Independent designer Sarah Stillman is to launch a new website and online shop this month, featuring more than 100 exclusive products.
Stillman’s background is in designing fabrics and wallpapers, although more recently she has moved towards silk paintings and canvas paintings.
The opening of the online shop marks her first full-time foray into the giftware sector, although she has sold products and greetings cards through local shops in Thorpe by Water Rutland, where she is based.
The range of gift products on offer include table mats, coasters, chopping boards, cheese boards, worktop savers, silk scarves and clocks — all with a floral design.
“Brilliant red poppies, dramatic sunflowers and vibrant pansies are just a few of the flowers which I use,” explains Stillman.
“The designs are bold with a Mediterranean feel and reflect my love of nature and plants in particular. Some of the products featured in my collection are quite unusual, such as the mini chopping boards for garlic [pictured] and my round glass mats,” she adds.
Stillman began designing cards and gift products three years ago when she was advised to take things easy for six weeks after being diagnosed with Marfan Syndrome and undergoing open heart surgery.
Not one to sit down and do nothing, she designed cards featuring her favorite flowers which she sent to friends and family.
They produced such a favorable reaction that she investigated making the cards on a larger scale and a year later set up her own business producing a kitchen and giftware range.
