Gift Focus - Nov/Dec 2017 (Issue 104)

giftfocus 41 hand-made gifts True skill and craftsmanship has been put into each and every one of these pieces. It’s no wonder now’s the time of the designer-maker hand-made with love It’s almost New Year, and there’s a new sense of optimism across the land. Candle lovers are turning to the fragrances of spring and here’s a perfect floral range from Best Kept Secrets . Favourite fragrances for your favourite customers include Sweet Pea, Freesia, Blue Jasmine, Wild Rose, Heather & Wild Berries, Fresh Lavender and many more. Fill your homes with fabulous fragrances at sensible prices. T: +44 (0)1670 512 222 bestkeptsecrets.co.uk As we know, candle making is the second oldest profession and the word Artisan is now a widely used term to describe some small home-grown businesses using handcrafted skills. Artisan is a great word conjouring up images of skills from times gone by, being rediscovered and used to create products for consumers who are tired of mass produced items made in large factories abroad. Heaven Scent is very much an Artisan company, based in the countryside in Wiltshire. A family business that started in 1993, it has a team of highly skilled candle makers, who blend fragrances with their blend of plant waxes every day. Stepping into the factory can be like walking into an intense perfumery. “The smells being blended currently are lighter spring fragrances conjuring up the feeling of warmer sunnier days, I especially love the light essential oils of lavender, bergamot and sage, just beautiful, I must admit sometimes there are candles being poured with smells I really do not like, but that is the beauty of scents they are so subjective,” says Sarah Pettitt, Creative Direction at Heaven Scent Incense. T: +44 (0)1225 868 788 heavenscent.co.uk A very personal gift is a hand- made walking stick from stick specialists Classic Canes . The family firm grows native British hardwoods such as ash, hazel and blackthorn in its Somerset woodland to make into walking sticks such as thumbsticks, hiking staffs and knobsticks. Managing Director, Charlotte Gillan, explains, “We use the centuries-old forestry technique of coppicing to produce suitable wood to make the walking sticks. It takes about four years to grow a walking stick, then a further one or two to dry the wood sufficiently so that it can be steamed, straightened, varnished and finished. Each one is one of a kind and it takes a skilled craftsman to evaluate the wood and make the best possible stick from it.” As the wood is processed on site, zero product miles are incurred until the walking sticks leave Classic Canes. T: +44 (0)1460 75686 www.classiccanes.co.uk Tigerlily cards are one-of-a-kind works of art and comprise of hours of dedicated skill. Each card can take on average two to four days to complete depending on the level of complexity and each range uses paper in different ways, from the traditional and classic dotted works of Paper Wild to the bight and colourful Off to the Party range. Tigerlily greeting cards are currently 2D, however the company has exciting plans to develop ranges further in 2018 with special finishes such as embossing and flitter to bring you closer to the making table, you will be able to touch and feel cards like original works. Tigerlily is excited to launch its first Christmas range with traditional and timeless characters. Some of the titles in the range include The Nutcracker, Santa en route, Polar Station and the popular Christmas Ballerina. info@bytigerlily.co.uk bytigerlily.co.uk

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