Christmas is right around the corner, and at Cutter & Squidge we are officially in full festive swing. The bakery is filled with the warm aroma of buttery Mince Pies fresh from the oven, our indulgent Chocolate Hazelnut Rocher Cake being lovingly layered, and of course our iconic Christmas Yule Log making its seasonal return.
But this year, our festive treats are wrapped in something extra special.
We had the absolute pleasure of collaborating with the wonderful Abbie Rosie, the talented illustrator behind our brand-new Christmas sleeves. Her whimsical, joy-filled designs capture everything we adore about the holiday season; Cosy gatherings, sparkling magic, and a touch of nostalgic charm.
Recently, we sat down with Abbie to chat about her favourite Christmas bakes, her artistic inspiration, and everything in between
Where do you find inspiration for your designs?
I’m honestly inspired by everything around me, the people I meet, conversations I hear and the feelings I feel. I’m a huge over thinker and a dreamer and everything I feel I tend to note down, which I’ll then turn into art! All of my work is genuinely just my brain on paper, in the hopes other people will relate too.
Your designs are so vibrant and unique - have you always worked in this signature style?
Thank you! My goal has always been to spark joy with my work so although my style has slightly changed over the years, I’ve always used it as a way to express my experiences, feelings etc with the use of fun characters, texture and colour. I like to see my work as ever evolving, I love trying new techniques and styles but still want it to feel like ‘me’, so always keep feelings and relatability at the heart of everything I do and will continue to do so - I feel the world needs more kindness, humour and joy and my aim is to keep putting that out there.
What’s your favourite part of celebrating Christmas?
Ah there’s so many things! I was born just 10 days before so the entire month is a big celebration for me - I adore wrapping up and heading to lots of Christmas markets, eating a silly amount of cheese and chocolate, buying gifts, watching all of the Christmas films and seeing all the twinkly lights in the streets - I feel as you get older Christmas holds a lot of pressure and anxiety so I really try to take in all the joyful little things and enjoy the magic of it as much as I can!
Are there any special traditions you follow during the festive period?
I wouldn’t say I have a huge amount of Christmas traditions these days, I mainly just have the films I have to watch every single year without fail! When I was younger every Christmas Eve we’d watch The Snowman & Father Christmas so I try to still do that now, they are so so nostalgic for me.
Do you have any family recipes or festive treats you look forward to every year?
I’m actually a terrible baker so I wouldn’t trust myself to make my own treats! My absolute favourite is gingerbread, and pretty much anything orange or mint chocolate. I’ve never been a huge fan of mince pies or Christmas pudding so always go for something super chocolatey at Christmas, custard is a bonus!
Which Christmas sweet or treat holds a special place in your heart?
The most nostalgic treat for me is the foil wrapped chocolates we used to hang from the tree growing up, they bring back so many memories of sneakily pinching them off the tree in the hopes nobody would realise they’d all gone by the first week of December (sorry Mum). Also just your classic advent calendar! Something about them makes me feel like a little kid again and I’m transported back to being excited little me every time I open one of the paper doors.
By Annabel Lui
Annabel is the co-founder of Cutter & Squidge and takes inspiration from around the world to create delicious bakes for our blog and collections.
