A few favourites for National Stationery Week

This week is National Stationery Week, I don't think I actually need a special week to celebrate stationery - I've celebrated it everyday since I can remember, with my love of paper products and art materials.

It did seem a good excuse, though, to compile a few of my favourites here, for you.

I'll start with notebooks. You really can never have enough notebooks. I have different ones for different topics. I love lists, and have found myself occasionally making a list of lists I have to make! Typical Virgo, moi?!

Whenever I need new stationery, one of my favourite destinations is Liberty, London, where I can't resist pretty bits and bobs like these...

Now, to write or draw in all these lovely notebooks I absolutely insist on the sharpest pencils possible...

or (this will no doubt sound a little odd) a Barclays Bank pen - a surpisingly lovely writer!

I keep all my pens and pencils in this wonderful desk tidy by All Things Brighton Beautiful via notonthehighstreet.com

My absolute all-time favourite paper to use for my paintings is by Fabriano, I often go to great lengths to get my hands on this, nothing else will really do...

In my dreams 

I own this Faber Castell Special Anniversary set

and I have aallllll this washi tape

                                               image from Mariage Original

I couldn't really talk about stationery without popping in a couple of my own designs for Phoenix Trading, surely?!

What about you, what are your favourites? I'm guessing the fact you're reading this means you rather like stationery, too?!

My Phoenix favourites: part one

I've been working with Phoenix Trading for a couple of years now and I really love freelancing for such a smashing company. One of the best things is the way they keep their catalogue fresh by introducing new designs every couple of months. 

While browsing the new March catalogue I found myself compiling a list of my favourite Phoenix artists. Here are a few of them; I'll be featuring more in a future blog.

Sarah Summers: Sarah has such a lovely delicate, feminine style and paints birds beautifully... just look at this delightful blue tit!

Louise Rawlings: I love Louise's use of colour, and she always sets a scene so perfectly.

Claire Henley: As well as being a Phoenix artist, Claire's also a very talented children's book illustrator, and I've been a fan of hers since discovering the wonderful Zippity Zebra and the Windy Day.

Amanda Loverseed - Amanda is a prolific Phoenix artist, with a whopping 81 designs in the current catalogue! And it's quite clear why...

Kate Gunn - I love Kate's bright colours and adorable characters, just such fun! I can see her style working wonderfully in children's books...                                

                       

At the risk of blowing my own trumpet, I can't resist including one of my own designs! Like most artists, I find my favourite piece is usually my latest, so that would be this little lady who is very proud to be featured in the new catalogue.

You can see all of my current designs for Phoenix Trading here.

A big hello from a first-time blogger!

Well, here goes...my first blog! I'm Lucy Smith and I'm a freelance illustrator, specialising in greeting card design and personalised children's paintings.

 

                                  

                               

Love Lucy Illustration began when people who liked my Phoenix Trading cards started asking me if I could paint personalised pictures for their children. Of course I jumped at the chance and now here I am! 

The Love Lucy Illustration blog is as an 'online diary' : there's lots of exciting things in the pipeline for Love Lucy Illustration, so if you like what you see please pop back regularly by bookmarking this site or sign up for free email updates at the top of the left hand column.

Love Lucy x