Friday 29 December 2017

Bedtime story with Panda!


Sorry it's a bit late coming to the blog, but here's a little bedtime story that I read live on Facebook just before Christmas.
It's a little story called 'Finn Biddybum's Cake' - you may have heard of it?
Also the camera cut out halfway through so it's in two parts, sorry!!





Friday 22 December 2017

It's a Wonderful Life...

It's getting closer day by day and soon it'll all be over. No more running around, no more last minute making or post runs or running out of sticky tape/mince pies/lemonade.
This year has been different for me compared to the others. It might be my age but I'm seeing more stress, panic, upset and falling outs in the run up to Christmas. People's emotions are running high and with the aim of perfection I'm not surprised that you can almost see the stress pouring out of chimneys countrywide.
It doesn't have to be perfect.
If you didn't manage to get THAT present. If you only have the crappy wrapping paper left and you wanted to make their gift 'the special one', if you didn't send out your cards on time, if you haven't learned how to cook to perfect roasties, oh no, we forgot the batteries!...it doesn't really matter. None of it does. This time next week it'll all be over. We'll all be a little fatter, our cupboards will be fuller and the charity shops will be richer as we trundle our wheelbarrows along with Great Aunt Mildred's latest life sized knitted clown, filling it to the brim in the hopes the Cats Protection will be able to make a quid from it and that you won't have to find somewhere to put it.
(Great Aunt Mildred almost had a heart attack trying to make it on time, mind....)
What does matter? 
Time off. Winding down. Watching Christmas films with the family. Not spending so much money that you won't be able to eat until March. Ringing and visiting people who are having a worse Christmas than you. Being kinder, saying hello to your neighbours, taking donations to the local shelters or maybe even walking the dogs there. Taking time to reflect, to recharge, to reconnect. Having one too many and going on a rambling conversation until 3am by the lights of the tree. Writing letters to people. Spreading holly over the mantle.
Loving each other?
Yes, loving each other. You don't need money or batteries for that.
I'm way behind on my orders, my wrapping, my housework ready for 'the big day' but you know what? I'm off to watch 'It's a Wonderful Life', because it IS, and you only get one.
Lou xx


Sunday 17 December 2017

Christmas Delivery Info and Finn Biddybum's Cake Update

**Christmas Delivery Info**
Items direct from Paper Panda will be dispatched up to and including Weds 20th Dec, however we can no longer guarantee delivery before the big day. Deliveries will resume from 8th Jan 2018.
All custom made/guest artist orders will now be completed in the New Year.
Thank you all for your custom in 2017, and here's to a happy and prosperous 2018!

~~~~~

I'm so excited for you all to read Finn Biddybum's Cake! This tale of one brave hedgehog's quest for the perfect cake is coming very soon!
The books were due to arrive with us mid December, however the production part of the process has taken a little longer than expected. This is unfortunately out of our control, and we are relying on the publishers now to get the books delivered as soon as possible. We appreciate your understanding and hope you are as excited about receiving the books as we are to be sending them!







Saturday 9 December 2017

It's Here!!


Okay so it's cold, it's slippy, it's dark already at 4pm, I have a cold, sore throat, everyone around me is keeping Kleenex in business and I look like I've been dragged through a hedge backwards... but...but...but....I am a children's book author!
My 19 advance paperback copies are here in my hands and it's AMAZING! Finn Biddybum and friends in glorious colour!!






Friday 1 December 2017

Happy Birthday Paper Panda!

7 years ago...

"Hmmm is that it, yes, that's it!", hitting 'publish page'...
Paper Panda was born November 29th, seven long years ago. I'd made a papercut and showed a photo to my friends on Facebook and they all exploded with glee thus giving me the impression that other people may also like to explode too and so PP was born.
Did I ever think I'd be sitting here now talking to a squillion billion people about my cat, my piles and thinking about various ingenious ways to blow up the tax man? No! No way! Did I think that my third book would drop down chimneys this Christmas? Nuh-huh! Did I wonder if I applied Germoline to my newly formed finger callous that it'd go away by the Christmas partaaay? Yes, yes I did. Stoopid, 34 year old Lou, it'll NEVER go away even if you bathe it in a vat of Germoline.
So, I'm 41 now. I still work at home. I am still surrounded by many many animals, real and fictional, and I still love what I do. I hope to carry on doing it for a good many years yet.
Go buy stuff to enable me to do so 
Happy Birthday to PP and all who sail in her...erm...no, that doesn't sound right at all!

Happy Birthday FBH, Bunny, Bird, Mouse, Squiggle, Badger, Olive and Ladybug...let us eat CAKE!