gift ideas Archives - Page 3 of 4 - Lou Longworth Greeting Cards

Posted on 10 August 202013 March 2021 by Lou Longworth

Gifts for Music Lovers

It’s no secret that I’m a huge music fan – I’m really missing being able to go to gigs during this pandemic (thought I do realise this is such a small thing compared to what a lot of people are going through). I also have quite a few friends who are just as music obsessed as I am, so this week I thought I’d write a blog post with ideas for gifts for music lovers.

Just so you know, this post contains affiliate links, which means if you click on a link and buy I may get a small commission, but it won’t cost you anything.

Gifts for drummers

This wooden clock can be personalised if you fancy

Or how about one of these water bottles?

Gifts for guitarists

This pick wallet would make a great gift for a guitarist.
Or for something a bit more substantial, how about this personalised wooden guitar holder?

Romantic music gifts

Of course if this is an anniversary gift or something for your other half, you might need a gift that is a little more romantic. Here are some ideas for turning ‘your song’ into a personalised gift.

Or create a modern version of the old school mix tape… it doesn’t get much more romantic than that – you can even include photos or scans of other special memories.

Other gifts for music lovers

And for gifts that are less specific, here’s a selection of all sorts of great gifts for music lovers.
Here’s another mix tape idea. This one comes with a personalised message and a code for a Spotify playlist featuring songs from their birth year – such an original idea!

Or how about this for that person who ‘knows’ their taste in music is better than anyone else’s 😆

My neighbours listen to good music whether they like it or not print — Good music print

This game could be a real hit (sorry 😁) too!

I hope you found some inspiration in these ideas. In the end I found more ideas than I could reasonably fit into one blog post as there’s so much out there for music lovers! 😃

You can also follow my Gifts for Music Lovers Pinterest board for more ideas.

And if you’re looking for a card to accompany your gift, then why not take a look at my music themed greeting card collection. They’re perfect for music fans. See some examples below…

Engagement card

Get well soon card

I love you card

Posted on 2 August 202013 March 2021 by Lou Longworth

Wedding Anniversary Gifts by Year

I’ve been selling a lot of unique wedding anniversary cards with my cartoon portraits on recently – I guess it’s that time of year 😍. I know about paper, silver, ruby and gold anniversaries but I started wondering, what are the traditional wedding anniversary gifts year by year in the UK? It turns out there are both traditional and modern anniversary milestone gifts.

Lists of traditional and modern wedding anniversary gifts (UK)

These are list of both traditional and modern anniversary gifts by year for the UK – it may vary in the US and around the rest of the world. Can you believe they have milestone gifts all the way up to a 90th wedding anniversary?!

via GIPHY

Traditional wedding anniversary gifts by year

1st – Paper or cotton
2nd – Cotton or paper
3rd – Leather
4th – Linen, silk
5th – Wood
6th – Sugar
7th – Woollen
8th – Salt
9th – Copper
10th – Tin
12th – Silk and fine linens
15th – Crystal
20th – Porcelain
25th – Silver
30th – Pearl
35th – Coral
40th – Ruby
45th – Sapphire
50th – Gold
55th – Emerald
60th – Diamond
65th – Blue sapphire
70th – Platinum
75th – Diamond, gold
80th – Oak
85th – Wine
90th – Granite

Modern wedding anniversary gifts by year

1st – Clock
2nd – China
3rd – Crystal, glass
4th – Electrical appliance
5th – Silverware
6th – Wooden objects
7th – Desk sets, pen & pencil sets
8th – Linens, lace
9th – Leather goods
10th – Diamond jewellery
11th – Fashion jewellery, accessories
12th – Pearls, coloured gems
13th – Textiles, furs
14th – Gold jewellery
15th – Watches
16th – Silver hollowware
17th – Furniture
18th – Porcelain
19th – Bronze
20th – Platinum
21st – Brass, nickel
22nd – Copper
23rd – Silver plate
24th – Musical instrument
25th – Silver
30th – Diamond
35th – Jade
40th – Ruby
45th – Saphire
50th – Gold
55th – Emerald
60th – Diamond
80th – Diamond, pearl
85th – Wife’s birthstone
90th – Diamond, emerald

Of course there are no set rules when it comes to romance, so you can interpret them however you like, put your own original twist on them or ignore them altogether! Every couple will have their own original way of celebrating a milestone anniversary…

via GIPHY

Special milestone anniversary messages

Did you know that in the UK you can get a message from the king or queen for 60th, 65th and 70th wedding anniversaries? You do need to apply to Buckingham Palace for this (other Commonwealth realms can also apply, via the Governor-general’s office).

In the US couples can receiver a wedding anniversary card from the President for their 50th anniversary and beyond. In Canada they can receive a message from the Governor-General for their 50th anniversary and every fifth anniversary following it.

And in Australia couples can also receive a letter of congratulations from the Governor-General for their 50th wedding anniversary and all subsequent anniversaries. They may even get messages from the Prime Minister, the federal Opposition leader, their local state and federal parliament members and state Governors for the same anniversaries.

Anniversary milestone cards

Would you like to give a wedding anniversary card for a milestone year that is extra special and more like a gift? My custom cartoon portrait anniversary cards are each hand drawn by me based on photos you supply so are completely unique. I can draw from the original wedding photos or as you and your other half look today. The text is also customisable so works for any milestone from the 1st anniversary to forever.They’re also great to give to other (very special) couples and you could even give a frame at the same time, making it easy to display and treasure forever. You’ll get extra credit if you match the frame material to the traditional anniversary gift by year!

Click on any of the images below to go straight to that item in my greeting card shop.

Custom Cartoon Portrait Ruby Wedding Anniversary Card — Ruby Wedding Anniversary Card

Custom Cartoon Portrait Silver Wedding Anniversary Card — Silver Wedding Anniversary Card

Custom Cartoon Portrait Golden Wedding Anniversary Card — Golden Wedding Anniversary Card

Custom Cartoon Portrait Anniversary Card — Anniversary Card

Posted on 27 July 202013 March 2021 by Lou Longworth

Creative Inspiration: A book review

Everyone needs a bit of creative inspiration now and then, and I’m no different. I think it’s important to keep learning and stay creative, and books are my favourite way of doing this. Fiction teaches me more about other people by putting me in someone else’s shoes for a while. And non-fiction teaches me more about myself and hopefully helps me to be better at art, in my greeting card business and with life in general.

The Joy of Watercolor by Emma Block

This week I’m reviewing Emma Block’s book, The Joy of Watercolor: 40 Happy Lessons for Painting the World Around You. I’ve been a fan of her work for a while, and have dabbled a bit with watercolours, so decided to treat myself at the beginning of lockdown. I bought it on Amazon and if you click the picture to the right you’ll be taken there to buy the book if you fancy a copy of your own. (The links are affiliate links, so if you do buy I will get a small commission, but it won’t cost you anything extra.)

What I love about Emma’s painting is that she manages to make everything look so fresh and modern. A lot of watercolour paintings are a bit wishy washy and, while still beautiful, all seem to end up looking the same.

What creative inspiration is in the book?

Emma Block starts the book with an introduction and short history of watercolours and how she got started with them. She then goes into a bit of depth regarding the materials you need or can use, including paints, brushes, paper and more. There is also a section on colour theory and some exercises to practise mixing colours and using different techniques.

In terms of creative inspiration, the bulk of the book is made up of the 40 projects she walks you through. Projects are divided up into sections: Flowers, Fruit, Plants, Objects, etc. There is also a section on Painting on Location. The projects are also labelled as Beginner, Intermediate or Advanced, so there’s a range of difficulty levels to suit anyone. Within each project she lets you know what tools or materials you’ll need and the colours she used. She then talks you through the steps of recreating the paintings, with her own drawings and paintings to demonstrate.

The first project I worked on was the Blue Hydrangeas (I love love LOVE hydrangeas). It’s a Beginner project. I think I made the mistake of overdoing it, so mine doesn’t have the same simple appeal as her one. I’m not massively proud of it, as it’s a bit blurry and doesn’t have much contrast, but it was a good lesson to learn! And hopefully I’ll get better with practice. It was also fun to do something different from the cartoon portraits I usually spend my time drawing 😁.

Would I recommend it?

Yes, I’d definitely recommend this book to anyone interested in watercolour painting. It’s just as lovely to page through and look at Emma’s paintings as it is to work on the projects yourself. Not sure why the American spelling of ‘watercolor’ is used as Emma Block is British and works and teaches classes in London, but this obviously doesn’t affect the book itself or the gorgeous pictures in it.

The book would also make a terrific gift for someone else who is a bit arty. Whether they’re just looking for creative inspiration or want to have a go at watercolour painting themselves, I’m sure they’d love it.

Posted on 13 July 202013 March 2021 by Lou Longworth

Where to find great gifts

We all want to find great gifts to show our friends and family that we really do know and love them! But with birthdays and Christmas coming around every year it’s easy to run out of inspiration… And of course if you’re anything like me you need ideas NOW because you’ve not planned very far ahead! Here are some of my favourite websites to find gifts that are a little bit different and show that you’ve really put some thought into it, even if you have left it a bit late.

Just so you know, some of the links in this post are affiliate links. This means I might get a few pennies if you click on them and then buy something from that website. It doesn’t cost you anything though and I’d never recommend a website I don’t think is fantastic.

Great handmade gifts

You won’t be surprised to know that Etsy is one of my favourite places to shop for original gifts. They’re the best for finding handmade and personalised presents for anyone and everyone. You can find products sold from around the world, but if you prefer to shop locally (and avoid international postage costs) you can narrow your search to your own country.

This Live the Little Things gift box on the right is one of the many presents I’ve bought off Etsy for friends and family.

Not on the High Street is another favourite of mine for handcrafted gifts. You’ll find great gifts on there that you wouldn’t find anywhere else (hence the name I guess!) A lot of their items are personalisable too.

Great gifts for kids

When I need to find presents online for my niece or other children, Prezzybox and Wicked Uncle are two of my favourites. Prezzybox has a great section specifically for Kid’s Gifts and the whole Wicked Uncle specialises entirely in children’s gifts. Another thing I really like about Wicked Uncle is that you can shop gifts within specific age ranges, which is very helpful. They also have categories which include Creativity, Adventurer, Educational and lots more. The only objection I have is their name… I’m an Aunt after all!

Other places to find great gifts

Pinterest is another place I often go to in order to get inspiration for interesting and original gifts. I have a number of different boards with ideas for gifts for different people – you can see my Pinterest boards here and follow them too if you’d like to use some of my ideas for your own gift giving 🎁

Yes I Want It is another favourite to find gifts that are a bit out of the ordinary and that you won’t see everywhere. I mean, how cute are these mixtape USBs on the left?!

There are loads of other great websites that sell all sorts of lovely, and not boring, gifts too. I regularly publish blog posts on here, and these quite often feature original gift ideas and tips. Subscribe to my newsletter and you’ll soon have the reputation of being that lovely person who gives the most terrific cards and gifts 😃 (and you’ll also get 15% off when buying cards from my online shop!)

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Posted on 22 June 202014 June 2022 by Lou Longworth

Homemade edible gifts

Left it a bit late to buy a gift? Not quite sure what to get? Homemade edible gifts are a terrific solution as you can whip them up yourself really quickly. And everyone has to eat, right? At the most you might need to make a quick trip to the supermarket and spend a few minutes to an hour actually making the edibles, so within a couple of hours you’ve got yourself a fabulous present to give that is much more personal than anything you could’ve bought elsewhere anyway 😃

How much effort you put into making your edible gifts is completely up to you. If you’re in a bit of a rush then you can just assemble a variety of bought treats in a basket or hamper. If you have some time to spare but not much budget then making something from scratch will usually work out cheaper. Or you can go for something in-between.

Ideas for homemade edible gifts

Whether you’re making them yourself, or just assembling a selection of yummy things you’ve bought in a shop, there are so many things you can choose from:

Biscuits – sweet or savoury
Chocolate or sweets – homemade or bought
Toffee or fudge
Macarons, cake pops, cupcakes or muffins
A whole cake!
Tray bakes or bars
Ingredients e.g. to make a cake or biscuits – these look great layered in a jar
Coffee, tea or hot chocolate – it’s generally best to go posh with these
Jams or chutneys
Themed seasonings for keen cooks e.g. for Indian food, or a range of different fancy salts or peppers
Dried, candied or fresh fruit

If you’re looking for edible gift recipes and more ideas then take a look at Pinterest – there are loads of ideas on there.

homemade biscuits — Photo by Joshua Hoehne on Unsplash

Presentation ideas for your homemade gifts

Hampers and ‘bouquets’ – for anything and everything
Mason jars – for baking mixes, biscuits, sweets, etc
Boxes – for tray bakes, cupcakes, muffins and whole cakes
Tins – for biscuits, cupcakes, tray bakes or whole cakes, depending on the shape and size
Gift bags – best for packaged foods (make your own gift bags)

These are just some ideas but you can be as creative as you like – it’s a great way to get rid of containers that are too nice to throw away but that you don’t really want anymore 😁

Homemade edible gift in box — Photo by Jennifer Schmidt on Unsplash

Making it personal

A handmade edible gift is already more personal than something bought in a shop, but by putting some extra thought into it you can make it even more so. If you have friends who are vegan, coeliacs, on low carb diets or are just known for being coffee freaks or chocoholics you can show how well you know them by creating a gift that really suits them. It’s so easy to Google recipes for all sorts of preferences, allergies and fetishes!
You can also personalise the way you present your gift, for example by making a cute label for the jar or tin, or decorating the cake you’ve baked with their name in icing.

Why homemade edible gifts are the BEST

There are so many reasons why a homemade edible gift is so fabulous to give…

Shows how thoughtful you are and that you really know the person it’s for
Can be whipped up in a very short space of time
Generally costs less than an equivalent bought elsewhere
Gets eaten up so you can keep giving the same terrific gift over and over again
If for some reason they’re not too keen on it they can get friends or family to finish it off without you ever knowing… it’s much harder to pass on other types of unwanted gifts 😆
And they don’t have to find space for it if they don’t want to – they can just eat it all up straight away!

I know I love getting homemade gifts, especially if I can eat them… and I don’t think I’m that unusual. Give it a go. And if you post your awesome homemade edibles on social media, please tag me – I’d love to see!

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Tag: gift ideas