The creation of Mardi LOVES Lipstick!

I have been so keen to tell you about Mardi LOVES Lipstick! I mentioned in a previous post, someone didn't back up her hard-drive and lost her images. Well, technically, they can be retrieved, if I can only remember to purchase the necessary IDE hard-drive caddy. Thankfully, after much searching, I did manage to find photocopies of my illustrations. With a bit of scanning, here they are at long last! 

As you may gather from reading my posts, I have often chosen to dwell on the positive despite negative circumstances. The creation of Mardi LOVES Lipstick! was no exception. If you haven't already done so, please read my post Buried Treasure, as it creatively outlines what I have been through. One of the lines states: only then was I free to challenge the disease that ravaged my body. Creating Mardi LOVES Lipstick! was a direct response to going a treatment called Combination Therapy to cure me. The side effects had scared me off a decade earlier, but the longer you harbour sickness, the worse you become. Thankfully, the benefits of waiting outweighed the risks; I was stronger emotionally, and the treatment had improved considerably. Still, I was very aware that depression was a huge risk factor. People have even suicided while on this treatment. I knew staying positive was vital.

At the time of commencing my treatment, I was part of our church band as a singer. There were many amazing people also in this band, including the Chalmers family, and their gorgeous, lipstick obsessed daughter, Amaria. Her antics cracked me up! And the speed she literally devoured Lip Smackers gloss my eldest daughter would buy was just too funny. So, Mardi LOVES Lipstick! was born.

It took a couple of years from creation to the first printed book arriving via post, but I am proud that, during a painful 6 months of treatment and a further 6 months of recovering from the physical and emotional side effects of the treatment, I made a silly, funny, bright and cheery kid's book. It hasn't made me money, but I don't care. The fact that I did it makes me proud. Finishing anything with passion makes someone a success in my eyes.

Enjoy the read...

Mardi had always loved lipstick. Even as a little baby. She tried to snatch her mum's lipstick the day after she was born.

Mardi's love of lipstick grew into a bit of an obsession. Now, at five, Mardi had a collection of one thousand, three hundred and fifty two colourful lipsticks and lip glosses. Her room was so full that the door was hard to shut!

One morning, Mardi's mum went in to make her daughter's bed when she slipped and got stuck under the massive mountain of lipstick.

The fire department had to be called to pull her out safely.

Despite her mother's unfortunate bed making incident, Mardi's passion for shiny lipstick still wasn't satisfied. So, one night, she sat up late, making a very clever radar out of soap, paper clips, a lipstick case and a bell  borrowed from the cat's collar.

Mardi sat on her front step the next morning, radar in her hands. 

A very round lady walked past. The radar shook and the bell tinkled.

Mardi ran up to the very round lady and asked in her sweetest voice, "May I please borrow some lipstick?"

The very round lady smiled and took a lovely, shiny, red lipstick out of her handbag . 

Mardi snatched it and ran inside.

After learning what she had done, Mardi's mum and dad were very worried. Their daughter's obsession had now gone too far.

Mardi was told to go outside and return the lipstick to the now very cross, very round lady.

Mardi refused and then locked herself in her room.

After needing the fire brigade to get out last time, neither parent was brave enough to venture in.

So, after a phone call, they stood outside her door, offering s truck load of lollies, which was now parked outside. Hopefully, she would just come out and return the lipstick to the very round lady.

"NO!" Mardi shouted. She wouldn't budge.

Next, they called the local circus that used trick ponies, magic clowns and fire twirling trapeze artists. 

The circus set themselves up in the backyard, ready and waiting to perform.

Mardi still refused to come out.

In desperation, her parents made one last phone call. Moments later, a helicopter showed up and hovered overhead. A monster water slide theme park was about to open. Mardi was promised she would be the first to try the rides if she would just come out and give back the lipstick.

Mardi simple refused and crossed her arms and pursed her lips.

"I'm not interested!" she told them.

Suddenly, the very round lady came up with an idea. She whispered something to Mardi's parents. They looked sad but nodded.

The very round lady hurried off.

Later that day, a girl giant stomped down the street. The huge girl stopped outside Mardi's house and took the very round lady out of her handbag and placed her on the ground.

"This is my lipstick obsessed niece, Revlona!" the very round lady announced.

With one mighty lift, Revlona removed the roof from the house and peered inside. Mardi screamed at the sight of this very large girl.

Revlona scooped Mardi out of her room, bringing lipsticks and all in her oversized hand. After replacing the roof neatly, the giant stomped away.

Mardi didn't mind her life as a giants lipstick twirler. However, it did get a little squashy living inside a lipstick tube at times. 

And sometimes, Mardi missed her parents.

But now that she was actually part of a lipstick herself, life was really quite wonderful.

Written and illustrated

by

Marija Munro.

This is my little book :) Feels good to hold a completed project in your hands.

The inside cover with publisher details...

...And the blurb on the back :) 

There you have it, at long last. I must admit, I would love to re-write it. But honestly, under the circumstances of its creation, I am thrilled to have done what I have and get it this far. It wasn't easy in any way! Small steps forward is how I see this, and a brilliant learning experience too. 

Hubby once looked online and found my book for sale on countless sites and it also had some flattering reviews. The company I published with has it available here, and it's also available on ebay, Amazon and numerous other sites. A gorgeous, creative soul even blogged a review on my book. His blog is called Sparrow. Please click here for details. Thank you Tyson :)

I am so looking forward to bringing you more creative posts. I am working on it- and very motivated to show you what is happening now. Stay tuned! And as always, thanks for reading :)