Everything at once

It is not a secret that I run on tea, and just to fit the stereotype of a crazy teabag lady, I also happen to love cakes, scones and biscuits. Sitting in cafés is one of my favourite hobbies and I am always on the lookout for cute tea rooms. Many cafés that I run into have also adopted a cute doodle style for their facades and menus, which just makes me love them even more. I would die of happiness (or at least burst into tears of joy) if I could one day illustrate a menu for such a place! Whilst waiting for a sweet opportunity like that, I decided to make a sugarcoated illustration inspired by the lyrics of Everything at Once by Lenka.

To conclude, here's a nice little trivia: the Dutchies like their caffeine with a little something to nibble, so it is almost a rule that when ordering tea or coffee, you will also get a cookie next to it. If you ask me, those small treats add a considerable amount of joy to the generally grey and rainy life in the Netherlands, and the one who originally came up with the concept of "koffie en koekje" should therefore be awarded somehow.

To all the moms in the world:

Storks Delivery Inc. wishes a happy mother's day to all the ladies who once received a package!

Twinkle, twinkle little star on shirts and bags and so on

This is a hello from a happy freelancer! The reasons for my happiness are...

1. better weather
2. all sorts of summer activities such as hanging out in parks and walking around Amsterdam in the midnight with a scoop of ice cream - even if my winter coat still has to accompany me to all of these.
3. work - the nice and creative kind!

Since Facebook tends to be the right media for all the "oh hey, the sun is shining"-kind of updates, this post is going to be about what's been happening in the working field. Last week, I got in touch with Starfreak, an online design store selling casual yet feminine shirts, bracelets and fun tote bags made with ecological materials. Anoek, the lady behind the brand, who designs and makes the clothing with her very own hands and is crazy about star prints, was looking for cheerful fashion illustrations to accompany the web shop, and needless to say, I was over the moon to be asked to make fashion drawings!

 

And there they are, fresh from the oven! It was surprisingly difficult to include the brand's signature star-theme in the illustrations without making them look too childish, and I spent quite some time experimenting with different kinds of backgrounds before coming up with this style. During the process, I had a few of those moments when you look at your work and feel everything but impressed, but as usual, it was the good kind of frustration - the kind that in the end lead to something much more rewarding, a happy client and an even happier illustrator! That said, I raise my scoop of ice cream to the arriving summer, the good weather and nice jobs! Hear hear!