Why Brighton Should Shop Small This Christmas

With the festive season almost upon us we believe now more than ever is an important time to shop small and support your local independent businesses - whether it be makers, bakers, corner shops or cafes - they all rely on your custom to keep going.

There is no better place to do this than at the Fairy Tale Fairs being held at the Brighton Open Market on Sunday 15th November and at Patcham Methodist Church on the Saturday 21st November...

If you’ve got a list of Christmas gifts to buy and are not sure where to start then we’ve got some great suggestions for you. These are all handmade by local makers with lots of love. By buying handmade not only are you helping support the maker and the local economy but you can also be sure you are buying a truly unique, one off Christmas gift that you won’t find on the high street.

On the look out for unique jewellery? Firstly we introduce Mica Peet, a Brighton based jewellery maker and designer. Mica’s unique patterned jewellery & illustrated products are inspired by her love of the beautiful natural world juxtaposed with modern geometric shapes. Find out more at: micapeet.etsy.com  and you’ll also find her selling at The Fairy Tale Fair at Brighton Open Market on Sunday November 15th where you can meet her in person.

Also joining The Fairy Tale Fair on November 15th is Helen of Mosaic Mad. Helen creates vibrant, unique mosaics in a quirky mixed media style. She is passionate about textures and colours, as well as the quality of glass and ceramics, making each handmade mosaic painstakingly to last forever! See the current mosaics at The Fairy Tale Fair Open Market 15th November and at Artists Open House: The Cicada House, 30 Stanmer Villas, Brighton BN1 7HP from 21/22, 28/29 Nov to 5/6, 12/13 Dec for a Christmas Extravaganza! 

More details:  www.facebook.com/mosaicmad99

If you are looking for a personalised gift then Laura Harvey-Smith Designs is the stall to stop at. At HarveySmithDesigns Laura makes bespoke and personalised 3d box frame pictures, using a variety of different punches, patterned papers and her secret weapon to give them their extra special sparkle Syworski Crystals. She designs all the wording on her computer using lovely fonts to fit the theme or style of the picture she is going to make, every thing else is then made by hand to create a beautiful and unique picture.

View more at: www.facebook.com/lauraharveysmithdesigns  or meet her in person at The Fairy Tale Fair November 15th (Brighton Open Market) and Patcham Methodist on November 21st.

Avoid the mass produced shop bought cards this Christmas and stand out with these wonderful illustrated cards from Louise Mulgrew. Louise has a loose, energetic style, working mostly with pen and ink, watercolour and collage, combining colourful inky washes with intricate line-work and playful mark-making.  She says, “I’m a huge animal lover and strive to create lovable characters that capture the essence of lots of fluffy and feathery creatures, including my studio cat, Osc, who features in my Furry Friends Christmas card range.  I love to draw on location, from life, and in my sketchbook and to create as much mess as possible!” Find out more at: www.louisemulgrew.com or see the products and Louise herself at The Fairy Tale Fair Patcham on Saturday November 21st.

If you are looking for fun children’s gifts or pocket money buys then Sew Me Up’s felt makes are always a popular choice. Katie makes children's felt masks ranging from super heroes to their favourite animal. Vibrant and colourful tooth fairy pillow pockets for when those baby teeth fall out. Pretty bendy headbands and beautiful bows and lots of other fun goodies too. Find out more at: www.sewmeup.co.uk  or come and choose for yourself at Brighton Open Market on November 15th or The Charmandean Worthing on December 6th.

If you are looking for truly magical or one off art pieces then we recommend stopping by Sarah Oyetunde’s stall. As a self taught artist Sarah makes her own rules, mixing different medias and inspired by her imagination, the patterns and shapes found in our organic environment, her paintings, papercuts, miniatures and wearables are translations of her intuitive sense of the world.  She has sold work internationally.

View more www.facebook.com/abstractorganicsSOArt  or meet her in person on November 15th (Brighton Open Market) or December 6th (Worthing Charmandean).

These are just a very small selection of makers and designers you’ll find at The Fairy Tale Fair this Christmas. Find out more about all fairs and dates at:  www.thefairytalefair.co.uk

Christmas fairs are a great way of finding never seen before gifts for all the family all under one roof. You also avoid the stress and expense of the town centre, and get to have a fun day out with tea, cake, entertainment and workshops at the same time.