New Artwork

Recently, I have been working on some commission based work for a couple of different people and products. One I would like to share with you was just recently created for a company called 'Nauteas' I was asked if I could design some of their branded stationery, based on the illustrations they use throughout their packaging. I really like the detailed style of these illustrations and hope to work on some more soon! These were the results...

 

Please note that all illustrations above are copyright to 'Nauteas' 

Wedding Update!

As the big day draws closer, I thought I would share with you some more of the ideas I have been working on for the France wedding.. All the stationery is almost complete, just waiting on the final details for the Order of Service. Below are some up to date images of the completed invites, RSVPs, the menu & table names...

A fresh start...

So, after a long period of decision making and talking myself into a new adventure, me and my boyfriend decided to leave our jobs and start a new experience! As we have been living apart for the past 18 months, we thought it was time to spend some much needed time together and where better than in the gorgeous, beautiful, inspiring, sunny country of Australia!!

In less than a month, we had booked our flights and were ready to board our plane! It really was the trip of a lifetime and stepping outside our comfort zone was exactly what we needed. A month long trip travelling up the East Coast was the best experience and leaving our jobs behind didn't seem all that scary anymore. We were ready for a new beginning and having this wonderful experience under our belt was invaluable. I wanted to share with you some of our highlights and (hopefully) brighten up your day! The ideas and inspiration I have come back with, will certainly keep me going for a while...

Handmade Christmas Fair 2015

Over the weekend of the 20th November, I attended the Handmade Christmas Fair in Manchester! I was working on the Craft Asylum stand, hosting workshops all weekend and teaching people how to make this cute Winter Bear gift box using the Sizzix machines, Winter Wonderland dies and the Candy papers..

It was lovely to see people using the dies and papers I had designed! Although, we worked through the project together, everyone added their own personal touch and hearing the comments from the public was just so rewarding. I love to hear what people think!

We also spent Thursday (and Thursday night) building our stand and creating a fantastic Winter Wonderland! We wanted to make everyone that stepped into our stand to feel festive and happy to be there.. I think we did a great job in the end with our garland, decorated using the dies from the Winter Wonderland collection in a variety of different ways...

Handmade Fair 2015

After a brilliant weekend exhibiting at Handmade Fair, I thought I would share a few snaps from the weekend. I was involved in some of the workshops at the Sizzix stand as well as creating the Bird House project in the Craft Asylum skill workshop.. There was such a great atmosphere at the fair and with the sun shining, everyone was extremely keen to get involved! We got some great feedback and it was lovely to see creations made from the collection I have designed for Craft Asylum.. As well as the workshops, we also tried our hand at a bit of celeb spotting! It was lovely to see such a wide range of talent and so many people excited about the craft...

            

It was such a great weekend and I have returned feeling very inspired and happy to have been out and networked with other designers! I hope to be involved next but in the meantime, look out for news on the Handmade Christmas Fair...

Handmade Fair

This week, in the studio, we have been extremely busy working on some eye-catching decorations for  the Craft Asylum stand at Handmade Fair. We will be attending the show all weekend, providing make and takes as well as being involved in the skill workshops! Wish me luck! It's always amazing to be involved in the shows and get valuable feedback from the consumers. We also love having a beautiful stand to exhibit how versatile the patterned papers are and to create a buzz around our products. We think these pinwheels do the trick!

Best of British

I recently noticed a competition to design a range of prints for the theme, 'Best of British'. I thought this would be a great opportunity to enjoy some design work outside of daily working! I set about with the theme and thought about different ideas that could represent this 'Best of British'. I have always loved working with nautical ideas and, from living close to the seaside, have always grown up with trips to the beach and sunset strolls. I thought this would be a lovely theme to work on. Below, are a couple of the designs I produced..

Candy collection by Craft Asylum

Recently, I spotted my first paper collection for Craft Asylum in the Chester Hobbycraft store. This was such a great achievement having worked with the brand for over a year now. I love to think of crafters taking it home and transforming the patterns into brilliant projects. The collection consists of a 12x12 paper pad, a 6x6 paper pad and some stamps, which all co-ordinate really nicely with one another, meaning the crafting possibilities are endless! Below are a couple of the designs featured in the collection and a store snap. I have also shared some of the designs on my Instagram and website here! This collection will also be a major part in the skills workshop we are doing at Handmade Fair in a couple of weeks, more on that soon!

Promotional Ideas

Along with working and doing small commissions here and there, I like to think about new ways I can promote myself as a designer. After visiting a couple of consumer shows, I felt inspired to show the design industry what I was capable of and thought about ways to push to promote my designs from my on-going portfolio. I decided to pack together some promotional material, to send out to companies and to help expand on my own little brand.

Travel

I have been lucky enough to travel to Dubrovnik, Croatia recently for some relaxing time away with my boyfriend. It is such a lovely and inspiring city with gorgeous city streets and buildings as well as clear water beaches and trips to tiny unspoilt islands!

I have also enjoyed some gorgeous sunsets in my hometown of Wirral, particularly West Kirby...