Tiny Books for the Red Nose Day Dolls

My name is Celia and I am an illustrator and printmaker; you can find out more about my woodcuts and linocuts here, or you might already know my blog Purple Podded Peas or come across my Tweets.

I knew Emma and Ros were up to something . . . they were being furtive . . . hatching a cunning plan! And what a fabulous creative plan it is :-) Four dolls, hand made by a host of creative folk and all for Comic Relief.

I put up my hand and offered to make something . . . I said I'd make some little books.


When I was very small I used to love little books about flowers and birds and animals (in fact I still do) so I thought the Red Nose Day Dolls would like to have their own tiny wildlife books.

I put on my illustrator's hat . . .

. . . and did some drawings on my iPad.


Then I dusted down my book-designer's uniform - black Monsoon dress c.1985 and it still fits! (yes, that's how I earned my crust for many many years) and laid out the pages so that one book would print on a single sheet of A3 paper.

I cut and folded the pages and made little covers for them (I was so engrossed in what I was doing that I forgot to take photos of that bit) but here they are newly bound.

 

The Tiny Book of Garden Birds and The Tiny Book of Wildflowers were almost finished.

They just needed pressing, so I popped them into my antique copy-press, screwed the heavy plate down tight and left them over-night.

The Tiny Book of Garden Birds and The Tiny Book of Wildflowers are ready to send to the Red Nose Day Dolls . . .

. . . but I don't want any squabbles, so I'll now have to make two more books . . .  mmmm? The Tiny Book of ....... ?

The four beautiful Red Nose Day Dolls will be auctioned in aid of Comic Relief.

Many creative people have contributed their time and skills to make lovely things.

You can help too . . .  please bid for one of the Red Nose Day Dolls (and all their gorgeous little accessories) to help to raise loads of money for a very important cause!