Final up to date on October 19, 2023.
I did my first ever vacation present information for vacationers a number of years in the past, which was enjoyable to compile. Readers appeared to benefit from the varied objects, and I used to be comfortable to share a number of the merchandise that accompanied me on the street. This yr, I needed to do one thing just a little totally different.
For starters, my life is a little totally different – one thing all of you already know. Consequently, my very own items to household and buddies aren’t souvenirs from far-away locations, however enjoyable issues I’ve found. I needed to share a few of them right here, particularly as many are small companies like myself.
This yr, I’d prefer to share two classes of items: artists and makers from my new house of Ottawa and a few from past, and books I really like or discovered impactful in my very own life.
I deliberate to publish the e book information and the artwork/items information in the identical publish, however there are too many recommendations and it received fairly unruly. So I’ll publish the e book information within the coming week, and beneath are my recommendations for artwork, jewellery, and extra.
I hope you’ll discover one thing you want in them!
Artwork, magnificence, and jewellery items for 2022
Now that I dwell in Ottawa, it was enjoyable to get to know a few of these nice folks and I’m excited to share them with you, too. The objects beneath are from artists that I’ve both supported by buying merchandise myself, or native objects I beloved that didn’t work with my many immune/different restrictions.
Floral Polymer Clay Earrings
The expertise behind Island Meadow Clay is Rylan, who runs the store together with her husband Alex. She makes the jewellery, he packs the orders, they usually each present up at native flea markets with a sales space to indicate off their stunning earrings and necklaces.
The enterprise started as a pandemic pastime, however took off even because the nation reopened. I’ve bought these for myself (see beneath), as items, and had an earring pair commissioned particularly for a good friend primarily based on the colors she loves.
These are manufactured from light-weight polymer clay, so even the bigger earrings aren’t going to drag down in your earlobes. This is a vital factor for me, since I have already got a variety of head ache. These may even make for an amazing present for folks with migraine complications or different situations that have an effect on the cranial nerves. And, for individuals who merely love hand-crafted jewellery.
As a result of I’ve bought from them probably the most, they’re on the prime of the listing—and rightfully so! I really like their merchandise, and their heat as a pair too.
Extra data:
The place to purchase: the Island Meadow Clay web site
Delivery to: Canada and the USA
Comply with them on: Instagram
Embroidered coronary heart maps
I met the beautiful couple behind Sadie and June when at a flea market in Ottawa, and appreciated their enjoyable choices as a traveler with a variety of locations I miss deeply. They promote hand-embroidered maps for 900 places (and counting), both as stand-alone “I really like this place” model, or connecting hearts, the place there’s a thread connecting two locations. Additionally they do customized maps, in case your favorite locations aren’t on supply presently.
The couple, whose names are literally Steve and Kendall, are a cross-border couple—one thing fairly frequent right here within the cities that border the US! She’s from New Jersey and he’s from Ottawa, however they met in Florida. Extraordinarily common any time I’ve seen their sales space round city, they seize the nostalgia of leaving items of ourselves in locations we beloved.
Says Kendall, “Our hand-embroidered coronary heart maps have been born out of this love and our perception that love is aware of no borders. The idea: I started embroidering by means of paper classic map prints that meant one thing particular to me and Steve.”
The couple have a publish about how they went from being ‘flat broke’ in 2014 to constructing a full-time enterprise round their stitching abilities. After I met Kendall on the market, she talked about that because the enterprise picked up she was struggling to get orders completed … till she taught Steve how one can sew, and that helped get the maps accomplished a lot sooner. Now they’re each engaged on their common maps, and including cities all the time.
Extra data:
The place to purchase: the Sadie and June web site
Delivery to: Canada and the USA, in addition to Europe
Comply with them on: Instagram
Preserved resin flower jewellery
One other native vendor that I used to be taken by is Floral Sweeties. I ended up getting my mum’s birthday present from them, stunning earrings that I knew she’d take pleasure in.
Floral Sweeties is the brainchild of Hannah, a registered nurse who has expanded right into a botanical facet hustle. The jewellery she sells is made with hand picked wild and backyard flowers from Ottawa which can be dried, preserved, after which embedded in resin to create each bit. (She additionally sells clay items the place recent flora is imprinted in clay to provide plaster reduction artwork utilizing pure pigment, however these are fairly heavy to ship and I’m specializing in her jewellery).
Their earrings, like Island Meadow Clay, are largely very light-weight—good for anybody who has complications.
Extra data:
The place to purchase: the Floral Sweeties web site
Delivery to: Canada and Worldwide (together with USA)
Comply with them on: Instagram
Hand-drawn maps of meals
Sure, sure—I’ve included my very own maps on this information as properly. I, too, am an area Ottawa enterprise in any case. And one with an thrilling improvement: my meals map of Canada is lastly full!
As with the opposite maps on this sequence, the Canada map is designed by me and inked by Ella Frances Sanders, a bestselling writer whose new e book can also be within the books information that will probably be revealed shortly.
Extra data:
Authorized Nomads readers can take 10% off with the code HOLIDAY22 till December 24, 2022.
The place to purchase: the Authorized Nomads artwork store web site
Delivery to: Worldwide
Comply with me on: Instagram
Plantable playing cards that flip into wildflowers
One other enjoyable present that’s considerate, AND doesn’t create waste: quirky playing cards embedded with seeds, you can then plant and nourish over time.
Seeded Recollections was constructed by MaryAnn and Jose, a husband and spouse workforce who felt greeting playing cards have been each costly, and wasteful. In order that they determined to make paper and playing cards utilizing 100% recycled materials which can be embedded with quite a lot of wildflower seeds. So the cardboard you got will be planted, rising a backyard of reminiscences and one which creates no tangible waste.
Playing cards can be found in English, French, and Spanish.
Extra data:
The place to purchase: the Seeded Recollections web site
Delivery to: Canada solely. For my many American readers, you will discover seeded playing cards at Cute Root as an alternative.
Comply with them on: Instagram
Lovely fruit earrings
I fell in love with cute grapefruit earrings a number of years in the past, and have worn them so regularly that they fell aside.
Within the hunt to seek out new alternative earrings, I discovered a number of retailers on Etsy that provide them, in case you need a pair for yourselves—or another person!—too.
LOOK HOW CUTE THEY ARE:
They too are light-weight, and a really enjoyable addition to any outfit.
The place to purchase:
The Scrappy Cat (USA)
Ellie Bear (Canada)
Brlogarka (UK and EU)
Porcelain and ceramic jewellery
Larra & Daybreak began Flourish Stoneware in October 2018, on what they name “nothing greater than a dream to create.”
Every of their items takes a median of 25 hours to create, because it includes sketching, imprinting the clay, drying it out, after which firing it within the kiln earlier than glazing thereafter.
The items are individually crafted with quite a lot of supplies like porcelain, speckled clay, black clay, quite a lot of glazes and overglazes (like gold lustre and Mom of Pearl overglaze).
The result’s a group of lovely, distinctive jewellery that caught my eye at an area market.
Extra data:
The place to purchase: the Flourish Stonewear web site
Delivery to: Canada, USA, and Worldwide. (Delivery outdoors N. America is dear, although)
Comply with them on: Instagram
Knitted cacti
With a mission to carry greenery to “each struggling plant dad or mum”, Kelsea’s whimsical knitted cacti caught my eye at an area flea market. The enterprise took place when Kelsea knitted her sister some cacti for Christmas, after seeing how her sister couldn’t preserve vegetation alive.
Taking inspiration from actual vegetation, Kelsea rigorously crafts knit cacti and succulents in quite a lot of sizes, colors, and shapes. She additionally tries to make use of sustainable supplies for different components of her merchandise: upcycled packaging, sustainable yarn and stuffing, plus reusing cardboard contained in the pot to make them lighter weight for transport.
The corporate is totally family-supported, together with the construct for the shows on the market stall I met her at.
I purchased myself a mini cacti (although I’m having cactus remorse that I didn’t get a bigger one), and thought you might have considered trying one too.
Extra data:
The place to purchase: the Kelsea Knits web site
Delivery to: Canada, USA, and Worldwide.
Comply with them on: Instagram
DIY candle, deodorant, and clay masks kits
Jessye, the founder and maker behind Make This Universe, began her DIY store in 2018, whereas getting very annoyed making an attempt to make her personal deodorant at house. She looked for a store the place ought to get a equipment to take action as an alternative, and got here up empty. Like me beginning my meals maps as a result of I couldn’t discover the product I used to be in search of, Jessye kicked off her store to fill a niche within the market.
Make the Universe presents DIY “trendy craft kits” for candles, deodorant, masks, and necklaces, in smooth packaging that may be recycled. They permit for customizable merchandise to account for private sensitivities, with out having to do all the things from scratch.
Extra data:
The place to purchase: the Make the Universe web site
Delivery to: Canada and USA
Comply with them on: Instagram
Caffeine necklace in silver
Do your family members take pleasure in espresso as a lot as I do? This stainless-steel and silver plated necklace of the molecule for caffeine could also be up their alley, or yours. Chain size: 50cm. Nickel and lead free
You should purchase it right here.
Whimsical fowl artwork
I’ve had the pleasure of assembly the genius behind Birdstrips, Jess, in individual in Montreal twice earlier than we every moved elsewhere. Her illustrations have grown an enormous following on Instagram resulting from their whimsical, relatable messaging.
In Jess’ phrases, the store contains “the existential misery of the flightless by means of the eyes of the flighted.”
Under, two prints from her store: one among an acrylic portray of a hen named Cheddar Cheese, who’s “escaped right into a discipline of dandelions and is having the time of her life”, and the second, remedy “earlier than and after”—in basic Birdstrips model
Extra data:
The place to purchase: the Birdstrips Print Store (additionally mugs, tees, and extra!)
Delivery to: Worldwide
Comply with them on: Instagram
Birds + curse phrases
These illustrations of birds that swear in inventive methods are common all around the net, with good motive. As Twitter implodes and the world feels prefer it’s doing the identical, the fowl outrage by Aaron Reynolds says all that we’re bottling up inside.
That doesn’t cease folks from getting pissed off concerning the cursing, however … did you count on the rest from an organization known as Effin Birds?!
Extra data:
The place to purchase: Clothes, mugs, pins, and extra right here, plus an Effin’ Birds e book and a more recent French Effin’ Birds e book, in addition to a 2023 Calendar too.
Delivery to: Worldwide
Comply with him on: Instagram
Pearl jewellery from Tahiti
My good friend Celeste isn’t solely an amazing journey author, but additionally runs an environmentally-friendly Tahitian pearl firm, Kamoka, that adheres to the strictest ranges of sustainable farming on the earth. Their pearls are from oysters grown within the nutrient-rich lagoon of Ahe Atoll, 300 miles northeast of Tahiti, with electrical energy provided by photo voltaic and wind energy. And for those who wanted extra convincing about supporting their enterprise: a Nationwide Geographic examine discovered that their farming strategies helped improve the world’s fish inhabitants lately.
One in all their merchandise I put on usually: the Mana Bracelet. At $99, it’s an funding, however a sturdy and exquisite one.
Celeste mentioned that this bracelet was initially crafted for surfers. Now, it’s one among their finest sellers for energetic individuals who need an attractive pearl bracelet with out worrying about fragility. The adjustable band is constituted of kangaroo leather-based (the strongest leather-based on the earth), and is a good alternative for the trendy wanderer and the energetic fashionista alike.
Additionally they now supply a brand new assortment, that includes Tahitian blacklip oyster shells and jewellery constituted of their very own sustainably produced mother-of-pearl. The earrings beneath are extra reasonably priced than the pearls alone, and are an attractive present for individuals who need one thing sustainable and totally different.
Extra data:
The place to purchase: The Mana Bracelet is on the market right here. The total mother-of-pearl assortment is right here, with the earrings above right here.
Delivery to: Worldwide
Comply with them on: Instagram
These are my 2022 present picks! I hope you take pleasure in a minimum of a few of them. I’ll be following up with the books I feel are value a learn, in only a few days. 💙
-Jodi
