National Maker Directory

The joy of carving is that it is difficult. You can’t stick a piece back on and you are always constricted by the size of the block. This calls for ingenuity and a fluidity of expression that does not exist for me in other materials.

I use predominantly lime stones like Bath stone because I like the warm colours and Serpentine because you can polish it.

The carvings are sometimes cast into bronze or iron resin to make limited editions I do public and  bespoke commissions, show in galleries and have many pieces on Facebook.

My work invites the fingers to explore the nuances of grain. Starting with a locally sourced, sustainably cut “coppiced” tree, I cleave it using the ancient technology of the bodger. The pieces that emerge from this technique follow the undulating curves within the tree, and give my work a fluid, organic feel. My interest lies […]

I began to make pots at school. The art room, and the art teacher, provided a quiet calm space, which became an oasis of contrast to the noise and chaos of boarding school life. I went to Harrow Art School in the early 1980s, chosen mostly because it had a crèche, and found a course […]

I am an artist working in the medium of glass. I am constantly inspired by the beauty and clarity of light in the Isles of Scilly, where I live and where my studio is located.

Having trained in traditional leaded light stained glass which I still make to commission, I also make small scale traditional hanging panels, fused glass freestanding sculptures and framed pictures using pallet wood and fused glass.

My work blends innovative design with classic style to provide unusual creative pieces of high quality silver and gold jewellery. Inspired particularly by wildlife, animals and trees, my work is all about the detail, incorporating intricate saw piercing with form and movement to make tactile pieces with hidden details. I love problem solving to achieve a piece that reflects what I can see in my mind’s eye. My pieces vary in size from small designs to large statement pieces and I am open to commissions.

Some time ago I decided that it was time to dust off the 19 Century Letterpress in my old outbuilding at my home in Braunston and start creating my own work again, and so Please Shut the Gate was established! At first I produced a sign for my front gate (as my hens were getting a little too free range) and then a pile of Christmas cards as the festive season approached; now my range of products has expanded, with a collection of kitchenware, home furnishing & fashion accessories.

All the designs are unique – they may be printed from the same lino block but the ink, fabric, pressure, temperature in the studio all play a part in making the pieces individual. Once printed the designs are then made up into a range of items including tea towels, bags, cushions and even a satchel.

Having worked as a Product Designer for 8 years (specialising in Kitchenware) I left full time employment 2 years ago to renovate retro furniture and become a freelance designer.
I am currently working on new ways to up-cycle old interesting items and also design a range of retro inspired clocks and furniture to complement the original pieces on sale too.

Polyanna Designs was founded in 2007 in North Wales. I’m self-taught and I design and create very feminine original pieces of jewellery made from sterling silver, semi precious gemstones and Swarovski crystals. I believe my designs are unique. My main collection is made using Swarovski Elements, a synonym of quality and luxury.

Whilst doing my Master’s degree in Finance and Banking I was gaining experience in fashion design. It was then that I discovered a greater passion for jewellery making, which started through my never ending wish to change things that I see. This made me think “why don’t I just make exactly what I want?”

I am based in Penzance in Cornwall in a workshop full of old singer sewing machines and spotty, stripey, flowery fabric. Me and my little band of stitchers design and make a range of quirky accessories for fashion and the home. We use freehand machine embroidery to draw the designs in stitch onto a variety […]

Posner and Posner is a handcrafted, handprinted textile label created by British designers Susan Posner and Naomi Posner-Coxon. Both have BA Hons in Art & Design and a love of all things textiles. They began their business together in 2013 and work from their studio spaces in beautiful Cheshire. Naomi is the printmaker and textile […]

Possible mirror specializes in making bespoke mirrors in a variety of natural woods and hand painted finishes. There is an ever-expanding range of designs to choose from and we welcome commissions. We make conventional mirrors, including oversize ones, but our unique feature are Box and Picture Mirrors.

Box Mirrors contain objects – shells, marbles, small glasses, eggs, dried flowers and so on. The interior walls of these mirrors also become part of the design using maps, fabric, collage, and even faux fur. Each mirror is different to some degree and some are unique – items sourced at the nearby Spitalfields Market will not be available again.

Picture mirrors incorporate images into the mirror design. All Picture Mirrors have anti UV glass to prevent deterioration. An attractive ‘antiqued’ mirror glass is also available and this can be used in any of the mirrors we make. Prices are from £50.00.

Print Garage is the dark and dusty underground lair of Iain Perry: self-styled, swashbuckling squeegee warrior. I create vibrant screen prints investigating the minutiae of my surroundings.  I draw inspiration from old technology, tools and toys, cinema, record sleeves and the world of science. Originally trained in painting I have since discovered that screen printing is […]

Having trained as a silversmith at Loughborough College of Art, Vanessa worked in the jewellery industry for 40 years before deciding to start her own jewellery making company in 2021. Her work is inspired by the coastal landscapes, nature and history of Northumberland.

She works with cast silver combining it with pearls, semi-precious stones and sea glass collected from local beaches. Her most popular items are silver shells and star fish from the Beach collection, ranging in price from £40-£120, and her mooring rings, from the Quay collection, that come in a variety of sizes and styles.

The jewellery of QuayStones is mostly silver but she also undertakes commissions in 18ct gold and makes stone set pieces.

I’m a self-taught ceramist. I handcraft feather-light porcelain jewellery from my tiny studio in South East Cornwall.

My pieces are moulded from treasures found whilst enjoying the beautiful Cornish beaches. My colour palette is clean and simple, white porcelain clay against platinum glaze and silver hardware. My style is delicate and contemporary, with a sprinkling of edge!

I aim for the most sustainable methods and materials in my work, from recycled sterling silver to my solar-powered kiln, recycling every scrap of clay to create zero waste.

I am a designer/maker based in the North East creating a range of textile artworks using freehand machine embroidery. I don’t have any formal training, I used to work as an artist in schools and community centres but over the past couple of years have focused on developing my textile work. Having experimented with various techniques I happened upon the amazing world of freestyle machine embroidery and rediscovered my trusty sewing machine. It is a really satisfying process, building up images and shapes in pieces of fabric which come alive with the stitching process and addition of haberdashery finds. The work is mounted either in embroidery hoops or stretched over box canvas. The mounting style gives a contemporary feel to the presentation of the artworks and has a great tactile quality.

Rachel Brown is a Yorkshire based jeweller who specialises in enamel and graphite drawn jewellery. Her work explores mark making and repetitive patterns using graphite powder and an everyday pencil. This simple yet effective technique results in individual, unique pieces of jewellery which have been described as ‘wearable art’. Rachel’s recent work looks at different […]

Rachel Butlin seeks to challenge the concepts of contemporary interactive and wearable jewellery producing a range of high end, mixed material wearable pieces. She loves to challenge the way in which people perceive a piece, by creating small scale sculpture that can be worn on the body, in a way chosen by the wearer. Carefully […]

Rachel Codd is inspired by classical poems and fairy tales, creating tactile and wearable porcelain jewellery with a deeper meaning and story to each and every piece. Passionate about drawing a little bit of fantasy from our classical inspirations and into each piece through the ornate detail and unusual nature of this practice.

Working with porcelain to create a rich palette whilst still obtaining vivid detail. Clear glazed for tactile functional pieces, and finished with a dash of gold lustre; that holds a subtle hint of more traditional jewellery within a fresh creative process. Our jewellery is the result of a desire to dedicatedly hand-made pieces that form a tactile narrative, adding a little more beauty into the world and inviting us to not just view it but also wear it and become a part of it.