That "other" BIG announcement!

Does this make you want to just pack up and get away from it all? It just feels like a holiday spot doesn't it? Well it did for us - so much so, that we bought it! This is the bathroom in our BRAND NEW HOUSE IN THE COUNTRY!

Ahhhhh! So this is what has been complicating our lives (in a good way) of late!!
Click the link below if you want to know more!



We have decided on a treechange and have bought this gorgeous 18 acre property in the country! It's in central Victoria and as you can see it's a lovely little stonehouse built by the previous owners. This is our dam/lake!


It was a dream we thought was in a 10 year plan for us, but when it came down to it we weren't really sure what we were waiting for! We decided to just have a bit of a browse on the internet to see what you can get for your money - we did not even know where we wanted to move to! Three weeks later we stumbled across a gorgeous "it doesn't hurt to have a look" property and two weeks later it was ours!!! This was all 6 months ago! The long settlement has allowed us to finish off the little things in our house - which turned into a 5 month project! So our Melbourne house has been on the market for just 4 weeks, and we pick up the keys to our new place in 2 weeks! FINALLY!!! Here's our driveway:


It's all part of a plan to SLOW DOWN a bit and to do the things we have always dreamed of NOW! For me that's more art and craft stuff, along with writing and illustrating my own books. We will build a new little studio for me to make this happen in! For Ray it will be about permaculture and gardening, and for BOTH of us it's all about self-sufficiency and a healthier lifestyle! I grew up in a small country town, so I have some idea what we are in for but my brave husband has always lived in the city so it will be a huge adventure for both of us!

No doubt I will give you some more detail over the coming weeks, but it will be a bit of a weekender for a bit until we sell our Melbourne home, or at least rent it out if it comes down to that!

....THERE'S MORE:
One more exciting piece of news it that I have just been approached by a brand new independent Australian Publisher to consider a new kids book opportunity! I am very excited and despite my plan not to take on new freelance projects for a while, this opportunity just can not be ignored! My motto has always been "to go where opportunities present themselves" and it's always worked for me!

So I am one of a handful of illustrators that have been invited to respond to a short brief set by the publisher to help them narrow their search for an illustrator. The brief is right up my alley, so to speak, and could be a great chance for me to get published in what I call my "True" illustration style.

So while it's a relaxing day at home today, it's also a chance for me to start working on some ideas for this brief. I hope to be able to share what I submit, a little later on. I will write in more detail about how this all came about when I have some more time, as I hope it will help other budding illustrators.....

So for now, I need to get back to the sketchbooks and try not to be too distracted by the excitement that awaits us in just two weeks!