A GUIDE TO SHOPPING SMALL THIS FESTIVE SEASON.
It’s always important to shop small and independent where possible, especially this year with everything that’s been happening due to lockdown. Which is why we wanted to put a gift guide together to shine some spotlight on all the small independent businesses we love.
Whether it’s Christmas cards, unique jewellery pieces or handmade candles, we feel there is something in this blogpost for everyone.
Kick starting this blogpost with @millieillustrates, Millie an Illustrator, hoping to illustrate the world pink. Millie draws locations inspired pieces, always adding a bit of magic to each design. There are so many beautiful places around the world, Millie loves to be able to bring that escapism to peoples homes. Offering a selection of art prints and cards, you can shop here.
Once Upon a Tuesday
Once Upon a Tuesday is a 2020 lockdown start up by Michele, who designs them in Cornwall and has them printed at a local, family run printers just down the road. She’s designed a collection of 2021 Calendars, as well as Perpetual Birthday Calendars that you can keep forever, and keep adding birthdays and special dates to. Everything is printed on recycled and recyclable paper and all packaging is plastic free.
The perfect gift to kick start 2021. Shop here.
Poppy Almond Design
Poppy is a Freelance Illustrator and Designer. Poppy sells super fun colourful art prints, gretting cards, stickers and cute personalised beaded jewellery pieces. Shop here
Tangerine Collective
Tangerine Collective sell super unique, fun, colourful candles. Designed and hand poured in North London, all vegan and cruelty free. The perfect gift for the candle lovers in your life. Stocklists include @w.a.greenlondon, @atikalondon, formshopstudio and you can shop here.
Lazy Disco
Lazy Disco is an independent accessory brand, currently based in Brighton and founded in early 2020. Lazy Disco sell super cute, playful jewellery pieces. Perfect for feeling cute when you’re feeling lazy. Minimal effort with maximum effect! Shop here.
The Neighbourhood Threat
Design studio based in Salford, specialising in the funkiest homewares and decor. Not only sell vintage clothing, but a range of bespoke handmade homewares made from recycled vintage textiles! Shop here.
Summer Morning Studios
Summer Morning Studios launched in 2020 in a little flat in Edinburgh, Summer Morning Studios started as a project to keep busy in lockdown. “CANDLES TOO PRETTY TO BURN is our motto - the collection is designed to be ogled and admired as opposed to burned but if you do take a lighter to these bad boys, the smell is DIVINE”. Shop here.
Brew Norfolk
Brew Norfolk is a new print and stationery online store based in Norwich. Creating anything from greeting cards, notepads to daily planners. The cutest stationery perfect for the person in your life who loves to be organised and loves a to do list! Shop here.
The Spotter’s Guide
Self-published in 2020 through Crowdfunder, this pocket-sized guide is the essential companion to your daily commute. The aim of this book is to identify all of the various beings you would encounter on your journey through London. Whether that is being beaten by a worryingly oversized backpack or crushed against the armpit of a man who has yet to discover the miracle of deodorant. It’s not very much, so you can buy yourself and your nan a copy. Shop here.
Emmy Lupin Studio
Emmy Smith is an illustrator behind Emmy Lupin Studio. Her illustrations often feature women, with bold use of pattern and colour and aim to playful yet relatable. Offering a range of postcards, prints and other stationery items. Perfect for the girl boss in your life! Shop here.
The Goddess Revolution
Seonaid started The Goddess Revolution in April as a way to empower women and marginalised groups whilst simultaneously creating social change. As such, her products have been designed to do just that whilst adding a pop of colour to any space! All of her art pieces are created with a marginalised group in mind and she always try to highlight the importance of said group through her product designs, whether that be through education or direct fundraising.
Seonaid has a range of art prints, postcards, badges and stickers with the plans of branching out into homeware and apparel, watch this space. Shop here.
Leigh Elizabeth Studio
Leigh is an embellishment designer and the founder of Leigh Elizabeth Studio. Launching in 2018 with the ambition to create colourful, made to order accessories for people who love to stand out and have fun with fashion. Her collections are made up of happy colours to brighten up your day and add some fun to your outfit.
All embellished pieces are designed with compassion for the environment in mind, using remnant, natural and recycled fabrics and recycled sequins to make her pieces sparkle. Everything is made to order or comes in small batches, creating barely ever any waste, yay! Shop here.
Lotta Blobs
Lotta Blobs is London based brand and aims to add a touch of colour and fun to everyone’s reflection! The perfect gift to inject a bit of fun into any room within your home. Shop here.
BirKim Bags
Kimberley created BirKim from an idea at 3am. Inspired by the urge to use a block of clay I had lying around, and the need to create something fun, occasionally offensive and different. “"There is something great about the style and design on plastic bags, although their single use consumption is an issue so I wanted to make something that would have pride of place in homes and create conversations”.
The cutest pots you ever did see! Shop here.
Are We Nearly Bare Yet?
Louisa Foley is a Leeds based illustrator behind the project Are We Nearly Bare Yet. The project aims to subvert the male gaze and reclaim ownership of the 'Nude’. She highlights the diversity, beauty and even humour of the 'Nude' using illustration, colour and her subjects poses. In doing so she aims to lead the viewer away from typical judgements whilst liberating the subject and the audience. Shop here.
Hand and Palm
Hand and Palm sells a wide variety of art and other lovely things with a hand drawn finish. Created by artist and graphic designer Luci who is Inspired by day to day life and internal thoughts, each design comes from a place of experimentation, love and humour. Shop here.
Ryan Carl Studio
Ryan us a multidisciplinary designer and graphic artist based in New York. His academic background has played an integral role in developing a design process and mission of creating thoughtful, meaningful work. Ryan has a selection of prints which you can shop here.
Quincy
Quincy is ran by Kate, a woman owned company specialising in gifts and plants. She started during the pandemic and worked her best to curate a carefree and fun assortment for the community. The shop is named after Quincy, the town Kate grew up in and hold near to my heart! The perfect pieces for your home, shop here.
Florence Edridge
Florence is a Illustrator, crafter and print designer based in the South East of England. Her work is inspired by all things vintage, kitsch, cartoons and nineties riot grrrl bands. Selling all things from t-shirts to notebooks. Shop here & here.
Rebecca Journal
Rebecca is an illustrator-turned-bag-maker, using carefully chosen secondhand fabrics and sustainably produced materials to create chic and characterful tote bags that are light on the conscious and good for the planet. Shop here.
Wolf & Moon
Wolf & Moon is a handcrafted jewellery label by British designer Hannah Davis. Inspired by nature, architecture, art and design. Making unique, wearable jewellery, from eye-catching statement pieces to everyday essentials. Shop here.
Night Time Holiday
Night Time Holiday is a small independent jewellery brand founded by Brooke Robson. The brand has grown from her love for colour, fun and personality within style. All Night Time Holiday jewellery is handmade from start to finish by one pair of hands in Brooke’s home studio in Grimsby, Lincolnshire. Shop here.
Al’s Place
Alice Kelly is a tufting artist based in the North West of England, breaking the mould that rugs only belong on the floor.All pieces are one of a kind and uniquely designed. Made with love and attention using her tufting gun. Alice’s designs are interior aimed and she applies her attention to detail to elevate the home with colour and texture. The coolest homeware piece to gift someone. Shop here.
By April Quigley
is all about bright, fun, colourful jewellery that doesn’t take itself too seriously and hopes to bring joy to not only the wearer but those around them too!
“Everything is handmade and hand painted - as my name would suggest - by me, April Quigley, and every item is one-of-a-kind. In a world of fast fashion and mass production (and mass consumption), I wanted to make jewellery as unique and special as the individual that would end up wearing it. In the words of my wonderful mama, “they really are tiny little pieces of art”, and I hope, at the very least, they make you smile”. The cutest jewellery pieces, perfect for the accessory lover in your life. Shop here.
Ohverlee
The home of kind and self-empowering posi wares to inspire and pretty up your surroundings on the daily. Created by self-confessed mirror ball enthusiast and millennial pink obsessed Ruthie, OHVERLEE is run by the one-girl-band designer from her Cambridgeshire home studio where she works surrounded by mirror ball sparkles and her Labrador puppy, Marnie.
With a highly-engaged Insta community of fellow positive vibes enthusiasts, Ruthie’s style is ultra-feminine, brimming with personality and inspired by trends and patterns seen in interiors. From signature wares like the best-selling ‘It’s Cool To Be Kind’ Wall Hanging to Postcards and Prints, each of OHVERLEE’s wares is lovingly designed, made and printed in the UK. Shop here.
As always, please spread the love with these stores, purchase from them if you can, and if not thats okay, simply follow them on Instagram and engage with what they put out there, it really does help and please do share any more awesome independent artists and businesses with us. Happy shopping!
