I’m getting close to the end of this series! Let’s see what I was blogging about every since 2008.
![vintage button drawings - marcelinesmith](http://blog.askingfortrouble.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/2438624188_90d5e3ddda_o.jpg)
2008
April 2008 is when I started drawing vintage buttons from my collection, which eventually became a fabric pattern, button bags and more. I also made my first 2-colour gocco print of a geisha, shared my souvenir stamps from Japan and wrote a guide to setting up shop online that brought me tons of visitors for years. I was amused to see the photos of my messy desk – I now keep my desk very tidy with little effort so it is possible to change!
![SCK on Etsy](http://blog.askingfortrouble.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/3404442495_9c9db1b793_o.jpg)
2009
April 2009 is a very quiet month but has one of my early career highlights – being a guest curator on Etsy with Claire as SCK’s Bunny & Panda (sadly the Etsy post is long gone). It seems I was mostly busy prototyping new handmade products, which included my Cakeify & Friends mini bags and more vintge buttons.
![vintage buttons gift wrap](http://blog.askingfortrouble.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/giftwrap-buttons2a.jpg)
2010
April 2010 is also pretty quiet but I designed my first 2 wrapping paper designs. I had kind of forgotten about the buttons one! I also drew a volcano in honour of the ash cloud travel havoc at the time and created some book heart kits.
![halloween ghost fabric](http://blog.askingfortrouble.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Screen-shot-2011-04-11-at-17.47.03.png)
2011
April 2011 has me working on new pattern ideas for fabric including the original trapped ghosts (and many other Things in Jars), kokeshi dolls and ice cream bears. I was also outsourcing my badge making and wrote about our visit to the much-missed Hello Kitty’s Kawaii Paradise in Tokyo.
![Bunny Squares kawaii fabric patterns](http://blog.askingfortrouble.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/7084803515_281a98c158.jpg)
2012
April 2012 is also a fabric designing month with some Look Around & Bunny patterns and mini size prints for doll clothes. I was very excited to see my characters on bedding at DENY Designs, though that was sadly not a great partnership in the end – at least you can find them at Society6 & Redbubble now instead. I also started my first tapestry kit and published the book issue of my Oddments zine. I wonder how many copies I printed as there is still 1 left, 7 years later!
![](http://blog.askingfortrouble.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/picknmix-badges-550x550.jpg)
2013
April 2013 has me working on the next issue of my Oddments zine, funnily enough! I started my pick and mix badges offer and drew the first 5 A Day characters (hidden away in a post about recipes). I also wrote about my trip to York including the National Railway Museum (I really must go back).
![](http://blog.askingfortrouble.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/IMG_3569.jpg)
2014
April 2014 was my first full month in Helensburgh so I was sorting out my new studio and enjoying using all my indie designer towels! My 5 A Day characters appeared on new Shopping List notepads and stickers. I also blogged a lot about our recent trip to Brussels including the Atomium and Tintin Museum and went to the local Handiwives Show which was incredible.
![](http://blog.askingfortrouble.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/pens1.jpg)
2015
April 2015 was mostly play and no work though I did add my patterns to one of my favourite on-demand products, pens! I also started My Art History, a series of posts about my early artwork, starting with primary school and high school. I celebrated my birthday with a trip up north for Easter and got incredible handmade gifts from my family – a Bunny apron, felt art portrait and window seat. We got ourselves stitched into a portrait for my mum too!
![rug design](http://blog.askingfortrouble.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/rug-design.jpg)
2016
April 2016 was just before my 3 week Japan trip so I shared my 1 month planning list, published a new Planning For Japan guide book and bought a new camera. Other new products included Afternoon Tea gift wrap and fabric pencil cases. I also popped up North, which led to me designing a rug! I would still like to have that made in reality.
![kawaii bumble bee paper cut tutorial copyright marceline smith](http://blog.askingfortrouble.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/DSCN2500.jpg)
2017
April 2017 was during my paper crafts year and I made a free tutorial for cute bumblebees including mini bees on sticks that inspired my wooden garden decorations. I had another Easter visit up north and made Angel Bunny brooches for me and my mum. I was still blogging about my 2016 Japan trip too with my amazing day out at Miyajima.
![100 Days of Kawaii Characters - #The100DayProject](http://blog.askingfortrouble.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/100days-640.jpg)
2018
April 2018 was when I got the news that my book publication was being pushed back to 2019. It was for positive reasons but I’d been looking forward to it so much that it was a bit disappointing. I decided to take my mind off it but taking part in The 100 Day Project with 100 Days of Kawaii Characters. It definitely did fill my time and I completed it in August with so many new characters and patterns. I also added some new Kawaii Skies products with gift wrap and cloud brooches, had a fun birthday trip to Edinburgh and shared new photos of my studio.
If you’re reading this in the future, you can also check out all my posts for April 2019.