Our ‘Elf Initiative’ – how ANNA customers are making Christmas miracles happen

The spelling mistake that created a dyslexia campaign

ANNA customer Flora runs Washed Up Cards, a social enterprise company that creates handmade gift cards using materials picked up from beach cleans to spread a message of hope for the planet. The company also runs corporate beach cleans and creative workshops to promote mental health, as well as caring for the environment.

‘This Christmas I’m going to be raising awareness about dyslexia. I am dyslexic and I always re-read my card designs before I print them, but sometimes spelling just goes over my head. My mum came up recently and I showed her all the new designs for Christmas and she pointed out a spelling mistake. I was like, “What?!”

One of them said, “Happt Christmas”  instead of Happy Christmas. I told Etsy – who are really supportive of what I do – that I had accidentally printed 50 of these cards and they said they didn’t want them going to waste so I suggested using them to promote dyslexia. We’ve got the British Dyslexia Association involved and we’re selling the card with my dyslexic mistake on it, at a reduced cost, and on the back it’s going to say, “Well noticed – this card is unique but dyslexia isn’t”.  I really try to own it and be honest about my dyslexia so I’m very chuffed that my little error has turned into this!’

A handbag mission impossible

ANNA customer Arfan Mohammed is the founder of The Watch Exchange, in London’s Burlington Arcade. The company sources all types of watches, from vintage to modern, as well as taking on special commissions to find other luxury items…

‘Last Christmas there was a guy who came to us on 22nd of December. He was doing everything last minute – of course! – but he wanted a very specific handbag for his wife… an Hermes Birkin 25 in taupe with gold hardware.

It took us 24 hours to find it, then we dashed to Paris on the Eurostar to collect it and delivered it to his home in Surrey on the 24th December, just in time. He’s still a customer but he hasn’t put a Christmas order in yet this year – we’ll be ready to take on another impossible search if he wants us to!’

Working all hours to give the gift of Welsh cakes!

ANNA customer Adam El Tagoury owns Cardiff Bakestones, a small market stall in the Cardiff food market with a huge queue of people waiting to snap up its speciality: Welsh cakes. If you haven’t tried one, they’re a small, round, griddle-cooked cake, often described as a cross between a scone and a pancake.

‘We’re opening seven days a week in December and will be working non stop just trying to keep up with the festive demand. We’re doing Christmas tree-shaped Welsh cakes at the moment and they’re going down a storm – they’re a little bit bigger than our usual round ones!

We’re making, baking and selling roughly 14,000 welsh cakes a week which is pretty good going for this tiny stall. There literally aren’t enough hours in the day so I’m getting in at 5am to pack the orders that we’re posting out in gift boxes of 12 all over the UK and around the world, even to Saudi Arabia and Bahrain. A little elf assistant would be helpful – any chance of ANNA adding one to the app?!’

Delivering the aroma of Frankincense & Myrrh to customers' homes!

ANNA customer Jo Nitzsche runs Ralph’s Orchard, a vegan, eco-friendly candle brand that also sells wellness and garden gifts. The candles are made using natural vegetable wax and are cruelty-free and phthalate-free. Plus, with every order placed, Ralph's Orchard plants a tree and removes three plastic bottles from the world's oceans.

‘I'm a team of one making all the candles, eye pillows and more to go out to UK homes this Christmas. With lots of festive scents such as Spiced Orange, Frankincense & Myrrh and Enchanted Forest in our range of home fragrances, it's the busiest time of year for me and I am working flat out!

I wake up super early before the kids are up and work late into the evening to process orders and make more candles to keep stock levels constant.

From today until the 22nd December I’m upgrading all orders to First Class Postage for free to get them delivered before the big day. I love the idea of our festive fragrances helping to create a magical Christmas atmosphere in homes all across the country – it literally fills me with joy!’

How’s your business creating magic this Christmas?

Want to join our Elf Initiative? Drop us a message on Instagram to tell us how your business is saving Christmas so we can share your festive story!