Many years ago just before Father’s Day my Father-in-law tripped and broke his right foot. He was a very keen fan of cowboy films. When browsing for Father’s Day cards I couldn’t believe it when I found a card depicting a cowboy with his right foot in plaster resting on a footstool and the top caption read “Howdy Pardner” which was one of my Father-in-law’s catchphrases.
I bought the card and you can imagine the exclamations when it was opened. I can’t remember what his present was but I’ve never forgotten the card or its reaction to this day.
                                                                                      from Ursula Bingham

The best father’s day gift I have given is to my partner this year which is his first born child born 9th may 2009, so he will be celebrating his first father’s day soon.
                                                                                        from Rebecca Allan

Here are a few more new entries to our Father’s Day gift ideas competition. Today is the last day when you can submit you story about best Father’s Day present to win £30 voucher to spend at Lotus Art Studio so do not miss you chance. To enter competition click here.

My best ever gift was to my husband on Father’s Day 1995 – the birth of our first son Jack. This day will always hold a special place in our hearts!
                                                                                                 from Gillian Kivi

I gave my dad a grandson on father’s day 1997
                                                                                                from Toni Quandt

Hot air balloon
                                                                                                from Darren Lavin

Here is a new entry to our Father’s Day present ideas competition:

My best Father’s Day present ever was a GIANT tin of Brasso….odd sort of gift you might think, until you hear I have a 10 ton vintage steam roller with lots of brass to polish!
                                                                                      from David Crampton

Do not miss possibility to win £30 coupon to spend at Lotus Art Studio by telling us about your best Father’s Day present you have ever given or received. To enter competition click here.

Here is a new entry to our Father’s Day present ideas competition:

The best Father’s Day present I ever gave was a sterling silver abstract wire sculpture made by myself, mounted in a wood box frame I had covered with soft brown suede. I gave it to him just after he was made redundant and told him that I was hoping that he got lucky soon so he could put it on his new desk at his future workplace. He got a job a month later and I’m told his new workmates were impressed with the original art he had on his desk, by his daughter. I love making things for my fab Dad and I hope that maybe my gift, and the hopes and wishes for his future that came with it, may have helped land him his new job… even if it didn’t, I’m glad that it impressed!
                                                                                    
from Kayleigh Chapman

Do not miss your chance to win £30 voucher to spend at Lotus Art Studio by telling us about your greatest Father’s Day present you have ever gifted or received. To enter competition click here.

Here is a new entry to our Father’s Day gift ideas competition:

Please if you publish don’t publish my real name (use Arielle) but I am a half Asian girl who grew up without my biological Dad, he was selfish and only cared about himself. He left me and my Mum (who are really close) and I never saw him again. I sadly grew up a weak child and now in my 20′s have a VERY serious and painful spinal illness. Doctors up till me being 26 and meeting him had never really done much for me, I had been shoved at the bottom of the pile for many reasons and so when I found this one I didn’t think he would be any different-but he was.The first time I saw him he was crabby but on the 2nd occasion he really took to me. I am the worst case he’s seen and I think of him like a surrogate Dad. He has 3 kids but I think they find him quite boring-but I don’t!!.

Anyway for Father’s Day last year I sent him a sculpture I got a friend to make of a white man (looks a bit like him) with a small foreign looking girl sat on his knee…guess what? It was there on his desk when I saw him on my appointment!!. He knew it was from me but we never say anything. My illness will probably claim my life I always need my pain controlling but I’ll never forget him and I know he’ll never forget me either. IF (a big if) I do ever somehow get well I wish he would take me somewhere and I bet anything it would feel like he had an adopted Daughter.

Thanks for reading.
from Arielle

Don’t miss your opportunity to win £30 coupon to spend at Lotus Art Studio by saying us about your greatest Father’s Day gift you have ever presented or received. To enter competition click here.

It appears that always there is a reason to post greeting cards – birthdays, wedding, anniversaries, etc. Sending a greeting card is one of the best ways (and also economical) to show love, appreciation and care for your family, friends or colleagues.

These days you can choose cards from a variety of styles: art and photography, humour and cute, handmade and many many more. But have you ever seen a greeting card from real daffs? Check it out!

Here, at Lotus Art Studio, we have taken our popular handmade greeting cards to new tops by lately opening a special feature for wholesale trade customers on our website. No matter what trade you are – greeting card store or gift shop, art gallery or bookshop, garden centre or florist – we would like to offer you a brilliant business opportunity to stock our handmade greeting cards.

We offer a large variety of handmade cards for every possible occasion for trade and retail customers, such as:

    · Birthday Cards General
    · Birthday Special Ages (Milestones)
    · Wedding and Engagement 
    · Anniversary
    · New Baby
    · Christening
    · Thank You
    · New Home
    · Retirement
    · Christmas
    · Valentine’s Day
    · Mother’s Day 
    · Easter
    · Father’s Day
    ·…and many more

So with this large array of designs and styles, whatsoever the occasion, we’re confident there’s something for everyone. For more information please visit our wholesale page or register now as wholesale buyer.

Every year I promise myself that I’m going to be ready for Christmas season, but it rolls around and suddenly I’m not even close to having completed everything that needed doing. That’s why this year I have come up with a list of all essential things I have to do this Christmas.

1. The first of all – Christmas Cards

Do you even know where your Christmas Cards are? I don’t want to think about how many times I have purchased cards in January, only to have no idea where they are months later when it comes time to send them out. I’m going to look for them today. But if you haven’t purchased your Xmas cards yet your friend and family are sure to love these lovely handmade Christmas cards from Lotus Art Studio.

2. Holiday Stamps

We spend so much time on the internet; we seldom send anything by post anymore. You might want to write down “picking up stamps” on your to-do list for the weekend. It’s definitely on mine. I can’t remember the last time I bought a pack.

3. Choose Your Gift List

How many people do you have to buy for this Christmas? Any ideas what they might like? Actually, the best way is to simply ask them. I asked my daughter for a list of what she wanted this year and she certainly gave me one. And some of the items on the list I would never have thought of! (Check out www.notonthehighstreet.com for a list of unique gifts)

4. Christmas Stocking Fillers

Now this has to be the hardest area of all for me. When the kids were small, stuffing their stockings with little goodies was easy. Now that they are grown up, those little goodies cost a small fortune. I can’t get away with crayons and colouring books any longer. To save time and money – I found my Christmas stocking fillers online on http://www.prezziesplus.co.uk for under £3 each!

5. Family get-together

For a few hours of visiting, there sure is a lot of work to be done. There is menus planning, activities to do before dinner and probably a zillion things that haven’t even occurred to me yet. I’m going to need a list for that too.

6. Holiday Baking

I have collected Xmas recipes all year long with the best of intentions (a lot of them found on Family Fun). Now is the time to go through them, decide what I want to bake and then buy the ingredients. My family can go through cookies like there is no tomorrow.

7. Wrap some gifts
This is the part I hate the most. If there is anyone who enjoys wrapping, I have tons for you. Personally, I would like nothing more than to buy gift bags for everything. Unfortunately, my kids don’t like the idea very much. According to them, it’s simply not very exciting.

8. Replenish Liquor Cabinet

Over the year, certain bottles take more of a beating than others. Now is the time to take a peek and see what bottles need replacing.

9. Indoor Decorations

Do I have enough Christmas lights? Am I going to feature more than one tree? Are they going to be real? And if I go with multiple trees, do I have enough ornaments? What has ever happened to just one tree?

Now I’m hearing that we are supposed to have a warm Christmas. I will get everything ready to go and then sit back and keep my fingers crossed…