GOLD Website Award!

We are delighted to have won a GOLD website award from MumpreneurUK! 

Mumpreneur UK is a support network for mums in business, offering advice, resources, articles and events to parents who run their own business.

As well as supporting and celebrating "mumpreneurs", a mum who juggles running a business with family life, Mumpreneur UK are also keen to provide information and support for mums considering starting a business, and reach out to the public and let them know that starting a business is achievable.

Mumpreneur UK offer many awards to show support  to Mothers in Business.  One of those awards is the Website Awards which offer a Gold, Silver or Bronze

QUOTE

"We want to ensure that these sites are rewarded, and that their customers can see that their high standard is being recognised. We're looking to acknowledge mumpreneurs who have realised the importance of getting your business online, and doing it well!"

Our customers are very important to us and we strive hard to give our customers a good shopping experience and so were over the moon to know that Independent Judges had chosen to award us with a Gold Award for the Website Design, Navigation, Ease of Use, Content and Overall Presentation. 

Of course, the website design credit must go to QwertyCow , who has made our website so visually lovely to look at and the ease of use of use and navigation is credited to Create who without their fabulous platform, we would not have been able to develop and design this website with such ease. 

So If you're a mumpreneur with a website that your proud of, why not enter yourself ? Read how to here

'WOW' we became one of Jacqueline Gold's Winners!

On  Wednesday 23rd November we became one of Jacqueline Gold's WOW winners!

 So what is this #WOW I  hear you ask?

Well #WOW stands for "Women on Wednesday" and every Wednesday between 1-3pm  on Twitter Jacqueline Gold - Chief Executive of Ann Summers and Knickerbox invites women to submit their business to her via a tweet, she then 'retweets' her favourite 3 to  well over 16,000 of her followers and leaves an lovely personal comment about your business!

This is what we submitted:

 @Jacqueline_Gold #WOW 2 hardworking mums building a Stylish and Gorgeous Gifts and Homewares Business. Supporting Handmade & Eco-friendly x

and these are the 3 business she chose this week:

" Some fantastic entries to #WOW this week ladies - well done! My winners this week are @rubyandginger @VictoriaLovesB @SincerityGifts."

This is what Jacqueline said about us

The phone did not stop with congratulation messages and we gained many more followers on Twitter and interest in our Business has grown overnight. Jacqueline also sent us a winners badge which we proudly have on our website. A big congratulations to fellow winners @rubyandginger and @VictoriaLovesB and a massive thank you to Jacqueline for taking the time to visit our website and choosing us as one of your worthy winners! We are grateful and honoured.....and have not stopped smiling :) - Thank you also @Shellibobbins for the screenshot xx

Jacqueline Gold is one of Britains most successful Businesswoman. Chief Executive to Ann Summers and Knickerbox creating an empire run by Women for Women. She’s been voted the second Most Powerful Woman in Retail by Retail Week, the Most Inspirational Businesswoman in the UK (Barclays Bank), one of Britain’s Business Icons (Nat West Bank), and one of Britain’s Top Businesswomen by publications including Cosmopolitan, Esquire, Woman, and Good Housekeeping.

The Daily Mail listed Jacqueline as one of Britain’s 100 Most Influential Women and she was made Business Communicator of the Year 2004 by the British Association of Communicators in Business.

She is a columnist for Retail Week, New Business, Kent Business and Women Mean Business magazine.

We are delighted to be featured by the Supportive Business Mums Ideal Christmas Gifts Guide, where you will  find Ideal Christmas Gift Ideas for all the family, reviews and recommendations, Christmas Gift Give Aways, exclusive special offers and discount codes!

Here is a selection of some of our most popular Christmas Gift products.

These Lolita and Eva Hand Painted Bowls are just  £5.95 each. These Charming bowls are hand painted by the Crafts people of Kashmir. Fill them with bits and Bobs, or use them for snacks and nibbles. Beautiful on display at Christmas time or any time of the year these bowls make lovely gifts for any home.

Our Festive Shoes are £15.99
Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer has a very shinny nose! These handmade leather baby shoes have a Reindeer motif and a very sparkly red nose. If you need a special gift for a Christmas baby, or need an accessory for that special Christmas Day outfit, then these are the perfect gift. Go on give Grandma a big hint! Sizes range from 0-24mths and is one of the many winter designs from our Festive range.

Our popular British Stamp Cufflinks are £16.95 If you are looking for a special and unusual gift for him, Then check out these Best Selling pair of cufflinks which are made with wooden scrabble tiles and genuine recycled British Stamps. Most of the tiles have postmarks on them which add to their character and are made to order.

Our Black Leaf Shawl is just £19.99 This beautiful Black Shawl features Hand Lace and Crochet work and offers a Vintage twist. A truely lovely gift for any lady to receive!

 These t-light holders are stunning, and come in vibrant shades of teal, lime and purple. A feature for any room, they can be co-ordinated with our vibrant kitchen bowls and accessories. A beautiful gift for any home.

OUR CHRISTMAS GIFT TO YOU!

Sincerity Gifts in conjunction with“Supportive Business Mums Give Aways” is offering you the chance to WIN one of our Fair Trade 4 Point Bowls, worth £7.99 These bowls come in rich Autumnal colours of Red, Orange or Aubergine and give a really lustrious shine to the bright coloured interiors. These Bowls are food safe and are perfect for snacks and nibbles or even for pot pourri.

All you have to do is visit Sincerity Gifts here  and then comment  on Supportive Business Mums Christmas Gift Guide Blog to tell us which product from our site is on your Christmas Wish List and why! To double your chance of winning (your name will go into the draw twice) share the message and link below on twitter and facebook. Remember to tell us you have done this when you comment with your answer on the Supportive Business Mums  blog. Good Luck!

TWEET / FACEBOOK SHARE :
“I’m entering with @sb_mums to #WIN Christmas Gifts for family and friends. You can too at http://bit.ly/xmasguide Pls RT”

Good Luck!

Hmmm Cupcakes

How could you not feel tempted by our delicious cupcakes?

To celebrate Cupcake Week, we have put together a selection of our favourite cupcake designs!

Go on they're irresistable !

These are beautiful handmade soft leather shoes.

If you're looking to buy for your own baby or for a gift, these are perfect!

Baby Pink Shoe with Chocolate Cupcake Detail

She will look good enough to eat! This gorgeous Cupcake Gift Set is  the purrrrrrrfect present! 100% cotton footless babygro and shoe with cupcake detail

Little Cupcake Giftset

Pretty 'Cupcakes and Cookies' Deep Edged Canvas .

The wooden letters and cupcake are hand painted in mixed pastel colours with white polka dot detail. This cupcake themed artwork would make a beautiful gifts or delightful accessory for any room

Cupcakes and Cookies Canvas

We Love this Yummy little Cupcake Design!

Deep Edged Mini Canvas with  Wooden Handpainted 'Love' sign and Cute little Cupcake. 

Mini Love Canvas

This lovely Cupcake Pink decorative Tape is perfect for adding finishing touches for your gifts, parcels and packages!

Great for brightening up your craft projects too!

Pink Cupcake Decorative Tape

These cupcake toppers would make the perfect addition to your party or special event. Use them for tea parties, weddings, birthdays the list is endless!

Tea Party Cupcake Toppers

Riot Raffle - The Creative Community Come to the rescue

Following the events of the recent Riots that took place on our Captial and surrounding Cities, people were left shocked at the devastating scenes of violence and looting that took place.

Many innocent Local and Independent Businesses were caught up the the violence and had their livelihoods and homes destroyed.

Recovery for these small businesses is hard and virtually impossible for some. Many people were made homeless.

Shocked at these events and wanting to do something to help, Zoe Grant from Zoe and Drew had an idea to organise a Raffle of Donations from Designer Makers and Independent Businesses all over the UK.

Through the power of Social Media, word spread quickly with many people wanting to help and within 24 hours Zoe had over 50 Businesses involved.

Choosing the Retail Trust as her Charity, it meant that 100% of  the donations would be used to help retail staff, shopkeepers and their families who have been affected directly and indirectly by the UK riots.

Zoe found help from other sources too - The Managing Director of BWebsites, Zoe Brown offered to build and host the Riot Raffle Website. Other help came from  Graphic Artist and Digital Designer,Whoatemycrayons, who designed their Logo and badge

Over 80 Artists, Designers and Independent Businesses have pledged prizes so far. Here at Sincerity Gifts we have donated a London Calling Mug designed by Sweet William Designs and 4 piece Soap Box hand made  by Savvonerie

Raffle Tickets cost just £1.00 each and can be purchased through the Just Giving page

The Raffle closes on the 30th September 2011 and the winner will be announced on the 2nd October 2011

So go take a look at the fabulous prizes on the Riot Raffle website and donate to this fabulous cause!!

Follow on Twitter and on Facebook

Here are a just a few of the fabulous prizes available

Traditional Mayan Bola Chiming Necklaces

These beautiful silver chiming Bola necklaces are a wonderful way for any Mum to Be to bond with her little one. 

Heart Bola Chiming Necklace

The ‘Bola’ chiming pendant has a gorgeously rich history in Mayan culture. These Mayan Bola's are handmade and used for relaxation and meditation. It makes them ideal for calming babies. 

Traditionally worn by pregnant women in Mexico the Bola is worn low over Mummy’s growing bump, allowing the soft tinkling chime to gently serenade and soothe baby as Mum goes about her daily life.  

The pendant evokes a soft magical sound from within. 

Pretty Bola

From about 20 weeks gestation, a baby can hear sounds through their Mummy’s tummy and will be able to hear the soothing sounds of the chime

When the little one arrives, the same relaxing sounds of the Bola are said to bring baby comfort and a sense of familiarity and can be used to help soothe or entertain.

Simple Bola

Each beautiful silver-plated Bola is teamed with a generous longer length natural cord (200cm) which can be adjusted to sit perfectly over Mums growing bump. 

To make it the perfect gift or scrumptious treat for yourself and bump each necklace is delicately wrapped and presented in a beautiful handmade jute pouch with a card detailing the gorgeous story of the Bola necklace – we’re sure you’ll love it! ♥

To view these pendants by Blooming Lovely Jewellery Click Here

Summer Competition

 We are giving away this beautiful  fused Glass Pink Heart Dish by  designer glassware maker Frank Neikes  to one lucky winner this week!

The dish is maroon in colour with gold metal leaft encased with a large pink heart and is 9cm x 9cm. It would make a beautiful accessory to any home.

About

Advanced, contempory design combined with the raw Cornish landscape has inspired Internationally renowned glass designer Frank Niekes’ work for the last 20 years.
Frank continues to push the boundaries of glass design and production from his workshop on the North Cornish Coast, constantly developing and experimenting with shape, space and vibrant colour.

TO ENTER

Follow us on Twitter and tweet:

 Ive entered the @SincerityGifts Competition to win a Frank Neikes Pink Heart Dish! You can too  http://bit.ly/gQR6bW

EXTRA ENTREES 

Follow us on Facebook @sinceritygifts and leave the above message for us.

Follow us here  and leave a comment

Leave a comment on our website Blog SincerityGifts

Closing date is midnight Friday August 5th with the winner announced on August 6th '11


 UPDATE 6/8/11 -The lucky winner of the competition is @KarenzaPaperie - Well done! 

The competition is now closed. Thank you for all your entries. Look our for further competitons in the near future.

GOODLUCK!

Mon and Maria xx

Limited Edition Oliver Preston Prints signed and numbered by the Artist

Here at Sincerity Gifts we are really excited to receive new limited edition prints by  Cartoonist Oliver Preston.  

Oliver Preston has been cartoonist for ‘The Field' magazine since 1995. His drawings are witty, distinctive and beautifully drawn. His drawings have been published in The Guardian, The Independent and Punch Magazine.

Country Life says of Preston's work, ‘Each cartoon is perfectly observed with visual jokes lurking in every corner'.

Jilly Cooper is also a fan: ‘Oliver Preston's cartoons bring a smile to my face no matter how often I look at them. The themes are as achingly funny as the drawings are exquisite'.

We are lucky to have some of his prints and books here at Sincerity Gifts. All the prints are a limitied edition run of 850 and are all signed and numbered by the Artist. 

"Hey Guys! They've changed the sheets"

"Its the only way we can afford the school fees"

Farmers Market

"This only happens when its my turn to drive"

To view these and more of Oliver Preston's work click here

Maria's Journey.....

As some of you will know, SincerityGifts is run by Mon and Maria. Those on Twitter and Facebook, may or may not realise that its Me, Monica that you are all interacting with.  This is not because Maria is shy, on the contrary Maria is the bubbly one and I am the shy one! But its easier and less confusing, if just one of us interacts with everyone. 

So i'd like to introduce Maria to you all and her journey......

Maria is a mother of 3 beautiful children, and godmother to my twins. One year ago, a part-time hairdresser, life was good. Then she found a lump in her breast. Her whole world turned upside down. Tests confirmed Cancer. A single Mysectomy quickly followed. A reconstruction was performed at the same time, using microvascular flap from her abdomen. However an infection and two bloodclots that followed, meant she was in hosptial for many weeks. But Maria is a fighter, and in true spirit she was determined to get better. With the   help, support  and encouragement of her husband, family and friends, Maria was up and walking again within 3 months, and determined to join me to walk 5k in the Race For Life. We were all immensly proud of her. 

Maria and Mon with a Nivea Sponsor

Maria didnt stop there, she wanted to start a new business and in October 2010 our SincerityGifts was born. With 7 children between us, It has been an interesting and eventful journey, juggling home, children, and work, but one we wouldnt change.

Maria has shown that its never too late to learn something new, even when life throws challanges at you. 

In January this year Maria was given the all clear and was due to join me once again in the Race for Life - however, complications from her first operation meant she had to have another operation a few weeks ago, and will not be able to walk with me yet. But she continues working hard in the background, taking care of her family, her hairdressing and SincerityGifts. 

I will be running in the Race for Life  on the 19th June 2011 for the 4th time. Why? because I  lost my dear mother on the 19th June 2007. Last month, we lost a dear friend to Breast Cancer. We have lost many friends and relatives along the way to Cancer, but there are many more who are Survivors, which is why we need more research to be done. And my dear friend Maria? well she is one of those survivors, one year in remission. I am running for all these people and more. 

If you wish to donate please visit my page Race For Life Any donation big or small is appreciated and helps

Thank you

Mon and Maria xxx

Father's Day Gift Ideas

Father's Day Gift Ideas

Posted on Wednesday Jun 1 19:52:00 BST 2011

'Father's Day is a celebration honoring fathers and celebrating fatherhood, paternal bonds, and the influence of fathers in society.' 

Discover some great gift ideas for Dad's this Fathers Day 19th June 2011

British Stamp Bookmarks

             A genuine British stamp mounted on a Mahogany wood Scrabble Tile attached to a Silver Plate Bookmark by Robins Return

Dad, you're someone to look up to no matter how tall I've grown.  ~Author Unknown

British Stamp Cufflinks

A pair of cufflinks made with wooden scrabble tiles with genuine recylced  British Stamps, mounted on silver plated back. 

A father carries pictures where his money used to be.  ~Author Unknown

Caught Short

CAUGHT SHORT Limited Edition Print .This is a limited edition print from a run of 850, and is signed and numbered by the artist Oliver Preston and mounted with washlines. A perfect gift for any man and keen skier

He didn't tell me how to live; he lived, and let me watch him do it.  ~Clarence Budington Kelland

Best Dad Mug

Make your dad feel really special with this beautiful bone china mug from East of India and comes in its own wooden presentation box. The mug has a picture of a father with his family. The lid of the box has a raised picture of a family and a plaque with the words 'Best Dad'

"Any man can be a Father but it takes someone special to be a dad." -- Anne Geddes 

My Dads No Mug

Fifties range collection "My Dad's no Mug" mug. A mug with a retro fifties slogan, in an american diner style. Great for Father's day gifts and dads everywhere.

Father's Day Quotes:

4 years: My Daddy can do anything!
7 years: My Dad knows a lot…a whole lot.
8 years: My father does not know quite everything.
12 years: Oh well, naturally Father does not know that either.
14 years: Oh, Father? He is hopelessly old-fashioned.
21 years: Oh, that man-he is out of date!
25 years: He knows a little bit about it, but not much.
30 years: I must find out what Dad thinks about it.
35 years: Before we decide, we will get Dad's idea first.
50 years: What would Dad have thought about that?
60 years: My Dad knew literally everything!
65 years: I wish I could talk it over with Dad once more.
 by: Unknown

Easter Fun and Competitons

Happy Easter everyone!


Hope everyone is having an enjoyable long weekend in this glorious sunshine. 


Don't want the Easter fun to end?  Then join in with the Online Easter Egg Hunt Egg-stravaganza on 27th April 2011! You could win yourself a brand spanking new iPad2 ! 

The Easter Egg Hunt is run by www.create.net. Some eggs have been  cleverly hidden away on some of the Create members websites for you to find on the 27th April.

 hmmm I wonder if our website www.sinceritygifts.co.uk  is with Create?

To join in the fun go to www.create.net/easter/ to register You can even watch some fun videos of the Easter Bunny and Easter Egg on You Tube www.youtube.com/createdotnet

Join the facebook event page here http://on.fb.me/hER101 & follow @createdotnet on Twitter for the clues coming up all through the week

Look out for more updates on Facebook and Twitter 

The Easter fun doesn't end there. For our new Easter Compertition

We are offering this beautiful

Heart Cookie Box by Savonnerie

To enter all you need to do is one or all of these: 

• Look out for the #EasterComp Link on Twitter @sinceritygifts and Follow and Retweet 
• Like us on Facebook and leave a comment
• Follow our blog and leave a comment

Winner will be announced on 30th April 2011

Good Luck!

UPDATE 30/4/11 -The lucky winner of the competition is @EricaHughes - Well done! 

The competition is now closed. Thank you for all your entries. Look our for further competitons in the near future.

Celebrate the Royal Wedding with the Best of British Gift Ideas

With the Royal Wedding approaching, Join in the celebrations and bring out your Patriotic style with some of our favourite British products....

Take a look at these quirky genuine British stamp ideas from Robins Return. Most of the tiles have postmarks on them which add to their character.

We love these retro style Union Jack rectangular cushions from Heaven Sends.With a stamp and franking mark print on the corners it adds a stylish finishing touch.

                                     

Having a Royal Wedding Party? Then these pack of 6 Mini Union Jack flags and wooden Bunting  by East of India will make fabulous decorations. 

There's something for everyone. Celebrate being the 'Best of British' with Inch Blue's gorgeous made with love gift. 100% cotton footless babygro and shoe with Union Jack detail.

We just love these fridge magnets from Dots and SpotsThese fabulous magnets will give instant style to your fridge, filing cabinet, notice board or any metal surface.

All these products and more can be found on www.sinceritygifts.co.uk