It is mid (dare I say, creeping into late) November, and I am like jolly old Father Christmas himself, feeling very busy, quite cheery, but also fairly stressed at the immensity of the task that I have set myself, making gifts for those I know and those I don’t. Why did I think it was a good job to hand make a gift for every child on earth the children at Bean’s school, the local nursery children and all of the staff? Unlike Father Christmas I do not even have until Christmas Eve to get my work done, because many of these gifts are needed by a week on Monday. Oops.

Personalised Mugs

What is better on a mug – a personalised monogram¹, or your name? Why not both? I’ve made seven mugs, on a bit of a theme. I could have kept the flower placement the same on each letter, but I didn’t, because I am annoying like that.

1. I know that technically a monogram consists of more than one initial, but I can’t find a technical term for ‘a decorative initial in a frame, and really I think the meaning has loosened up at this point, so I will allow it. ↩︎

Bookmarks

I love a good bookmark. Every year I seem to make bookmarks, but I make them with different materials and techniques each time, because I like to make things difficult yet interesting.

This year I have gone for sublimated aluminium bookmarks. About 50 in total, mostly on a space theme, though there is one (not shown) that is a rather snazzy depiction of a volcano.

Coasters

I’ve been researching a way to make nice, tactile coasters for a while now. These coasters are made from a stitched faux leather and have the right sort of balance between padded, yet sturdy. Personalised, of course, because you otherwise you could just go and buy a coaster anywhere. Do they match the mugs? Why yes, they do.

Baubles

For the youngest recipients I have made some personalised baubles as keepsakes. I’ve made about 50 of these so far, for nursery children and the children of friends and colleagues.

And so here I am, surrounded by a small mountain of mugs, coasters, bookmarks, and baubles, feeling equal parts triumphant and slightly overwhelmed. The creative chaos is exhausting, but also wonderfully satisfying. Soon, enough my desk will be cleared and the remainder of the gifts wrapped, and I’ll don my red suit and make my deliveries.