Creative commissions and other fun stuff
Looking for something beautifully bespoke?
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An anniversary tea towel?
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Invitations for a special event?
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A custom lampshade?
I love getting my creative brain round unusual and exciting design briefs, and ultimately bringing great big smiles to people's faces.
Patterns and designs can be printed onto almost anything these days, plus I'm a dab hand at a spot of furniture upcycling and crafting.
Here are some past projects...
'Footie' stool
Private Client
Damian's feet needed somewhere stylish and comfortable to rest while watching the box. Wife, Kathryn, wanted to get him a unique gift for his birthday. The brief was to create a footstool to fit with Damian's Leeds United-inspired blue and gold colour scheme in the living room.
I designed a bespoke pattern with shapes taken from the Leeds United badge and Elland Road Stadium. I had the fabric printed and re-upholstered an old footstool base, giving the base a nice sand and varnish too.
Result: one delighted Leeds United fan, and two very comfy feet!
Healthy Head Heroes
St Begh's Junior School, Whitehaven
A contender for the most fun I've had creating graphics! Meet the Healthy Head Heroes - a gang of kind, thoughtful, confident fruit and vegetables (a phrase you don't write every day).
Inspiration for each character was taken from pupils' drawings. Pupils throughout the school are celebrated for demonstrating these behaviours, and presented with badges at assembly.
Historical wall hanging
St Begh's Church, Whitehaven
With a history stretching back to the 12th century, the Order of St Benedict withdrew from their last West Cumbrian parish in May 2026.
To mark their time in the region - during which they established no less than 9 parishes - I was asked to create a special wall hanging.
Featuring bespoke illustrations of all 9 of the current church buildings, the banner was printed onto heavy fabric ready to be displayed as part of an exhibition and beyond.
Celebration T-shirt
Phoenix Concert Band
The clarinet section of Phoenix Concert Band requested a special t-shirt to celebrate their fourth band residential with acclaimed clarinettist, Chris Swann, as their guide.
I played around with the idea of a swan fishing the Phoenix logo from the water (represented by a wavy musical stave).
They were delighted with the result, and Chris was equally delighted when he was gifted his very own t-shirt.
What my clients say
Gráinne took the time to understand my husband's tastes before designing the perfect fabric for his footstool.
It is used every single day and still looks brilliant. Could not be happier!
Kathryn Sullivan
West Yorkshire
What started as a grain
of an idea, Gráinne came up with an original and quirky design for our t-shirts.
Everyone felt they fitted the bill perfectly and we received lots of compliments. We were definitely the best-looking section that weekend, and the envy of the rest of the band. Thank you!
