Like many other small creative businesses, we've had to learn to live with the COVID restrictions which sadly meant closing our in-person workshops for 8 months of the year.
As a business that supports local artists and makers to earn a living through delivering creative workshops, we've been looking at new ways to offer you something special this Christmas that will help our lovely team of creatives - and we're delighted to introduce our new Artists Shop!
It's amazing that so many people are choosing to shop locally from independent businesses this Christmas - we need your support more than ever. So we thought we'd put together an Arienas Collective Christmas Gift Guide to share a selection of items you can choose from our Artists Shop.
So make yourself a cuppa and have a browse through to tick off some people from your Christmas gift list - or perhaps order a wee treat for yourself!
GIVE THE GIFT OF SKINCARE
The Sunart Soap Co - Peppermint & eucalyptus organic hand & body wash 300ml £9.95
We're delighted to welcome Sunart Soap Co to our shop - a new, small business started by David after attending our soap and skincare making courses run by Jenny from The Scottish Soapworks. David is based in Edinburgh, and this range is inspired by his love for the beautiful area of Sunart in the Scottish Highlands. We love this organic hand and body wash made from COSMOS certified coconut and olive oils infused with soothing and naturally anti-bacterial blend of peppermint, eucalyptus and lavender essential oils. Luxurious moisturising ingredients softly cleanse, leaving skin refreshed, protected and delicately scented. Vegan formula. You can buy it here.
The Sunart Soap Co - Raspberry & blackberry hand & body cream 150ml £14.95
We’re washing our hands and using sanitizer more this year, so why not choose this hand and body cream to help keep skin soft? This light, easily absorbed moisturising hand and body cream is infused with fresh fruity blend of raspberry, blackberry and plum fragrances, and enriched with nourishing cocoa butter and glycerine combined with a special blend of almond, wheatgerm and carrot oils. Rich in natural antioxidant vitamins A and E to help protect skin from everyday life, leaving it rehydrated and refreshed. You can buy it here.
GIVE THE GIFT OF A PRINT
'GROW' print from the Botanicals range by Cass Barron £32
Bookbinder Cass has a couple of print options in her gorgeous Botanicals range. This multilayered leaf print with lettering and copper leaf detail features leaves found in her garden, including – Poppy, Buttercup, Forget-me-not, Gooseberry, Herb Robert. You also get a free copy of her Thrive print when you purchase this one! Win, win. You can buy it here.
'Joy' print by Lou Davis
Lou teaches our screen printing and letterpress printing workshops. We are delighted to have a large range of Lou's beautiful prints available to buy in our Artists Shop, so do pop over and take a look! This 'Joy' print is a hand pulled screen print from an original drawing. Edition of 50. Prints come unmounted and unframed. Available in black & gold or grey & silver this print is available at 13x18cm and A4 (21x29.7cm) to fit standard sized frames available from big blue furniture stores and other high street retailers. The print is a geometric pattern with the word 'Joy' in negative space, screen printed by hand onto heavyweight Fabriano Rosaspina paper. On some prints, you can see the 'fabriano' watermark that is a feature of this paper. We could all do with a little extra joy in our lives right now. See print options here.
GIVE A GIFT FOR THE HOME
Outlander-inspired tea towel from the Edinburgh Sketcher £11.95
Artist Mark Kirkham, known locally as the Edinburgh Sketcher, runs our sketching with watercolour workshops. Mark has a range of merchandise featuring his fabulous sketches available to buy from our Artists Shop, including other tea towel designs, mugs and tote bags. Many feature scenes of Edinburgh. This Outlander-inspired 100% cotton tea towel features hand-drawn pen and ink illustrations of Scottish filming locations featured in the popular Outlander TV series. Printed in the UK. Find out more here.
Face coverings by artist Julie Galante £10
We have a selection of face coverings featuring artwork by Arienas Collective member Julie Galante. Julie has worked with a local printer to produce a limited number of these face masks featuring images of her mixed-media artwork. She says these are the most comfortable masks she has found so far, and they are very soft to the touch and make for a more eco-friendly alternative to the non-recyclable paper masks. Adult unisex size. (If you have a particular design in mind let us know and we'll check availability for you.) Shop for a face mask here.
Make your own food wraps kit - Bwrapz £14.50
Another eco-friendly option are these Bwrapz Food Wrap kits. These make a great creative gift and are a reduce your cling film/plastic use over the festive season. The wraps are perfect for sandwiches, cheese, bread, as food covers and for freezing. Reusable and biodegradable, just seal with warm hands and wash with a little cold water and soap. Each pack contains the materials to make one one 35x35cm, one 30x30cm, and one 25x25cm wrap. Step-by-step instructions are included. The designs in each pack are unique based on the materials available. You can note at checkout if you would like fabrics suitable for an adult or child, or a Christmas themed design. Shop here.
GIVE THE GIFT OF A CREATIVE EXPERIENCE
Are you looking to gift someone the complete creative experience? If so, our new Creative Experience Gift Boxes may be just the thing. Each Creative Experience gift box includes:
a gift voucher for the workshop date of your choice
a tote bag to keep your creative kit together and easy-to-find
a welcome letter from the artist or maker
a complimentary Shibui tea bag with biscuit to enjoy while you read your welcome letter
a thank you gift card from us
plus all the kit you will need for your workshop
We currently have two creative experiences available: Sketching with the Edinburgh Sketcher; and Silver clay jewellery with Anna Campbell. Both experiences are suitable for complete beginners, as well as those who may wish help developing their skills. Click here to learn more. (These are hot off the press and new images will be added to the Artists Shop very soon!)
Gift an online creative experience
For those who wish to get creative at home, we have a number of online experiences that you can gift. Prices vary depending on the option you choose. Click the links below for more information. We're a social bunch at The Arienas Collective, so most of our online options also include an optional Zoom session where you can meet the artist, ask any questions and get-together virtually with like-minded creatives.
GIVE A UNIQUE GIFT
Here are some of our unique products should you have a little more to spend.
Original oil paintings by Suzanne Kemplay £395
We have two original framed oil paintings by Edinburgh artist Suzanne Kemplay available to buy on the Shop. You can see 'Pink Hydrangea on Blue' online here or in person by arrangement.
One-to-one tour with the Edinburgh Sketcher £250
Kickstart your sketching journey, or hone your sketching with watercolour skills, on this half day one-to-one sketching session with Edinburgh artist Mark Kirkham, known locally as the Edinburgh Sketcher. Mark enjoys sharing his hidden views of the city and reminding residents of the beauty in the everyday. Let Mark take you on a private sketching journey around some of his favourite local spots while teaching you how to capture the unique features of Edinburgh. The price includes 3-hours of one-to-one sketching tuition, access to all the equipment and materials you will need, plus refreshments. If you would like to bring along a friend or family member for half price just let us know when booking and we will send you a discount code to book the second place for £100. Find out more here. (Please note this photo was taken prior to coronavirus and our COVID guidelines apply to all in-person workshops. Our other artists and makers are also available for one-to-one bookings, email Lynn for details.)
GIVE A GIFT VOUCHER!
The Arienas Collective gift vouchers are the perfect creative gift for family, friends and work colleagues. They can be used in full or part-payment for any of our in-person workshops, and come with an optional gift box (as shown in the photo above). The normal validity date of 6 months has been temporarily extended to one year due to the coronavirus, and will be further extended if need be. Our gift vouchers are printed onto high quality card, and posted out to the recipient free of charge with a complimentary Arienas postcard. You can also add a personal message - which is perfect if you want us to send the voucher directly to the recipient on your behalf. Vouchers start from just £5 and be bought here.
Thanks for checking our Artists Shop out. We are hugely grateful for any support you are able to give this year, and we look forward to welcoming you back to our in-person creative workshops in 2021. Meantime, keep creating - it's good for mind and soul. And happy shopping!
Main image: Individually hand-printed Christmas cards by local artist Suzanne Kemplay £15 for a set of 6 available on Kraft card, red or green (excluding gift tags).