A Triceratops, Cake & A Bear With A Sore Head

It's a bit late to say "Happy New Year" but this is my first post of the year, so I hope your January has been a good one so far and that you have all been enjoying a bit of snow (if you are in the UK).
I've been quiet because my focus has turned to the wedding, so far this month we have booked hair and make-up, a car, ordered rings, booked a suit appointment, abandoned the idea of custard doughnuts and put a deposit down on a cake, and then I turned my attention to toppers for the cake.
It might seem a bit early to think about a cake topper, it's another 9 months until they are needed, but I also wanted to make a little figurine for my friend as she is emigrating, so I decided to get them all done in one weekend. 

The initial creatures (a bear, a triceratops, and a fox for my friend) were made from polymer clay, completely free-hand. The Triceratops proved slightly challenging but I'm quite pleased with how she turned out. 

They were all painted gold, as the idea was to then paint them white and sand them back to make them look distressed. 

The fox stayed distressed, but before I began sanding the bear I decided that I would really like him to remain white, so I had a change of heart and repainted the triceratops white again.

Before I finished the toppers off, cake samples arrived from Couture Cakes. This has to be the most exciting things ever, it isn't just getting cake in the post, this is getting several different flavours of cake in the post.

The pieces on the plate look a little small, but I had cut each flavour in half so Rob could have some... the vanilla at the back looks really small, that's because I had begun it eat before I thought of taking a photo. The flavours we tried were vanilla, chocolate, hazelnut praline, raspberry and amaretto, and toffee and pecan. It was possibly the moistest, tastiest cake I've ever eaten, and I can't wait to try the finished cake... bit of a wait though. 

The finished toppers. In the end we kept them white with just small details. Oh and in case you are wondering, the bear - rubbing his sore head - represents Rob, and the baby dinosaur represents me, can't imagine why, I'm very dainty on my feet! 

Haunt - Illustration Friday

The topic for Illustration Friday this week is 'Haunt'. I didn't think I would have time, but decided to just give it a go anyway. I also decided to put down the paintbrush and pick up the wacom pen. I'm quite pleased, but I don't find it as satisfying as actually painting.

Happy Halloween everyone! :)

Burst - Illustration Friday

Here is my Illustration Friday submission for 'burst'. Bob the Bear was supposed to be in a fake cardboard cake, but he got 'confused' and ate his way into the middle of the real one! 

Teacher - Illustration Friday

Here is this weeks submission for Illustration Friday. The topic this week is 'Teacher' so I thought I would show a mother bear trying to teach baby bear to fish... baby bear needs a little more practice. 

A Bear, Some Bees & Doggy Doo!

Day 187 of the Doodle Olympics - I thought I would have a break from posting small people doodles this week and go for something a little more eclectic, so here is a bear climbing a tree.

Day 188 of the Doodle Olympics - I had two images pop into my head as I was falling to sleep, so scribbled them down quickly in a notepad ready for redrawing. This was the first...

Day 189 of the Doodle Olympics - ... and this was the second... I don't know who they are.

Day 190 of the Doodle Olympics - We have been spending a fair bit of time walking alongside our local canal, and it is as though, as soon as the rain began to fall no one could be bothered to pick up their dog mess anymore. The fact is the rain doesn't wash it away very quickly, it is left there looking unsightly and ready for someone to walk in. It makes me very angry, shame on those dirty, disgusting, selfish dog walkers!

 Day 191 of the Doodle Olympics - Penguin on holiday.

Day 192 of the Doodle Olympics - I've also been doodling some ideas around the idea of flora, so here is a flower.

Day 193 of the Doodle Olympics - More flora.

Also this week... I have some more 'Kids in Costume' Paintings available on Society6

The Bear & The Fish Bowl

Day 166 of the Doodle Olympics - I'm a dog person, but when it comes to doodles, it is always cats, or bears, or rabbits, or penguins... so I'm making the effort to doodle a dog - forgive me.

Day 167 of the Doodle Olympics - Trying to doodle another dog - why are dogs so hard?

Day 168 of the Doodle Olympics - I gave up on dogs.

Day 169 of the Doodle Olympics - I have found out a box of words that I created ages ago. It contains lots of folded up bits of paper with various words on, the idea is I pull out a few pieces and whatever they say will have to be included in the doodle. It's great for days when my head is just blank. The first words were bear and fish bowl so that was simple enough.

Day 170 of the Doodle Olympics - I decided bear and fish bowl had some legs, so rolled with it for a second day - no doubt you will see more bears and fish bowls at some point.

Day 171 of the Doodle Olympics - This time I pulled out hot air balloon and cart, I guess I didn't have to try quite so hard to mix it up, the cart doesn't really work, but I quite like the idea of a horse drawn hot air balloon. Apologies for the horse, there was much better one originally, but he was almost as big as the balloon so I started again. 

Day 172 of the Doodle Olympics - I'm making up morals. The chosen words were, moral, sing, owl, and space hopper... Maybe I should have gone with a singing owl on a space hopper, although I'm not sure what the moral there would be, probably something about drinking too much red wine and eating too much cheese :)

Caped Rabbits & Squirrels In Bandit Masks!

Another big blog update, but this post means my doodle blogging is up to date - yeay!! 

Day 54 of the Doodle Olympics - I love simple little patterns, after the textile rug thingy, I decided I wanted to doodle more little patterns. 

 Day 55 of the Doodle Olympics - A sea swirl

Day 56 of the Doodle Olympics - I love going into dark caves on the beach, and looking out to the sea, although last time I did that, the cave was really dark, and I ended up scaring myself, and running out again... I'm cool... honest :)

 Day 57 of the Doodle Olympics - Cute squirrel!

Day 58 of the Doodle Olympics - This is Pete, he was a character in a comedy I was listening to on Radio 4 - he stole a loaf of bread, which I don't advise anyone do, but it was very funny. 

 Day 59 of the Doodle Olympics - Cute rabbits...

Day 60 of the Doodle Olympics - I seem a bit obsessed with squirrels and rabbits. If in doubt draw a rabbit... although this one has a cape, and the squirrel has a bandit mask so it makes all the difference...
... oh dear, stolen bread and bandit masks, please don't think I condone a life of crime!

 Day 61 of the Doodle Olympics - Chucks!

Day 62 of the Doodle Olympics - Look! It is another squirrel.