Fortnum's Hot Air Balloon Card

These delightful greeting cards have been meticulously designed and crafted by artist, printmaker, and embroiderer Elena Deshmukh. With 25 years of experience in creating handmade cards, Elena's illustrations are a testament to her evolving artistry, developed through a thoughtful process of research, drawing, and collage.

Each card begins as a delicate pen or ink wash illustration, layered with watercolour and digitally scanned to create a cohesive design. These designs are then printed on premium 350gsm textured paper and adorned with intricate, free-motion gold embroidery. The embroidery is meticulously stitched onto fabric in Elena's studio, carefully cut out, and hand-applied to each card.

Discover more of Elena’s beautiful designs and sketches here.