‘Deck the Hulls!’ - Eleanor Tomlinson and Sailors’ Children’s Society team up to create a special charity Christmas card for 2024

The exclusive 2024 Christmas card design has been fondly titled, ‘Deck the Hulls’. It is available to order from today on Eleanor’s website, eleanortomlinsonart.co.uk, individually and as sets of 6 A5 cards and envelopes. Printed professionally in Yorkshire.

Eleanor Tomlinson founded her own art and illustration business in 2011 when she was just 13, after similarly creating a Christmas card for another local charity. Eleanor developed her business whilst at school and university and over the next 10 years. Including building up a large portfolio of customers, both private and commercial who regularly commission original artworks (often with a Yorkshire twist). At the same time Eleanor has developed her pieces into an extensive range of greetings cards, prints and home wares which feature her beautiful illustrations. All printed and produced in the UK working with other small businesses.

Eleanor has worked with Joules, Harper Collins, Ravensburger and Lottie Shaws to name but a few and is a sought-after designer of beautifully illustrated menus for a range of prominent local restaurants.

In June 2022, Eleanor achieved worldwide fame when she produced a small illustration for HM Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee which went viral around the world overnight and brought her a worldwide audience for her talent. Known as Jubilee. Ma’amalade Tea, the illustration featured HM The Queen, Paddington and a corgi walking away from a party leaving a trail of marmalade sandwiches behind. Eleanor’s business snowballed overnight, and she was inundated with orders for copies of this illustration and her portfolio of other work. She became a media sensation, appearing on tv and radio shows around the country and was featured in many local and national publications.

Since then, Eleanor’s business has continued to grow and she is regularly ask to speak at events around the country telling her story. It was at one of these events, a breakfast meeting for Local businesswomen held at Hull Golf Club that she first met Natasha Barley CEO of Sailors Children’s Society. After a brief conversation, they realised they had more in common then first thought as Eleanor’s grandmother, Glenda, and great aunt, Marlene, had been helped by the society in the 1950’s when their father died. Glenda and Marlene’s father passed away when they were only very small children at home after suffering from lead poisoning following him being involved in an accident at sea. The two sisters and their mother struggled throughout their childhood and depended heavily on the charity for many basics such as shoes, coats and school uniform. Natasha broached the subject of creating a bespoke illustration for a Christmas card which would aim to raise funds for the charity. Eleanor was immediately delighted be involved so she could help give back and thank the charity for the help they’d given her family generations earlier.

Their hope is that many local businesses who have links to the maritime industry within the city of Kingston upon Hull and around the UK will use this card as their Christmas card to send to clients in 2024. volume orders can be placed with Sailors’ Children’s Society. For order over 25 cards please contact Natasha Barley CEO of Sailors’ Children’s Society at Natasha.barley@sailorschildren.org.uk.

The money raised will be used by the charity to further support their work helping the children of seafarers. The charity was founded in 1821 and since then they have helped over 48,000 children. Further information about the charity and the work they do can be found on their website at www.sailorschildren.org.uk