Christmas is looking a bit different this year, but we all want to buy gifts for Christmas, and there’s nothing like getting organised and knowing you have it all in hand.
The businesses featured are mostly clients and Brand Success Club members so I know their businesses fairly well and I’ve got to know the people a bit too which continues to be a joy. I only work with the very loveliest people – and these people happen to sell the loveliest things! I’m sharing a little about each business in my own words so you can see how I know each person.
This gift list is unfinished, I have some people to remind and some people to ask who I haven’t yet – so check back as more beautiful gifts are added for Christmas inspiration.
Aromatherapy Massage Candle. Altruis Living.
Sara has been a member of my Brand Success Club for aaaages and she sells the most amazing products to help you with your wellbeing, I love buying from Sara, she’s so kind and knowledgable and will give you excellent personal advice if you need it. Her Calming Aromatherapy Massage Candle is perfect for keeping the whole house calm in the run up to the big day or a gorgeous gift for people who have a busy mind! Also available in Bath Salts and Essential Oil Blend. Get the candle here, and take a look at the other beautiful products that Sara sells too including aromatherapy rollerballs, room sprays, essential oils and burners. My favourite is the Lime, Basil and Mandarin Room Spray.
Rowan Berry Box – stationery subscription box. Under the Rowan Trees
Earlier this year I refreshed the brand for Under the Rowan Trees, an incredible online stationery store which also has a monthly stationery subscription box! In the last year Danielle hasn’t just refreshed her whole brand and renamed her subscription box, she’s also built a garden studio to store all of the stationery in and hired two members of staff. How amazing is that? The ‘Little Bird‘ Rowan Berry Box is their first stationery subscription box that supports a charity! £2 from each box is donated to the RSPB to help give wildlife a home, all products used in this box are ethically sourced and their Rowan Berry Box packaging is made from recycled paper! Inside this box, you will receive a beautiful selection of stationery and stunning illustrated pieces by Chris Andrews!
Spend some time hanging around on the website too for the most beautiful stationery you can find… (the notebooks alone are worth stroking…)
Brownie Wheel. Van-illa Treats.
I’ve known Helen for years and years now, since the days of the Great Nappy Change when my now 11 year old daughter was a toddler! She is a member of my Brand Success Club and not only does she make these delicious brownie wheel (speaking from personal experience), she also does a mean afternoon tea and sells proper coffee in Millie, her coffee van. The Mini Brownie Wheel is £8 and is 4 slices. Regular is £12 and is 6 slices. Deluxe is £16 and is 8 slices. Most slices can serve 2. Postage and packing is from £4 depending on size. Local delivery available. Order via the Van-illa Treats Facebook page. If you’re near Kingston Park you can find out where Millie is going to be and nip out to get a good coffee and a smile from Helen too!
Handcrafted fabric wreaths. Kelly Robson Interiors.
Just before the first lockdown, Kelly opened her shop in Morpeth to complement her website (thankfully she already had this!) and I created a new logo to mark the occasion. This one involves gold and hearts and I love it. Kelly sells a range of beautiful homeware and gifts from lamp shades to cushions, plaques, baskets (I love a good basket), vases, baubles, jewellery and cushions – and she’s talented enough to make some of these herself using the most gorgeous fabrics. Beautiful handcrafted fabric wreaths, can be created in any colour – the picture shown is the large in gold (38cm) for £30 – she also sells a smaller version at 20cm for £20. Free local delivery or P&P £3.50. Visit her website to order. Follow her on Instagram too, she’s great at showing you how to use these items in your home, and how to decorate too (check out her living room wall!).
Accessories and tableware. Pop & Flo.
It seems like ages since I designed the logo for Hannah for her business Pop & Flo, selling beautiful, smiley, colourful accessories and tableware to add a pop of colour to your life. She’s so good at putting together beautiful colourful collections of products – you can see some of her garden inspired bowls, a starry scarf (I have the navy one), bobble hat, hot water bottle, earrings, bracelets, stripey candles, bud vases and hair accessories in these photographs. Everything in the pictures are £4.50 – £30 … affordable treats to give a smile!! Visit her website to see more – and check out her Instagram too for recipes, ponies, beautiful flowery table settings and life as a mum. Her girls have the best life.
Beers, spirits and other local gifts. Northumbrian Gifts.
I first worked with Northumbrian Gifts back when I was employed over 11 years ago when they rebranded, and I’m delighted to be working with them again now to help with their social media. Stephen and Katrina sell gifts created in old Northumbria – a huge selection representing over 50 local suppliers of beer, spirits, jam, candles, non-alcoholic drinks, tartan, chocolate and gift packs, meaning you can shop local with several businesses all under one roof. Images show the Christmas 3 Beer Gift Box which contains three Northumbrian Bottled Ales from three different local breweries for £9.95 (Stephen stresses that these do not taste like Christmas Cake), and the Jingle Collection, one of the local Christmas Gift Packs includes Northumberland Tea, a jar of Jeans Jam, a Jingle Berry candle and Lindisfarne shortbread for £17.70. They’re able to stay open during lockdown two, so pop along or you can click and collect, they’ll also deliver nationally and if you spend £25 they’ll deliver free within 25 miles of their warehouse.
Neals Yard Products. E Wood Holistics.
I’ve recently finished the new logo for E. Wood Holistics -shown above 😉 a project that involved getting my inks out. Always my favourite kind! I was very excited to meet Emily not least because she was one of the very view in person meetings I’ve had since March – and also because she sounded so happy on the phone. She is in lovely in real life too. Emily is a massage therapist offering a spa experience in the comfort of your own home, and also sells Neals Yard products as they fit so well with her core values. The products are all aromatherapy based and contain no nasties like artificial colours or preservatives. A lot of the products have won awards for their green credentials so good for you and good for the planet too! Emily would love you to shop at her web shop: https://uk.nyrorganic.com/shop/nyroemily You can also follow her on Facebook here and here.
Baubles and ribbon wreaths. Pink Haired Princess.
Last week I was overjoyed to receive one of these ribbon wreaths in my brand colours (great idea for your zoom calls and photographs don’t you think?) as a thank you gift from Lesley! She’s so lovely, I hadn’t done anything special but she thought otherwise and was so kind to send this to me. I’ve put it on the back of the door so you can see it when I’m being visible. Look out for it! Lesley hand ties ribbon wreaths and customises and creates baubles. She loves all things Christmas and has a good selection of Christmas items on her website including Tomte from Sweden. (It’s a Christmas paradise on there I’m telling you.)
Heritage Coffee. Durham Coffee.
Recently I’ve worked with Durham Coffee to design the label for their Beamish Blend Coffee which you can buy exclusively at Beamish Museum (this is just a bit exciting if you love coffee and if you’re a Northern person.) Outside of Beamish, they sell a Durham Heritage Range, which consists of seven different coffees and roast profiles. From light single origins to bold blends, there is something for everyone. Visit their website to buy.
Clocks and jewellery. Jill Stewart.
I had admired Jills work enough that when I met her I blurted out “you’re the clock lady!” much to my shock and her amusement. (Note: she also makes jewellery!) Jill is a member of my Brand Success Club and is just as lovely as her work, with a unique view on the world – I love her observations. Jill makes quirky metal clocks and jewellery for people who want some colour, fun and the gentle joy of handmade things. Check out her beautiful range here, and read her blog while you’re there.
Brand Makery Merry Market
Last October, Rachel of RJM Photography had an idea to create some online courses and she enlisted myself and Louise of The Word Kitchen so that we could work together to create online courses for product makers to help them create wowee brands by improving their graphics, copy and product photography. You can check out those courses here.
We wanted to help the product makers who were losing out on offline sales so in August we ran our first online market which was very successful, and we’re BACK at the end of November with the Brand Makery Merry Market where we already have over 60 stall holders ready to share their products with you. You can shop at the market by joining the Facebook group or by looking out for the #BrandMakeryMarket hashtag on Facebook and over on Instagram on the 28th and 29th November.