 In the years following Warne 's death and the purchase of Hill Top , Potter produced tales and illustrations inspired by her farm , its woodland surroundings , and nearby villages . She provided Warnes with two books per annum , but , by 1910 , she was juggling the demands of ageing parents with the business of operating Hill Top , and , as a result , her literary and artistic productivity began to decline . She published only one book in 1910 , The Tale of Mrs. Tittlemouse , and wrote to a friend on New Year 's Day 1911 : 
