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 numerous objects, and I used to be completely happy to share a few of the merchandise that accompanied me on the street. This yr, I needed to do one thing a bit 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 associates 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 wish to share two classes of items: artists and makers from my new dwelling 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 ideas and it received fairly unruly. So I’ll publish the e-book information within the coming week, and beneath are my ideas 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 point out off their lovely earrings and necklaces.
The enterprise started as a pandemic passion, 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 pal based mostly on the colors she loves.
These are made from light-weight polymer clay, so even the bigger earrings aren’t going to tug down in your earlobes. This is a crucial factor for me, since I have already got lots of head ache. These will even make for an incredible present for folks with migraine complications or different circumstances 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 essentially the most, they’re on the prime of the checklist—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 america
Observe them on: Instagram
Embroidered coronary heart maps
I met the stunning couple behind Sadie and June when at a flea market in Ottawa, and appreciated their enjoyable choices as a traveler with lots of locations I miss deeply. They promote hand-embroidered maps for 900 places (and counting), both as stand-alone “I really like this place” type, or connecting hearts, the place there’s a thread connecting two locations. In addition 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 had been born out of this love and our perception that love is aware of no borders. The idea: I started embroidering via 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 achieved … till she taught Steve the right way to sew, and that helped get the maps accomplished a lot quicker. 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 america, in addition to Europe
Observe 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, lovely 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 aspect hustle. The jewellery she sells is made with hand picked wild and backyard flowers from Ottawa which are dried, preserved, after which embedded in resin to create every bit. (She additionally sells clay items the place recent flora is imprinted in clay to supply 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 principally very light-weight—excellent for anybody who has complications.
Extra data:
The place to purchase: the Floral Sweeties web site
Delivery to: Canada and Worldwide (together with USA)
Observe them on: Instagram
Hand-drawn maps of meals
Sure, sure—I’ve included my very own maps on this information as nicely. I, too, am a neighborhood 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 collection, the Canada map is designed by me and inked by Ella Frances Sanders, a bestselling creator whose new e-book can also be within the books information that will probably be printed 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
Observe 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 could then plant and nourish over time.
Seeded Recollections was constructed by MaryAnn and Jose, a husband and spouse staff who felt greeting playing cards had been each costly, and wasteful. So that they determined to make paper and playing cards utilizing 100% recycled materials which are embedded with a wide range of wildflower seeds. So the cardboard you acquire 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 could find seeded playing cards at Cute Root as a substitute.
Observe 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 steadily that they fell aside.
Within the hunt to search out new substitute earrings, I discovered a number of outlets on Etsy that provide them, in case you desire 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 a wide range of supplies like porcelain, speckled clay, black clay, a wide range 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 a neighborhood 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)
Observe 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 pissed off making an attempt to make her personal deodorant at dwelling. She looked for a store the place ought to get a package to take action as a substitute, 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 on the lookout for, Jessye kicked off her store to fill a spot within the market.
Make the Universe presents DIY “fashionable craft kits” for candles, deodorant, masks, and necklaces, in modern 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
Observe them on: Instagram
Caffeine necklace in silver
Do your family members take pleasure in espresso as a lot as I do? This chrome 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 particular person in Montreal twice earlier than we every moved elsewhere. Her illustrations have grown an enormous following on Instagram on account of their whimsical, relatable messaging.
In Jess’ phrases, the store contains “the existential misery of the flightless via the eyes of the flighted.”
Beneath, two prints from her store: certainly one of 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 traditional Birdstrips type
Extra data:
The place to purchase: the Birdstrips Print Store (additionally mugs, tees, and extra!)
Delivery to: Worldwide
Observe them on: Instagram
Birds + curse phrases
These illustrations of birds that swear in artistic methods are common all around the internet, with good cause. 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 in regards to the cursing, however … did you count on anything from an organization referred to 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 moderen French Effin’ Birds e-book, in addition to a 2023 Calendar too.
Delivery to: Worldwide
Observe him on: Instagram
Pearl jewellery from Tahiti
My pal Celeste shouldn’t be solely an incredible journey author, but additionally runs an environmentally-friendly Tahitian pearl firm, Kamoka, that adheres to the strictest ranges of sustainable farming on this planet. 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 in case you wanted extra convincing about supporting their enterprise: a Nationwide Geographic research discovered that their farming strategies helped improve the world’s fish inhabitants in recent times.
Certainly one of their merchandise I put on usually: the Mana Bracelet. At $99, it’s an funding, however a sturdy and delightful one.
Celeste mentioned that this bracelet was initially crafted for surfers. Now, it’s certainly one of their greatest sellers for energetic individuals who need a phenomenal pearl bracelet with out worrying about fragility. The adjustable band is created from kangaroo leather-based (the strongest leather-based on this planet), and is a good selection for the trendy wanderer and the energetic fashionista alike.
In addition they now supply a brand new assortment, that includes Tahitian blacklip oyster shells and jewellery created from their very own sustainably produced mother-of-pearl. The earrings beneath are extra inexpensive than the pearls alone, and are a phenomenal present for individuals who need one thing sustainable and totally different.
Extra data:
The place to purchase: The Mana Bracelet is obtainable right here. The complete mother-of-pearl assortment is right here, with the earrings above right here.
Delivery to: Worldwide
Observe them on: Instagram
These are my 2022 present picks! I hope you take pleasure in at the least a few of them. I’ll be following up with the books I feel are value a learn, in just some days. 💙
-Jodi
