Shop Early for Christmas
It feels really early to be shouting about Christmas gifting at the beginning of October, but when I was doing markets in August people were confiding that the purchases that they were making were actually for Christmas presents! For some of you this post will therefore be perfectly-timed - I’ve got a lovely range of eco-friendly Christmas cards and wrapping paper already in stock, with more cards to come later this month, alongside drops of new gift sets featuring some of my best-selling designs, as well as commission slots for those looking to give something unique and bespoke!
Folksy Shop Early for Christmas event
Following on from the success of their first ‘Shop Early for Christmas’ event in 2023, Folksy are running it again this year, for the whole of October – giving you even more chance to shop early, shop well and shop handmade this season!
Folksy may not be as widely known as Etsy as an online marketplace, but in terms of my experience both as a customer and a store-owner, I don’t think you can compare the two. I’ve been running a Folksy shop for just over 12 months as I love the fact that the platform supports and celebrates British artists and artisan, is based (and pays tax) here in the UK and offers a clear and transparent service for me as a creative business owner. I think that their event tagline really sums it up:
Shop small, shop well and give craft this Christmas
So if - as part of your Christmas shopping - you’re looking for eco-friendly art prints and gifts, designed and printed in the UK, and with plastic-free packaging, here’s a little reminder of why you might like to visit my Folksy shop this month.
Coastal Christmas Cards
Quirky illustrations and pun-tastic messaging
Last year I launched my first range of Christmas Cards - my Coastal Christmas collection, featuring a puffin, herring gull, arctic tern, gannet and eider duck complete with party hats and gifts for the occasion, alongside a seasonally-appropriate pun.
Each large square card (148x148mm) is printed onto recycled card (350gsm) and comes with a recycled kraft envelope. Printed inside with the message 'Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!'
These sets of x4 cards are available to purchase now from my Folksy shop
Eco-Friendly Gifting - All Wrapped Up
My beautiful-quality Christmas wrapping paper sheets measure 500x700mm, use thick recycled paper, and come in three designs:
Come to the Party: featuring the jolly selection of festive coastal birds getting ready for xmas that I used in my Christmas Card designs
Starry Night: Magical stars twinkle above a forest
Vintage Baubles: A set of illustrations inspired by vintage glass decorations
Each wrapping paper design uses a complementary colour palette in fresh and modern turquoises, pinks and blues, and each sheet of paper comes with x2 matching gift tags.
Making gifting easy
I’ve started to put together gift sets featuring some of my best-selling products and designs, like this Coastal Birds Gift set, which includes a fine bone china mug, a set of x4 wooden coasters and a 100% organic cotton tea towel for £35 (representing a saving of £7 on the items purchased separately).
I’ve worked hard to identify suppliers that share my values around environmental responsibility; all of the companies I work with are based in the UK and take sustainability seriously, but still create beautiful-quality products.
Keep checking my Folksy store through October for more gift sets (or get in touch with me directly if you’d like to create a custom-order gift set).
Need something bespoke?
Are you looking for a special and unique gift, or perhaps just a piece of art that means something to you?
You can commission me to create an original illustrated map to capture memories (of a special holiday, places you've lived, or things that have happened) with the associated landmarks, wildlife and geographical features, all defined by you; I also take commissions for single illustrations.
I only have a couple of slots available this autumn to create commissions for Christmas gifting, so get in touch to discuss your ideas or have a read of my blog on the commissions process, if you’d like a bit more information.
New for 2024
I’ve been working on a new range of Christmas cards for 2024, including two designs to match my existing Christmas Gift Wrap (Starry Night and Vintage Baubles) as well as two new designs featuring original watercolour illustrations: Figgy Pudding and Merry Christmas Wreath. Hand-lettered typography. These designs are being printed as we speak onto thick recycled card and will be available in packs of x4 from my Folksy shop in mid-October.
