From Meadowhall to Japan: Barnsley illustrator’s advent calendar designs sell out worldwide
A local artist from Barnsley is celebrating her work reaching shelves across the UK - and beyond - after being commissioned to design Lush’s 2025 advent calendar.
Sherrie Tilley, a Retail Assistant at Lush Meadowhall and freelance illustrator, has brought her imaginative vision to life in the festive calendar, now on sale nationally.
Sherrie, who has worked at Lush Meadowhall since 2022 and joined the retailer’s design team in 2023, said the project has been a surreal experience.
“As a small-time artist who’s just a graduate, coming from a small town like Barnsley, it is insane to say my work is in the UK and the world,” she said.
“These shops in Japan have my stuff in the window - when I say it out loud, it doesn’t feel real.”
Sherrie says the store gave her a rough brief, and let her get creative from there.
“The company gave me a loose brief - they wanted a factory mixed with Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory, so I just went a bit mad,” Sherrie said.
“I tried out loads of things. We’ve got bubble popping, potion making, a shelf of mysteries. I just put loads of random things together.”
The calendar is more than just a festive countdown. It comes with character cutouts that double as bath bombs, including a Brussels sprout, Santa, and a ginger tom cat.
Once all the surprises are opened, the calendar itself can also be used as a dollhouse.
Her inspiration for the bath bombs came from the calendar characters.
“Ginger Tom is inspired by my spearmint cat. I drew him first, then got an email from the company saying they wanted to turn him into a bath bomb - cinnamon and clove scented,” she said.
“The Brussels sprout and tortoise are bath-bomb exclusives to the calendar.”
Sherrie, who studied art at Barnsley College before completing an Illustration degree at Sheffield Hallam University, initially took her job at Lush to pay the bills.
“Then it went hand in hand when they put out a call for artists,” she explained.
“It’s all very surreal - I’ve always been into drawing and designing but never imagined it would translate into an actual product.”
The advent calendar, which Sherrie helped bring to life by scanning her drawings into mould makers, has already become a hit.
“To my knowledge, it has sold out worldwide,” she said.
“My mum at the moment is very proud.”