and finally.....

...well, after many long hours and a frustrating power cut last night, finally got to upgrade the web site with all the new colour palettes for the English and Vintage Rose Collections and not forgetting the new 'Miss Fondant' Collection, here's a few pics for you to glance over and make you feel all summery and don't forget to pop over to the site............

new "miss fondant"

...the new miss fondant collection hasn't even launched on the web site as of yet (although should be there by wednesday..) and already we have had our first little order for some menus. The order came from a client who was already ordering from us and couldn't resist the idea of a little bit of summer fun to dress her tables...

time out

...my clients out there know the hours I work and if you were to email me at two in the morning then I would probably reply!!! but today, although i am in the studio til 2, will be basking in the sunshine (if any can find its way through cloud!). It's the bbq life for me..

...made sure I had an early start this morning and worked on the best 'to do' job first - wrapping gifts - enjoy your weekend...

very sweet and a little bit cheeky

...the day has been a wash of colour. Every surface has been cluttered with vintage plates, cups and sauces, ribbons, stationery, roses, cotton lace....I've been prepping for the photos for the new updated vintage and english rose collections to be launched on the site over the next week or so. There's also a new addition to the rose collection 'Miss Fondant' - very sweet and a little bit cheeky....there's four colour palettes within this new side collection - Lime & Rosehip, Fondant Fancy, Lemon Cream and Raspberry & Chantilly..all filled with plenty of vintage charm...

pondering over grey

...repainting the studio walls, can't decide which grey - as if that 's all I have got to do in life is ponder between 'lamp grey' and 'pearl ashes'!!!...especially in this intense and humid heat....(driving the husband mad as I am now onto No16 in sample pots...it's got to be right, it's got to be soooo right as I live in this studio for 12 hours a day...not too brown in tone, swinging towards blue, better if duck egg, but can't be too green it has to be grey! and Jamie keeps looking at the Dulux Once White thinking 'life could be so so simple' - it's his chemistry background) - think I need to get out more!..

... we are just about to put our feet up after an exhausting 6th birthday party. Every year I insist on having parties in the garden and every year the idea of hiring a venue seems much more appealling but I am sure next year I'll still be stringing the bunting across the trellis, battling with the gazebo 'just in case it rains!' and painting more tigers, garden fairies, pirates and butterflies to keep the face painting industry going for another year....right... just going to hop over a jelly spotted path that leads to my favourite spot in the garden, catch the last bit of sun and stare at all the unwanted party food embedded in the hosta leaves....why do kids do that??????

snippet in wedding flowers magazine

We don't tend to report when we feature in magazines but we thought we should on this occasion as the palette does not appear on our main site.

The latest feature is in 'wedding flowers' on the style inspiration page and features a collection that was specially produced for the magazine. Samples are available - just quote Cartmel - 'Mandarin & Anemone'....If you are in the early stages of planning this glossy is perfect for collating ideas and starting to formulate a palette....and if you are uncertain of the names of flowers then there is an excellent 'flower encyclopedia' at the back, so you can secretly revise and then impress your florist by reciting back the particular flowers you are wanting - 'in Latin!!!!'

quick glimpse of the sample box

...for those of you that follow our other blog 'studio snippets' you will have read that we are currently working on the re-colouring of some of the palettes for the Vintage Rose and English Rose Collections. You may be interested to know that we are introducing a new 'spin off' collection that isn't even titled yet...here is a glimpse of the samples that are sat patiently in the sample box waiting to be photographed for the main web site - should be launched within the next 4 weeks....

peaceful at 4am!!

...seem to be getting into the habit of getting up early on a Saturday morning, I am working all weekend, and it is so peaceful at this time (4am!!) - the quality of light in the studio is perfect, not too bright, not yet too warm. Great day ahead, trying to work on new images for the site. Re-colouring the palettes for the english and vintage rose, re-working the cotton and herb so we can also offer a range that is simply printed and just a little bit stitched instead of the current 'quite expensive' hand painted collection. Will be mixing the design with french ticking stripes and linen tones.

As well as working on the site we are just in the middle of building a new 'paper store' that will be easier to use and you can see not only 'off the peg' ranges for reception stationery but also any vintage finds we think you may be interested in and any little special creations that we make (we are going to call this the 'bottom drawer').... so as you can see there will be a few little changes........

...right, I had better make a start.....

studio treat No 2

5 in the morning

... it's 5 in the morning, the rain has been so heavy through the night that I awoke at 3 and couldn't get back to sleep..so I have decided to have an early start which is no bad thing as the 'to do' list this week is is a mile long, as well as a 6th birthday party for 15 kiddies to plan, and a holiday to prepare for. Also working on plans for the studio to be extended, finding it really hard to visualise a lined black and white drawing no matter how many further scribbles, sketches and paper 3d mock ups I make....

...above pic taken yesterday on a glorious hot summers day (sneaked out of the studio to potter again)!?????...think I may need to get the dinghy out of the garage to do the school run this morning...

(don't forget to keep looking at studio snippets as I am getting particulary good at posting the daily/weekly happenings of the studio there at the moment...)

quicker than you can switch the kettle on....

...considering I have my own business and can step from my studio into the garden quicker than you can switch the kettle on...I am extremely disciplined....it doesn't matter how beautiful the garden looks, how warm and sunny it is outside...the build up of interior magazines just screaming out to have their pages turned...I remain in my studio, head down, clocking in like a good little employee.....

...well, not today. I became unsettled at 3 o'clock - I could no longer turn my head to the temptation of sitting in my favourite spot of the garden taking in the scent of the roses that are having their prettiest year ever.....

but then the clock struck 4 and I had to return to the printing, proofing, packing position, so I picked and pruned and took a little of the garden back inside with me....

chalie

...husband in bed enjoying a 'father's day lie-in' - funny how it seems to be father's day every weekend! So me and Ava went into the studio to make her party invitations (this is what happens when your mummy is a stationer!) leaving little sister Mia trying to sabotage at any available point.....my role was to print and cut and Ava was responsible for typing in her names, sticking on anything she could find that sparkles 'it's a girl thing!' and writing her envelopes. I love how she is at that adorable stage of writing how words sound so 'charlie' becomes 'chalie' - and by the rules of her northern accent she is totally right!!.........

winter perfection

...the winter palettes for sample requests are now arriving each day, soft creamy vanilla, warm apricot, terracotta and slate greys, moss greens with deep aubergine, treacle, toffee and honey...

...love love love the stying of this shoot, found over at green wedding shoes...from the taffetta corsage to the mix of fresh and dried florals with the detail of whispering feathers and cotton lace...and not forgetting the shimmering mix of brooches, pearls and buttons...there's still time to start collecting in time for winter!!!!!

photography by courtney dellafiora

studio snippets

...you may be interested to read 'sample day' over at studio snippets...

you may also want to become a follower of this blog (as well as here) as we feature a few posts a week showing what is happening in the studio and you may just see the perfect collection for your day, lots of images are posted here that do not feature on the actual main web site - take a look!!!

mr darcy's proposal

via white and wander

peonie & elderflower

...I love this time of year as the garden clusters together and brings to flower so many interesting colours and textures...the peonie and black elderflower caught my eye this morning - so off I went, out in the heavy sea fret to bring a little of the outside into the studio ready to start a very busy day with a big capital 'D' for deadlines!!! ........

standing still

...during the last few days this is where I have been hiding....sat by the lake's beaches enjoying the clean air, the blue skies, the sun on my face, the silhouette of the landscape, the children laughing, enjoying time standing still for just a moment to say hello to my husband....batteries now totally re-charged and ready to work my way through June...

image: buttermere, the lake district.