We have won the Award for Best Designed Site!

We just wanted to say a huge thank you to everyone who voted for us on the Handbag.com Online Fashion Awards. We have just been told that we won Best Site Design over amazing sites like Victor & Rolf and Yves Saint Laurent. More than 40,000 people voted over the two weeks so lots of new people came to have a look at the shop.

It's a great end to a really successful year at The Shop Floor Project and we just wanted to say thanks for supporting the shop and all the designers we showcase.

Merry Christmas,

Denise and Samantha xx

Seven Days of Shopping Left + Gifts Under £20

Scribble Tights, hand printed hosiery, £18 (includes lovely packaging)

So there are seven days of shopping left at The Shop Floor Project until we take our annual break and get the shop ready for lots of exciting things next year!

We will be sending out parcels until next Tuesday (22nd December) so don't worry if you still need to buy gifts - we can get our lovely items to you well in time!

Here is a list of some wonderful items under £20:

Casino Bag, hand printed £19

Girl with Seal & Cake, Illustrated card, £2.50

Fly Earrings, embossed earrings from New York, £18

(Gift Box included)

Dark Purple Ribbon Buckles. These vintage shoes clips will transform any old shoe! £16.50

Fancy a Brew? Hand printed linen Tea Towel £9.50

Buy Handmade Gifts & Support Our Independent Designers

I always think someone has gone to so much trouble if I find a special little gift under the tree that, although might not be very expensive, shows that the present giver has gone out of their way to find something a bit unusual. This is guaranteed to make anyone feel pretty special!

By purchasing gifts from The Shop you are sure to find unusual gifts and in the process you'll also be supporting our homegrown design talent. All of our objects are made by independent designers who are busily working away in their hidden studios around the country, producing the most beautiful things. Here are our top picks of some of our favourite British designers which are available in The Shop and would make prefect gifts:

Natalie Thakur

A favourite of ours, Natalie works from her East London studio making bags and purses which speak to the child in us - from her leather Penny Sweet Bags, Piggy Banks and Half Penny Coin purses each one is handmade from the softest leather and embossed with her logo. From £15

Lee May Foster

Based in rural Cornwall, Lee May's beautifully illustrated, ethical T-Shirts for both men and women always go down well. Perfect for those who like illustration and nature as they often feature stars, clouds, the sea, trees and wild animals! £25 each

Emma Harding

Brighton based artist, Emma Harding, is a real find of 2009. Her unusual ceramics (which come in a box with a certificate) are genuine collectors items with only one of each made - you can read more about her here - from £30

Hilary Laing

Glasgow based textile designer, Hilary Laing, has had a great year. From being nominated for Vogue's Scottish Accessory Designer of the Year to being featured with artist Jeff Koon in US Glamour magazine. We are not surprised, her beautiful silk scarves are printed with bold graphics in strong colours - helping to re-invent the traditional silk scarf! From £12 - £50

Alice Eden

Brighton based jeweller, Alice Eden, makes the most exquisite and delicate jewellery featuring flying birds on long elegant earrings, necklaces and charm bracelets From £40

This is just a tiny selection of designers we have in our Shop - Why not have a browse through for some last minute shopping and avoid the crowds on the high street? - We are sending orders right up until Tuesday 22nd December in the UK(please see below for details).

Last Dates for Christmas Delivery

(Flying Horse Bauble by Daniel Heath, £28)

So it's the second week in December and if you 're like me you're just finalising your Christmas shopping list and ready to shop! I know lots of people are really organised and have already finished shopping, but I tend to always do it this week - it's a tradition!

So it's important to tell you about the last posting dates which you can see below. We have almost all items in stock and ready to send out but a few pieces such as the St Erasmus' jewellery is hand made to order within 10 days so if you wanted one of these - this is just a reminder to order it this week!

Last delivery dates for Christmas:

Tuesday 22nd December (UK orders sent next day delivery)

Friday 11th December (EUROPE sent via Airsure)

The shop is full of great gifts from £10 to £200 - happy shopping and give us a call or email with any questions or requests - Merry Christmas from Samantha & Denise @ The Shop Floor Project

New Christmas Wrapping - Free Set of Illustrated Cards

We do like to wrap up presents here at The Shop Floor Project and each Christmas time we choose a new scheme in which to wrap your items in (completely free of charge). This year we have been inspired by the chic monochrome and zingy orange of the Art Deco period. We are putting all jewellery in smart black boxes and finishing with a band of printed snowflake paper ribbon. For larger items we are wrapping in delicate orange tissue paper and finishing with a fine black and white ribbon.

To carry on this stylish monochrome palette we are offering a Free set of four limited edition Lee May Foster illustrated cards (worth £10) on all orders over £100. This offer will carry on whilst stock lasts and will automatically be included in your order.

And of course we have many other great gift ideas from stocking fillers such as Natalie Thakur's new currency wallets (£15 & perfect for men and women), Erica Weiner's Swift Earrings (£13), to the rather special silk scarves by Ella Doran (£50) and 'the never fails to impress' St Erasmus jewellery which is a favourite of none other than Michelle Obama (please see examples below).

We have hundreds of items on display which are all made by independent designers from around the world, many of which are limited editions - so you can be sure your gifts are handmade, unusual and thoughtful.

Nominated for Online Fashion Awards - please vote for us!

It's an exciting day today at The Shop Floor Project. The lovely Belinda has just informed us we have been nominated for the HANDBAG.COM Online fashion Awards in the category of Best Site Design.

This is a great achievement for us especially when you see the other five nominees include big brands such as Yves Saint Laurent and Victor & Rolf. The six sites for this category were nominated by leading experts in the field of online fashion but the final winner is down the public. So if you could spare a minute please click this Link and vote for us!

It's really quick - you simply have to vote in all ten categories by choosing the site on the left and then clicking the big pink 'VOTE' button which takes you to the next category.

Don't forget to fill in your email address at the end as you can win a £250 voucher.

Thanks so much for your support - it would be amazing if we were to win the award!

The Dressing Up Box - New Personal Stylist Service

Here at The Shop Floor Project we like to think we can create a new look with a change of a necklace or the addition of a scarf. With this in mind we’ve launched The Dressing Up Box and each month we’ll create new outfits using an existing item of clothing and updating it with accessories available in the shop. If you've got an item of clothing you'd like to update with some new accessories email us a picture of it and we'll put some ideas together for you free of charge! (info@theshopfloorproject.com)

It’s a great way to recycle old pieces and look unique and individual! This month we've chosen a favourite dress and an old grey cardigan and styled them right up to date...

Cut Out and Keep

These wonderful garland-like necklaces by designer Rachel Goth have been launched in the shop this week. As a trained graphic designer Rachel's designs a have a bold look and work brilliantly with plain dresses and simple T-shirts. She mixes old materials such as felt with new technologies like laser cutting to create these energetic Spirograph pieces.

Available from Jewellery Room 2 (please scroll along to see Rachel's cabinet)

Exhibition Launch - Bauble III: alternative artists' decorations

For our third, annual artist's bauble exhibition we have opened the virtual curtains of a toy theatre. On the stage are a series of hand made works by Daniel Heath, Denise Allan, Clara Francis, Samantha Allan, Zosienka Coombes and Stephanie Simek.

The designs vary from horses leaping through rings of fire to hand painted miniature chairs, hot air balloons made out of thousands of glass beads to hand carved birds flying off into the night.

All the pieces are limited editions and made specially for the exhibition. Each piece is presented in a gift box with a certificate and information about the artist and idea behind the bauble.

These make wonderful gifts for people who like to collect unusual items.

Bauble III is currently on in the Exhibition Room

Under the Tree - Gift Guide 2009

We used to have a rule in our house not to talk about Christmas until after bonfire night. This rule has gone out of the window somewhat since we launched The Shop Floor Project three years ago.

We now start working on ideas for Christmas in the spring; commissioning and finding new designers and items that would make fantastic gifts.

Whilst every item on display in the shop would make a perfect present we wanted to launch the Gift Guide to offer some inspiration this year.

Remember all of our items come gift wrapped free of charge, all jewellery arrives in a gift box and larger items are beautifully wrapped in tissue and tied with a ribbon.

Please view the Gift Guide here

Blink and you'll miss it - a new necklace by Stephanie Simek

Ever since we launched, American designer, Stephanie Simek's jewellery collection last year we have been inundated with emails asking when we will have more stock or launch new pieces?

Well I'm pleased to announce that we have both more stock and a new addition to the collection. Stephanie's popular eyelash necklace has been transformed by adding three tiny fresh water pearls which represent tear drops. I am sure they are tears of joy for such a unique design! It is also, as you would expect from Stephanie, beautifully made. From the fine silver bracket that holds the eyelash to the silver chain and the delicate pearls, the overall effect is one of such fragility that it looks as though it could blow away in an instant.

Playing with the precious, delicate and surreal is a constant theme throughout Stephanie's work. It would seem impossible to wear the shell of a tiny quail's egg as a necklace? Not so.

Stephanie's famous piece Quail's Egg Necklace is lined in 24K gold leaf and lacquered in resin is remarkably strong and her Catkin Earrings which hold a series of silver mounted pussy willow buds feel as though they should be on show in the Victoria & Albert Museum as once belonging to a Russian princess.

All of Stephanie's work is hand made in her studio in Portland, USA and displayed in the most lovely little boxes, perfect for a unique gift.

Stephanie Simek is on display in Jewllery Room 3

The New Jewellery Collections Are Here!

We have spent the last few months searching the world for interesting and beautifully handmade jewellery by independent designers from around the world. Many of the collections now on display are exclusive to The Shop Floor Project whilst others have previously been unavailable in the UK, until now.

Spread over three rooms, twelve cabinets are filled with treasures from tiny stinging insect earrings, leather feather necklaces, a collection inspired by historical military costumes and necklaces made from fragments of pottery found on the beach.

Here's just a snap shot from the collections. To view all the pieces please go to the revamped Jewellery Rooms. Just to remind you, all our items are gift wrapped free of charge making the perfect gift for yourself or a special person.

Wrap up this winter in hand made scarves

We have launched our new Scarf Department just in time for the first frosts of Autumn. Inside the cabinets you'll find scarves made from silk which are perfect for adding colour under winter coats, large chunky knits which would keep you warm in the Arctic (although not officially tested for this use!) and soft cotton jersey for all those who like to be toasty but don't like wool!

We've launched collections from new designers such as, Edinburgh School of Art graduate Ella Louis with her stunning, digitally printed pieces and Central St Martin's School of Art graduate, Joanna Boxall with her easy to wear Triangular Scarf design.

We've also launched new collections from old favourites such as Hilary Laing's new Robot & Skull Silk Scarves and Lee May Foster's popular Owl Scarf, which is now available in yellow and olive green.

All of our scarves come gift wrapped so make ideal presents for yourself or someone else you know with bags of style!

Available from the Scarf Department