Card and Gift Blog: January 2011

Valentine's Cards & Gifts - Tutt Tutt Designs ...

Sorry there has been a little delay in posting (computer problems) I'm back now and before my laptop explodes I should get on with it ...

It's lovely to find up and coming designers who are bringing fresh new products into the world of Cards and Gifts; today I have a designer that fits the bill perfectly. Currently in the second year of a degree in Design and simultaneously selling her wares via Folksy, designer Sonia Whitehead aka Tutt Tutt Designs has some cute items perfect for Valentine's Day.

The Heartfall Gift Set is a one-stop set for decorating and presenting your Valentine's gift. For the wonderful price of £6.00 you get three cards, two sheets of A3 wrap, three gift tags with black ribbon and a pack of twelve vinyl stickers.

The cards and wrap are created from high quality board and papers giving them a luxurious feel. I love the sharp illustration which creates a clean, crisp design against the pure white background

Alongside the Heartfelt set Sonia has some brilliant prints that would make lovely gifts lasting well beyond Valentine's Day. As you may know from previous posts I love typography so the 'God Only Knows' print for me is an ideal gift; it fits the occasion but would look good all year round. The A4 digital print is £5.00 and is available in four different colourways.

Or you could present your loved one an 'As if the Heart' illustration; a hand-rendered and digitally enhanced print on a high-quality bright white paper. If you're looking for something unique and inspiring in your Valentine's gifts it's definitely worth considering looking at the hand-made market where you can pick up rare gifts from up and coming or established artists.

If you want to find out more about Tutt Tutt Designs visit Sonia's blog or if you'd rather go straight to the shopping you can visit the Tutt Tutt Folksy Shop by clicking here.

Gifts: Thabto (Two Heads Are Better Than One) ...

Thabto (Two Heads Are Better Than One) was founded by designers Steven and James following their graduation from Central Saint Martins, London in 2006. The home of fun gifts, original accessories and design-led homewares, today we've got some great photos from their collection for their brilliant gift potential.

Launched in 2008 the original Thabto product, which is a pure kitchen classic is the Knuckle Duster Mug; a shiny drinking vessel that's furnished with its very own knuckle duster handle. Part porcelain - part shiny accessory these mugs set themselves apart in any kitchen. Available in white, white & gold and black & silver the mugs retail between £9.95 and £10.95.

If you want your kitchen accessories a little more emotional there is no better choice than Mood Mugs. Simple hand made porcelain mugs with a cute and quirky facial expression to match your mood. Whether happy, moody or sleepy there's a mug to suit ... take home all three and use as required. Each mug has double wall insulation to keep your drinks warm without scorching your hands. The range retails at £8.95 each.

Tom, Dick and Harry are character storage jars to brighten up your kitchen. The glint in their little black eyes shows the goods hidden inside: T for Tea, S for Sugar and C for Coffee. The stylish design ensures a spoon can fit snugly inside leaving these little fellas ready for action whenever you put the kettle on. The jars are available to purchase online as a set for £29.95.

The final images are the Taste Explosion Salt & Pepper Shakers - condiment grenades that are designed to add "a bit of a boom to your dining room" ... you have to love a product with its own rhyme!

The Shakers even come in a secure ammo box! Like all of the Thabto range these Shakers are fun items that would make fab gifts for stylish homes. The set of two grenades retail at just £9.95.

To see or purchase any of these designs and more from Thabto take a wander over to their official website. With the promise of exciting new products in the pipeline I'll definitely be keeping an eye out for new gift possibilities & promise to keep you informed.

Valentine's Cards: Sabah Designs - Sew ... Loved Up!

As January seems to be speeding by I think it's about time I started to weave in a few posts dedicated to Valentine's Day. With this in mind, today's post is brimming with love and hearts direct from Sabah Designs.

The range consists of eight brand-new, fresh designs perfect for Valentine's Day; each features an intricate, machine embroidered pattern on a delicate organza heart.

Each of the pretty hearts is mounted on a high quality, premium board. Designs are co-ordinated with simple Valentine's text on the front page and left blank on the inside for your own personal message.

The cards are 155mm square and each is matched with either a fuchsia pink or red envelope. The range retails at £3.99 per card.

For full information on this range (and a list of stockists) or more design-led, embroidered cards from Sabah Designs you can visit their official website. Alternatively you can buy the range direct from the NOTHS website.

Gifts: Susie Watson Designs ...

Today's post is all about the pretty, fresh designs of Susie Watson Designs. Their collection of pottery, fabrics, cards and gifts is huge and everything is so lovely it's difficult to know what to show first. Their pottery line however is a great place to start; typical of the collection and containing some fabulous, best-selling pieces that make lovely gifts.

With the small imperfections and charm typical of handmade pieces; the pottery is made with care and attention to detail in Sri Lanka. Each design is crafted using traditional studio methods and is suitable for dishwasher and microwave use.

Once the basic piece is made it is hand-decorated to the highest standards. The image above shows the funky pottery pitchers, with a contemporary shape that can't get easily knocked over ... perfect if you have a clumsy streak like myself. The pitchers come in three sizes: Mini, Baby or Medium, which retail at £16, £27.50 and £39 respectively. With a number of different patterns across the ranges that are perfect for cream teas or even a little posy of flowers.

Susie Watson Designs has also handcrafted a range of beautiful yet substantial pottery mugs. Conical Mugs are available in 15 designs, retailing at £16.50. The chunky Straight Mug is perfect for a huge cup of tea; available in 23 designs they are £15.75 each.

Susie Watson Designs pottery collection has thought of everything you could ever want to brighten up and beautify your kitchen or home, evident in their mini range of cute Teabag Holders. Like all of the pottery collection the designs are handmade and hand-decorated. There are five designs to choose from at the bargain price of £3.50

All of these gifts and many more are available online. To see more or purchase from Susie Watson Designs take a wander over to the official website.

NEW! Cards: Soul UK ...

This is a really exciting time of year in the world of cards and gifts; the new year brings the first deliveries of lovely new designs into the shops. Today's post shows off some of those very designs that will be the fresh new highlights in stores and boutiques across the UK. These are four brand new ranges from boutique publisher Soul UK.

The first images are from 'Soul Casa' a modern, stylish collection of everyday cards, designed by Soul's in-house designer, Vikki Aust. The bold illustrations use a bright palette that stands out against the patterned, dove grey background (the pattern even continues inside). Each printed card is made extra special with glossy varnish highlights that really makes the images shine.

'Soul Château' is a range with a French twist; the delicate designs are distressed to produce a soft, vintage feel. The collection is made up of 14 die-cut occasion cards designed by Lorna Siviter. The inside text shows through the die-cut shapes to offer a modern 3D effect and a foil finish behind the print provides an eye-catching addition to the style.

'Soul Mika' are sleek and stunning; bright colours, combined with florals, texture and pattern to provide a stylish contemporary look. The cards even have a touch of glamour with silver foil and flitter finishes. The 14 everyday designs even have a special surprise on the back of the cards ... you'll have to raid the shops to check out what it is!

The final new range from Soul is 'Curly Girl' twenty cards crafted into quirky images with humorous yet sentimental text ... perfect girlie designs. Using layered collages of retro prints and textured papers the designs are a pretty range with a modern feel. Each card features hand printed and carefully cut text to spell out the endearing messages. The work of Curly Girl Design in the USA, Soul has brought the designs here to publish for the UK market.

All of the new cards retail between £1.99 - £2.25, for more information pop along to the Soul UK website.

NEW! Gifts - Wild & Wolf + Rob Ryan ...

I think along with the rest of the world I loved the Paper Cuts Designs of Rob Ryan the moment I saw them and I'm so glad that over the last few years you have been able to see his work more and more. The designs are always distinct, showcasing the unique magical & whimsical style. Today I'm delighted that we've got some gifts to show you covered in the fantastic designs - direct from Wild and Wolf.

The 'Four Trees, Four Seasons' collection is a gift set of four 9" plates. Each is decorated with a signature Rob Ryan Paper Cut Design that weaves together delicate imagery and poetic lyrics. A beautiful and romantic gift they would be a fabulous addition to any home. RRP £24.95.

For the girls this bright printed Wash Bag could be a useful gift but it becomes something extra special with the Rob Ryan design ... a Wash Bag perfect for showing off! Retailing at £22.95 it makes a wonderful gift - fill it with a heap of cosmetics or toiletries for extra brownie points.

A very suitable present for the current climate here in the UK would be this gorgeous Rob Ryan Umbrella. It's print features the words 'And you face a rainy day with a smile not a frown' ... which is sure to keep you in a positive mood no matter how rainy it gets. RRP £17.95.

It even looks pretty wrapped up and waiting for the rain to come ...

There's even adorable Rob Ryan printed bunting for the Sunny days or for those of you lucky enough to be residing somewhere other than rainy England ...

Complete with storage pouch. RRP £24.95.

And finally a design you can take with you everywhere you go. This cute Rob Ryan Shopper is more than the average Canvas Bag coming complete with a zip-up internal pocket and two badges. RRP £24.95.

All of the items shown today are available from Bloomsbury & Co, you can visit their website here. To find out more about Wild and Wolf and their splendid products visit their website. If you've loved these Rob Ryan gifts please leave a comment or hit one of the nifty 'reactions' buttons. You should also come back to Card & Gift Blog very soon as I've saved some of the Rob Ryan collection as they make perfect Valentine's and Easter gifts!

Gifts: Selina Campbell ...

Selina Campbell is a Jeweller and Silversmith making gorgeous contemporary designs. Today we've got some fabulous pieces from her 'Floral Outline' collection, each one part of a limited production that would make a rare, beautiful gift.

Selina's work is inspired by the beautiful forms to be found in flora and fauna. The layered structures and geometric patterns recurring in nature give the jewellery a modern look, with intricate details adding a special feel to each piece.

The majority of the jewellery pieces are handmade using an elaborate mix of techniques, which includes soldering, piercing, polishing and hand-finishing. The designs maintain the natural white appearance of silver, which acts as a contrast to the polished edges creating distinct patterns and a modern yet classic style.

Available to buy online from sites including Love Dazzle, the retail prices start from £45 for a pair or Earrings. There are lots of designs and price ranges to choose from so you're sure to find something perfect for a birthday, Wedding, Anniversary or Valentine's Day. To find out more pop along to Selina's website.

Cards: Think Bubble ...

Today's post features some fab greetings cards that incorporate not only a badge but maths into their designs ... funky, original and educational! They come direct from Think Bubble, take a look ...

Think Bubble is the collaboration of Janette Phillips, a graphic designer and Diana Fegredo, a card & gift retailer with an art college background. Combining their skills and insider knowledge they have created Think Bubble where they publish a collection including art cards, photographic cards and of course their hugely popular badge cards.

The origin of the "Arithmetic Badge Cards" started with Janette who was inspired by her son and his 'whizzkid-style' maths ability. The range is a novel twist on age and occasion cards bringing a smart edge to the traditional greetings card; the range has even been used as a teaching aid in primary schools!

The Arithmetic badge cards measure 125mm x 125mm and come in a range of bright designs for all ages. Retailing with an RRP of £2.75 the range is available across the UK. A full list on stockists can be found on the Think Bubble website.

To see more of the Arithmetic cards and the other ranges of Think Bubble pop along to their website.

Gifts: Hot Munkey ...

I feel like I have eased myself into the New Year in a calm & casual way so it's time to pack 2010 away and jump straight into looking at the new Cards & Gifts that will be coming our way in 2011.

There seemed no better place to start than on my Leicestershire-doorstep with the impossibly cute gifts of Hot Munkey.

Hot Munkey specialise in handmade, unique and above all quirky gifts. Today's post features the bestselling Mutant Dolls. Handmade into hundreds of combinations, each one is a delightful mix of funky fabrics and fabulous facial expressions resulting in toy that is cute, scary or a mix of the two.

Mutant Dolls are available in four sizes (small, medium, large and extra large) and come equipped with a sucker and key chain, enabling them to be stuck or attached to any place that needs their bold, bright charm whether that's at home, at work or in your car.

Alongside the Mutant Dolls you'll find a heap of designs in the collection, my personal favourite being 'The Cutie Gang' the range can be used as keyrings or bag charms. The cute critters are crafted from Hot Munkey's endless supplies of fabrics and embellished with a heap of accessories like their monster relations the Mutant Dolls.

Available to purchase online at the Hot Munkey store Mutant Dolls are priced £4.95, £9.95, £14.95 and £19.95 depending on their size. Go grab one for yourself now.

Mini Trends of 2010 ...

You have to love a mini trend and there are a few that seemed to pop up across 2010's Cards & Gifts. No doubt because they have been decorating products to create something fun, beautiful or funky. Here are a few examples that I think will make great inspiration for present buying in 2011.

Russian Dolls ...