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Welcome I'm so excited to be sharing this year Christmas guide with you. It's a bumper edition of over 100 pages featuring 90 small businesses to shop from this Christmas.
This year I had over 270 applications submitted. Thank you so much to everyone who's taken the time to submit their products for consideration. With so many applications it has taken a good few weeks to put this together and I hope you love it. Please let me know if you buy anything from any of the brands featured in this guide, I really would love to know.
I will be going live with some of the brand owners and will do a show and tell live to show some of the beautiful products off.
Therese x @small_business_collaborative
www.smallbusiness collaborative.co.uk
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Guides Christmas Decorations
Homewares
4-13
54-63
Beauty & Wellbeing
Greetings Cards
14-23
64-73
Fashion & Fashion accessories
Children's Gifts 74-83
24-33
Foodie Gifts
Stocking Fillers
34-43
84-93
Stationery
Prints & Wall decorations
44-53
94-103
www.smallbusiness collaborative.co.uk
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snoitaroceD samtsirhC Image credit: Whole Punching
Whole Punching
Whole Punching is a cosy one stop shop for everything punch needle - from complete beginner punch needle beginner kits and rug yarn to fabric, tools and punch needle workshops. Whole Punching welcomes beginners, experts and everyone in between to embrace a slowerpaced, sustainable lifestyle through contemporary craft, as we provide high quality materials and guidance along the way. Designed & made in the UK, recyclable packaging, contemporary craft kits for the modern maker. I love how modern Sara's kits are and can't wait to make my own Christmas tree decorations this year + I've got my eye on this cushion kit too.
Meet Sara
I started my business whilst I worked in Student Experience Enhancement for a University. When I started selling on Etsy 3 years ago there weren't any other punch needle kits on there! Now there are tons. It's a small business, just myself until I recently took on my partner Doug. I drag in any useful friends or family into the business making it family run.
PRICE RANGE: WHOLESALE: WEBSITE:
For kits £32.50- £100 Yes https://www.wholepunching.co.uk/
ORDER BY (UK DEL): MIN X 2 MARGIN: INSTAGRAM:
www.smallbusiness collaborative.co.uk
17 Dec Yes @wholepunching
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Fab Rap
FabRap is an award winning brand of reusable fabric gift wrapping. Join the reuse revolution with beautifully illustrated, reusable fabric gift wrap for every occasion. FabRaps are ethically made from 100% certified organic cotton. Zero waste and multi-purpose, these gift wraps are used time and again to delight and enhance the act of giving. The very best alternative to throw-away paper to treasure and pass on to cherished family and friends, or to keep forever. I love wrapping up beautiful gifts and these wraps and would make any gift extra special this year and for many more years to come.
Meet Hema
Hema always found gift wrapping to be very rewarding. So much so, in fact, that she was her family's designated wrapper each festive season. For her, wrapping gifts beautifully is a way to increase their meaning and value. Being of Indian origin, she grew up surrounded by luxurious textiles and was always fascinated by the immense array of colours, fabrics and designs she would find during visits to India.
PRICE RANGE: WHOLESALE: WEBSITE:
£7.99- £26.99 Yes https://fabrap.co
ORDER BY (UK DEL): MIN X 2 MARGIN: INSTAGRAM:
www.smallbusiness collaborative.co.uk
20 Dec Yes @fabrap_
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Badger and Birch
Badger & Birch has a growing range of recycled and sustainable eco-resin homeware and gifts. Their pieces are handmade from an eco resin that is non-toxic and free from VOCs. These cute personalised terrazzo white eco-resin and recycled shell hanging tree decorations are hand-finished, waxed and threaded with crushed velvet grey ribbon and can be personalised with a name or initials for a loved one. The whole collection is beautiful and I particularly love this adorable set of three-star meditation candles in pink nude terrazzo. Comes beautifully presented in a natural Badger and Birch gift pouch and with three natural beeswax candles.
Meet Hazel Maker Hazel works closely with a local restaurant in Falmouth, Cornwall where she is based and takes their waste mussel, oyster and scallop shells to recycle into handcrafted pieces. The shells are cleaned and crushed ready to become terrazzo embedded into the eco resin. A process of hand wet sanding exposes the shells and patterns created.
PRICE RANGE: WHOLESALE: WEBSITE:
£10- 69 Yes https://www.badgerandbirch.co.uk
ORDER BY (UK DEL): MIN X 2 MARGIN: INSTAGRAM:
www.smallbusiness collaborative.co.uk
17 Dec Yes @badgerandbirch
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Also the Bison
When Maddie started Also the Bison back in 2016 she wanted to create something bright, colourful and fun but most of all, she wanted to reject the fast-paced, unsustainable and unethical practices she had seen daily working in the fashion industry. She work with other small businesses in the UK and Sweden to print her designs, businesses who care just as much about the environment and their employees as she does. All her products are made from the finest natural, recycled and FSC certified materials. I love how these decorations can be used all year round and not just for Christmas and think they would also make excellent gift tags.
Meet Maddie
I'm Maddie and I'm the artist, designer, accountant, tea-maker, order-packer and admin whizz behind Also the Bison. I'm involved from the first brushstroke of a design all the way along to packaging up your orders and sending them to you. All the illustrations are inspired by the Natural World, breathing life into old collections of curiosities in museum cases, strange taxidermy creatures and diagrams in dusty, forgotten books.
PRICE RANGE: WHOLESALE: WEBSITE:
£1-£159 Yes https://alsothebison.co.uk/
ORDER BY (UK DEL): MIN X 2 MARGIN: INSTAGRAM:
www.smallbusiness collaborative.co.uk
9 Dec Yes @alsothebison
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Georgie Murton
After gaining critical acclaim as a tailor, Georgie identified a gap in the market for a forwardthinking lifestyle brand, that embodied her passion for uncompromising quality, whilst remaining individually unique. Georgie Murton was launched to meet that need and boasts a range of handmade garments and home accessories that are designed for life. Every product is finished to the highest quality and is designed to be durable and seasonally transitional. I love that these crackers are designed and handmade to last, whilst encapsulating the fun of a traditional cracker. They can be pulled, and still create a ‘winner’. The velcroed ends create a satisfying rip sound, to replace the usual bang. Sustainable and fun!
Meet Georgie
Georgie Murton is a bespoke tailor and creative with a passion for hand-making garments of exceptional quality and individuality. After leaving school at 18, Georgie pursued her passion for sewing and secured an exclusive apprenticeship as a coatmaker at an internationally renowned Mayfair based tailor.
PRICE RANGE: WHOLESALE: WEBSITE:
£4- £40 Yes www.georgiemurton.co.uk
ORDER BY (UK DEL): MIN X 2 MARGIN: INSTAGRAM:
www.smallbusiness collaborative.co.uk
16 Dec Yes @georgiemurtonuk
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Made by Shannon
Made by Shannon is an environmentally conscious design brand based in the quaint village of Abinger Hammer, Surrey. Shannon is passionate about creating products that are high quality and bring joy & laughter into people’s everyday lives. These adorable snowmen are carefully handmade in the UK using vintage French linen fabric that has been sourced from across the UK and France. The pink snowmen are naturally hand-dyed using avocado stones. Each one arrives with a vintage fabric scarf. Shannon has a range of personalised ceramic and wooden decorations and a big range of really beautiful cards and everything is so thoughtfully made and I love how her cards are both beautiful and fun, you might have come across her cards in one of her 200+ stockists.
Meet Shannon
Shannon is obsessed with unusual and mindfully made paper. Her cards are printed onto card stock that is handmade in Italy from discarded paperwork, created using waste from food & drink production, embedded with wild flower seeds and made from recycled paper pulp. Her latest find is eco-friendly card stock that is handmade in a traditional mill in England using the fun & unusual ingredient of reindeer poo which creates a beautiful flecked card.
PRICE RANGE: WHOLESALE: WEBSITE:
£3- £30 Yes www.madebyshannon.co.uk
ORDER BY (UK DEL): MIN X 2 MARGIN: INSTAGRAM:
www.smallbusiness collaborative.co.uk
18 Dec
Yes @madebyshannon
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Unwind Studios
Unwind Studios is home of truly unique, artist-designed crafts that, through the process of mindfully creating them, you have the power to bring you back to yourself. Crafts are the perfect antidote to modern life. They help us switch off from stress, mental noise and distractions, and move into a relaxed state of being ‘in the flow’. Charles Eames said it best when he said “take your pleasure seriously” because the time we give to taking care of ourselves is the best investment we can make. Allowing time to be creative helps us do everything else better in life – and you have a beautiful piece of artwork to show for it at the end, which will last a lifetime. I love that Unwind Studios collaborate with so many different artists so that there's a kit for everyone. This decoration is designed by artist Audrey Wu. If you're based in the UK order through their Etsy shop.
Meet Cris
Our products are designed by artists from all over the world, supporting talented creatives, and offering designs you can’t find anywhere else. We strive for quality you can trust in our products, providing high-quality materials and beautiful reusable packaging. One of our goals is to create a supportive experience, so you can find everything you need in our kits, with easy to follow instructions.
PRICE RANGE: WHOLESALE: WEBSITE:
£12- £55 Yes https://www.unwind.studio/
ORDER BY (UK DEL): MIN X 2 MARGIN: INSTAGRAM:
www.smallbusiness collaborative.co.uk
15 Dec Yes @unwind.studio
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Fox and Finch
Fox + Finch's cute animal friends will add some woodland magic to your Christmas tree and this festive season. From foxes and badgers to blue tits and kingfishers, there's a beastie in our collection for you. Most of the birds (and many of the animals) in Fi's collection are based on creatures she's encountered in her garden or on her travels. I love that each animal has a story, meet Betty the Blue Tit who with her bright yellow tummy spreads sunshine and happiness wherever she goes.
Meet Fi
When I was a kid my ambition (briefly) was to own a pet shop so I could play with the animals. And I was sure I’d have a couple of pet guinea pigs, called Josephine and Daphne. Thankfully I didn’t pursue the pet shop thing since I’m now allergic to animal hair. Awkward. These days, as I can’t have pets, I draw animals instead. I draw other things too, but animals are my favourites.
PRICE RANGE: WHOLESALE: WEBSITE:
£4.50- £20 Yes https://www.foxandfinch.co.uk/
ORDER BY (UK DEL): MIN X 2 MARGIN: INSTAGRAM:
www.smallbusiness collaborative.co.uk
10 Dec Yes @fox_finch
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Moon and Mountain
Inspired by the positive energy of the outdoors, Moon & Mountains Clay Designs, hand-make clay keepsakes for sentimental and joyful gift giving. Text is hand stamped and can be personalised, so you can create a special gift to be loved and treasured. Kate happily creates bespoke items for a variety of occasions and she enjoys creating pieces that she knows people will treasure and bring joy and she can even source custom made cutters for completely one of a kind gifts. I love the Swedish Dala häst and the shape and intricate motif on this one reminds me of the 3 carved houses that in my living room.
Meet Kate
Everything is handmade in small village in Kent, so you can be sure that it will be a unique item made with a great deal of attention to finish. I loved reading about why Kate loves mountains over on her Instagram! Head over to her Insta to see her race down one on her mountain bike.
PRICE RANGE: £2- £20 WHOLESALE: Yes WEBSITE: www.moonandmountainsclay.etsy.com
ORDER BY (UK DEL): 12 Dec MIN X 2 MARGIN: No INSTAGRAM: @moonandmountainsclaydesigns
www.smallbusiness collaborative.co.uk
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Beauty and Wellbeing
Image credit: Sarka Botanicals
Sarka Botanicals
Sarka botanials is a botanical-led skincare brand that combines traditional plant wisdom with potent botanical extracts and functional, nutrient-dense ingredients to bring your skin to its healthiest, most vibrant state. Positive messaging around aging is central to what we do at Sarka Botancials and we focus on ageless beauty over anti-aging. The products are handmade in south London using whole plant extracts in all of their products and organic ingredients as much as possible. They use upcycled ingredients and directly contribute to reducing waste through extending the lifecycle of these ingredients (they would otherwise be discarded). With the weather turning colder Phytonutrient Recovery Face Oil sounds exactly like the thing I need for my skin.
Meet Sarka
Late motherhood, coupled with turning 40, dramatically changed my skin; acne, persistent dryness, hyperpigmentation due to hormones and sun exposure, were just a few of the concurrent issues I had. I rarely had time for an overcomplicated and multi-step routine, and Sarka Botanicals came from a personal need for multipurpose, deep care that would deliver the right phytonutrients in highperformance, results-driven, and directional skincare.
PRICE RANGE: WHOLESALE: WEBSITE:
£15- £70 No https://sarkabotanicals.com/
ORDER BY (UK DEL): MIN X 2 MARGIN: INSTAGRAM:
www.smallbusiness collaborative.co.uk
17 Dec N/A @sarkabotanicals
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Olor
After over a year of training with award wining chandeliers and experimenting to make the perfect scents often inspired by the places Louise and Jonathan enjoy visiting with their children as a family they launched Olor. Olor make extraordinary, design led products using only the finest ingredients in beautifully packaging produced in the most sustainable way possible. Everything we make is completely hand made by us in Glossop UK I love the vibrancy of their packaging and the calmness of the white vessel of their candles, it's the perfect balance of fun and design-led.
Meet Louise and Jonathan In 2019, we visited the beautiful city of Barcelona. As we first approached our hotel reception, all around us was a beautiful aroma. At the entrance, along the hallway and into our amazing room.... the wonderful woody scent gave an uplifting feeling of contentment, and it became so refreshing to return to after enjoying long and fascinating days of exploring.... and that's where Olor began.
PRICE RANGE: £6-£38 WHOLESALE: Yes WEBSITE: https://olor.co.uk
ORDER BY (UK DEL): MIN X 2 MARGIN: INSTAGRAM: www.smallbusiness collaborative.co.uk
20 Dec Yes @olor.co.uk
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Isabella and Us
Isabella and Us. is home to the Positive Wellbeing Zine for Mums and gifts for mums that promote self care and wellbeing. Isabella and Us. are all about celebrating your mum wins, making time for yourselves and re-awakening your magic to live the life you really want. The Positive Wellbeing Zine for Mums, has been running for three years and Issue 14 will be published in November and was born out of Emma's experience of being a first time mum. Made in the UK, Collaborations with mum run small businesses. I love how beautiful and thoughtful Emma's magazine is and how open she is about running her business whilst still working a day job and having time with her family. It's so inspiring!
Meet Emma I'm Emma and welcome to Isabella and Us! I am a Licensed Practical Magic™ Coach and Facilitator, Certified mBIT Coach, speaker, writer, editor and designer. I’m am on a mission to help mums re-awaken their magic, tune in to what they really want and where they want to be and help them take the steps to live the life they really want.
PRICE RANGE: WHOLESALE: WEBSITE:
£1.50- £20.00 Yes https://isabellaandus.com
ORDER BY (UK DEL): MIN X 2 MARGIN: INSTAGRAM:
www.smallbusiness collaborative.co.uk
16 Dec Yes @isabella_and_us
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Clarity Blend
Clarity Blend is an award-winning aromatherapy and wellness brand for your home, bath, and body - all using 100% natural ingredients and sustainable packaging. Their mission is to make aromatherapy more accessible so everyone can enjoy its benefits. Their vibrant formulations are created to help with specific wellness needs or to transport the user to happy places. All the products are hand blended in small batches in their Berkshire studio and 100% natural with no synthetic ingredients, cruelty-free and vegan. Those of you who know me, know how much I love my scented candles and I love them because how scent can change how you feel, and I want to try pretty much everything in this range.
Meet Veronika and Dimitar Hi there! We’re Veronika and Dimitar Vasilev, the family team behind Clarity Blend. Clarity Blend was born out of a need to reconnect with ourselves and nature, and achieve a more harmonious way of life. Demanding city jobs had left our energy levels depleted: we experienced muscle tension, feelings of anxiety and bouts of insomnia, and were determined to find ways to stop the cycle of stress.
PRICE RANGE: £7- £59 WHOLESALE: Yes WEBSITE: https://www.clarityblend.com
ORDER BY (UK DEL): MIN X 2 MARGIN: INSTAGRAM:
www.smallbusiness collaborative.co.uk
17 Dec Yes @clarity_blend
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Botany and Books
Botany and Books brings the magic of books to life with book inspired candles, subscriptions, workshops and journals, guiding you to bring more meaning, joy and mindfulness to your reading experience. Candles and products are designed by founder Thalia, and are handmade in Hertfordshire. There is nothing better than curling up with a good book and a candle, and Botany and Books is all about helping you bring the cosy and the calm to your reading. All the products made using vegan and cruelty free ingredients and all the packaging is recyclable, and mostly recycled, with a jar recycle scheme to allow you to reuse your jars. All books in the gift sets and subscriptions are preloved, bringing new life and purpose to old books and supporting the circular economy. Earlier in the year I attended one of Thalia's online candle making workshops and I loved it, it was so much fun and I loved reading the preloved book by my lit candle that transported me to Dublin.
Meet Thalia
I used to manage a theatre in the West End, bringing escapism to large audiences. When the pandemic hit, I wanted to help people to find that escapism from their own homes, and so Botany and Books was born.
PRICE RANGE: WHOLESALE: WEBSITE:
£18- £150 Yes https://www.botanyandbooks.co.uk/
ORDER BY (UK DEL): MIN X 2 MARGIN: INSTAGRAM:
www.smallbusiness collaborative.co.uk
14 Dec Yes @botanyandbooksco
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The Artist Lab
Embroidery is more than just a needle and thread. The repetitive action of coming up and down through the fabric helps you to switch off from the busy lifestyle, slows you down and you become full absorbed in creating! It’s not only something fun to do in your free time, it helps calm an anxious mind, lets you express yourself, distracts you from your busy life. You can escape into the embroidery world and feel calmer, happier, and get lost in the creation. I love that Lauren submitted her product to this category as I'm a firm believer that creativity and crafting is good for the soul and that it can be very healing. Plus, Lauren's kits are all made here in the UK and packaged by Lauren and her trusted assistants Hope and Mittens (her gorgeous cats).
Meet Lauren
From the first time I picked up a needle at 8yrs in school, to the moment I took a Textile Art course at Sixth form, I’ve always dabbled in a little embroidery growing up. But it wasn’t actually the thing I loved doing in my free time growing up… that goes to drawing and painting! I never truly got into it until after a bad bout of mental health problems after I finished university. And this is when fell in love with it! And although it wasn’t my first love, it has become my go to creative passion.
PRICE RANGE: £17- £35 for the kits WHOLESALE: No WEBSITE: https://www.theartistslab.co.uk/
ORDER BY (UK DEL): MIN X 2 MARGIN: INSTAGRAM:
www.smallbusiness collaborative.co.uk
15 Dec N/A @theartistslabuk
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Vui Vui Botanic Atelier
Vui Vui Botanic Atelier creates all-natural ingredient skincare and soaps in small batches in London. 100% Pure, Cruelty Free, Organic, Sustainable & Ethical, Ocean Friendly, Synthetic Free. I love how thoughtful and beautiful all the packaging is, it's perfect for gifting and Carl even offers a beautiful gift wrapping service if you would like to send your Christmas present straight to the recipient. Plus when you shop with Vui Vui Botanic Atelier you are supporting Borneo Orangutan Survival UK as a portion of the profits are donated there.
Meet Carl
My name is Vui (a.k.a Carl). In 2006 I discovered natural soaps and gave them a try. To my delight my previously problem skin soon disappeared, my skin not only felt good but looked healthy and glowing too. My initial interest in natural soaps blossomed in 2014 into a passion for making natural skincare products and Vui Vui Botanic Atelier was born.
PRICE RANGE: £10- £50 WHOLESALE: Yes WEBSITE: https://www.vuivuibotanicatelier.com/
ORDER BY (UK DEL): 17 Dec MIN X 2 MARGIN: No INSTAGRAM: @vuivuibotanicatelier
www.smallbusiness collaborative.co.uk
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Slow Moon
Slow Moon is all about bringing joy to your life through vibrant patterns and bright colours. Through her products and design, Priscilla encourages you to find some time for self-care and to help you relax. All the textiles products are made in the UK from natural and organic fabric. Priscilla's designs are so vibrant and her use of colour is so refreshing and beautiful. I love that her eye pillow is unscented so I can use whichever sent I feel drawn to on the day or no scent if I have a bit of a headache. I pop mine in the oven to heat up since I don't have a microwave and it works a treat.
Meet Priscilla
Hi, I’m Priscilla, a textile pattern designer and founder of Slow Moon. I'm based in London in the UK. Eye pillows for Slow Moon first began as gifts made from scraps of my own designed fabric. They were a hit! It all started whilst using an eye pillow during a pregnancy yoga class. I was hooked! I had to make one for myself immediately.
PRICE RANGE: WHOLESALE: WEBSITE:
£12- £30 Yes https://www.slow-moon.com/
ORDER BY (UK DEL): MIN X 2 MARGIN: INSTAGRAM:
www.smallbusiness collaborative.co.uk
15 Dec No @slowmoon_design
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Kind2
KIND2 is a range of multi-award-winning solid shampoo and conditioner. Made from natural ingredients in the UK, the salon-quality bars are not only plastic-free but also vegan, cruelty free and include no sulphates, no palm oil, synthetic colours or fragrances. The future of haircare - solid, plastic-free, kind to your hair and kind to the planet. All our four launch products have received multiple beauty industry awards! Kind2 is the first solid shampoo bar I ever used, I love that I can wash my hair in a kinder way, both for myself and the environment.
Meet Sue
Sue has always loved travel and the great outdoors. Based in Hong Kong over the last eight years, her adventures ranged from weekend hikes and unwinding on beaches, to trekking in Laos and horse riding in Mongolia. Extraordinary and exciting as it was, her escapades bought her up close and personal with the overwhelming presence of plastic pollution … everywhere. The final catalyst came when her husband returned from a sailing race across the Pacific Ocean with tales of seeing more plastic than fish.
PRICE RANGE: WHOLESALE: WEBSITE:
£5- £37.45 Yes https://kind2.me/
ORDER BY (UK DEL): MIN X 2 MARGIN: INSTAGRAM:
www.smallbusiness collaborative.co.uk
17 Dec No @wearekind2
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Fashion & Fashion Accessories Image credit: Studio-Ghaith London ltd
K.Moods
K.Moods is a contemporary Scottish knitwear brand, creating colourful and sustainable knitted clothing and accessories. They use 100% British yarns, upcycle them where possible, and run their studio with a zero-waste ethos. Fun knits for fun people. Kathleen love colour! All the pieces are fun and ready to dress you for the cooler months and K.Moods is a great more sustainable alternative for this cold season. 100% made in Scotland, custom colour options available and Kathleen also work with local mills to produce bright cotton socks to jazz up everyone's feet! I love knitwear, it was one of my favourite classes when I studied fashion, and think a lot of times what's available is a bit boring so I'm so happy to discover that there are alternatives.
Meet Kathleen
This one-woman show of colourful knits is based in Edinburgh, but I'm originally from a teeny place on the east coast of Australia. Each K.Moods piece is made by hand on a domestic knitting machine in our studio, based in the creative hub Coburg House Art Studios, in Leith, Edinburgh. We work alongside small businesses and mills to create our socks, which are made entirely in Scotland.
PRICE RANGE: £10- £70 WHOLESALE: Yes WEBSITE: https://kmoods.com/
ORDER BY (UK DEL): MIN X 2 MARGIN: INSTAGRAM:
www.smallbusiness collaborative.co.uk
15 Dec Yes @kmoods
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Grove & Vae
Grove & Vae was born out of the idea that every woman deserves timeless luxury, and to treat themselves to the finer things in life without breaking the bank. Grove &Vae pride themselves on making sure that all of their jewellery is crafted using only fine precious metals. All of our pieces are expertly curated and designed in London and made with the finest 14k Gold Vermeil and rare Rhodium-plated Sterling Silver, (they do not use brass, nickel, stainless steel or any other non-fine precious metal). I love that all the pieces can be layered and worn together, and also be worn and stand out on their own + the packaging makes every piece perfect for gifting!
Meet Jane
The name Grove & Vae comes from a combination to two things I love/inspire me daily: Where I’m from - Ladbroke Grove and my niece - Revae. . We’ve been in operation for less than a year (4 months) and have been ranked #2 by Tech Round up on the Top 26 Fashion Startups to watch.
PRICE RANGE: WHOLESALE: WEBSITE:
£40- £99 No www.groveandvae.com
ORDER BY (UK DEL): MIN X 2 MARGIN: INSTAGRAM:
www.smallbusiness collaborative.co.uk
22 Dec N/A @groveandvae
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StudioGhaith London
Studio-Ghaith London is a sustainable luxury brand based in London that makes playful silk scarves and colourful art prints. Ghaith provides high quality, long-lasting and accessible designs that uplift people with care and humour, through the use of colourful characters and storytelling. I love that you can read more about the story behind each design on Ghaith's website giving even more meaning to each piece. Everything is made in the U.K using sustainable materials and working with ethical suppliers.
Meet Ghaith
Each of my unique designs starts as a doodle, giving reign to the subconscious mind and extracting forms playfully lurking in the depth of my mind. These doodles are then transported into the digital world where they are manipulated, multiplied, coloured and transformed. Through my work, I aim to explore the relationship between making and self-healing, while bringing a splash of joyful materials, playful colours, quirky doodles and powerful messages to your everyday life.
PRICE RANGE: WHOLESALE: WEBSITE:
£45- £150 Yes https://studio-ghaith.com/
ORDER BY (UK DEL): MIN X 2 MARGIN: INSTAGRAM:
www.smallbusiness collaborative.co.uk
20 Dec Yes @studioghaith
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MW Makes
Developed through a passion for design and craftsmanship, MW Makes creates handcrafted leather goods for the everyday. Influenced by a background in architecture, each item is carefully designed with an emphasis on simple geometries, clean lines and functionality. All of the products can be personalised with initials, name, special date or saying, making them unique gifts. They are all handmade by Michelle using vegetable-tanned leather and traditional saddlery techniques. I love how classic but still modern Michelle's products are, I bought a personalised mouse mat for my architect brother last Christmas and a bag for myself earlier in the year when I meet Michelle at the South London Makers Market at Selfridges.
Meet Michelle
I started working with leather as a means to create and make with my own two hands, as working in architectural practice is often very screen based/ digital. I still work full time as an architect, but really enjoy working with leather on much smaller scale projects.
PRICE RANGE: WHOLESALE: WEBSITE:
£10- £225 Yes https://www.mwmakes.co.uk/
ORDER BY (UK DEL): MIN X 2 MARGIN: INSTAGRAM:
www.smallbusiness collaborative.co.uk
10 Dec Yes @mwmakes
28
Muted Luxe
Handmade minimalist jewellery and neutral aesthetic homewares. All products are handmade in the Muted Luxe UK based studio, meaning lots of care is put into every single piece. From moulding the clay into earrings to forming the mixture for our homeware items and sanding each piece individually, the utmost attention is paid throughout the crafting process and Kelsie is incredibly proud of the high level of quality throughout our range. I love how much care goes into each piece and Kelsie's use of colour. I'm forever torn between muted tones and vibrant colours and love both.
Meet Kelsie
Muted Luxe was founded during lockdown when my job as a wedding photographer was unfortunately heavily affected due to weddings not being permitted! The goal is to provide high-quality, handmade, sustainably produced minimalist jewellery and homewares for those with a love of earthy tones and a neutral aesthetic.
PRICE RANGE: WHOLESALE: WEBSITE:
£10- £26 Yes https://www.mutedluxe.com/
ORDER BY (UK DEL): MIN X 2 MARGIN: INSTAGRAM:
www.smallbusiness collaborative.co.uk
10 Dec Yes @mutedluxe
29
Distinctly Caitlin Designs
Beautiful, handcrafted affirmation jewellery and art. Caitlin uses a special enamel technique called Plique-à-jour, which creates a stained glass effect. This technique means that the pieces become even more beautiful when you look from the right angle and the same can be said for our lives. Each one of the flowers that inspires a Distinctly Caitlin Designs collection is carefully selected to infuse the right emotions and intentions into your token. This means that each token has a little bit of magic and a deeper symbolic meaning. I love how much meaning each piece carries with it and if you have a look at Caitlin's Instagram you can see how much detail goes into creating each token.
Meet Caitlin
My name is Caitlin Harper, owner and founder of Distinctly Caitlin Designs. Handmade jewellery is my passion.
I have a Bachelors Degree in Jewellery Design and Manufacture at University of Johannesburg, in South Africa. After qualifying as a goldsmith, I worked at two manufacturing workshops in Johannesburg over a five year period. From there I moved to the French Pyrenees and set up my own workshop.
PRICE RANGE: WHOLESALE: WEBSITE:
£25- 200 Yes www.distinctlycaitlindesigns.com/
ORDER BY (UK DEL): 3 Dec MIN X 2 MARGIN: Yes INSTAGRAM: @distinctlycaitlindesigns
www.smallbusiness collaborative.co.uk
30
Factory Floor
FactoryFloorJewels is a growing UK jewellery brand by independent design maker Kate Stewart. Each piece is lovingly handmade in her Liverpool studio and tells the story of her fascination with the engineering and marine history of the city. Kate produces one-off and limited edition pieces as well as collections that offer timeless pieces that work brilliantly from day into night, just as suitable for all-day wear as for special occasions. The beautiful mix of materials includes steel, silver, copper, brass, bronze, concrete, resin and Perspex and the juxtaposition of materials is something Kate loves to play with. I love the re-imagination of materials that otherwise would go to waste and the appreciation of beauty in something that some would just trough on the factory floor.
Meet Kate
Kate created the Factory Floor Jewels brand in homage to her father, a packaging engineer and the workshops and factories in her home city of Liverpool. Factory Floor Jewels pieces are handmade in the UK with many featuring reclaimed industrial materials including waste brass from a bolt makers and waste bronze from a foundry making public art.
PRICE RANGE: WHOLESALE: WEBSITE:
£16- £99 Yes https://factoryfloorjewels.com/
ORDER BY (UK DEL): MIN X 2 MARGIN: INSTAGRAM:
www.smallbusiness collaborative.co.uk
15 Dec Yes @factoryfloorjewels
31
Abi Stevens Illustration
Abi create colourful and striking pins, prints, stickers, jewellery, decor and more! Many of her designs are intended to empower other members of the disabled community. Abi's designs are greatly influenced by historical art forms such as illuminated manuscripts, coat of arms, and stained glass windows and she love to incorporate elements of these into her modern, digital art style. You will enjoy finding hidden details of symbolism that add depth of meaning referencing mythology, the language of flowers, spiritual symbolism such as Tarot and more in her work. The end result is vibrantly colourful and detailed illustrations with a connection to our history and layers of narrative hidden within, as well as an emotive quality. I really admire how Abi has taken an experience that first might feel like a negative into something so joyful and positive and that she advocates for others experiencing similar things.
Meet Abi I started creating motivating and empowering illustrations after Chronic Migraine forced me to leave a previous job. Connecting with the disabled community online and creating designs specifically for them has brought back my confidence and instilled a new sense of purpose in my creative work.
PRICE RANGE: WHOLESALE: WEBSITE:
£3- £50 Yes https://www.abistevens.com/
ORDER BY (UK DEL): MIN X 2 MARGIN: INSTAGRAM:
www.smallbusiness collaborative.co.uk
13 Dec Yes @AbiStevens_Art
32
Studio Pepita
Studio Pepita is a colourful, sustainable accessories brand designed to bring everyday joy into your life! Nona's handmade hair clips and jewellery are beautiful, wearable pieces of artwork, sure to put a smile on your face and a spring in your step. Studio Pepita products are built to last without the beige, with sustainability at the core of everything Nona make. Each piece is lovingly handmade by Nona in my UK home studio, using eco resin, non-toxic pigments, and plenty of eco glitter! She uses the thread offcuts from her tassel earrings to express her love of pattern in her signature zero-waste hair clips, and she scours flea markets and charity shops for textile treasures to use in her vintage haberdashery pieces. I have two of Nona's beautiful hair clips and they have staying power! My hair is really thick and heavy so this is difficult to find. Comfortable, practical and beautiful!
Meet Nona
The idea for my business started when I finished my textile design degree with lengths of beautiful silk thread that were wasted in the hand weaving process. I turned these into tassel earrings, and then last year had the idea to use the trimmings from those in eco resin!
PRICE RANGE: £10- £25 WHOLESALE: Yes WEBSITE: www.etsy.com/uk/shop/StudioPepita
ORDER BY (UK DEL): MIN X 2 MARGIN: INSTAGRAM:
www.smallbusiness collaborative.co.uk
20 Dec Yes @studiopepita_
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Foodie gifts
Image credit: Bloom & Bambi
Bloom & Bambi
Bloom and Bambi launched in 2021 after years of research and product development, Jennifer's first collection of tea blends is centred around supporting the wellbeing of mother and baby during pregnancy and postpartum. Each tea is blended for a specific concern during pregnancy and postpartum. They use the finest ingredients in their teas to create a wholesome experience for every stage of pregnancy – supporting the wellbeing of mother and baby during the first, second, third trimester and while breastfeeding. All of the products pack in goodness while providing a welcome moment of calm. This tea would make the perfect gift for any mum or expecting mother. The packaging is so beautiful and thoughtful to the environment and all the blends sounds delicious.
Meet Jennifer
Bloom and Bambi was born from my experience with loved ones. My background is in chemical engineering, and I have always just enjoyed researching the science behind plants mostly for skincare uses. My knowledge of plants came in very handy when my loved ones started having kids. I would send a skincare and tea care package to help with their struggles from sleep deprivation, morning sickness, and breastfeeding concerns.
PRICE RANGE: £11.95 WHOLESALE: Yes WEBSITE: https://bloomandbambi.bigcartel.com/
ORDER BY (UK DEL): 17 Dec MIN X 2 MARGIN: No, packaged tea is zero VAT INSTAGRAM: @bloomandbambi_
www.smallbusiness collaborative.co.uk
35
Fetcha Chocolates
Fetcha Chocolates makes beautifully decorated and delicious tasting vegan, gluten and soy-free chocolates that are packaged 100% plastic free, made in the UK and palm oil-free. When starting out Fiona started with a dream: a dream that everyone could enjoy (or gift) delicious chocolates without compromising their ethics. Fetcha Chocolates are certified as Vegan Founded, are members of the Vegan Traders Union and Fiona work with Ecologi to plant trees in the UK and abroad. I find that vegan often means that there are lots of ingredients I have no idea of what they are but Fiona offers a great alternative to this with lots of natural and often organic ingredients and to top it of, her chocolates are also beautiful looking. The perfect editable gift!
Meet Fiona
This journey to chocolate making started about 10 years ago with another edible art form, cakes. Getting a great deal of enjoyment from "playing with food", but finished with cakes, I was frustrated when, on becoming vegan, I couldn't find nice chocolates to gift to friends and relatives that didn't compromise my ethics. For the first 6 months, ALL the packaging was made by hand with a cutting mat, knife, a printer and lots of very long nights.
PRICE RANGE: WHOLESALE: WEBSITE:
£2.50- £55 Yes https://fetchachocolates.com/
ORDER BY (UK DEL): 16 Dec MIN X 2 MARGIN: Yes INSTAGRAM: @fetchachocolates
www.smallbusiness collaborative.co.uk
36
Katie Tinkler illustration
Katie design and create food-themed products such as greeting cards, tea towels, calendars and original paintings. All are made in the UK and all packaging is plastic-free. Her USP is that her work is drawn with a high level of detail and is quite realistic. She also creates things like an original painting of baked beans on toast which is both quite unique and fun. Last Christmas one of her bestsellers were the vegan Christmas dinner cards. My favourite is p the breakfast T-towel and of her food pun greetings cards.
Meet Kate
I started my business during the first lockdown when I had no work. The reason I draw food is from when there were no food on the supermarket shelves and it was all we could talk about.
PRICE RANGE: £2.50- £95 WHOLESALE: Yes WEBSITE: www.etsy.com/uk/shop/Ktinklerillustration
ORDER BY (UK DEL): 13 Dec MIN X 2 MARGIN: Yes INSTAGRAM: @katietinklerillustration
www.smallbusiness collaborative.co.uk
37
Leith & Gray
Leith & Gray aim to make gifting easy, stress-free, quick and original. They carefully source beautiful and thoughtfully designed products from exciting new brands and present them in a luxurious Leith & Gray keepsake box. Leith & Gray is a huge supporter of other small UK businesses and is therefore proud to stock products from many independent makers. They strive to be as sustainable as possible and almost all of their products come in reusable or recyclable packaging. Leith & Gray are proud to be part of the Blue Light Card initiative where members can always get 10% discount on any order. I love how many small brands Lucy and Lucy support with their business. Way to often are hampers or gift boxes filled with one nice thing and mostly filler products but Leith & Gray is different and everything in their boxes are carefully curated and considered.
Meet Lucy and Lucy
We are Lucy & Lucy (!), founders of Leith & Gray. Best friends, mothers to 3 children each and with husbands who are best friends, we are pretty much in each other’s pockets most of the time. We share a strong passion for design and creating beautiful things, and we love the challenge of finding unique and exciting presents for people. It was because of this love of gifting and the realisation that many people don’t enjoy spending hours searching for something a little different to the norm that Leith & Gray was born.
PRICE RANGE: WHOLESALE: WEBSITE:
£4.50- £60 No https://leithandgray.co.uk/
ORDER BY (UK DEL): MIN X 2 MARGIN: INSTAGRAM:
www.smallbusiness collaborative.co.uk
17 Dec N/A @leithandgray
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YouPhorBee Naturals
YouPhorBee Naturals use the science in nature, harnessing the powerful benefits of botanicals and bees to create unique, premium, 100% natural health supplements, supporting specific body systems. Feel fabulous from the inside out. Pure, Natural and Authentic. Proudly made in the UK using majority organic ingredients, 100% natural with no added preservatives, anti-caking agents, fillers or other nasties. Their Plant Powders and Herbal Honey Electuaries are unique in that instead of popping a capsule or pill, you can add their products to your daily smoothie, (plant) milk, oatmeal, juice, tea or warm water. A bit more fun and versatile! I use some of their powder in my smoothies and fruit juices.
Meet Youssef
Our Gastro Relief blend was originally formulated by Dr. Youssef for his mother who used to suffer terribly from stomach pain and inflammation. Conventional treatments were not effective long term and often came with unwanted side effects. Since taking this blend she is able to calm any irritations and upsets 100% naturally. In fact, the majority of our formulations have been developed by Dr. Youssef to help support friends and family with various health concerns.
PRICE RANGE: WHOLESALE: WEBSITE:
£10- £38 Yes https://youphorbeenaturals.co.uk/
ORDER BY (UK DEL): 5 Dec MIN X 2 MARGIN: Yes INSTAGRAM: @youphorbee_naturals
www.smallbusiness collaborative.co.uk
39
Coffee & Kin
Ruth and Mark discovered speciality coffee when visiting our brother-in-law, a coffee roaster in Adelaide, Australia. We were blown away by the flavour and quickly became addicted to drinking good quality coffee. So, when they got back they bought a Nespresso pod machine and enjoyed the convenience and taste of pod coffee. However, it felt wrong to throw the used plastic and aluminium pods in the bin so they set out to create their own compostable and eco-friendly pod containing speciality grade coffee. In November they are launching Coffee & Chocolate Club where they will donate £1 per box to The Blurt Foundation. It features the finest a selection of chocolatiers and coffee roasters from around the UK. One of my guilty pleasures is my pod coffee machine and I constantly feel guilty about the waste and I really admire that Ruth and Mark decided to do something about it.
Meet Ruth and Mark
At weekends, we love to grind coffee beans and make a pot of fresh coffee. So, we also offer our own range of freshly roasted coffee beans. Ruth has had her own battles with depression and talks freely about her mental health struggles when her twins were born. When Ruth discovered Blurt’s work, she knew that she wanted to help and that's why Coffee & Kin support the Blurt Foundation.
PRICE RANGE: WHOLESALE: WEBSITE:
£28- £30 No www.coffeeandkin.co.uk
ORDER BY (UK DEL): MIN X 2 MARGIN: INSTAGRAM:
www.smallbusiness collaborative.co.uk
10 Dec N/A @coffeeandkin
40
Three By One Europe
Three By One Europe is a lifestyle brand on a mission to bring transparency, sustainability & inclusivity to the supply chain of consumer goods. They give you, the consumer, options to enable you to make better choices through your purchases. Laura want our product ranges to be good for our customers, good for the planet, and good for the people who produce them. Zero waste production means they try to use all their waste to create useful products rather than sending the waste to landfill or burning it. Premium, organic coconut products and spices. All natural, no preservatives and PETA approved. Ethically sourced from small scale producers in Sri Lanka. Sustainable and transparent supply chains. No monkeys used in the supply chain. I loved reading how Laura started with oil and then continued her product development to make use of the waste, it makes so much sense and I can't wait to try some of her products.
Meet Laura
It was 2015. I was busy working for a big denim brand and was working closely with a supplier in Sri Lanka. A non work conversation, about an idea I had that ended up never happening, led me to hear the his family story in the coconut oil industry. Before I knew it I was on board and had jars of coconut oil on a boat, on the way to Belgium!
PRICE RANGE: WHOLESALE: WEBSITE:
£3- £50 Yes https://threebyone.eu/
ORDER BY (UK DEL): MIN X 2 MARGIN: INSTAGRAM:
www.smallbusiness collaborative.co.uk
15 Dec Yes @threebyoneeu
41
Oh Lily!
Oh Lily! is a wellness snack brand that inspire conscious snacking with crunchy water lily seeds in savoury and chocolate gourmet flavours to nourish your mind, body, and soul. During a trip to India founders Dewi and Gov rediscovered the power of an ancient superfood; the water lily seed. Used for centuries in Ayurvedic medicine because of its outstanding nutritional value, the water lily seed is not only a good source of protein, but also scores high on iron, magnesium and beneficial amino acids. Oh Lily! crunchy snacks are hand made and made in the UK. I love that I get to discover so many new small businesses with unique products putting this guide together and I can not wait to try Oh Lily! snacks. Sounds like the perfect combo of tasty and healthy!
Meet Dewi and Gov
Oh Lily! is the creation of two French foodie sisters with a passion to share their aspiration for a healthy and environmentally conscious lifestyle. Their secret ingredient is LOVE!
The kitchen is where we spend most of our time, going crazy cooking food inspired by our French and Asian roots. We make it a priority for every meal to be good and make us feel good. We believe what we eat should nourish our body, mind & soul. So why should it be different when it comes to snacks?!
PRICE RANGE: WHOLESALE: WEBSITE:
£3.5 - £31.50 Yes www.ohlilysnacks.com
ORDER BY (UK DEL): MIN X 2 MARGIN: INSTAGRAM:
www.smallbusiness collaborative.co.uk
15 Dec Yes @teamlilypop
42
Steep & Leaf Tea Company
Steep & Leaf Tea Company is a female and black owned tea company. They sell rare and exciting loose-leaf tea blends using teas that have been grown and sourced ethically from different tea estates across Africa. At present, their collection consists of teas from Malawi, South Africa and Mozambique and these include green, black, white, rooibos and herbal tea blends. The tea blends are inspired by Pam's travelling experiences, cultural heritage and childhood memories. Pam's mission is to redefine how we drink tea from tea bags to loose leaf teas. I love how beautiful and different the packaging is and I think Pam's teas would make a great gift and self-purchase. Who wouldn't want to display these beautiful jars on their tea-shelf!
Meet Pam
We take a lot of pride in our Zimbabwean heritage, and the appreciation of tea plays a pivotal role across the African continent in different social settings. Africa is home to some of the best tea growing regions and the production of tea on the continent continues to grow. Our aim is to get those rare and great tasting teas known around the world.
PRICE RANGE: WHOLESALE: WEBSITE:
£2.50 - £29.99 Yes https://steepandleaf.com/
ORDER BY (UK DEL): MIN X 2 MARGIN: INSTAGRAM:
www.smallbusiness collaborative.co.uk
18 Dec Yes @steepandleaf
43
Stationery Image credit: Hello Day
Hello Day
Hello Day, make beautiful planners and stationery for people with style. Their products are designed for those who want to have a positive perspective on life, wake up each day with purpose and go to sleep each night with a sense of accomplishment. Husband-wife team source their products locally in the UK wherever possible - over half of the range is UK made. Their planners are not just places to write your to-dos and appointments. They're designed to help you to think bigger, plan better and achieve more over the year. They help you be positive, stay motivated and look after yourself. I've been a fan of Hello Day since I started my business and discovered their beautiful planners. My first one was their Flock spiral bound original planner, this year I've gone for the Tortoise (pictured right above).
Meet Kirsten & Dave We ran our business out of our house for 4 years - our dining room, then moving to a new loft extension, and now finally we've been in a small studio space for one year this winter. Don't be scared to start small, even if you lose your dining room :).
PRICE RANGE: WHOLESALE: WEBSITE:
£10- £90 Yes www.hellodayplanner.com
ORDER BY (UK DEL): MIN X 2 MARGIN: INSTAGRAM:
www.smallbusiness collaborative.co.uk
21 Dec Yes @hellodayplanner
45
Natalie Byrne
Natalie Byrne is an award-winning Latina illustrator & author based in London. Her unique colourful style promotes intersectional feminism and tackles social issues such as sexual assault, mental health and equality. Natalie has been featured on BBC woman’s hour, The Huffington post, Refinery 29, The Good Trade, Women of Illustration and has worked with The BBC, NYX make-up, Lucy & Yak and The Body Shop. I love how warm and fun Natalies work is whilst still tackling important issues and serious subjects.
Meet Natalie
Natalie love to use warm colours that brighten up your day, I love that the first line in her Instagram bio reads "Art so you feel less alone". It describes Natalies work so well! Natalie also co-hosts a podcast about loneliness and mental health called 'The Loneliness Collaboration'.
PRICE RANGE: WHOLESALE: WEBSITE:
£2.50- £65 Yes https://nataliebyrne.uk/
ORDER BY (UK DEL): MIN X 2 MARGIN: INSTAGRAM:
www.smallbusiness collaborative.co.uk
17 Dec Yes @nataliebyrne
46
Kate And The Ink
Kate & The Ink products make your life brighter through nostalgic messages, retro prints and patterns. Whether you're searching for the perfect gift for your hard-to-buy-for friend or that final print for your gallery wall, Kate & The Ink greeting cards, stationery, art prints and homewares empower you to create memories that will last a lifetime. Bold colourful designs, useful products designed for busy lives, sustainably produced in the UK, FSC certified. I love Kate's nostalgic style and got one of her meal planners on my fridge.
Meet Kate
I’m a designer based in Edinburgh and have been designing products for Kate & The Ink since 2017. What started as a hobby, making special cards and keepsakes for loved ones, quickly turned into a business supplying lovely customers and gift shops with my greeting cards and prints. Fun Fact: I have heard (on good authority) that actress Tilda Swinton is a huge fan of my cards! She buys them from Pencil Me In in Elgin and comes back again and again!
PRICE RANGE: WHOLESALE: WEBSITE:
£3- £30 Yes https://kateandtheink.com/
ORDER BY (UK DEL): MIN X 2 MARGIN: INSTAGRAM:
www.smallbusiness collaborative.co.uk
3 Dec Yes @kateandtheink
47
Matere
The Matere collection is a range of premium, consciously-formed stationery which celebrates unique textures and tactile quality. The brand is influenced by slow living principles and blends an understated, minimalist aesthetic with carefully chosen tactile materials to encourage more purposeful, special moments in everyday life. Sustainable values are inherent to Matere, with a focus on using papers sourced using traceable sustainable forestry. The collection includes notebook covers made from recycled coffee cups, ocean plastics and leather offcuts retrieved from tanneries. Produced in the UK by a small selection of manufacturers who share a commitment to craft, detail and sustainability. Jess's designs are beautiful in their simplicity and so calming they invite you to do some mindfully journaling.
Meet Jess
As a remedy to the chaotic nature of life in a busy city, Jess found herself drawn to calming spaces, understated design, minimalism and conscious living. While her life became more digitised, solace was found in off-screen experiences and purposeful interactions with the physical world became more important.
PRICE RANGE: WHOLESALE: WEBSITE:
£7- £30 Yes https://www.materestudio.com/
ORDER BY (UK DEL): MIN X 2 MARGIN: INSTAGRAM:
www.smallbusiness collaborative.co.uk
20 Dec Yes @materestudio
48
Lately Studio
Lately Studio is a stationery, homeware and lifestyle brand focused on making life as fun as possible. All Emma's products are designed in her home studio and created to be functional, beautiful and, very importantly, bring your life a bit more joy! Lately is all about creating colourful goodness to brighten up your home. Emma's products are born from taking anything she's been struggling with lately and using it to create something that will fix that issue right up. In the most colourful way possible! Whether that's greetings cards that strike the perfect balance between soppy and sweary or stickers that will fill up all that dull, grey real estate on your laptop! Before Covid, my stationery buying style was a lot more muted and subtle but now I'm embracing everything that makes me happy and Emma's stationery range can definitely brighten up your day.
Meet Emma
Hey there, I'm Emma! Designer, creator, founder, head marketer, photographer (and just about everything else!) of Lately Studio. Fun Fact: I started off offering custom illustrations before I designed stationery!
PRICE RANGE: WHOLESALE: WEBSITE:
£1.50- £19.50 Yes http://latelystudio.co.uk
ORDER BY (UK DEL): MIN X 2 MARGIN: INSTAGRAM:
www.smallbusiness collaborative.co.uk
18 Dec Yes @latelystudio
49
Text From A Friend
Text From A Friend is an award-winning luxury card and stationery brand. It was created by art director Sharon Caddie when her scribbled real texts from friends appeared on social media and she got requests to turn them into cards and posters. Sharon clearly gets quite different text messages to me, if my messages were turned into cards they would read, "Leaving now" and "This is great!" :). I meet Sharon at Top Drawer a few years back and I love her honest messages and the super posh papers she uses.
Meet Sharon
I've always had a passion for paper and the smell of print (who doesn't?) and never been one to produce a paper product without using the finest of materials. The cards are initially hand-drawn and made using only the poshest of paper and a traditional printing technique with a hand hot foil press to create fine pieces of (sometimes) anti-social media. Fun fact: Real texts were and still are actually the inspiration for some designs.
PRICE RANGE: WHOLESALE: WEBSITE:
£3.50- £30 Yes https://www.textfromafriend.co.uk/
ORDER BY (UK DEL): MIN X 2 MARGIN: INSTAGRAM:
www.smallbusiness collaborative.co.uk
20 Dec Yes @textfromafriend
50
AIM Studio Co
AIM Studio Co are a design-led stationery brand with a strong focus on mindfulness and creating beautiful, yet calming workspaces where you can feel your best self. The range focuses on optimising productivity and combining this with an elegant aesthetic to get the most out of your working day. The core stationery range is printed using eco vegetable inks and using FSC certified paper. Uniquely designed by Mia and produced solely in the UK. Each product is hand-finished by hot foil embossing in their Northamptonshire based studio. I love the geometric shapes and calming colours, when I worked in an office I used to love having a desk calendar in front of me, it really helped when stockists would phone up to place an order and I needed to tell them when they could have it.
Meet Mia
My name is Mia, so AIM is my name in reverse. I also I did a pop up shop in John Lewis earlier in the year, which was amazing for gauging a response to my products in a retail environment. Back in 2017, I designed a desktop calendar to sit on my desk at work. I got a small run printed and gifted some as Christmas presents to friends and family. With such a lovely response, I decided to start an online shop and sell the remaining calendars and that's how it all started.
PRICE RANGE: WHOLESALE: WEBSITE:
£6- £50 Yes https://aimstudio.co/
ORDER BY (UK DEL): MIN X 2 MARGIN: INSTAGRAM:
www.smallbusiness collaborative.co.uk
18 Dec Yes @aimstudioco
51
Osity
Osity is a design-led luxury stationery brand that creates modern-day stationery that has traditional craft skills, quality and sustainability at its core. Designs are beautifully fresh and contemporary but with a vintage tactile feel. Founder Sarah grew up being part of the family printing business. She uses things that she has collected and found, be it a piece of metal type or a vintage relief block to reinvent the original objects and make them into something new – vintage objects but with a modern design twist. Everything is made in the UK by Sarah and her team in their print workshop at the bottom of the garden. I love when things are printed in a traditional way, it adds so much charm and texture to a beautiful piece of card or paper to really make it pop.
Meet Sarah
Where my family comes from an osity or (funny osity) is someone or something that is daft or peculiar in an amusing way. Me and my sisters were called funny little osities quite a lot by our dad when we were kids. We grew up being part of our family printing business. The workshop at the bottom of the garden was a particular source of fascination for me. It was full of old machinery, type and printing blocks, things that had been left behind from a bygone era.
PRICE RANGE: WHOLESALE: WEBSITE:
£2.50- £32 Yes https://osity.co.uk/
ORDER BY (UK DEL): MIN X 2 MARGIN: INSTAGRAM:
www.smallbusiness collaborative.co.uk
17 Dec Yes @_osity
52
Ponderlily
Ponderlily is a British, design-led, and ethically focused boutique lifestyle brand. They make stylish and sustainable productivity tools and equip women with resources for intentional living. A Ponderlily planner gives you tools to imagine the life ahead and carve out space for the too easily forgotten “me-time". It includes wander-lists, reflections of gratitude and positive habit trackers to hold you accountable to celebrate the everyday. Ponderlily products are eco-friendly from cover to cover: made with FSC paper, printed with vegan ink, ethically packaged, and made in Europe. I have several of Ponderlily's products and love how high quality the paper is and feel and the thoughtful design and prompts that is.
Meet Carina
I'm a Brazilian-born, Arabian Gulf-raised, Brit-wed, higher-ed executive and twin mum with a plan: to ignite joy, purpose, and empowerment in women striving for a life of fullness, not busyness. My business was my MBA project. I run my business while running a 9-5 and raising twins under 8.
PRICE RANGE: WHOLESALE: WEBSITE:
£7- £45 Yes https://ponderlily.com/
ORDER BY (UK DEL): MIN X 2 MARGIN: INSTAGRAM:
www.smallbusiness collaborative.co.uk
9 Dec Yes @weareponderlily
53
erawemoH Image credit: Republic of Happy
Republic of Happy
Republic of Happy is the place for fun homewares for colour and pattern lovers! Veronica design beautifully made home decor products that are bright, bold and unique, ready to bring happiness and smiles into people's homes and lives. Every print is lovingly designed in Cornwall, and every product has been made in the UK by some of the most experienced hands. Every detail is done to perfection. All fabrics are sourced from reliable and responsible producers and are digitally printed with planet-friendly water-based inks. At Republic of Happy we believe in the power of surrounding yourself with beautiful things! I first came across Veronica's products in my Facebook group, the bold and colourful designs make you smile and the hidden zip and contrasting piping feels really high quality and thoughtful.
Meet Veronica
I'm a graphic designer turned surface pattern designer. Originally from tropical Colombia, and now living in lovely Cornwall, UK. My graphic design background strongly influences everything I create. Bright colours are essential for my survival. I'm a perfectionist, a geek and an organisational freak. I also love dancing when nobody is looking (and when everybody is looking)!
PRICE RANGE: WHOLESALE: WEBSITE:
£12- £59 No https://republicofhappy.co.uk
ORDER BY (UK DEL): MIN X 2 MARGIN: INSTAGRAM:
www.smallbusiness collaborative.co.uk
13 Dec N/A @republicofhappy
55
Ariana Martin Design
Ariana creates joyful patterns, inspired by 20th Century design - and work closely with several small manufacturers to print these patterns onto beautiful stationery and homewares here in England. Her work has been described as simultaneously timeless and fresh, mature and cheerful! Ariana's designs patterns and products that are timeless, and she doesn't tend to follow trends that come and go. I love how Ariana's designs are modern and a reminder of the past at the same time, it means they can fit into any home whether it's more country or more Scandi.
Meet Ariana
Since graduating from BA Interdisciplinary Textile Design, I went on to complete an MA History of Design and to research interwar textiles. This is where I fell head over heels in love with 20th Century pattern and textiles. My own aesthetic sensibility is galvanised by the work of these bygone designers.
PRICE RANGE: WHOLESALE: WEBSITE:
£2.50- £54 Yes https://www.arianamartin.com/
ORDER BY (UK DEL): MIN X 2 MARGIN: INSTAGRAM:
www.smallbusiness collaborative.co.uk
13 Dec Yes @arianamartindesign
56
LÁAYO
LÁAYO is a lifestyle brand that specializes in ethically sourced clothing and homeware. The clothing is made in small batches to reduce waste in the UK, the homewares are printed and made in the UK and woven goods are ethically sourced and produced by local artisans in the northern region of Nigeria. LÁAYO originates from Titilayo which translates to [everlasting joy]. Victoria's designs are beautiful and thoughtful. The materials she uses are all high quality and carefully chosen to be as natural and responsible as possible.
Meet Victoria
Hello, I am Victoria. I have a longstanding interest in fashion and textiles. This passion has allowed me to creatively develop on various levels. Over the years, I have gathered inspiration from my dual experience of British and African culture, infusing this into my style and home decor. I started LÁAYO Home in 2019 with a focus on items for the home because my home has always been my sanctuary, a place of joy and creativity.
PRICE RANGE: WHOLESALE: WEBSITE:
£15- £80 Yes https://www.laayo.co.uk/
ORDER BY (UK DEL): MIN X 2 MARGIN: INSTAGRAM:
www.smallbusiness collaborative.co.uk
11 Dec No @laayohome
57
Nina D
Nina is an illustrator from Stockholm, Sweden who produce high-quality tableware products inspired by her Swedish upbringing and family traditions. There is a personal story behind each design, inspired by a special place or a person close to Nina's heart in Sweden. Currently, there are six designs (with a new design launching in November 2021) in placemats, coasters, trays and linen. Handcrafted in UK and Sweden using sustainably sourced materials. Each order comes beautifully gift wrapped with a personal handwritten note. Nina's designs are illustrated completely by hand with elements separately cut out and layered onto a painted background. Creating a striking two-dimensional effect when photographed. She use watercolour and pen on carefully selected paper with texture. I love the two-dimensional effect of Nina's designs and the high quality of her products. I use one of her coasters on my work desk and love it!
Meet Nina
I launched my business one week before the global pandemic in 2020 but persevered and today we are stocked in California, Ireland, Edinburgh and Cheshire to name a few! I have a daily routine I follow no matter how busy I am - to stop for the 11am coffee break (called Fika in Swedish) with a sweet or savoury snack!
PRICE RANGE: WHOLESALE: WEBSITE:
£6- £50 Yes https://nina-d.co.uk
ORDER BY (UK DEL): 20 Dec MIN X 2 MARGIN: Yes INSTAGRAM: @illustrationheminspiration
www.smallbusiness collaborative.co.uk
58
Shell Flower
Shell Flower curates the coolest of brands with a focus on sustainability and handmade products for your home and self. Here you'll find limited-edition collaborations with some of our favourite brands, as well as slow design items handcrafted by emerging, independent designers. They also actively support women-owned brands and makers. Elle hope that each brand found at Shell Flower will bring a little bit of fun and colour into your homes, inspire interior creativity or simply brighten someone's day. All ceramics are hand-built and hand-decorated, and the textiles are all designed and made in the UK too. I love how fun and vibrant everything at Shell Flower is and all their products makes for excellent gift giving all year around.
Meet Elle
I spent 11 years working in the music industry before starting Shell Flower. It was having a baby that caused me to slow down and return to my roots of creative design after struggling to find a job elsewhere due to being a Mum. Worked out for the best though!
PRICE RANGE: WHOLESALE: WEBSITE:
£15- £50 Yes www.shellflowerstore.com
ORDER BY (UK DEL): MIN X 2 MARGIN: INSTAGRAM:
www.smallbusiness collaborative.co.uk
18 Dec Yes @shellflowerstore
59
Zulucow
The idea of Zulucow came from a family trip home to South Africa. Lucy was struck by the distinctive indigenous Nguni cowhides she noticed for sale on the side of the road. Excitedly, she bought a Nguni cowhide rug, bag and belt home. They repeatedly attracted admiring glances and compliments back in the UK. And so it began…. Zulucow’s high quality, cowhide rugs derive from South Africa’s Nguni cattle. The Zulus have bred them for their beautiful colouring and dramatic markings for amongst other things: ceremonial clothing. Nothing in South Africa goes to waste; the hides are a natural by-product of the meat industry. Lucy's cowhides are like nothing I've seen before, they are soft and glossy and with really unique colourings. Lately, grey hides have been particularly popular. Sometimes cowhides can get a be mistakingly associated with the fur industry but really it's nothing like it and is much more similar to a leather bag or shoes.
Meet Lucy
Born in Zimbabwe and raised in South Africa. I created Zulucow out of a desire, to try and help create sustainable employment opportunities and skills development in rural communities where poverty is rife, unemployment well over 50%; but where creativity abounds and the quirky African beat lives on. Before Zulucow Lucy was a TV producer for BBC Sport in London and she worked as a freelance camerawoman/producer for ‘Racing Post TV.’
PRICE RANGE: WHOLESALE: WEBSITE:
£10- £499 Yes https://www.zulucow.co.uk/
ORDER BY (UK DEL): MIN X 2 MARGIN: INSTAGRAM:
www.smallbusiness collaborative.co.uk
17 Dec Yes @zulucowbylucy
60
Yogipod
Yogipod is a collection of yoga props and homewares designed to build calm and rest into your life. Founded by yoga teacher, Georgie, Yogipod bolsters, eye pillows, meditation cushions and homewares are hand block printed in Jaipur, India and sewn by Georgie here in the UK, making every single piece unique. The print artisans Georgie work with are clusters of small family businesses, enabling printers to support their families and share their beautiful craft with the world. Walking as lightly as possible on the planet Yogipod uses sustainable materials wherever possible and every order plants a tree with Tree Sisters. Hand block printed in Jaipur, hand-sewn in the UK. The beautiful detailed blocked printing makes all of Georgie's products the perfect special gift whether they are practice yogo or just need some calm in their life.
Meet Georgie
Yogipod came into being through a series of events that led Georgie to leaving her job in fashion and going travelling to clear her mind. Georgie knew she couldn’t go back to the fast paced world of fashion and instead wanted to create a business to inspire others to take the time to slow down and find their calm. It was while wandering through the markets in Rajasthan that she rediscovered the beautiful art of block printing and knew that that had to be incorporated into the business.
PRICE RANGE: WHOLESALE: WEBSITE:
£10 -£65 Yes https://www.yogipod.co.uk
ORDER BY (UK DEL): MIN X 2 MARGIN: INSTAGRAM:
www.smallbusiness collaborative.co.uk
16 Dec No @yogi_pod
61
Jinny Ngui Design
Jinny Ngui (pronounced nu-wee) is a London based product designer. She create hand-decorated bone china tableware, designed and manufactured in England, UK. Her designs are created to either stand alone or to be mixed and matched. All pieces are perfect for daily use and are dishwasher safe (unless stated otherwise). Jinny is drawn to patterns, bold graphics and colour. Inspiration is found primarily in London, from the wealth of galleries and museums, architecture, local markets, nature and the rich mix of cultures and her own Chinese heritage has been an increasing influence on her work. My favourite design of Jinny's is this Twig to the right, I think it's so beautiful, initially, it looks quite simple but it's actually quite detailed and sculptural which I really like. I think mugs make excellent gifts both for people you know well and for those who you don't really know.
Meet Jinny
I graduated from Central Saint Martins in 2005 with a degree in Ceramic Design. The practical nature of the course opened my eyes to the world of manufacturing and craftsmanship. I spent 6 years working at Asprey with the Silver and Home department designing luxury products and bespoke projects in china, crystal, silver and leather goods. As much as I love designing, I really started to miss being hands-on and making, so I bought myself a kiln and started decorating small batches of designs with the help of specialist printers in Stoke-on-Trent.
PRICE RANGE: WHOLESALE: WEBSITE:
£9.50- £50 Yes https://www.jinnyngui-design.com/
ORDER BY (UK DEL): MIN X 2 MARGIN: INSTAGRAM:
www.smallbusiness collaborative.co.uk
16 Dec No @jinnynguidesign
62
Little Things By Lucy
Joyful personalised gifts & keepsakes for guaranteed smiles all round! At Little Things By Lucy they believe in giving gifts that matter and love nothing more than a good, old-fashioned surprise, sprinkled with some happy tears of joy! The people you care about inspire the things they make. Sometimes it’s hard to think of a gift that will really mean something, let alone go out and find it when you’ve got a million other things to do. Everything they sell is designed to solve that problem; to be personal, unique and loved for years to come. Their products are designed and personalised by hand at the Little Things studio in the UK. Gifts are made to order reducing waste and intended to last and be loved forever- creating family traditions and talking points, creating memories and passed on as keepsakes. I love how you Lucy can turn your children's drawings into a keepsake gift to treasure and use for years to come, it's such a wonderful idea and makes for an excellent parent or grandparent gift.
Meet Lucy
Lucy has always seen the magic in giving a joyful sentimental gift which makes someone you love smile. Growing up, when giving presents she has always said “oh it’s just a little thing!” which is how Little Things by Lucy began. Many of the original designs include photo’s which have been inspired by Lucy’s love of looking back through old pictures and reminiscing about happy times.
PRICE RANGE: WHOLESALE: WEBSITE:
£10- £50 Yes www.littlethingsbylucy.com
ORDER BY (UK DEL): MIN X 2 MARGIN: INSTAGRAM:
www.smallbusiness collaborative.co.uk
1 Dec Yes @littlethingsbylucy
63
Greetings cards
Image credit: Sarah Goodwin
Atelier Chop
Founded in 2020, Atelier Chop is a sustainable design studio dedicated to celebrating all things collage through its range of greeting cards. Expect minimalist design, wordplay and lots of party hats. All Chop products are designed and printed in the UK with an eco-conscious printer whose presses are carbon neutral and who only use UK paper and card suppliers. Each card is printed using FSC certified stock and comes bagged in cornstarch, not cellophane, which is not only 100% biodegradable but annually renewable. Lara's designs are so fun and I love her clean aesthetic that is still colourful and bold. Every year I spend a lot of time writing my Christmas cards and some lucky people will definitely be receiving a Atelier Chop card this year from me. Did you get your cards yet?
Meet Lara
Atelier Chop is a one-woman band, (run by me, Lara) which began last year after I lost my job as an artist's assistant. It was always my dream to start my own paper goods business and so I decided to take the plunge and begin designing. My time is now spent 'cutting and sticking' and occasionally tripping over boxes of envelopes.
PRICE RANGE: WHOLESALE: WEBSITE:
£3- £15 Yes www.atelierchop.co.uk
ORDER BY (UK DEL): MIN X 2 MARGIN: INSTAGRAM:
www.smallbusiness collaborative.co.uk
20 Dec Yes @atelierchop
65
Dotties Paper Co
Dottie's Paper Co. is filled with super cute stationery, paper goodies and gifts to make life that little bit brighter. If you love pastels, cute illustrations and the occasional sweary quote then you’re in the right place! Dottie's Paper Co. goodies feature adorable origami-inspired illustrations and colourful calligraphy with big swirls and a sweet pink palette. One of my all-time favourite colour combo's is red and pink and in Ellie's shop, you can get loads of it. I love the combo of the sweet designs, pretty illustrations and sweary words, it's such contrast and a little bit unexpected.
Meet Ellie
I originally qualified as a Photographer, but started crafting to get a bit of my old self back that had gone into hiding. After teaching myself origami and calligraphy, I loved it so much I wanted to create goodies to encourage others to connect with themselves, as well as others. I started out this little shop on a dining room table and just one range of greetings cards! It's still a one woman show, but luckily I got an upgrade in workspace!
PRICE RANGE: WHOLESALE: WEBSITE:
£2.5- £35 Yes www.dotties.co
ORDER BY (UK DEL): MIN X 2 MARGIN: INSTAGRAM: www.smallbusiness collaborative.co.uk
10 Dec Yes @dottiespaperco
66
Heather Lucy J
HeatherLucyJ specialises in thoughtfully designed stationery which encourages customers to seek joy in the little things and preserves the act of sending handwritten notes, in an increasingly digital world. In an increasingly fast-paced and digital world, Heather's stationery reflects the simple, slow & gentle side to living. All products are created in a manner that is gentle on the earth through eco-friendly printing methods and FSC approved paper. Heather's designs have so much charm and detail. They are so lovely would look great framed as a little mini-print.
Meet Heather
Hello! I’m Heather, the illustrator behind HeatherLucyJ. Most days you can find me drawing in my home studio with a huge mug of coffee, listening to music and illustrating new ideas. When I’m not drawing, I love getting out into nature, reading & wandering around art galleries. My little business has moved from the South of England all the way to Scotland in the past year!
PRICE RANGE: WHOLESALE: WEBSITE:
£3- £40 Yes https://www.heatherlucyj.co.uk/
ORDER BY (UK DEL): MIN X 2 MARGIN: INSTAGRAM:
www.smallbusiness collaborative.co.uk
17 Dec Yes @heatherlucyj
67
Made by Shannon
Made by Shannon is an environmentally conscious design brand based in the quaint village of Abinger Hammer, Surrey. Shannon is passionate about creating products that are high quality and bring joy & laughter into people’s everyday lives. Using unusual and eco-friendly card stock is an important element of Shannon's business. Some of the designs are printed into a card that is made from reindeer poo; waste from food & drink production, embedded with wildflower seeds and produced using recycled paper pulp. Made in the UK, Made from recycled materials, eco-friendly, plastic-free packaging. I love how her cards are both beautiful and fun, you might have come across her cards in one of her 200+ stockists.
Meet Shannon
Shannon is obsessed with unusual and mindfully made paper. Her cards are printed onto card stock that is handmade in Italy from discarded paperwork, created using waste from food & drink production, embedded with wild flower seeds and made from recycled paper pulp.
PRICE RANGE: WHOLESALE: WEBSITE:
£3- £4 (for the cards) Yes www.madebyshannon.co.uk
ORDER BY (UK DEL): MIN X 2 MARGIN: INSTAGRAM:
www.smallbusiness collaborative.co.uk
18 Dec Yes @madebyshannon
68
Plant a Bloomer
Plant a Bloomer is an innovative design studio specialising in unique greeting cards and gifts to plant and craft. They are known for their beautiful wildflower seed paper gift range, handcrafted in their London studio from recycled materials and embedded with natural inclusions. The latest addition to their collection has been a range of craft cards, which can be embroidered or woven. Products are made from recycled and sustainable materials and embedded with native UK wildflower seeds and natural inclusions such as sparkling mica mineral flakes and silk fibres from sari production off-cuts. These woodland cards are so cute with the little animal being made of seeded paper that you can remove and plant, giving a 3d effect and creating a keepsake in the garden at the same time.
Meet Rani
My very first client was a good friend, of mine Jo, for whom I designed her wedding stationery, including a plantabe flower wedding favour, to match the flower motif on her wedding dress. Subsequently I had more requests to produce plantable favours for other client's weddings. My husband encouraged me to take the idea further, and so the Plant a Bloomer brand was born, offering seed paper gifts to the retail market. Now more than 15 years later, Jo works for Plant a Bloomer as Production manager and Paper maker!
PRICE RANGE: WHOLESALE: WEBSITE:
£5.95- £49.50 Yes https://www.plantabloomer.co.uk/
ORDER BY (UK DEL): MIN X 2 MARGIN: INSTAGRAM:
www.smallbusiness collaborative.co.uk
20 Dec Yes @plantabloomer
69
Rock Paper Swan
Amy creates colourful illustrations from her home in Kent. Often inspired by nature, favourite colours, and meaningful words, each paper product is intended as a tangible bit of encouragement to make your day brighter. Rock Paper Swan started out of Amy’s struggle to find the sorts of cards she wanted to send to people. It’s often easier to know what to say for a birthday or special event (and she designs cards for those too) but you might need something for the in-betweens... those times when you just really need to say: Hello! I'm thinking of you. You’re amazing. I love you. Every print and gift and card design has to meet a high kindness standard – the words are always encouraging and affirming, and aimed at letting the person who will hold the finished thing in their hands feel more loved, more confident, or more understood. All the cards are designed and printed in the UK, plastic-free packaging. I love cards for the in-betweens, and I wish I was better at sending them. Thank you for the reminder Amy.
Meet Amy
I used to be a Speech and Language Therapist working for the NHS, then completely switched career lane to becoming a self-taught illustrator. (Although they’re very different jobs, there's a common thread of communication and connectedness, letting each other know we're not alone in this.)
PRICE RANGE: WHOLESALE: WEBSITE:
£3.30- £12 Yes https://rockpaperswan.com/
ORDER BY (UK DEL): MIN X 2 MARGIN: INSTAGRAM:
www.smallbusiness collaborative.co.uk
10 Dec Yes @rockpaperswan
70
Sister Paper Co
Sister Paper Co. create empowering and playful illustrated cards and gift wrap. Emma creates greeting cards for diverse, relatable and modern card-sending occasions - In her collections, you'll find gender-neutral greeting cards to celebrate the birth or adoption of new babies, rainbow love hearts to celebrate all the wonderful kinds of love alongside plenty of beautiful bodies and a touch of naughty humour. Plus some cheeky Christmas cards with our signature sprinkle of girl power. Sister Paper Co. value the environment and minimising the impact their products make on the world. All products are printed in small batches here in the U.K on a carbon-neutral press and they are committed to only using paper from FSC-Certified sustainable forests, including their envelopes. I love that Emma's designs start as an original hand-painted work of art, it adds so much charm and character to her designs. I've also loved following along to see her designs being discovered by more and more shops.
Meet Emma
Proudly female owned and operated from our London home studio, Sister Paper Co. was launched in 2021 by founder and designer Emma. All our collections begin their life as an original handpainted ink or gouache artwork, even the unique lettering you'll find on our greeting cards is created by hand.
PRICE RANGE: WHOLESALE: WEBSITE:
£3 Yes www.sisterpaperco.com
ORDER BY (UK DEL): MIN X 2 MARGIN: INSTAGRAM:
www.smallbusiness collaborative.co.uk
17 Dec Yes @sisterpaperco
71
Cheeky Zebra
Cheeky Zebra create real cards for real life. Sasha has a background in law and now spends her time creating cards, and there are a lot of them, over 1000 designs to cater for any and all occasions of life. There's even a rude filter on her website for those extra cheeky card occasions in your life. All the cards are printed to order on traceable card stock so there's very little waste at Sasha's studio at her Nan's house. This also means that it can be printed with your personalised message inside and sent straight to your loved ones home. I love how brutally honest Sasha is and how you can find cards for absolutely all occasions. Plus there's a handy 4 for £10 offer!
Meet Sasha
I’m Sasha, owner of cheeky zebra. We make quirky cards for real life! I basically started CZ because I wanted to send the kind of cards I’d like to receive in all of their sassy glory. We’re a small family business and by that I mean my Nan helps me pack for free! Find out more about Sasha and her business adventures by listening to my podcast Let's talks sales as she's my season 6 guest.
PRICE RANGE: WHOLESALE: WEBSITE:
£3.95 Yes https://www.cheekyzebra.com/
ORDER BY (UK DEL): MIN X 2 MARGIN: INSTAGRAM:
www.smallbusiness collaborative.co.uk
14 Dec Yes @cheekyzebradotcom
72
Sarah Goodwin
Sarah Goodwin is a South London-based artist and print designer who loves painting classic, timeless motifs in bold and unusual colour combinations. These original works of art go on to become beautiful paper goods and giclée prints. Concerned with only providing the highest quality products, everything is printed in England on velvet-textured paper from an 18th century English mill. Sarah hopes to bring colour, joy and a creative twist to your home decor. Cards are made in the UK on FSC certified card. I love the colours Sarah use and the detail that goes into creating these typography designs by hand with a paint brush is impressive and I can't wait to send some of these beauties out this year.
Meet Sarah
I'm a London-based Artist and Print Designer, with a background in luxury fashion. You will often find me with a mug of earl grey tea in one hand and a paint brush in the other! I love working with bold colours and classic motifs such as stripes and my signature Ric Rac designs.
PRICE RANGE: WHOLESALE: WEBSITE:
£3.50- £150 Yes www.sarahgoodwindesign.com
ORDER BY (UK DEL): 10 Dec MIN X 2 MARGIN: Yes INSTAGRAM: @sarahgoodwindesign
www.smallbusiness collaborative.co.uk
73
Children's gifts Image credit: Pom Stitch Tassel
The Wild and the Tame
The Wild and the Tame is a baby and children's boutique specialising in luxury clothing, accessories and nursery décor. Exquisite pieces, handcrafted from limited edition fabrics by mum of two Chantelle, in the Kent countryside. Chantelle's products are characterful, nature-inspired designs that are beautiful, one-of-a-kind pieces that you can fall head over heels in love with. All items are made from limited edition fabrics, designed mainly by UK illustrators. Every piece is cut and sewn individually in the UK. These pieces are special and made to last, I bought one of Chantelle's bags for a friend last year and they love it and still use it now as it's so well made and thoughtfully put together.
Meet Chantelle
I’ve always been creative, studying furniture design at university before moving into a fast-paced PR career in London, where I was fortunate to represent world-renowned designers and architects. I crazily launched the business when I was 8 months pregnant with my second baby and for the first year I would cram sewing into naptimes or work with my little one in his bouncer chair next to the sewing machine.
PRICE RANGE: WHOLESALE: WEBSITE:
£13- £110 Yes https://thewildandthetame.co.uk/
ORDER BY (UK DEL): MIN X 2 MARGIN: INSTAGRAM:
www.smallbusiness collaborative.co.uk
17 Dec Yes @_wildandtame_
75
Lucy Miller Shop
Lucy Miller is a British Designer/Illustrator and she can be found creating designs for art prints, greetings cards and recycled notebooks, in her home studio near Windsor. She has a love of using layers of texture, pattern and colour in her work and thoroughly enjoy creative processes, especially experimentation and the discovery of new things along the journey to creating original designs. Designed and made in the UK. Monogram prints can be personalised with name and birth details or can be a single initial. These prints would make an excellent gift for parents to be or children, especially as they can be personalised. I love that Lucy's illustrations have very many layers so there's something new to discover the more you look.
Meet Lucy
This year I launched my new pressed-flower floral range, which was inspired by lockdown walks and exploring nature with my two boys. It was a nostalgic and rewarding process from picking and pressing flowers, to photographing and assembling the final artwork. I adore the beautiful detail in the flowers.
ORDER BY (UK DEL): PRICE RANGE: £3.50- £28 WHOLESALE: Yes MIN X 2 MARGIN: WEBSITE: www.etsy.com/uk/shop/LucyMillerShop INSTAGRAM: www.smallbusiness collaborative.co.uk
16 Dec Yes @lucymillershop
76
Pom Stitch Tassel
Pom Stitch Tassel is a Devon based craft company bringing old crafts back to life and inspiring a new generation of creatives with our pom pom kits! The main ethos behind Pom Stitch Tassel is to inspire the next generation of creatives, bringing old crafts back to life and educating youngsters the importance of craft. Handmade in the UK, British, sustainable, fully recyclable & reusable, UKCA marked for children's safety. Emma's kits are so cute and making pom poms is a great way for children to get into crafting. Perfect as a stocking filler to keep the children entertained this festive season or as an all year around gift.
Meet Emma
Emma's career began in sewing in September 2013. She undertook a Level 3 Fashion and Textiles apprenticeship at a local textiles manufacturing company. From then she worked backstage as a seamstress, dressing West End shows, creating high end fashion garments/costumes for various theatres across the south west. Emma has been supported by the Princes Trust with their enterprise program and next year she will complete the full program.
PRICE RANGE: WHOLESALE: WEBSITE:
£9.99- £32 Yes www.pomstitchtassel.com
ORDER BY (UK DEL): MIN X 2 MARGIN: INSTAGRAM:
www.smallbusiness collaborative.co.uk
17 Dec Yes @pomstitchtassel
77
Emily Spikings
Emily design and create prints, paper mobiles, cushions and plushies aimed at the younger generation all with a bold, colourful and playful style. As a one-woman team, everything is designed, cutout, tied, sewn, packed and posted etc. by Emily at her home in Nottingham. Emily's designs are really fun and stylish, the range includes lots of different types of products so you can be sure to find something you will love.
Meet Emily
Everything I design and make gets run past my two little helpers neither of which have developed the subtle art of flattery yet and they tell me how it is, good or bad. So I can honestly say all that I do has the approval of kids (well, my kids).
PRICE RANGE: £5- £25 WHOLESALE: Yes WEBSITE: www.etsy.com/uk/shop/EmilySpikings
ORDER BY (UK DEL): 17 Dec MIN X 2 MARGIN: No INSTAGRAM: @emily_spikings_design
www.smallbusiness collaborative.co.uk
78
Green Crayon
Green Crayon is a handmade soy wax crayon company, specialising in vegan and plastic free alternatives to regular crayon sets. There are a range of shapes including toddler-friendly chunky ones meaning Green Crayon can help every little one make their mark! All handmade by Jade from Soy wax, Carnauba wax and Cocoa Butter. They are coloured using Non-Toxic earth pigments and are UKCA marked, testing has been done by an independent lab to make sure they are safe for your little one. Mass-produced crayons contain things like paraffin and beef talons and after finding out this, Jade decided she wanted something different and she created Eco friendly crayons that are also vegan friendly too. I had no idea crayons contained so much nasty stuff and I'm glad there are alternatives.
Meet Jade
Green Crayon started only last year in the middle of lockdown, bored and stuck at home I needed something to do, and after lots of research and testing Green Crayon sold it's first set via Instagram- 6 little dinosaurs. These have now gone on to be my best seller!
PRICE RANGE: WHOLESALE: WEBSITE:
£3-£20 Yes www.greencrayon.co.uk
ORDER BY (UK DEL):
10 Dec
MIN X 2 MARGIN: INSTAGRAM:
No
www.smallbusiness collaborative.co.uk
@greencrayonn_
79
Sheni and Teni
Sheni and Teni aims to welcome more of the world into playtime. They want to celebrate the cultures and traditions, colours, and vibrancy of African cultures and see this represented in toys, books and games in playrooms all over the world - something we don't see nearly enough of today. At Sheni and Teni, they believe in expanding the horizons of our children - by introducing new ways of life to them and providing positive representation to black and brown children. Sheni and Teni believe the combination of these will help create a more embracing and inclusive society as a whole. All illustrations are by artists based in Africa. 10% of proceeds of our book - Ara Becomes Thundergirl are donated to Centrepoint UK to help alleviate homelessness in youths.
Meet Folasayo
As a Nigerian living and working in the City in London, I’d always felt a little like I was missing something. Staying connected to Nigerian culture through food, music, media and literature gives me a happy balance between my everyday life and something much deeper - a sense of belonging and a shared understanding of where I'm from and who I am.
When I had my babies, two boys, I knew that they'd need that reinforcement too. That connection. But none of the toys or books at nursery showed anyone that looked like them. I went to the local shops, the big shops... and then I looked online. There weren’t many books with characters with brown skin and there were no games showing off the amazing cultures and people of Africa. I decided to do something about it and Sheni and Teni was born :)
PRICE RANGE: WHOLESALE: WEBSITE:
£8- £38 Yes www.sheniandteni.com
ORDER BY (UK DEL): MIN X 2 MARGIN: INSTAGRAM:
www.smallbusiness collaborative.co.uk
13 Dec Yes @sheniandteni
80
Tommy & Lottie
Tommy & Lottie are a unisex, ethical and sustainable brand specialising in well made, organic cotton basics, including t shirts and sweatshirts for children and adults, babywear, back packs, wall prints and plantable seed cards all with a wildlife theme. Tommy & Lottie help save species , together – There are many benefits to why we need to protect wildlife for our own wellbeing both physically and mentally and for the health of our ecosystems and planet and Tommy & Lottie are very proud of the three charity partnerships they have set up with Ocean Generation via Work For Good the Sumatran Orangutan Society, and the Hertfordshire and Middlesex Wildlife Trust. Money is donated to the charities every time one of our polar bear, orangutan, bee or butterfly products are sold. All materials used are sustainable. These include organic cotton to make our clothing and recycled plastic bottles to make our back packs. I love that raising money and raising awareness goes hand in hand with Tommy & Lottie's products. Each piece is a great conversation starter about the animal it features so makes for the perfect Christmas gift.
Meet Katie
Hi, I’m Katie Carr, mum of two (Tommy & Lottie) who inspired me to start the business. I live in St Albans, Hertfordshire with my partner and our three children Tommy, Lottie and Bevan our cheeky terrier. I spent my childhood in nature as I grew up in rural East Sussex and spent a lot of my time outside. My parents taught me a lot about wildlife and how important it is to respect it for a healthy environment and our happiness.
PRICE RANGE: WHOLESALE: WEBSITE:
£6- £70 Yes www.tommyandlottie.com
ORDER BY (UK DEL): MIN X 2 MARGIN: INSTAGRAM:
www.smallbusiness collaborative.co.uk
5 Dec No @tommyandlottie
81
Colour Celebrati ons
Colour Celebrations is a lifestyle and gifting brand creating unique gifts for children of colour. Our mission is to help children and their families celebrate colour, culture and heritage boldly and proudly. It is the only company offering baby milestone cards and luxury gifting for Black and mixed-race babies. Its products intentionally celebrate babies’ skin colour and provide an alternative to the current “colour blind” baby gifting options available today. Each product has been designed by me (Debs the Founder). Most items have been made or designed in UK and for clothing, all items are organic or sustainably sourced as part of our dedication to green and eco-friendly practices. I really admire when anyone come across a problem and decides to do something about it to make a difference. These milestone cards and all of Colour Celebrations products make excellent gifts and I love that they celebrate the babies skin colour.
Meet Debs
Deborah Ajaja founded Colour Celebrations after the birth of her son in 2018. As a proud first time Mother, she was keen to share pictures of her precious little baby with friends and family as he grew and hit his various developmental and cultural milestones. When she struggled to find any milestone products which were representative of her son’s hue, her family’s culture and the variety of celebrations they honoured she decided to do something about it. Having quickly realised that this was truly a problem and there was a gap in the market, the Colour Celebrations Milestone Cards were born and she worked tirelessly to bring the vision to life.
PRICE RANGE: WHOLESALE: WEBSITE:
£16- £19 Yes https://colourcelebrations.com
ORDER BY (UK DEL): 16 Dec MIN X 2 MARGIN: No INSTAGRAM: @colourcelebrations
www.smallbusiness collaborative.co.uk
82
Knitaboo
Handmade knitwear for newborns, babies and toddlers. When you place your order, each item is lovingly hand-knitted by Mia with your chosen colour and design. You can also rest assured that your item is ethically made from the yarn, needles used to knit your item and to the delivery. Knitaboo works mostly with cotton yarn that is spun and dyed to a high standard in the UK with no impact on the environment. Mia picked Three Bear Yarns for their values towards their employees, their love for the environment and that these values align with mine. Knitaboo plants trees every month to offset their carbon emissions. I love knitwear and hand-knitted pieces in particular, and I think they make wonderful newborn and children's gifts. Knowing that they are knitted here in the UK makes Mia's pieces extra special.
Meet Mia
Growing up, handmade knitwear was always part of my life. Beautiful and simple designs made by my mother and grandmother. Timeless and effortless, from the choice of yarn to the colours, this is the inspiration behind my knitwear here at Knitaboo. Each item makes for a perfect gift for a new arrival or adds a beautiful touch to a natural wardrobe.
PRICE RANGE: WHOLESALE: WEBSITE:
£12.90- £70 Yes www.knitaboo.co.uk
ORDER BY (UK DEL): MIN X 2 MARGIN: INSTAGRAM:
www.smallbusiness collaborative.co.uk
10 Dec Yes @knitaboo
83
srelliF gnikcotS Image credit: Childstar Samantha
Jeff and the Squirrel
Eco friendly and sustainable greeting cards, stationery and pins that put a smile on your face! Jeff and "Squirrel" are Stevie's furry babies! Jeff is a 6.5kg whingey floof (or just a huge bear to be fair). He loves boxes, belly rubs, drinking from the tap and laying in the sunshine. Georgia is a tiny chirpy thing who gets the zoomies four times a day. Stevie and Alex rescued her from a local charity when she was around 6 months old, after she was taken in as feral. She loves winding Jeff up, eating, playing and licking doors. She walks around with her tail bent over her back, hence the name Squirrel! I meet Stevie during the lockdown when she just started her business on one of my Fika sessions and it's been such a joy to see her business grow. Her designs are fun and so cute and her wooden badges and biodegradable pins would make brilliant stocking fillers.
Meet Stevie
I am the face behind Jeff and the Squirrel, as well as the designer, the researcher, the content creator, the accountant, the order packer and the post office runner... okay, okay, sometimes my other half, Alex does the post office runs! Jeff and the Squirrel was born during the Coronavirus pandemic in March 2020 as my wedding photography business had essentially been shut down overnight. I'd wanted a stationery business for a couple of years leading up to it but never found the time. Honestly, sometimes I think lockdown was a blessing in disguise!
PRICE RANGE: WHOLESALE: WEBSITE:
£1- £10 Yes www.jeffandthesquirrel.co.uk
ORDER BY (UK DEL): MIN X 2 MARGIN: INSTAGRAM:
www.smallbusiness collaborative.co.uk
17 Dec Yes @jeffandthesquirrel
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Urbee
Urbee is a little urban bee with a vision to help and support the plight of bees and pollinating insects. Cherisse design and sell lovely products for people, homes & gardens with sustainability as a key target, we are committed to helping the environment. Urbee is short for ‘Urban Bee’ and the company arose from Cherisse's love of wildlife and the natural world. Cherisse designs are based on the Scandinavian style, which focuses on simple shapes, nature and clean lines. Most items are made in the UK, the candles are hand-poured in the UK, gift sets have eco-friendly and reusable packaging. Bees are having a real moment and I hope it's not a trend. Businesses like Urbee is helping to raise awareness and raising funds and I'm all for it + Cherisee products are really pretty, my favourite is the mug to the right above.
Meet Cherisse
Hi, my name is Cherisse... I am from a little corner of South East London and living on the edge of an urban jungle, I appreciate the need more than ever to have natural habitats around us. Places where bees can forage and thrive. Places where they can keep doing what they are on this earth to do. Through my products, I hope to aid in their conservation by not only raising awareness but also donating 10% of all profits to 'Buglife' – a wonderful conservation charity that does incredible things for pollinating insects.
PRICE RANGE: WHOLESALE: WEBSITE:
£2.75- £36 Yes www.urbee.co.uk/
ORDER BY (UK DEL): MIN X 2 MARGIN: INSTAGRAM:
www.smallbusiness collaborative.co.uk
18 Dec Yes @urbee_ltd
86
Childstar Samantha
Childstar Samantha creates playful designs to make people smile! Sassy cats and typographic designs, plus a few jungle vibes are available as art prints, stationery, homeware gifts, clothing and jewellery. Sam loves to draw people and animals and play around with colours and patterns! She also gets all hot under the collar about awesome music, sparkly words (especially foreign languages) and the magic of the sea. Offering lots of eco-friendly gifts in non-plastic packaging, Childstar Samantha is carbon positive and plants a tree for every sale. Made in the UK, high quality, eco-friendly, non-plastic packaging. How cute are these decks? They would brighten up any tree and can bar the ones with the Santa hat they can also be used all year round. Samantha has so many fun designs in her shop that you're sure to find some great gifts and stocking fillers.
Meet Sam Bonjour! My name’s Sam and I love to create playful designs that make people smile. Welcome to my world of COLOUR 🌈, LOVE💖 and JOY😃 (with a side order of sassy kitty cats 🐯)! Whether you are looking for art prints, home accessories or clothing, I have the perfect gift for you! Many of my designs are personalisable and can be gift wrapped, plus I’m always open to custom requests...
PRICE RANGE: WHOLESALE: WEBSITE:
£5- £50 Yes www.etsy.com/uk/shop/ChildstarSamantha
ORDER BY (UK DEL): MIN X 2 MARGIN: INSTAGRAM:
www.smallbusiness collaborative.co.uk
20 Dec Yes @childstarsamantha
87
Stitchfinity
Stitchfinity sells fun and colourful cross stitch kits and they have something for the complete beginner up to designs for the experienced stitcher who loves something to get their teeth into. Stitchfinity started when Alison and Annie, a couple of mates decided to go into business together creating the kind of cross-stitch kits they’d love to stitch. So they gathered their favourite materials, packaged them in something they'd love to open and designed fun, colourful, bright and modern patterns. It worked out rather well! Not least because it gives them a great excuse to get together every week. Alison and Annie hope you love stitching them as much as they love creating them. I meet Alison and Annie at Harrogate Home and gift earlier this year and loved their energy and their kits. I made the lobster one and it's so cute! All of Alison and Annie's kits would make excellent stocking fillers to get crafty on those quiet day's between Christmas and New Years.
Meet Alison and Annie
Stitchfinity is run by Alison and Annie. Annie is the blue sky thinker who has the brilliant ideas but Alison makes sure all the i's are dotted and the t's are crossed. On the plus side, we both love wine. And laughing. Mainly at each other.
PRICE RANGE: WHOLESALE: WEBSITE:
£7- £22 Yes https://stitchfinity.com/
ORDER BY (UK DEL): MIN X 2 MARGIN: INSTAGRAM:
www.smallbusiness collaborative.co.uk
17 Dec Yes @stitchfinity
88
Lucky Cloud Skincare
Lucky Cloud Skincare is a vegan-friendly & eco-conscious skincare brand. Get your confidence back and the skin you've always dreamed of! Products are all formulated and manufactured by Lucy right here in the UK. More specifically, Edinburgh, Scotland. Everything is handmade in small batches, so there is quality control and minimal waste. From the initial spark of a new product through to development, testing and the finished item it’s all handled in Lucy's workshop. Each ingredient is chosen for its specific properties that help, improve and feed your skin. No fillers, no one-stop-shop for all skin types and no limitations on the number per product. Each ingredient must provide outstanding benefits to your skin otherwise there’s no point. Over the last few year's I've been enjoying discovering more natural and more consciously made skincare and Lucky Cloud definitely fits the bill. Lucy Cloud products look so pretty and would make the perfect stocking filler for anyone.
Meet Lucy
As the founder, maker and owner of Lucky Cloud I have first-hand knowledge of what it’s like to have sensitive and painful eczema-prone skin that makes you want to curl up into a ball and hide; I was sick and tired of wasting money, energy and tears on mass-produced products that not only didn’t help heal my skin but sometimes made things worse. So I created my own products!
PRICE RANGE: £6-£23 WHOLESALE: Yes WEBSITE: https://www.luckycloudskincare.com/
ORDER BY (UK DEL): MIN X 2 MARGIN: INSTAGRAM:
www.smallbusiness collaborative.co.uk
17 Dec Yes @luckycloudskincare
89
Maragold Designs
Maragold Designs is a luxury everyday accessories brand based in London. Julianna design and create each and every bag and accessory by hand from a selection of carefully sourced, beautiful quality materials, using both traditional hand-stitching and machine stitching processes. ‘Quality over quantity’ is at the heart of everything she creates through an emphasis on functionality, minimal design, the reinterpretation of timeless materials, and intentionally small batch production to limit waste and promote conscious consumption. Made primarily with Italian vegetable tanned leathers from Tuscany, which are a by-product of the food industry, and Burel wool. Together, these natural materials are wonderfully tactile, reliably durable and will stand the test of time developing even richer character as they are used. I love gifting pieces that can last a long time and Julianna's collection of accessories would make excellent stocking fillers and the bigger pieces such as her bags would make for great main gifts to.
Meet Julianna
Burel wool comes from a small factory that went bankrupt due to the rise of synthetic materials in the 60’s and was only recently revived in the early 2000’s. The revival has helped preserve an ancestral, artisan heritage in the region and restored jobs to the remote, mountainous area. With a great respect for nature, the factory has very high sustainability standards, zero waste policy and works with local shepherds whose sheep graze in the mountains, are treated well and are sheared manually. It's story is just as rich as it is to the touch and has become a distinction of my brand.
PRICE RANGE: WHOLESALE: WEBSITE:
£8- £265 Yes https://maragolddesigns.com/
ORDER BY (UK DEL): MIN X 2 MARGIN: INSTAGRAM:
www.smallbusiness collaborative.co.uk
17 Dec Yes @maragolddesigns
90
Aloë Earrings
Playful limited edition fashion earrings inspired by plants, pattern, travel and colour. Small batch designs are lovingly created by Alice and Chloe from their small studio in Liverpool. They believe there's a pair of Aloës for everyone from everyday wears to statement pairs or the perfect gift for your favourite babe. Alice and Chloe are lovers of print, pattern, plants and colour. Globally influenced, they love to travel and it's a big inspiration in their design process. They love to experiment with materials using a mix of hand-painted polymer clay, hand-poured resin, mother of pearl, tortoiseshell and hammered brass. All the pieces are made in small-batch styles and are diverse in designs. Due to their handcrafted nature, no two pieces are ever the same. Can you ever have too many earrings? I don't think so, and because Alice and Chloe doesn't restrict themselves to a few colours or materials you can be sure to find something that takes your fancy from their range.
Meet Alice and Chloe
Travel and fashion brought us together 10 years ago in Amsterdam whilst studying Fashion Design & Marketing. After a decade of friendship and working within the fashion industry as Designers for the highstreet we decided to have some fun and create our own indie brand making gorgeous earrings we love to wear. Aloë was born poolside on a holiday together in Madrid in 2019. Aloë is Alice and Chloe and we love to decorate your ears.
PRICE RANGE: WHOLESALE: WEBSITE:
£10- £16 Yes https://www.aloeearrings.co.uk/
ORDER BY (UK DEL): MIN X 2 MARGIN: INSTAGRAM:
www.smallbusiness collaborative.co.uk
21 Dec Yes @aloeearrings
91
Handmade by Tinni
Handmade by Tinni is all about sustainability and joyful colour. Founder Paulomi creates colourful, bold designs that bring joy & inspire ethical living. Each piece is made by Paulomi by hand in London. Paulomi's design inspiration comes from the bright colours of nature, amazing places that she has travelled to over the years and most importantly from the rich heritage of India. Earings and jewellery make for great stocking fillers and I love how vibrant and colourful Paulomi's pieces are. Even if the world is opening up I am sure we will continue spending some of our working time on Zoom and these bold pieces would brighten up any virtual call.
Meet Paulomi
Hi, I’m Paulomi and I am a textile jewellery designer and maker. Ever since I can remember, I’ve loved colour. Perhaps it’s my Indian heritage. I have a great affection for anything bold, bright and interesting and this shines through in my creations. I take great pride in making each piece by hand. Looking for something soft to the touch, I began to use old age crafts and processes like macrame and knotwork to create statement jewellery from cotton rope.
PRICE RANGE: WHOLESALE: WEBSITE:
£10- £40 Yes https://www.handmadebytinni.com/
ORDER BY (UK DEL): MIN X 2 MARGIN: INSTAGRAM:
www.smallbusiness collaborative.co.uk
19 Dec Yes @handmade.bytinni
92
Bloom Puzzles
Bloom jigsaw puzzles, which promote talented artists while giving something back, paired with lovely extras to take your puzzle time to the next level. Bloom puzzles are made in Britain from thick, environmentally responsible board with a lovely matt finish, which avoids reflection under artificial light. The boxes are beautifully made, again in Britain, and are a pleasure to touch. The elegant sleeves showing the puzzle image (printed in Britain!) slide off to allow you to use both the lid and the base of the box for puzzle piece sorting, and will stand up by themselves for easy reference. During the lockdown, I got really into jigsaw puzzles, in-particular over Christmas. It's such a calming activity and makes for a beautiful Christmas gift.
Meet Philippa
I have always loved a good jigsaw puzzle, losing myself in the challenge of bringing order to chaos, but have struggled to find fresh, modern yet interesting puzzle images. For me, it's all in the details and the story. My gift to myself each Christmas has been the opportunity to take time out with a jigsaw puzzle, enjoying a cup (glass?!) of something accompanied by the scent of a candle and some festive music. It occurred to me over Christmas 2019 that this lovely, relaxing combination would work just as well all year round and that's how it all started.
PRICE RANGE: WHOLESALE: WEBSITE:
£25- £50 No https://bloompuzzles.co.uk
ORDER BY (UK DEL): MIN X 2 MARGIN: INSTAGRAM:
www.smallbusiness collaborative.co.uk
20 Dec N/A @bloom.puzzles
93
Prints and Wall decorations
Image credit: Jennifer Tune
Jennifer Tune
Jen specialises in creating home prints and greetings cards with a minimal, but elegant style and a focus on typography, for people who want meaningful, design-led paper goods. All of the products are made by Jen, in her home in Staffordshire. The limited-edition foil print has been hand-printed by Jen on her traditional printing press using FSC certified, premium heavyweight slate coloured paper and gold foil. The prints are created in a way that enables them to be personalised, because it's those little details that make it extra special. I have a love for typography and different types of lettering and Jen's style creates the perfect balance of modern, minimal but still with lots of character.
Meet Jen
I've been a graphic designer since I graduated from University with a design degree which basically means I've spent over a decade making pretty things for people and businesses. I started my business whilst on maternity leave so that I could spend more time with my two little girls who are now two and almost four.
PRICE RANGE: WHOLESALE: WEBSITE:
£3.50-£25 Yes www.jennifertune.co.uk
ORDER BY (UK DEL): MIN X 2 MARGIN: INSTAGRAM:
www.smallbusiness collaborative.co.uk
15 Dec Yes @jennifer_tune
95
Sister Paper Co.
At Sister Paper Co. we create empowering and playful illustrated cards, art prints and gift wrap. Proudly female owned and operated from our London home studio, Sister Paper Co. was launched in 2021 by founder and designer Emma. Sister Paper Co. value the environment and are committed to minimising the impact their products make on the world. All art prints are printed in small batches here in the U.K using only paper from FSC-Certified sustainable forests. The studio is powered by energy from renewable sources, all packaging is plastic free and all our products are 100% recyclable. I love Emma's style and how much character her designs have because they start as original works of art using actual brushes and paints. Her prints would make a wonderful Christmas present for daughters, best-friends, work-mates and more.
Meet Emma
Proudly female owned and operated from our London home studio, Sister Paper Co. was launched in 2021 by founder and designer Emma. All our collections begin their life as an original hand-painted ink or gouache artwork, even the unique lettering you'll find on our greeting cards is created by hand.
PRICE RANGE: WHOLESALE: WEBSITE:
£8-£30 Yes www.sisterpaperco.com
ORDER BY (UK DEL): 17 Dec MIN X 2 MARGIN: Yes INSTAGRAM: @sisterpaperco
www.smallbusiness collaborative.co.uk
96
Libra Fine Arts
Libra Fine Arts was born in 2020, during lockdown when we all had a good look at our lives! Skip, a self-taught artist fell in love with the development of his own artwork, it became a type of meditation, shutting out the outside world. Katherine and Skip produce high-quality products featuring their artwork. They use UK printers and local suppliers and the frames are hand made and the mount is hand cut. And they plant a tree for every sale so they can make tomorrow better for everyone. Hand-drawn artwork in hand made frames and hand-cut mounts. These prints are highly detailed and as they are black and white they would look beautiful and stand out in lots of different styled homes.
Meet Katherine and Skip
When Libra Fine Arts was born, the deal was ... Skip will draw the art and I will do everything else... Well little did I know how much everything else was! I have never been a creative person, but I have always had that nagging feeling of wanting to run my own business. Libra Fine Arts wasn't a plan, after watching Skip take over the spare room, seeing his drawings I thought there was real potential in what he was creating and to build on it.
PRICE RANGE: WHOLESALE: WEBSITE:
£15-£89 No www.librafinearts.co.uk
ORDER BY (UK DEL): MIN X 2 MARGIN: INSTAGRAM:
www.smallbusiness collaborative.co.uk
13Dec N/A @librafinearts
97
Ember Edge Creative
Stephanie produces creative laser cut and engraved greetings cards and gifts. Everything is made in her workshop on the edge of the Brecon Beacons in South Wales. All the cards are packed with recycled envelopes in biodegradable cello bags and are printed on sustainable FSC certified wood and card/paper. Stephanies designs are detailed and modern and I love the highly contrasting colours in her lasercut print and artworks.
Meet Stephanie
Whilst studying Contemporary Crafts, Stephanie was introduced to laser cutting technology and has incorporated the process into her work ever since. Alongside her own product range, Stephanie specialises in laser cutting and engraving services. Most materials can be cut like paper, card, fabric, wood and plastics. Harder materials like metal and glass can be engraved.
PRICE RANGE: WHOLESALE: WEBSITE:
£1-£35 Yes www.emberedgecreative.co.uk
ORDER BY (UK DEL): MIN X 2 MARGIN: INSTAGRAM:
www.smallbusiness collaborative.co.uk
17 Dec Yes @emberedgecreative
98
Cox & Ewe
At Cox & Ewe Sarah aims to bring colour, joy and a smile to people's lives and homes. She creates yarn covered signs and mini-jumper creations in an array of bright colours. Each sign and mini-jumper is hand made in the UK, meaning every piece is unique and made to order in the customers choice of colour. These signs would make a great addition to a children's room or any wall that needs a bit of colour and joy.
Meet Sarah
Cox & Ewe started in May 2020 during the first lockdown as a creative outlet to manage my anxiety around the pandemic. I've learnt such a lot already on my small business journey and along the way have become an even stronger supporter and advocate of shopping small and supporting the fellow small business friends I've made along the way. I aim to be as eco-friendly as possible with all aspects of my business and ensure that my packaging is 100% recyclable.
PRICE RANGE: WHOLESALE: WEBSITE:
£9- £34 No www.etsy.com/uk/shop/coxandewe
ORDER BY (UK DEL): MIN X 2 MARGIN: INSTAGRAM:
www.smallbusiness collaborative.co.uk
10 Dec N/A @coxandewe
99
Concrete Nature
Concrete Nature was funded with the desire to positively impact human experiences and the environment. The studio focuses on creating environmentally conscious and design-led printed goods by using risograph printing, carefully selected recycled and FSC certified paper stocks and packaging made from recycled, recyclable and biodegradable materials. They also regularly donate to charity and one tree is also planted for every single order they receive. Everything is made in the UK. Risograph printing is an environmentally-friendly printer using soybased inks to produce unique prints. Additionally, all of the printed goods are exclusively produced as one-off limited editions. It means that once the print runs are out of stock, they won't get reprinted. Once they’re gone, they are gone forever. I love how the colours look in risograph printing, it's my favourite type of print and Clementine's deisngs are beautiful and her creative kit's makes me want to play with paper.
Meet Clementine
Concrete Nature is an environmentally conscious creative studio based in Glasgow. Launched in 2020 by French designer Clementine Carriere, the studio balances collaborative, commissioned and self-initiated projects. The studio produces limited edition risograph prints, stationery and kits designed to bring design and nature into your home.
PRICE RANGE: WHOLESALE: WEBSITE:
£2.50-£40 Yes https://concretenature.store
ORDER BY (UK DEL): 6 Dec MIN X 2 MARGIN: Yes INSTAGRAM: @concretenaturestudio
www.smallbusiness collaborative.co.uk
100
Now Then, Sunshine
Now Then, Sunshine is all about sending positivity into the world through bright, beautiful designs and joyful modern calligraphy. Jules, the calligrapher and illustrator behind the brand, creates happy greetings cards, cool wall art and colouring books filled with empowering phrases instead of pictures – all designed to bring a little more sunshine into your life! All Jules work originates from hand-drawn or hand-painted artwork, giving a gorgeous, unique feel. Wherever possibly her work is printed in the UK on recycled stock with eco-friendly ink and everything is sent out plastic-free to keep things kind for Mother Nature. I love Jules vibrant and artwork and her style filled with positivity and cheer!
Meet Jules
My kids play a big part in what I do and are my main supporters and critics! They call my calligraphy 'Mummy's beautiful writing' which I love.
PRICE RANGE: WHOLESALE: WEBSITE:
£3.50-£18 Yes for greetings cards https://nowthensunshine.com/
ORDER BY (UK DEL): MIN X 2 MARGIN: INSTAGRAM:
www.smallbusiness collaborative.co.uk
15 Dec Yes for cards @now.then.sunshine
101
Autumn Bella Designs
Autumn Bella Designs is home to a range of Prints & Cards designed by Amy Worley. All illustrations are initially hand-drawn in pencil & painted in watercolour. Each drawing involves a lot of shading, line work and attention to detail. These are then put together digitally with each individual illustration being combined to create the final design. Sustainability is very important to Autumn Bella Designs so all card and packaging used is made from recycled materials and are recyclable. I love Amy's Zodiac collection, it's so detailed and intricate. Perfect for anyone spiritual in your life.
Meet Amy
My business is named after my niece, when i started the business it was mostly prints for Children as these started with drawings of a Panda and Penguin I did as keepsakes from her Baby Shower. The business has changed lots since then but of course still has her name! My favourite and most popular range is the Zodiac collection. We have prints for all 12 Star Signs- in most cases more than one option.
PRICE RANGE: WHOLESALE: WEBSITE:
£3- £35 Yes www.autumnbelladesigns.co.uk
ORDER BY (UK DEL): 4 Dec MIN X 2 MARGIN: Yes INSTAGRAM: @autumnbelladesigns
www.smallbusiness collaborative.co.uk
102
Art Star
Jo creates colourful craft kits and sustainable paper decorations from her studio at home in East London. She is on a mission to spread a bit of joy and positivity through sharing her love of colour, pattern and craft. Jo loves artist collaborations and her favourite summer product was her Yay Bunting collaboration with the illustrator Mal Made. It's double-sided with the words 'Yay Hooray' on one side and 10 wonderfully different people on the other. It's a joyful celebration of the diversity of the UK. All the products are made in London, using either leftover paper or FSC certified paper and Jo donates 10% of her profits to UK foodbank. Jo's designs are beautiful and a bit nostalgic but with a modern twist. Perfect for Christmas and all year around.
Meet Jo
Hi I'm Jo, reusing existing materials to create new things is something that also really excites me...so my Hack Packs are made from leftover paper from the printing industry and are a kind of freestyle craft kit. For every pack I sell, I donate one to a kids' art club. My happy place is anywhere with tea, paper, scissors and glue!
PRICE RANGE: WHOLESALE: WEBSITE:
£1-£20 Yes https://www.artstar.london/
ORDER BY (UK DEL): MIN X 2 MARGIN: INSTAGRAM:
www.smallbusiness collaborative.co.uk
20 Dec Yes @art_star_london
103
Thank you & Happy Shopping I hope you have enjoyed this bumper of a Christmas guide and that you found a lot of exciting gifts for your friends and family this Christmas. Please let me know if you pick something up.
If you found some goodies in the guide, feel free to share it with your friends and loved ones, maybe with your favourites marked out for a not so subtle hint of what you would love to find under the tree.
And of course, feel free to shout about it over on social media and tag me and all your favourite finds.
Therese x
P.S. If you applied to be in the guide this year but didn't make it, keep your eye out for a blog post with some recommendations on how to increase your chances to be featured next year.
www.smallbusiness collaborative.co.uk