Lucky Dip Club reviews

June 2015 Review

Theme: Summer Fun (Special Edition Box)

Lucky Dip Club is a monthly subscription box of vintage-inspired crafts, stationery and jewellery and they collaborated with Folksy.com to produce this limited edition box. Both brands have an enthusiastic following and only 300 boxes were available online on the 5th June 2015, so it was no surprise that they sold out in minutes. Fifteen British designers produced items with a ‘Summer Fun’ theme that were exclusive to the box; the contents ranged from jewellery and screen prints to craft kits and nail tattoos.

Of the 15 exclusive items, each box contained a random selection of five. This added an element of chance and surprise for subscribers as there was no indication of what any given box would hold or which makers contributed to it. Conceptually, the box proposes to introduce recipients to new and exciting independent British designers, but subscribers are naturally left wondering whether they received the best assortment for their personal tastes. For instance, I do not wear hair clips or nail stickers and might have favoured more stationery items.

Contents:

• 24 nail stickers from Kate Broughton;
• Porcelain flower hair pins from Dalphine and Max;
• Watermelon brooch needlepoint kit from Cotton Clara;
• Cupcake print postcard from Ella Osborne;
• Wooden badge from Frilly Industries; and
• Happiness is Homemade newsletter.

The newsletter included an introduction by LCD and Folksy and an overview of each of the 15 designers, giving a summary of their businesses, their crafts and a link to their independent Folksy shops.

With regard to the contents specific to my box, I was intrigued by the nail decals designed by Kate Broughton. They are charming illustrated birds, cocktails and flowers and each sticker is miniscule enough to be worn on a fingernail. I have never considered adorning my nails with such details and it seems a shame to use them because they are so intricate and lovely!

The porcelain flower hairpins from Dalphine and Max are two white flowers. I personally don’t have a penchant for wearing pins in my tresses, but I can appreciate that these are unique because of the material used, as the porcelain gives the flower heads an interesting smooth and chunky texture. They have a Scandinavian feel to them because they are stripped back without any lurid colours or complicated patterns.

The watermelon brooch kit from Cotton Clara was exciting, as I have been meaning to attempt a needlepoint craft and this is the perfect introduction. It’s a great DIY item that isn’t too challenging or taxing, even for novices – it also provides the invaluable sense of accomplishment when fashioning a piece of jewellery for yourself! I am keeping this for a breezy Sunday evening activity.

The cupcake screen printed postcard comes from Ella Osborne and perfectly embodies the Summer Fun concept through its vibrant colourway. It’s bright, fun and striking enough to frame and display. Again, it is an exclusive edition piece commissioned for this box, so it’s a rare and playful work to exhibit.

Finally, my box contained a wooden badge from Frilly Industries inspired by vintage sweets and nostalgic summer sugar rushes- it’s designed to emulate a Dip Dab package, but is inscribed with ‘Lucky Dip Club’. It’s an unusual badge that seems to be laser cut out of a small block of wood and has a natural and muted charm, making it discreet to wear despite its playful design.

On the whole, this is a worthy selection of a variety of wares from some exciting British designers. Some of the inclusions appealed to me more than others, but I was curious whether alternative items from other contributors would have better suited me, however, this is part of the concept of the box and the risk attached to the element of surprise!

Due to the exclusivity of the items contained within this collaboration and its limited availability, the price was on the higher range for a subscription box of this nature, running at £25 instead of the usual £15 per month that I pay for my monthly LCD box. While I am elated that I was able to purchase the LCD Folksy box, it was unequivocally a treat and I would have to justify the price to myself before buying another similar collaboration product in the future.

May 2015 Review

Theme: Village Fete

Once again, Lucky Dip Club founder Leona Thrift-ola has delivered a charming collection of items in the May 2015 Lucky Dip subscription box. This month, she invited guest collaborator Crown & Glory to design a May Day floral crown especially for her subscribers, which is the crowning glory (excuse the pun) of the box contents- it perfectly demonstrates Leona’s ability to constantly surprise and delight her loyal subscribers with novel and quirky accessories.

The Village Fete box comprises the following contents:

• May Day floral crown;
• A small wooden ice-cream brooch;
• A sheet of temporary tattoos;
• An illustrated card and plain envelope;
• Charm of the Month: an ice-cream cone; and
• Happy Mail newsletter.

The Village Fete motif lends itself to the month of May perfectly- the illustrations by Becky Holmes portray grinning ice cream cones, rosy-cheeked lemons and glasses of fizzing lemonade, all with a vintage veneer. Each of the contents of the box also clearly has the pending summertime in mind. The May Day floral crown from Crown & Glory is an unexpected treat as I have not received anything comparable in a Lucky Dip box to date; it’s surprisingly high in quality and I love the cute detail of its trail of pastel ribbons. It’s the perfect accessory for upcoming summer festivals (arriving in time for those lucky enough to be headed to Glastonbury this year!).

The ice–cream brooch is this month’s personalised item. When you first subscribe to Lucky Dip Club, you can designate a name or word that you would like to appear on these bespoke accessories. The brooch has a retro look due to the pastel colourway, the illustration style and the choice of wood as a material. It’s more subtle than some of the previous brooches included in Lucky Dip boxes and a welcome addition to my growing collection.

The tattoo sheet and illustrated card both follow the same folksy motif as the brooch. In the Happy Mail newsletter, Leona credits Awesome Merchandise, a Leeds-based company, as the producers of the tattoos. The fact that she actively works with UK suppliers ensures that her items meet a consistently high standard. I haven’t applied these tattoos yet, but am confident that they will last longer than something from a bubble gum wrapper! The illustrated card is blank on the inside and comes with an envelope- it’s therefore useful as a summery Birthday card, a cute thank you card or for an unprovoked message of kindness.

The addition to the ongoing Charm of the Month collection is a textbook icon of summer: an ice-cream cone. It can be attached to a bracelet or necklace as a small pendant, giving subscribers the choice of how they want to wear it. Personally, I alternate the charms on a chain and prefer to wear them individually depending on my whim that day.

The Village Fete box is another smorgasbord of loveliness from the Lucky Dip Club. It’s inherent in the concept of these boxes that the contents can sometimes vary quite dramatically and this month is no exception. The floral crown might be divisive because it is the focal point of the box, meaning that if you are unlikely to wear it, the smaller accompanying items this month might not seem to justify the £15 price tag of the monthly subscription. Personally, I was delighted with it and was surprised to receive such a substantial and exclusive item.

I am eagerly looking forward to next month’s Lucky Dip box with a ‘Dinosaur Disco’ theme and the surprises that such a description could entail!

April 2015 Review

Lucky Dip Club is a monthly subscription box that delivers handmade goodies to appeal to individuals with a penchant for vintage style and nostalgia. Each offering stationery items, jewellery, stickers and DIY craft kits that are bundled up in attractive twine and tissue paper and placed in a box that is small enough to pass through your mail slot. Every month follows a particular theme that is announced on the website and the Happy Mail newsletter that is included in each box.

The curator of the boxes, Leona Thrift-ola, is very hands-on with the boxes and takes the time to include a personalised item each month. They’ve previously included key rings, pencils and necklaces. Subscribers are asked to select a name and initial that they prefer to be used for this purpose in advance; they are also asked to confirm their birthdate because Leona sends out a special birthday treat to regular monthly subscribers.

April 2015’s Lucky Dip box follows a theme of ‘It’s Raining Cats and Dogs’ and incorporates exclusive illustrations by Gemma Correll, this month’s guest collaborator. It includes the following items:

• A personalised bookmark and book plates
• Dog and bone telephone memo pad
• Charm of the month: rainbow
• Pair of sun and rain postcards
• Persian cat and pug pins with brolly necklace
• Happy Mail newsletter

April’s box is perhaps my favourite of 2015 to date, I was a fan of Gemma Correll’s illustrations before the announcement that she was contributing to the box. The personalised bookmark is modest and cute, made of durable card and embellished with my chosen initial in the house Lucky Dip font.

I adore the book plates that feature a Persian cat and a pug with the space to inscribe your name and peel and stick to a book or notepad- Gemma’s illustrations are perfect for enhancing and personalising your otherwise drab belongings. I also love the memo pad adorned with a cute sausage dog illustration- it is a high quality piece of stationery with a sticky backing strip.

The postcards feature eye-catching designs with contrasting rain and sunshine themes.  They are made from good quality card and are versatile enough to use for scrapbooking or just to pin to your wall- they are bright and uplifting!

The Charm of the Month is a ongoing series, Leona asks subscribers to choose between gold or silver charms and I opted for gold. This month is a sweet rainbow that follows last month’s swan charm. To date, the charms have been robust and the gold colour is close to rose gold and doesn’t look gaudy in the least. A back catalogue will soon be available online so you can complete you set.

The highlight of April’s box is undoubtedly the jewellery set, which includes a pair of metal pins based on Gemma’s Persian cat and pug illustrations and an umbrella necklace. These are fun and unique pieces that will add a jolt of personality to your ensemble- Gemma’s playful and charming renditions of our domestic friends perfectly translates to jewellery.

Subscribers are also given the opportunity to enter weekly competitions advertised on the Lucky Dip social media accounts and there’s a monthly ‘unboxing’ Instagram photograph competition. You might even be one of the lucky few to receive a random raffle prize hidden in your box that’s been donated by another guest crafter!

Welcome to Lucky Dip Club – a subscription box for lovers of handmade, personalised presents and surprises in the post.

At 7am, on the 1st of each month, a box with a new theme launches and the available slots are taking less than an hour to sell out so you have to be quick! At the end of the month, you’ll receive an exciting mix of goodies which could include handmade jewellery, homewares, fun stationery, pretty paper goods and easy peasy DIY craft kits. The best part? One item will be personalised especially for you making Lucky Dip Club one of the uniquest subscription boxes on the market today!

If the options are currently ‘unavailable’ it means this month’s box has sold out, so join the mailing list and come back to nab one on the 1st of the month.

One-off box – £18

Monthly – £15

6 Months– £84 single payment

None at the moment.