National Maker Directory

I make a variety of small artworks, homewares and wearable items from recycled, vintage and discarded materials.
I studied Jewellery & Silversmithing at Glasgow School of Art, where I became interested in working with mixed materials. I am most inspired by nature, fairytales and antiquity, creating one-off or limited quantity collages, which are box framed. Other works include textile jewellery, framed textile collages, and handmade cards. I have a studio/shop in Durham city.
I try to reuse as many old objects and materials as possible, sourcing from antique fairs, markets and thrift shops. Old cutlery boxes, vintage textiles, scrap papers, old books, broken jewellery and haberdashers’ materials are some the treasures I enjoy working with.

My craft is painting birds of prey (my inspiration) on to feathers and small slices of tree branch. I use acrylic paints over a light layer of gesso, and a very light touch with a paintbrush. My feathers are presented either in a small ceramic vase made locally or in a specially made box frame. I display the wooden ovals on miniature easels. I have a Fine Art Degree and an MA in Printmaking but I currently enjoy painting wildlife using a variety of media. I help at a falconry centre where my inspiration and fascination with feathers comes from to create my art.

I am a textile designer maker knitting garments and accessories. I create pieces which are timeless because they do not follow trends and unique in style since they combine different traditional techniques in a personal way. My items are a mix of machine knitting, crocheting and/or hand knitting, all finished by hand with attention to quality and detail, my work has a strong focus on handmade craft. I use pure undyed organic Shetland wool, I bring my Italian aesthetic sense to a material that comes from landscapes, traditions and a way of life so different from my own and is usually knitted into traditional motifs like fair isle patterns. The use of only undyed wool is a central aspect of my work: the colours that come naturally from the sheep are rich and warm and help me create my personal style, which is rustic in the textures of the garments, romantic but also chic, simple and contemporary. My prices go from around £30 for wristwarmers to around £240 for a jumper, with most other items in between these prices.

Marie Canning graduated from Manchester School of Art in 2012 with a 1st class BA (hons) in Three Dimensional Design. After a ceramics residency at Guldagergaard International Ceramics Research Centre, Denmark in early 2013, she began exhibiting and selling porcelain jewellery, accessories and objects at reputable shows and gallery shops nationally. During this time she […]

I am a Swedish Jeweller and designer based in Orkney. I trained in jewellery and metal work at Sir John Cass in London. My main inspiration comes from the seas and shores around Orkney. Big skies, waves, patterns in the sand; sea in all colours of blue; pebble beaches; shell sand and constantly changing scenery.

I work mainly in silver, focusing on texture using traditional techniques such as piercing, chasing, soldering and texturing using hand engravers and hammers. I explore colour in vitreous enamel using techniques such as champlevé and cloisonné. Many of my pieces are set with semi precious stones.

Originally with a background in decorating my interest in interiors and design has developed rapidly in recent years. In particular I wanted to see how stone could be used to make discrete or statement features, wall pieces, free standing objects and even items for personal adornment. My design ideas come from geological structures, a minimalist design ethos and unplanned inspiration. I also want to bring to eye level the beauty and textures inherent in Welsh slate, a material so often used for flooring etc. The ability to cleave or split slate expanded the versatility of this sexy lithified mudstone. Other working methods revolve around wet cutting and finishing. I also have a range of elegant and beautiful slate jewellery in the form of pendants which are suitable for both sexes.

Mark Fenn is a contemporary studio jeweller with a BA (Hons)degree in Silversmithing, Goldsmithing and Jewellery from UCA. Mark uses the ancient Korean technique of Keum-boo (Korean for “attached” gold) using 24ct Gold foil and Sterling silver. By using this technique each piece within a collection is slightly different and unique. Mark’s studio work is […]

The influence of the coastal environment of West Wales, my childhood landscape, and the natural beauty of Dorset, where I now live, permeate the sculptural ceramics that I produce.
A background in precision engineering has trained me to work with a meticulous eye for tight tolerances, refined lines and defined angles.
My interests in nature and contemporary architecture have been incorporated to create pieces that contain the essence of natural forms in shapes that have clarity of line and beauty in simplicity.
All my work is handbuilt using slabs of stoneware clay and I construct each piece individually without the aid of moulds. The modelling and carving of the finer detail ensures each piece is unique. Following bisque firing to 1000°C, I apply my own glazes and finally fire to 1250°C.
I gained my BA Ceramics degree at West Wales School of the Arts in 2007.

My work centres on the turning and sculpting of forms in native and home grown timbers to which I may add texture, colour, mixed media and found objects. Inspiration for my work comes from the shapes, textures and colours found in nature within my local environment as well as walking in woodland, the countryside, visits […]

Based in the North East of England, I am an artist whose work is influenced by the beautiful North Yorkshire Moors where I grew up. Using colours and textures and absorbing the sounds and feelings from the landscape. I hand embroider my artwork in my home studio and on location. It fascinates me how tiny […]

When asked at school which O levels I wanted to take, top of my list was woodwork simply because I enjoyed it. An A level then a college diploma with City and Guilds from High Wycombe College (now Bucks Uni.) followed. After 7 years the luxury of life as a student finished: I however continued woodworking, practising and honing my skills. The desire to design and make my own furniture professionally never diminished and in May 2008 I took the plunge. I now spend my days in a converted stable block pursuing my vocation.
Trees are truly beautiful things and wood is a wondrous natural material taking decades to grow. Each piece that I make I view as an opportunity to create an object of beauty that can be treasured for generations.

Following training at art colleges in St Albans, Stoke-on-Trent and London I received a BA (Hons) in 1980, and have spent the last 38 years teaching and making ceramics in Ireland, Canada and the UK.

Now based in Devon with a workshop on the Dartington Estate, I use local ‘wild’ clay that I dig and prepare myself to make pots inspired by the Devon landscape. I use a combination of thrown, pinch, coil and slab techniques to give each pot a unique appearance and character as the different clays create serendipitous patterns on the surface of the pot. Though glazed inside, the tactile un-glazed outer surface of the pot offers the hand a deeper connection with the clay, and the land itself. Made by hand, my pots are meant to be held and touched as much as looked at. Prices start at £30 for small pots.

My work is handmade using slab built techniques with textures and leaves to create a woodland, meadow feel. I am inspired by the countryside walks where I live.

I have been designing and creating hand-loomed knitwear for many years. My experience has been gained in fashion houses in both London and abroad. The business is run on the value of high quality products and the knitwear collection is, therefore, made using the finest yarns.
I love to create garments which “move” when worn and try to produce fluid, elegant pieces which are also versatile and can be worn for a range of occasions. As an experienced knitwear designer, I am able to create made-to-measure garments with just three measurements. My broad-based clientele regularly return for more bespoke knitwear due to the high quality products and made-to-measure fit.

My main craft is felt making and I create ‘wildlife wool paintings’. I take my inspiration from my fortunate surroundings in Somerset, along with my love for animals/wildlife and a passion for anything woolly!
I create my felt paintings by combining two felt making techniques, using traditional wet felting alongside the more modern needle felting. This combination gives a slightly unpredictable outcome which I like to think gives every animal its own unique character.

Beautiful and contemporary. Practical, with a nod to all things Bohemian. Me by Amma Gyan is a collection of handmade accessories and home wares made using ethically sourced materials.

One offs of a few of a kind each piece is made with attention to detail by Amma Gyan.

Megan makes sketchbooks, notebooks and bespoke books using handmade, watercolour and pattern papers, leather, vellum and linen. Each book is bound by hand in her studio in Somerset, using traditional bookbinding techniques and archival materials, with a contemporary feel. Drawing inspiration from the natural beauty of paper, linen and leather, Megan likes simplicity in both […]

I am a self-taught textile artist working with natural dyes and prints taken directly from leaves and other plant materials (ecoprinting). I started making scarves, shawls and other accessories three years ago. I work with natural fibres, such as silk and wool and particularly love using silk crepe de chine as the soft pearlescent surface of the silk combines beautifully with natural dyes.

My inspiration comes from nature and the changing seasons. I gather a lot of my materials from long woodland walks and hedgerow foraging. Dyes are also made using avocado skins, walnut husks, pomegranate skins, flowers and local plants. My scarves are dyed by bundling lengths of fabric with plant materials, which are then steamed or immersed in a dye vat. After curing and rinsing, I finish the scarves with hand-rolled or frayed hems. Each piece is unique and captures a moment in time and place.