Every month we feature a ‘Pick of the month’ from the Gift Shop on the blog to find out more about the suppliers of the beautiful arts and crafts, jewellery and handmade products that we stock in our Shop. This month’s pick is Mister Peebles and his wonderful designs. We spoke to his human pal Helen to find out more about him.

What’s the story behind the creation of Mister Peebles?

Mister Peebles is a shy retiring sort of fellow, his friend Helen makes a mean G&T, keeps him company and draws his animal companions.

It all started about 4 years ago in Tasmania, Australia. While hiding from the English weather, Helen filled a sketchbook with animals and this has grown into a collection of critters, puns and a little business.

Tell us a little about your work.

All Mister Peebles creatures are meant to make people smile and brighten someone’s day a bit. They are a lot of fun to draw and hopefully to give and receive! All the cards are printed in the UK and come to you straight from Peebles H.Q. in north London.

All the designs are printed from watercolour pencil drawings. The originals are quite small, not much bigger than the cards, so lots of tiny brushes and very sharp pencils are used!

What’s the inspiration behind your designs?

A love of animals and an inability to resist a cheesy pun. Sometimes the phrase is the first thing that comes to mind and sometimes it starts with the animal, each one is a bit different. Some of the drawings take a day and some take longer, coming back to the drawing several times until its done.

Most of the best ideas spring to mind from nowhere, often on the top deck of the bus while daydreaming.

Do you have any new designs ready for Summer 2015?

Yes! Lots of new designs will be appearing very soon! There are some superhero bears, a cat that likes tea, a Dandelion and many other creatures and puns that hope to bring a grin to your faces.

We are working on a calendar for 2016 too along with some more stationary to add to the collection of critters.

A selection of Mister Peebles’ unique designs are available to buy in our shop. If you would like to find out more about Mister Peebles, you can visit his website.

Support us and artists and designers like Mister Peebles by buying just a card. Find out more about the 'Just a Card' campaign here. 

Image credits: All images © Mister Peebles