6 - INSPIRED.

Hey there. Feeling pretty inspired today. For most people Sunday is the day of rest, a day off work. For me its a day of rest from being a Mama and my children and time for me and I spend it doing what I like best. Stereo on (my choice of listening rather than my son's), creating (designing + dreaming), pork roasting in the oven for family dinner later when I get to hear how my kiddos and their Dadda have spent their day.

Today I'm full of ideas and possibilities and I'm so close to e-mailing Vivienne Westwood (one of my favourite designers) about creating a plaid wedding dress or evening gown. Today I feel like I could have one great everything in me. One great dress, one great story, one great piece of furniture (no song - I know my limits...). I feel like I could keep on creating and letting ideas flow until I've done one of everything there is to do. For now tho' I will stick to what I know best and carry on with my "So long, summer" range of card and notelet designs, of which you can see a work-in-progress sneak peek below.

Plaid/check/herringbone...

Bristol, love of my life...

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5 - Wiped out.

Clifton Suspension Bridge / Bristol Balloon Fiesta

So as the title suggests I'm feeling pretty wiped out today. I am still trying to catch up on a massive sleep deficit from last weekend and the early start to catch the (no-show due to lightning/weather) early mass balloon ascent at Bristol Balloon Fiesta. Up and out at 04.30. That's 4.30AM to be clear!

This week I actually feel a little home sick for Bristol and have started to wonder why we left (a million reasons to do with house size vs affordability / raising kids etc) and if we'll ever manage to get back there to Clifton. I've joked for a while about making a "I left my heart in BS8" poster but think now might be the time to actually do it.

The photo is of *some* of the balloons in the evening mass ascent, we didn't get to see all of them as we had to get off to our dinner reservation. I honestly think that may be one of my favourite views in the whole world and I miss being able to walk over that bridge and look down on to the city. One day Clifton my friend, one day.

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4 - Botanical Heritage

Botanical illustration has been on my mind since spring...

Its been a long time coming and at last the moment has arrived...

I've been wanting to move in to creating for a wider audience (rather than purely client based) for a while but due to commitments to clients (and pregnancy/babies) haven't quite managed it. Until now.

Here is the first part of a new range of readymade cards and prints available to buy online (hop on over to the shop here). I'll be adding more over time and hope to grow the collection into something great that I can be proud of and you can love sending or looking at on your wall.

When I was younger I had a friend who lived a couple of roads away and we used to write to each other almost weekly. I miss real post, post that asks how you are rather than demands payment or tries to sell you something. Here's to real post and true friends. N. x

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3 - ALFIES STUDIO LAUNCHES AFTER A RE-STYLE

It's done. Finally.

The re-style wasn't planned but I'm pretty glad I did it now its here and well on it's way to being finished.

Every time I re-brand I love the new version way more than the old and feel it reflects where I'm at right there and then. This is me here and now. A little bit more refined than my old brand (which I'll try to post pictures of soon), a little more classic but somewhat edgier too. The previous version was a quirky dress with pumps, now its cooler and toughened up with a vintage Dior jacket (I'm wearing that with everything at the moment as it goes, that's another post I'm sure) and biker heels. 

New image, new products coming soon, here's to turning thirty on Sunday and hitting the ground running.  

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