There is something about the ceramics, textiles, glasses and decorations created by Susie Watson Designs that fill a family Christmas with the magic that normally belongs to childhood memories.

Maybe it’s the festive colours and traditional designs, or just because every tablecloth, napkin, candlestick and jug is made by hand. Perhaps it’s just that Susie Watson Designs look their best when they are all mixed up together.

A real family Christmas has so many different ingredients, that it has a life of its own – there is no secret formula.

Maybe that’s why mixing your favourite Susie Watson Designs, with some of the more Christmassy patterns automatically make the big day come alive.

The products featured in our picture are:

• Multi Star Candlestick, £27.50 Christmas Ceramics, from £13, Christmas Decorations, from £3.

• Christmas Red Stripe Candles £15 (box of 6).

• Wine Glass - Plain (set of 4) £30.

When you are laying the table, get the children to help you choose which designs to put together. With no need for things to match, an individual bowl or mug makes a perfect Christmas present – and better still it can be used immediately on Christmas day.

Susie Watson makes beautiful handmade products for the home; they have a simple philosophy – that the things we use every day should bring us pleasure.

To view more of the delightful Susie Watson Designs, please visit the website.

Tel: (020) 7228 0787

Christmas is the perfect time of year to indulge your loved ones near and far with a few of life’s little luxuries.

This is just what you’ll find in each of Lakeland’s selected hampers - a little of life’s luxuries – and who can resist the thrill of delving in to uncover the contents?

With hampers to suit all tastes, we’re sure you’ll find something for everyone:

Mrs Bridges® Large Hamper Created using the finest quality ingredients for a home-made taste. Suitable for vegetarians.
£29.99.

Cottage Delight Gamekeeper’s Selection A hearty taste of the countryside for those with hearty appetites.
£19.99.

Cottage Delight Festive Favourites A Tasty Trio of everyone’s favourite festive accompaniments, lovingly made to traditional recipies.
£8.49.

Pictured here is the Lakeland Luxury Hamper. Priced at £129.25.

Or why not create your own hamper for a distinctive gift with that personal touch?

Choose your own selection of goodies and present them in a basket, stocking or bag, to create a unique hamper, tailor-made to delight that special someone. And you needn’t spend a fortune - the contents of each hamper needn’t cost more than £30.

Win one of five St Kew Gourmet Basket Hampers, worth £44.99!

Lakeland have five fantastic St Kew Hampers to give away, each containing a bumper basket of speciality goodies from the celebrated Cornish company.

Nestled in the hand-woven willow basket, is a selection of tasty nibbles and treats, and the honey-coloured wickerwork will make a lovely shopper or picnic carrier. (Competition, subject to Lakeland’s Free Prize Draw Rules)

To view the full collection of Lakeland’s scrumptious festive hampers, please visit the website.

Xmastreesales.co.uk is a family business based in South West Scotland, founded by Rory Young as the third generation at his farm.

Rory has won various tree-growing awards and has expert knowledge on growing Christmas trees.

All trees are grown on the farm and follow strict grading rules, before being sent to a customer.

The trees are cut fresh to order, then immediately dispatched to reach customers in the best condition possible.

The service enables you to book your tree online at any time for future delivery.

Xmas Tree Sales boast excellent quality and customer service, and is one of the longest established websites selling Christmas trees online:

• The Christmas trees are grown as a crop and for every tree cut for sale another one is planted - real trees are a renewable resource, artificial trees last a life time in landfill sites.

• There are over 250,000 trees of various sizes on the farm at any one time.

• By buying direct from a grower you save on road miles and help your carbon footprint.

• Buying a real tree helps the environment - 1 acre of Christmas trees (approximately 2,500 trees) provides enough daily oxygen for 18 people and will absorb approximately 2 tons of carbon dioxide a year.

Xmas Tree Sales also supplies environmentally friendly container grown trees that can be kept for future years, either by planting in your garden, or repotting and bringing back into the house next Christmas.

Fraser, Norway and Nordman. Priced from:

Norway Spruce Christmas Tree 150cm-175cm (4ft11ins-5ft9ins) £24.95 - to 275cm-300cm (9ft-9ft8ins) £69.95.

Xmastreesales.co.uk is accredited to the British Christmas Tree Growers Association.

For further information about Xmas tree sales online, please visit the website.

(0844) 871 0907 / 0908.

Cheerful characters and fun patterns combine to create this years B&Q fun fair inspired Christmas.

Let the fun begin – a joyful story of bright colours with neon highlights, a bright Kaleidoscope of baubles, merry-go-rounds and Santa with a sledge full of presents – all to make you smile!

Whether your style is modern, traditional, bright or quirky B&Q have grouped their ranges of Christmas decorations into four festive looks for you.

Just choose your favourite and start decorating………

Art Deco - With its beautiful silver, charcoal, blue and copper colours, this range brings out your artistic side.
Modern, simple and stunning, the Art Deco theme gives a clean, contemporary feel to your home.
A classic tree makes an ideal base for this beautiful look.

Highland Fling - Get your kilt on - tartan is all the rage at the moment so embrace it! Red, gold and green are the key colours for this classic festive look.
Stick to tradition with a live tree and plenty of greenery around the house, to set the look off in style.

Festive Funfair - Discover the child in you! Full of playful innocence and magic, this very modern style, will be adored by adults and children alike. Go for a coloured artificial tree to complement the look, then gather the family together, and let the celebrations begin.

Alpine Lodge - Pictured here: The trendy Scandinavian theme is ever present in this quirky range. With decorations made from wood and wool, this gives real festive charm - as found in the Alps and Scandinavia over Christmas time.

Alpine Lodge Christmas range - 6ft Cream Christmas Tree, £34.98; Decorations from £0.68.

Christmas Trees- B&Q also have a great range of trees such as traditional green, coloured, fibre-optic, decorated trees - including pop-up trees that store away so easily.

Christmas Lights - Give your home the WOW factor this year with gorgeous, sparkly fairy lights. Whether you prefer coloured, novelty or traditional, B&Q offer a box of festive magic for your home.

To view the whole exciting B&Q ranges of Christmas decorations, please visit the website.

There is something about the ceramics, textiles, glasses and decorations created by Susie Watson Designs that fill a family Christmas with the magic that normally belongs to childhood memories.

Maybe it’s the festive colours and traditional designs, or just because every tablecloth, napkin, candlestick and jug is made by hand.

Perhaps it’s just that Susie Watson Designs look their best when they are all mixed up together.

A real family Christmas has so many different ingredients, that it has a life of its own – there is no secret formula. Maybe that’s why mixing your favourite Susie Watson Designs with some of the more Christmassy patterns, automatically make the big day come alive:

• When you are laying the table, get the children to help you choose which designs to put together.
• With no need for things to match, an individual bowl or mug makes a perfect Christmas present – and better still it can be used immediately on Christmas day.
• Featured here are the Multi Star Candlestick, £27.50 Christmas Ceramics, from £13, Christmas Decorations, from £3.

About.
Susie Watson Designs is a small but growing, making beautiful handmade products for the home. It has a simple philosophy – that the things we use every day should bring us pleasure.

Susie Watson founded the company in 2004. Championing traditional craftsmanship, the company creates handmade products without making any compromises. Every piece ends up looking exactly as Susie envisaged – regardless of how difficult or time-consuming that may be.

Each piece of Susie Watson’s handmade pottery looks beautiful on its own – but will also mix beautiful with all the other designs. The different patterns and colours were designed to mix and match to create a glorious patchwork of pottery and the table linen has been dyed to pick up the colours.
Everyone can create their own look by combining different patterns and colours.

To view many more charming Susie Watson Christmassy designs, please visit the website.

Tel: (020) 7228 9955 for stockists.

Candles and Christmas go together like…., well, candles and Christmas.

Perhaps because it is a light that is both alive and natural, a candle in a room or near a window is all it takes to lift the gloom of a winter’s day.

Suddenly, dark December is transformed into jovial Yuletide by the welcoming flicker of candlelight.

Braybrook & Britten make candlesticks and candelabra using sterling silver.

Featured here are the Briar Rose Candlesticks (pair). Silver and gilt candlesticks designed in the Queen’s jubilee year, to match the Briar Rose Bowl; hand pierced, engraved and parcel gilt.  Priced at £2650 Inc. Vat.

From traditional to modern, a good pair of silver candlesticks is one of those rare gifts that are practical, beautiful and totally unisex:

• A centrepiece for dining.

• An example of contemporary British decorative arts.

• A family heirloom.

• A symbol of life!

Braybrook & Britten have Hallmarked British Designer Silver Candlesticks and Holders from £89 to £3,000.

The company’s designs have been exhibited at Goldsmith’s Hall.

Browse their online store, offering over 800 pieces of designer British silverware and Gem Jewellery.

Tel: (0208) 993 7334

If you’ve made it to Christmas Eve and suddenly realised you’re a present down then you do still have a few options.

Interflora’s Christmas Eve flower delivery might just save the day, especially if you’d rather spend your time making last minute Christmas preparations at home, than braving the streets with other panicked shoppers and post-work revellers.

Beautiful flowers and plants can be ordered right up until -

11.00am on Christmas Eve, for guaranteed delivery before Christmas Day.

Whether you need a little something to spoil a loved one or an extra present for an unexpected guest, there are plenty of options.

With everything from a classic candle arrangement in rich-reds to contemporary white hand-tieds, the Christmas flower collection offers options for every taste and pocket.
If you’re looking for an added indulgence, you can include wine, champagne or chocolates to be delivered with your flowers.

To send a stunning seasonal message the Christmas Wish Perfect Gift featured here, comprises of a single large-headed glittered Rose nestled amongst an array of rich red flowers.

Eucalyptus introduces hints of gold and the whole bouquet is already arranged in a beautiful glass vase. vase; and as an extra festive touch, this gift is delivered with a bottle of Chiaro Merlot Red Wine. Priced at £39.95.

To place an order for this year’s Interflora Christmas or Winter Collections, please visit

the Interflora website.

Tel: (0800) 434343.

Christmas may be a time for the children, but there is absolutely no reason why grown-ups should miss out on all of the fun.

This Christmas add a touch of glitz and glamour to your home, with black and gold decorations.

A striking selection of baubles, dark trees and glitter-laden accessories are available at John Lewis, so whether you want to add a touch of class to your own collection of decorations, or go all out for sheer opulence, John Lewis aims to deliver the answer.

The Reversible black Christmas tree (£80) in our picture, makes a stunning focal point; beautiful as a conventional tree, or turned upside down to create a more dramatic look, its full spray of leaves, ensures the perfect backdrop to your chosen theme.

Art Deco inspired diamond and teardrop accessories complete this sophisticated and indulgent scheme.

Also featured in our picture are; the Lucca Snuggler Sofa £875 and the Archive Seaweed rug 180×120cm, from £275.

There is a vast array of sophisticated baubles and accessories, priced from just £2.00 available both in-store and on the John Lewis website.

John Lewis, ‘Britain’s favourite retailer 2008′ typically stocks more than 350,000 separate lines in its department stores.
The website stocks over 70,000 lines focused on the best of fashion, beauty, home and giftware and electrical items, including online exclusives. John Lewis.com is consistently ranked as one of the top online shopping destinations in the UK.
Visit the John Lewis website for your Christmas solutions.

Tel: (08456) 049

It’s December already, and our thoughts drift towards getting the old box of decorations out and doing up the living room.
If your old baubles are looking a bit tired and jaded, why not reinvigorate them with a festive face-lift?

The DotComGiftShop have a truly exquisite selection of beautiful and inspiring adornments, from artificial trees and electric lights to charming wreaths and candles, to help you create a fantasy wonderland this Christmas.

Putting up the Christmas decorations is one of the pleasures of the festive season, and fun for all the family.

Decorating the tree with tinsel and baubles has to be one of the real highlights of the festive season and seeing the smile on the faces of the children brings warmth to the cold season.

So make sure your coniferous stands out from the crowd with the help of DotComGiftShop.

Pictured here are the Snow covered dark red bird house Christmas tree decoration with a robin, berries, pine cone and gingham hanging ribbon and the Snow covered bark bird house with pine cone and gingham hanging ribbon. Priced at £2.95 each.

They have lots more on offer, from elegant white decorations with pearls to colourful vintage Christmas tinsel.

Or perhaps you want your tree to have a Scandinavian feel? No problem, there is a beautiful range of products on offer, like white Scandinavian Christmas stars.

Decorations for the Christmas Table are a fun way to liven up any Christmas meal – how about Christmas tree place settings or beautiful antique looking name settings?

To view the huge selection of Christmas decorations and gift ideas, just log onto the DotComGiftShop website.

There’s no better time to indulge the ones you love than at Christmas - after all, it’s the time of year to ‘eat and be merry’.

Lakeland have a wide selection of hampers to suit all tastes, and the fun of opening a hamper and rummaging through the contents is a joy in itself.

So if you’re looking for that extra special something, or just struggling for a gift idea, look no further - everyone loves to receive a Christmas hamper!

Lakeland’s Luxury Hamper Selection:

St Kew Gourmet Basket Hamper Ref - 40670 (in our picture):
A bumper basket of speciality goodies from the celebrated Cornish company. Nestled in the hand-woven willow basket is a selection of tasty nibbles and treats, and the honey-coloured wickerwork will make a lovely shopper or picnic carrier. £44.99.

• Cherry & Almond Biscuits (250g).
• Strawberry & Champagne Conserve (227g).
• 3-in-1 Clotted Cream Shortbread, Double Choc-Chip Clotted Cream Shortbread, & Clotted Cream Fudge (500g).
• Lemon Shortcake Biscuits (250g).
• Raspberry & Port Coulis (300g).
• Cornish Honeycomb (100g).
• Sugared Almonds (100g).
• Clotted Cream Whisky Fudge (170g).
• Nut Cluster (100g).
• Victorian Kitchen Garden Chutney (200g).

St Kew Christmas Trug Hamper - Ref 40325
Christmas gift hamper in a wooden basket, including fudge, shortbread, biscuits, whiskey marmalade, mustard and more.
Being from St Kew, the quality of this Christmas Trug Hamper speaks for itself. At breakfast, afternoon tea, or a scrumptious treat at any time of day, there’s something to tempt in this handmade wooden basket. £27.99.

• Extra Virgin Olive Oil Oatckaes (200g).
• Boxing Day Chutney (200g).
• Clotted Cream Shortbread (200g).
• Choc-Chip & Orange Biscuits (200g).
• Clotted Cream Fudge (200g).Raspberry & Port Coulis (300g).
• Strawberry & Champagne Conserve (227g).

And lots more to choose from………

Lakeland (Home of Creative Kitchenware) is one of the leading kitchenware and homeware companies in the UK.

Visit Lakeland’s website for more Christmas ideas.

Tel: (01539) 488100