Postcard, available on Redbubble

Or framed on the wall...

Thrive Framed Print by Clare Walker.
Available on Redbubble.

Above all, thank you for being here, and for reading down this far.

Have a good week.

More soon.
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Among the Bluebells

Hello there, and hope all's well with you.

I confess immediately that this post will be mostly photographs, as we've been out enjoying the spring (yes, it arrived, at last). And so I wanted to share some pics with you (mostly taken by The Computer Man, to whom many thanks, and so much love,  as always), as I was too delightedly busy going, "Ooh," and "Wow!" and , "Isn't it lovely to be able to feel the sun again?," to be much use with a camera at the time :-) .

Bluebells in Highgate Wood, by Jim Fernbank

Though we live in London, we're really lucky to live just a  short drive from a really magnificent ancient woodland. And, for just a few short weeks each year, before the tree canopy comes fully back into leaf, part of it is carpeted with the not-quite mauve-not-quite blue and gently-fragrant magic that is a glade of spring bluebells.

No photo can fully capture their colour (which is no slight at all against Jim's excellent skills behind a camera). However, (and especially if you live outside the UK, as I know many of you reading this do), maybe this photo can give you some idea of their colours, as they shift with the light and dance in the wind...

Photo by Jim Fernbank

Yes, they are colours which are exquisitely difficult to pin down and paint or draw (though I once had a go here, and doubtless will do so again).

And close-up, they are things of beauty, too...

Photo by Jim Fernbank

So, no new designs in this post, but some very much-needed spring sunshine, relaxation and inspiration.

And if you enjoy cardmaking, do check by my shop on Craftsuprint, as am hoping that and my new "Rambling Rose," design [update April 16th 2024] will be up by the time you read this,  now ready in good time for summer birthdays and occasions.

That's all for now, but thank you so much for being here.

More soon. 

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Simple Wild Garlic Sketch: Changing This Post and My Mind (Again)

Hello there

Yes, technically am not blogging this week. But wanted to see how you are. And so, came here yesterday, first of all thinking that I was going to be telling you about one thing (social media), and then, in a complete turnaround on waking up this morning, had an enormous vibe just to present you with the simplicity of a pretty sketch.

So, without further ado, here's some wild garlic in digital watercolour:

"Wild Garlic" by Clare Walker, BoundingSquirrel.Com

And then I noticed how nice it looked in the shop:

As a transparent sticker that you can use to jazz up cards, laptops, and even water bottles:

And on everything else from phone cases:

To coasters...

Tune in for the next, proper post, for the background on this and (hopefully) more spring art.

In the meantime, I hope these bring a breath of spring to you, wherever and whenever you're reading this.

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

More soon.
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New Illustration: Spring Has Sprung

"Spring Has Sprung," by Clare Walker
Click, right-click or tap to download

Hello there

Hope life is treating you well right now. And, either late for last week, or early for this one, but just in time for spring's arrival this week, is a fun little daffodil for whom spring has most definitely sprung on its leaves. (Digital line and wash watercolour in Rebelle 7 and Krita 5).

(And yes, I know it isn't spring everywhere, and if that's the case for you, please look here instead ;-) ).

Feel like spreading some springtime joy?

If you'd like to use this illustration in your own personal blog or on social media, you're most welcome to do so (download instructions are under the main image, above). If you us eit, please keep the watermark on it. Any further links or credit back to Clare Walker, BoundingSquirrel.com is always lovely, but never required.

If you fancy spreading some springtime joy a little further with this cheery daffodil, will just share that am finding it particularly cute on postcards and  pins/badges  in my Redbubble shop.

"Spring has Sprung" Pin badge,
available on Redbubble.

"Spring Has Sprung" Postcard
by Clare Walker, on Redbubble.

And with that, I'll leave you to your week. 

Have a good one-more soon.

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The Happy Spring Birds Background Kit is here...

Click or tap here to find out more

At last, these cuuute spring bird papers are ready to fly off and make their colourful way into the world.

So, whether these bright and cheerful printable papers float your boat for cardmaking projects...

A potential spring card front...

Or you're wondering how you might use them in other projects, like maybe, covering a notebook...

The "birds and branches" paper in action

Or even, as a set of DIY paper placemats (imagine these at a children's party, perhaps?)

Click or tap here to see all the papers
in the set...

However you might want to use them, if you're reading this between Feb 22nd and Feb 29th 2024, now is a great time to find out more, because all my full-sized kits are 25% off at Craftsuprint,Com for this week only.

And if you're into other things, please stay tuned, because I'll be back next time with a surprise, and something very different...

As ever, thank you for being here, and for reading down this far, and I hope life is treating you well.

More soon.
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Coming Soon: Happy Spring Birds...

Happy Spring Birds Coming Soon...
(Update 22nd Feb 2024
They're Here!)

Hello there

Just quickly...

Hope all is well with you, and that these cute little spring birds can give you some extra joy *and* a taste of what'll be coming from me in a collection for cardmaking and more, next week.

Until then, have a good one, and more (soooo much more) soon.

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Spring Is On Its Way...

Spring Is on Its Way...

Hello there, and in a change to the usual schedule, am sending this so that you get it on a Monday (a temporary thing, unless you like it better, in which case I could always change things around...).

Anyway, thought you might like to see this little digital watercolour sketch, inspired by the very first finger of pink winter blossom, poking its way into the sky from a neighbour's garden, that I spotted a few days ago.

It felt like the branch was saying, "Keep on going...Spring, is on its way...".

And so, this illustration was born.

Now, we all know there's plenty of time for Spring to take, shall we say, a little detour. But I hope that even the promise of it (or beautiful autumn, in the Southern Hemisphere) gives you a lovely start to your week.

Thanks so much for being here.

More soon.

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A Spring Dandelion Sketch

Dandelion Sketch, by Clare Walker

Hello there. Am just popping in quickly this week, to let you know about a new sketch of this week's dandelions. They just seem so extra-bright this year, and so beloved by bees, that I wanted to share and celebrate them.

Though am hoping they will also be part of a design in my Craftsuprint shop soon, as well :-).

Update: sale has now ended, but the dandelions are now on available here.

Speaking of which...

It's sale time!

Yes, there will be a  20% discount on everything in my Craftsuprint shop, for four days only. The sale will run  from Friday April 21st-Monday April 24th 2023. So if there's anything you've had your eye on, click or tap here to visit and stock up.

That's all for now. But hope all is going really well with you. (and that you find some craft sheets you like in that sale. ;-) )

Have a great weekend when it comes, and more soon.

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Free Bouncing Bunny Animated Gif for Spring

Tap (or right or left click,
depending on your device)
and save this image to
 download it.

Hello there

As ever, I hope life is treating you well.

Today, as promised (and now that it finally actually feels like spring here) am back with a gift for you.

 In celebration of all things spring-like, happy and fun (including any flavour of festival into which you might be at this time of year), this bouncing bunny animated gif is yours to download if you wish. (The image is already deliberately small and optimised for phone screens/the web).

Just right-click and save (or tap and save, or left-click and save, depending upon your device).

As ever, credit is *always* appreciated, but never required.

And if you'd like more rabbity goodness...

And if one rabbit simply isn't enough for you, you might also like:

The new easy-to-make rabbit-shaped card in my Craftsuprint shop...

Or this  lovely rabbit-patterned background (also at Craftsuprint).

Rabbit-Patterned Background,
 available at Craftsuprint

Or if you just want to grab something funny and go, my Easter-Rabbits funny cartoon card is ever-popular on Zazzle (and downloadable for the first time, this year, so it's not too late to grab it).

Funny Cartoon Rabbits Printable Card

*More* freebies...

If that's still not enough (and/or you'd like more freebies), you can also check out some springtime gifts from previous years, such as:

This Happy Easter Chick Animated Gif

or this Easter daffodils image/ecard

That's all for now, and I'm going to wish you a happy few days, whatever you're up to. I'm taking a short break from the blog for a week or so. But, as ever, there will be...

More soon.

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Announcing: New Spring Daffodil Craft Sheets (and the Story Behind Them).

Click or tap here to see the Spring Daffodil 
card sheets in more detail.

Hello there

Hope all is really well with you. And yes, as you've probably guessed from the picture above, it's time for the unveiling of three more sheets for card-making, papercraft, scrapbooking and all similar tasks.

These ones feature bright spring daffodils (about which, much more below).

There's a main card front sheet, (which lets you make decoupage daffodil layers if you'd like) an insert sheet (plus bonus daffodil-related verses) and a background daffodil-vase patterned sheet. The sentiments and verses will work for any occasion from St David's Day on 1st March, to birthdays, Easter, and even anniversaries.

Click or tap here to find out more.

The story...

But in any event, thought you might like to know the story behind this design.

It started in the depths of winter a few week ago, when some friends (you know who you are, and thanks *so* much again) were kind enough to send me a surprise bouquet of flowers...

The flowers were so stunning (especially at this time of year) that I got rather more excited about taking pictures than worrying about the background :-) ... But am sure you get the idea.

The whole thing was so inspiring, in fact, that I also *finally* got around to painting an empty jar that had been hanging around, with yup, daffodil motifs...

A painted jar...

(I'd never used acrylic paint pens before, and let me tell you, they were *fun* :-) ).

The next step was to fill that jar with tiny LED fairy lights.

Daffodil light jar...

The next project was the rough sketch that morphed into the "Daffodil Vase" pattern (eventually).

Rough Watercolour Daffodil Sketch

And then the motifs for the main designs of the sheets from the start of this post...

Watercolour Daffodil Motif

I guess I'm telling this story because so much joy came from that one bunch of flowers...Just as it can from any act of kindness, really.

Time to leave it there,  and to wish you a lovely weekend when it comes.

Thanks so much for reading down this far, and more soon.

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Nesting: Introducing New Spring Craft Sheets...

Click here to see the sheets

Hello there

Hope the week is treating you well. And speaking of treats, if you're one of those people for whom spring can't come fast enough, the spring-based craft sheets above may be just what your looking for.

The idea is simple: three sheets featuring cute blue tit birds, a nest and spring leaves (and even enabling you to make a nest-shaped card if you want to). One of the sheets has min-inserts and toppers with verses centred on nests and spring, which can fit into the nest shaped card (and most other places you'd want to use them as well).

As a bonus, the main nest sheet is currently on special offer (as of  today, 19th January 2023), along with lots of my other spring-themed items.

So, if you fancy a spring-time boost a little early, please do pop to my Craftsuprint shop and have a look.

That's all the news for now-though I'm hoping to be able to share something *big* with you in the next couple of weeks.

In the meantime, take care, and thanks for being here.

More soon.

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Digi-Watercolour Art Journaling "Let Little Things Spark Joy"

You are welcome to share this, "as is," including the watermark.

Hello there. Hope you're doing OK in the still-strange times in which we seem to be living.

I've always been focused on "happy art," and to that end, have been darting about enjoying spring this week, and doing my best to record happy thoughts (like the one above) in a digi watercolour art journaling style.

Focusing on the budding flowers, bees, spring sunshine and a thousand other details has been a good plan this week. So that was the thought I recorded here, and hope helps someone else too.

This is a hand-drawn (stroke by stroke) digital watercolour of little white jasmine flowers, in Krita 5, with digi hand-lettering, also in Krita.

Let Little Things Spark Joy Pin/Badge

If you fancy this in your life, it's available on prints and postcards too, in my Redbubble shop. But for now, I'll leave you with it (and its "Happy Birthday," printable cousin in my Craftsuprint shop) 

and wish you a happy weekend.

More soon.


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Happy Easter Daffodils

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

Click, tap or right-click and save this
free daffodil Easter ecard

I know it's a little early for Easter (17th April if you're reading this in 2022), but wanted to post this up for you in good time if you're wanting Easter cards. (The printed version of this card that you see below is available to buy in my Redbubble store here).

Click here to buy this daffodil Easter card on Redbubble.

And yes, this card is similar to the illustration for the month, but a development of it. I wanted to add more flowers, depth and effects to these ones, and bring them alive as much as possible. Spring, with its gentle sun and gorgeous vitality, feels like it's in full swing here. It's my favourite season, so I challenged myself to pack as much of that feeling into this design  as I could into this digital painting (in Krita 5). 

In fact, this was really only ever going to be a painting at first-and then no sooner had I finished that and someone asked for an Easter card. So there I was, with daffodils mysteriously at the ready, and it all morphed from there. Am finally beginning to learn that sometimes, life really will work out, if you go with it, rather than trying to force any issue.

Enough waffling from me. Here's to feeling the joy of Spring when possible, whatever the actual season wherever you are.

That's all for this week, but thanks so much for being here, and more soon.

PS. If you're feeling in need of more daffodil designs and Easter downloads, there are also several in my Craftsuprint shop.

Happy Easter Chick Animated Gif by Clare Walker,
 BoundingSquirrel.Com. Click here to download
 and use or share it.

Yes, Easter would appear to have snuck up on us again, and so before taking a break for it, I just wanted to send you my very best wishes, whatever your way of celebrating  this time of year (or not).

For me, nature and the arrival of new life and hope is always key in spring, hence this image.

If you'd like to share this gif/send it as an online Easter card, please do (right-click, click or tap on the image to download and use it). I don't insist on credit, but it's always lovely if you're able to do so, or link back in some way.

Hope all is peaceful well and happy wherever you are. Have a lovely weekend (or more) and I'll see you in a few days.

Thanks so much for being here, and more soon.

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