Thursday, 11 June 2026

A New Father's Day Card You Can Print...




"Absolute Best at Being A Dad Card"
by BoundingSquirrel at Zazzle


Hello there

Hope all's well with you.

Unbelievably, (given that Father's Day in lots of the world is a full 10 days way, as I type) I'm sending this post as a "last call" for 21st June 2026 Father's Day.

But if you still have to even think about it, then fear not, as the card above (which is soooo much cuter in close-up...tap or click here to see) can also be downloaded and printed for you to give to the recipient.

And just in case you think that it seems a little harsh, bear in mind, that all the text is fully editable, and that the inside, by the default you can see below, also says..."But you are the ABSOLUTE BEST at being a Dad...Happy Father's Day!"


Inside the "Absolute Best at Being A Dad Card...


Other options too...

Yes, if you've been here before, you have probably guessed that I'm going to include him again in my list ('cos I really do love him...) the "Bear on a Bicycle," is printable too...


As are the majority of cartoon cards in my CartoonsbyClare store. And whilst none of the cards in there are for Father's Day specifically, most are editable.

So, if for example, you need a "bowls themed Father's Day card", you could simply Edit the "Happy Birthday" section on this card...




and get a funny downloadable printable card right away.


Other cartoons of mine there that might fit a Father's day bill also involve: seabirds, cricket, golf/potholes, and more...


Finally

I hope this has given you the inspiration you need if the deadline for sending a card to your Dad is looming.

And if Father's Day is a bit of a trigger for you, I do get it, being not that many years from loss there myself. However, I decided in the end that it wasn't very honouring of great dads in general to give up on designing for them.

Besides, drawing bears and other fatherly creatures is so. much. fun...:-)

Equally though, I can absolutely reassure you that the topic will be a different one next week.

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



Thursday, 4 June 2026

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

The picture shows a selectionof home decor items, all made out of a bright pink rosey chintz fabric, with green leaves, stalks and speckles.
"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.


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.

Thursday, 21 May 2026

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


Image shows a design with a sag green background, and random trialing white painted flowers dotted allover it.
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).


Image shows a lakeshore in sunshine, with puffy white clouds and a towering fell in the background.
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:

the phot sho shows some quite scraggly but pretty  wild white flowers, with the concrete, litter and 5G pole evidence that they are by a petrol statiion
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)...

Photo is a mock-up, showing the same design as described above (white painted flowers on sage green)applied to a duvet cover on a king size pine framed bed.
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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Tuesday, 12 May 2026

New Design: Chintzy Roses and Bees

The design shows my pink and green watercolour "Chintzy Roses and Bees2 design in action as wallpaper in a photograph, on a wall against the corner of a kitchen.
"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

Image shows the original watercolour motif sketches of roses, bees and lavender.
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.

Friday, 1 May 2026

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


The gif shows a handlettered May, covered in green hand-drawn leaves, which burst into bloom against a brighter sky in the final frame.
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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