September 2026

Dear shop owners,

Perhaps you have already read a thing or two on social media, or heard it from me personally; big things are happening in my life—good and sad, but above all, all at the same time. And that is affecting the ins and outs of illu-ster.

Let me start with the bad news.
I was recently diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, a chronic autoimmune disease that, in my case, manifests in both my tendons and joints, causing widespread pain and extreme fatigue. I am going to be treated for this, and the expectation is that it will work well. But that takes time and lots of monitoring for the meds to settle.

Furthermore, two weeks ago I said goodbye to my mother. She was 87, terminally ill, and chose a dignified end herself. The months leading up to her passing were intense, so many emotions at once... besides sadness and worry, there were many beautiful moments of love, joy, and togetherness. Actually, we could not have wished for a more beautiful farewell.

The good news is that my husband and I have found our dream house and are moving there next week. And the very best part is that illu-ster is also moving, to a studio in the garden. It has been a long-cherished wish to work from home, and now it comes true, in an even more lovely setting than I could imagine—I still have to pinch myself every now and then.

The pain, stress, exhaustion and grief I have experienced over the past year have taken a heavy toll on me. Consequently, I've had to put illu-ster on the back burner: a smaller assortment for now, and no new designs. Unfortunately, I expect to have to continue doing this until after Christmas.

What this all means practically for you shop owners:
*Some out of stock items won't be restocked till after the move.
*In September and October, shipping will be less frequent than usual: mostly on mondays and one other day in the week.
*The studio will be closed for a month from October 24 till November 22.
*The studio will be closed for the Christmas holidays from December 19 till January 3.

It also means that there won't be any new additions to the Winter collection this year. Luckily the collection has grown over the years and there's a lot to choose from. So don't miss out on your favorite illu-ster autumn and Christmas cards and order them well before October 24!

Saskia