The Scotsman

Bird-focused gift and homeware specialist sees turnover hit new heights

- By HANNAH BURLEY

Gift and homeware producer Sandra Vick has hailed turnover doubling for the second consecutiv­e year.

The business, based in Penicuik on the outskirts of Edinburgh, is behind a range of prints, paintings, cards and kitchenwar­e based on Vick’s original artwork. Its offering is billed as “bringing art and nature into your home”.

Vick, formerly an economics lecturer at Edinburgh’s Queen Margaret University, began trading three years ago, with designs inspired by birds found in various Scottish landscapes.

Each product comes with a card that illustrate­s the bird and shares details of its habitat and ecosystem.

Establishe­d in 2017, the business has enjoyed organic growth, with turnover doubling each trading year. Additional­ly, the designer uses only Uk-based manufactur­ers.

Partnershi­ps have been agreed with retailers including Sheila Fleet Jewellery in Orkney; New Hopetoun Gardens in West Lothian; and Allium gallery in South Queensferr­y, in addition to the company’s own online sales.

Vick hailed sales success at the British Trust for Ornitholog­y’s Birdfair in Derbyshire in the late summer, and this has continued at more recent events such as the Edinburgh Christmas markets.

The company’s long-tailed tit range has now been shortliste­d for Gift of the Year 2020.

Vick, who has a Masters degree from Edinburgh College

of Art and has produced artwork held in private and corporate collection­s worldwide, commented: “It’s great to be able to bring art and nature into people’s homes at an affordable level as well as through original art.

“The long-tailed tit design has always been our best seller and it is wonderful that the range has been shortliste­d for Gift of the Year 2020.”

 ??  ?? 0 Sandra Vick’s designs are inspired by Scottish birds
0 Sandra Vick’s designs are inspired by Scottish birds

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