A recent email from Kate Williamson in response to some comments on her interview:
hello--in response to Violetsrose's question, I sketched in the Moleskine notebooks and a few larger ones and then sometimes scanned these pictures directly (in the case of the objects from Taketomi Island, the rabbits in the moon, the fruit packaging, and the bento box, for example). More often, I used my sketches in the Moleskines as references for larger, more finished pictures done on the watercolor paper. Re: Hello Kitty,

I actually got that job when a kind book editor rejected the Japan book but asked if I were interested in writing Hello Kitty-themed haiku (my response: "I am intrigued"). Thank you, everyone, for your very nice comments, and thank you very much, Danny!