Our greeting card business has grown gradually since 2003. We now have many loyal customers across the U.K. including several very prestigous retail outlets, department stores, and galleries.
Our cards are designed and entirely handmade in Lancashire in our Farmhouse Studio converted from the old cow shed (In Lancashire this is called a “Shippon”). Each one of our cards features an exquisite unique handmade embroidery in a contemporary design. The embroideries are stitched here in small batches, using a variety of stitching and textile art techniques, including appliqué, machine embroidery and fabric painting. Unusual fabrics are incorporated with each other, and layered to produce a range of unique, individual greeting card designs. The printed background of the cards are taken from my more intricate free-machine embroidery, paintings and drawings then embellished by hand with painted glitter, bows, ribbons etc.
✿ My Love of Textiles and Stitching ✿
I have always loved textiles and stitching. From the time I made my dolls and teddies clothes on my mother’s ‘wind-the-handle’ Singer sewing machine, through enjoying art and needlework at school. During my teenage years I made most of my own clothes and bags, and was a true 70's young hippy! After school and Art Foundation, I studied Fashion Textile Design at the University of Brighton, graduating BA(hons) in 1984. At college in Brighton, colour play facinated me, and I specialized in woven textiles for my degree. I designed colour and weave patterns that could trick the eye to think the textile was something that it was not! I won the prestigious Sir Frank Warner Memorial Medal given by the Royal Society of Arts for the ‘Best Textile Design' for a range of colour and weave patterns that looked and felt like Fair Isle knitting. I was also awarded a coveted RSA Travel Bursary to enable me to visit Art Galleries and Museums across Europe. During the 80's and 90's I worked in Retail Buying, Design Consultancy and had a joint enterprise with a close friend making and selling woven designs. In 2004 , what was a hobby, making cards for family and friends turned into a small business.
For further information please contact Elspeth by email elspeth@elspeththomson.co.uk