Wordless Wednesday- They have arrived on the website

 Beautiful Cotton Baby Blankets

Wordless Wednesday- The beauties have arrived!

Coming very soon to unikgifts

Monday Maker: Anna and her scribbles

Today is week two of Anna's maker blogs.  

Here is a little of where she starts and what inspires her.

What did you want to be as a child?

Goodness, I really can't remember!

An actress at one point, then I realised I was far too shy.

Something that involved creating something.

Where do you find creative inspiration?

I find inspiration  in everything. 

A books pages, The colours, the way something is printed, the placement or balance of a page.

I love the books Yves Riviere's has worked on.

A colour and crunch of a leaf

A napkin print or a pattern on a table cloth.

A colour and fragility of a Vintage Tea set.

A typeface on a letterhead, or a beautiful colour used in a child's scribble. 

My children most certainly give me inspiration- how they play, what they find interesting.  
Normally not what you would expect!

I love architecture and often love the feeling of a beautiful characterful building 
with plenty of love and history growing beneath the painted layers.

What makes you different, what inspires you to create unique pieces?

To be unique is to be different. To be inspired by all the different elements you see that touch you everyday in a unique way. To not be unique means you have copied or are unoriginal. To be inspired by something is a good thing.

by Anthony Fry

What blogs or magazines do you read regularly and would you count as an inspirational read?

I don't regularly read blogs or buy magazines. I tend to dip in and out. I love CRAFT making blogs although I have to admit I haven't actually made anything from them.

Magazines never interest me unless they I buy one for a particular article. I have precious saved copies of World of Interiors, issue August 2009 featuring David Earp of Shuktara and his home. 

I tend to be more inspired by a book, a typeface or a colour combination than a magazine.

For years I walked round with a sketch  I did of my Grandma's wallpaper because I loved the print. An inspirational ready- No i am more inspired by an inspirational weight or colour of paper.

Why are your pieces special?

I dont think my pieces appeal to all. But I do hope they find happy homes. I try and capture a moment, a fragment of time or a personality in my boxes. Making them special for a single person or family makes them a lovely thing to make.

Can you tell us about a gift that you will never forget?

Mr Phipps and his workshop

I am happy to say I have had many.

I received a hand beaten silver spoon when I left  my job to go on maternity leave made by a very special person who died a few years ago. He was a very special maker and was certainly as characterful as his spoons. He didn't actually give me the gift but the person who did knew how much I loved it and it was certainly received with many tears.

I received a beautiful blue Vintage tea set from my parents one year for Christmas after I spied it at a treasure shop one day while shopping with my sister. I have used it to drink tea from, champagne and absolutely adore it.

I was given a copy of my favourite photograph taken by  David Bailey, of Jean Shrimpton, from one of my sweet friends. I love it.

These are just a few, there are many.

What makes all gifts extra special to me are the element of surprise. I LOVE surprise gifts.

What have you got planned for the future?

To make more personal boxes for special people. 

I have another new product I hope to have finished by week four of my series of blogs. I hope to share it with you then.

Plus I want to make something in cloth. What I don't know yet. I am waiting for something to inspire me.

What are your three most important pieces of advice to any up and coming crafters/designers.

1. Play and have fun while you make, it shows in the finished product.

2. Be true to you, don't make for anyone else other than yourself. It will never be quite right if you do.

3. Make with love and care. It shows.

unikgifts

Blooms of florals, by David Earp

unikgifts.co.uk

david earp

shuktara

Monday Maker David and his u-ni-k blankets

David makes beautiful cotton blankets & scarves. 
For us, he makes baby blankets. 
The idea originated from his lovely blankets given to myself when my daughter was born almost 3 years ago.

Each blanket is made from 100% breathable cotton layers
Each is Hand stitched from recycled saris
Each measures approx 90cm x 90cm
Machine washable, Do not tumble dry



Here are a few that have already found happy homes.

Elsie's 1st blanket Elsie's parents are BIG fans of kantha blankets. They already had a beautiful one they bought long before she arrived. This is the one they chose, a balance of beautiful tiny blue flowers perfect for a boy and girl

Here are a few that were custom made to order.

Elsie's made to order

As Elsie's parents are BIG fans of kantha blankets, this blanket was commissioned for her as a gift when she was born. The likes and dislikes of the parents were sent to David and he chose a simple selection of flowers pre stitched to choose from. A larger single size was chosen over a baby size, so Elsie could always have and love her blanket with her. A blanket to roll over on as a baby, a blanket to take to University to remind her of home and a blanket to put over her knees when she becomes older.



Primroses blanket

Primrose was born on a beautiful sunny February afternoon. Her parents didn't know if if she was a girl or a boy but somehow this blanket was perfectly chosen for her without knowing. By just knowing the parents very well.
She loves her blanket and at just 1 year old her Mummy has said that her beautiful kantha blanket was one of the things that helped her sleep through. By laying the light weight blanket over her sleeping bag kept her snug and warm during the winter months and helped her sleep through the night.



Winfred's blankets

You've all met Winnie. Winnie's Mum is our newest maker. When Winifred was due, her Mum and Dad wanted to be surprised by her sex. So a blanket suitable for a girl and a boy was chosen. Her parents were described to David and the two blankets below are what was made as a result. Much loved and growing ore beautiful with age just like Winifred. 

Ella-Rose blanket

To see our blankets available click here
To commission a very special blanket click here

unikgifts.co.uk 

david earp

shuktara

Monday Maker, David & his inspirations....

Today we read a little about the inspirations that have inspired Mr Flowers, aka David Earp.

What did you want to be as a child?  

I WANTED TO BE ALONE

Where do you find creative inspiration?

In piles of old fabrics.

What makes you different, what inspires you to create unique pieces?  

I can't help it - the colours and different designs are screaming at me.

Which blogs or magazines do you read regularly and would you count as an “inspirational read“?  

I don't have time to read blogs and I don't ever read magazines, unless I find them on the tube.

Why are your pieces special?  

Because of the process and the spirit of the shuktara family that permeates through them.

Can you tell us about a gift that you will never forget? 

A 1960's magazine that came through the post for my birthday and miraculously arrived in Calcutta.

What do you have planned for the future?  

Nothing

What are your three most important advices to any upcoming crafter/designer?  

Do it. Do it again.  After 5 years if it isn't working - then do something else.

unikgifts.co.uk

To see all the wonderful press David & his wonderful blankets have had click here.

World of Interiors (front cover), Stella Magazine -Sunday Times, Sunday Times, Marie Claire & Selvedge to name a few!

Psssstttttttt, David makes beautiful, breathable unique baby blankets for us. See them here.

Monday Maker- Mr Flowers aka David Earp

Meet David, David Earp. Or as I call him Mr Flowers. He was one of my super egg friends who sent my first little baby, Ida, the most beautiful blankets and for me was a true inspiration to the beginning of u-ni-k gifts. Gifts as unique as the babies they are bought for. Given with such thought and care and made with love.
His blankets are beauties and totally individual. Each finds the perfect happy home. Each is special and each has been made with much loving caring hands.
Read a little about David and his love of flowers and what inspired him to make his beautiful blankets in the forthcoming months blogs.


 Name: David Earp

Year of Birth: 1959

Current City: London - Calcutta

Company name: ANTIMACASSAR



How would you describe a typical Sunday?

Sunday is no different to any other day of the week.  It starts and ends the same way - in bed.

And here a quite obvious question: How did you become a talented crafts person / designer

I had a stall in Portobello road for years and when I went to India to start shuktara I kind of neglected the textile side of my personality, but as a fund raising tool to raise money for running the homes, I started putting vintage cottons together to make blankets.

What inspired you to do this?  

I had seen used fabrics in the villages in India all stitched together haphazardly for warmth and these were my inspirations.

Its Fill-in-the-blanks time. So, please fill in the blanks:
I love big florals  because they make me smile - always!

If I could live anywhere I'd live in a big house in Hampstead.

If I weren’t a designer / maker , I would be  a stall holder at Portobello road.

People who like afternoon tea will like my creations.










unikgifts.co.uk

shukara

Monday Mentor- THANK YOU Shuktara

Thirteen years ago yesterday - 1st July 1999 - The Shuktara charity began with Anna and Sunil. 

David with Bapi and Rekha at Howrah Station in 2000. 

Today, the charity has helped house and educate many children with various disabilities and let these children smile again. David Earp and his caring team have made a difference to many children's lives and today I would like to say thank you to them for giving these children a reason to smile. Not every child is as lucky as our own.

Thank you!

Every child is important.

Every child deserves to smile.

Photo by Paula Harrowing

If you would like to know a little more about David's work with his charity, Shuktara , click here.

To say thank you with a donation click here for Shuktara's Just Giving page.
A few pounds go a long way!
To see the beautiful blankets that David makes for us click here. 10% of the proceeds goes to the Shuktara charity.