2024 holiday gift guide info
Curated by Kate Laing - Lionheart Canyon Studio
the 2024 holiday gift guide submissions are now closed! Please look forward to the curated gift guide this weekend, and if you missed the deadline this year - stay tuned for 2025!
Ho ho ho, hello friend! PLEASE read the following before applying. THANK YOU!
I'm thrilled that you're applying for the sixth annual Lionheart Canyon Studio Holiday Gift Guide! Whether you're an artist/maker of beautiful home goods, prints, apparel, stickers, paintings, art books, bath/home or other quality handmade items, I'd be honored to have your work considered.
Last year, more than 30 different artists and makers from across the United States were featured, and it was such a beautiful curation of highly giftable works! I’m looking forward to welcoming in past and new applicants to this gift guide :)
This gift guide will…
Be a live, easy to find page on the Lionheart Canyon Studio website.
Be shared with the LCS email subscribers, IG/FB social media followers and by word of mouth in the local Omaha, NE community.
Be shared with the communities of those featured in the gift guide (the featured artists/makers will be given graphics to use on social media/email marketing).
Be featured in my IG stories during gift guide release week—one category per day. Each artist’s featured product will get an individual slide in my IG stories that day, and as a category group post on the LCS social media pages.
Lionheart Canyon Studio has enthusiastic collectors who are excited to shop small this season — and I know many of your collectors feel the same way! You are welcome & encouraged to expand the reach of this guide by sharing with your own audience.
View the 2023 LCS Holiday Gift Guide at the button right below! This will give you an idea of the items I like to feature, what to expect in terms of information shared, and potential gift categories.
Application INFO
I do not take any commission from this gift guide! Any purchases via the gift guide will be directly from the artist’s shop. I do request a sliding scale application fee however to help offset the time and energy I put into the curation of this (detailed below).
You may submit up to THREE items! Each featured item will link to your product listing AND overall shop or category (this way, if a unique/original item sells, a click will still take the visitor to your full shop).
You must have a website shop or Etsy shop so that viewers can easily purchase from you. “Purchase via DM” will not be accepted.
Direct sales/MLM and generic "Pinterest DIY style" items will not be accepted! Please contact me if you have questions about this.
It is okay if you don’t have holiday products finished at time of application!! I know it’s still early in the season, and you may not have your holiday line made/photographed yet. Please submit a description and a photo of a similar item to give me an idea of what you are submitting.
Photography is extremely important in an online showcase! You don’t need a fancy camera (phones are amazing nowadays)— but please consider lighting, clean background/staging, composition while photographing your products. (Explore the 2023 Holiday Gift Guide for photography inspiration/what I’m looking for!)
You do not need to have your final photographs at the time of application, but I DO need to have the photos for selected items by Sunday, Nov. 3. If quality photographs cannot be submitted, please understand that items may not be accepted.
International artists/makers may submit work for the gift guide, but understand that the main LCS audience is in the United States. I will include a special note that works would be shipped from the country of residence!
OTHER NOTES
Depending on how many artists/makers apply and how many "similar" items or categories are submitted, not all of your items may be included in the gift guide (but remember, your entire shop/category will be linked so eyes will still see more of your work!)
I am looking for a wide variety of quality, well-made items that are highly giftable this holiday season. A range in prices and ideal recipient is wonderful! Think: stocking stuffers, statement gifts and everything in between.
Timeline
Applications are open through Friday, Nov. 8!
Accepted artists/makers will receive an email by Thursday, Nov. 14 with a working preview of the gift guide. I will certainly be quadruple checking links/spelling, but this gives you a chance to ensure everything is perfect.
The Holiday Gift Guide will be live on Friday, Nov. 15, and promoted throughout the holiday season!
Application fee info
New this year! There is an application fee, however I understand a lot of small businesses are struggling right now. There will be a sliding scale application fee, so you can choose the level that feels best for you. The sliding scale will range from $5 to $20, increasing in increments of $5. Please reach out if you’re unable to pay on the sliding scale - I believe in accessibility and never want to exclude anyone based on financial hardship.
If you are able, the suggested fee is $20. This helps cover the time I'll put into thoughtfully curating this gift guide, sifting through products, designing the page, checking links, marketing etc. Last year, I spent more than two weeks getting the gift guide organized, curated, edited and marketed in the busiest season of the year (in addition to communicating with more than 30 creatives).
I can’t guarantee that all of your items will be included. However I WILL do my best to include at least one item from every artist/maker who applies! Remember, your entire shop or product category will be linked. Visitors to your shop will have the opportunity to browse all you offer, through the introduction of what’s featured in the gift guide.
I can’t emphasize this enough and I firmly believe it… your work—and YOU, as the artist/maker—is valuable and important. Your worth is not determined by the number of items that are accepted. It truly comes down to curating a gift guide with a wide but cohesive + curated variety of beautifully made and displayed work.
Why i keep curating this gift guide
I am a big advocate for community over competition! This is a fabulous way to lift each other up during our busiest season. Seeing our communities of collectors cross over through this is magical, and I’ve heard from viewers that they’re grateful to have a curated space to find artists/makers to support. People often want to shop small, but they don’t know where to look. This holiday gift guide provides an accessible and beautiful experience.
I also want to acknowledge the hardship of this year for us, as I’ve heard many have experienced lower sales this year. The economy is difficult right now, BUT this is a season where people are purchasing gifts! I hope this gift guide is an outlet for us to have an excellent season!
I know this was a lot of information, but I want to make sure everything is explained well and you have an idea of what to expect! I have been blown away by the submissions from the past five years, and I expect the 2024 LCS Holiday Gift Guide to be even more beautiful. It truly gets better and better.
If you have questions about this, I am always happy to chat! Please email me at hello@lionheartcanyonstudio.com, or shoot me a DM on Instagram at @lionheartcanyonstudio. Can’t wait to see your application!
Kate Laing
Lionheart Canyon Studio