Cute Pink Roses - And (Also) the Bear Rides Again...

"Watercolour Chintzy Roses" available on fabric, 
home décor and more at Spoonflower.

Hello there

Hope all's been well with you these last couple of weeks. But as time rather ran away with me last week, this newsletter is (I hope!) a double bill of joy and news.

First things first. The bright and gorgeous chintzy rose floral fabric you see in the picture above is now available at Spoonflower. In the end, it was this (based on my own hand-painted rose motifs) that I've also decided to submit for their "Chintz Revival", contest (which you can vote in here, if you'd like).

And in utterly unrelated news: Father's Day is Coming Up on June 21st...

A fact which led me to realise that  a) I haven't offered nearly enough designs on this topic for you, and b) a certain bear on a bicycle with balloons from previous posts might just be perfect for this purpose too.

Cute Bear on A Bicycle With Balloons Father's Day Card
by BoundingSquirrel

Well, it seems like he really has found his niche, and he's available to buy (as a printed card or a download that you print and give as you like-handy if the deadline is looming a bit for you as you read this).


You can personalise the message on the front and the wording inside the card as much as you like (or remove it completely). So in fact, this is a cycling bear that can please people year-round, if you want.

Finally

As ever, thanks so much for reading down this far. There'll be more news on cards in upcoming posts. (I've missed doing them for you soooo much).

In the meantime, have a lovely week, and thanks so much for being here.

More soon.

___________________________

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New Design: Sweet Little White Flowers (With An Unlikely Beginning)

Pretty White Trailing
 Clematis Flowers Design

Hello there

Yes, I'm back from the land of scheduled posts and holiday, to a something-like-posting-more-normally, pace. 

Yes, there was inspiration aplenty in the Lake District (if you're reading this from outside the UK, that's waaay northwest of London, near to Scotland, and the place most associated with such luminaries as Beatrix Potter and William Wordsworth, if that helps).

Was it inspiring? Absolutely, eg in the pattern above (and the new-look logo and "BoundingSquirrel" labelling, if you're interested/eagle-eyed about such things).

Inspiring then, yes...

But not just in the ways you might imagine...

For example, anyone familiar with the area might assume that my first inspiration back came from the Lake District, came from, oooh, I don't know...A lake, perhaps? :-)

There were plenty to choose from, after all. (The photo below is of a tiny part of Coniston Water, with thanks to The Computer Man for his excellent photography skills).

Photo of Coniston Water

But it seems like the art fairy of inspiration doesn't quite work like that. No, she has much more of a sense of humour.

The real inspiration for that floral design is in this photo:

Wild white daisies and clematis flowers

Yes, people. For some reason, some wild white daisies and clematis-type flowers at the edge of a petrol station forecourt (yes, you read that correctly) were the first inspiration I took from all the beauty that is Cumbria.

No, I can't really understand it, either.

But if it led to things that look as nice as this duvet cover (shown king size, but all are available)...

See the "White Trailing Flowers", design on this
duvet at Spoonflower...

Then who am I to grumble?

I'm more than happy (and humble) enough to be grateful for the inspiration, regardless of its source, and leave the insistence on high-minded inspiration to the Wordsworths of this world.

Thanks ever so much for being here, and for reading down this far.

If you're new here, please do consider signing up for my newsletter.

Have a great week. And, as ever,  there'll be...

More soon.

___________________________

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New Design: Chintzy Roses and Bees

"Chintzy Roses and Bees"- is available at Spoonflower
(Photo also courtesy of Spoonflower)

Hello there, and hope all is well with you.

Am just dropping in quickly to let you know that my new "Chintzy Roses and Bees" design is available to buy on fabric, wallpaper and home décor at Spoonflower.

It's based on an original watercolour, and designed to evoke feelings of summer in your home, with romantic roses, and the whimsical addition of bees hiding in the pattern too.

There will be much more info about this and other new designs soon. As I said, I'm just sending-(or more accurately, scheduling) this at some speed. 

For the watercolour-rose-sketch-curious-people

Original rough watercolour sketches of roses, bees and lavender
by Clare Walker

If you're the kind of person who likes to see how designs develop, here's a pic of  some of the original rough watercolour sketches.

And yes, the lavender is still in the mix for later designs. Watch this space...

Even more importantly

Huge apologies if you were expecting this newsletter last week. Life is up in the air at the moment, but should be back to the usual sending pattern in a week or two.

In the meantime

In the meantime, if you like what you see of the finished wallpaper, that link to Spoonflower is here.

And in any event, thanks so much for being here, and my apologies once again.

More soon.

PS. Update on June 4th 2026: If you love a chintzy rose as much as I do, you might also like my more "watercoloury" new take on the theme, here.

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Here's a Free Month of May Animated Gif...

If you'd like to use this "May" gif online.
tap or click here to download.
Credit and links back here are
 never required, but always appreciated

Hello there, and hope this post finds you thriving.

Over here, I seem to have fallen down a rabbit-hole. One in which, creating images for screens instead of print, just like Alice in Wonderland, I suddenly need to do everything in reverse.

The largest possible sizes in print become the smallest possible file sizes for screens, for example.

However, it is *loads* of fun.

Even more importantly, it gives me the chance to share some expressive graphics with you. Like this one, which I hope gives the feeling of "bursting into bloom," which is May at its best in these parts.

(And yes, Southern Hemisphere people, I hear you. Contact me with your thoughts about what *you*'d like to see in an equivalent image, and I'll get onto it).

Will there be more? I hope so...Thanks so much for being here, and...Happy May Day!

More soon.
___________________________

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The Toucan Returns...

Please vote for this design if you use Spoonflower 

Hello there

One day, I promise I'll design something that doesn't involve our toucan friend. This isn't that day.

Note, if you're in a hurry, the upshot here is: if you use Spoonflower.com please vote for my Lilies, Toucans and Bird of Paradise tropical floral design in the latest Spoonflower competition.

Site visitors are welcome to vote too, I think. It's just that the process may be easier for those familiar with it already.

And yes...

The theme of the competition is "hot house flowers". So, I diligently drew all my lilies, found little-used (!) bird of paradise motifs on my hard drive, and spent a whole afternoon on banana and other types of palm leaf.

A peek at some of the "work whilst it was in progress,"
for this tropical floral project.

Then I noticed that the more fulsome instructions for designers said, "Consider including tropical animals."

So obviously, our extrovert toucan friend from a few weeks ago was a shoe-in for a spot of tweaking and inclusion.

And whether or not this design wins amongst the many other simply amazing ones (if you're reading this during the competition window, you'll have a lush and exotic time just looking at all the gorgeous entries, I promise).

The new "maximalist", style in the air at the moment might not be to everyone's taste, but I'm loving the colours, the richness and the joy of it.

Plus...

Even if you're reading this way after the competition (which closes around May 5th 2026, I believe), this is a surprisingly livable design, even at scale, despite all those bright and tropical colours. Eg, if we had stairs, I think I'd enjoy seeing the design beside them.

Find this design on wallpaper at Spoonflower

Finally...

Whether or not you vote in this, thanks so much for reading down this far, and for being here. It means the world.

The next newsletter is more likely to come out around the beginning of May. But there will be...

More soon.

___________________________

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