Launched in 2000, I started out as a manufacturer
of hand-made wedding stationery, creating innovative
ranges that doubled as frameable keepsakes.
Silk rose threaded through card with a label attached that read: ‘to have and to hold’
Feedback confirmed many of these cards ended up being framed or getting planted! One guest grew the blooms to make a spray for the wedding she’d been invited to!
Silk rose threaded through card with a label attached that read: ‘to have and to hold’
As well as having my designs featured in the national bridal
glossies shown here, I was fortunate enough to become the
recommended stationer at a number of prestigious venues
locally, generating orders via wedding fairs, bridal boutiques and gift shops in Yarm, Darlington, Durham, York and Leeds, while shipping to customers worldwide.
I blinked and 20 years zipped by, during which time my work gradually drifted away from manufacturing towards freelance illustration and design, a move that happily led to several image licensing deals, projects in character and merchandise development, and a publishing contract as a paper engineer.
Book packaging concept published by Egmont UK Ltd (2014)
Book packaging concept published by Egmont UK Ltd (2014)
TM Santoro (2006-2010) Animal puns used on several card ranges, stationery, plush toys, Tinami (TM) magnets, spinning cards, inflatable cards and foil balloons among other accessories.
Book packaging concept published by Egmont UK Ltd (2014)
These images reflect an exciting time in my
career, with numerous business trips to the head
offices of publishing industry giants, and a cheeky
spot of shopping in London after each meeting. Even
now I find it hard to believe I did it all in high heels.
Nowadays I'm in the jammy position of thinking up artworks, captions, and ideas for others to hopefully enjoy.
Born in Teesside, I was brought up
the traditional Anglo-Scot way in that I knew the A74(M) like the back of my hand by the age of five.
I recently married my first boyfriend of nearly thirty years. Together we share a house with two cats and a garden with a variety of amazing wildlife. Plus three chickens.
Like most people, I fell in love
with art & design at a young age.
I now own jars of herbs that are
older than Billie Eilish and I’m still
just as besotted with it.
I did my foundation course at Cleveland
College of Art and Design, now known as
the Northern School of Art and Design,
before setting off to do a degree.
I left the University of Lincoln and
Humberside in 1996 with a first class
BA (Hons) Graphic Design and a genuine
appreciation for Netto beans.
The following year I completed my PGCE
(Secondary) Art & Design at the University
of Leeds, studying at the quite beautiful
Bretton Hall, located within the Yorkshire
All set for a life-long career in teaching,
I got a job in PR & Communications!
After a couple of years, my role involved
organising corporate hospitality functions,
and was nothing short of a dream start to
a glittering future in event management.
Yes, a person would have to be quite
cuckoo to give up such a job in favour of
letting their creative juices run amuck.
