Good bye Carabelle :-(

Click *here*

Morning all. Well, I know some of you have already seen the sad news that Carabelle Studio is closing its doors for good at the end of December. I have known for a little while but today it has been made official.

I have had such a fun 5 years or so sharing my creations with you all, and it has been a real joy to work alongside such a talented team of designers, and design team who bring our creations to life in such a fabulous way.

Thanks to Alexis

Andrea Toups and the team at Carabelle, and also to Ana Bondu who has done such a huge amount behind the scenes to keep us all on track (not an easy job!) And my personal thanks to Katy Norgate for helping me and sharing her creative makes with us all 

And of course thanks to YOU for sharing your delightful makes, after all a stamp is just a stamp, a lifeless bit of rubber, until you breathe creative life into it. And you have all done a totally fabulous job of that Please do feel free to keep sharing your makes.

So, what is next for me? I know some of you will be asking. I am actually going to take a break from designing for a bit, and just enjoy some creative time. Of course I will carry on creating but for now it will be ART FOR ART'S SAKE (sorry if you are now singing 10cc!) And classes and workshops will continue as usual so I will see some of you at classes

So, the end of an era and a few changes ahead.

Here's the official info from Carabelle:

Dear friends,

It is with great emotion that we announce the end of the Carabelle Studio adventure.

For nearly 12 years, we've been committed to offering you original, high-quality products, made by us in our workshop in the South of France.

Over the years, we've built a brand with a strong identity, and we've always been keen to offer you the best, with the desire to surprise you, satisfy you and share our common passion.

11 years have gone by and you've responded to our project. You have placed your trust in us and remained loyal.

We are extremely grateful for this, and we thank you sincerely.

We've grown for you, with you and thanks to you !

Carabelle Studio distributed in 47 countries.

Over the years, Carabelle Studio has established itself on the international scene, achieving (pre-Covid) brand distribution in 47 countries.

For several years now (post Covid), the global economy has been weakening, and our business sector (Creative Leisure, DIY, Mixed Media...) has been directly impacted.

Rising prices for raw materials and energy, strategic investments necessary for brand development, and the scourge of Chinese counterfeiting (which is having a major impact on all players in the sector), have forced us to take the decision to cease our activity by the end of the year.

Our exchanges, your smiles, your testimonials, your encouragement and the many anecdotes shared during our meetings at trade shows and in the field will remain forever engraved in our memories, and we hope they will do the same for you.

So it's with a smile (and a touch of nostalgia) that we bid you farewell.

And finally, here is a little trip done memory lane: