Victoria's Month in Design: June was full of vital rest and prepping for summer

Last month, I stepped away for three days - no plans or to-do list, just space, a pen and book, sketching and reading. And in that quiet, what felt stuck - design blocks, work dilemmas, unanswered questions - all started to become clear. I didn’t force it, I just pressed pause.
 
In that moment I was reminded that life is not a to-do list, and rest is not a reward for hard work, it’s a vital ingredient in a meaningful life. 
 
So this July, as we step into Summer, work slower, laugh harder and breathe longer. It's often by stepping back that we find the right way forward.

From Italy, With Inspiration 🇮🇹

While I was away in Italy, one of my favourite places, I sketched a new design which I’m excited to share with you: our upcoming Trooping the Colour. It came to life as I sipped an Aperol and watched the world go by. A moment of stillness became a moment of inspiration. (Sneak peek above!)

Full Circle in Birmingham

I was honoured to be invited back to the Birmingham School of Art, 20 years after graduating, as a judge for the Emerging Talent Award. It was lovely to be back in that beautiful building again, filled with such creative energy. There was an incredible amount of thoughtful and powerful work on display and it was genuinely tough to choose a winner. 

I was fortunate enough to bump into a former tutor who amazingly still remembered me, along with my friends from the course, apparently, we were a year that stood out which was lovely to hear.

 

Behind the Scenes: Crafting in Metal

While in Birmingham, I also visited our keyring and pin badge manufacturer. Every time I see the process, those intricate metal casts, the stamping, the tiny details, I’m blown away. The level of skill, care and craftsmanship that goes into every piece we design never fails to amaze me.

 

Lights, Camera, Christmas  📸

We rounded off June with a jam-packed photoshoot with the ever-brilliant Yeshen Venema and Emma Shipley. It was a long and ambitious day, but we got every shot done - including Christmas 2025, a brand-new greeting card collection, and more exciting pieces to come!

There’s so much planning and work that goes into a shoot and it’s incredibly rewarding when the photos come back exactly as imagined.

 

Creative Recharge 🎨

The first week of July is #CreateWeek, a brilliant initiative by the Create Arts UK Organisation, to encourage everyone to get creative however they can.
 
I love being creative, whether at work on home. I spent time in the garden this month painting watercolours with my daughter, not for a design brief but for fun and just for me.


Looking Ahead

This month we’re on the move!
 
✨Harrogate Home & Gift Fair with our amazing Sales manager and Nicole
✨Visiting the New Designers Exhibition in London to see new creative talent.
✨And at the end of the month a well-earned family holiday. 
 
Here’s to a slower, sweeter summer ahead. 
Love, 
Victoria x

 

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