Finally December is upon us, although if I am honest it has felt a long time coming with all the television adverts and shops showing off Christmas goods since the middle of November!

Please take the time to look at my online shop and consider buying your cards and gifts from an independent retailer this year for something original, quirky and unique. I cannot compete with the prices of big shops but I can offer you good service and good products.

Enjoy your Christmas shopping wherever you might be!

I am pleased to announce that the special offers on my work are being extended until midnight Wednesday the 30th of November 2011, giving you some extra time to find those special Christmas gifts and cards!

My stock of the original Bird Tree card and framed prints are now very low in stock. Also running low is my Balancing Bird organic shopping bag and new Christmas card, Christmas Birds with Bunting.

I am also pleased to write that I am taking part in a new venture with my dad, opening a 'pop up shop' for two weekends in December. My dad sells an excellent selection of real Christmas trees at Wears Nursery (OX10 0PS)(from December 3rd-23rd stock depending) which sell out every year due to his fantastic enthusiasm and cheeriness! Alongside this he wants to set up a small studio shop which sells a variety of artwork and crafts from a small selection of original designers working locally, within 16 miles of Brightwell.

The items for sale in the pop up shop will include handmade fabric bunting, beautiful stained glass, traditional handmade wooden products, clay fairy castles, freshly made flower & table arrangements and Christmas wreaths   and my own work.

We are very excited and I will update you with photos and information so you can see the development for yourself...Watch this space.

Not long left now until my mini sale finishes at midnight on Monday 13th of November so buy now while the prices are reduced!

I encourage you to come and do some Christmas shopping via my website, soon! I am offering the following special offers for you early birds out there, who like to be organised and grab a bargain when you see one...

• Choose your own combination of any 5 greetings cards for a reduced price of £6.50 (including postage and packaging) - just let me know your combination choice when you pay with Paypal or email me via the website   when you have completed checkout

• 10% off my limited edition, unframed prints - Bird Study or Bird Tree - now £33.30 (including postage and packaging)

• Choose your own combination of any 4 greetings cards, with an organic, hand screen printed, fairtrade Balancing Birds shopping bag for a special offer price of £12.50  (including postage and packaging) - let me know your choice of 4 cards when you checkout via Paypal or email me via the website after checkout.

All of my work would make ideal, original presents for someone special this Christmas, so get ordering now before I run out of stock!

At last my new Christmas card, Christmas Birds and Bunting has arrived from the printers and is finally on sale via my website. The print run was smaller than usual so I do not think these will be hanging around the shop for long! As I was remined this morning, there is only 59 days until Christmas now....

Come along to the Rush Court Christmas Fair in Shillingford, just outside Wallingford, Oxfordshire (OX10 8LL) where I will have a small stall selling my work. It is a great chance to get into the Christmas spirit and buy those special gifts. I think it   starts at   10am but I will post the timings on here when I know for sure.

New Christmas card online soon, just waiting for it to be delivered now!

I have just finished my new Christmas card for 2011 and it will be added to the website very shortly and being printed as I write this right now! It is very exciting and good to feel that I am actually doing something creative of my own, something that hasn't happened for quite a while!

Along with the new card (which will be revealed soon) I have just added another Christmas card called Christmas Bird Study which is available for sale now in my online shop.

It's not long until we hear those jingle bells again so get yourself some Christmas cards now!

Since I have been forced to take some unexpected time off due to the difficulties of pregnancy (still being sick!), I have found the extra time as a chance to relax a bit and really get stuck into my own work and this website, which I have neglected for quite a while. So what better place to start, than beginning my own blog all about work, inspiration and ideas!

To start with I thought I would show you a few of my latest ventures, most of which have been pushed forward by my mum who is officially my biggest fan and a woman who is fanatical about textile design and fabrics.

Firstly she was very keen to get her hands on some Chocolate Birds silk which has been in my collection of old university portfolio fabric samples for about 6 years. Her idea was to turn the remaining couple of metres into some large cushions with an accent colour cotton back. As you can see from the photos, they are quite successful and she is as pleased as punch. All I have to do now is get some more fabric printed and then I could hopefully have some to sell on the website...if she doesn't get her hands on it first....