Stocking fillers from Creative Orkney

As you'd expect, there is a fabulous range of pieces and products to buy from makers across the islands at the click of a button.

But we also know that you might be on the lookout for some smaller items to fill up those festive stockings, so we've picked out some of our favourites. Take a look below and give a gift from Creative Orkney this Christmas.

This Birsay-based artist is always on the lookout for something different to create, and these eye-catching enamel pins certainly tick that box. There are four different designs, including this one depicting the swirling sea close to her workshop. Also on offer are pins showcasing our colourful puffins and the brown hares you can often see in local fields. There’s also a pin featuring a very famous Orkney road sign, which we couldn’t possibly publish here...!

These tiny glass dishes featuring a bright red robin have a real festive feel. Each dish is made in Carrie Paxton's studio just outside Kirkwall, where she also crafts a wider range of designs featuring other aspects of nature found here in Orkney, including puffins, crabs, flowers, birds, and much more.

It’s impossible not to be inspired by the sea if you live next to the coast in Sanday, one of Orkney’s north isles. It’s home to some of the finest beaches to be found anywhere, and it’s these scenes that are so central to the work of seascape artist, Bill McArthur. Bill spent 20 years working at sea across the islands and further afield and his artwork draws on memories from those trips, depicting waves and sea spray, looming headlands and soaring seabirds. Most of his paintings can be bought in print form, providing the perfect present from Orkney.

Handmade in Stronsay, one of our north isles, all products from Orkney Star Island Soap are paraben-free, responsibly sourced, and never tested on animals. This vanilla body and lip balm feels light on your face and is perfect for skin recovery after a wild winter walk in the islands.

Local artist Jane Glue has been painting scenes of Orkney for decades and never fails to be inspired by the scenery and wildlife that surrounds us here in the islands. These hanging ornaments, featuring two of Orkney’s famous puffins, are created from original artworks by Jane, with an image on each side and a narrow ribbon for hanging from your Christmas Tree.

A talented textile artist living and working in Orkney’s West Mainland, Rosalind Johansson creates beautiful art quilts influenced by the Orcadian elements. She has turned many of the creations into a series of stunning greetings cards, depicting scenes of ancient standing stones, swooping seabirds, and many more.

These stunning ear studs are inspired by walks along Stronsay’s many beautiful beaches. Limpet shells are easily found here, but each one is special with a completely unique shape, size, and texture. Marion casts the pieces in her island studio from a real shell found whilst exploring the coastline, and they even come with a small bag of seashells collected from her local beach.

These decorations from the team at the Aries Gallery would make an ideal addition to your Christmas display, be it on your tree or even as part of a window display. There are six different styles in the set and they are all stitched out in white thread, but other colours are available to fit in perfectly with your theme.

Talented craftsman, Andrew Appleby, known locally as the Harray Potter thanks to his pottery studio in the Orkney parish of Harray, has always been inspired by Orkney’s history and it shows in many of his pieces. This collection of ceramic jewellery takes its cue from designs discovered on Neolithic pottery and stones during excavations across Orkney.

The Beach Gallery is found close to the shore in South Walls and the shop is always full of fascinating things, from glass baubles to jewellery, and everything in-between. This gift set comes with six notelets with recycled envelopes and a handmade paper folder, make from Nepalese artisan Lotka paper. They feature photography of Orkney’s wildlife and coastline by Sue Mara, captured during her residency here in Orkney.

This is just a small selection of the incredible range of products and gift ideas on offer from Orkney's talented creative community. Unbox the Remarkable from our food, drinks, and crafts makers this Christmas.