The Smith & Co Christmas Gift Guide 2023
There are less than 6 weeks until Christmas this year (I know!) and for those of you who are looking to support small businesses in the Essex and Suffolk area, I have compiled a little “shop local” Christmas gift guide. Each of the small businesses that I am highlighting here are incredible artisans who hand make their products and each is unique and beautiful. I have also worked to include a range of price ranges and interests, hopefully I introduce you to a lovely new maker who you can support this festive season. Links are clickable below photos of the products listed!
Remember, if you are shopping for Christmas, to order as early as possible to make sure your purchases arrive ahead of the big day. The postal service is always much busier at this time of year, so any time you can give yourself and the makers is helpful!
So, without further ado, I present the
Smith & Co Christmas Gift Guide 2023 🥳
Thistle And Rose
BCalm
Another incredible business focused on the power of essential oils is BCalm. Becky and her family live just down the road from me in Langham, so this is as local as it gets! BCalm’s goal is that we might Be Collectively All Living Mindfully. They have a design registered geo-cut glass diffuser to help improve your wellbeing. The range includes 8 organic essential oils and sets (with essential sets of 3 oils- £28.50 in a beautiful gift box worth £36.) sourced from sustainable farming methods and signature scents. These allow you to blend an aroma personal to you and your health needs.
Unlike other diffusers currently on the market, the BCALM diffuser has been uniquely and ergonomically designed; it is made of geo cut glass, with an easy to lift lid, and it looks truly stunning while scenting your home with a warm ambient light to improve mood and energy levels. It also shuts off safely while you sleep and can last 3+ hrs consistently or 0.5/1/3hr intervals.
Combine the following festive scents for Christmas (and to boost your energy levels before the mad rush of the busy day):
2 drops Frankincense, 2 drops Orange and 2 drops Peppermint. Based on adding to 100ml of cool water in your our best UK aroma diffuser. Alternatively use 5 to 8 drops of each essential oil separately depending on your mood. Use Sweet Orange to uplift, Frankincense for focus and become refreshed with Peppermint.
Festive Signature Scents £28.50
Hannah Farthing
Hannah Farthing is a name that followers of Smith & Co will know very well by now! She is the artist behind the beautiful illustrations that now adorn each of my candles and has been a huge part of this candle making journey. Well, she is not just a candle illustrator, she also happens to have a beautiful range of linocut prints which are all available in her Etsy shop.
These beautiful fern prints are two layer linocut prints, carved and printed by hand in Suffolk. They are printed on paper which uses recycled material from the beer brewing process which gives the paper a beautiful tactile fleck. The woodland series is inspired by Hannah’s daily dog walks in the woods, and they celebrate the wonders found in our native woodlands through the seasons. These A5 prints are perfect gifts for nature lovers and the price point makes them easy stocking fillers and ideal for gifting to friends.
Bracken Print £20 Broad Buckler Print £20
Mountain Dusk is inspired by a trip to the magical Scottish Highlands in winter, this print evokes that cold crisp air feeling at the end of a winter's day. Mountain Dusk is a limited edition reduction linocut, making it a special gift for someone who loves the mountains and great outdoors. Printed on FSC certified paper made in the Lake District.
Christina Marie Art
Christina Marie Art has become my go to maker when it comes to Christmas decor. Christina is another Suffolk based artist who paints beautiful landscapes and also makes incredible decorations and home objects. I have purchased many a Christmas cloche from Christina over the last few years, because I love the simple and scandi vibe. The prices in Christina’s Etsy shop range from £2.50-£24 and she has sent along a little taste of the beauties on offer!
Jessica Sian
Jessica Sian is an Essex based artist who is quickly picking up accolades for her work, including being named Young Trader of the Year 2023 by the National Market Traders Federation. With a love of drawing buildings and a desire to create art that means something to the owner, Jess brings all of this together with her family’s love of football to create a range of intricate, hand drawn football stadium prints. These best selling prints are inspired by a childhood spent watching Ipswich Town with her dad. The perfect gift for those hard to buy for football fans, Jess’ football stadium prints add some personality to interiors and remind football fans of happy memories watching their team.
Thimble and Fabric
Jess started making easy craft kits in lockdown. She enjoyed embroidery as a way to destress and unwind, and wanted to share that with other people too. After her experience with postpartum depression, Jess is passionate about helping people manage their mental health with creativity.
The Christmas car embroidery kit is designed specifically for beginner stitchers - perfect for a creative friend, or anyone you know who needs help to find time and space to relax this Christmas. This lovely kit comes packaged in a drawstring bag made from sustainably sourced cotton, ideal for keeping your project in whilst you work on it. Jess always includes an option to add traditional embroidery scissors to create a super special gift. This kit and all of Jess’ kits, come in a letterbox friendly sized package so you can send directly to the recipient too!
Em May
Emily is an artist and print designer working from her Radwinter studio. She is a big believer in conscious consumption and a lover of vintage treasures, her goal is to create timeless pieces that are beautiful enough to be kept forever. The “heirlooms of the future”. I gifted Emily’s 2023 Floral Calendar last Christmas and have enjoyed seeing it displayed in my sister-in-law’s house! It’s absolutely beautiful and a celebration of seasonal birth flowers. Printed in the UK on luxury laid card and easily posted directly to your recipient, this is a unique and beautiful gift that your loved one will cherish all year.
Love from Lucy
Lovely Lucy is a ceramicist specialising in gorgeous and unique earrings. She creates beautiful, unique and wearable pieces of art. Hand crafted, kiln fired, her ceramic earrings are made with love to bring joy to you or a loved one. I wore a pair of the danglies to a wedding in the summer and had so many compliments! Until very recently, Lucy was only stocked in shops but you can finally shop with her directly from her website. Her dangly earrings are definitely a favourite and her limited edition robins are the perfect festive pair!
Smith & Co
It is officially peak candle season! I love this time of year for lighting candles around my home and my scent of choice is definitely Winter. It is a spicy mix including orange peel, cardamom and cinnamon and blends nostalgia with fresh. The perfect Christmas candle, it is available in 4 sizes, including the boxed and ready to gift Triple Wick. Tied with a red ribbon, this is a stunning centre piece candle handmade by me on the Essex/Suffolk border. You can also buy Winter as a wax melt and a bag of melts can be included with the handmade ceramic wax melter from Ella Bua-In in a beautiful gift set. Both candles and wax melts are available now here on the website.
Wivenhoe Flowers
You might know that I am incredibly interested in supporting local flower farmers and the most local one to me is Susie of Wivenhoe Flowers. Susie grows a wide variety of beautiful stems and has an incredible subscription service available for 6 months (from April to September). Monthly deliveries of fresh market bunches are available within 5 miles of Colchester for £140, with an eco delivery service.
And if you’re lucky enough to live in Wivenhoe, Ardleigh or Great Bromley, you can choose monthly or fortnightly jam jar posies or market bunches delivered straight from the field by the grower! These start at £75.
It is also possible to collect flower subsriptions from Wivenhoe. For more information and to purchase, please email Susie directly! wivenhoeflowers@gmail.com
