I'm proud to have been a part of Mud and Bloom since their inception in 2017. Initially, Anja was looking for a teacher and outdoor educator to suggest a range of seasonal activities suitable for including in a new nature subscriptions box for children. In the first instance, I provided tried and tested activities, suggestions for materials to accompany the ideas and all the copy-writing. I also suggested that the boxes would look beautiful if they were illustrated.I'm delighted that this suggestion was approved and that my role gradually changed over the years from providing the ideas, the copy and the illustrations to now focusing solely on the images that are used on the cards, seed packets and associated resources each month. The boxes are all designed to support families with getting out into nature.As we often don't know which seeds or materials will be available until the very last minute, I work to extremely tight deadlines each month, frequently turning round a batch of 10 - 12 bespoke, hand-painted illustrations plus any revisions in only a few days.It brings me such joy to see the many photographs that are shared each month by subscribers of their children enjoying the planting and craft activities in the boxes. I now have a young niece who is starting to become excited by the contents of each box, which brings me even more delight.