Abi Tompkins illustration Blog

Memoires from things I see around me....or in my head...you decide. Represented by Plum Pudding illustration Agency 

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Mr Mustachio out soon!

Mr Mustachio out soon!

It’s a bit surreal to say that the first book I illustrated comes out this week, in fact you can pre-order it on Amazon already!…that’s even stranger that i’m on Amazon! But it’s all true and i’m very excited, but also very anxious about it all. I remember when I was a little girl I would spend hours looking at pictures in books and over analysing every line drawn, and then go on to copy the…

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Stranger Things

Every once in a while a new tv series comes out and everyone jumps on it. Usually i’m the one who’s about 2 years behind (finally managed to catch up with all of Game of Thrones) but this time I was there with the mass watching Stranger Things on Netflix. Maybe being an 80’s kid made me have a sense of nostalgia whilst viewing, but there is something about this show that makes it stand out. I’m…

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Little Gorilla

Hello everybody!! (just like in school assembly!) how are ya’ll doing today? Good? Sooo, I have been a bit rubbish at keeping my blog up to date and I do apologise, but I do have a very good reason! In March we welcomed our little daughter Summer Grace to the world! and oh my, she’s made an entrance! You can follow my shenanigans on that on my other blog Drinking Water Socially here It’s taken a…

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World Book Day!

It’s that time of year again, where you look down the road and you see kids dressed up from Matilda to Gandalf to the Gruffalo! World Book Day! what a great thing to celebrate, especially in this digital age. One of my most favourite things to do at the moment is to read, i’m currently reading Ready Player One. Has anyone else read it? i’m not too far into it, but from where I am right now my…

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When you come out of a great meeting!

When you come out of a great meeting!

I had the best meeting with my lovely agency at Plum Pudding HQ. It would have been a lot better if I wasn’t 8 months pregnant and just walked down a really long hill with a laptop and sketchbooks attached to my back like a turtle. By the time I got there I was super sweaty – and couldn’t even stop sweating after an hour of chatting! They must have thought I was bit of a (clammy) weirdo! But…

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Afternoon Tea Darlin'

Afternoon Tea Darlin’

Afternoon tea has become quite a big thing in London in recent years don’t you think? and no surprise as it’s so lovely to see the pretty plates stacked up with cakes and sandwiches, all looking so appetising to eat. Plus you get to wash it down with some great tea! The following are my favourite places I have had Afternoon tea at: Harrods   They had a great selection of sandwiches – and as my…

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Treats from Hong Kong!

Treats from Hong Kong!

Recently my best friends went to Hong Kong for a wedding, I wasn’t expecting them to be bringing me anything back..but they did and I have to share with you as it’s all so cute!!     I have a big love for stickers – I have managed to put them on every notebook, diary, phone and camera I own! These ones are lovely and raised, you know the type I mean, the ones that you end up rubbing because…

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2015 look back

Well done everyone! we made it 12 days into 2016! I hope you’ve all had a great time over the festive period. I always find January a time to reflect and look back on the year we leave behind. It’s easy to get caught up in all your expectations of the new year ahead (nothing wrong with that – I love going into positive vibes about the future) but it’s nice to just sit back and have a cuppa tea…

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Rahhh! where's my inspo?

Rahhh! where’s my inspo?

  Hello everybody! How’s everybody doing? are you having a nice week? I was wondering where do you guys get your inspiration from, right now i’m feeling the lack of it at my desk – it’s not helping that it’s super sunny outside right now and could actually be a summers day (as long as the window stays closed!) I need to get writing on some children’s book ideas I have but just can’t seem to…

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  Oh my, can you hear that? Is it Santa? I think he might be shining his sleigh in the (very) far distance.. I bet Rudolph is shining his nose too!

I hope you’re all getting in the festive mood, we tried to get ahead and start our Christmas shopping at the end of November, alas, we ended up buying ourselves lil gifts instead – please tell me we’re not the only ones who end up doing that!

I have a new selection of Christmas cards this year selling on my Etsy shop. Please have a looksy here :) 

I actually designed these beginning of November and it was so, so tempting to just put the Christmas tunes on right away and dance around in my jumper, for inspiration purposes of course! but now officially being in December we have the tree up and decorated and the sounds of Mariah singing in the background

Merry Christmas x

    Ho Ho Ho! Oh my, can you hear that? Is it Santa? I think he might be shining his sleigh in the (very) far distance..

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Lake District

When summer approaches a lot of conversations are about where you’ll be going on holiday that year, and most of the time it will be somewhere outside of UK, but this year was different. In order to save money (or try to!) we thought we would explore the beautiful English surroundings and drive up to Lake District! It’s been on my bucket list since watching Miss Potter and discovering this is…

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Inspiration from Twitter

Twitter has become part of so many people’s every day lives.  The most beneficial thing I have learnt from it is the power it has for you to connect to so many different people who I wouldn’t have been able to before..and also lets you be openly nosy! Since I have become a freelance illustrator I have found that there are just some days when I really need to push myself when it comes to being…

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Petersham Nurseries

I have been living in London for quite a few years now, and although I do love the hustle and bustle of the city life it is also so nice to escape it. I like greenery and trees and pretty flowers and when I found out that there is an AMAZING nursery just near me we had to go visit. I had never been to a place like this, you’re actually sat in a Green house whilst you have your tea and taking in…

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Update!

Hello there! how’s everyone doing? enjoying the lovely weather here in London? I have seen some pretty pink people walking around who have definitely been enjoying it! I recently got some very exciting news and can’t wait to share with everyone! It’s going to be keeping me busy for a while but it’s super fun. I think it came at just the right time as I was having a few doubts where I was…

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let's DoNuts!

Recently i’ve been really into baking and cooking, I’m loving the Madeline Shaw cookbook! I made the chocolate raw balls but unfortunately had a bad reaction to the hazelnuts I used so can’t actually eat them – but they were lovely healthy treats for all my friends who came to visit! so this left me to wanting to just eat donuts all the time. Did you know it was National Day on 5th June? you…

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Zoo Day!

Zoos are very special to me, they are one of my happy places on Earth, so when Mark thought we should go somewhere with animals for our Bank Holiday Monday I suggested London Zoo! Each time we go there I find new fascinating animals- they all have so much personality there, and we always manage to find new places to explore. This time was the bug room – have you been? you go in a room and they…

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