stumped by a tree design... again

One of the things I love most about my job is the variety of designs I get to work with.  Yes I have an online brochure of invitation ideas, but very often couples come to me with a medley of ideas in their heads that they want to have specially created.  It's then up to me to rise to the challenge!

I have to admit, I am beginning to get a little fearful of drawing trees.  I am not a traditional artist you see.  In fact my GCSE art teacher told me quite clearly that I 'can not draw at all' and packed me off to the textile studio!  If a client wants a 'cartoon style' tree, then I am all over it, but for anything more realistic, it takes me much longer. I still have nighmares about Hayley & Mark's design, which took hours to get right.  However, after meeting with my new clients I knew that their love of the outdoors needed to be reflected in their wedding stationery.  I was prepared for a few more long nights.

The good news is, Kirsty and Hugh have taken several elements from several cards designed just for them and I can now get to work on their final design by mixing it all together.  I will pop a picture of the final product up soon, but here is an idea of what you receive after completing my bespoke stationery questionnaire.

Enjoy the sunshine, love, Hannah

who doesn't like pick n mix?

It was the middle of the week before I stopped buzzing from the weekend's wedding fair at the Red Lion.  There's somethig about meeting couples face to face and getting excited about their wedding day that puts me in a creative mood. 

So, when the sun sported a large smiley hat on Wednesday I decided to grab the stationery I had created based on my Beautiful Bunting design and head outside with my camera.  I have always wanted the website to demonstrate how I can expand a design accross several items and I hope my newly revamped pick n mix page will do just that.

There are some shots on here that I just adore, it reminds me of summer parties, village fetes, the smell of candyfloss and hot dogs at the fair and freshly picked flowers from a rambling cottage garden.  It was a blissful way to spend a Wednesday afternoon in September and I hope you like the results!

Please click here to visit my new website and click here for the pick n mix page.

Love, Hannah

no lion about for hannah this weekend!

It's been an action packed week at Fishy HQ.  Not only did I work my socks off finishing my lovely new website with Lynsey at Bimbo Design, but I was also beaving away in the studio to create a table bursting with gorgeous little treats to tempt couples at the Red Lion's Wedding Fair on Sunday.

It's been a long time since I stood at a wedding fair, but the beautiful Red Lion which proudly stands at the edge of the Peak District National Park has been beautifully extended and refurbished.  So armed with my portfolio bursting with new designs, I was more than happy for my wedding goodies to have an outing to one of the area's most picturesque hotels.

I took along my beautiful bunting design and went to town making invites, table stationery, an array of favours, table plans, signage and quirky little finishing touches.  I have pictured here just a few items that were well received.  If you would like more detail, or indeed wish to place an order, please contact me.

Happy planning! Love, Hannah


Clockwise from top:

>> All set up rand eady to meet the couples


>> Old fashioned lemonade bottles with personalised single layer tags - simply pop them in alphabetical order and detail the table your guest is to sit at on the tag.  A great idea if you want something a little less traditional than a standing table plan! From £1.25 (excluding lemonade).


>> Bedtime hot chocolate in mini jars with ribbon, marshmallows and matching tag.  From £2.70 each. Why not put them on the pillows in the hotel as a thank you for staying at the venue?


>> Speech lollypops with cellophane, ribbon and tag - serve them with the coffee and stop Great Auntie Marge and Cousin Winnifred from nattering!  From £2.50 each.


>> Love is brewing with these gorgeous little bunting boxes, hand-tied luxuary teabag and mini card. These are incredibly fiddleyto make, so please don't order 100... my fingers may fall off!  From £3.20 as shown, or from £1.50 without the box.

Little Fish Events launches new site

I met with Lynsey just over a year ago and over a coffee and a slab of Victoria sponge, she uttered the words many people in business dread hearing.

‘I think your website needs a little facelift.’

I stared at my half empty mug and wondered if it were deep enough to drown myself in.  The website, or should I say 'THE WEBSITE'.  Over a hundred pages of images that take so many attempts to get right, text that takes hours to compose and links and coding that go on for weeks. Having been running the business while juggling my busy brood of three children, I had neither the energy or the inclination to set off on this monumental task.

Seeing the storm clouds gather, my little marketing Guru from Bimbo Design pushed on.

‘Nothing drastic, just an overhaul of the look, so it’s more three dimensional. And you know the stationery section is looking a little outdated!’

I knew there was no stopping her. ‘It’ll take a day, two at the most’ she continued with an encouraging smile.

I had to admit there were some very shaky designs in the old on-line brochure, ‘Sparkly Dragonfly’ in particular was a quite horrific, I think I must have designed it with crayons in the dark. And there were the cards with the wire detailing and beads,which literally made my fingers blister whenever I had to make them. I guess we could give it a go… how much work could it possibly be?

Well, I can’t answer that question and I am sure Bimbo Design would rather forget the long days that turned into late nights and even crept into early mornings getting everything just so. I had a brilliant Facebook message last week that summed up the week for both if us…

‘Leave me alone, I am broken. I am dreaming about diamantes and glitter!’

Well after the countless cups of tea, sheets of card, tubes of glitter, reams of diamantes and pages of text, the new Little Fish Events site is up and running. I am particularly proud of the ‘designs’ section, which has taken me months to get right. There isn’t one card in there that I wouldn’t be very happy to receive through the post – certainly no ‘Spangly Dragonfly’ to haunt me.

I hope that through the new stationery, I can offer my brides and grooms the opportunity to present their guests with something that makes them feel special and spoilt and very privileged to be part of such a special day. I really think my stationery is chic, sophisticated and stylish, but with en edgy sense of fun. I hope this comes across.

As for all the other sections… well I guess you’ll just have to go and have a look for yourselves.

Finally, to Lynsey at Bimbo Design, who started this epic journey off with one innocent comment, thank you for your time, talent and patience. The best thing about this process has been working alongside you again. Now please have a day off and get some very well deserved sleep.

For everyone else… here’s the link. http://www.littlefishevents.co.uk/ enjoy!

Love, Hannah