Welcome!
Welcome, fellow gift givers and stationery addicts! Are you a ‘tell me the short version’ type or a ‘tell me the long version’ type? Well, let's hope it’s the latter, because this is a proper About page, not a two sentencer. You might want to get comfy…
About
Back to the roots!
I’ve been immensely lucky that my whole life has been an abundance of creativity and freedom to experiment with countless styles, concepts, materials and creative pathways. Being creative is in my blood. My mothers great aunt, Dinah Green, was a children's book illustrator. My grandad was a furniture designer and principal of art & design college, Ravensbourne. My grandmother is an incredibly talented sculptor and portrait artist who also taught her magical skills to others in classes for years. My other grandmother was a baker, which isn’t a paint-on-paper type of creative, but still very creative nonetheless! My mother is a wonderful spinner of wool and all things fleece/flax and my dad is an interior designer. Pass down all of these generations of art, design and craft and you get… me!
(Image - Bella as a little girl with her mother. Her mother shows her a card)
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Two Books illustrated by Bella's Mother's great aunt Dinah Green. These were part of a collection of 'LITTLE BOOKS' by Raphael Tuck which were very popular in the 20th century. They are now collectables.
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Dinah Green was known for her classic 20th century style characters with cheeky round faces and bright colours. This is an illustration from 'Mother goose Rhymes'.
Addict! (of stationery)
As a little girl, I found so much joy in making my friends and family intricately detailed greetings cards, all as unique as each other. I became quite the so-called 'stationery addict' by collecting hundreds of beautiful sheets of patterned paper, countless stickers, envelopes, glitter glue, pom-poms, magazine cut-outs and everything else under the sun! I would spend hours cutting out shapes, drawing little pictures or carefully adding text by hand, rubbing it out and rewriting again and again until it looked just right. I was quite the perfectionist…
(Image - An collation of Bella's artworks over the years)
My first commission!
At the young age of 17, I started taking commissions alongside my education as a way of gaining some professional experience in the paid art world. My first commission as a teen was 6 illustrations for a brilliant children's book packed full of adventure called ‘The Cheery Gang’ by Andy Giles, which has just been published! Stay tuned for a link to the book soon! Fast forward 9 years - Oh how my style has changed! It’s wonderful to be able to look back and see how far things have come. As for my card making, it sadly phased out as I continued taking commissions all throughout college, and then managed to juggle even more of them throughout university to pay for what my student loan couldn’t cover when living in London. The commissions ranged from children's book illustrations and tattoo designs, to realistic, pencil drawings and logo designs. Each commission explored different styles and techniques which all played a significant part in the development of the quirky imagery I create today.
(Image - A commissioned artwork for a children's book. 2023)
Starchy Potatoes
After graduating with a First Class Honours in Illustration in 2021, I continued taking commissions alongside a part time admin job. In December 2022, I sat, cutting star shapes into four, large, starchy potatoes before dabbing them in white paint and pressing them onto sheets of coloured card. Once dried, I folded each sheet to create a set of matching Christmas cards ready to give my family and friends. Yes, they did indeed look like a 2 two year old had made them, but it’s the thought that counts, right…? Well, who knew that these four starchy potatoes would reignite my love for card making!
A few designs and emotional breakdowns later (For context - I was teaching myself how to create my own website. It’s not for the faint hearted.), Bella & The Moon was born!
(Image - Bella on graduation day. 2021)
Cards so good, you could eat them! (Disclaimer - Please do NOT eat the cards. They are NOT edible.)
I had finally landed on the multimedia process I use to create my illustrations today, including watercolours, coloured pencils, POSCA pens and acrylic paint (You'll be glad to know the spuds were just a one-time thing). I then scan my designs in and digitally add smaller details and text in my own calligraphy handwriting, before setting the designs up for print.
I spent months experimenting with different print companies before finding the most perfect, scrumptious card by the world renowned crème de la crème of all things paper - G.F Smith. Combined with my playful, multimedia techniques, quirky illustrations and energetic colour palette, I had created my very own, irresistibly textured collection of cards, prints and gift tags, so good you could eat them! (Please see above for disclaimer). What’s more is they look so bloomin 'beautiful, you’ll want to cherish them forever or frame them as quality art prints.
(Image - A close up of Bella's colourful cards)
Pigs with nipple piercings...
Many of my collections are largely inspired by silliness, my love for all things natural and the feeling of joy and happiness. My favourite way of celebrating these feel-good themes is through a combination of vibrant colours, the occasional pun, and giving animals/characters some unusual, adult quirks! Have you seen the frog with a six pack and speedos? Or the seductive pig with a nipple piercing? How about the cow wearing platform pole-dancing heels, doing the splits? These are a few of the cards that have made my customers smile and giggle at markets - extra special moments that I cherish knowing my cards are doing what I’ve designed them to do!
(Image - Bella's 'You're the Teats' pig with a nipple piercing card)
Why 'Bella & The Moon?'
I get asked on occasion why I chose the name Bella & The Moon. Buckle up! Things are about to get whimsical… My birthstone (also my favourite stone ever!), is moonstone, and my birth 'planet' (actually called a natural satellite), is the moon. I am fascinated by the moon's magical, gravitational pull on the tides and all life on earth, plus, as a woman, I am greatly inspired by its deep connection to feminine energy and empowerment.
The logo itself also illustrates various deeper meanings that make my brand immensely close to my heart. Inspired by the mysterious depth of the night sky, Bella & The Moon's primary colour is navy blue, while the yellow half-moon (yellow is my all-time favourite colour!), is symbolic of what I call my yellow brick road - my journey of self-discovery, personal growth, and the path to achieving my dreams. Additionally, I wanted the font to convey the heavenly quality of my products, while also representing my femininity.
(Image - Bella with a cuppa)
