Gift Focus - Mar/Apr 2018 (Issue 106)

The Arthouse Meath collection is designed by artists with complex epilepsy and learning disabilities. These artists work alongside instructors to create artworks which are then developed into products for sale, with 100 per cent of sales revenue sustains the enterprise, enabling the brand to expand and evolve. In particular, this organic plant candle is infused with the scent of ginger and rhubarb, and has a quirky dog design which is the works of a lady called Margaret Mace. It has an RRP of £16.50. T: +44 (0)20 7739 9008 arthousemeath.com Walking stick specialists Classic Canes offers many interesting walking sticks that are made in Britain. Managing Director Charlotte Gillan says these prove popular with UK and overseas buyers alike. “As well as the rustic walking sticks we grown and manufacture on site, we have a charming range of collectors’ canes with resin handles, featuring different creatures such as dogs, owls and frogs. The handles are made from our moulds at a little factory on the edge of Exmoor and then are assembled into walking sticks in our workshop. They’re made in small batches and many are hand-painted, allowing buyers to offer their customers an interesting, British-made gift.” T: +44 (0)1460 75686 classiccanes.co.uk Denby Studio Blue is a new artisan collection of bowls, plates and mugs in four stunning shades of blue creating a beautiful tonal range. There’s currently an appreciation for a more natural aesthetic in the home using honest materials and ceramic techniques. Studio Blue is a tactile collection which captures the essence of Denby’s hand-crafting skills and textural glazes perfected over its 200 years in Derbyshire. The colours capture shades and textures of pebbles and natural stones such as flint, shale and chalk. Available in packaged collations or as loose items, with collations all under a RRP of £50; Studio Blue is easy to merchandise with POS available; there will be a media campaign to support the launch of the range. T: +44 (0)1773 740 715 denbypottery.com At the heart of Jane Withers’ knit and design business, Janie Knitted Textiles is a British supplier and production is carried out in the company’s studio in Nottinghamshire. Janie Knitted Textiles hand- make collections of interior, lighting and fashion accessories using British and merino wool all sourced from UK companies. A collaboration with The Great British Exchange, which is an organisation that helps British producers and manufacturers to sell more to retail locations in the UK and internationally, linked the company with John Lewis who were running a retail promotion in the Nottingham store and online called ‘made locally’. The collection of products included scarves, tote bags and hot water bottles and were displayed in the ground floor gift area with Janie branding and details of the company. Janie Knitted Textiles supplies to galleries and stores together with lighting projects for clients and continues to support retailers on the high street. T: +44 (0)1909 480 163 janieknittedtextiles.co.uk 36 giftfocus good ol’ blighty