Clumsy Christmas Gift Guide - Womens

So last week I gave you my Gift suggestions for the fellas. Here are some great UK small businesses making products for Women...

Pennychoo

Ok, so not strictly just for the ladies, Pennychoo offers fabulous mid-century inspired greetings cards for everyone; Men, Women, children, dogs. My favorites are from the Boibles range, Inspired by the spiky look and feel of 1950s Vegas casino imagery, with a dash of Rat Pack swagger. The perfect cards to send to your mid century loving chums!

Bow and Crossbones

Keeping on the theme of Mid Century inspired design, next up is the emporium of sparkly delights that is Bow and Crossbones. If you are looking for something with a little sparkle then look no further. Bow and Crossbones has a wide range of jewellry, homewares and accessories. And there is even a section on their website with gift ideas under a tenner! These beautiful red and gold lucite drops are just £15.

Dead To Me

If the lady in question prefers the darker side of life, perhaps this gorgeous hand made resin Skull Moth necklace from Dead To Me? Making handcrafted accessories, for rockers, reprobates and the recently deceased, Dead To Me is all handmade in London UK.

Little Miss Delicious

Prefer something cuter? What about these adorable hand crafted snowman earrings made by Little Miss Delicious. Don't they just melt your heart? There are loads more adorable items like these to be found on her website, and once again, all handmade in the UK.

Dolly Cool

Of course your lovely lady will also need something to wear in her hair. And I am head over heals with this fabulous Christmas Lights print hair tie from Dolly Cool. You can find lots of other Christmas prints and Christmas versions of her jewellry line on her website.

Miss Fortune

Want to buy your lady of choice a gorgeous pin up inspired outfit for Christmas Day? How about the Frankii dress from Miss Fortune? Check out the website for lots of gorgeous dresses and seperates. All designed by Miss Fortune.

The Weaving Room

Looking for something cosy and luxurious? How about this beautiful hand woven scarf made by The Weaving Room in Gloucestershire? Made from a Silk, Merino and linen blend this gorgeous scarf makes the perfect luxury gift.

I hope you like my suggestions, these are all designed and made in the UK. You can also find lots of lovely gift ideas on my website too! 

If you are a small business and would like to be added to the guide, please drop me a line and if I like what I see I will include you in the post :)

Clumsy Kate's Christmas Gift Guide - Mens Gifts

So it's December now and I can really get stuck into talking about Christmas shopping! Anyone who follows my Instagram or facebook accounts will know how much I value and admire other small businesses. People who work for themselves and design and make truly unique items you can't find on the high street. I want to hi-light some of those businesses which I admire.

I'll start with the guys! What DO you buy the man that has everything?

Korero Press

Korero Press puts out some fantastic books about art and counterculture. What's more, worldwide shipping is free so you really can't go wrong!

The Best of Mens File

Since 2008, the cult magazine Men’s File has explored the authentic roots of men’s style. Whether expressed in the counter-cultures of surf, café racers or hot rods, or in creating retro revivals of the gentlemanly pursuits of cricket or sailing. This book is a stylish chronicle of the magazine, put together by photographer and writer Nick Clements.

Skumbags

Got a fella who is crazy about the weird and the wonderful and the slightly freakish? Head over to the Skumbags website and check out their new range of resin figures and bizarre plushies. There's even a pizza slice with a mouth!

This is Pierre Piston Head from the Workshop Weirdos range. They also have some fantastic Tikis and the aforementioned pizza. Prices start at just £5. Great for stocking fillers.

Closed Monday Leather Co.

The Closed Monday Leather Co create practical handmade leather goods built to last. Made in the UK with ethically sourced UK leather. Their products are made with care and attention and are of outstanding quality.

This stylish black 6mm round leather lanyard has solid brass findings. The idea gift for the motorcycle loving man who has everything.

So, there is a small selection of mens gifts, if you make products for men, let me know and if i like what I see I will include you in this post.

Ladies gift guide coming soon!

Clumsy Christmas Market Schedule

Ho ho ho, it's that time of year again! Yes, the time for getting up at the crack of dawn, loading up the car, and bringing my goodies to you my dear customers! It's Christmas Fair season. This year i've been quite select with the fairs I will be selling at, only the very best! So *drumroll* here they are!

Nov 22nd and 23rd: Renegade Craft Fair - The Truman Brewery, London FREE ENTRY

Dec 6th: The Secret Vintage Fair, Tap & Kitchen, Oundle, Cambridgeshire Just £2 ENTRY

Dec 7th: Last Gang's Alternative Christmas Market, The Blue Moon, Cambridge FREE ENTRY

and Last but DEFINATLY not least....

Dec 14th: The Mid Century Market Christmas Edition, Cecil Sharp House, Camden, London Just £3 Entry

If you can't make it to any of the above events, you can find most of my range online at www.clumsykate.com :)

Clumsy Kate's Summer Season Re-cap

Last weekend was my last big show of the year. L I love doing the weekenders, they are hard work but loads of fun, and always an excuse to hang out with some lovely talented designer makers who I share stalls with. Here’s a little round up of the 5 big shows I did this year…

Atomic Festival 

It was Atomic’s first year, and so I was a little unsure what to expect. I shared a stall with the lovely Dolly Cool and Kalandra Jane Designs. We were so lucky to experience glorious sunshine given that it was the first weekend in May.

There was such a fantastic selection of cars and vintage caravans as far as the eye could see! Plus we could see the drag racing and funny cars from our stall! I was in heaven! And I went to my first ever Poodle Parade...

Then, to top it off Johnny from Lipstick and Gearstick Kustom took me for a quick drive in his prize winning Hot Rod. What a great end to a fantastic weekend.

Hipsville

It was a last minute decision to book a stall at the Hipsville Weekender at the end of May. Myself and my boyfriend Nik were supposed to be going to Germany for Kustom Kulture Forever, but unfortunately our travel plans fell through.

Hipsville more than made up for it. What a cool show! Everyone dressed up in a 60s b-movie theme on the Saturday night and then on the Sunday loads of cool cars turned up! It’s held in the same venue as the Hayride but it’s a much smaller more intimate show, and the atmosphere reminded me a bit of how the Hayride used to be a few years ago. A really chilled out weekend and a great party!

Inkfest

I’d never been to Inkfest before and was invited by Dolly Cool to share a stall. Loads of great bands played, and our stall was positioned so we could see the bands whilst selling! We did get a bit tipsy and have a boogie behind the stall! 

This was a really fun weekend and great to hang out with Clare and re-live our dancing days back when I lived in Manchester! I also got to meet her fab new Bedford Rascal van.

The Hot Rod Hayride

The Hayride is my favourite show of the year. I love the venue, I love the people, I love the cars, and we always have a really busy weekend on the stall. Once again I was sharing with Dolly Cool and Kalandra Jane and we started off the weekend with a BBQ on Von Leadfoot’s stall, and a catch up with old friends.

Clare kindly watched the stall for us on Saturday and myself and Kally got a ride in a 50s Chevy Truck to the dirt track where we caught some racing! 

On Saturday night we hung out in front of the pavilion, having a few drinks and a lot of laughs, and I even came away with a new nickname…Bumsy (don’t ask).

On Sunday I managed to squeeze in a slightly hungover photoshoot with the wonderful Tracey Ryan and photographer Nick Grant, before heading home with a big smile on my face and a head full of memories!

The Trip Out

Last but defiantly not least was The Trip Out, last weekend. The Trip Out is quite different to the other shows I sell at, but it’s defiantly one of my favourites. The event is held on a really beautiful farm called Scald End, near Bedford. This time I was sharing with my fella, Nik (Skumbags), and the Pinstriper Von Leadfoot, seen below in their natural habitat...

It’s a really chilled out show and we spent most of the time just hanging out by the stall eating donuts (we ended up with about 60 donuts from Sainsburies, as you do). In the evenings we went to the farm shop and bought burgers and sausages and had a BBQ. It was really relaxing and such a beautiful setting to be trading in, with hot air balloons waking us up in the mornings.

There were loads of vintage bikes and cool cars from the 50s, 60s and 70s. I even ended up with an awesome Harley taking cover under our gazebo for a while. My inner 11 year old came out to play, and I had to pose for a picture! A fantastic end to a great show season.

This Autumn and Winter I have plenty of events lined up, including Stamford Secret Vintage Fair, Judy’s Affordable Vintage Fair, and The Mid Century Market. Hopefully I’ll see you all somewhere along the way!

New 50s style Kiss Lock Purses

For the last couple of months i've been developing a few new products to add into my range. This always seems to take me longer than anticipated as I've become a bit of a perfectionist, and want to bring you only the best and most quality products!

It took a bit of experimenting but now I have perfected the design and making technique, i'm pleased to present my new range of kiss-lock purses...

Atomic Star Burst Kiss Lock Purse

As with all of my products, the kiss lock purses feature exclusive prints designed by me, Clumsy Kate. They are also handmade by me, using quality materials.

Peach Pineapple Kiss Lock Purse

I've gone for a larger size than many coin purses available, so that you can fit your cards and notes in their easily as well. But at 15cm x 13cm they will still fit easily in your bag.

Sugar Skulls and Polka Dots Kiss Lock Purse

I've started the range with some of my most popular prints, but if you love the idea of a purse like this but you prefer one of my other prints, just drop me a line at kate@clumsykate.com to request a custom order for no extra charge.

Atomic Bean Kiss Lock Purse in Cream

All these purses can be purchased for £18 each plus p&p from my Etsy shop. Look out for lots more new products coming soon!

Custom Alternative Wedding Gifts - Designed just for you!

It's that time of year when the wedding invites start plopping onto the door mat and you start to think "What am i going to give the bride and groom?" And if you are like me, I instantly chuck the wedding list in the bin and start looking for something a little more personal. This custom Under The Sea engagement plaque for instance...

If your bride and groom like old school tattoos, Day of the Dead, Tiki or Kustom Kulture you may not have to look any further for truly unique gifts. And the good news is it won't set you back a packet! With prices starting at just £20 for a custom photoframe, I can provide something for all budgets. This custom Day of the Dead cushion is available for only £32 and you can change the colours if you want to.

In fact, you can get any of my cushion designs customised in this way! Like these Swallows...

The process is really simple, you can either shop through my etsy store at www.etsy.com/shop/clumsykate  Then drop me a line through Etsy telling me the names of the couple and any other details I might need, such as colours, imagery, dates etc. Or...you can email me at kate@clumsykate.com to discuss what you need and I can send you a paypal invoice. With any custom order with a new design,  I will email you a photo of my initial sketch before I start the final piece, so if you want to change anything you can. You can even request matching items, such as this wedding album and matching invitations...

...or this wedding album and matching guest book...

I also have Custom Tattoo Bracelets available which make perfect mementos for Bridesmaids.

Or if you are getting married this year and you want something really unique to display at your wedding reception, what about a plaque which you can treasure forever...

Or for something truly unique that represents you to a tee, why not commission an original piece of artwork like these wooden canoe paddles which I decorated for a canoe-mad couple who spent their honey moon chasing the Northern Lights. These paddles were displayed at the wedding, and now take pride of place in their lounge.

I'm always happy to listen to your ideas and offer you a quotation if you are looking for something a little bit different. Please remember though, all custom orders do take time, so please don't leave it too late! For fabric pieces please allow 4 weeks for them to ship, and for wooden pieces 2-3 weeks.

You can shop my wedding gift range here.

Mid Century Market - London - April 12th

Just before Christmas I had a stall at a fantastic new event in Hammersmith in London. And now it's time for round two!

I'll be having a stall at The Mid Century Market on the 12th of April from 10.30am till 4pm, at the Hammersmith Club on Rutland Grove. I've got lots of new and never been seen before products to take to the show, here's a picture of how my stall looked at the Christmas Edition:

The Hammersmith Club is just a short walk from Hammersmith tube, and once you're there you will have all sorts of lovely Mid Century inspired and Vintage stalls to peruse, yummy cake to eat and endless cups of tea in vintage china.

There will be clothes, homewares, records and even a barber for the gents and hair and make up for the ladies.

The event is run by the wonderful Bettina Scarlett, who really is very good at putting on a fabulous do! There will be DJ's and pin up girls, and oh...did i mention the cake? And all for only £3 entry fee. You can find out more about the event by following Bettina on Facebook, twitter or Instagram (see the links below).

www.bettinascarlettpresents.co.uk
Facebook: www.facebook.com/bettinascarlettpresents
Twitter: @bettinascarlett
Instagram: @bettinascarlett

Photographs by Nils Bratby Photography

Fab NEW Clumsy Kate Photoshoot - Pineapple Princess!

I've recently got a bit obsessed with all things Pineapple, as anyone who follows my Instagram or facebook may have noticed! I sent a bunch of my new Pineapple print products to the lovely Tracy Ryan, and here are the photos she sent back! So cute!

Peach Pineapple Bow £3

Pineapple Plushie £22

Tropicana Pinepple Head Scarf £6

Peach Pineapple Head Scarf £6

Tropicana Pineapple Hair Bow £3

Fabulous Finds... Little Miss Delicious, Yummy Handmade Jewelery and Accessories.

Part of the reason I wanted to do my Fabulous Finds feature, is because I’ve met so many talented designer/makers in the last few years, and I wanted to highlight how hard they work to follow their passion. One such person is Maxine, owner/designer/maker/pizza taster/CEO at Little Miss Delicious.

Maxine makes all of her jewellery range by hand, and her skills and attention to detail are astounding! She’s worth following on facebook and instagram for her work in progress pictures, which are truly inspiring. You can see an example above. It's sometimes as if she is creating a smiling food army, which is spread through the land, teaching us to love what we eat, and making us smile in the process!

For those unfamiliar with Maxine’s range, the main theme is food; cute, sweet, and tasty snacks such as popcorn, chips, toast, pizza, and sushi. Each item comes with an adorable little face, smiling back at you! I’ve picked out my favourites from the range, but there is soooo much more to see on the Little Miss Delicious website.

This Loved Up Toast Necklace is my favorite item from the range. Look at his cute little face! yum. Now where did i hide the toaster?

Check out the attention to detail on this Sushi Charm Bracelet. Each charm is lovingly crafted by hand. 

I love the retro american style of this Poppin Popcorn Necklace. Look at his rosy little cheeks. SO cute!

And finally i love this set of coasters. Perfect for popping your tea cup on.

You can follow the adventures of Little Miss Delicious on the following social networks:

https://www.facebook.com/littlemissdelicious

https://twitter.com/LMDelicious

http://instagram.com/lmdelicious

And ofcourse you can purchase her range at www.littlemissdelicious.com