Tag: UAE

Stockings Full of Christmas Gift Ideas at ARTE

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It’s that time of the year again… Think fluffy clouds, stunning sunsets and Christmas markets!

The lead up to Christmas at ARTE, the Makers Market sees the cogs churning and the workshops whirring as real-life elves dig deep into their Santa sacks of magic, creativity and skill for the best handmade products the UAE has to offer. Deep within the grottos of Dubai, you’ll find our busy makers cold-pressing nut butter, hot pressing fabric designs, fiddling with wires, beads and threads, merino wool and silk fibres, all to the sound of distant knitting needles clicking, paper mache sticking, gasps of awe and wows of wonder.

What better way to celebrate, than by gifting years of experience, craftsmanship and unique bespoke pieces to the people you love on your gift list?

ARTE’S STOCKING FILLER GIFT IDEAS

There’s a known saying that ‘good things come in small packages’ and our Artisans of the Emirates at ARTE have spent hours-upon-hours to prove that true. You can put them under your Christmas tree or slip them in a stocking; these unique handcrafted gifts are the perfect pieces for those who have everything and a must-have for everyone in between.

The Warm Up – Christmas Decorations

emirati christmas ornamentsJodie Art Framing – Tree Ornaments

Typical is an obsolete word at our markets, from art to ornament there’s a story of significance.

Our savvy Art and Framing Consultant, Jodie Cummins, has created these cute and crafty Emirati men and women tree ornaments, making your home the envy of the palaces.

If you’re lucky, you might just see her mastery in process at one of our upcoming Christmas markets.

 

christmas camelsDawn Southern – Christmas Camels

As old and gold as the nativity scene itself, camels have featured as the bearers of great gifts throughout our festive history. Just as legendary, Christmas camels have become a UAE tradition that’s been running with the same group of ladies for over 15 years.

These wooden camel templates form their own unique features – from the gorgeous camels’ lashes to their brightest coloured saddlebags… all by hand using acrylic paints. A great Christmas tree decoration that can be gifted, hung and even personalised.

luna mora - fun feltLuna Mora – Fun felt

Perhaps your tree needs a new fairy, or your fairy a new tree? Luna Mora’s designs are a true labour of love with some of these timeless pieces taking up to 25 hours to make.

Find your Christmas decoration that barely sees a box from her stall at ARTE.

Gifts for HER or HIM

personalised embroideryTread Threads – Keyrings/Bookmarks & Personalised Embroidery

Whilst Santa awaits his cookies and Rudolph his carrot, a Christmas dinner in Dubai might see tables laid with a roast, or a Christmas day brunch BBQ fired feast.

Here’s a stocking filler that can be rolled up and strategically given as a nudge to the man of the house, to do what he claims to do best, and get grilling for a Christmas day filling.

These aprons make the perfect personalised gift for him. Keep an eye out on the Tread Threads table for personalised bookmarks and other teacher’s gift ideas.

jewellery giftRaphaeilo Accessories – Jewellery

A go-to gift with a difference – jewellery! So (men), for once, don’t go trying to fix what isn’t broken and get her something sure to wow with a statement piece of jewellery from Raphaello Accessories.

Many of their items are handcrafted in lightweight silver and coated in gold leaf making them incredibly comfy to wear.

 

Gift Ideas for the Littlest Stockings

handmade knitted dollsMarjan and Bahar – Corals Handmade

The sister duo Marjan & Bahar have 16 years of knitting under their belts which have perfected their bestselling topsy-turvy dolls and unicorns.

Keep them in the stocking, safely tucked-in the night before Christmas to bring as many years of joy for your little one.

For The cherished Pet

Sassy Pepet accessoriestshop, Pet Accessories

Leaving no one out at ARTE, The Sassy Petshop’s wonderful array of pet paraphernalia may just be the perfect way to say thank you and include the most loved member of the family (we won’t tell the kids) into the festivities.

We love this Christmas themed dog collar but she also has some pretty cool personalised pet gifts too!

 

Housewarming Gift

housewarming giftSAANTÉ – AROMATHERAPY FOR YOUR BODY, MIND AND SOUL.

The holiday season equals celebrations, invitations, food and merriment. Turn up with your arms open and your bags full with a housewarming gift that will literally warm the house.

Saanté makes the most deliciously smelling natural Beeswax & Essential Oils candles, soaps, creams, lotions & potions and they even stock White Sage to burn for ridding the nasties so that there’s only room for nice on the list – although that one may send the wrong message as a housewarming gift.

hearti grubArti – Hearti Grub

Great to take as a thank you or as a stocking-sized alternative to the Christmas orange are any of Hearti Grub’s exclusive festive granola and nut butterfestive gift boxes.

Using premium quality organic and GMO-free nuts through a cold-pressed technique that retains the nutritional value of the nut oil puts all of her products appropriately on the nice list.

Gifts For One & All

pop-up cardsKelly – Abra Pop-up Cards

The fantastical genius Kelly at Abra Cards, hand makes her whole collection and they’re truly magical! She currently has some new ones that are the perfect tree accompaniments to your stocking fillers, for a Christmas in Dubai filled with family tradition.

Check them out at our next Makers Market – She’s doing special batch deals.

 

personalised santa sacksNicola – Framed with Love

An all-round creative by nature and a self-professed Christmas enthusiast can mean only one thing – oodles of festive treasures by Nicola of Framed with Love.

We’re loving the personalised Santa Sacks and have our eyes set upon her cushions and Dubai-alternative to the Christmas jumper – Christmas T-shirt designs.

Shireen – Rare Find

As somebody that only sells what she loves, knowing that love, in essence, is universal, Shireen of Rare Find spends hours of doodling, sketching, painting and perfecting until her designs are ready for purchase.

You may have admired her hamsa & burqa prints at ARTE before and can be yours or a special someone’s at any of ARTE’s forthcoming Christmas markets coming up.

 

Arte’s Christmas Markets For the Diary:

  1. D3 | Dubai Design District, 12th December – Between buildings 2 & 4, 11am to 7pm.
  2. TSC | Times Square Center, 13th December, 10am – 6 pm.
  3. QE2 | Queen Elisabeth , 14th December, 9am – 5pm – Mina Rashid Marina, Port Rashid.

Click here! To check out our Facebook page for more Christmas gift hints and ideas and our events calendar and workshops to come.

Have a hUmorki day

Aneta Dersley narrates how hUmorki (notice the capital U) starts with her daughter Amelia and her different moods. She takes the chance to make stuffed toys that also look sad or angry, something so unusually in stuffed toys.

At kindergarten Amelia couldn’t find any toys to play with. So Aneta came up with the idea to start sewing stuffed toys which encaptured various moods and various creatures that the world has probably never seen in such form.

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Amelia is the rigorous tester of all the handmade hUmorki toys by taking them on her own adventures in daily living, whether that be in her messy bedroom or on picnics. She has also named many of the toys, such as rabbit Jenny, Bobby, Peli and more.

Aneta feels inspired to create new hUmorki characters thanks to the people who appreciate the work done and the moods that the toys feature that resonate with the people’s hearts.

Visit hUmorki on facebook.

Artistry in Wood

We just love the rustic simplicity of these driftwood candle holders by Kariba Arts; so organic, beachy and simply beautiful.

It all began less than a year again when German national, Kathrin Rinner-Baudy, fell in love with uniquely-shaped bits of burnished driftwood, tossed ashore by the sea and tide.

Kathrin explains, “I have always admired the driftwood I saw on UAE beaches and so after months of seeing their beautiful shapes just lying there on the beach like rubbish, I decided to collect some to decorate my home. And that is how the idea was born!”

Kathrin’s process is simple: collecting the wood, sorting it by size & thickness, drying, cleaning and then just being creative.

She explains, “I like to consider driftwood as my muse and my medium. I usually choose pieces that stand out as natural sculptures or have the potential to become something more. And then I let the pieces tell me what they should be.”

Today, Kariba Arts is a regular at ARTE, and had already built a large base of regular clients and fans, who enjoying visiting her every month to see her latest creations.

Visit Kariba Arts on facebook or email Kathrin here.

Handmade Gifts for Men

We don’t know about you, but we find it notoriously hard to buy gifts for the special men in our lives. If there’s no one thing in particular that springs to mind, our fail-safe advice is usually a package of little treats, things to make him laugh, and useful objects. It’s a great solution and you can mix-and-match to fit the big guy’s personality.

What’s your guy’s personality? Dapper, foodie, adventurer, sporty, musical or geeky, ARTE has a little something for everyone…

Handmade Model Railways By Model Railways UAE

Handmade Mugs by Irene’s Pots

Scottish Tablet desert by Toffee Princess

Handcrafted Bottle Stoppers by Colin Roberts

All natural Shaving Soap Kit by PAN Soaps

Sterling silver Cuff Links and Tie Pin by Mr. Beaujangles

Elvis stencil art Cushion by Gorgeoustuff

Enjoy sweets the Brigadeiro way

The original Brigadeiro from Brazil. Photos supplied by Simone Amaro.

The original Brigadeiro from Brazil. Photos supplied by Simone Amaro.

‘Brigadeiro’ is Portuguese for Brigadier. Brigadeiros are actually chocolate sweets (or candy whichever way you look at it) highly popular in Brazil.

For those who love a bit of history, it was Eduardo Gomes, a Brazilian Air Force brigadier, who first created the concept of a plain chocolate bonbon whose main ingredient is sweet condensed milk. Now, nearly 60 years later, thanks to Simone Amaro, Founder and maker of Brigadelly sweets in Dubai, vendors and customers alike can partake of this unique sweet at ARTE Time Square Centre.

Simone Amaro, Founder of Brigadelly - seen at ARTE TSC event

Simone Amaro, Founder of Brigadelly - seen at ARTE TSC event

Simone shares, “Every Birthday party must have Brigadeiros. It’s something that we have eaten ever since we were children.” According to Simone, Brigadeiros have more than thirty flavours, and she makes twenty flavours, all of which you can see below (the Portuguese version is also added).

Image 20 flavours derived from the original Brigadeiro concept! Photo supplied by Simone Amaro

Image 20 flavours derived from the original Brigadeiro concept! Photo supplied by Simone Amaro

Traditional (Chocolate) – Tradicional (Chocolate)
White Brigadeiro – Brigadeiro Branco
Mixed (White and Traditional together) – Casadinho
Dark Chocolate (Bittersweet Chocolate) – Chocolate meio-amargo
Pistachio – Pistache
Peanut Butter – Manteiga de Amendoim (coberto com paçoca)
Lemon – Limão
Almond – Amêndoa
Strawberry – Morango
Sesame – Gergelim
Coconut – Côco
Chocolate with Coconut – Chocolate com Côco
Hazelnut – Avelã
Nutella – Nutella
Corn – Milho
Chilli – Pimenta
NIDO – Ninho
Cashew – Castanha
Biscuit – Biscoito (estilo Palha Italiana)
Apricot (dried fruit around a Brigadeiro) – Damasco (fruta seca em volta do Brigadeiro)
Dates (dried fruit around a Brigadeiro) – Tâmara (fruta seca em volta do Brigadeiro)
Grape (whole fruit, seedless, inside a Brigadeiro) – Uva (inteira, sem semente, dentro do Brigadeiro)

We (ie. Jan) have tasted the plain original brigadeiro as well as the grape filled one which almost feels like a surprise when your teeth squish into the seedless grape. As Simone says, “That’s why it’s called ‘little surprise’ in Portuguese.”

Not to forget the pretty packaging. Photo by Simone Amaro

You can follow  Brigadelly – The Brigadeiro Company on facebook for sweet, Brazilian updates.

We’re so Sweet for this Jewellery

Meet Sophia Mattia of Funkme Designs, who recently joined the ARTE fold with an amazing collection of quirky, fun, vibrant pieces of individually handmade jewellery.
Sophia began making jewellery in 2008 with her very first necklace made was a liquorice allsorts. What began then as a dabble into jewellery making has now developed a range of sweetie jewellery made from polymer. Each piece is individually handmade by herself. She also produces “one off” necklaces, bracelets and earrings that are different from the sweetie range using the Millefiori technique. These are pieces that cannot be produced again to an identical copy and so are completely unique.
Sophia will be returning to ARTE in May with a new look to her stand and a whole new range of products.

 

 

Jazz & Craft: A Perfect Combo!

ARTE has gone mobile. Now you can find us at the Dubai International Jazz Festival until 24th February; represented by 3 amazing artisans Sue Tyson with her Jewellery, Gorgeoustuff by Linzi Kan with her flag cushions & comic art and Ragmatazz with their patchwork and embroidery bags.

While stirring up tons of curiosity about our monthly markets; we’re really having a grand time enjoying some great music and chilling out with some of the most interesting music-lovers in Dubai. A must visit event for all culture-vores.

Sue Tyson Design

Sue Tyson Design

Gorgeoustuff by Linzi Kan

1950s Circle Skirts by Gorgeoustuff

Ragmatazz

 

Soap-ernatural!

Last week’s ARTE Market smelled delightfully fresh with two talented soap & beauty products vendors joining the fold.

Completely natural, organic, handcrafted, rustic soaps and other body loving products with plenty of options for vegans too.

To top it off – they’re all handmade here in the UAE by locally based Artisans!

Handmade Love at ARTE

When it comes to Valentine’s Day (or any day for that matter!) there’s nothing better than a handmade gift from the heart. Here’s selection of a few  tokens of love handcrafted by ARTE Artisans.