Oh crikey. You've somehow stumbled across our incredibly out-of-date blog. It turns out we don't have the staying power to write a blog. Instead you can catch up with our tea towel shenanigans on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest (if you're that way inclined)... Cheers ma dears x

Order in time for XMAS 2014!

Oh jingle bells, it's that time of year again! We've now got those all-important last order dates to ensure your tea towels arrive before Christmas.

Here's a quick overview, if you want to start planning ahead - it'll be here before you know it...

Asia, Far East (including Japan), New Zealand:
Tuesday 2nd December

Australia:
Wednesday 3rd December

Africa, Caribbean, Central & South America, Middle East:
Thursday 4th December

Cyprus, Eastern Europe, Greece:
Sunday 7th December

Canada, Poland:
Monday 8th December

USA, Western Europe (excluding Greece, Poland):
Thursday 11th December

UK:
Friday 19th December by midday (12pm)
If you're really desperate, contact us about UK Special Delivery - last orders will be taken up to midday on Tuesday 23rd December.

We hope you have a fun festive season and do give us a shout if there's anything else we can help with!

Santa Sally and Dasher Dave x

And the winner is...

Hannah Whittall with her fabulous Fresh Milk design!

Hannah's design was chosen from across hundreds of entries; we love its vintage feel, stripy straw (very on trend!), and fantastic, hand-drawn typography.

After whittling down all the entries to the top 15 designs (which can be viewed over on our facebook Design Competition 2014 Gallery), we then chose the winner and runners-up with the help of our fabulous guest judges, Michelle Alger, Head of Home for Heal’s and Mollie Makes Editor, Lara Watson. We were only planning on having two runners-up this year, but really couldn't come to a decision so we have three!

Pictured (from top to bottom): In second place, Dust if you Must by Lisa Curtis, and joint third place going to Fishy by Svenja Borghans and Rabbit Garden by Sophie Wainwright. Prizes will be winging their way to the winner and runners-up next week.

Fresh Milk will be available to buy from ToDryFor.com in a couple of month's time - we'll keep you posted! In the meantime if, like us, you like Hannah's style, why not check out her portfolio: www.hannah-illustrates.co.uk

Finally, thanks to everyone who entered the competition. The calibre of designs was incredibly high this year and we had some really tough decisions to make. We appreciate the fact that each design takes time and talent and feel very humbled that so many people submitted entries. Thank you, and we look forward to next year!

Release the Hybrid Hounds...

Rubber chickens and Bonio biscuits at the ready... the Hybrid Hounds have arrived!

 Cockapoo

 Labradoodle

 Poogle

Schnoodle

Designed by lovely Lucie Sheridan, our new range of tea towels depicts Poodle crossbreeds in all their colourful and crazy glory. Honestly, who wants a Schnauzer when you could have a Schnoodle?

Pieminister + ToDryFor = PRIZES Galore!

To celebrate last week's Pie Week we've teamed up with everyone's favourite pie brand, Pieminister, to offer one lucky winner a box of 6 of their delicious new lighter pies and a signed copy of their incredible cookbook, A Pie for All Seasons.

As we're big (quite literally) pie fans, the new lighter pies are like a calorie-counting gift from the pie gods. There's Kooky Chook, a free range British chicken, sweet potato, chilli, and coconut pie (Sally's favourite); Chickalito, a free range British chicken and free range British dry cured ham pie (Dave's favourite); and Light as a Feta, a butternut squash, sun-dried tomato, and feta pie (Sally's mum's favourite)!

So... how do you win this amazing pie-tastic prize? Simply follow both ToDryFor and Pieminister (as if you don't already!!?) on twitter and tweet the following:

I pray to the pie gods to give me @pieminister @ToDryFor PRIZES #hungryforpies http://bit.ly/1h6LrBh

The closing date is this Friday 14th March, 2014. We'll pick a lucky winner at random and then if that's you, all you need to do is DM us with your postal address and the pies and book will magically arrive on your doorstep. Boom!

Best of luck! Sally and Dave x

PS - If you don't live near a Pieminister shop don’t worry, as they’ll deliver direct to your mouth! We are in heaven...

Design Competition 2014

Oh yeee-air. Get your pencil cases primed, your kettle switched on, and the do not disturb sign on your door, it's time... The 2014 ToDryFor Design Competition has begun!

The lucky winner's design will become part of our existing line-up of talented artists, which includes Gemma Correll, Rob Ryan, Julia Pott and other highly acclaimed individuals.

As well as receiving five free samples, on-going commission payments and international exposure through press and worldwide stockists, the lucky winner will also receive a year's subscription to Mollie Makes magazine and a year's supply of Yorkshire Tea. Two runners-up will also receive a bumper box of goodies (including Beast In Show mugs and biscuits). Wowsers!

The top 15 designs will be whittled down to the final three by our super-amazing guest judges, Michelle Alger, Head of Home for Heal’s and Mollie Makes Editor, Lara Watson.

If you want a heads up on what usually takes our fancy, why not view the gallery of previous year's entries over on our facebook page, or take a look at the 2011, 2012, and 2013 winning designs.

The closing date for entries is Monday 14th April 2014.
Good Luck!

Get your Pokemon onesie out...

That's right folks, Dave and I decided to pay a visit to this year's Thought Bubble, the UK's largest annual event which celebrates sequential art in all its forms (aka a whole other world of comics and cosplay). We didn't actually don onesies or indeed crack out the face-paints but we did have an amazing day out meeting dozens of fantastic illustrators, gawping at sailor lolitas, spending a small fortune on prints, and generally being a bit too giddy for our own good.

A fine selection of cards by Kristyna Baczynski...

First up, we met the lovely Kristyna Baczynski (as recommended to us by Debbie Greenaway - thank you, Debbie!). Kristyna's work is creepy and cosy at the same time; it draws you in and before you know it you're being lovingly mesmerised by a demonic-looking pigeon... Right up our alley!

Timothy Winchester (People I Know) sans head, good jumper.

Next up we met Timothy Winchester (aka People I Know). Over the last few years I have become rather obsessed with Timothy Winchester (you always have to say his full name) and his utterly-addictive web comic. A big fan of dinosaurs, wizards, and Angela Lansbury, Timothy Winchester (you see what I mean?!) is a comedy genius who has the best twitter feed in the world (@PeopleIKnow).

Rain by Philippa Rice

We then had a chat with Philippa Rice, creator of My Cardboard Life and super-cute mini-comic Soppy (from which the above risograph print is taken). We'll definitely be checking out more of her work, especially as I've popped We're Out on my Christmas wishlist...

Lizz Lunney - she does good unicorns!

We then bumped into lovely Lizz Lunney, who does a fine line in copious cats and trapped unicorns! 

Joe List's 'Annotated Weekender' - as addictive as comedy crack

Another illustrator who I could quite easily become obsessed with is Joe List. I first stumbled across his work by accident a few years ago and soon became eager to see each next instalment of The Annotated Weekender (if you haven't already seen this prepare to suddenly devote at least the next 8 hours of your life to it).

Gemma Correll - hello!

A quick trip to the cash point later and we were off to see Gemma Correll. I'm sure we don't need to introduce Gemma here as we always seem to be banging on about her in one way or the other! We're in love, always have been and always will. She also has a rather fine collection of extra-strong fridge magnets featuring dogs in party hats. Woop!

Magnets by Gemma Correll / Postcards by Raid71

We then had chance to say a quick hello to Leah Moore and John Reppion, the super-talented (and incredibly sweet) husband and wife team behind numerous comics including our favourite, Wild Girl, an awesome story about a thirteen year old girl who discovers she can communicate with animals. Check it out!

Kristian Donaldson (a bit scary but we love the colours!)

What's That Thing He's On? by Ben The Illustrator

Hunting and Fishing by Isabel Greenberg

Matt Walkden prints (amazing!)

Our wallets were then magically made lighter and as we appeared to have purchased some incredible prints (see above) from the likes of Kristian Donaldson, Ben The Illustrator (for Art V Cancer), Isabel Greenberg, and Matt Walkden, we realised it was probably for the best if we made a sharp exist!

John Allison - Don't Tit About On Ladders (sound advice!)

However, there was just one more person we wanted to catch up with before we left, namely John Allison, the man behind Bad Machinery, Scary Go Round, and Bobbins, as well as some fantastic tea towels! It turns out when we moved to Yorkshire we literally moved into the same little village as John's mum and dad. Stalkers? Us?!

We're now hibernating again until the next time we can persuade the grandparents to babysit. At least we've got a year to work out our cosplay outfits for Thought Bubble 2014 (we're thinking possibly Donatello and Splinter although we've found that green face paint has a habit of also making your wee green).