The Good Web Guide - 2010 Website of the Year Award!

Illustrate My Name has been put forward as an entrant for the 2010 Website of the Year award, this is further recognition and proof of how committed we are to our online presence.

We continue to deliver and create an easy to use shopping experience for children's personalised gifts all within our online store. We offer easy to use search buttons to find the exact gift, or trust our picks, where we select a number of our products for specific categories such as little girls gifts or christening gifts. I do hope you enjoy our site and please nominate us here for the 2010 WEBSITE OF THE YEAR.

The Good Web Guide is a comprehensive site dedicated to the best sites on the web, offering you the definitive guide to life online. The Website of the Year Award is in its second year and is aimed at small businessess and organisations. This is an excellent way for online enterprises to gain recognition and we are delighted to be an entrant for this prestigious award.

Pat on the Back from The Mumpreneur Awards 2010

I am delighted to have reached the semi-final stage of The Mumpreneur Awards 2010; and would like to take this opportunity to wish all the finalists the best of luck at the forthcoming prestigious awards ceremony in September. These awards recognise the great achievements of the UK's mumpreneurs, and inspire more women into business.

The first round of judging saw 302 entries whittled down to just 8-11 entries per category, before the second round of judging took place. Only the best of the bunch were then put forward to the second round, and these were people the judging panel believed would be suitable candidates for the finals. Being chosen as one of these suitable candidates meant we performed outstanding enough to have made it through to the "semi-finals" stage.

This recognition is proof of the continuous hard work and dedication undertaken... in the words of the judging panel 'We really feel this is an achievement to be proud of.....thank you again for taking the time to enter the Mumpreneur Awards with such a fantastic entry!'

The Mumpreneur Conference 2010 is taking place on September 18th 2010 at The Heart of England Conference Centre.

Illustrate My Name continue to drive increased awareness online to the beautiful range of gifts available within our online store, everything from Personalised Christening Keepsakes, to various Children's Personalised Gifts, and soon the Christmas Personalised Gift campaign will begin (can you believe!).

Turning 30.......Pirate and Princess Style!

Anyone for Pirate Punch or Princess Pimms?

The family all dressed up!

Yummy pirate and princess cupcakes!

Theo in action as Jack Sparrow!

My cute little Max!

Girls turning 30 in style.....from Cinderella to Princess Leah!

I was dreading the big three zero! So decided I would throw myself a little party with a fun theme of Pirates and Princesses, time for the adults (and the children) to take on this popular party theme!

It was a great evening, lots of fun seeing everyone dressed up, from men coming as princesses to women as pirates, an absolute treat to have all my close family and friends around me to celebrate my 30th birthday party in style!

Orders are flying high.......and my little boy turned 5!

Apologies for not blogging for so long, but I have been so busy with sales and John Lewis orders that I cannot believe its almost the end of April! Hopefully I am back on track now and can keep you posted on recent news and what's happening with me and Illustrate My Name behind the scenes.

The picture above is from this morning, parcels all complete and waiting for the courier....... and thats just a days worth of my own orders! With a system now in place, I hope to have a little more time to dedicate to my blog, networking and developing and promoting my website. Here's hoping! This is such a challenge doing everything single handedly still!

This month has also seen my little boy Theo turn 5 , which saw my brain turn into Toy Story, Ben 10 and Star Wars for the two weeks of the Easter holidays! Obviously I enjoy all the toys, DVDs and games equally as much as Theo! Especially with Toy Story 3 on the horizon, I am like a child waiting for Christmas, I think that will just about make my 30th this year - he he!

Theo's first trip to London was on the cards this weekend just gone, where we went to see Oliver at The Theatre Royal, which was throughly enjoyed by Theo and in my own opinion 'outstanding performances by all'. We also had a very welcoming and enjoyable stay in The Westbury, we visited Ripley's Believe It Or Not!, the Covent Garden Market was great, lots of fun food tasting! and not to forget Hamleys!!!!

"The biggest toy shop in the whole white world" (theo's actual words - bless) x

We are pleased to continue to offer a great variety of Personalised Gifts for every occasion. And now well into the swing of the Christening season, we have some delightful products from wooden keepsake boxes to baby christening plaques.

A Very Proud Moment For Me!

I still can't quite believe it..... my artwork range displayed within the nursery room set at John Lewis Oxford Street!

I am over the moon, thrilled and extremely proud that the artwork range fits in perfectly within the adorable room sets on display in the six chosen John Lewis flagship stores. The Princess/Fairy artwork, displayed above, looks exquisite.....and yes, I am smiling like a cheshire cat from ear to ear!

The initial response to the artwork has been very positive, which I hope will continue. I am now looking forward to seeing the artwork range within the forthcoming 'John Lewis Nursery' catalogue.... will keep you all posted. Right I better get back to illustrating these orders.....

For the ultimate in Personalised Easter Gifts, take a look at our adorable selection, from Personalised Egg Cups to beautiful Personalised Hanging Rabbits. I am sure any child (well parent) would prefer these delightful gifts to treasure, in place of the usual chocolate easter egg and sweets option!

Supplying My Artwork to John Lewis -

Britain's Favourite Retailer!

I am extremely proud to finally be able to announce that I have secured a contract to supply my own personalised artwork range to John Lewis. This is a very prestigious and exciting time for me personally and for my business. This achievement and opportunity clearly recognises my continued drive and enthusiasm towards my artwork range, and my business.

Not only is the chosen artwork range available online at John Lewis Direct; but within the coming weeks, six of John Lewis flagship stores will feature the artwork within their nursery room sets. These chosen stores will include: Oxford Street, Kingston, Peter Jones, Trafford, Blue Water, and Edinburgh.

John Lewis have also selected my personalised artwork range to feature within their forthcoming nursery catalogue, which is due out shortly, and once again this will be a very prestigious moment for me. Having had the artwork range photographed for this, and also samples have been used for various press and media promotion, both myself and the John Lewis team are excited about this launch.

The full range of artwork designs are available from our online store, Illustrate My Name; which continues to grow and provide customers with a one stop shop for adorable personalised children's and baby gifts.

Finally, I would like to thank the team I am working with at John Lewis for this fabulous opportunity of supplying my artwork to Britain's Favourite Retailer!

Why do we celebrate Valentines Day?

Yes once again we are counting down the days until 'Valentines Day' is upon us; the question I ask is why do we celebrate valentines, what is the real reason? The history for this day?

Saint Valentine's Day is an annual holiday on February 14 celebrating love and affection between intimate companions. The holiday is named after one or more early Christian martyrs named Valentine and was established by Pope Gelasius I in 496 AD. It is traditionally a day on which lovers express their love for one another by presenting gifts, and sending greeting cards. The holiday first became associated with romantic love in the circle of Geoffrey Chaucer in the High Middle Ages, when the tradition of courtly love flourished.

So.... there is the truth behind Valentines, and the history why we celebrate this day. I am sure the majority of you can agree to some extent, that it is yet another money grabbing opportunity which businesses do take advantage of. I am not saying this is a bad thing, for us at Illustrate My name, an opportunity to showcase a selection of unique handmade gifts to be found, which you can't find in the usual high street stores. Why not take a look at our dedicated category to the beautiful Heart Gifts we offer, perhaps this valentines, order a little something for your little ones to say 'I LOVE YOU' or even your partner!

TO GO OUT OR NOT TO GO OUT?

I must admit personally, we always decide to either cook at home, or go out for a meal not on the 14th, why pay double the price at your favourite restaurant, just to get a rose and a menu printed on red card!!!!! Obviously like most women I do look forward to something romantic, whether that be flowers, chocolates or a little surprise of some kind - lets just wait and see!

One great deli locally to us is the Cornucopia Deli in Eynsham, a few years ago my husband completely bowled me over with a beautiful three course meal at home, which is obviously easier around the children, once they are tucked up in bed! He did let on straight away that he had visited our local deli, much to my surprise it was such a romantic gesture, very much appreciated with some nice wine to accompany it. The food comes all prepared with cooking/heating guidelines, so absolutly anyone can make this into a gourmet delight! Especially busy mums and people busy with work - a nice enjoyable treat, check out your local deli, I am sure you will admit its worth a try!

Children's Personalised Gifts from

Illustrate My Name

Whether its a naming ceremony, baptism, first birthday, christening or the arrival of a newborn baby, the possibilities for sharing our gifts are endless. Illustrate My Name bring together a beautiful range of personalised gifts,all in one place to shop online or over the telephone (01993 882399), making it as easy as possible for you to find that perfect gift.

Our gifts range for children of all ages; from our Newborn Baby Plaques to our trendy Personalised Canvas Bags, plus we are constantly bringing you new products. This month sees the arrival of these beautiful Initial Hanging Letters (pictured below), handmade in the UK and already becoming a very popular seller.

My New Nephew Eddie x

I am over the moon and delighted at the arrival of my beautiful nephew Eddie Jack Thomas, who has landed himself with a great birthday arriving with us on New Years Eve!

Little Eddie weighed 7lbs 10oz and is simply adorable! Now how can I have decided on a perfect gift..... well that was easy for me, as I illustrated him a beautiful personalised picture and placed it in his nursery for when he arrived home!

As 2010 begins for Illustrate My Name, I am personally very excited that I can announce some exciting news in February for myself and my own illustrations!!!! On top of this will see our first catalogue being published by March/April 2010 in time for the ever popular christening season. The catalogue will bring together a selection of our gifts, showcased in one beautiful booklet, designed all by myself.

We are really looking forward to a very productive year and will continue to keep our followers updated on what is going on 'behind the scenes', here at Illustrate My Name.

For all your personalised gifts and new baby gifts, look no further than Illustrate My Name, where we are constantly adding new and exciting gifts and treats for children of all ages.

Baby Christening Gifts, Newborn Baby Gifts, Children's 1st Birthday Presents, Naming Day Gifts, Unique Personalised Gifts for any Occasion for all the Little Boys and Little Girls in your life!

Merry Christmas from Illustrate My Name

We would like to take this opportunity to wish all our customers; past and present, a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

We have experienced a very productive 2009 here at Illustrate My Name, gaining a great increase in new and repeat business and committing ourselves to customer care throughout our service.

We have seen a delightful increase in the range of gifts we offer, and will continue to add to our range so our customers are provided with a continued variety of gifts for children of all ages for any occasion.

Also a big thank you to all our suppliers and stockists, and of course everyone who follows Illustrate My Name.

We have some exciting developments taking place in the new year so please continue to support us in our growth, and we look forward to another productive year.

Now lets enjoy the Christmas festivities x

Theo's First Christmas School Play

I just could not resist showing off my 4 year old son Theo in his Squirrel costume, which is for his first ever Nativity play (I know, not sure where the squirrel comes in - but very excited to find out next week!)

And yes its very handmade, but equally I was quite impressed with my first attempt at making a costume for him, especially the tail. I must also admit it took me 3 attempts to get the ears 'just' right, after lots of 'one is bigger than the other', maybe I was being a bit fussy - Just a very proud mummy moment for me and very much looking forward to the performance x

Personalised Christmas Stars

for all the Family!

Having just received these adorable Christmas Personalised Stars from one of our very talented suppliers.... I just had to get a group shot! I think you would have to agree that these stars for Mummy, Theo, Daddy and Max all lined up ready for Christmas is simply perfect!

They are beautifully hand painted and personalised with your choice of design and name, not to mention the choice of a personalised message on the reverse to add an extra special touch. These our sure to become keepsakes to bring out year after year! I was even thinking about hanging them from some vintage rope or chunky ribbon to make a beautiful bunting Christmas decoration! They would look lovely absolutely anywhere, the possibilities are endless x Christmas Personalised Stars

Personalised Christmas gifts, children's personalised gifts, christening gifts, baby gifts, girls gifts, boys gifts........for any occasion from Illustrate My Name

The Ultimate In Christmas Gifts!

It can be very difficult finding unique christmas gifts, especially with so much out there to choose from. Whether its a gift for your Mother, Teacher or a New Baby in the family, we believe in pointing our customers and readers in the right direction towards some great, reputable websites and our favourite gifts!

For Him - This adorable leather tray for all those bits and bobs they always come home with, whether its change, business cards, or the weekly lottery ticket, he can't blame you for loosing anything. In fact its a nice desk tidy for absolutely anywhere in the house! £25.00 from Cox & Cox

For Your Friend or Teacher - These adorable small cushions are just perfect, having just recently received one to give as a Christmas present this year, I must say they are so unique and I love them! They are available in different designs for only £9.50 from Live Laugh Love

For Her - This beautiful set of 3 vintage rose plant pots will brighten up any room and is an ideal present for any lady who loves her garden or plants. Bring the summer inside this winter! And doesn't everyone love vintage, so these will make an ideal gift. Priced at £37.50 from Graham and Green.

For Little Ones - This is very easy for us to point you in the right direction! Illustrate My Name pride ourselves with bringing the very best children's and baby gifts together in one place, the majority of which are personalised gifts, making a lasting impression. Please do take a little look at the adorable range of gifts we have on offer, lovingly handmade just for the special people in your life x Children's and Baby Gifts

Just try and make sure you enjoy the rest of your Christmas shopping, we all know too well that it can start to become a bit of a chore, especially if you leave it until the last minute. I must admit I have enjoyed mine so far this year, by giving myself a person each week to focus on, it has not only meant I have found some lovely gifts, but it has spread out the costs. Tomorrow its off to do some of my boys presents, which doesn't excite me as much....... only because its either Ben 10, Transformers or Star Wars, but at the same time it is equally as fun!

Personalised Christmas Gifts, Children's Christmas Presents, Baby Christening Gifts, Unique Baptism Gifts, Gifts for Him, Gifts for Her, Gifts for your Teacher ........ We believe in taking the stress out of your Christmas Shopping!

Tell Us About Your Products......

As things continue to grow for us here at Illustrate My Name, we are always sourcing new and unique children's personalised gifts. If you, or anyone you know has something unique they could offer us to add to our range, please do point these talented individuals and companies in our direction. Simply email us at enquiries@illustratemyname.com

or call 01993 882399 and tell us about your products. We would love to hear from you.....

We are also committed to promoting and marketing our range of gifts to both our existing customers and the media. As a result of this, we were delighted to have recently been featured in the following magazines in the last few months:

Your Home, London Brides, Angels & Urchins, Oxford In Business and Vogue! Full details of which will soon be added to our site.

With Christmas just around the corner and the majority of people in the industry are saying November is 'Christmas Shopping Month' there seems to be a huge recorded rise in online sales overall, which is great news! Also, with the Royal Mail postal strikes and disruption, I believe most people are thinking along the lines of 'order early to avoid disappointment'. If you have any worries about a specific date you require our gifts by, then just contact us, and we will do everything we can to meet your requirements. Please remember we also offer a guaranteed courier service at only a small additional cost.

Personalised Christmas Gifts, Baby Christening Gifts, Unique Children's Presents and more at your Fingertips!

The Countdown to Christmas is on - Only 52 Days Left!

Here we are again, either counting down or not to the BIG day of the year (well in my opinion anyway!). I must admit I am a bit of a big kid when it comes down to Christmas, having two young children to prepare the Christmas magic for is no excuse for me, I have always been the same! I just love everything 'Christmas'

Now it is especially exciting to watch the magic and excitement through your children's eyes, especially my 4 year old, last year was amazing let along his little face this year! Creeping down the stairs to see if 'he' has been or not, takes me back to my Father leading us girls down the stairs, saying 'I don't think he has been girls' and then the pure excitement when we burst through the living room doors to find presents, presents and more presents!

Christmas time is very important time to see friends and family, and I love that it brings everyone close together! The children love all being together and its what makes it my favourite time of the year. Growing up we always went to my Grandparents from Christmas Eve for a whole week, we never went home, even though we just lived around the corner, it was a complete holiday! The memories are still very close to me now - I really miss my Grandma she always made it so so special x

Now with the countdown only 52 days away, and everyone looking for gifts that will really impress, why not look for something Personalised!

Personalised Christmas Gifts really are a great way to impress, especially where little ones are concerned (the parents will love them too), equally my 4 year old loves receiving gifts where his name is on them, he has so many things in his room that will grow up with him and he loves that they spell out his name - The inspiration behind the start of my business, I illustrated him a piece of art for his nursery and thats where the story began....

Why not take a closer look at the adorable Personalised Christmas Stockings, Personalised Christmas Sacks, Personalised Christmas Hearts and not to mention this adorable Santa Arrow, don't forget you have to point Santa in the right direction this Christmas!

Are you being hit by the Royal Mail Postal Strikes?

I have had such a headache and continue to do so with the recent actions and news of Royal Mail's postal strikes, just having heard another will take place Thursday, Friday and Saturday of this week - whatever next?

Here is some great news for small businesses, and all of you who heavily rely on the Royal Mail for business. Visit this great website PARCEL MONKEY. Obviously if your customers are prepared to pay a little more then this is the way forward. It is so easy and simple to use, set up an account, and follow the online route to send your parcel to your customer in time and tracked by a reputable courier.

I have had the most efficient customer service from this company, not just through their site but also asking lots of questions and receiving immediate response, also I was upgraded as a customer, so it really is worth taking a look. I just had them come to my studio and pick up 4 parcels, hassle free...... :o) now who is smiling

At least when my customers agree, we can now have their order sent tracked via this route, so no chance of lost parcels, or delays beyond our control. Its also nice to spread the word about Parcel Monkey and even become a fan!

Please do forward this BLOG on and tell everyone about PARCEL MONKEY. Whilst you are spreading the word please tell all your family and friends where the best Baby and Children's Personalised Gifts can be found.......... Illustrate My Name - Everything from Personalised Christening Gifts to Personalised Christmas Gifts and much much more!

Don't you just LOVE these Personalised Christmas Sacks!

Only 64 Days to Go......

A very very talented individual makes these adorable Personalised Christmas Sacks for us at Illustrate My Name. Tailored for the whole family, such a perfect final touch under the Christmas tree this year! Get the children one each and even personalise them with 'Mummy' and 'Daddy'! They will be bought out year after year and really beat the plastic ones I had as a child! Although saying that they did still get bought out year after year but I think a fabric sack such as this has been so lovingly made and will be lovingly cherished by the owner, no matter what age you are x

They really are my favourite Christmas Gift we are offering; in saying that just take a look at the entire Christmas Gifts Range, which is constantly being added too, I am sure you will find something you just can't resist ...... Stockings,Keepsakes, Santa Arrows, Personalised Dressing Gowns, Hearts, Hearts and more Hearts!

MAKING A NAME IN GIFTWARE!

It is always nice to hear about us in the press, not to mention when it is local recognition! It really has made my day and such a joy to read such a lovely piece about Illustrate My Name (and myself, pictured above) in this weeks Oxford Times InBusiness Magazine

I have always felt the importance of being acknowledged and recognised locally as a big step in the growth of any business. For Illustrate My Name to get coverage like this will not only tell everybody about the business, but also you get to see the person behind the business; and although lots of hard work is involved in the running of my business, alongside bringing up my two children, it is a huge achievement to be operating such a successful online gift store, making lots of people smile with the beautiful gifts on offer.

I am also extremely proud that I design and produce the illustrated artwork myself, these being the Illustrated Framed Names and Silhouette Art, which are in fact our top seller and how the business began for me. I am also proud how much of the business is based on word of mouth and repeat sales, something which proves we are offering a great service from the actual product ordered to delivery and complete customer satisfaction.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Andrew Smith (Business Editor), for such a great coverage - And of course why not take a look at the adorable Christmas Gifts we have on offer, its not too early to start looking for that special present!

Baby Gifts, Christening Gifts, Boys Gifts and Girls Gifts

Trick or Treat Memories & Halloween Personalised Gifts

Not everyone will enjoy the spooky part of October, but as a child my memories are still very well remembered! From trick or treating in the dark with friends, then coming home to hot dogs and treats, whilst counting out the sweets and treats we had managed to get from our neighbours. Obviously in this day in age its very apparent that it is becoming more unsafe and not liked to actually go trick or treating. Our village will put a pumpkin outside if they want to participate, so at least the children can go to some homes! Its a bit disappointing for us though in a village with no street lights, we don't have any visitors down our lane, but there is a close in the village where the torch lights and pumpkins can be seen!

I believe the fun is to have a small get together (well for the children), ask them to invite a few friends, or family round and do some yummy halloween treats, not forgetting decorating the house a little with spooky spider webs and lots of candles (up high if your children are young). And seen as though this Halloween 2009 falls on a Saturday, all the more reason to have a little party! Then when the children are tucked up, get a scary movie on, with some nice nibbles and wine and have a scream!!!!

We only have a few Halloween Gifts available, just for a little keepsake for the children, these adorable Hanging Spiders and Ghosts are a must have! A range of beautiful children's personalised gifts and baby gifts can be found at Illustrate My Name. Don't forget to take a sneaky look at the Christmas Gifts, now available!

Little Max the Model! SMART BABIES

It was lovely to not only promote the products available from Illustrate My Name at a recent photo call for Smart Babies, but to have my little Max as a model, appearing above in a number of shots to promote the group locally, was a proud moment for mummy.

Smart Babies is a local group made up of a number of local Oxfordshire based companies, promoting products and services for you and your baby, once you become a member you receive a wide range of special offers and discounts. Ranging from offers on baby products to free photo shoot sessions. Its worth becoming a member! If you are interested email us direct at enquiries@illustratemyname.com

It is lovely to see a selection of our products on display in these shots, from the Personalised Canvas Clocks to Hanging Personalised Knitted Bunting and Personalised Canvas Bags, all available online from Illustrate My Name x