Sticky stickers

This is my largest sketchbook. I chose it because it was a square, rather than a rectangle, which I thought was more unusual. It's actually still not that big, I tend to like working small in my books, but it's got so much paper cramed into it it's the height of the Eifel Tower.

I bought it in a panic when I left art college as I was worried I wouldn't ever be able to buy cheap sketchbooks ever again. (The art supply shop at uni was great!) I should have bought more really, but I had to travel on two buses. I then deliberately dropped it on the floor to dent the corners as their sharpness scared me. 

I like to cover the book in stickers to make it look attractive and make it call to me to draw in it. I collect all the 'rubbish stickers' first, like adverts, and stick them on first. It's very important that they're bright colours as they then form the background. Then I put all my favourite stickers over the top and layer them up, finishing off with some sticky-back-plastic so they don't all peel off in my bag. Actually, I tend not to take this one out any more as it's a bit overweight, and I'd need a wheelbarrow. 

I like to work right to the edge of the page when sticking things in, and often over onto the next page. If the collage gets too big I just wrap it round so it forms the start go the next drawing. I like to tear the edges so it isn't straight, then the pages look all raggedy. (ooh, that word wasn't spell checked. Maybe it's a real word after all) It's getting a bit battered now, but I prefer it like that.

I'm writing this in the garden and a hover fly keeps landing on me. He won't leave me alone, he likes my yellow top. I shall call him Ivor.