Theme of the Week: HRH's Footsoldiers

It is Changing of the Guards here at the Little Present Company. Our smart guardsmen are as keen as mustard to leave their post at Buckingham Palace and come to guard your little soldier's bedroom or nursery. However, they DO need to be back in London for the Royal Wedding on 29th April.

They are especially smart in their scarlet tunic and bearskin caps, and (I have been assured by the Major of the regiment) are house-trained and tidy.

Our range of Foot Guards come in all shapes and sizes and a range of prices. Newborn babygrows and Vests with Crowns (see images), a cotton Soldier Pram Blanket (£21.95), and a very popular game of Wooden Skittles (£19.95). We have a new Bedspread and Union Jack Bunting, so get in the mood of all things British and wave your flag with gusto.

Quick-march it down to the Little Present Company and give these smart boys a home. Left Right Left Right Left Right ... (fade to black).

With love

Emily and Emma x

Supplier Profile: Malooshi cushions at LPC

We are very proud (and lucky) to have such clever artistic suppliers working with us. Our personalised cushions have gone statospheric and have been selling like the proverbial hot-cake.

We took a bit of time to get to know the ladies behind Malooshi (formerly My Grandmother's Fairytales), and have gleaned some interesting background information on a partnership which has resulted in excellent quality artwork cushions.

Speaking with Sylwia Peczak earlier this month we found out the inspiration behind the business:
I started to make some crocheted pieces when I was studying Interior Design in Windsor College , my Friend Svietlana Khramova looked at them and decided that she would like to make an Exhibition of my Crocheted Products in her Art Gallery in Eton/Windsor. Me and my other Friend Joanna Kociuba (who has better crochet skills than me ) made a whole range of Products : Cushions, bedspreads, canvases, baskets for the Exhibition which was a huge success. We had many visitors all over the world telling us how unique our products are , we also made a lot of sales. So, after the Exhibition we decided to make it into the business.

What makes your Crochet Cushions unique?
We make personalised cushions, blankets and canvases. It is not possible to make the crochet appliqué on any machine—it has to be hand made. Nobody , so far, discovered crochet that way—to make the crochet appliqué . We design them by ourselves—making the drawing and trying to make the first pattern. My auntie who has been crocheting for over 50 years (making the most beautiful table cloths and jumpers) told me that she has never seen something like we do and I had to teach her (!) how to make it.

What is your best selling product?
Our bestselling product is a personalised cushion with a Tractor on it. We have this Tractor in different colours and on different fabric background, so every customer can find their favourite one .

What impact has LPC had on your business?
Starting to sell with LPC gave us the confidence. When somebody else who knows a lot of about the online business (LPC) appreciate our products and want to sell it – It means that we are on a good path with our company.

Despite Sylwia's plans to launch their children's products on the high street, we are still able to take orders and personalise them to the customers requirements: names, colours, fabrics can all be specified at check out.

Happy Shopping!
With love
Emily and Emma x

The Goose is Getting Fat

Christmas is coming... ding dong merrily on high... or so the supermarkets would have us believe. We have shelves stocked high with bumper tins of chocolates and boxed nuts. I am like the next man and love a bit of festive cheer: but in September?!

It is with this in mind that we are casually, calmly and gently introducing our Christmas stock. The drip-feed method is always better received than the full onslaught of ringing bells and carols on a loop.

We have brilliantly gifted artist-seamstresses in our LPC Family, and because of this wonderful working relationship, we are able to introduce our new bespoke and exclusive Children's Christmas Sacks. Each one is personalised to order with the child's name, address and message hand-sewn with love. I have bought one for each of my children as we have used pillow cases for years. I am pleased to say that the pillow cases are firmly back on the beds and these lovely sacks are getting ready for Santa's arrival. At £60 each, they are lined, personalised and made to last a childhood of happy memories.

A less expensive option is our £16 range of stockings in red and blue (see image). They are always a big hit and fly off our shelves when we do the fairs. Get them whilst they are hot!

With love from

Emily and Emma x

The Thrill of Made to Order

It is such a luxury to be able to order a present, which you know will be made from scratch especially for you. We have a handful of artists waiting in the wings, tools at the ready, to launch into production the moment the order arrives. The only 'machinery' is the whirring of business brains and sewing machines. There are no factory lines on our bespoke orders: just the way we like it.

We are extremely excited to introduce a new range of children's Irish Oak chairs. They have been successfully sold through magazines for nearly 10 years, but the artist has now chosen to tap into our niche and sell them through our Furniture section of the Little Present Company website. They sit perfectly alongside our beloved Windsor-style chairs, and similarly can be engraved with a child's name and significant date (be it birth or christening) and even a fun creative design on the second rung. At 18 inches high, these chairs are sturdy, timeless and totally made for you. Our children's chairs are £105 each.

Call us 01748 810450 /07789 000504 if you would like any further information.

With love from

Emily and Emma x

Blackboards aplenty

We have just taken delivery of our first batch of quirky Blackboard shapes. They are completely gorgeous - large enough for individual doodling and cute enough to be an asset to any room - and we are thrilled to have them in our stock. They are made in Yorkshire (yeay! no nasty air miles) and retail at only £12.99 each. You can't shake a chalk-stick at that.

Our other Blackboards continue to be a great present for Christenings and Weddings, primarily. The personalised boards come in 3 sizes and are hand-painted in Scotland (double yeay! no nasty air miles). Our customers tend to hang them in their kitchens and scrawl shopping lists on them, or to post cheeky comments between married couples: 'See you later, Sugar', or 'Put the bins out, you lazy spud' etc.

One of our existing artists has just introduced a range of small personalised children's blackboards into her range, which we are hoping to incorporate into our stock this winter. They are colourful borders with the child's name as a title, surrounded by pretty decoration and design. If my parents had given me something like this as a child it would have stopped me from drawing on the walls... (sorry mummmmmy!)

With love from

Emily and Emma

x

We should change our name to Little Cushion Company, frankly. I cannot believe how clever our seamstress ladies are - so in awe are we, infact, that we have listed pretty much every cushion in their repartee.

You name it, we have it.

Bunnies? check. Ducks? check. Fire Engine. Yup. Red Bus? that too. Pigs? check. Trains? yes, two designs, ditto the Tractors. Pirate? yes-siree. Oriental Doll? let me just check.. yes, we have that too. You see? We are SERIOUS about cushions.

We are very excited about all of the fairs we are due to exhibit at over these next few months. We will keep you posted on where we are due to be, but please come and say hello if you are passing. With nearly 250 'fans' on Facebook now, we are feeling a little flushed by your support. Thank you lovely friends!

With love from

Emily and Emma x

The Gift Dilema

This afternoon we are off to a 6 year old's birthday party. The 'Present Problem' arose over breakfast this morning.

Me: 'Would Ed like a wooden sword and shield for his birthday, do you think?'
James (aged 6): 'No way, he's into action figures.'
Me: 'are you sure he won't like these fantastic mechanical lego bits... or this environmentally sound silent ride-on bike...?'
James: 'I'm sure. He likes battles with stuff from the tv.'
Me: 'or this little cricket set...?'
James: 'Mummy. No. Ben 10, Star Wars or Doctor Who'.

It appears our product range is lacking when it comes to anything over the age of 5 for birthday gifts. With TV adverts pushing large pieces of expensive plastic at the children, it is small wonder that they want to play with the latest figure who comes equipped with green goo and battery-powered sword-wielding retro-blasters inter-galactik laser shooter blammers. So it is with some reluctance that I went to a local toy shop and bought a Star Wars Lightsaber.... and as cool as it is with the flashing lights and swishing noises, I know our LPC classic wooden swords and shields are more long-lasting and a better gift all round (especially at only £7.95 for a sword and £8.95 for the shield = cheaper than the Star Wars tat).

So it is my mission to set about improving the range of birthday gifts available for boys and girls, for affordable but fun things which will be well-received and won't break the bank. EEeeeek!

With love
Emily x