Carol Sharp was the winner of a Post Office commission to design a new set of seasonal stamps.

The photographer, who is passionate about plants, uses her own garden as inspiration for much of her work.

The result is a series of stamps featuring the spruce on second-class stamps, holly berries on first-class, and Carol's own favourite, the pine cone.

She said: "It's really exciting. I suppose its the furthest I can hope to reach."

The Yuletide issue is usually the most popular one of the year, and the Post Office estimates as many as two billion cards will be stuck with one of Carol's stamps.