Stitchable Cards

Photo credits for moodboard: Bear sitting by Mark Basarab, Bear Cub by Janko Ferlič, Yellow Flowers by Christos Gavriel, Honeycomb by Jonas Hensel, and Butterfly and flowers by Su Kadi on Unsplash.  This set of designs began with the theme of ‘bear hugs’. Bears are often seen as representing strength and power, probably because of their sheer size. They can also be seen as a symbol of wisdom. Perhaps it is this, plus their connection to the natural world that provides us with these beliefs.  I looked into when the term ‘bear hug’ came into use and it seems to have been...

Artwork above by Susan Bates Valentine's Day is named after St. Valentine and it is celebrated on February 14th. Not much is known about the man himself that the day is named after. Some stories say that he was a Roman priest from the third century. It seems that Valentine’s Day wasn’t celebrated as a day of romance until around the 14th century. In later centuries commercially printed cards became available and the day was marked by sending one of them to your lover or intended beau. It seems like this tradition really came into its own in the Victorian...

Artwork above by Susan Bates and background image by Joanna Kosinska.  For me, one of the things I enjoy about Christmas is the giving of gifts to loved ones, but also it’s great to relax and have some fantastic food and drinks together. So for this set of designs I’ve created patterns around this theme of festive gifts and edible treats. I’ve used a traditional palette of red and green, but I’ve made the greens a pretty teal colour. I’ve also added some tones of pink and blue, to change things up a bit. A couple of the designs also include...

Artwork above by Susan Bates For this set of designs the theme is cakes.... and lots of them! Whilst I try to eat healthily most of the time, it’s nice to indulge in a sweet treat now and again. I love to take some time to relax, usually with a cup of tea ...and a slice of cake goes perfectly well with this. For my first design in this set I've depicted a big slice of Victoria sponge cake, with pink icing and a juicy red strawberry on top. This classic cake really is one of my favourites and strawberries...

Photo credits for moodboard: Beach Scene by Mink Mingle, Cocktail by Great Cocktails, Dog by Srinivas JD, Sailing Boat by Leonhard Peters, and background by Jr Korpa on Unsplash.  Summer is my favourite time of year - as the days get longer and warmer there seems to be more time to relax, and more time to spend it outdoors, taking it easy. As a child we used to go to Cornwall, in the West of England, for family holidays. Many of the beaches in Cornwall have beautiful golden sands and they can range in size from small coves to long stretches of beach that are great for a bit of exercise,...

I’ve always loved reading and so I wanted to illustrate this in my latest set of designs. As a child I would often spend hours reading. I’d even read at night by torchlight, under the bedclothes, after my parents had told me to go to sleep! I enjoy reading digital books, but I still prefer the tactile quality of reading a printed book. There’s something about a paperback or hardback book that is so nice to read and hold, as opposed to a book on your phone or tablet. Anyway, whatever format you like to use, my designs are intended...