Hickory, Dickory Dock

Today we have the wonderfully talented, Delphine Cubitt, visiting as our guest designer. Her latest fabric range, "Story Time Rhymes" is about to hit the shelves of your local quilt shop!

Her illustrations are so fun and lively. You can find her illustrations on a vast number of products ranging from greeting cards, gift wrap, product packaging, pottery to jigsaws and flags. We got a chance to chat with her recently. 

HG:  Where do you get your inspiration from?

Delphine: Inspiration can come from anywhere at anytime. An idea can form from browsing through a fashion or home magazine, to visiting an art gallery. Two of my favorites that I have visited are the Matisse Gallery in Nice, France, and the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam. I also love to wander around old English Country houses and gardens. I take my camera everywhere with me and I carry a sketchbook everywhere.  I am always looking for inspiration.

HG:  How long have you been designing?

Delphine:  I have probably been designing since the age of 7 or 8 where I used to spend hours drawing fashion models with elaborate clothes on them, and design mad patterns on their clothes. Professionally I have been designing for 20 years now after spending 4 years training to be a designer at college.

HG: Where did you grow up and where is your home town now?

Delphine: I grew up in a small town in the heart of the Peak District in the North of England called New Mills. Later, I lived in Preston, an industrial city 60 miles north of New Mills for 8 years, where I got a job as designer for a large greeting card company. We have now moved our little family back to the Peaks to a tiny rural village called Chinley.

HG: Pets? Children? Both?

Delphine: Both! I love my three boys, Max, 8, Alfie and Theo [my twins], aged 6 so much. We have Milly the cat who bosses us all about especially the two goldfish, Cornet and Streaker, who she threatens to "play" with on a daily basis!

HG: Favorite hobbies or vacation spot?

Delphine:  One of my favorite places on this wonderful planet of ours is a tiny island off the northeast coast of England called Lindisfarne or 'The Holy Island.' The island is only about 10 km from coast to coast, has only 50 inhabitants and is completely cut off from civilization when the tide comes in. There is a 2 mile causeway to get access onto the island. It is surrounded by beautiful sandy, secret beaches and an historical 16th century castle sits right in the center of the island. It's my little piece of paradise.

HG: What medium do you create with?

Delphine: I like to use lots of different media like oil pastels, acrylics, inks and even collage but my favorite medium is Designers Gouache as it is so versatile, with lovely fresh colors and a very professional finish.

Thank you Delphine for visiting with us! We think that island is heavenly too! Tell us your favorite nursery rhyme and we'll send one lucky random winner a bundle of "Story Time Rhymes."
Deadline: 4 p.m. Friday, July13th, 2012

-hg