Gift ideas for co-workers, friends or for those who are difficult to buy for

I would have to say that John and I are free thinkers. If it can be thought, it can be created.

This has demonstrated itself to us many times over by repeat buyers asking us to make things that no-one else will look at.


So, in saying that, this is the time of year when bosses, supervisor's and co-workers start to think about what they can give to each other as a decent gift. I know, because I was there. It is difficult to buy for someone you don't really know. Sure, you work with them every day but do you really know them? Well, I have to say that through our experience people love to see their name or initials on items they receive. Pictured are just a few of the items that seem to receive the most accolades from buyers.

Personalized leather book marks - $7.50

For the boss that has everything - wouldn't you gain brownie points giving him/her this all- leather monogrammed magnetic money clip.

Personalized Magnetic Money Clip - $25.00 (major brownie points earned here)

Or..., for your friends/co-workers that will be enjoying their holidays in the sun and/or away from the office.... I do sense a tad of jealousy here... it can't be helped because I wish I were there too :D!!

A Personalized Leather Luggage Tag - $15.00

OR...., for a more practical gift.... for friends and/or co-workers that will be commuting to their family's homes over the holidays, one of our personalized leather key chains.

Personalized Leather Key chain - $10.00

Nothing is better, in our opinion, than a personalized gift. It shows that you had the foresight to think ahead of time to plan for a unique and personal gift.

Thanks for stopping by. Visit our shop for more gift ideas.

Anne & John

A very special anniversary gift

About two months ago I had the great pleasure of chatting with a wonderful lady named, Meredith, about a special gift she wanted us to make for her husband for their anniversary. This gift took a great deal of planning from both us and her. She wanted us to create a unique watch band that had a carved exterior and a sentimental inscription on the interior.

Alone the carved exterior or the inscription interior were not a challenge. But combined it drew many obstacles. We had to take the assembly, functionality and doable possibilities into consideration as well as making it look aesthetically pleasing. The swirl design on the exterior has a special meaning, something only the buyer and her husband can identify with. So we had to replicate it as close as possible to the diagram she sent us.

The interior, was to be created just like one of our "For your eyes only" wristbands. However the text needed to be situated so as not to be hidden by the whip stitched edging or the buckle holes she wanted on the finished watch band.

As John and I often do, we sat in the evening and stared at the unfinished article and brainstormed. Will this work..., maybe but no.., this has to change. This went on for some time until we were both satisfied with the outcome. The watch face that the buyer sent us had to be fitted on the band before any holes or dying could take place. John meticulously measured and re-measured it until it was flawless. My task was to fit 62 characters of text onto the interior band keeping in mind the buckle placement and holes for both lacing and buckle.

I must say we did have several sleepless nights thinking about the process.

When all was said and done, we were able to deliver what she wanted.

With the clink of wine glasses together John and I toasted ourselves for another job well done.

We sent the watch to Meredith sometime ago and have not heard from her since. Her anniversary date in coming up soon, John and I would like to extend our best wishes to her and her husband on their anniversary.

This entire watch band was hand cut, hand stamped and carved entirely by John and I. If you would like us to create something similar to this we invite you to visit our shop or contact us.

Pricing available upon request.

If you can think it, it can be made. Our shops at Etsy and Artfire

Anne and John

Trendy New Wedding Favors

Love is in the air and so it should be as brides and grooms get ready to take their wedding vows.

During the chaotic time one of the many worries that crops up is what to give the guests as a parting gift and souvenir to this momentous occasion. Well, one of my buyers had a wonderful idea of personalized leather luggage tags. The tags below were custom made for a lady as gifts to the bride and groom.


"How perfect", I ask? The tags in the first photo display the wedding date and a simple heart stamp commemorating the auspicious occasion. We have created a privacy flap on the reverse side of the tag for a more complete and aesthetically pleasing appearance.

Gift for the Bride and Groom

The following photo had a similar stamp design except the buyer wanted the surname initial to be centered to be prominent and the first initials of the bride and groom flanking it in a different font. Quite effective and stunning I might add. With the simple heart stamped beneath the wedding date.

Initials, wedding date and heart stamp

The last photo displayed 12 luggage tags with the guests initials on it as a parting memento with the wedding date beneath. These tags were for guests that confirmed their attendance. The unconfirmed guests will receive a tag with the wedding date and no initials.

Luggage tags as guest favours

I don't know about you but I would prefer a gift that is timeless and re-usable. Confectionery is nice but short lived (and fattening). ;D

So for those hard to shop for brides and grooms or as a neat parting gift for your guests, these tags make the perfect gift idea.

Visit either one of our shops at Etsy or ArtFire

Thanks for dropping by and have a great day!!

Anne ^i^