Award-Winning Designer Christoph Gabriel Donates Creative Expertise to Hope Spring eCards

HEREFORD, UK – August 2026 – German designer and master stone sculptor Christoph Gabriel is donating his creative skills to Hope Spring eCards, where he will create six original Christmas eCard designs for the charity's collection.

Gabriel, who is based in Witten, Germany, recently won first prize in the Journeymen and Master Craftsmen category at the 2026 European Stone Festival in Freiburg. The international event brings together stone carvers, sculptors and craftspeople from across Europe to demonstrate their creativity and technical skill.

The collaboration will involve Gabriel applying his design experience to a medium different from the natural stone, sculpture and memorial design for which he is best known.

The idea emerged following a conversation between Gabriel and Hope Spring trustee, Temi Odurinde, who contacted the designer to congratulate him on his success at the European Stone Festival.

During their conversation, they discussed Gabriel's creative work beyond stone design, including the Christmas greeting cards he designs each year for his own use and for members of his family. Gabriel then offered to donate his time and expertise to produce six Christmas eCards for Hope Spring.

The designs will be added to the charity's Christmas eCard collection. Some of the design motifs expected to feature in the Christmas greeting can be seen in some of Gabriel’s work featured on his website Besondere Grabsteiner.

Mary Adeotan, Hope Spring eCards manager, said:

“We are grateful to Christoph Gabriel for donating his design expertise. His contribution will bring much needed depth to our Christmas eCard designs. Mary added, Christoph usually expresses his ideas through stone, so it will be interesting to see how he approaches digital greeting card design. We look forward to seeing the six designs.”

From Stone Sculpture To Digital Christmas Greetings

Gabriel has decades of experience as a stone sculptor, lettering craftsman and designer. His work includes individually designed memorials, inscriptions, monuments, architectural art, fountains and garden sculptures, as well as decorative elements created using stone and metal.

He has worked professionally in stone sculpture, became a master stonemason and stone sculptor and has worked as an independent sculptor and design consultant since 2006.

His existing portfolio of sculptural and memorial work includes natural forms, carefully considered shapes, symbolism and detailed craftsmanship. These elements may inform the new Christmas greetings, although the six designs will be created specifically for Hope Spring eCards.

Creativity Supporting Clean Water

Hope Spring eCards is the digital greetings platform operated in support of Hope Spring Water, a UK registered charity working to alleviate water poverty.

The platform allows people to choose and personalise digital greeting cards for birthdays, Christmas, anniversaries and other occasions and deliver them electronically. Donations associated with the eCard service help Hope Spring fund clean water projects for communities in need.

Hope Spring works with communities in Nigeria and elsewhere in West Africa to improve access to safe water, including the development of wells and boreholes. Access to clean water can also help reduce sanitation and hygiene challenges and improve everyday life for families.

The charity works with artists and designers to develop its eCard collection and provide different forms of digital greetings for supporters.

Gabriel's contribution is a donation of professional creative expertise rather than a financial donation. The collaboration also illustrates one way in which people can support charities through their professional skills, experience and creativity.

Once completed, Gabriel's six Christmas designs are expected to join the Hope Spring eCards Christmas collection. They will be available for people to use when sending seasonal greetings to friends, relatives and colleagues.