Pocketful of Patterns

2 years on....

2011-09-07T13:58:00.000+01:00

It was our 2nd wedding anniversary this weekend, so decided to treat ourselves to a little break away....cannot believe how quickly the time has flown by!

We had a lovely time, and despite the weather turning rather wet on Sunday, we didn't let it stop us - out came the brolly and the big boots, and off we set....but......what started off as a nice little walk.....

...turned out to be a 7 mile trek....OOPS! not quite what we had in mind! :O

And it was all my idea...so I can't blame anyone else!!

It was all good in the end though...and we even stumbled upon a namesake along the way - would love to know why...? There was even a suite in the hotel named Truman!

Hmmmmm...further investigations called for methinks!! ;)

And that makes three...

2011-08-26T17:56:00.000+01:00

...to complete my floaty floral set.

Have a great weekend everyone! :D

Oh Pinterest...how I do love thee!

2011-08-24T09:14:00.000+01:00

Like many of us now, I've been really enjoying Pinterest lately....so much new talent and things to discover - I stumbled across the photography of Alicia Bock a couple of weeks ago, and I absolutely LOVE it....here's some of my favourites...

Check out her gorgeous website here and her blog here

Floaty florals

2011-08-23T09:15:00.000+01:00

I'm working on some fun, light floral designs at the mo...here's a sneaky peek...

A nice day for flipflops!

2011-08-22T15:09:00.000+01:00

- Hope you're enjoying the lovely sunshine :D

Ooooh - tutti fruiti!!

2011-08-10T18:56:00.000+01:00

Keeping on a bright and cheery Summer-y theme ('cause god knows we need it right now in this country!!) I've created this fun fruity design...

Stay safe everyone!xx

Hot & sticky!!!

2011-08-03T21:44:00.000+01:00

....QUICK! Someone grab me an ice lolly!!

Nooooooooooooooo!!!!!

2011-07-25T17:19:00.001+01:00

- 'Tis true; I do believe that flying ant day is upon us....popped out to the postbox earlier and there were STACKS of them around...all wriggling around on the floor and buzzing through the air - UGH!! If you've not heard of this phenomenon before then check out the link here for more info....thank goodness it's only for a day!!

Sorry....it's taking a while

2011-07-22T18:43:00.000+01:00

You'll have to bear with me at the moment guys....seem to be on a bit of a go-slow hence the lack of posts!....I think it's because I'm trying to tackle the wonderful world of Illustrator again, so it's taking me some time to get back into it....hopefully I'll get into the swing of it soon! Here's a little snapshot from a current work in progress....

Happy weekend everyone!!

I feel a break coming on...

2011-07-14T12:50:00.001+01:00

....a break from Christmas, that is! As I've said before, sometimes it can get a little much working on Christmas all year round - especially when the mercury reaches the 20s and the sun is shining brightly! Time for some cheery everyday designs methinks....these latest Christmas ones have taken farrrr tooooo looooooong; a sure sign it's time for a change!

Look at this soggy moggy...

2011-07-13T15:53:00.001+01:00

......as I sit here busily working away......

A day for day lilies

2011-07-06T16:34:00.000+01:00

Managed to steal a sunny moment in between the April-like showers to capture these.....

....And a few baby poppies dotted around the garden too today:

- Oh I do love it when everything's in bloom! :D

Finito!

2011-07-05T15:33:00.000+01:00

Not to give toooo much away still, but here are the finished designs I let you have a peek at on Friday....

....now on to another two!

Juggling

2011-07-01T15:02:00.000+01:00

I tend to have a habit of juggling designs quite a bit...especially when I'm working on a set - rather than completing each design separately I like to work on them all together (I find it saves a little time and is a bit easier to make them all co-ordinate!)....here's a little look at my current 'works in progress'....

- they're all a little shy as they're not quite complete yet! ;)

Happy Friday everyone.......fingers crossed for Minty later - could it be his year???

Late blooms....

2011-06-29T10:15:00.000+01:00

Well, I'm not sure what's happened to the poppies this year, but after the glorious display last summer, numbers have definitely dwindled this time round.....would it be the dry Spring that's to blame? I really don't know...click here to see how fab they were last June (sigh). It seems to be the year of the day-lily...we have plenty of those about to sprout; will post some piccies once they arrive.

Christmas in the summer sun...?!??

2011-06-28T08:41:00.001+01:00

Hmmmmm...it's a toughy, but being a designer of all things festive it tends to happen quite a lot, and boy is it a struggle sometimes! (especially when Wimbledon's on too!!)

Though I guess this is how it feels to be Australian?!? The mini-heatwave seems to have subsided today, so it's onwards and upwards from here...take a little look at some recent work - the starting point for a new set.....

A Birthday break

2011-06-27T09:56:00.000+01:00

It was my birthday last week and my lovely hubby decided to whisk me away for a relaxing mini-break by the sea....it was gorgeous; the sun even decided to come out despite forecasts of rain, rain, rain - someone was obviously smiling on us! :D

- we stayed in Pembrokeshire, and visited the pretty harbour town of Tenby whilst we were there....I LOVE all the pastel coloured houses along the front :)

- we were very much pampered at the B&B - a tasty breakfast every morning, a spacious room complete with bathrobes and slippers, and these cheery blooms were left in our room just for me; tulips - my favourite! :)

Now, with a much-needed battery recharge, it's back to the drawing board for me...so off I go :)

Which one is yours.....?

2011-06-19T09:44:00.000+01:00

Happy Father's Day!!!!

Keeping it bright and cheery!

2011-06-16T10:36:00.000+01:00

Following the success of my illustrator efforts at Surtex, I've decided to do a few more things....starting with some simple geos:

A brighter outlook

2011-06-15T15:10:00.000+01:00

I've been revamping a few designs recently....mostly making them look more bright and cheery; here's a little look at a recoloured owl design:

Some more lovely lines!

2011-06-07T08:53:00.000+01:00

After browsing the net for Camille yesterday, I also came across another great find - Johanna Basford. She is an illustrator from Scotland; specialising in beautiful doodly linework - you can find her site here.

Here are some of my favourites that I picked out from her website - love it!! :)

Ooooooh - would love to get my hands on some of these ceramics - beautiful!!...

She's even customised a Smart car - WOW! :O

Isn't it great when you make new discoveries... :)

Camille Rousseau

2011-06-06T09:42:00.000+01:00

Hope you all had a lovely weekend - whilst tucking into some tasty Italian fayre yesterday I came across some beautiful wall art by the very talented Camille Rousseau....check out her site here. She creates gorgeous line art pieces....

And here's a little clip of the restaurant that I found whilst googling her on the net - fabulous!

Lost in a weird and wonderful world of air

2011-05-31T12:12:00.000+01:00

Hope you all had a lovely Bank Holiday weekend....it was a nice, relaxing one for us - the highlight of which being a visit to an amazing creation by the Architects of Air . I found out about it a few weeks ago whilst surfing the blog world, and I'm so glad I did - it was truly breathtaking, and made you feel all light and floaty inside....take a look:

and this is how it looked on the outside:

If you happen to be in the Nottingham area this week then I thoroughly recommend a visit - Luminity III will be residing at the city's Lakeside Centre until June 5th....

go check it out!! :)

All poinsettia'd out!

2011-05-24T12:44:00.000+01:00

After a very successful Surtex this year it looks set to be a promising time ahead with everyone in a buying mood again - hoorah!! This is a welcome relief for us all after a couple of relatively quiet years over there...

This past week I've been busy working on follow-up designs from the show....many of which involve poinsettias!! Just one more wrap to go and I can move onto something new....here's a little look at what I've been up to:

A lovely blog and a lovely Folksy shop to boot!

2011-05-16T07:32:00.002+01:00

If you're looking for anything knitted or hand-sewn for your little ones then I thoroughly recommend that you check out the fabulous blog of Missy RS....

Many Things In Missy World features all of her lovely makes and likes, while her Folksy shop Missy & Mum has a selection of items for sale, all beautifully handcrafted and finished by Missy herself, as well as her super-talented mum...go on - see for yourself by clicking on the links here and here; I'm sure you won't be disappointed! :)

- Some cute little booties; my faves! Available to buy now from Missy & Mum :)

Surtex 2011

2011-05-14T07:31:00.004+01:00

Ahhhh - phew - we're back - and just when I'd finally started blogging again! This post should have appeared yesterday, but sadly not due to some technical difficulties at Blogger HQ!! I'm pleased to hear that it all seems to be sorted now though, so here goes....

As mentioned in my latest post I've been busy preparing for this year's Surtex show for the past few weeks, and now the time has finally arrived with the first day of the show being tomorrow. If you happen to be around then come along to the Inspire By Design Ltd booth - 326 - we have lots of lovely designs on show this year; all available for license....we even have banners (part of which featured above), bunting and wall decals on display - we've really prettied it up this time round....let's hope we catch your eye!!

As well as myself, you can also see the fabulous work of fellow bloggers Little Red, Rah Rah, Lucy B, Fatty Moe & Helen Hallows....so come along and have a browse! :)

Busy, busy bumble-bee!

2011-05-12T12:08:00.000+01:00

Oh dear, oh dear - where have I been you ask?? Well, for those fellow designers out there I'm sure you can imagine - with Surtex looming it's been a busy ol' time!! Here's a summary of my designing month in snapshots to give you a little idea of what I've been up to....

-traditional Christmas.....

- fun Christmas....

- and a little bit of everyday...all squeeeeeeeezed into the last 30 days or so.

Phew! Fingers crossed for a great show this year!! :)

It's that time of year again

2011-04-06T12:06:00.000+01:00

.......when weddings are in abundance; and with the big Royal Wedding looming, they're certainly a hot topic at the moment! Here's a little look at a new wedding collection I created just before I went away......I wonder if Kate and Wills would approve...?! ;)

- all the grey bits signify silver foil; so when they're all mocked up they look extra-special :)

Oh we do like to be beside the seaside!

2011-04-05T12:58:00.000+01:00

Hello everyone...sorry it's been a bit quiet on here as of late; last week it was my Matty's birthday so I whisked him away for a birthday treat to the coast...it was laaaaaarve-ly; just the tonic that we both needed :)

We stayed in the pretty little seaside town of Wells-next-the-sea....somewhere we've not been to before, but it appealed to me as I'd heard about all the lovely little beach huts that adorn the seafront - aww; they were fab! We even spotted a seal when we arrived at the beach too!! :D

As well as the beach there were lots of pretty houses and quaint little lanes...it was a real picture-postcard place....

...lots of coastal-inspired galleries too; this fish made completely from driftwood caught my eye as I was passing...oooh - I think I'd like to have a go at that! :)

Sock

2011-03-28T13:08:00.000+01:00

Hi everyone...hope you all had a lovely weekend; it's a shame the glorious sunshine decided to hide away for the majority of it....and now we're all at the beginning of the new working week it's arrived again; typical eh? However, we still managed to get out and about; yesterday visiting Sock at Loughborough Town Hall - lots of great artists and makers were featured, so there was lots of temptation to buy....ooooh - if only I had a few more pennies to spare right now! Sigh.....

Here are a few that caught my eye....

Gorgeous ceramics and brooches from Katie Almond

Beautifully handmade jewellery by Helen Shere

And pretty prints by Helen Rhodes

I did manage to pick up a little treat for myself though....this beautiful little jug from the very talented Helen Hallows; as a lover of all things dotty it was too good to resist! :)

- She creates lots of other lovely things besides....check out her blog here

It's a cat's life!

2011-03-24T15:16:00.000Z

My baby bear......such a sun worshipper! :D

Spring Flowers

2011-03-23T15:50:00.000Z

Oooh...you can definitely tell that Spring has officially arrived (hurrah!!); it's been a glorious ol' week so far - the sun is shining, the sky is blue and the flowers and trees are blossoming nicely - we even spotted the first bees and butterflies over the weekend! To mark the occasion, I've been working on some fun Spring floral designs....I haven't used my doodley style for a while now, so I thought it was time to revisit....

Bright and cheery

2011-03-11T12:05:00.000Z

- When I woke this morning the sun was beaming and the sky was blue - yay - Spring was here again, so I thought I'd share with you a couple of cheery notebooks I picked up recently. The pretty floral design was found in WHSmiths, whilst the bird design was from Wilkinsons (!)

Have a lovely weekend everyone; I hope the sun continues to shine!

Birthday balloons

2011-03-10T10:47:00.000Z

- Lots of bright letter balloons to complete my birthday trio!

Now....what to work on next I wonder? After dabbling in Illustrator for the past week and a half I think it's time to return to good ol' Photoshop - YAY! Come back lovely textures and patterns...I've missed you!! ;)

Who's for cake?

2011-03-09T11:17:00.000Z

- Another birthday post; time to blow out those candles!!

I hope you all managed to enjoy some lovely pancakes last night; I managed 5 in the end...though they were only very ickle! ;) Mmmmmmmmmm...'til next year!

Don't forget those lemons everyone!!!

2011-03-08T12:37:00.000Z

- My favourite day today; Shrove Tuesday!! Can't wait for tea tonight! :D

I think I may have to have mine with a good dollop of golden syrup!!...how do you like yours?

A new week

2011-03-07T10:08:00.000Z

Oooh, it's a lovely bright morning - the sun is streaming through my study window right now; it makes me so happy! :)

On that note, here's a little taster of some cheery cupcakes I worked on last Friday; the theme for this week is all things birthday orientated...

And one more makes three...

2011-03-04T10:56:00.000Z

- a little peek at the final floral to complete the set; it was finished before the end of the working day too; woo-hoo! :)

Now onto something different....not long to go now until the next selling trip!!!

Another floral addition...

2011-03-03T08:11:00.000Z

- here's a little look at illustrator design number two....I'm getting a teeny bit quicker now, so it's on to number three to complete the set. :)

A challenging week...

2011-03-02T13:09:00.000Z

This week I'm trying to conquer illustrator again....I normally finish all of my work off in the comfort of photoshop, putting lots of textures and patterns into everything to create the final look, but, apparently it's all about clean-looking graphic styles right now, so I'm trying to persevere and do an entire design in illustrator; in fact....an entire set! Here's a little look at my first attempt; some bright flowers to bring on the Spring :)

Spring's drawing nearer!! (just hope it warms up soon..)

2011-03-01T08:21:00.000Z

- splashes of colour found in my garden :)

A lovely weekend

2011-02-28T11:47:00.000Z

I hope you all had a gorgeous weekend....I could fully relax and enjoy as I finished my snowman wrap by 7.30 on Friday evening - hip-hip-hooray! :D

We had a lovely day in Oxford on Saturday, despite the showers...I even managed to track down the lovely shop Aspire Style that I've been admiring from cyber-afar ..picked up a few treats for myself too!!!

Then on Sunday we had a mosey around another antiques fair - after the success of the last one we went to we were hopeful for little gems again...but sadly, it was not to be this time...sighhh

We spotted the first lambs on our travels though; a true sign that Spring must definitely be making it's way - double YAY!

A work in progress...

2011-02-25T17:12:00.000Z

Oops - I've not been around much lately, have I? It's been a frustrating ol' week...designs taking much longer than expected...boooooo! I thought I'd give my earlier snowman a few new friends, so I've been creating a wrap design involving many snow buddies; trouble is - they're taking TOO LONG!! Here's a little look at my current progress anyway...

- these are just a few of the little guys; as you can see they need a bit more texture and detail adding to them yet! Must finish them today though, so I can enjoy my weekend guilt-free..... Right - back to it!!

Have a great weekend everyone!! :)

'Sweet little girl....'

2011-02-18T12:20:00.000Z

We went to see Black Swan last night.....ooooh; it was a little bit grizzly!

- A sure far-cry from the innocent little ballerina girls depicted here in one of my wrap designs. Go see it if you dare.... ;)

Love-ly Lollies

2011-02-17T16:39:00.000Z

Keeping on with the 'love' theme this week, I came up with this quick valentines design the other day...sweet treats for your loved ones! :)

Valentine yums! :)

2011-02-15T11:25:00.000Z

Morning! I hope you were all made to feel special by your loved ones last night..my lovely hubby happened to have the day off, and took the opportunity to prepare a gorgeous tasty treat for when I got back home...we even had oysters(!!!) The biggest highlight for me though was the main; a Jamie Oliver delight - sirloin of beef with pak choy, soy sauce and ginger...mmm...mmm......mmmmmmmm - it certainly tickled my tastebuds! ;) You can find the recipe here or in his book Happy Days with the Naked Chef - I highly recommend it!! :D

Ahhhh...'tis the day of love...

2011-02-14T08:04:00.004Z

Happy Valentine's Day everyone!

Spring has sprung!

2011-02-12T13:14:00.000Z

Well....it's a miracle; the Spring Fair seems to have finally brought spring-type weather along with it - no sign of snow at all thank goodness! AND my garden is beginning to show signs of life again - there are shoots galore coming up :D Spotted the first snowdrops this morning...

...and even a ladybird too! Wow; that's early!! Fingers crossed this means that Winter has well and truly packed it's bags for the year...oh, I do hope so! :D

It's here!

2011-02-06T11:40:00.002Z

Phew - what a very busy week it's been...sorry for my absence; with preparations for the Spring Fair having to take precedence it's been hard to fit in much else! It even meant a 15 and a half hour stint at the studio on Friday to get all the finishing touches completed for the show - YIKES! With songs such as 'Happiness' and 'Smile' playing on the radio it certainly felt like someone was having a little chuckle at my expense!

The fair started today and is running until Thursday, 10th Feb...come along and see us all if you happen to get the chance; Rah Rah and Lucy B will be in attendance today, whilst myself and Little Red will be manning the stand tomorrow....fingers crossed for a great show; at least there's no sign of the naughty snow to put people off this year...now that's a first! ;)

February....already?!

2011-02-01T12:27:00.000Z

- I can't quite believe it; can you?? The year certainly seems to be setting off on a flying start...though I'm super-happy as this means that Spring is gradually drawing closer and the buds will soon be out - YAY! :D

We always try and get a his 'n' hers calendar each year, and I particularly love the ones from M&S...check out the new look design for this year - I think it's one of my faves :)

- you can even add your very own photos to the scene; very cute! Though I'm liking the existing illos myself, so maybe they'll stay for now ;) Ahhhh....Venice; how I'd love to go back there again!

Hot off the European press...

2011-01-31T22:01:00.000Z

Got a little surprise when I arrived at the studio today; it's not often we get to see samples of the finished product once we sell a design, but it's so lovely when we do. :) Here's a card that'll be making it's way onto the European shelves over the next festive season....the design was purchased by one of our new customers; TMS International

- they've even printed a little image on the inside!

And one more makes three...

2011-01-28T08:55:00.003Z

- that's the final piece in the revamp jigsaw (well; just a sneaky peek!)...now onto something new!

With the weekend almost upon us, I'm keeping all my fingers and toes crossed as Inspire By Design Ltd makes its debut at the CHA show this weekend....running from January 29th until February 1st in LA; here's hoping it's a roaring success! Check out my earlier posts here and here for a taster of what's on offer...if you happen to get the opportunity to visit we are in Kentia Hall, booth number 4844 :)

*****Have a great weekend everyone*****

Tick, tock, tick, tock....

2011-01-27T14:28:00.001Z

- that's the sound of the clock quickly counting down to Spring Fair; I've been so swamped that I even missed my daily post yesterday; sorry about that! Here's a jolly Santa peeking round to say 'hello'..he's another one to add to the set I've been reworking....still one more wrap to go before I can move on to something different and it's Thursday afternoon already (not that I'm panicking or anything!!)

..note to self...must work faster!!!

Repeats, repeats...

2011-01-25T19:05:00.000Z

....they're driving me BONKERS this week; do you ever find yourself endlessly moving elements around the page in the hope that they might finally repeat?! It seems to be taking me forever....here's part of a current work in progress...

I have to rework a couple more wraps in addition to this before I can start on the cards I'm hoping to display at Spring Fair; fingers crossed they don't take too much longer to crack...the time is sure ticking!! :-O

One down, one to go....

2011-01-24T11:58:00.000Z

Well, I did it, and managed to have a nice relaxing weekend after finishing everything off ready for CHA last Friday afternoon...fingers crossed that all the hard work pays off as we're practically newbies to the scrapbooking scene! Here's a little look at a couple more designs I managed to squeeze in to complete my new cookies and candy set...

...with one deadline out of the way, the focus now turns to Spring Fair - only a couple more weeks to go until it will be up and running, so it's busy, busy, busy yet again - this time it's the turn of the card design. Well, I guess I'd better get on then...

That Friday feeling

2011-01-21T08:59:00.000Z

It's been a busy ol' week again, with lots to get finished off and done for CHA, but it's been easier with this little face by my side to keep me company....she was curled up in my study aaaalll day yesterday, bless her!

All that remains are the last little bits to print off and mount and then I'm done...just in time for the weekend - hoorah! :)

Have a good one everyone - I do hope this crisp winter sunshine continues so I can get out and about for some much needed vitamin D!! ;)

First deadline drawing nearer.....

2011-01-20T09:32:00.000Z

It's only a couple of days until my agent takes off to the US again for another selling spree fingers and toes crossed for the selling bit!! so it's busy, busy, busy, trying to get all the last little bits done before he leaves. Here's a peek at another recent addition to my collection...he's very jolly! :)

More candy for the Christmas pot

2011-01-19T08:21:00.000Z

On to new designs at last, and here's a little peak at one of the designs I've been creating...

...oh - I do enjoy working on the cookies/candy theme! :)

Happy days!

2011-01-18T09:43:00.000Z

Ooooh...I'm excited; our new mattress has just arrived!! We've been suffering from many uncomfortable nights and bad backs for a few months now (our current mattress looks like a rough sea!!), so I cannot wait to get all comfy and cosy tonight....BLISS! :D

A whistle stop tour..

2011-01-17T12:45:00.000Z

..well, as the title suggests, it's certainly been a period of flitting from one thing to the other over the last couple of weeks; revisiting existing designs to create new scrapbooking pieces from Christmas...

...to juvenile...

...to wedding...

...to feminine florals...

....and everything in between!

But, now I can finally say it's all done, and I can move onto something new - hoorah! - a good way to begin the new week methinks! :)

Hooray for the weekend!!!

2011-01-14T19:53:00.000Z

Well, I'm officially frazzled......but smiling inside like the happy little flower shown below as I've had a super-productive week and can now take a well earned weekend off, completely guilt-free - HOORAY!

*****Have a great weekend everyone!!*****

Love it or hate it

2011-01-14T08:52:00.000Z

Just a little random post from me....seeing as it's Friday.....

- marmite.....and cheese....together?? YES - it really, really works!! Found this little gem in my local supermarket the other week and couldn't resist trying - I'm glad I did - I LOVE it!!! :D

So what's your take on marmite.....love it or loathe it?

Cute blog alert!!!

2011-01-13T08:28:00.002Z

Some of you may have already seen this through 'blogs of note', but it was too cute not to share.....especially for all you fellow cat lovers, check out Kitty Stampede - it's jam-packed full of gorgeous photos...who wouldn't melt?!

*image from Kitty Stampede blog

Smitten

2011-01-12T10:41:00.001Z

I took some time out from the scrapbooking yesterday afternoon to go and visit a very special little lady called Tilly Belle. :D She arrived in the world over the Christmas break and is such a cutie - was hard to tear myself away!! Ahhhhh...big, BIG congrats to mummy and daddy - and thanks so much for letting us come and visit; we're so happy for you both :D

Hearts & flowers.....

2011-01-11T09:03:00.000Z

Still soldiering on with the scrapbooking....this time the attention turns to all things valentine and feminine...

More patterns for the scrapbook...

2011-01-10T08:39:00.003Z

It's been all work and no play this weekend as I've been trying to make some headway on these scrapbooking designs....actually...tell a lie - I did manage to squeeze in a couple of sessions on the new Michael Jackson game for the wii at least (one of my Christmas present highlights! :D) Here's a glimpse of a few co-ordinates I've been working on....

...I'm now down to a mere 65 left to go...*sigh*

This week I've been mostly working on.......

2011-01-07T10:10:00.002Z

scrapbooking!?! This is a first for me (hence the question mark!), so I've been a little bit like a fish out of water, but I'm gradually getting the hang of it (I hope?) Its certainly going to be a busy ol' couple of weeks, with 10 sets to complete for a forthcoming show, I've certainly got my hands full!

Here's a little look at what I've been up to so far...see what you think:

- this is just a small selection from the first set I've put together....with 2 sets down there's only another 96 pieces to go - YIKES!!!!

Wish me luck! ;)

I do hope you remembered to....

2011-01-06T13:38:00.001Z

...we took everything down at ours on Monday, but if you didn't do it that early, then you certainly should have done by now - last night was your latest opportunity (it's bad luck, don't you know?!) I always find the transition between fully decorated, Christmassy house to the normal day-to-day look quite sad; looks so bare for the first couple of days afterwards....

Even the cat got festive this year (or should I say last...?!)...

We had a little bit more snow just before Christmas Day too...luckily not a great deal though - which meant the little paws were brave enough to venture out....

...and I even had a little go at making some gingerbread cookies! Mmmmmm.....

...so that's it for another year...now let the focus on work commence - lots of opportunities coming up, so must get a move on! :-O

Happy New Year!

2011-01-01T19:05:00.000Z

...and goodbye 2010! Phew...where did the last year go??

I just wanted to say a massive thank you to all my faithful followers that I've picked up along the way; I do hope you'll keep stopping by - I know I've not been too present over the last few months, but this will change; sorry guys. New year's resolution - to be a better, more frequent blogger...promise!! ;) Hoping to get to know a lot more of you out there over the coming year too...

Here's to a fabulous and positive 2011!!!

Cheers everyone :D

Someone stole the moon this morning

2010-12-21T10:17:00.001Z

.....did anyone see?? It was quite a sight....

I do hope it gets returned tonight though! ;)

Lots of yummy Christmas treats!

2010-12-13T15:01:00.000Z

- Ooooh...I do hope I get some sweet treats in my stocking this Christmas! I loved creating these two wraps the other week, but I have to admit....it did make me feel rather hungry! :D

Spotted in the US....

2010-12-10T08:54:00.000Z

- these were taken by my agent on his last visit to the US; it's always a lovely feeling to see the finished product finally out there in the shops....look out for them if you can! :) The stocking was sold to Papermagic, whilst the snowman was purchased by Hobby Lobby.

Hurrah....the big thaw commences!

2010-12-09T19:54:00.000Z

Finally, as I woke this morning and flung back the curtains it appeared that the snow was actually beginning to recede...in fact we even woke in the night to hear what seemed (and I hoped!) to be snow tumbling off the roof! It's been soooooooooo cold here in the UK, but now the mercury is set to rise over the coming days....and it could not be better timed as I'm off to a magical winter wedding at the weekend (at least the bride won't have to shiver quite as much now!) :D

Here are some snowy shots I took in the garden....

- I made sure the birds were kept fed; putting bread out for them on a few occasions...even a little robin decided to tuck in! :)

Light at the end of the tunnel...

2010-12-03T11:47:00.001Z

Boy, am I glad to have finished these two....I think the cold weather has slowed me up or something; they seemed to have taken for-ev-errrrrrr....pleased with how they turned out though; here's a little taster:

- as you can see - my snowman's a lot more polished since he last appeared on Wednesday! :)

AND.......the snow has finally stopped; BIG BIG YAY!! let's hope it stays that way...

Oh no....more snow!!! :(

2010-12-01T11:45:00.000Z

Oh dear, oh dear.......it looks like we finally got caught out by the dreaded arctic grip that's taken hold of the UK at the moment; it snowed and snowed and snowed here in the Midlands yesterday, and now we're swamped :(

I do hope it stops for us all soon, but as I type and glance out of the window it's back again.....come back sun...pleeeease!!!! In fact, better still; let's have some rain to wash it all away! It's times like this that I'm really thankful to be working from home.....this little design is a current 'work in progress', but it somehow got graffiti'd on along the way :)

Take care all of you if you have to venture out x

Ho! Ho! Ho!

2010-11-24T08:32:00.001Z

- Here's a jolly Santa to go with my snowman from yesterday. :)

Brrrrrrrrr....

2010-11-23T08:27:00.002Z

It's sure looking like there's snow on the cards for the end of the week....nooooooooo! :(

- Quite fitting then that I've been working on this happy little fellow for the past couple of days!

A little find...

2010-11-17T17:38:00.000Z

If you're over in the US and you happen to be stopping by Hobby Lobby, then here's a little design I found whilst surfing the net yesterday....

- this design* was sold to them a while back through my old textile agent, so it was a nice surprise to find that it had actually been put into production...what once started out as a bedding design has now morphed into a giftbag!

Always nice to see your product out there :)

*NB all copyrights belong to Hobby Lobby

On the 11th hour, of the 11th day, of the 11th month......

2010-11-11T11:00:00.003Z

please take a couple of minutes to........

NB: photograph copyright Emma Truman Designs

Batten down the hatches!!!

2010-11-11T10:11:00.000Z

- there's a giant onion on the way!!! (aka dartboard, aka deep low pressure system) Apparently we're in for a right ol' battering today here in the UK - oh, I hope my lickle house can cope with the pressure!! :-/

Talking of pressure, I did indeed accomplish my task of completing a new wedding set before my agent left for the US last week - YAY! :D One design from it has even sold already - DOUBLE YAY!! :D Here's a little snapshot of the wrap from the set....

I also had a lovely time 'henning' it up in London town.....one of the highlights was the Icebar - if you've never been, or indeed heard of it, then I definitely recommend you check it out; so much fun!

- that's meeee....hiding behind the ice!! :D

- the countdown to leave; as it's a mere -7 degrees in there your visit is limited to a 40 minute stay...brrrrrrrrrrr!

In the mood for love...?

2010-11-03T14:39:00.000Z

My work's taking a bit of a romantic turn this week. Here's a quick glimpse at a couple of valentine designs I've been working on.....

...and now it's back onto wedding! (quite nice actually, as it's been a while since my last lot ...)

Anyway, just a brief post as it's busy, busy, busy round here at the mo with deadlines looming...eeK! Fingers crossed I get everything done in time before I go 'henning' it up at the weekend :D

For a little boy called Jude

2010-11-01T11:27:00.000Z

Hi everyone - hope you all had a lovely weekend. We went to a christening yesterday (a little unusual for Halloween!) so no spooky goings on for us; it was the son of our friend who made the gorrrrrrgeous cupcakes for our wedding...and boy, was he a cutie! :) Very well behaved, and everyone enjoyed playing 'pass the baby' :D

I was very kindly asked to do the invites for the occasion, and jumped at the chance....I started off with 6 different ideas, and in the end they plumped for my favourite - yay! Here's how they turned out:

It's time to get all spooky....

2010-10-29T12:42:00.000+01:00

Halloween is almost upon us, and the nights are drawing in - don't forget to put them clocks back on Saturday night everyone it felt like night-time still when I woke up at 7.30 this morning....ugh!

Here are a couple of snippets from Halloween wraps to get you in the spooky mood....

- I'm pleased to say that these have just been sold to a customer in the US too, so look out for them next year...YAY! :D

****Have a good one everyone...whatever you're up to.****

Twit-twooooooo

2010-10-28T11:10:00.000+01:00

I thought I'd have a little go at an owl design (seeing as they still seem to be doing well in the popularity stakes!). Here's a sneaky peek at a bit of a birthday wrap I've been working on:

Peek-a-boo

2010-10-27T11:21:00.001+01:00

...I see you!

- this little fellow is part of a new baby design for boys...and this other chirpy chappy below is very happy to announce it too!

Baby, baby...

2010-10-26T10:15:00.000+01:00

After weeks of working on Christmas, it's nice to do a bit of Everyday designing again...this week I'm working on some baby designs - something I haven't done for a long time. Here's a sneaky peek at a new wrap I've created....

- this little duckling's in for a shower....a baby shower!

More cat love....

2010-10-25T18:20:00.001+01:00

I was introduced to the wonderful world of Maru the other week.....don't you just LOVE him?!?!!

For more feline fun, click here

Lots of lovely things to inspire...

2010-10-25T10:12:00.000+01:00

Hello! I hope you all had a lovely weekend - I had quite a jam-packed one; visiting family and friends, but also getting a little bit inspired too. On Friday I headed up to Manchester for the Great Northern Contemporary Craft Fair which was fab! It was also extra nice because I got to meet up with an old friend from my college days who I've not seen for about 3 years! We just picked it up where we left off; it was as if we'd only seen each other a week ago...not years. :) Don't you just love it when that happens? Ahhhh....good times! :)

Here's a few of my favourites from the show.......

- a wonderful wire artist who created intricate scenes and tea-party themed pieces. Especially impressive was a scene of an ornate building which apparently took 5 weeks to complete; now that's dedication for you! :)

- I loved, loved, loved these quirky characters - the piece on the left - 'I spy' was my favourite. :)

- some pretty wall art that I was very nearly tempted to treat myself to...the 'Sing' artwork shown on the bottom left being my favourite....hmmmm - I wonder if Santa's listening?! :D

- yep; another bird-related item...these were really fun and bright.

- and these unusual rings really caught my eye too; simply beautiful!

- and last but not least, some pretty, pretty lights.

Oh dear, oh deer....

2010-10-22T11:20:00.000+01:00

- how I have neglected my poor little blog over the past month....so, so sorry; I hope it's not made all my lovely readers out there lose interest. I had all good intentions to keep on with regular posts, but it's been a pretty busy time....work deadlines, decorating (I know - still!) and other bits and bobs...but, I promise I'll be back and regularly from today....

I thought I'd share a little pic of my first effort at a Jamie Oliver pizza base; I've been wanting to have a go at one of these for ages (yet another thing put on the backburner for a while...can you see a trend here?!) and here it is....ta-dahhhhh!

....not bad for a first effort, I reckon :) After a small panic at the 'well' stage I don't think I did too badly really. Now I have lots of lovely bases stored in the freezer to have as and when I please :D

On the work front, it's been very busy, with lots of deadlines to work to. I had a go at some new Christmas foil designs the other week but quite liked the outcome on the foiled sheet itself....

- the actual design was a reverse of this.

Anyway, I'm back and I hope you all have a lovely weekend...come back next week for more updates :)

Lost in a sea of traditional

2010-10-01T10:59:00.000+01:00

So sorry for my erratic posting at the mo....I've been feeling rather under the weather since my last update; full of cold, so I've been on slow-mo for the last week. :( As a result my new designs have been taking an age...I hate it when that happens; staring at the same design, day after day...ugh! Anyway, here's a sneak peek at what I've been up to (finished at last...hurrah!) Now to move onto something more fun and hopefully less time-consuming!

Happy weekend everyone......I'm finally getting to paint my study tomorrow - YAY! :D

Awwwww.....how cuuuute is this?!

2010-09-23T13:03:00.000+01:00

Spotted this gorgeous advert on tv last night....had to share; LOVE it!!!

Spiders

2010-09-20T08:53:00.002+01:00

I hope you all had a lovely weekend....mine was spent lifting, carrying and sorting (in preparation for the big study makeover :D) along the with many encounters with spiders...eeeek!

*image taken from a design sold in the US for all paper products, worldwide

Most of them were in the shed, as I was sorting through boxes, and I'm not usually bothered by the little guys, but there was one biiiiig mama who made an appearance in our living room last night...and he moved sooo fast too; it was too much! Screams ahoy - think I even scared the spider itself! Matt thought it was hilarious though...

Lovely cat goodies

2010-09-16T08:46:00.001+01:00

Just thought I'd share with you a couple of things I treated myself to whilst in York the other weekend; being a huge cat lover, it was great to discover The Cat Gallery on Low Petergate....

- this light switch cover will go purrrrfectly with my study's soon-to-be new colour scheme. :)

- and I couldn't resist these cute l'il pegs; perfect for displaying all my favourite bits of inspiration :)

I can't wait to start the big makeover in a couple of weekend's time! :)

Feeling colder

2010-09-15T09:43:00.000+01:00

Ooooh, it's chilly today; you can certainly tell Autumn's on it's way....and then, of course, after Autumn comes Winter....booooo! :(

- Here's a jolly snowman who can't wait for Winter to arrive.

Santa's on his way...

2010-09-14T08:49:00.000+01:00

A scary concept, I know, but it won't be too long before this cheery fellow will be busy at work, delivering his presents...

....I've already spotted a few Christmas designs creeping into our shops - I'm sure it gets earlier every year! Only 14 weeks and 4 days to go...(!)

Oodles of baubles!

2010-09-09T17:49:00.002+01:00

Out of the clouds and back into Christmas (sigh...)

- this wrap seems to have taken me far too long (oops!)...hope it's a winner!

A lovely weekend of looking back....

2010-09-08T19:22:00.001+01:00

Ahhhhhh....look what I got; my lovely Matt made me feel very special this weekend - on Saturday we went up to York and had such a gorgeous time....the sun was shining and everything was perfect.

We walked along the city walls..

...and cast our minds back to a year ago

...we would have been stood at the alter together, saying our vows....

We took a stroll along the river, and stopped off at a little cafe that specialised in Belgian beers...

- I'm not normally a beer drinker, but this cherry one was sooooooo nice; the perfect sunshine weather refreshment! It was lovely to sit outside and reminisce about the day, and the proposal itself, which took place here just over 3 years ago...it's funny because throughout the course of the day we saw 3 other weddings taking place as we walked around the city; this just made the memories even stronger!

We finished the day off with a romantic meal at an Italian restaurant, then went home and cracked open the bubbly...the perfect end to a perfect day! :D

After a lovely lie-in on Sunday, we continued the celebrations by spending the afternoon / evening with some friends at Darley Park for their annual fireworks concert...this year marked the event's 20th anniversary!

- There was such a large crowd there; it was almost like being at a festival! Everyone was decked out with their chairs and picnics, sipping glasses of wine and taking in the music and atmosphere..it was great! Bless us though; it was the first time we'd ever been so we only had a little blanket to sit on....next year it'll be a different story..... :)

Oh how quickly a year passes by....

2010-09-03T13:00:00.000+01:00

I cannot believe that we've reached our first wedding anniversary already....this weekend we'll be casting our minds back to that special, special time, and celebrating with a romantic trip down memory lane.....

Here are a few pics from our magical day; the day I truly felt like a princess and the happiest girl in the world! :D

- Ahhhhhh; it makes me quite emotional!

I enjoyed designing and putting all the stationery together for our big day too; the theme was chocolate & cream:

and who can forget.......

- the magnificent cakes*; all lovingly created by our very talented friend, Natalie. :D

*the mint chocolate ones were truly amaaaazing - a hot favourite on the day!!

NB: All photographs courtesy of Ezee Wedding Photography

Oh, what a lovely weekend to look forward to - I hope yours is enjoyable too!

The sneezy fox

2010-09-02T13:16:00.001+01:00

- Following on from my last post, I would much rather a flower fairy anyday....but, it seems we have an unwelcome visitor in our midst right now; twice this week our border has been dug up, with a poor little defenseless heather feeling the full brunt of the attack (it was fully uprooted!!). The likely culprit; a fox! :-< On the advice of a friend, we have now laced the border with pepper (!), in the hope that it will deter the naughty little fellow....I'll let you know if it works.

In the meantime, if anyone has any other suggestions or theories then they would be gladly welcomed! ;)

I wonder.....

2010-08-31T15:42:00.001+01:00

Discovered some toadstools in the garden this weekend....

- I wonder if the flower fairies come to play leapfrog while I'm not looking? ;)