An exciting new gift shop based in Rosemount, Aberdeen opened at the weekend! Since Pebble is my Mum's shop and I've been really involved in the whole process I'm doing my best not to write this as a review since it would be really biased! Instead I'll tell you a bit about the finishing touches, opening weekend and some of my favourite products in the shop. So come on in and have a look around!
The big job last week was arranging all of the stock around the eclectic mix of pastel painted vintage and upcycled displays, this took a few days and we finished with the window display on the Friday which admittedly involved no planning and a bit of panicked throwing together. The vertical Pebble branded bunting seemed like a good idea beforehand but was being assembled right up until the last minute - I think the look was worth it in the end though! Along with those last minute jobs I hadn't actually finished the Bottled Treasures stock until the Friday morning; I was determined to fill the two tiny cube shelves in time for the opening and am glad I did as they have been selling quick and getting lots of compliments (thank you). The little stationery section was my idea, not all of it handmade but I thought arty people like to buy crafty things so I helped choose some cute pens, stamps, deco tapes and sticky notes... and most have sold out already!
I could have featured all of the products in the shop but I've limited myself to 8 so this post didn't get too big:
1. Ecosse Candles: these have been so popular, my favourites are Sweet Pea and Evening Rain (which might have sold out actually) but I'll be waiting for the next delivery to get my own. 2. Collage Etage: gorgeous brooches and embellished heart frames. I've already got a few of these quirky pieces! 3. Bosie Boutique: silver stacking rings, my Mum makes these but they are really beautifully shown off in the illuminated cabinet in gorgeous colour groups. 4. Bellwood Bears & Nikki McWilliams: These bears have the cutest faces, they're just begging to be given a new home. The cushions are catching passer-byes eyes in the window display. I'm a fan already with my lilac party ring cushion being displayed proudly on the sofa at home. 5. Freda Shelton: pretty yet practical socks, I have a pair of the rainbow ones in the middle - so cosy 6. Doodlestuff's Doodlepins: I bought one of these at Christmas and was very excited to find we'd be stocking them in the shop. Such funky colours and creatures. 7. Studio 34: Northern Lights tealight holders, they light up in such a magical way and come in a set of 4 so you don't have the impossible task of choosing! 8. Ginger Pickle: adorable wooden animal earrings, brooches, necklaces and hair slides. These have been really popular already - you can see why!
This has still turned into a bit of a giant post but it's all too exciting! We spent the weekend serving lots of happy customers and hearing wonderfully positive comments about the shop while living on cake, sweets and tea. It's no surprise that I came home and fell asleep at 5pm yesterday - oops...
Finally, I've just published the temporary website for Pebble today. In future the plan is to replace it with an online shop, in the meantime it's just a simple place to have a look around the shop and find out a bit about it. Hope you like it!
www.pebbleshop.co.uk
Lots of you will know that my Mum is opening an exciting new shop in Aberdeen called Pebble, if not then here's some info:
"Pebble will bring you an assortment of gifts, arts and pretty things with an emphasis on Scottish designers and makers. The name Pebble came from Lorraine's love of the sea which has previously been the inspiration for her jewellery collections. It is a nod to the uniqueness of her designers' work in that no two items are identical, like pebbles. Pebble will sell a range of jewellery, accessories, home wares, stationery, original art, ceramics, bath and beauty products as well as edible treats – all handmade or designed in Scotland.
Pebble aims to make your gift buying experience satisfying and seamless. From the carefully curated products to gorgeous gift wrapping they've got it covered. They even offer loyalty cards so you can treat yourself after treating your friends and family! The shop is decorated with vintage upcycled furniture and quirky displays in the pastel Pebble colour palette giving it a fresh and fun feel"
Although I've been really involved in the whole shop planning and designing process this is my Mum's shop and not mine - lots of people have mistaken it as a joint business venture. The shop opens on 1st March so is still a work in progress but I've officially been behind the branding from logo design, stationery, packaging and website to shop sign, social media and photography. Unofficially I've been helping choose stock (candle and chocolate samples - yes please!), painting furniture, programming the till, working on shop layouts and displays and other odd jobs!
The thoughts behind the Pebble branding was that it had to have a fresh and effortless feel. The colour palette, typography choice and use of circles mean it can easily be applied across all the items needed for a shop. The pastel tones are chosen to represent a soft seascape and the ombre effect sits really well with the liquid like font. I chose to use the circle "pebbles" with icons to represent what's unique about the shop but the logo can also be used without these. The icons are really fun for stickers and using throughout the decor too. Most of the branding and design work is done now apart from the website as we're waiting for the shop to be filled for photographing before that goes live!
The Pebble launch weekend is from Saturday 1st March 10am-6pm to Sunday 2nd March 11am-4pm. It will be a proper party with balloons, cakes and treats, a lucky dip with every purchase and grand prize draw over the weekend. Pebble is located at 198 Rosemount Place, Aberdeen, AB25 2XQ. Hope you can make it! (if not I'll be doing a blog post about it afterwards)
You can find Pebble on Facebook to keep up to date with the countdown: https://www.facebook.com/pebblegiftshop
