He did ask that I put his initials in the signature box at the bottom, but hey! I didn't! He who cuts the stencil holds the power, as no one famous ever said.

It was one whole year ago today that we sold the first Lost Shapes t-shirt. My how we've grown! To thank all the hundreds of people who've supported in the most helpful way - by actually buying the stuff - here's a little competition to celebrate:

Birthday Competition time! Win any t-shirt you fancy. Details in the image, but just in case:
Choose your favourite design from the website; go to the Lost Shapes facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/LostShapes and 'like' LOST SHAPES  if you haven't already;  write your favourite in the comments below the competition post. 
(Not on facebook? That's fine - perhaps you prefer real life?! Just leave a comment below this blog, or email it through the contact page. Pigeon post is fine, too, if you can guarantee it gets here before 30th Nov.)
For 2 chances to win, share the post on facebook too. 
For 3 chances to win, go to the lost shapes twitter pagehttps://twitter.com/LostShapes and re-tweet it too. Wow! That's a lot of chances!

Small print: Unless you actually live in the same house as Lost Shapes, friends and family are welcome to enter - I like to think we're one big screen-print wearing family anyway.
You don't have to have the one you nominate as the best as your choice of prize - you might already have it.
Competition ends midnight on 30th Nov. Winner will be announced sometime after (I've heard these things take ages!).

I share my garage 'studio' with a lot of bikes, bits of bikes, and things that might one day help the bits become bikes. While I might regularly curse them for being in the way, and threatening to put oil on my precious t-shirts, it's not surprising that I find the shapes popping up in designs a lot. I'd been doodling and taking a few photos for the a bike shadow design for a while before finally working it into a stencil, and I think I'd been telling bike fans that I had another bike design coming soon since last spring.

So, partly due to ridiculous indecision, and partly 'cos I wanted to involve the Great British Public into the process, this time I experimented a bit with a few versions - one of the big advantages of printing everything myself - and let facebook fans decide. Here's what I gave them: 

And the winner is... undoubtably #2 - which is good, because my kids said it was horrible and messy, and while kids love a bit of honest criticism ('But you are old and wrinkly, aren't you?' 'You look scary in that make-up') I'd sort of hoped they were wrong.  #1 came next, and this where I have to confess that it was such a pain to print (see all those tiny gaps? I had to cut them out, not lose them, then arrange them in the right place) that I really really didn't want to do it again. And then #3 had some firm supporters, and it's really growing on me - it's the (accidental) communist propaganda feel - all strident and triangular and confident! Think we'll see more of this one too.
So if you voted, thanks - it's been a pleasure working with you.