This rave is not just for Kate Clark, who has been designing and creating whimsical ceramics from her studio in Cornwall since 2011. Her company Kate Ceramics UK formerly Gilbert and Stone sources her mugs from a family business in Sri Lanka and then she customises them with her own affirmations messages of positivity and re fires them locally in the UK.

Her mugs cost around £20 which makes for the affordable luxury gift, if you are doing gifts this year.

I bought from Kate because I wanted to support an independent maker, someone doing things differently and creating a beautiful product. Her mugs are particularly nice because they are over sized so not just good for morning brew but for soup and creamy topped hot chocolate too.

I understand buying a set of four or six for the family puts them out of reach for most when four mugs from the supermarket cost a fraction of one custom made but if you have a £20 budget for an amazing funny and practical gift, stepping outside the usual shopping mall and shopping with a company like Kate’s not only gives her business a real lift but redistributes some of the money away from just a handful of big players, all the usual suspects, I don’t want to name but we all know who they are.

If you don’t; put anything random in a Google search and check the first page listings. If you repeat the process with something completely different you’ll see the same ten businesses appear. Possibly not even selling what you are looking for but paying for the keyword position anyway to dominate the space.

There are literally hundreds, thousands of independents, making beautiful things, taking stands at Christmas markets to get their name out there, thwarted by expensive advertising online necessary to be found by people looking for what they do but pushed to the bottom of a search because other bigger giants pay more for your click through.

These are the businesses we have to lift up and help to survive. Why I am taking the time to say, Thanks Kate Clark for this funny and very cool lovely mug, and to the family business in Sri Lanka producing your beautiful raw materials for you.

I encourage everyone to exalt the people and companies you love, make their day, show them in action what you bought from them has brought you joy and shine a bright guiding light straight to their business for others to follow.

That’s what the Poopsnoop community is all about. If you have a loud voice and want to make a difference why not start snooping.