We’re mappy about maps. And in Part 1 of this Blog series we brought you the answers to questions you didn’t even know you needed about our team and their love of all things cartographical. You’ve heard from Esther, Alice, Carly, and Amber…now it’s time for more of the team to step up and shine a spotlight on their favourite Bombus things…

Esther searching through our maps

OUR TEAM AND THEIR MAPS

KATY

Katy is one of our Studio Assistants and is skilled at making all of the gifts that go through the Bombus studio. She also has her own textiles business Katy Chambers Textiles, on Etsy. Check out her beautiful botanical prints!

Katy's textiles

What was your impression when you first saw the map room at Bombus?   

"When I first saw the map room a long time ago, it was actually squished in the wood area room, with both laser machines in, with many shelves around the edges of the room, with maps bursting at their seams squeezed into every corner, even back then it seemed like ALOT!!"

We’ve come a long way since Katy started at Bombus, and the Map Room is now ENORMOUS and stacked from floor to ceiling with over 25,000 maps!

Do you have a favourite map?

"My favourite map would be the 'three miles to one inch Road atlas of great britain'. This particular map is my favourite because the colours are so lovely!"

Katy's favourite maps

Do you prefer folded maps or atlases for product production? 

"Folded maps usually have more texture so I find they are more interesting to work with!"

What is the most popular and common request for a map location?

Bali, Mauritius?

Map notebook of Bali

LOUISE

Louise is one of our Studio Assistants and SUPER STAR map finder. She spent the entire Christmas season last year  buried in a mountain of maps and worked her way through a record breaking number of orders. If you had one of our Bombus Map Gifts for Christmas last year, chances are it was Louise who found your map.

Louise searching through our maps

What was your impression when you first saw the map room at Bombus?

"I was overwhelmed when I first saw the map room, the amount of maps that were covering all the walls and floors!" 

How long did it take you to learn where to find all of the relevant locations and maps for our gifts?

"I feel like I am still learning and finding new maps, but I think after my first Christmas working  in the map room was when I really felt like I knew where to go for different locations."

What is your favourite product to find maps for?

"I really like finding miniature frame map hearts because you can find some really colourful fun small locations."

Do you have a favourite map?

"I like the old vintage french maps the colours on the front cover and the font inside."

Louise's favourite map

Do you prefer folded maps or atlases for product production?

"I prefer atlases, some of the really old folded maps can ware more easily on the creases and the place you need is always right by it!" 

What is the most obscure/interesting/challenging places on earth you've been asked to find?

"I had to find a location in Greenland and thought it was going to be difficult, but because we don't get asked for it often I found a lovely vintage map!"

What is the most popular and common request for a map location?

"Cornwall locations are really popular."

Map of Padstow

What's the most common enquiry we receive in relation to our map gifts?

"Wedding location enquiries are a popular one."

RACHEL

Rachel has worked as one of our Studio Assistants and designers for quite a long time at Bombus and knows her way around every aspect of the studio. She is super skilled at perfecting our mounted map artworks and takes great care and attention to detail when finishing up our framed pieces. She also loves to visit the beautiful British coast, and is always on the look out for unusual maps to bring back home to the studio.

What was your impression when you first saw the map room at Bombus?

"First impression of the map room was amazement that there were so many and such variety."

How long did it take you to learn where to find all of the relevant locations and maps for our gifts?

"I'm still not 100% sure when I'm 'finding' where the best place is to look for some locations - the brill thing is if you ask someone else for help/advice they will instantly find what you have just spent the last 20 mins looking for (brill - but super annoying too! ?)"

What is your favourite product to find maps for?

"I love finding the maps for bottles, very easy shape and they look so cute when they are done!"

Do you have a favourite map?

"My fav map is the 3 in 1 It's compact, a great scale, and lovely colours and font."

Do you prefer folded maps or atlases for product production?

"Alt lasted over folded maps everytime....I get in such a muddle re-folding the sheet maps ?"

What is the most obscure/interesting/challenging places on earth you've been asked to find?

"I love finding maps of places in Antarctica - definitely more off the beaten track than most...."

What is the most popular and common request for a map location?

"Popular places are mostly covered by our hand-drawn maps - unsurprisingly  London, Rome and New York seem to up daily. Common enquiries are often to ensure the sea is shown, which on a sea-side location is a given!"

Map of Rome

ARE THERE ANY RIDICULOUS OR IMPOSSIBLE MAP REQUESTS YOU'VE HAD TO DECLINE FOR WHATEVER REASON?

"I'm not sure I've had to turn down a location, we always try our best to find what the customer wants."

Before you go ask us about our maps...

As you can see from the answers from our team, we really can find any map of any location, anywhere in the world. Have you got any questions about our map finding? We love to chat, so please get in touch. And if you have a favourite map, we’d love to hear from you! Share your fabulous map finds with us using the #letsgetmappy and tag us @bombus_gifts on Instagram!