The very special Clara Vulliamy

Recently, my very lovely friend Clara Vulliamy created a unique little illustration just for me. I feel SO lucky and can't help but smile every time I see it!

Clara is an incredibly talented illustrator and author of lots of wonderful children's books, including the Dixie O'Day series with her mother, Shirley Hughes. She's also got a book coming out in September with Polly Faber called Mango and Bambang: The Not-a-Pig (Walker Books) which is truly lovely and a review will be popping up on here closer to publication date!

So for this illustration I sent Clara a few childhood snaps, and she's done a very fine job - it really does look like me as a little girl. The inspiration for the illustration comes from the name of my blog, Written in the Kitchen Sink and my YouTube video blog, Plugging Pictures - both inspired by one of my favourite books I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith.

Clara has captured everything perfectly, from the books stacked in the dish rack right down to the red ribbon in my hair and my yellow wellingtons. Three cheers for Clara, illustrator extraordinaire!