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Magic is the wonder

Magic is the wonder

A short poem I wrote for Lionheart magazine about my thoughts on what magic is, called Magic Is The Wonder
— Lorna Gibson
Blank Page

Blank Page

Few things make me as wriggly and uncomfortable as a blank page...
— Lorna Gibson
Tagged: dreams inspiration
How failing led me here

How failing led me here

Before I started Toots Design, I created a hat brand with colourful winter beanies...

Here is a little behind the scenes about how it came about, and how it became a  part of the journey to finding you here now. 

— Lorna Gibson
Friends In Small Places

Friends In Small Places

I think many of us will freely admit to having a phobia of some kind. Mine is spiders. I had no fear of them until a tarantula was popped into my hand at London Zoo when I was 5. Totally spooked, that was game over for me. What started as mild aversion grew and grew until any spider was a problem. Later in life, I worked hard to befriend them as a way to shrink the fear... Which is how I came to write about Dave.
— Lorna Gibson
Tagged: fears Spider and Me
The Other Side Of The Wall

The Other Side Of The Wall

Putting on a brave face alongside the things that worry us is so tiring.

Sometimes the thoughts and feelings themselves can be as (if not more) frightening than any situation we face. It takes great strength to hold them at bay, and it takes great strength to face them too. So if you recognise yourself holding up the wall with all your might, you are stronger than you know. And if you recognise yourself sitting with the courage to let them out, you are also made of more magic than any Marvel superhero.

— Lorna Gibson
Only the good notes

Only the good notes

Music is one of life’s most beautiful things. I could wax lyrical on that alone.
As we approach the long awaited unlocking of lockdown, I have found the challenges have felt bigger and louder and like a grand crescendo, as if the volume just cranked up.
— Lorna Gibson
What's your cup of tea?

What's your cup of tea?

Popping a teaset into my illustrations is something I do often, and it might be easy to assume that they're all the same. I love the colour they bring, but I also love the meaning behind them. There are so many times for tea, and each setting is what makes it special. Here are a few of my favoutites:
— Lorna Gibson
Everything's better with cake

Everything's better with cake

One of the great joys of living in England is having Victoria Sponge cake on tap. It's the BEST of all cakes... in my humble opinion. Whenever I had come back from a winter working overseas, it would be one of the first things, if not THE first thing to have on home soil and my Mum would be sure to bake me one to welcome me home, served with tea in her gran's prettiest tea-set.
— Lorna Gibson
The loft hatch sprung open

The loft hatch sprung open

I can't deny, and you probably have guessed it already, but I am highly sentimental! And Christmas sparks some of the biggest attachements to happy memories for me. Decorations often serve as a physical connection to Christmases gone by, so my favourites are often the ones I've had in my life the longest. My Mum used to decorate the house for Christmas overnight while me and my sister were asleep. It was the best thing! One day, you'd wake up and come out to a house filled with tinsel and the smell of the Christmas tree. Absolute magic. I know tinsel had a phase - maybe it still does?! - where it was a bit unloved, but it's always been a Christmas essential for me and it still makes me so happy.

— Lorna Gibson