Gifts with heart

So, here we are. At the beginning of the last month of 2020 and Christmas is just a few short weeks away. If there ever was a year when Christmas should be about what's in our heart rather than what's under the tree, it's this one and my aim is not to put together an extravagant gift guide from major stores or retailers. Instead, I just want to share some small stores, mainly locally-owned by artists or artisans,  because some of these people have had a hard time surviving this year so I thought it would be nice to share a few of ma favourites.

Jewellery

JAD Jewellery

Artistic duo Gioia and Ivano hail from Italy but live in Malta.  They create beautiful one-of-a-kind jewellery in silver and other precious metals. The craftsmanship is excellent and the pieces are all very modern, many of them in a unisex style. I have my eye on a particular bracelet so I hope Santa is reading this.

Website: JAD The Different Jewelry

Instagram: JAD_Jewelry

Facebook: JAD Jewelry Art Design

Etsy: JAD Jewelry Art Design

Store: JAD Jewelry at Find The Door, 27 Triq it-Tramuntana (North Street), Birgu,  Malta

Sarah Gauci Jewelry

Sarah Gauci is a self-taught jewellery designer with a fondness for sparkly things. She specialises in feminine and bridal jewellery and adores creating anything to which she can add a little bit of sparkle. All her jewellery is hand-crafted and of outstanding quality. Last year I was gifted a lovely silver necklace with a blue Swarovski crystal by my colleagues at work and it is a really dainty and pretty  piece that I love.

Website: Sarah Gauci Jewelry

Instagram: Sarah Gauci Official

Facebook: Sarah Gauci Designs

Store: 82 Birbal Street, Balzan, Malta

Paintings

Carmen Vella Gauci's Art

Carmen Vella Gauci and I go back a long way. We met in primary school over 40 years ago, lost touch for many years and then reconnected on Facebook. In the past few years I've attended a couple of Carmen's exhibitions. She is a very talented painter who is very passionate about her work. Carmen paints a wide variety of subjects including flowers, landscapes and pets. She also does commissioned portraits. 

Facebook: Carmen Vella Gauci'sArt

                                                        Instagram: Carmen_Vella_Gauci

Jacqueline Agius 

Jacqui Agius is another talented Maltese artist. Her paintings, which generally depict Maltese towns and villages, the countryside, and seascapes, are extremely detailed - almost like looking at a watercolour photo. 

Website: Jacqueline Agius Art (at Fine Art America)

Facebook: Jacqueline Agius - Artist

Instagram: Jacquiagius

Home And Living

Bespoke Binny

I first came across Natalie Manima, the founder of Bespoke Binny, on Instagram and I was immediately drawn to the vibrant colours and prints that she uses for her creations. If you would like a few pops of colour for your home, Bespoke Binny is the perfect place to find it. Natalie uses African prints to create pillows, aprons, lampshades and many other household items at very affordable prices. She also offers Virtual Lampshade Making Classes that are pre-recorded so anyone that's interested can enrol at any time.

Website: Bespoke Binny

Instagram: Bespoke Binny Home and Lifestlye

Etsy: Bespoke Binny

Stephanie Borg

Stephanie Borg is a self-taught artist who has taken the patterns found on traditional Maltese tiles (a colourful selection of which you can see in the photo below) to a new level by incorporating them into contemporary products that include mugs, coasters, cushions, prints, mousepads and other items. Traditional tiles are not Stephanie Borg's only inspiration as village streets, traditional Maltese doors and intricate wrought iron patterns are also included in her beautiful and imaginative designs.

 

Website: Stephanie Borg

Instagram: StephanieBorg_Art

Studio Boutique: 33, Saint Catherine Street, Rabat, Malta

For Children

She Chases Butterflies

I had already briefly  mentioned the very cute creations of She Chases Butterflies when I wrote about Find The Door, an artisan boutique located in  Birgu. She Chases Butterflies creates handmade accessories and soft toys for children and for those still in touch with their inner child. My inner child is hopelessly in love with Charlie the bunny and his siblings.

Isn't he adorable?

Website: She Chases Butterflies

Facebook: She Chases Butterflies

Store: She Chases Butterflies at Find The Door, 27 Triq it-Tramuntana (North Street), Birgu,  Malta

I have mainly tried to focus (with one exception) on artists and artisans residing in Malta and I would have loved to include many more talented people that deserve our support. I hope you have enjoyed the creatives that I shared with you today.

If you enjoyed this post you may also like A different kind of gift list that I put together last year.

Disclosure:

All photos belong to the respective website owners.

This is not a sponsored post.