A passion for reading...

www.unikgifts.co.uk not only has lovely toys & nursery pieces, it also features books. This is because Anna & I LOVE books & as keen readers we are hoping to pass this on to our little ones!

As an IT geek many of my friends & family are flabbergasted that I don't own an electronic device for my passion (not mentioning any names or trademarks here but I think you know). Surely the lady who owns a smart phone, a pro laptop & provides IT support for her family, her in-law family, her neighbours (the more elderly one) & who taught herself HTML & PHP while up with an awake crying baby would JUMP at the chance to pick up the next evolution of books? Surely she would? No???

No. And I don't believe those electronic devices are the next evolutionary step for books either, but that's a WHOLE other blog so I shall not digress.

There's a lot to be said for books that the electronic devices don't have. For starters there's the illustrations - our very own Victoria Plum drawings are the originals from one of the books about her. These illustrations make the story come alive for those that struggle to read the words. My little one will often guess what's happening next in the story because there's a delicate illustration there to show her. Some of the really old, beyond rescuing story books, have illustrations that can be framed as a lovely momento of a well loved story.










The smell of the book. Who hasn't walked into a large

old library & just stood there breathing in the smell of ancient leather bound books & knowledge? There's a magical muster that comes with a book, as if the writer & publisher added the sense of excitement & wonder that produces this magical scent. If you don't believe me then watch Disney's Beauty & The Beast - Belle knows she's in a library even before she opens her eyes (look who she breathes in the smell!).

The feel of a book. Pages are fabulous & it's a joy to turn them. Hence the phrase... it's a real page turner (this is now sadly used to describe films more than books). There's no way to describe the satisfaction of holding a book in your hand, turning the pages & coming to that point where you have read so much of the book that it sits comfortably in your hand & gives you a sense of accomplishment at how far you and the characters of the book have come. Also a twinge of sadness as you can feel there's only a shorter volume of time you'll spend together in the rest of this adventure.

So encourage your child to read, not with electronic devices (they have enough time with them for playing & watching things), but with books. Real books. Choose one of our delightful stories to help them on their way.

You never know, they like Belle could be starting a really big adventure in the world of reading!
Pop over to http://www.unikgifts.co.uk/products/artwork_peaspeavintagebooks.php and see which story adventure you'd like to take with your little one.

Victoria

In the 1980’s television presenter, Angela Rippon, put pen to paper and wrote a series of children’s books about a fairy called Victoria Plum.

Victoria was a tree fairy from the Great Wood who lived amongst her fairy friends Marsha, Ben and Sugar Plum and her talking woodland creature friends.

The books were illustrated by artist Colin Petty and were published by Purnell and Sons.

We were lucky enough to persuade Colin that we would find happy homes for the  last original illustrations of Victoria that he had. His cartoons and illustrations are very special and would make any nursery a happy one with Victoria on the wall.

Colin Petty was born in Wanstead, East London. He studied graphic design at the South West Essex School of Art in Walthamstow, London

“When I graduated I found work in a cartoon studio in Wardour Street, mainly because many of my serious attempts at artwork still looked like cartoons. Since the late 70s I have worked for myself, initially on licensed character work. I have illustrated almost every cartoon created, from Disney, MGM, Loony Toons, Rupert the Bear and The Magic Roundabout etc. Most of this has been in the form of comics and children's books. I have worked for Disney in the past and have spent some days at their Paris studio learning all the finer details that Walt had to offer”

Victoria and her friends currently reside here.

I'm now doodling to order... how did that happen?

I'm still doodling... quietly and consistently sketching away!

OK so the book is coming along and both Freddy & Dancer have featured... so those illustrations are in, but I've hit a snag. No no not writers block pre-Christmas requests for doodles! I mistakenly posted some of my doodle pictures on my personal Facebook page and now the ladies want me to draw something a little more girly. To be precise their daughters want me to draw something a little more girly.

So here I am, nursing a sick baby, pencil and notepad in hand sweeping those lines across a page hoping that somewhere in the swirls a ballet dancer will appear. You see I can't draw humans, no really I can't. I've spent my entire childhood doodling bunnies, horses, sea shores, shells, dragons, more horses and any number of animals. Figures? Nope, it's literally back to the drawing board for me.

I've started with stick men and then added blobs and then sketched around the blobs to form an outline. For some reason my arms or legs (never both) look a little stumpy... and my noses look huge and that knee there looks a bit like a horses... I don't think I'll ever be happy with the end result.

However, I've given it a go and here's my first ballet dancer effort. It's taken me nearly 10 days to doodle, refine, doodle, throw away and start again, doodle... sketch... ink!

Let's hope Mia likes it and Ava doesn't want one but different...

I'll do 3 different ballet poses, 3 different Pegasus poses and then on to the seaside theme someone else has just asked for... I'm leaving Fairies and Princesses and wotnots to Anna. She's the one with the Art degree for heavens sake!!

So please check out our Facebook page for our abc (art 4 babies & children), I can draw to order and if you're quick it can be gift wrapped and posted to you in time for Christmas!

Inked Pegasus about to take off...

Inked Freddy the Rabbit. Mounted ready to frame 

Inked Dancer the foal. Mounted ready to frame

A water colour Freddy. Mounted ready to frame and for sale! 

 A watercolour of Dancer. Mounted ready to frame and for sale!

Daddy DayCare is Welsh. I've always loved dragons. Also for sale 

 A degree in geology... so Triceratops, Brachiosaur & Stegosaur babies painted and inked are mounted and ready to buy.

Did I mention I'm fond of dragons? I have a fishing dragon, a Mummy & baby all inked, mounted and ready to go to a new home 

Line drawings £10 plus postage
Paintings £15 plus postage

Email sarah@unikgifts.co.uk for full images  & details. More pictures available on our Facebook page

Do you doodle?

Drawing for children

I've always doodled, drawn, sketched and generally put pen to paper. I love sweeping a pencil across the paper, not so keen on rubbing out lines that have gone where they shouldn't have, but turning those gentle sweeps into something recognisable has always been a passion of mine.

I think it all started when I choose my very first book from a library; The Hobbit. The book was an early edition complete with letterpress illustrations in the chapters and glossy colour image pages spotted throughout the book. Beautiful images that provided a background to an exciting story. I had a similar love for my Mother's copy of Black Beauty, which had the same format of letterpress printed illustrations within the text and separate glossy colour pages with full page illustrations sparsely scattered throughout the story. 

Both books were a real treasure for me to have, even if just for a short while. I remember each of them clearly, even though it has been 30 years since I read The Hobbit and my little sister now has that copy of Black Beauty so I see that very rarely as well.

The magic of a beautifully illustrated story is something we don't see much of today, which is a shame as it is something that could be treasured for many generations. Anna and I are talking about putting some of our stories down onto paper and writing a children's book, so I've been sketching some characters that could help bring the story to life.

Freddy the Bunny

Of course I started with a rabbit, [see earlier blogs for how we're a bit barmy about bunnies here at u-ni-k]. I actually drew this image to the right while doodling with DangerBaby in her high chair (where we sometimes do 'art' of the 'pen that could mark the sofa' kind). I'm thinking of calling him Freddy and I think he looks like a curious hungry rabbit. 

I've also started on a young foal, who I'm calling Dancer. I think she looks like a determined independent little thing, born to run as fast as the wind. She is based upon a foal I saw born on a racing stud farm, so I've tried to keep her thoroughbred looks as much as possible.

With these characters starting to come to life in my head, I think that our story will be an outdoor tale. Perhaps there maybe a woodland fairy or two to add to the mix?

Now I'm no Colin Petty, who drew the lovely woodland fairy Victoria Plum, nor am I a professional artist but I'm hoping my illustrations will help young readers to learn to love books. Just as the illustrations in The Hobbit and Black Beauty helped me.

Victoria Plum and Friend

Victoria Plum illustrations are available to purchase on our website. Each of them have been professionally mounted and come with a letter of authenticity from Colin himself.