Die begin van Lea

Omtrent hierdie tyd verlede jaar was ek in die valleie van die Oos-Kaap, iewers in die platteland. Ek en Johan van Landbou Weekblad het oor land en sand gesels, deels omdat ons albei Afrikaans was, deels omdat ons sommer net dadelik oor die weg gekom het, deels oor die bitter lang paaie wat ons gery het en deels omdat ons eerder die middag in die son gelê het as om die seremoniele samp en hoenderpote te eet wat vir die media byeenkoms wat ons daar voor was, voorberei was.

Een van die onderwerpe waaroor ons gepraat het was dié van kinders. Ek, wat amper-amper aan 30 raak en hy wat alreeds vyf jaar nader aan 40 is. Nee wat, sê hy, kinders is nie vir hom nie, sy gees is net te vry. 

Ja, het ek saam gestem, kinders is nou waaragtig vir die voēls. Maar eintlik was dit my verdedigingsmeganisme nadat ek jare tevore moes hoor ek sal nooit kinders kan hê nie. Ek het my hart probeer beskerm, want om Ma te wees is mos nog enige 13-jarige meisie se droom, en ek het elke jaar sedertien daarop die beskermingsmure gebou.

Maar ek het 'n gevoel gehad dat iets hier binne my verander. Ek het immers hormone gevat wat die proses om swanger te word moes aanhelp, veral nadat ek met polisistiese ovariums gediagnoseer is.

Intussen vlieg ek terug Johannesburg toe met 'n helse piepie en knyp al die pad van die Oos-Kaap af, want sodra ek land gaan ek vir Flip, my liewe man wat my kom oplaai na die lang dag, apteek toe vat dat ek 'n toets kan koop. Sommer by die lughawe apteek, langs die ou Keg. 

Dis al laat middag.

Na groot verligting stap ek met die toets na Flip toe. Ek wys hom die een baie helder lyntjie en die een, amper nie sigbare lyntjie. Jammer, sê ek, ons is nie swanger nie. Maar Flip haal die papiertjie uit die boks uit en lees dat as daar 'n tweede lyntjie is, maak nie saak hoe dof dit is nie, as daar 'n tweede lyntjie is, is jy swanger.

Ons stap toe nou die lang pad terug kar toe en in die tyd begin die idee nou deurdring. Toe kry ek 'n paniekaanval, net daar! In die lughawe!

Shame. Ek koop toe ook sommer een van daai fancy swangerskaptoetse, die elektriese een en daar kom toe wragtig 'n smiley op die klein skerm, saam met die woorde 2 - 3 weeks.

Maar ons geluk was baie gou kortgeknip. Ons het klaar ons ouers laat weet daar is 'n klein bondeltjie oppad, maar twee dae na die toets begin ek krampe in my sy kry. Vreeslik seer. So seer dat ek vir Flip vra om my hospitaal toe te vat, waar ek gou in die ongevalle saal opgeneem word.

Ek verduidelik ek is swanger, positiewe toets ens maar nou het ek hierdie pyn in my regter sy en daar is iets groot fout. Dis 'n hele dag se gewag, 'n hele dag se swaar gemoed wat hier op jou skouers kom sit, wat jou af druk in die verderf in, in die dwaalhof van onsekerheid.

Later eindig ons by die X-strale departement op, waar hulle 'n sonar doen en NIKS IN MY BAARMOEDER KRY NIE. "'n Baba wat twee tot drie weke in 'n swangerskap is, moet al op die skerm verskyn, hierdie tegnologie is baie gevorderd," het die sonar tegnikus gesê.

Ek dink nie ek het al ooit so baie gehuil soos wat ek daai middag gehuil het nie, sonder verweer, sonder omgee, sonder om my te steur aan die mense om my. My hart, wat al klaar soveel hoop en idees en liefde gehad het vir die klein wonderwerkie wat binne my sou groei, was in skerwe. Ons het lank daar gesit en wag en weer sonars gehad en elke keer het die nuus teruggekom dat daar niks in my baarmoeder is nie, dis leeg. Ek voel leeg.

Daar word gesê dis 'n ektopiese swangerskap, dat die embrio iewers op my eierstokke vas gaan sit het. Hulle gaan moet opereer, my eierstok ook verwyder. Ek word opgeneem in die hospitaal en op 'n drip vir die pyn gesit, die dokter kom in, doen weer 'n sonar en sien weer niks. Ek ween. Sy sê ons moet wag tot die volgende oggend, dan gaan sy op my kom inloer, as die pyn steeds daar is, word ek defnitief die middag geopereer.

Ek huil weer. Die verpleegsters gee drukkies van vertroosting, vee my trane af en gee woorde van hoop, maar drukkies en woorde is nie 'n sterk genoeg gom om my hart weer aanmekaar vas te plak nie. Die dokter, 'n moderne Sikh, met 'n pragtige sy kopband, gee my ook 'n drukkie en sê ek moet net bid. Ek slaap niks daardie aand nie. My Ma het deurgery van Pretoria af en saam my in die kraamsaal gesit en huil. Dag breek.

Die pyn is steeds daar, maar flouer. Dr Kabir is terug en neem weer bloed, die derde keer in 24 uur. My HCG telling is weer op, beduidend dat daar tog 'n swangerskap iewers is, maar waar weet niemand nie.

Dr Kabir sê toe sy gaan my ontslaan, want sy glo daar is 'n babatjie oppad. "Kom oor 'n week en 'n half terug," sê sy. Sy druk my hand en sê: "Moenie ophou bid nie. Glo net in God."

Nou toe, soos julle in die fotos kan sien het ons 'n week en 'n half later teruggegaan dokter toe, en alhoewel die pyn nooit verdwyn het nie, het daar op daai sonar daai dag 'n klein wit spikkeltjie verskyn, skaars groter as 'n kopspeld.

En hier, 'n jaar later sit daardie spikkel in my arms. God is groot. 

The Botanist/The Forager Gin Experience

I've been lured out of my blogging hibernation. By alcohol, not surprising, but ironic that I am coming out of this literal hibernation in the middle of winter. You all have The Botanist, a super-premium artisanal gin, hand-crafted on the wild Hebridean to blame (or thank) for that. 

I went to The Forager, a unique pop up concept, presented by The Botanist Gin, which saw a limited number of pop up evening events taking place between June and August in unconventional, secret urban spaces in Cape Town and Johannesburg. If you would like to have your own The Forager experience, check out the dates on Quicket.

And as these type of events go, everyone introduces themselves in almost the same fashion as an alcoholics anonymous meeting (oh the irony, it hurts). "Hi, I'm Megan. I used to blog, but..." And then the story of why I stopped would follow. But through all my interactions I was enticed to start writing again (and I did write, albeit not public, the 1000 plus notes on my phone can testify to that).
At the event I chatted to a couple of journos who said that writing was "such a chore" and while it did feel like it sometimes, I realised that it has always been what I lived for, the one thing that I loved more than anything. It took a few cocktails to realise that.

So, The Forager saw three bartenders find their ingredients for three different cocktails in non-urban setups, the veld, the sea, your garden. These three bartenders then had to compete and through a voting system, one of them would win a trip to where The Botanist is made.

Our first cocktail arrives but we're not allowed to drink it until bartender Julian arrives to explain what we are about to taste. I started sucking on a sugar stick in the cocktail. "It tastes like burnt sugar," I said. "No, it tastes like candyfloss," someone else says. I stood corrected. Julian arrived: "It's calendula - like saffron, but cheaper." It was delicious. The Backyard Sours cocktail further consisted of pan-fried lime juice (magic!), cumquats and six different foraged mints. It smelled like a spa! It tasted sort of like a brutal fruit. Julian, if you're reading this, please don't shoot me. It really was delicious!

Second, we were served a cocktail called Rose Gold. It was strong and bold and my favourite. I'm quite surprised I could remember much after the shot-sized drink. It was packed with gin, vermouth and a potent shrub. I really cannot remember much of bartender Dino's presentation, it really was potent.

Luckily we had some flippen lekker snacks, like guinea fowl pot pies and gin eclairs to settle our stomachs and I could gather my thoughts again.

In the background Black Betty starts playing and we are served our third cocktail, A Slow Walk With Margaret. The bartender, Keegan, explains that his special brew contains The Botanist Gin, Rooibos with wild ginger rosemary and jasmine flowers, Toscello bitters and RAW egg white. It made the cocktail thicker, he said. It also made the froth at the top. It looked like beer, it tasted like the kicking cousin of your grandma's rooibos tea. "But it doesn't have too much of a kick," Keegan added. "I want you to enjoy more than one."

"It's the perfect nightcap," my friend Nico said and the table nodded in agreement. Also in the cocktail is something called Ugly Betty Tincture - ties in well with the Ram Jam song, and it was topped off by a lavender flower - foraged on the farm of the old herb sage Margaret Roberts herself.
It was the perfect way to have a mommy's night out and the perfect way to get me out of my shell again.

{Pics by Alessio la Ruffa}

Illo {feature + giveaway}

Every once in a while I stumble upon a South African creative that just sticks with me. When I found illo, I thought it was illustrations designed by someone in far off Scandinavia. I was obsessed and would scroll through the brand's twitter feed, just staring at the intricate details of the hand-illustrated sketches. I had to know more.

How surpised was I when I learnt that illo was started by a Cape Townian, Vivienne van Deventer,
who works as an illustration artist from home. All here illustrations are done by hand with the use of fineliner on paper, then colour is digitally added .

 

Vivienne, your work is stunning. How did you start and how long have you been doing this?

I have always loved to illustrate, give me a blank piece of paper & a pen or pencil & I am happy! I have a Bachelors Degree in Fashion Design which I obtained from CPUT in 2007. During my final year, illustration was a big focus for me.

I have worked in the clothing - as well as licensing industries where I have gained a lot of wonderful experience. However, I soon realized that the clothing industry was not for me & knew that I wanted to pursue my illustration work.

Last year, a month before my wedding day, I finally said goodbye to the clothing industry for good & around June I slowly but surely started with 'illo' (still finding my feet though). I have never been happier & never looked back!

What sort of products do you make? Do you also provide services?

Currently I focus on my range of art-prints, as well as cards. There will be about two different new ranges every year.

I am planning on adding more products as well & will hopefully soon have products available online. I illustrate by hand & then add colour digitally. 

I am also available for commission based work such as custom illustrations, logos, invitations and things that you generally won't find mass produced in a mall.

3. Where do you find inspiration for your creations?

If you look at my current 'doll' range, you will see quite a strong fashion direction still coming through, due to my fashion past :)

Other than that I love patterns & seeing patterns everywhere, especially in nature & also ethnic patterns. 

I do not plan beforehand how I want my illustrations to look, I usually just start illustrating & patterns just emerge from there. I am currently working on a woodlands theme range which will focus on animals, here you will also see similar patterns coming through.

What are some of the challenges of being your own boss?

Yes, I am :) And pretty new to it. My biggest challenge so far, since I work from home, has been to have self discipline.

Believe it or not, but there can be a lot of distractions working from home. I set myself goals & realistic deadlines & always make sure that I stick to them. 

Always be honest with your clients & be true to your word. If you say you are going to email someone the next morning, then you do it. Always go the extra mile, it's never crowded.

How do you perceive the South African creatives/design landscape?

I can honestly say that I am proud to be a creative living in South Africa. We have an explosion of culture, ideas, incredible individuals & artists here, South Africa is alive with a creative pulse of colour & culture! 

I am born & bred in Cape Town & have also lived & worked in Johannesburg for a while & have met some amazing creative people. There is a hunger amongst people for authentic, unique & handmade goods, people are tired of retail & mass market products.

What is your favourite colour/ material to work with, and why?

My favourite medium is fineliner on paper. As much as I love colour, there is just something clean & classic about a black illustration on white paper.

It stands out strong & beautiful on it's own without the need for colour. Simple, yet striking.
 

What would you do if you won the lotto?

That would be a miracle, seeing that I have never played it & actually never would, haha :) But if I do somehow win that amount of money I would immediately travel, see the world & experience new cultures! 

When I get back I will buy a farm or small holding where my children could run free, live off the earth, breathe in fresh air & then give, give & give to people who really are in need. This probably sounds cliche, but I honestly would. Giving is something that makes my heart & soul happy, especially when it is from the heart, whether a small gift or just a hug. To give honestly is better than to receive.

 

Where to from here?

I am planning on getting my current products available in an online shop a.s.a.p, finish my next range & then have some new products available soonest (as well as my website up & running).
 

What has been your proudest moment since you started?

Having started! It really took me very long to build up the confidence & courage to start. There was a lot of self doubt, yes's, no's & maybe's. But the moment I started I wish I had done so earlier. Never doubt yourself, you have your specific talents for a reason, grow them, nurture them & bless others with them. I have never been happier or more content.

GIVEAWAY TIME!

Two lucky The Sun House readers stand the chance to win either a Leah or Rae print, signed by Vivienne. The winner also has the choice of a wooden look background or a plain white background.

All you need to do is to tweet about this post, tag me @waitingformeg and @vivillo8, or share The Sun House's facebook post. Feel free to give Illo some love by clicking and following her on the social media sites below.

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/illodesignandillustration?ref=hl
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/illo.co.za/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/vivillo8
• Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/illo_co_za/

 Also please comment on which print you would like, Leah on the left, or Rae on the right.

Willow Feather Farm

You may have seen this place if your frequent the R21 between Joburg and Pretoria, but you might not have realised what you are looking at. All you can see from the road is a whole line of trees, just after/before the St George hotel bridge. Blink and you'll miss it.

What started as an indigenous tree nursery, the Willow Feather Farm had now grown into a little kid's paradise, with big gardens and a petting zoo and very well protected koifish dams. The little kid in me was awoken by all the critters, including llamas, hilarious gerbils!, baby goats, potbelly pigs and a couple of donkeys.

If you are looking for something to do this weekend that feels like you have gone out to the countryside, then you should consider visiting Willow Feather Farm. For adults, there is a restaurant that serves hearty breakfasts as well as a little curio shop filled with ceramics and candles.

Can I just tell you how obsessed I am with llamas? They are the weirdest creatures, but so cute! On the day that we visited, there was a little baby llama and she jumped around in her pen. It was the cutest thing ever. They had a little list up so that people could write suggestions for the baby's name, and a majority of it was Charlotte - not surprisingly, as it was just after Princess Kate had Charlotte Diana Elizabeth.

The daddy llama, which was simultaneously also the big brother of the baby llama - or perhaps I misread it - was kept in a seperate pen. We couldn't quite figure out if he was antsy because he wanted to be with the baby or if he wanted to kill it. Either way, trying to touch an antsy llama is near impossible and quite scary.

Besides the free petting zoo, you can also stroll their vast gardens and buy a lavender or two. The nursery had the most interesting French Lavender that I have never seen before. I was obsessed. Still going back to buy more. I know the below flowers are violas.

Pack a picnic basket or some braai goodies and head to the Rietvlei Dam Nature Reserve just a stone's throw away.

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All images are from the Willow Feather Farm website

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Stroopsoet.Fotografie {feature}

Photography has always been a passion of mine. It truly is an art, it captures the most important moments of your life, your beautiful surroundings. It tells a story, gives you a glimpse into your past and lasts forever. People all over the world are obsessed with it! And o gosh, if I had the means I would buy the biggest, most complicated camera and fidget with it until I had it all figured out. In the mean time, I live vicariously through the many talented photographers the country has to offer.

One such photographer is Marleen, who started lifestyle and wedding photography company Stroopsoet.Fotografie. This is her story.

 

 

Marleen, your  photos are enchanting! How long have you been doing this?

I have been taking pictures ever since I can remember but been doing it professionally for 5 years.

Your images inspire me to pick up my camera and learn the tricks of the trade.

Where do you find inspiration?

Joburg city. People find it strange how I enjoy taking pics there on a "off" day. But I see beauty through my lens in the strangest places.

 

 

The local photography scene can be quite competitive. How do you perceive the creative landscape?

Absolutely refreshing. It is growing year by year and I am so grateful that most creatives stick tot local inspiration rather than commercialising their work.

 

I am so proud to be part of South Africa's creative adventures.

 

But being your own boss is also challenging. What are you biggest challenges?

My biggest challenge is setting business hours and to disconnect from work. Work just never stops when you have your own business. But, if you enjoy it, you cannot really call it "work".

What would you do if you won the lotto?

Travel to every country possible and buy unlimited polaroid films :)

 

 

Where to from here?

We have some awesome adventures coming next year. a Little Stroopsoet baby :) 

 

I am hoping my photography can take me to different opportunities so that I do not spend so much time away from home over the weekends with wedding. I will never stop doing weddings, beautiful being part of celebrations of love but just slow it down a little bit.

Congratulations! Besides the baby, what would you say was one of your biggest achievements?

Definitely being featured in the awesome indie travel magazine - Slow Drive. I am a wanderlust soul and to capture these soulful adventures have always been a dream for me. 

 

It was an amazing feeling seeing my name and stories in the magazine with some of my travels to Botswana, Namibia, Transkei and Zanzibar.

 

 FIND STROOPSOET HERE:

Website: www.itsallyellow.co.za

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Stroopsoet.Fotografie

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/Stroopsoetkiekies

 

 

Five places to visit to sustain tourism without petting a big cat

A lot has been said [and perhaps even done] about the recent killing of Cecil the Lion. While it saddens me that people kill such beautiful, majestic animals for sport and while I have always loathed hunting, a lot more focus has fallen on the protection of Africa's animals.

So much so that there have been suggestions that wildlife tourism, such as safaris and animal encounters should be scrapped entirely. I don't think this is entirely viable, as hunting - albeit as stupid, futile hobby - and animal tourism have made big bucks for the country.

However, for this reason I thought about things that South Africans can do, places we can visit which is all about the, for lack of a better word, structural tourism - things that do not involve animals, but you might be lucky to spot one while seeing the other beautiful spots the country has to offer. Thinking about it now, there are so many, I have no idea how I'm going to round it down to just five, but here are my top five.

MAC MAC POOLS

Just ten kilometres outside Sabie, hidden in the lowveld and overshadowed by its big brother, the Mac Mac Falls, you'll find the Mac Mac pools - a natural oasis wher you can take a dip, if you are willing to brave the icy cold water. I doubt a lot of people know about these pools, as my family and I have regularly visited the Lowveld, but I only came across it while roadtripping with Flip last year. Make sure to wear your hiking boots for the 3 km Secretary Bird Walking Trails. If relaxing is more your thing, bring a couple of beers and something to braai, as there is some great picnic facilities too.

You could spend an entire day at the pools, if you are not in a rush to see all the other gems in the area, but be on the look out for critters. We saw a snake in the picnic area.

BLYDE RIVER CANYON  

Staying in the region, the Blyde River Canyon is one of the highlights of a trip to Mpumalanga. The view is breathtaking, no matter how many times you have seen it. I would recommend you visit in the golden hour, just before sunset, as the colours are just specatucular. Take a sundowner with you and take in the view until the sun has set.

Just an fyi, the locals also think that the canyon is a wonderful spot to have sundowners, but they start drinking early, so expect rowdy crowds, drunk people stepping too close to the edge and asking you to take their pictures while they make out and cars that vibrate from all that bass. Be extra careful when you drive back to your destination, as the curvy roads can get quite dangerous after dark and adding a drunk bunch to it makes it all the more so.

GOLDEN GATE NATURE RESERVE

This is one of the most spectacular place in the country! Smack bang in the middle, just about 4 hours from Joburg, you will find a small town called Clarens and just outside, the entrance to the beautiful reserve. It is such a fascinating landscape and the way it lights up in the sun - where it obviously got its name from - will stay with you for months.

HOUT BAY

Listen, if you have never been in Hout Bay, I think you should make a plan to go there as soon as possible. Besides its beyond spectacular beach, which is almost like an alcove between the mountains and its harbour, it also offers a whole bunch of touristy things, like a market.

 If you ever do have time to travel to Hout Bay, trawl along the beach down Harbour Road to Snoekies Fresh Fish Market and have your lunch on the jetty. You will see a couple of seals, some fishies and a couple of birds.

And after spending your day on the beach, which I think is dog-friendly - not that I give a flying willy if you look at my pics - you can head off to Dunes Beach Bar for drinks and supper. 

LION'S HEAD

It seems I really like high-up places, but if you do find yourself in Cape Town, even for a business trip, there is no greater place to soak up the sun, the amazing view and just how flippen awesome Cape Town is than climbing Lion's Head. Take heed though that you need to have some degree of fitness before scaling up the mane, it's really steep and your calves are going to scream at you.

I might be a bit overconfident here, but I think if I stayed in the Mother City, I would be up there every weekend. And you do get to see some wildlife! We saw many dassies along the way and up there. PS REMEMBER A WATER BOTTLE! I didn't. It's torture.

There are many places in South Africa that you can visit to sustain tourism without getting caught up in the hype of hunting and petting (big cat) zoos. If you have any suggestions, leave them in the comments ;)

Amy Slatem {feature + giveaway}

I am so excited by today's feature. I have long admired Amy's work and am thrilled to share her talent with you! She has some super rad skills with a pen and pencil and you can even get some of her artwork at the Arts on Main market in Pretoria. She proves that local is indeed lekker! 

“'Illustration' is a term used fairly loosely to outline my art, design and continuous doodling. My work largely leans towards portraiture in various mediums, focusing on capturing the nature and personality of whomever and whatever is my subject, be it people, animals or objects, often with an added twist of hand typography. I offer a variety of personalised and quirky illustrated projects that are often based around the ideas brought to me by clients," Amy says.

1. How did you start and how long have you been doing this?

Art has always been at the heart of most of what I do, but it’s only since I’d finished varsity and started in my 8 to 5 design job last year that I really started developing and focusing on promoting my illustrating and freelance commissions in my own time. I not only found that I had a lot more free time during lunch breaks and outside of work than I had while I was studying, but I also really needed to get away from the computer and back to pen and paper and creating with my hands. Things really seemed to start developing after I bought and began filling my first Moleskine journal with drawings, collages and musings early last year.

2. What sort of products do you make? Do you also provide services?

A general focus of my works is portraiture, but not limited to just faces, rather portraits as visual descriptions of my subject matter, from people to trees to buildings to objects. I provide personalized illustrative services to anyone who would like to have their ideas (calm or crazy) or perhaps the likeness of a loved one visually captured. I’m also very active on social media continuously sharing (especially on Instagram) whatever work or doodle I’m busy with or have just finished, so I guess I do some visual entertainment in a way too.

3. Where do you find inspiration for your creations?

People, my surroundings and general media – often sitting in front of a computer all day I tend to come across many interesting and inspiring things on the internet, especially via Twitter, that spark an idea which I jot down and revisit again later. My journals and random scraps of papers I’ve scribbled on when an idea strikes house a lot of base thinking and inspiration, but often I actually find that a blank page and a pen while listening to music is where most work starts.

4. What are some of the challenges of being your own boss?

To be honest, I’d have to say being “clueless” a lot, at this stage there’s still a lot of trial and error that I go through to find what and how things work with dealing with clients, costings, time management and general business things.

5. How do you perceive the South African creatives/design landscape?

Inspiring, diverse and professional (generally). I have a handful of really great and talented creatives which I follow quite closely, not only for their work and technique but how they individually navigate the creative industry and the local platform. It’s also far more encouraging and relatable looking at our homegrown talent because it feels more obtainable and possible to get to that level of success compared to looking at the international landscape. Local is lekker!

6. What is your favourite colour/ material to work with, and why?

I’m all about colour, but when it comes down to picking a favourite one and material: black ink, definitely. I love its possibility, its easy transitions from bold lines to subtle suggestions, from outlines to typographic possibilities. Give me any surface and a fineliner, brush and ink, ballpoint pen or koki and I’m a happy doodler. Its permanentness can be both exciting and frustrating, a challenge which I enjoy.

7. What would you do if you won the lotto?

My rational self would invest most of it and be responsible before booking a flight to somewhere beautiful and foreign that offers endless drawing possibilities… and wine. Once all my sketch books, experience and inspiration levels are sufficiently full, I’d head home and set up the most amazing and inspiring personal studio space with all the art supplies that my present self can only dream of at the moment…

8. Where to from here?

Buying that lotto ticket…

9. What has been your proudest moment since you started?

Realising what I sincerely want to do. Finding that passion and direction really helps to inform everything I do now with the consciousness of where I want to go –being a full time independent illustrator and making a name for myself in the industry, both local and abroad. I plan to get involved in more solo and group exhibitions, grow my client base and work on my own projects to keep exploring techniques and subject matter. 

FIND AMY HERE

https://artaims.wordpress.com/

https://instagram.com/shmaymee/

https://www.facebook.com/AmySlatemIllustration

https://twitter.com/Shmaymee

YOU CAN WIN!

Like Amy's Facebook illustration page and share the post with the necessary comment to stand the chance to have YOUR COVER PAGE personalised and illustrated to use on FB &/twitter. To enter, click here.