From sketch to story: How Fern came to life

Long before she ever hopped across a page or listened to the wind, Fern began as a feeling.

I didn’t set out with a perfectly planned character. I began with the kind of rabbit I might have loved as a child, gentle, thoughtful, and curious about the world. Someone quiet, but brave in her own way. She appeared in soft sketches at first, always small beside the trees, always looking up at something bigger than herself.

Her name came to me rather predictably because I love ferns! I think they are so beautiful when you spot them in a wooded glade or walking hidden paths. Rather like myself they prefer more secluded spots.
Her name is simple, natural, just right. I loved how it rooted her in the forest, the kind of name that feels like it’s always been there, growing quietly among moss and bramble.

From the beginning, I knew she wouldn’t be a loud or flashy character. Fern isn’t the hero who charges in or shouts the loudest. She listens. She notices. She feels things deeply. And that, to me, is her quiet magic.

Bringing her to life in The Whispering Wind was a deeply personal process. Every spread, every line of text, had to feel true to who she was. I wanted her to move slowly through the world, asking gentle questions and learning through wonder. She became the thread that tied the story together, not just in words, but in spirit.

Now, she’s finding her way into other stories, too. Stitch kits, play sets, keepsakes… and each time, I try to stay true to her nature: soft, curious, and full of quiet courage.

Until next time,

with love,

Fern and Fable