About Tea-Time-Tarts Designs

Tea-Time-Tarts Designs is the brainchild of long-term friends Hazel Fernandes and Catriona Andrews. We started with the gem of an idea whilst sitting on a beach watching the world go by, and thought we would like to start a range of drawings that celebrated women and their fascination with love, life and fashion. Our aim was to glorify women in all their splendour - love handles and all, as all our quirks and foibles make us what we are.

What followed was an exhilarating year of coming up with all sorts of ideas that made us laugh, and we hope would make other women laugh when they saw themselves and their situations in our designs. Our lives, and the lives of our friends are all inspirations for our designs, and our love for cakes, coffee (and occasionally wine) regularly appear somewhere in our ranges! We launched at Harrogate Home and Gift in 2005, and regularly exhibit at most of the main trade shows.

Hazel's background in textile design, and Catriona's in illustration (where we both met at Loughborough Art College) ensured that the designs would be something exciting and unique amongst the greeting card world. The humorous and sensitive illustrations combined with the beautiful and sumptuously colourful textile patterns make the cards a little bit different and just that little bit special!

Tea-Time-Tarts have continued to bring fresh and exciting new ideas to each of our ranges, still using life as a constant source of inspiration. One of our best sellers - Prozac - was based on Hazel's little girl having a tantrum, where Catriona couldn't resist capturing the moment as she never goes anywhere without a sketchbook! Hazel uses all sorts of inspiration to make her textiles as beautiful as they are, from old Chinese teapots and pillboxes to Victorian wallpaper and lace.

And how we came up with our name? We're the alternative ladies who lunch, girls who like cakes, cappuccinos, the odd glass of wine (or two), and love to laugh at the odd situations life throws at us.