Exclusive Preview: New Gift Food Collection

Ashley Thomas at home
I'm really excited to announce the arrival of my new gift food collection for Debenhams. I've been busy working away on this new commission for them and I'm so pleased with the results. We've called it the Time for Tea collection, there are a gorgeous range of products based around the tradition of British afternoon tea. From a thatched cottage biscuit barrel to a caravan teapot, Chocolate spoons, tea selections and stacking mugs. I've featured some of my favourites below but this is only half the range. There are 11 products in the collection launch so stay tuned for more info.
Debenhams are launching the range on 19th September. All the products are limited edition and will be on sale for just a few months (due to the nature of the products, biscuits etc.) They will be available on their website shortly Debenhams.com or please get in touch with the Debenhams customer services on 0844 800 8877 quote the item number I've mentioned below to order directly. 


This Little Box Cafe, splits into a trio of boxes containing, English breakfast tea, earl grey tea, chocolate chip cookies, hot chocolate, vanilla flavour hot chocolate, orange flavour hot chocolate coffee. Phew! It's jam packed! It would make such a gorgeous gift for someone special. Limited edition available from 19th September until stocks last.

Box of Beverages, £12.50
Item No. 3111007594

 
Next is this gorgeous floral patterned mug which comes with hot chocolate, mini marshmallows and the cutest mini whisk! So adorable. Exclusively at Debenhams, for a few months only.

Cosy Hot Chocolate Mug, £8.50
Item No. 3111007587

 
My favourite product is this little sweet shop, with afternoon tea flavoured sweets, cherry bakewell and lemon meringue. Super sweet and a bargain at £5. I think this will be very popular! As with all the gift food collection it is limited edition available from 19th September until stocks last.

House of Afternoon Tea Sweets, £5
Item No. 3111007595

 
Next is this village green tea shop, complete with bunting! With a selection of loose teas: English breakfast, Earl grey, peppermint loose tea and tea infuser. Exclusively at Debenhams, for a few months only.

Tea House, £15
Item No. 3111007582

 
One of the cutest products from my collection is this beautiful thatched cottage biscuit barrel. Which comes with delicious fruit and lemon biscuits. As mentioned before all these products are a special commission for Debenhams and are limited edition available for the festive shopping season from 19th September until stocks last.When they are gone they are gone! Please get in touch with the Debenhams customer services on 0844 800 8877 quote the item number to order yours. Or you can shop the range in selected stores across the country or shop online, just copy the item number and type it into the search bar on the website. debenhams.com

House Biscuit Barrel, £16
Item No. 3111007583

Debenhams Gift Collection

Ashley Thomas at home

I have some exciting news about a new collection launch coming soon to Debenhams. I've designed a gift range for the department store. The collection is full of gorgeous products perfect for the gifting season, which is coming up rapidly! There are diverse collection of products such as keyrings, stationary sets, planter kits, bath fizzers and even a sewing box. Here's a sneaky peek at some of the products close up. The range launches on 3rd October and is exclusive to Debenhams stores and they will be available on their website too. www.debenhams.com 

Swallow Keying, £8
Item no. 1720107467

Home Sweet Home Glass Sign, £8
Item no. 1720107471


Knitted Handwarmers, £10
Item no. 1720107464


Hot Water Bottle & Eyemask Set, £15
Item no. 1720107462


Manicure Set, £8
Item no. 1720107469

Preview: Into The Woods Collection

Ashley Thomas at home

My Autumn/Winter collection for Debenhams is inspired by the beautiful British woodland. Leafy, botanical prints are a modern take on traditional florals inspired by turn of the century prints from the 1900's. The range is full of entangled foliage, wonderful woodland creatures and atmospheric autumnal colours. This season rambling florals sit on dark grounds, replacing twee palettes for sophisticated colours. Mix and match patterns add an element of playfulness to your home. Charming woodland animals feature throughout the range and create a conversational element to your home. Some of our favourite products are featured below, look out for the hedgehog salt and peeper shakers.


Picnic Collection for Debenhams

Ashley Thomas at home
Picnic season is finally upon us, after a beautiful sunny weekend it's really kick started positive thinking about the summer ahead. I'm planning lovely trips to the Great British seaside and picnics in the local countryside here in Derbyshire. I've ordered in my picnic basket ready for alfresco dining on warm summer evenings after work. So I thought I'd feature a bit about my picnic collection for Debenhams today and post these dreaming photos from the SS16 catalogue. This years collection is bigger than ever and includes everything you need from pretty melamine to vintage style wicker baskets. As all my collections for Debs this range is limited edition, we are all ready working on next years range. So get yours whilst stocks last. Shop online here...

 
Four person picnic hamper, £90

 
Melamine from £10
Here's a little insight into my sketchbook for this collection.

Heart Shaped Picnic Hamper

Ashley Thomas at home


I thought I'd share an insight into the development of my picnic collection for Debenhams.
One of my favourite pieces is the heart shaped hamper. Lined with my S/S16 ditsy floral print this hamper comes with everything you need for the perfect picnic including; 2 x ceramic plates, 2 x stainless steel knives, forks and spoons, 2 x plastic glasses, 2 napkins, 1 x corkscrew, 1 x condiment set. Above is a sketchbook snapshot of the hamper, a watercolour version of my ditsy print and the final product which you can now buy Exclusively in Debenhams.


We're all going on a summer holiday...

Ashley Thomas at home
This time of year, for me is full of hope and optimism with plans of getting away to sunnier climates and daydreaming of exploring new corners of the world. Packing normally fills me with dread. I have no idea what to take and normally pack way too many clothes and don't end up wearing half of it!
I've put together this holiday checklist to help with packing the holiday essentials, to help take the stress out of it all. And here are my top tips on the perfect packing...

Less is more, with clothes you will not wear as much as you think, so pack for half the time you are going. You can always wear something twice or team it up with something else to make a new outfit.

Roll don't fold, most of the time you will not need to worry about ironing things when you get there if you roll your clothes instead of folding. And this saves so much space too.

Always put toiletries in a plastic bag or washbag, if it explodes in your suitcase this is a mess that will take forever to clean up and will take the joy out of arriving at your destination.

Take two pairs of sunglasses, they always break on the first day for me so take a spare to save you searching every local shop for a new pair.

Don't stress, you can probably buy items you forget when you get there, it's always hairspray for me! 



Print this holiday checklist to help with packing the essentials.



Beach towels exclusive to Debenhams 

Queen’s Birthday Cake

ashley thomas


This cake is a really fun way to celebrate the Queen’s Birthday on 21st April and is the perfect excuse to throw a garden party. It’s a sticky and nutty carrot cake base, one of my favourite English summer cakes with a classic Vanilla cream cheese frosting. With Great British berries to make the union jack flag.


You’ll need…

For the Cake…
8oz self raising flour
5oz muscovado sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 carrot
2 bananas
2 large eggs
150ml sunflower oil
2oz walnut pieces

For the topping…
2oz butter
4oz icing sugar
6oz soft cheese
Blueberries and Raspberries to decorate 

To make...
Sift the flour, sugar and baking powder into a large mixing bowl
Grate the carrot into the bowl and mix thoroughly
Mash the bananas and beat into the mixture
Beat the eggs and add to the bowl along with sunflower oil, mix together really well until smooth
Smash up the walnut pieces in a bowl and stir in well
Line a rectangular cake tin (18x25cm) with baking paper. Pour the mixture in and level the surface
Pre-heat the oven to 180oC
Bake for around 25 mins or until golden brown.
Leave to cool, meanwhile make the topping


Warm the butter in a microwave for 30seconds until half melted
Sift in the icing sugar and add the soft cheese, mix together until smooth
Leave in the fridge to chill for 15 mins
Once cooled spread icing over the cake and decorate with blueberries and raspberries to resemble the union jack flag.


All products photographed are from my exclusive collection for Debenhams.
Browse the collection online here.
Red contrasting printed double apron glove, £14
Set of three red printed teatowels, £14

Picnic Collection

ashley thomas
My Picnic collection at Debenhams has now launched. This years collection is better than ever with the edition of the cutest picnic hampers, baskets and even a cool bag to compliment the range.
As all my collections for Debenhams the range is only available in their stores whilst stocks last, we are already working on next years designs so grab these before they are sold out!

Start your collection online...

Set of 4 Melamine Dinner Plates, £18
Set of 4 Melamine Side Plate, £16
Melamine Cake Stand, £20

Set of 4 picnic tumblers, £10
Set of 4 Ditsy Highball Glasses, £16
 
Ditsy print lidded picnic basket, £25
Two person heart shaped picnic hamper, £70

Ditsy print picnic backpack, £40
Ditsy cool bag, £25
Ditsy Lunch tote, £12.50
 
 Shop the full collection exclusively at Debenhams

Easter Egg Cupcakes

ashley thomas
These Easter cupcakes are so much fun to make, and they are so so easy even the kids can join in too. They look really impressive and you really can't go wrong even if you are a beginner baker.


You'll need...
4oz butter
4oz caster sugar
2 free range eggs
1tsp vanilla extract
4oz self-raising flour
1tbsp milk
12 paper cases

For the icing...
5oz butter
10oz icing sugar
1 tbsp milk
vanilla extract
icing bag and large nozzle
100g plain chocolate bar
1 x bag of mini eggs (or 2 bags if you want to scoff them whilst you bake!)


To make...
Chop the butter into cubes and put into a large mixing bowl.
Add the sugar and mix well until combined.
Beat the eggs and add slowly to the mixture, mixing in as you go.
Add the vanilla extract and mix well.
Fold in the flour slowly and add the milk to make the mixture a good consistency for dropping into the paper cases.
Take the paper cases and add to a 12 hole muffin tray. Spoon in the mixture equally into the cases. They should be around ¾ full.
Bake for 15mins or until golden brown (mine went a bit too golden! Never mind they still taste great)
Once baked allow to cool completely, if you are impatient like me put them in the fridge and make your icing.


Add the butter to a small mixing bowl and microwave for 30seconds.
Sift in half the icing sugar and mix together well. Add the vanilla extract and sift in the other half of the icing and then the milk to loosen it up. Mix together really well until smooth and creamy.
Turn your piping bag inside out, whilst holding the end and spoon in the icing mixture.
Twist the end and squeeze onto the top of the cooled cupcakes.
Chopped the chocolate into flakey pieces.
Add three mini eggs to the centre of the icing and decorate with the chocolate flakes.
Ta da!


Kitchen textiles exclusively from Debenhams

Set of 3 Bunny Tea Towels, £14
Bunny Apron, £15

Bunny Bonkers

Ashley Thomas at home
Are you ready for Easter? This year it seems early on in the year so it may catch you by surprise.
I really love Easter, it means spring is officially here. Bring on the country walks through fields of baby lambs, flowers starting to appear in the garden and we can start to plan a lovely summer ahead.

Easter bank holiday is a great chance to have a nice long weekend with family and friends and stuff yourself on chocolate of course! Get your table in ship shape and ready for all the family coming over on Easter Sunday with my new collection exclusively available at Debenhams. The range is all the key pieces you need such from the essential bunny egg cup (be quick these sold out very quickly last year) to the stunning bunny cake stand. As well as a few gift ideas too, a gorgeous tea for one the perfect hostess present if you are going somewhere else for Easter lunch or a very beautiful bunny money box which is a great alternative gift to chocolate for the grown up kids.

 
Bunny tea for two

  
 Bunny Egg cup, £4

Chocolate & Guinness Cake

ashley thomas


This cake is perfect to celebrate St. Patrick's Day this week (17th March).
It's a gorgeously sticky, rich and totally delicious cake which reflects the look of a freshly pulled pint of Guinness with it's dark body and fluffy creamy topping. Give it a go with the recipe below it will be very popular with friends and family!

You'll need...
For the cake...
250ml Guinness                  
250g Unsalted Butter (cubed) 
75g Cocoa Powder 
300g Caster Sugar
100g Soft brown sugar 

1 x 142ml sour cream 
1 tbs bourbon vanilla extract 
2 medium eggs 

275g plain flour 
2 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda 

For the topping...

300g Cream cheese
150g icing sugar
125ml whipping cream 


To make...
Preheat the oven to 180c 
Butter the sides and bottom of a 23cm springform tin then line the base with baking parchment. 
Firstly, place the butter and Guinness into a saucepan and melt the butter into the Guinness gently over a low heat until the all butter has melted. Combine the caster, soft brown sugar and cocoa powder into a bowl (no need to sift the cocoa), then whisk these into the Guinness and butter mixture in the pan. While this mixture is cooling, place the sour cream, eggs and vanilla essence into a large bowl and whisk until smooth. Now add the the Guinness mixture to the sour cream mix and whip gently until incorporated. Sift the flour and bicarbonate of soda into the bowl and beat until all ingredients are combined. Pour into the prepared springform tin and bake in the centre of the preheated oven. Bake for 45 to 60 mins. The cake is done when a toothpick comes out clean when put into the centre of the cake, cool in the tin until cold (it may crack a little and sink slightly in the middle but this is fine).
For the topping, whisk the cream cheese and then sift in the icing sugar a little at a time, add the cream and whisk gently until mixture is fluffy. Frost the cake with this mixture until it resembles a lovely pint of Irish goodness.




Cake stand exclusively from my collection at Debenhams

Sneak Peek: Mother's Day Giveaway!

ashley thomas

Join us over on the Debenhams Facebook, Instagram and Twitter pages on Monday for our Mother's Day giveaway. You can win a personalised pinny from my new Spring 16 collection. 
Head to the Debenhams social media pages and tell us three words that sum up your mum, follow with our competition hashtag #MumsTheWord and tag me in it @ashleythomasdesign for your chance to win a gorgeous personalised pinny. We only have 8 to giveaway over the day so be quick and good luck!