Gift of the Year 2024 | Category Winner

I am so so happy this project has been recognised. It was a genuine labour of love and dominated my days for seventeen weeks including every weekend. In my most pathetic, I can’t draw moments I genuinely thought I would never reach the finish line. Juggling motherhood and everyday life curveballs does impact and challenge my headspace and creativity, even after all these years of practice.

It’s the first project I have ever truly collaborated on, letting go of all the reigns and entrusting the story writing to our lovely copywriter and proof reader Essex Becky and working alongside the equally fabulous young Paisley at Dogs Trust. Two great ladies who share the love of rescue dogs and excel in the areas and gifts I lack. A dog worshipping dream team!

We were the winners in the Heritage | Collectibles |Charity category but there was also another chance to win in the People’s Choice Award as voted for by you. This was the one I thought we might have a chance in, especially as I had done a lot of online begging for your under dog votes!

However, on the night there was zero mention of the People’s Award and it seemed to have been amalgamated with the overall Judges Choice award. (There were quite a lot of award categories to be honest) It was all a bit confusing. So we placed a clarity call to the award organisers the next day and they confirmed that the People’s Choice award gets announced at the Harrogate tradeshow in July. Which as luck would have it, we are exhibiting at this summer, returning to the marquees for the first time in a decade. So it’s another few more weeks of waiting to see if we have the most vote active loyal followers.

And that’s our much welcomed and grateful bit of good news for May. Being long past late bedtimes and suffering from an over stimulated brain, I only managed a couple of hours sleep on the night so it’s taken me a few days to rebalance. My hopes are that the award will convince new trade buyers to give one of our gift book display units a go. Shops that have already taken it are really pleased with the sell through rate. We have sold two thirds of the first print run and have passed the half way fund raising target of £25,000 for Dogs Trust. So it’s all looking good but we still need to do better!

There are forever homes to secure, people’s lives to enrich and hearts to fill. May I cheekily suggest that with Father’s Day just around the corner, perhaps there is a book reading dog loving chap in your life who wouldn’t mind a copy of the book. It rests with ease in the downstairs loo and looks at home on any coffee table.  Maybe pair it with his favourite wine gums or a new mug and voila! a thoughtful gift idea that also raises money for a worthy cause. Find out more here

I’ll love and leave you with one more smile from me. As they say, always acknowledge the wins.

Take care, wishing you all a good week and as always, thank you for being part of my scribbled and sketching adventure.

Best wishes Anna Danielle