Thursday 27 September 2012

Friday Funny...

We're a bit barmy about Bunnies here at u-ni-k so look at this and try not to sing while you read it...


Come and see our Bunnies at the Love What We Do event in West Byfleet today
or at the
Godalming Independent Market on Saturday!


Tried & tested

We have some of the best testers in the business.
Tested with honesty,
Tested with brute force,
Tested while weaning,
Tested with tears, tantrums and terrors of every kind!
Tested with dribble & left over din dins!
Even tested on sore teething mouths!


Meet Sam Sam- Our chief u-ni-k tester!




































































He's a excellent product tester!
We leave our products in his safe hands....







unikgifts.co.uk













Tuesday 25 September 2012

A SECRET something for a very special girl


Making things personal means making things extra special. 
So when an order for a personalised memory box bleeped up on my computer, as always I was thrilled. After all, that’s why Sarah and I do what we do. We struggled to find extra special, unique things that went that extra mile when our little ones were tiny. 
Hence why u-ni-k was born! 
A gift to make you feel special and cherished.

As always, I contact the client to ask if any special message should be chosen on the gift, or a special colour theme should be incorporated into the theme .To add a little extra special touch. Once this was decided upon, I tore, stuck, pasted, cut, sewed and painted…it suddenly dawned on me how I could make the little box for a very special girl even more special. When making the personalised Teddy memory boxes, I decoupage the teddy from a baby naming book. Choosing the correct page with babies name on to make the special teddy from. While making a new special teddy for this special box, I read a little about the origin of her fore and middle name, as I always do. When choosing my own children’s names the meaning was as important as the name itself.

The little girl I was making a box for has a forename and middle name with a beautiful meaning. 
Bird and Cloud.

On reading the meanings, I was taken aback as to how two beautifully chosen names could work so well together. 

A bird and a cloud. 
A perfect pairing.

But how to in cooperate the meaning secretly into a Teddy Box without making it over bearing or crowded.

A secret personalisation.

I hope the Mummy and Daddy who have treated their new baby to a special box like the hidden personalisation I have added to their daughter’s special box.












It’s been made with love and I know it will be given with much more.
















With Love X

unikgifts.co.uk

Monday 24 September 2012

Monday Mentor: Craft Blog UK

Both Sarah and I dip in and out of this super duper blogging guru's Facebook home page. We even follow her tweeting antics,  her tips and recommendations. She showcases, promotes and shares marketing information to Crafters helping them grow their own business. A totally free and priceless tool to small business's like u-ni-k. 

Craft Blog UK is written by Digital Marketing Consultant / Blogger Hilary Pullen. Hilary specialises in community management, including creating and maintaining social media accounts as well as blog editing and content writing. She runs a website called Craft Blog UK, celebrating craft bloggers and the UK's handmade market. She uses her experience to write and share free tips and tutorials for successful online promotion of start up craft businesses.

Hillary studied architecture at Plymouth University where she developed her writing skills and excelled in creating and communicating design concepts. Her background experience as customer service manager for a multi-client telemarketing agency, account executive for a large advertising agency and pa to a successful glass maestro, have been invaluable in her recent role as community manager for a growing online marketplace with a large and varied user base. 

Quite honestly some of the tips Hilary has shared U-ni-k HQ has found priceless. Thank you Hilary for sharing your wealth of knowledge.




Find CraftUKblog on Facebook  and Twitter : CraftBlogUK

Thursday 20 September 2012

Christmas Lists... what's on yours?!

Some of the Mummies are starting to panic... OMG under a 100 days til Christmas. Quick... errrr what to buy... what to buy?! They're sharing lists all over Twitter, Forums, Facebook...

Now you would think that I have this all wrapped up! Pretty much.








Babies I know are being treated to a lovely Shuktara blanket if they don't have one.

Those that do will find a rainbow maker in their stocking from me!

Little boys can look forward to opening up a lovely little wooden car


The little girls will be over joyed with their pull along bobbing rabbit



The older monsters will find a luxury cashmere jumper to snuggle up in over the cold winter months!



Those that have started school will have the best present of all, their very own symbol of being a big kid... their own coat rack put up at their height so they can get and put on their own coats when it's time to go out and jump in puddles!


Not leaving out the big kids....I don't think Mr. Moose would look out of place in Daddy DayCare's study... he could look over the bar keeping a careful watch on Daddy DayCare's special beers!

Wednesday 19 September 2012

Wordless Wednesday


Sunday is Harvest Festival
Celebrate with a colourful healthy lunch served on one of our breakfast boards!

(My little one now uses her's as a play board for Play Doh as well as
a template when drawing, a chopping board when helping Mummy cook!)

Tuesday 18 September 2012

Surely not!!

It can't be!

NOT YET!


Already...?


No really it is!!

Be prepared.

Take a Peek!








                                       

Monday 17 September 2012

Monday Mentor- GLOOP

For those of you who haven't seen it, read on.

Gloop


A life style blog guide including recipes, flower arranging, city guides, shopping and more by Gwyneth Paltrow.

Gwyneth started goop in the fall of 2008 to share all of life's positives. From creating a delicious recipe to finding a perfect dress for spring, Gwyneth began curating the best of lifestyle to help her readers save time, simplify and feel inspired. Determined to publish a genuine and resourceful issue each week, for many, goop has become their most trusted friend on the web.
A little pretentious. Actually, it's not!


Over the past four years, goop has grown into an eminent lifestyle publication, dedicated to informing and positively inspiring its audience. Goop gives readers exclusive access to recipes, travel guides, fashion, wellness tips, cultural notes and more. Incorporating the knowledge of expert contributors and taste makers, along with our own editorial eye and uncompromising style, issues are delivered straight to your inbox every Thursday. Additionally, the publication in its entirety can be found on the web at any time, making goop.com a wealth of knowledge and an indispensable resource for all who love to makegogetdobe and see.  
I LOVE the Make, Get and See guides! Some of my favourite blogs to date have been,
Kids clothes

Gwyneth's honesty and experience is the foundations of a lovely guide. Sharing her simple baby guide must haves and postpartum depression with all to see amongst other every day findings.

It's a perfect resourceful know how guide to all you need. Almost like a modern day Mrs Beaton!

Friday 14 September 2012

Friday Funny- The Zoo

Mummy says: We are going to the zoo, Yay!!
Won't that be fun.
We can see the Lions!!

Big Naughty girl says: Scary Mummy! I don't like it!

Little naughty boy says: RahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!

Mummy thinks....I could be in for a very interesting day!

Thursday 13 September 2012

The Babies born in the Summer of 2012

What a Summer it's been here in GB, the wettest on record but also a golden summer of sport!

First we had the Jubilee celebrations that ignited the Great British Community Spirit! Suddenly neighbours were out in the street together, holding street parties reminiscent of the post war victory parties we see old photographs of in history books. Many streets have avowed to party together at least once a year such was the success of the Jubilee parties!

Then came the wettest summer on record. Endless and endless days and nights of rain. People took to the internet to enquire about ark builders, and farmers worried about their crops. In fact the price of food has risen sharply this autumn as farmers struggle with their worst harvest of the decade.

Finally the rain broke and the Olympics were upon us, with big hopes of medal success the nation rallied behind both the Olympians and Paraolympians alike. Neither GB team disappointed, exceeding their medal target and making themselves modern day heroes and legends. Many names seemingly unknown prior to the Olympics are now household celebrities (Laura Trott, Greg Rutherford, David Weir to name but a few).

In the background, Great Britian has struggled with an economic recession that has created one in seven high street shops to close down. It's been a tough market for retailers, even those retailers that are online with the Telegraph reporting online sales down 13%. Luckily people are still treating the new arrivals to a u-ni-k gift this summer, making an extra special effort to welcome them to the world with a blanket or memory box.

So it has been a mixed Summer for those babies of 2012, they have many memorable moments to treasure in their baby books or baby memory boxes. Some of which will last several lifetimes as they sit their Grandchildren on their knee to tell them about the great summer of 2012.

Make sure your summer memories are treasured with one of our memory boxes, personalised to your requirements!


Silver memories of the golden summer!

Tuesday 11 September 2012

Wordless Wednesday...


Nearly time for harvest festival

Autumnal colours...

It may be because the children have gone back to school or the fact that some of the leaves on the trees and shrubs are starting to turn yellow / red that our minds turn to autumn.





Autumn is a lovely time of year! I believe it's Anna's favourite time of year, and with the array of beautiful autumnal colours you can understand why.







We'll start to celebrate autumnal colours at u-ni-k gifts quite soon... once the trees really have started to turn. Until then here's a quick look at some of our autumnal coloured gifts.

































All of the above and many more gifts are available at www.unikgifts.co.uk

Monday 10 September 2012

Monday Mentor... Our local fayre organisers!












OK so not the catchiest of blog titles but today I want to celebrate two different women that kind of do the same thing!

Both these ladies spend a lot of time organising fayres in our local area where u-ni-k gifts can promote and sell some of our lovely treasures to people. These fayres allow us to talk to our customers and find out what they love about our products and what they'd perhaps like us to keep our eyes out for in the future.

This is an invaluable experience for us as our online sales can sometimes lack the human touch of a conversation. While it's always good to receive positive feedback, it's even better when you can see the smile on the face of the person buying the gift!

In organising these fayres these ladies not only book the hall, organise the stalls (making sure no two stalls are alike) and communicating with all the stall holders. They also ensure that there are refreshments on site, there is ample parking for us to unload all our goods and ample parking for those that are coming to see us!

On top of all this, they sort out the advertising, printing & putting up / handing out flyers, putting up the banners on the day, and endlessly marketing the event to ensure footfall (people attending the fayre) is worth all the effort they and we the stall holders put in to holding the fayre.

So the unsung heroes of the Godalming Independent Market; Loretta Farell, and Love What We Do events in West Byfleet, Jane Tyson, are today's Monday Mentors.

Well Done Ladies, we take our hats off to you!

u-ni-k gifts will be at the next Love What We Do event on Friday 28th September, from 9am onwards at 
The Cornerstone Centre (next to St John’s Church), Camphill Road, West Byfleet KT14 6EH


Click Here to put the Facebook Event in your diary



u-ni-k gifts will also be at the next Godalming Independent Market on Saturday 29th September from 10am onwards at: 
Godalming Borough Hall
Bridge Street (across from Waitrose)
Godalming Surrey   GU7 1HR







Friday 7 September 2012

Friday Funny, Schools & Nursery 1st days.


For all the Mummies and Daddies that have had to deal with 1st days this week! 
A little something to make you all smile :)






Thursday 6 September 2012

Small is Lovely



We make bespoke gifts for small people. 
Gifts, that like the children they are given to, grow more wonderful with age.
Gifts for small people made in a small and special way.

We work with independent makers who make with love. Most of our products are made especially for us. Every maker is special and part of the u-ni-k family. They are treasures just like the gifts they make and the people they make them for.

We have a Potter,
A Seamstress,
A Carpenter,
A Quilter,
A Silversmith,
A Illustrator,
A Knitter,
A Writer
And a bespoke Printer
To name but a few.

All who produce gifts for u-ni-k are makers not manufacturers. Therefore each piece is a one off 
-made with hands with love for little people.

Many of our makers have small children and know how important those extra special gifts made with care are for child and parent. Gifts that can be cherished and will become  treasured heirlooms. 
Gifts for this generation and the next, made with the best ingredients of exquisite materials all mixed with love.

Every present is gift wrapped in our special furoshiki wrapping. Made to Wow the small recipient as much as the gift does.
Many of our gifts can be personalised and made to order to make them extra special for the people they are made for.


Our gifts are well thought gifts. Our gifts have the WOW factor. You won't find many of our exclusive gifts anywhere else.


Every gift we post we are proud to say it is a u-ni-k gift. 

Gifts that are small, special treasures, for treasured small people.