Happy August!

The summer holidays are here and it's time to reveal this month's desktop wallpaper for my email subscribers.  
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August is all about days out with plenty of ice cream. It's also the month when fruits ripen, harvest arrives and there's plenty of action in those hedgerows around the village fete for those who choose to look.  Like these cheeky blackbirds feasting on the cherries and sloes.
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Talking of birds, berries and 'Summer In Bloom'.  Last month saw the launch of my first collection of paper craft products with Create & Craft called 'Summer In Bloom'.  The launch meant a big trip away from my desk to the studios of Create & Craft TV to appear on the launch show.

I have never, ever done anything like that before so it was very nerve wracking and exciting all rolled into one.  I am so glad I stepped out of my comfort zone to do it as it was a wonderful experience and I couldn't have been better looked after by the Create and Craft team, they are so welcoming, kind and helpful. The thing I was most excited about and a little overwhelmed to see, was what the team of crafters had made with the products with my designs on.  Seeing the collection all laid out as made up decoupage cards and pictures in lots of different ways, for the first time ever was a moment I will always remember and treasure.

When I started out creating my own illustration collections, I would never have imagined I would see my designs on kits and paper craft products for Create and Craft just a few years later, I really did have to pinch myself to check it was real....

Turns out it was real and the products are very real too and they are available from the Create & Craft website here:

SUMMER IN BLOOM PAPER CRAFT COLLECTION

The other thing I was up to last month was gathering stock to add to a wonderful pop up shop in my home town.  The Crafty Collective in Angel Place, Bridgwater are a team of like minded creative businesses, who collectively have taken on a short term lease of what has often been an empty unit in a prime retail location in the town.  They have filled it with lots of lovely gifts by local artists and crafts people and now they have let me have a shelf in their shop.  At the end of July I dropped off lots of prints, planners, posters and notebooks which will now be available from their shop.

I love what they have done and hope that this pop up becomes a long term feature of our high street.  I've certainly been supporting it and love that more and more towns are having pop ups like this spring up thanks to communities of creative businesses.  This is a movement I am very happy to get behind and whole heartedly support as it makes our town centres a much more exciting and vibrant place to be....

I hope you have a wonderful August!

​Best wishes

Happy July to you!

Time to reveal this month's desktop wallpaper for my email subscribers.  

This month let me take you down, 'cause we're going to strawberry fields!
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Down in this lovely strawberry patch we can see lots of busy little creatures enjoying the sun ripened, sweet and juicy strawberries.
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JOIN MY MAILING LIST HERE

​Now that summer has arrived, it's the time of year to get my skates on and work on all the new designs I've had buzzing in my head during the winter months - which is when I'm mostly busy with online order fulfilment and commission work.

There's definitely a seasonality to my work and summer is the best time for new creative development.  There's so much about to inspire, it's definitely a time of year I thoroughly enjoy...

​Part of that creative development time had been set aside for developing some patterns to add some new designs to my Spoonflower store.  Here are some the latest additions I've added to my store this week...

Over at my Spoonflower, you will now lots of new ditsy florals and bright fruity, summery designs ideal for summer sewing projects...

​Here's to a bright and sunny July!
Best wishes

Happy New Year!

I hope that 2019 is a very happy, healthy and peaceful year for all.

I always seem to wish the same things each New Year -  happiness, health and peace.  
Three precious things that I believe should never be taken for granted.  

I'm not a great one for new year's resolutions, it's always an ongoing work in progress for me.  I see each day is a new gift and a new chance to learn and grow.  At this time of year there always seems to be lots of pressure to set goals and strive to be this, that or the other.  When you think about it, really it all boils down to this..

We have all collectively completed another journey around the sun, together,
​on this bit of rock floating in space - the third rock from our nearest star.
A beautiful, fascinating, awe inspiring rock, filled with stunning flora, fauna
and oceans teeming with life yet to be explored.
When viewed from space, there are no borders,
we are seen as one on our one and only life supporting planet.
What an amazing thing that truly is!

Maybe that's worth pausing to contemplate and appreciate at the start of a New Year.  
I know I feel blessed to part of this whole phenomenon.
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The beauty of our natural world is where I will continue to find my greatest source of inspiration for my creative work and I look forward to spending the coming year drawing lots more flora and fauna...

Talking of flora and fauna, let's start the year off with a bit of nature inspired design.

I'm happy to say, all be it a bit delayed, I have set up January's free desktop calendar wallpaper for everyone on my email list, which will be going out today so please check those inboxes, as this month's email will also have a little exclusive Etsy offer code for 15% off across my entire Etsy shop.

This month's desktop wallpaper has been inspired by two things.  Firstly, the Pantone colour of the year for 2019 'Living Coral'.  This gorgeous, vivid coral reminds me of some of the hues that can be found in the stunning sunsets we get around Somerset at this time of year.  So, I've set my sunset in a scene with a hare on the Somerset Levels looking across to Glastonbury Tor (which is not far from here). 

If you would like to get the FREE desktop wallpaper and the exclusive January offer code for my Etsy shop, then here's a link to where to join my mailing list:

JOIN MY MAILING LIST HERE

Today's post is illustrated with images I created on the lead up to Christmas.
​Once again, I took part in an advent countdown challenge over on Instagram.  These are the 24 images I shared throughout the challenge....

Most importantly, I want to say some big thank you's for 2018...

To everyone who purchased items from my online shops, or bought items with my designs on in bricks and mortar shops across the UK - a massive heartfelt THANK YOU!  
I can't do this without you, each purchase you make means everything to me!  

Also THANK YOU to those of you who left fantastic reviews on my Etsy and Folksy shops after your purchase.  You have no idea how much those words mean to me, I am so grateful that you took the time and trouble.  Each good review helps lift me up and carry me forward on the not so great days!  

To all my amazing clients (you all know who you are if you are reading this):
THANK YOU so, so much!
I am very lucky to get to work with such lovely people who bring me great projects to work on.  I love how each project tests my skills and ability and helps me see things in different ways. With no two days the same, I love our collaborative work as it gives me my much needed human contact and gives my brain a good old work out!
You are all so important to me and my little business,
I'm looking forward to lots more team work this year!

To everyone who has followed and supported my social media efforts this year:
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
The struggle is REAL with social media and me at the moment.
Some days it takes so much effort for me to actually post something at all.
Every single like and comment you have given me this year has been deeply appreciated.
 In a noisy online world, it feels harder and harder to cut through and be seen, so to find that someone has seen and liked something means so much more now!

Lastly, Thank you to all everyone on my email list - especially during a year that saw GDPR thrown in the mix!  Thank you so much for sticking with me.  I hope you enjoy your free desktop wallpapers each month, I intend to continue to do these this year and look forward to sharing those with you.

I wish you all a wonderful January,
If the winter blues start to creep in, try and look for the signs of spring, 
they are never far away as our world keeps turning on our next journey around the sun together!

Best wishes

Angie