One Sketch 236) Bob Cratchit Christmas Card

How strange to think
A man who died a century and a half ago
Made Christmas what it is
Today

Well, forgiveable hyperbole. Charles Dickens, who died in 1870, gave us "A Christmas Carol" probably did as much to create the traditional ideal of Christmas as any other person.

One Sketch 235) Baby Pug (Thursday 15th November)

Ladies and gents

I give you

A living oxymoron

- Ugly but cute.

Just a matter of personal opinion, of course. I didn't have a lot of time, and so dashed this off fairly quickly. 

One Sketch 234 (Weds 14th November) Christmas Card

The season just makes us feel young
So songs through the ages have sung
The fat cat has said
He'll pull on the sled
He's probably after a bung.

No idea who sketched this one originally, I just liked it. I made this during Artists' Group on Wednesday evening.

One Sketch 233) (Tuesday 13th November) John Tenniel Christmas Card

Santa s trying to skate
He seems to be tempting his fate
He's dazed and confused
He's been at the booze
He'll end in a hell of a state

Another 2018 Christmas card based on a cartoon by my favourite British Victorian cartoonist, Sir John Tenniel. Tenniel always drew a very English Father Christmas - absolutely not Santa Claus - with holly around his pointy hat, and seemingly a little the worse for strong drink.

One Sketch 232) London Tram

Slow, rattlesome
Uncomfortable
And for all that
I'd give a lot
for a time machine
to take me to ride one

Yes, given the Sketching Every Day prompt transportation, there was only ever going to be one choice for me.

One Sketch 231) Victorian Engraving inspired Christmas Card

Christmas comes but once a year
The cost is rather shocking
So make sure that you always have
A really massive stocking.

Yes, I'm well into the Christmas card producing season, for the third year in a row. I love Victorian engravings, and I try to use as many design ideas inspired by these as I can.

One Sketch 230) Norman Rockwell Christmas Card

Santa is checking his list
Which he holds in a chubby old fist
So take my advice
If you want to stay nice
Don't gamble, or smoke, or get drunk.

Every year I make my own Christmas cards. Well, I say my own. For the most part they're designs based on old depictions of Santa and other Christmas motifs. Last year I went heavily on Thomas Nast and John Tenniel. This is based on a Saturday Evening Post cover by Norman Rockwell, whose work I have always absolutely loved.