ARTIST and designer Ingrid Sylvestre is sticking her neck out with her latest drawings and paintings.

Ingrid has adopted the giraffe as a feature of her work and is expanding the range of designs.

She began using the giraffe symbol following a chance remark from her driving instructor who told her she had "more neck than a giraffe", last year.

She started doing humorous sketches of giraffes driving cars.

Now, by popular demand, she has produced a giraffe-theme Christmas card.

The seasonal scene features festive giraffe shoppers, on Durham's Framwelgate Bridge, with the castle in the background, and a Santa sleigh pulled by a pair of giraffes.

"It's something which has just taken over my work," said Ingrid, from Chester-le-Street.

The Christmas card, Durham Goes Giraffe at Christmas, is available from Seasons Cafe and Framing, in Church Street, Durham City.

Ingrid is also operating stalls on the run up to Christmas. She can be seen at a craft fair at Brancepeth Castle today, between 10am and 5pm, and on Sunday, from noon to 5pm.

She will also be running stalls at Durham Town Hall tomorrow, from 10am to 4pm, at Durham Students' Union, in Dunelm House, New Elvet, on Monday, from 10am to 5pm, and can also be seen at the city's Christmas Festival, on Palace Green, over the weekend of December 1 and 2.