Wow, has 2019 gone already? Was that the fastest year in living memory, or does it just feel like it?! I hope it's a year that's been kind to you, and if not, well, at least it's almost over!

I'm closing at midday today for my Christmas break - I'll be back again on January 9th. Before I go though, I'd like to take this opportunity to say thank you - thank you for staying with me, thank you for reading and following my blog, thank you for being a customer (or not, it's nice that you just follow me... although if you ever do want to buy something, you know...), just basically THANK YOU.

I wish you a very merry Christmas and a happy, peaceful and prosperous New Year - from my family to yours.

See you all in January!
Sarah x

More Last Order Dates for Christmas closing this weekend!

Another big date is coming up this weekend for pre-Christmas orders. There are lots of items that are closing for orders at midnight this Sunday (the 15th). In fact, after this weekend there's a limited number of items still available, so let me get straight to it for you!:

Personalised Blue Plaque - with any wording

Personalised Wooden Star Plaques - range of designs available

Large 10x10" square prints in mount - range of designs available

Large Personalised Wooden Circle Plaques - range of designs available

All A3 sized personalised prints (excluding 'Family Tree' prints)

Personalised Wooden Christmas Star Decorations - range of designs available

Personalised Wooden Storyboard Photo Blocks & Plaques - various styles available

Personalised Wooden Photo Cubes - range of colours available

In addition to the items shown above, the following items are also closing for Christmas orders at midnight on Sunday:

• Wooden Typography Signs
• Wooden Announcement Hearts
• Rustic Wooden Photo Blocks
• Freestanding Wooden Message Blocks
• Family Tree Print, 8x10" size
• Wooden Picture Blocks
• Rabbit Family Prints
• Love Gift Box Hamper

On Monday the 16th it will be last orders for the following items:

• Garden Fork & Trowel Set
• Personalised Hammer
• Personalised Greeting Cards
• Personalised Gift Sack

You can still order a fabulous personalised print in the smaller 8x10" size up until midnight on December 18th (with the exception of the Family Tree Print, Rabbit Family Print, Born On This Day birthday Print, and On Our Wedding Day anniversary Print)

Please double check the last order dates information on the website before placing your order!

Sarah :)

Personalised Santa Letter Gift Packs - last handful left, selling fast!

The 2019 Santa Letter Gift Packs have been selling like hot cakes this year, with lots of faithful customers returning year after year. Fast sales has meant that I know only have 6 Letter Packs left (at time of writing)! So, if you'd like to order or if you've been thinking about it, I really do advise you not to wait too long!

Beautiful personalised Santa letter, quality personalised certificate and gifts too!

Orders close at midnight on the 17th for both the Letters and the Telegrams, but it's looking as though I'll sell out of the Letters before that date - so be quick!

The gorgeous Personalised Santa Telegrams are unlimited, so you can still order right up until midnight on December 17th.

Personalised Santa Telegrams, only £6.50

A gorgeous surprise gift that will absolutely delight them, whatever their age! From just £6.50, including 1st class UK delivery - what a bargain for such a wonderful gift!

Find full details by clicking here.

Sarah :)

Lots of Christmas Last Order Dates ending today!

It's one of the big key days today for Christmas last orders at PhotoFairytales - if you want to receive any of these items in time for the big day you need to order before midnight tonight (the 12th)!

Personalised Baby Board Books

Personalised Canvas Prints: 8x8" or 10x10" sizes

Personalised 'Family Rules' Canvas - any colour

Personalised Hexagon Wooden Wall Plaques, range of colours

Personalised Ceramic Mixing Bowl, choice of designs

Personalised Ceramic Mince Pie Plate

Personalised Quality Wooden Christmas Eve Boxes, range of designs & colours

Personalised Round Wall Signs & House Plaques, range of designs & colours

Personalised Newspapers, range of articles available

Personalised Memory Pairs Game

In addition to the items shown above, the following items are also closing for Christmas orders at midnight tonight:

• Great British Holidays Canvas Print
• Great British Dishes Canvas Print
• Your Own Photo or Artwork on Canvas
• Wooden Guestbook Hearts
• Born on This Day Birthday Prints
• On Our Wedding Day Anniversary Prints
• Personalised Photo Albums
• Personalised Wooden Memory Photo Rocket
• Personalised Oak Photo Cubes

There are still lots of items available for Christmas delivery, but please double check the last order dates information on the website before placing your order!

Sarah :)

BBC Radio Norfolk Young Volunteer of the Year Winner, 2019

Well, this week has been very exciting, and I just have to share it with you - this happened!

Amy Thexton, winner of BBC Radio Norfolk Young Volunteer of the Year 2019

Our lovely daughter Amy won the Young Volunteer of the Year 2019 Award on BBC Radio Norfolk! It was a total surprise - the radio station were very sneaky and told us she was invited in because she'd been shortlisted: to then reveal live on air that she'd actually won! 

Amy, a few seconds before going into the studio - she looks so calm!

Amy has been volunteering at the fabulous Gressenhall Farm and Workhouse Museum, here in Norfolk. She originally went for a week of work experience when she was in Year 10 at school, and absolutely loved it. Her dream is to one day become a museum curator, and the week she spent there completely reaffirmed her wish. At the end of her week she was distraught to be leaving - not only had she thoroughly enjoyed her time, but she'd also found herself working with the super friendly museum staff that she realised she was going to miss. So she contacted the Curator and asked if she could come back as a volunteer, and she's been helping them during her holidays working on all sorts of projects, from working in the archives to creating interactive displays for museum visitors. 

The Museum nominated Amy earlier in the year when they found out about the competition, and were absolutely delighted when she won! I had the opportunity to sit just outside the studio while she was being interviewed and managed to grab a sneaky photo:

Live on air!

It's impossible to describe how proud we are of our girl - not only for volunteering, but for taking it so much in her stride during the interview. Yes, she was nervous, but she spoke beautifully about her work at the museum - we reckon she's got quite a career in front of her!

Sarah x

Last orders for Christmas tonight for these personalised gifts...

Only 14 more sleeps til Christmas! Here's a quick roundup of items that are closing for Christmas at today - if you want delivery in time for the big day on any of these, please make sure you order before midnight! (You can see full details of all the last order dates on the PhotoFairytales website here)

First up it's the Fantasy Photo Portraits - you can still place 'artwork only' orders today and I'll make sure it's with you in time for Christmas.

Fantasy Portraits, bespoke artwork created using your own ordinary photo

If you want a truly unique and original gift, a fairytale Fantasy Portrait ticks all the boxes. Using your own photo, I will create a piece of custom artwork that is totally original for you. There are loads of themes to choose from, and all sorts of fantastical, magical settings. A very special gift for just £24.95. Click here to view the full Fantasy Portrait gallery and range of designs available.

The next item is Personalised Mugs - the perfect stocking filler or Secret Santa gift, and only £13.50 including UK P&P!

Beautiful bespoke personalised mugs at PhotoFairytales

There are lots of gorgeous designs to choose from, featuring beautiful artwork and all personalised to order. So whether you're looking for a gift for Granny, Danny, or Auntie Annie there'll be a design that's perfect! A practical gift they'll use every day - there are Christmas designs, but lots of others that will be perfect for use all year round. They're dishwasher safe too! Click here to see the full range of designs.

And finally, it's last orders tonight for the larger Family Tree prints in A3 size (you still have until December 15th for the 8x10" print size). 

Last orders tonight for the larger A3 size Family Tree Prints!

Celebrate your family with a fabulous bespoke print showing three generations. Available in a range of gorgeous colours, this is a stunning and original Christmas gift for a relative: ideal to commemorate a baby's new arrival, perfect for parents and grandparents, to mark a wedding - or simply a meaningful and lasting keepsake gift to give to a loved one on Christmas Day. The A3 size print is £24.95, including UK P&P. Click here to view the prints and full details.

There are quite a few other products that will be closing for orders tomorrow night, so watch out for another update tomorrow - or see the full list of Christmas last order dates here.

Sarah :)

Classic Blue - Pantone's Colour of the Year 2020

Now, I know I'm a total trend setter of course(!), but for a while now I've been thinking that things were turning a bit blue... maybe that's what influenced me when I was redesigning my logo this year!

I adore blue - it's a colour like no other: it can be pale, pretty and wistful, strong and bold, brash, businesslike, dark and daring - you name it. The colour of many a school-uniform, it's also a colour that lots of people have a love/hate relationship with in their late teens and 20's (I speak from experience)! 

So, with my love of blue, my new blue logo, and my ability to influence style gurus (ahem), it shouldn't be any surprise that Pantone have today announced that their colour of the year for 2020 is Classic Blue. They describe it as timeless, elegant and enduring (can't argue with that), with a hint of stability as we enter into a new era (are they talking the start of a new decade, I wonder... or Brexit...).

'Tea' Bespoke Word Theme Print - shown in a classic blue shade

There's been a real fashion recently for celestial galaxies and constellations in interiors and fashion - stars, moons, night skies, zodiac signs, are all incredibly on trend. And I'm hearing that one of the hot trends for summer 2020 is going to be a nautical/celestial fusion. Think night skies scattered with golden shells, glittering golden sand fused with stars. Classic Blue is a shade that I can see being worked into this new look beautifully. Here's a round up of some blue picks from the PhotoFairytales site:

Could it be a blue Christmas this year with these gift ideas..?!

1: Written in the Stars Print

2: Wooden Christmas Eve Box

3: Sweet Dreams Board Book

4: Retro Spaceship Print

5: Garden Wall Plaque

6: Only Fish in the Sea Print

I think it's also a shade that works beautifully alongside other colours too - it can be mixed with softer lilacs and the new nude pinks and coral shades, or with the popular mustard or moss green colours - and it looks fabulous next to gold too! I can't see it being quite as huge as the 2017 unofficial colour of the year, Millennial Pink, but I can certainly see flashes of this blue finding its way into our homes next year.

What do you think of the shade - do you like it, can you see yourself wearing it or decorating with it? 

Sarah x

Last Orders for Christmas for these personalised prints

The order book will be closing on Sunday December 8th for these items - don't leave it too late if you want to order in time for Christmas!

Fantasy Photo Portraits - canvas prints in a choice of sizes

Have your own ordinary photo transformed into a magical fantasy portrait! There are dozens of designs to choose from, and prices start at just £24.95 for a unique artwork. There are various print options available, including these stunning handmade quality canvas prints, made from solid wood frames and using fade resistant pigment inks and heavyweight canvas. If you'd like your artwork printed as a canvas you only have until December 8th to place your order for delivery in time for Christmas. Click here for full details and to view the full Fantasy Portrait Gallery.

Framed 10x10" Personalised Prints - wide range of designs

Brand new on the site this season, are these stunning framed prints - with a whole range of designs available, these beautiful square prints make a lovely gift or finishing touch for your home. There are various print options available, with prices starting at £17.50. The new framed option is perfect for Christmas - a customised bespoke print, framed and ready to give. There are 3 frame styles to choose from, and they're handmade to order by a small independent British frame-making business. The frames have acrylic glazing rather than glass, so they're much safer (especially in a child's room) and lighter. Suitable for standing on a shelf or they can be wall mounted (fixings supplied). Click here to see the full range of designs available. If you'd like your framed print order to arrive in time for Christmas, you need to order by December 8th. Framed personalised prints are £34.95 including UK delivery.

'Personality' Canvas Prints - any colour, two sizes to choose from

For a really unique Christmas gift this year, what about one of these bespoke 'Personality' canvas prints? Using your favourite photo and the special wording you choose, I'll create a custom design that's totally unique. The high quality canvas prints are made with fade resistant pigment inks on heavyweight canvas, handstretched onto solid wood frames. There are two canvas sizes to choose from, with prices starting at £30 including free UK delivery. Last orders in time for Christmas: December 8th.

If you'd like to check the full last order dates you can find them on the PhotoFairytales website by clicking here. 

Sarah :)

Win a free Personalised Canvas Print!

Fancy winning a free personalised 'Bear Prince' canvas print, worth £18.50? Click on the Competitions & Offers tab above for full details - ends 11.59pm December 5th, so be quick! (If you win it'll be dispatched in time for Christmas too!)

Sarah :)

Last Orders for Christmas for these handmade wooden gifts

The order book will be closing at midnight tomorrow (December 4th) for these items - so don't leave it too late if you want to order in time for Christmas!

Handmade Wooden Family Tree Plaques: from £19.95

If you're looking for a unique family-themed gift, these gorgeous personalised wooden Family Tree plaques are perfect. A lovely gift idea for a Mum or Nan, they are available in a range of colours and finish styles. The wording on the main plaque can feature anything you like, and you can have 3-8 hearts featuring family names. A lovely bespoke gift with a gorgeous country chic style. From £19.95, including free UK delivery. Last orders for Christmas: December 4th 2019

Personalised Wooden Hanging Plaque any wording, from £10.95

These real wood hanging plaques can be personalised with absolutely any wording you like - and in a range of font styles too! Hand painted in a lovely soft ivory shade and strung with twine ready to hang, you can choose plain or painted edge (in a choice of colours), for a truly unique gift or finishing touch for your own home. From £10.95 including free UK delivery. Last orders for Christmas: December 4th 2019

Personalised Wooden Outdoor Plaques and Signs, £14.95

A brilliant gift idea for a keen gardener, these gorgeous handcrafted wooden signs are finished with outdoor quality paint and can be happily displayed outdoors. A lovely sign for a shed, garden gate, or summer house - anywhere you like! The signs are available in several gorgeous colours and can be personalised with any text you like, in a range of different font styles. You can even request whether or not to have holes drilled for you, or if you'd like the sign strung with twine and ready to hang in the garden. The perfect rustic finishing touch for your garden or backyard. £14.95 including free UK delivery. Last orders for Christmas: December 4th 2019

If you'd like to check the full last order dates you can find them on the PhotoFairytales website by clicking here. 

Sarah :)