This Summer I will be selling all of the products from my collections at the Liverpool One Arts Market over 6 different days in my own little pop up boutique!

The market is unlike any other in that all of the products are made of the highest quality and showcase some of the finest talent from the Liverpool area. We are a city full of wonderful designers and artists who are coming together in one place over the Summer to allow people to shop in a lovely environment whilst knowing that their purchase is of the finest quality and truly unique. Many people are coming to stock up on gifts for loved ones for throughout the year and many are coming just for the experience!

You will find us next to the Hilton Liverpool on the walkway from The Albert Dock to the Liverpool ONE shopping area (starting near John Lewis). Therefore, if you are coming from outside of the city for the day you are perfectly placed to visit some of the most beatiful attractions that Liverpool has to offer, all within walking distance. Why not bring a picnic and sit on the grass next to the water features running along by the market? This really is going to be a wonderful event so do not miss out!

I will be there on the following dates:

Sat 11 May
Sun 12 May
Sat 8 June
Sun 9 June
Sat 14 September
Sun 15 September

Do pop by and say hi! And for those who haven't been to Liverpool before, maybe make your first visit on one of these dates. There really is so much to see.

Over the Easter weekend you have the chance to enter our giveaway to win one of our brand new, fresh from the printers, long-sleeved Giraffe tees!!

The sumptuously soft Organic cotton t-shirt is made from the thickest, purest cotton that you can imagine; perfect for those days with a chill in the air just like today! Also, the material will breathe comfortably for warmer sunny days making this a perfect all-rounder!

Your gift will come in its very own gift box with Giraffe story inside and you can choose from sizes 6 months 12 months and 18 months.

To enter, go over to our Facebook page and follow the entry details. You also can enter via Twitter where you simply FOLLOW and RE-TWEET the post starting "GIVE-AWAY" to enter.

That's TWO chances to win!! 

Winners will be announced around 5pm on Tuesday 2nd April. 

Good luck!

The Illustrated Collections sincerely want to wish you all a Very Merry Christmas and all the best for a magical 2013.

Thank you for your wonderful support in what has been a fantastic year. We look forward to what is ahead. Onwards my friends!! :-)

from The Giraffe, The Goat, The Kestrel, The Stag, The Baby Goat, The Donkey, The Liver Bird, The Two Birdies and The Calf (and me!) X

What an amazing day the The Winter Arts Market in St. George's Hall in Liverpool! I have so many new customers and old customers returning to see me, how lovely! You are brilliant Liverpool, I look forward to seeing you all again tomorrow. I am also loving exhibiting in such a beautiful setting. Come on down and join in the fun! Running until 5pm tomorrow. x

Today we discovered that we have been featured in Italian childrenswear and lifestyle blog Il Mondo di Ingrid.

The post features lots of photos taken by our lovely photographer Zoe Richards from our summer meadow photo-shoot when shooting "A Collection of Seasons".

It is a great point of reference for anyone wanting to to get a "look book" feel to our collections. So pop over and take a look!

Wow, what a busy time it has been here over the past few weeks! Excitingly, we are in the process of expanding our Illustrated Collections brand and will be bringing you more fantastic products in the near future.

Due to popular demand we are also bringing out long-sleeved t-shirts in both existing character designs and new. If you keep checking back over the next few weeks you will probably notice lovely new things popping up.

I am also in the process of designing a greetings card range which will feature some of the animals that you already know and love, and some new characters designed especially for the card collection. We are also busily preparing for our pop-up shop at The Hilton Hotel on Saturday 20th October for the grand finale of Liverpool Fashion Week. Here I will be launching a brand new character, The Liverbird, and there will be chances to win some of your favourite Illustrated Collections Pieces. Purchase tickets for the full catwalk experience and boutique shopping.

About the Liverbird: Right in the heart of Liverpool are two majestic birds sat atop The Liver Buildings and have become one of the most recognisable symbols of the city. It was too wonderful an opportunity to pass, so I decided to create my own Liverbird character, a mixture of several bird species to create the powerful, yet kind and loveable bird that is known as the protector of the city. The design was far more challenging than I could have ever imagined, and I can honestly say that months of work went into the basic illustration outline alone. All of this preparation made it more rewarding somehow when I looked at the finished character for the first time as it rolled out bit by bit from the printer. I couldn't wait to pick it up and hold it up to the light, then suddenly, there it was... my very own Liverbird. I am delighted with the outcome and can not emphasise the amount of close up detail in this print.

Well I think that is everything for now! I am going to carry on designing and making up little stories (my favourite parts of the job) for new exciting characters, each with personalities that I'm sure you won't quickly forget :-) X

Last week I finally got around to doing what I have been meaning to do for quite a while; I re-visited The Baby Goat and The Donkey from my latest Collection that I first photographed a couple of years ago.

I decided that morning that come rain or shine I would make the short trip into Knutsford and see if I could track the two down on their home farm at Tatton Park. When I arrived at the farm I excitedly scoured the various stables looking for either one of my characters when I very quickly came across some young Goats, the same kind that I photographed as new borns a couple of years ago. I realised that it must be one of these three that later became my Baby Goat character but I couldn't quite decide which. However, it was more than enough though to know that each looked happy and healthy so I left feeling very satisfied from my first little friend find. Now, on to find The Donkey.

I went straight to his stable where he cheekily shoved his head toward me for a scratch when I last photographed him. This time though, he was nowhere to be seen. I became concerned as I stepped out and looked onto the grass outside then THERE HE WAS! Safe, and well, and now a proud father of one! Right on cue he spotted me as I approached and began to walk towards me. I must admit that this was quite an emotional moment as with several other visitors around him waiting, he seemed to pick me out of the crowd. After the hours, weeks and months spent developing my loveable character based on this guy, it was like an old friend had come over to say hi. I just wished I could tell him all about it.

Hi everyone! Just thought I'd share some of my latest photos with you.

I went into our garden yesterday for a bite of lunch when I noticed that our wildflowers were a hive of activity! There were so many different varieties of bee buzzing busily around on them, pollenating away. It was great to see!

Also, our wildflower seeds sent to us from Friends of the Earth are now emerging as beautiful flowers. The poppies are beautiful!

I just had to grab my camera and take some photos of our happy little garden visitors. Look out for the cute bumble bee with pollen all over his nose! Have a great week.

Katherine X

On a recent visit to one of our favourite local parks, Calderstones Park in Liverpool, I decided to take some snaps to show you how much beautiful scenery can be found on your doorstep.

In this particular park there are ornamental gardens including an old English Garden, a Japanese Garden, fantastic grass tennis courts, a large playground, acres of grassland and a wonderful large duck pond. What's more, all of this is free.

This applies all throughout the country and you can go onto your local council's website to find your own local parks. If you are a member of The National Trust you may like to see what gardens and parks are available in your area with the organisation.

Exploring your own city's offerings can feel most rewarding. I always feel a sense of pride when I visit my local parks; that I have such wonderful scenery and views right here on my doorstep. They become part of your community and help you appreciate your environment so much more. It is sometimes easy to overlook the wonderful local flora and fauna in favour of an adventure further afield, but don't forget that there will be people travelling from much further distances to come and see your parks too!

I encourage you all to take one day a week out where instead of eating at the dining table, you take your food to the park. Again, you don't have to travel far, but just immersing yourself in that al fresco environment can really bring fun to what would otherwise have been another routine evening. For those with children, I believe that it is important to pass on appreciation for local parks as they serve so many great purposes. For dog walkers they offer fantastic scenery and ample running space for pets, for families they are a football or cricket pitch, for the elderly they are a change of scenery and, for everyone, they are just a lovely place to spend your time. Some of our parks are reportedly unused. I find this so sad as I truly believe that they will be missed when they are gone. Thankfully, we don't have that problem with our local parks as we are certainly a region of dog lovers!

It takes such dedication by local councils to maintain our green spaces. It also provides many much needed jobs for our local horticulturists who get to flex their muscles and bring us some breathtaking plant varieties! So let's show them our appreciation by making that visit just one day a week. And don't forget the camera! X

Well folks it's a week until we finally unveil our new Collection "Butterflies and Dragonflies" at The RHS Flower Show Tatton Park, Cheshire, next week.

We will be there every day that the show is open which is 18th-22nd July and we will be selling all of our A Collection of Seasons range of baby tees as well as new additions. This includes greetings cards to accompany your Illustrated Collections gift and, of course, the new collection. You will find us in the infamous Country Living Pavilion where you are guaranteed to be blown away by the amazing sellers that are going to be there!

The new collection will consist of just two designs this time. I will also launch the new collection here on my website on Tuesday so no one will be missing out!

I just have to share this recent photograph from our travels in The Cotswolds of a beautiful dragonfly that was sitting amongst thousands of others at a lake-side dragonfly haven. It was a magical place and made me so glad that I have chosen these magnificent creatures to be part of my new collection. What a sight. X 

Hi everyone! We have come up with a great idea here at Katherine Caldwell Illustrated Collections: to help give you fun and inventive ideas on how you can re-use your lovely gift box!

As you are aware, we always encourage you to recycle your gift packaging when it is no longer needed, but re-using it is just as great, if not better! I'd love to think that you have extended the life of this lovely box and doing so can be very rewarding...

Over the next few weeks we will post a new idea for what you can collect in your box. This week I am showing you what I managed to collect on a nature walk around my parents' back garden… yes even at my age! And do you know… it was so much fun!! Everyone got involved, helping me find nice bits from the garden floor (I didn’t pick anything, just collected what had already fallen) and then they left the pretty arranging to me. Taking the box to a relatives garden can add to the fun as everyone gets involved and can "ooooooh" and "ahhhhhh" at what your child has found.

This would be such a fun and inspiring activity for you to do with your little ones. See what you can find on a visit to a loved ones garden and help your little one/s arrange it beautifully in your special keepsake box. Just looking at the variety of colour is bound to fascinate children and it gives them the chance to discover nature for themselves. Any flowers can then be dried out and kept in the box along with all of the other finds… what a lovely memory.

They're finally here! Your very own beautifully designed Illustrated Collections gift box. And you get one free with every clothing order! Every Katherine Caldwell garment will be beautifully wrapped in crisp white tissue paper, sourced from sustainable forests. Then, it will be gently placed in one of our new boxes and arrive on your doorstep as a ready made gift. Perfect.

Don't forget, we ensure that our boxes are made by a lovely company who only offer recycled and eco-friendly packaging. Also, every gift box is fully recyclable!

In the coming weeks we will be posting some great ideas on how to re-use your gift box and have fun with your little ones whilst doing so! How about a nature box? Have fun placing your child's nature finds in a safe and special place. A task that you can do together. Or why not use it as a keepsake box? Keeping those little precious momentos of your child's early years? The list goes on. Check back for more detailed and innovative ways to get the most out of your bespoke box.

We hope that you are all enjoying your Jubilee celebrations! Didn't The Queen look radiant at The Thames Pageant? XX

Well everyone, the time has come!

I had a wonderful surprise when I opened my delivery from the printers to find that we got everything right for the new design first time round. No changes necessary. Wahoo! I did celebrate after looking at the first garment through a half open eye!

So now, as promised, I will show you a little sneak preview of one of the new designs. The above design that I am talking about is part of a new mini collection that I am launching entitled "Butterflies and Dragonflies". It will be available as piece of artwork and as a garment which will be revealed when the collection is launched. The launch will coincide with the release of my new bespoke gift boxes which are available free with every purchase. The official public launch of "Butterflies and Dragonflies" will be at the RHS Flower Show, Tatton Park, Cheshire on 18th July and will run until 22nd July. It will also be available here on the website at this time.

So here it is ... ssssssshhhhhhhh he's sleeping ...

More great news for Katherine Caldwell Illustrated Collections today as I received my copy of The Green Parent through the door and found that we are featured in it!

We are in the Ethical Fashion section and have been kindly selected by the editor to feature as a business that goes "the extra mile". And that is also the title of our feature!

It is lovely be noticed for the fact that we do go that extra mile; from where the cotton is picked to using luxury FSC certified swing tags. I always stress that we never cut any corners here. When we say that we are a true ethical luxury brand we mean it sincerely. We want to spread the word and shout from the roof-tops about our amazing products and this article is certainly helping us to do that!

This feature is the June/July issue of the magazine so will be available to buy now. You will find The Green Parent stocked at Boots, Waitrose, Sainsbury, WH Smith, M&S, Organic Supermarkets, Health Food Stores and many Baby Shops throughout the UK. This month there is a special promotion at Boots where you will receive your FREE Family Festival Guide. I highly recommend this for all families out there with a great sense of adventure. It is amazing the variety of festivals that we have now and how they seem to offer something for everyone. Just keep your fingers crossed for the sunshine and you've got yourselves a perfect Summer adventure!

After posting about the importance of wildflowers to the bee population a few days ago, it reminded me of our wonderful wildflower meadow photo-shoot taken last Summer.

When it came to choosing the photographer we knew straight away who we wanted - the wonderful Zoe Richards at Zoe Photography who did such an amazing job of photographing our wedding. We have had many enquiries about our photo imagery and I am glad to pass on Zoe's info to you all because I know that you will love working with her. Zoe, like us, also has a very strong ethical policy which you can view on her website along with many examples of her work.

As for the location, well, we went back to our wedding there too! I remembered that there lay a wonderful meadow on the long drive up to Speke Hall so it was decided that that would be the ideal setting for our A Collection of Seasons range. I cannot describe how beautiful the gardens of Speke Hall are when the flowers are in full bloom. After taking our wedding vows in the Great Hall, we walked out to sunshine and the most amazing backdrop that we could have wished for. Just look how vibrant the colours are. And, of course, Zoe was on hand to capture the moment perfectly.

Roll on a couple of years and we went back, along with Zoe and our five wonderful babies (and their lovely mums), to shoot in the most naturally flowered meadow that we could find. It was truly beautiful. Furthermore, our baby models were AMAZING and stayed smiling all day, posing perfectly for the camera. Have a look at the wonderful images that Zoe captured below*, and meet our A Collection of Seasons stars.

*Please note that all images have been cropped for the web and do not reflect Zoe's original compositions.

This weekend I witnessed what I am sure will be one of the greatest spectacles that I will ever see. For three days we followed three Giants around my home city of Liverpool in the grand event that was The Sea Odyssey Giant Spectacular. The Liverpool landscape has never looked so impressive as we followed them on their journey around Stanley Park, Goodison Park, Anfield, St. George’s Hall, The Liver Buildings and The River Mersey. Crowd numbers soared beyond all expectations and for those three days it felt as though the whole city was lifted into a fairytale that we didn't want to end.

I became enthralled by their journey – of one Uncle’s one hundred year long quest to find the lost letter that his brother wrote to his little girl before his death on the Titanic. As he searched the oceans, he finally found the wreckage and dragged back the lost crate of undelivered letters across the ocean floor. This story culminated in the journey through Liverpool, the final leg of his journey, to return the letter to her; the “Little Girl Giant”.

The surprise star of the show was undoubtedly the little girl’s dog, Xolo – drooling over and sniffing the half million people who turned out in awe to catch a glimpse. The interaction between all of the characters was just magical but it was the inclusion of the dog giant that made this so relatable. As the crowds lined the streets to guide the family back together again, Xolo the dog ran along with excitement, frequently remembering to stop and wait for the Little Girl. When he saw The Uncle again for the first time he greeted him with a wagging tail and puppy-like excitement, and when the reunited family slept he put on a gentle record to wake them up in the morning. It was this reunion of the characters that was to become the highlight of the event, with a touching moment between the little girl and her Uncle as they embrace after his one hundred years away.

The story was really a simple one; of reuniting the pieces of what is left of a family, but it was the inclusion of us the spectator that made this so poignant. As the Giant made his way to the Town Hall before being reunited with his family, the Lord Mayor and the leader of Liverpool City Council, Joe Anderson, greeted him on the balcony. The Giant bowed before them and Joe Anderson stated the following:

"The spirit of our people and city will guide you to find the Little Girl and when you do we will join you in celebration. We wish you well."

As the crowd cheered the Giant set on his way.

I salute you Royal de Luxe for a fantastic show and for bringing such beautiful innovative creativity to our city. The puppeteers, or “Lilliputians” as they like to be called, maneuvered The Giants with such precision that they could have been living breathing beings. It reminds me of one of my favourite ever scenes in a film – the closing scene in imaginative French film Micmacs. It centres on the quiet diminutive character of Petit Pierre as he comes to life through his mechanical creations. The final scene shows him sitting back and watching with a smile as a white dress dances in front of him (it's at the very end of the trailer below). She is not simply a dress on a hanger - but his true love – a graceful lady who he looks at with adoration as she twirls carefree. It is magical and beautiful.

Jean-Luc Courcoult (creator of The Giants and co-founder of Royal de Luxe) began his creating career in a similar way to Petit Pierre, making characters out of household objects. It makes me wonder what Petit Pierre would dream up if he could work on the scale of the Giants. Now that is a project that I would love to see! 

We will never forget the care and attention that was put into treating these Giants as equals – Lilliputians gently stroked their hair to fix it after a long nights sleep and changed the Little Girl into her night clothes after a busy day. For such huge characters (The Uncle measured 50 feet in height) they were treated so preciously with gentle affection. We could not help but become part of it. As they waved during their goodbyes along the River Mersey it was like saying goodbye to three friends.

This was as full and complete a performance of anything that I have ever seen. Hugely complicated manouvers such as the Giant 'leaping' the great arch in China Town and emerging from the River Mersey were not seen as unneccessary, nor was it seen as too difficult to pull off. These added bits of care and attention left you feeling that no stone was left unturned. This is something that I try to apply to my work and my brand every day - put everything you can into it, and don't cut any corners. Every piece has to be the best that you could possibly offer. And with every piece there is a little bit of me in it.

So thank you Royal de Luxe for sharing your vision with us and taking every one of us on the journey with you. You have left a giant sized footprint in our hearts, and life feels a little richer today.