I did my first ever vacation present information for vacationers just a few years in the past, which was enjoyable to compile. Readers appeared to benefit from the numerous gadgets, and I used to be completely happy to share a few of the merchandise that accompanied me on the street. This yr, I wished to do one thing a bit completely different.
For starters, my life is a little completely different – one thing all of you already know. Because of this, my very own presents to household and pals aren’t souvenirs from far-away locations, however enjoyable issues I’ve found. I wished to share a few of them right here, particularly as many are small companies like myself.
This yr, I’d prefer to share two classes of presents: artists and makers from my new house 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/presents information in the identical put up, however there are too many recommendations and it acquired fairly unruly. So I’ll publish the e-book information within the coming week, and under are my recommendations for artwork, jewellery, and extra.
I hope you’ll discover one thing you want in them!
Artwork, magnificence, and jewellery presents for 2022
Now that I stay 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 gadgets under are from artists that I’ve both supported by buying merchandise myself, or native gadgets I liked 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 indicate 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 under), as presents, and had an earring pair commissioned particularly for a pal based mostly on the colors she loves.
These are product of light-weight polymer clay, so even the bigger earrings should not going to drag down in your earlobes. This is a crucial factor for me, since I have already got quite a lot of head ache. These can even make for a fantastic present for folks with migraine complications or different situations 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 probably 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.
![earring gifts polymer clay 2022](https://www.legalnomads.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/2022-08-20-12.02.47-620x827.jpg)
![island meadow clay earrings gifts holiday](https://www.legalnomads.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Island-Meadow-Clay-1-620x827.webp)
Extra data:
The place to purchase: the Island Meadow Clay web site
Transport to: Canada and america
Observe them on: Instagram
Embroidered coronary heart maps
I met the beautiful couple behind Sadie and June when at a flea market in Ottawa, and appreciated their enjoyable choices as a traveler with quite a lot of locations I miss deeply. They promote hand-embroidered maps for 900 places (and counting), both as stand-alone “I really like this place” fashion, or connecting hearts, the place there’s a thread connecting two locations. Additionally they do customized maps, in case your favorite locations aren’t on provide 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 well-liked any time I’ve seen their sales space round city, they seize the nostalgia of leaving items of ourselves in locations we liked.
Says Kendall, “Our hand-embroidered coronary heart maps have been born out of this love and our perception that love is aware of no borders. The idea: I started embroidering by means of paper classic map prints that meant one thing particular to me and Steve.”
![gift of a map with two connected hearts](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1801/5269/products/Connecting-Hearts-Hand-Embroidered-World-Map-Sadie-and-June-3_1200x.jpg?v=1661702666)
The couple have a put up 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 performed … till she taught Steve find out how to sew, and that helped get the maps accomplished a lot quicker. Now they’re each engaged on their well-liked maps, and including cities all the time.
![hand-embroidered maps from ottawa](https://www.legalnomads.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/image-1-1024x768.png)
Extra data:
The place to purchase: the Sadie and June web site
Transport 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 facet 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 contemporary flora is imprinted in clay to supply plaster aid artwork utilizing pure pigment, however these are fairly heavy to ship and I’m specializing in her jewellery).
![resin-preserved leaf earrings](https://www.legalnomads.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/image-5-894x1024.png)
![floral earrings in resin gift 2022](https://www.legalnomads.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/image-6-1024x962.png)
Their earrings, like Island Meadow Clay, are largely very light-weight—excellent for anybody who has complications.
Extra data:
The place to purchase: the Floral Sweeties web site
Transport 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 growth: my meals map of Canada is lastly full!
![](https://www.legalnomads.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/image-23-620x620.png)
As with the opposite maps on this sequence, the Canada map is designed by me and inked by Ella Frances Sanders, a bestselling writer whose new e-book can be within the books information that can be revealed shortly.
![hand drawn maps of food gifts 2022 hand drawn maps of food gifts 2022](https://www.legalnomads.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/image-24-620x620.png)
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
Transport 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, that you would be able to then plant and nourish over time.
Seeded Reminiscences was constructed by MaryAnn and Jose, a husband and spouse workforce who felt greeting playing cards have been each costly, and wasteful. In order 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 might be planted, rising a backyard of reminiscences and one which creates no tangible waste.
Playing cards can be found in English, French, and Spanish.
![plantable cards seeds wildflower](https://www.legalnomads.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Seeded-memories-4--1024x823.jpg)
![seeded memory cards that are plantable](https://www.legalnomads.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/image-16-1024x916.png)
Extra data:
The place to purchase: the Seeded Reminiscences web site
Transport to: Canada solely. For my many American readers, you’ll find seeded playing cards at Cute Root as a substitute.
Observe them on: Instagram
Lovable fruit earrings
I fell in love with cute grapefruit earrings just a few years in the past, and have worn them so incessantly that they fell aside.
Within the hunt to search out new alternative earrings, I discovered just a few retailers on Etsy that supply them, in case you need a pair for yourselves—or another person!—too.
LOOK HOW CUTE THEY ARE:
![grapefruit orange lime polymer clay earrings gifts](https://www.legalnomads.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/The-Scrappy-Kat-1-620x687.png)
![dragonfruit grape watermelon polymer clay earrings gifts](https://www.legalnomads.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Ellie-Bear-Accessories-620x622.png)
![cute polymer clay fruit earrings](https://www.legalnomads.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/image-21-620x465.png)
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 mean 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 gorgeous, distinctive jewellery that caught my eye at a neighborhood market.
![porcelain and ceramic glazed earrings](https://www.legalnomads.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Flourish-Stonewear-2-620x827.webp)
![gift 2022 glazed earrings](https://www.legalnomads.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Flourisj-Stonewear-1-620x827.webp)
Extra data:
The place to purchase: the Flourish Stonewear web site
Transport to: Canada, USA, and Worldwide. (Transport exterior N. America is dear, although)
Observe them on: Instagram
Knitted cacti
With a mission to convey greenery to “each struggling plant mum or dad”, Kelsea’s whimsical knitted cacti caught my eye at a neighborhood flea market. The enterprise took place when Kelsea knitted her sister some cacti for Christmas, after seeing how her sister couldn’t maintain crops alive.
Taking inspiration from actual crops, Kelsea rigorously crafts knit cacti and succulents in a wide range of sizes, colors, and shapes. She additionally tries to make use of sustainable supplies for different components of her merchandise: upcycled packaging, sustainable yarn and stuffing, plus reusing cardboard contained in the pot to make them lighter weight for delivery.
The corporate is totally family-supported, together with the construct for the shows on the market stall I met her at.
I purchased myself a mini cacti (although I’m having cactus remorse that I didn’t get a bigger one), and thought it’s your decision one too.
![knit cactus with a red flower: excellent holiday gift](https://www.legalnomads.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/image-10-1024x1024.png)
Extra data:
The place to purchase: the Kelsea Knits web site
Transport to: Canada, USA, and Worldwide.
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 house. She looked for a store the place ought to get a equipment 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 in search of, Jessye kicked off her store to fill a spot within the market.
Make the Universe provides DIY “trendy 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 every little thing from scratch.
![diy candle kit gift 2022 diy candle kit gift 2022](https://www.legalnomads.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/image-22-620x620.png)
![diy clay mask kit gift 2022](https://www.legalnomads.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/make-this-clay-face-mask-for-all-skin-types-620x535.webp)
Extra data:
The place to purchase: the Make the Universe web site
Transport to: Canada and USA
Observe them on: Instagram
Caffeine necklace in silver
![](https://www.legalnomads.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/image-2.png)
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 hen artwork
I’ve had the pleasure of assembly the genius behind Birdstrips, Jess, in individual in Montreal twice earlier than we every moved elsewhere. Her illustrations have grown an enormous following on Instagram as a consequence of their whimsical, relatable messaging.
In Jess’ phrases, the store contains “the existential misery of the flightless by means of the eyes of the flighted.”
Under, two prints from her store: one in all an acrylic portray of a rooster named Cheddar Cheese, who’s “escaped right into a subject of dandelions and is having the time of her life”, and the second, remedy “earlier than and after”—in traditional Birdstrips fashion
![birdstrips gifts bird posters](https://www.legalnomads.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/image-3.png)
![birdstrips gifts bird posters](https://www.legalnomads.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Screen-Shot-2022-11-15-at-09.36.24.png)
Extra data:
The place to purchase: the Birdstrips Print Store (additionally mugs, tees, and extra!)
Transport to: Worldwide
Observe them on: Instagram
Birds + curse phrases
These illustrations of birds that swear in artistic methods are well-liked all around the internet, with good cause. As Twitter implodes and the world feels prefer it’s doing the identical, the hen outrage by Aaron Reynolds says all that we’re bottling up inside.
That doesn’t cease folks from getting pissed off concerning the cursing, however … did you count on the rest from an organization referred to as Effin Birds?!
![effin birds gifts 2022](https://www.legalnomads.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/image-7-1024x1024.png)
![effin birds gifts](https://www.legalnomads.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/image-8.png)
Extra data:
The place to purchase: Clothes, mugs, pins, and extra right here, plus an Effin’ Birds e-book and a more recent French Effin’ Birds e-book, in addition to a 2023 Calendar too.
Transport to: Worldwide
Observe him on: Instagram
Pearl jewellery from Tahiti
My pal Celeste just isn’t solely a fantastic journey author, but in addition runs an environmentally-friendly Tahitian pearl firm, Kamoka, that adheres to the strictest ranges of sustainable farming on the 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 for those who wanted extra convincing about supporting their enterprise: a Nationwide Geographic research discovered that their farming strategies helped enhance the world’s fish inhabitants in recent times.
One in every of their merchandise I put on typically: 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 one in all their finest sellers for energetic individuals who need an exquisite pearl bracelet with out worrying about fragility. The adjustable band is created from kangaroo leather-based (the strongest leather-based on the planet), and is a good alternative for the modern wanderer and the energetic fashionista alike.
![Tahitian pearl bracelet gift kamoka pearls](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0071/9572/products/MananecklaceB-A_1_1080x.jpg?v=1571438287)
Additionally they now provide a brand new assortment, that includes Tahitian blacklip oyster shells and jewellery created from their very own sustainably produced mother-of-pearl. The earrings under are extra reasonably priced than the pearls alone, and are an exquisite present for many who need one thing sustainable and completely different.
![mother of pearl earrings gift](https://www.legalnomads.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/image-9-1024x683.png)
Extra data:
The place to purchase: The Mana Bracelet is obtainable right here. The total mother-of-pearl assortment is right here, with the earrings above right here.
Transport to: Worldwide
Observe them on: Instagram
These are my 2022 present picks! I hope you take pleasure in no less than a few of them. I’ll be following up with the books I believe are value a learn, in just some days. 💙
-Jodi