Wednesday 28 February 2018

Château de Keriolet & Concarneau

Isn't it beautiful?! I've got plenty of photos to share with you so I thought it would be best warning you now ;). Last Saturday, it was super sunny (but also super cold!) and we've been working so hard this month, that we knew we just needed a day out somewhere for a break. We decided to go further North West up the coast of Morbihan, and the area of Concarneau looked really promising, so we took the day off and went exploring! It did us really good and at the end of the day, I realised how much I needed that time to breathe a bit. Helps me keep a bit of sanity in my life!

We first stopped at the Château de Keriolet, just outside of Concarneau town centre. The castle is only open in the summer as it's still privately owned, but it was too beautiful and intriguing not to stop and take some photos of the outside!






Apparently, its appearance changed a lot when a Russian from the Imperial family decided to acquire this medieval manor in the XIVth Century. When you look closely, it's got a few Russian details still there and overall, you can tell that this castle has a very different style from the typical French Châteaux. I really loved it and I can't wait to go back this Summer to properly discover its history. I mean, have you seen that small tower built on the side of a bigger tower?! Almost looks like it's out of a fairytale.







Just before lunchtime, we made our way to the town centre of Concarneau and its dreamy coastal path. Honestly, if it wasn't so bloody cold, I would have removed my shoes and put my feet in this crystal clear water. The chilly wind made our cheeks and nose all rosy but the sun gave us a nice warm feel whilst walking around the town. It was so nice! I always laugh with Jason about this expression I invented years ago when living in North Wales that really sums up this type of weather to me: "Crispy Cold".








We spent most of the day in the stunning medieval fortress that is still pretty much intact. Jason was going crazy, snapping photos on his phone for 'reference' for his future projects haha. To be honest though, I'd never been to Concarneau before and I was so impressed by it! There's a little town inside the fortress with plenty of little shops, cafés and crêperies.

I shared the photo of the town square on Instagram and a fellow Instagrammer (it's MissKatyEnglish!) mentioned the fact that it looks like the town square from the movie Tangled, and you know what, it's so true! It feels so very traditional and typically Breton. I really loved the atmosphere there and the fact that it was so peaceful really helped.


We (of course) ate plenty of delicious food, starting with lunch at the crêperie Le Pennti. We almost didn't leave because it was so warm inside and we just wanted to eat more and more delicious crêpes! Just seeing the photos makes me want to go there again straight away. The dessert was the best though. The ice cream ball was inside the crêpe. Miam.

We also stopped by Maison Georges Larnicol, but this time, instead of getting some Kouignettes, we went for an assortment of chocolates that we took home with us (there was no risk of the chocolates melting in the afternoon with -2°C)! Our bellies were full from lunch but we couldn't resist some chocolatey treats ;)




It was hard to leave this amazing place! We carried on walking along the old fortress' walls in the afternoon (trying to burn some calories) and we went around a few shops to find some local goods for my mum's birthday. We found a really good one called Sentier Côtier where we found some lovely products handmade by two sisters, and their mum was sweet enough to keep the shop up and running whilst they were both at home, crafting away :)

Bretagne, we love you so much!



Sunday 25 February 2018

New Prints in my Etsy Shop!



Yep, they're finally here! I've been working on some new products for the shop lately and I'm SO pleased to show you the three new A4 prints that are now available on Etsy!

I wanted to create some characters that live in the same world as the ones from the greeting cards and illustrating some cute animals in playful scenes just comes naturally to me. I made sure to include three very different scenes so that everyone can find something they like!

These cute illustrations are perfect for children's bedrooms. They're fun and colourful, with a touch of craziness that (I hope!) make them feel unique and look consistent with the greeting cards that are also available in my shop.

Make sure to check them out RIGHT HERE!

Please note that the frames are not included ;)



Monday 19 February 2018

Coup de Coeur - Olivia Chin Mueller






Happy Monday guys! I know it's been a while I haven't shared any posts but I have been SUPER busy lately and I honestly didn't have the time to concentrate on this little blog of mine. So to start again on a high, I thought I would share my latest Coup de Coeur with you!

When I discovered Olivia's art on Twitter recently (thanks to Katie Moody!) I was instantly stunned by her style, her technique and how cute her little characters looked. I love how whimsical her illustrations feel and her creativity and choice of colours are always perfect. She seems to do a lot of children's books but she also has her own personal projects and I really admire the time and effort that she puts into every piece of illustration that she shares on social media and on her website. Dreamy illustrations of cute cats and animals = I'm in heaven.




AND, Olivia is the creator of these unbelievably cute Mousemoths, which, as you must have guessed it already, is a perfect mix of a mouse and a moth together. She's been making plushies herself out of felt but now she's actually having a manufacturer create them so that she could sell them in her shop. Needless to say that I can't wait to see the result! She shared a few snaps on social media and it's great to see the whole process.

On a side note: Please feel free to contact her if you see any copies of her Mousemoths as I'm aware she's had some issues with them lately.

Make sure to check her out! I've made a list of all the places you can find Olivia and her work below:

Website: click HERE
Shop: click HERE
Twitter: click HERE
Instagram: click HERE



Thursday 1 February 2018

Book Launch - Arthur Bee has a Secret




It's here guys! The book has finally launched and I couldn't be happier. I've loved working on the illustrations from the beginning and the characters were so fun to create! Seeing my name on the cover always feels so special and I'm so grateful to have had the opportunity to work on another children's book thanks to TeamAuthor UK.

Arthur Bee is a cheeky yet very professional little bee that keeps a big secret. It's a secret that bees aren't expected to have and the whole beehive is going to be affected (especially Queen Bee!). It's a short story beautifully written by Shaun Millea, perfect for young children that are curious about the world around them and love to have a bit fo fun!

If you'd like to purchase a copy, you can now find it on Amazon! Link right here.