For part one of our Joy-Makers series, we're thrilled to meet Meg Fatharly. Over the last seven years she's turned her studio in Cornwall into a space that celebrates and reimagines the traditional art of embossing with her signature contemporary flourish and nostalgia.
This festive season, Meg has reimagined Elizabeth’s Golden Trinkets design, transforming it into a glowing collection of handcrafted gold tin decorations. Inspired by gilded trinkets, charms and vintage adornments, Elizabeth’s original motif celebrates the joy of small, treasured details — a meaningful design that felt like the perfect partner for Meg’s artistry. Embossed by hand, layered with delicate florals and tiny flourishes, each piece echoes the care and rhythm of embroidery.
The result is a shimmering collection of festive trinkets. Each one carrying warmth, life and individuality – turning ordinary moments into something magical.
Meg says: "Earlier this year, I was invited by Elizabeth Scarlett to create a small collection of bespoke tin ornaments inspired by their new designs.
It felt like such a natural collaboration. I spent time in my studio studying their sketches and embroideries, translating thread and fabric into pressed metal. The process of creating these ornaments has reminded me that joy isn’t always in what’s new, but sometimes in the thoughtful repetition of making something by hand, until it hums with life and joy."
As a creative, you're a natural Joy-Maker. What's a small, thoughtful detail you add to festive gifting or preparations that sparks a little magic?
Joy, for me, has always lived in the small gestures – the evidence of human hands and time. I always try to include something handwritten in a gift: a note, a phrase, or a single word taped to the wrapping. It’s less about how it looks and more about the thought and time it represents.
Whenever I wrap something, I like to imagine the person unwrapping it and feeling a sense of the care that's gone into it. In the past, I’ve carved potato stamps to print my own wrapping paper, covered in slightly wonky stars. I love the way they each come out imperfectly. That’s what I want my work to hold – not perfection, but presence.
Tree decorations often hold a story. Do you have one that's special, and can you tell us about it?
My tin sitting dog will always be that decoration for me. I’ve been making it for seven years now, every Christmas I hang the first one I ever made on my tree. It’s become a constant in my life. People often tell me it’s one of their favourites - I think it’s because it’s simple and honest. Each year, it fills me with so much joy to think about how many of those little tin dogs exist now, in how many homes, on how many trees.
When I hold that first version in my hand, I’m reminded of how much can grow from something small. It’s proof that gentle things can last, of that special quality of handmade pieces to hold their own through the years.
What Elizabeth Scarlett design inspires you the most and why?
The Golden Trinkets design immediately drew me. There’s a tenderness and nostalgia that reminds me of the drawers my grandmother used to keep – filled with tiny treasures, buttons, old coins and bits of ribbon.
That feeling of gathered meaning is what I love. It mirrors the way I work: layering materials, textures, and memories. And I love the softness of the gold – the way it glows reminds me of light caught in the late afternoon. It’s a design that feels like a memory, one that invites you to notice the beauty in what’s already there, waiting to be treasured.
Tell us about the most meaningful gift you've been given?
A few years ago, a friend gave me a tiny ceramic bird and said it reminded her of my work; fragile but full of character. It wasn’t extravagant, but I loved it. Some of the most meaningful things I’ve received have been tiny: a shell from a walk, a note that I can tell has been written from the heart. A true gift is love translated into something tangible, something you can hold, and remember that someone thought of you with gentleness.
Maybe that’s what joy really is – the evidence of time, touch, and thought. A reminder that even in the rush, we can still choose to embrace slowness and intention.
Follow Meg Fatharly on Instagram @printcessmeg.
Head over to our Gift Guide. Your one-stop shop to start ticking off your list, and discover joyful gifts for everyone this Christmas.
