2011- A Retrospect

As the end of 2011 comes closer we at Handmade in Britain would like to take this opportunity to say a huge thanks to everyone involved in this year’s events, from exhibitors and sponsors; to followers and fans, for participating and making 2011 a success, we couldn’t have done it without you.

We look forward to some wonderful things happening in 2012 but first we look back at some highlights from the year we have had.

Our first design book:

Handmade in Britain – Appreciating contemporary Artisans

2011 has seen the launch of our first ever design book containing over 90 contemporary designer-makers from England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.Top of Form Working in a variety of materials from precious metals to clay, wood, and more, these artisans approach their work in a sustainable and eco-conscious way.  Each designer-maker’s work is illustrated and accompanied by a short essay providing insight into how they work and what inspires them.Bottom of ForTop of Form With over 200 illustrations, Handmade in Britain is both a guide for people interested in buying handcrafted products as well as a resource for art and design students. Buy Now

Bottom of Form

2011 Show Talents

Zoe Hillyard, an exhibitor at our Bath show in June, was the designer everyone was talking about, her fabulous images were just so good we had to use them in our promotional materials and she quickly became one of the many stars of the show. “Handmade in Britain in Bath has proved to be a good launch pad. Much positive feedback from the public, some significant sales and a couple of exciting collaborations initiated. The assembly rooms made a beautiful venue and I was amongst lovely company.”

Showing at both Bath and Chelsea, Nick Page’s work shone through as a stand out designer this year. One to watch for the future his work which incorporates his background in sculpture had many heads turning.

“Salvaged objects and materials have a history which gives them an inherent character right from the start. It always seems a pity to throw away something interesting or beautiful, just because it has broken or outlived it's original function. With a bit of imagination, much of what is headed for the landfill site can be turned into something new and desirable. It also means you are likely to end up with something unique and something of a talking point”

And not forgetting the lovely Deryn Relph, whose magnificently coloured textiles brightened up the cold autumnal days at Chelsea Old Town Hall.

“I'm often asked how I choose the colours for a collection, or where my designs come from - so I thought I'd show you how my  designs develop! I'm always collecting inspiring images, taking photographs and collecting bits and bobs.  I've got some pinboards in my studio where I start putting ideas together.  My current collection, 'Buttonbox' based on the button box that used to belong to my Nanna - so there's lots of memories and nostalgia in there too!”

Congratulations to all three and everyone else who had successes at our shows this year.

Handmade does YouTube

November 2011 saw the launch of the Handmade in Britain YouTube channel. Working in collaboration with Daniel Broom, we got some great footage of our Chelsea show in a video montage. Many of our exhibitors created videos for their own websites, in addition to interviews with Lee Ripley from Vivays Publishing at our book launch and our very own Creative Director Piyush Suri.

2012 Events

The first of our 2012 events will be the launch of London: A Celebration, at the celebrated Gallery@OXO in May. We are pleased to announce our new venue for a unique selling exhibition showcasing some of the talented British Designer-makers, each celebrating London in their own unique way.

“London being a big melting pot of culture is known for its diversity and sense of free expression which is a huge source of inspiration for many artists of different cultural backgrounds. The show prior to Queens Jubilee and Olympics will mark the beginning of the festive season and will bring together selected designer-makers showing their own take on London through their work which will be available to purchase or to commission.”

Thinking of exhibiting? You can download an application pack here.

A return to Chelsea

Handmade in Britain will return to Chelsea next year for the sixth time. The show will exhibit talented designer makers from a wide variety of backgrounds, expect to see your favourite exhibitors along with new emerging young talent.

New for Chelsea 2012 we will be dedicating the stage area to new and graduate designers within their first two years of business. The area will be sponsored by outside business’ keen to help support fresh talent on their entry to the industry.

Thinking of exhibiting? You can download an application pack here.

Have you been to our show before? What would you like added to the show? we are always looking to make each show bigger and better than the last, so comment; tweet; email in and let us know.

We would like to say another special think you to all the visitors of our shows, it is you that keeps British craft alive and this is something that we appreciate very much.

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year 

from everyone at Handmade in Britain.

Handmade in Britain, Chelsea 2011 Highlights

Handmade in Britain returned for the 5^th time to their most favourite venue Chelsea Old Town Hall, London (27^th – 30^th October 2011).

Despite the financial crisis, which still grips our country, the right people walked through the door and not only bought but also commissioned several designers for Christmas gifts. General footfall remained the same as 2010 however turnover for our designers increased by half which is excellent news for everyone. We received an excellent feedback from the visitors this year for the standard of the work at the show. 

The Handmade in Britain book made its launch at the 2011 Chelsea show creating quite a stir amongst exhibitors and visitors alike. Vivays publishing did a fabulous job and sales of the book helped promote business for all involved.

This year the show was supported by Applewood Cheese who provided their delicious cheese for the visitors, causing quite a stir and Partridges in Kings Road who provided mouth watering canapés  for the private view evening guests. Additionally this year we were also sponsored by Unique Produce, a brand new e-commerce website that allows small producers of traditional or unique products and produce to reach out to UK customers by selling their products on the Unique Produce website and having the products and produce shipped directly to the customer.

For those of you who could not attend the show this year, here are some visual highlights from the private view evening.

If you attended our show, please let us know what did you think of the show as your feedback and continued support is extremely valuable to us.


For your diary :

London: A Celebration - 10th-13th May 2012 -  Gallery@OXO

Chelsea 2012 - 16th- 18th November 2012 - Chelsea Old Town Hall

The Future Is Bright

Call us optimistic about the future of British crafts, but in this world of mass-production we see a growing trend towards hand-crafted design as people are re-educated about sustainable and locally manufactured, hand-crafted items. It is comforting to know that there are institutions like the Crafts Council and many other craft and design events running in the UK who support and promote the makers to develop their ideas and market themselves to a wider audience. Even the designer-makers view the future of craft and design with great optimism and believe their passion and the quality of their work will build a legacy, valued by others for years to come.

With this in mind we have compiled a list of up and coming designer makers, who we think have a great future ahead;

Chris Edwards - Silversmith - Stand-out Metalware and Jewellery inspired by a career creating the weird and wonderful for the film and T.V. industry. Exhibiting at Chelsea Old Town Hall this weekend on stand HIB12

Handmade in Britain; Inspired by the World

With just six days to go before our Handmade in Britain show launches itself in Chelsea Old Town Hall once again, we have been thinking about how influences from around the world give an extraordinary extent to the diversity of work that forms British craft. With paraphrases from our new book Handmade in Britain, launched at our Chelsea show next week, below are a few examples of the diversity of cultural influences in British design;

Ferri Farahmandi – Ceramics – Raised in a typical Persian family in Iran, Ferri was surrounded by a creative environment and loved exploring multiple media but was mostly excited by clay. Art was not discouraged for Ferri; however, the priority was to gain an academic education followed by marriage and family. After moving to England and raising her children a world of artistic possibilities were opened to her. She began to study a degree course in ceramics at Westminster University. Later she started working in stoneware and porcelain clay. Ferri’s creations are heavily influenced by nature and organic forms. Her work explores issues of freedom and the restrictions of society in human lives. You can see her work at stand HIB47.

Tim Chadsey – Furniture– Born in Toronto, Tim came to England to study photography and worked as a still life photographer for 25 years. On discovering the beauty of wood, during one of his photographic assignments for a furniture company, he found his passion and turned his creative focus to furniture making. He worked for England’s finest designers before setting up his own workshop in 2008. His design sense, the essence of which is simplicity and elegance, is influenced by the colour and grain of the wood. You can see his work at stand HIB06.

Naomi Singer – Glass –After moving to Cornwall Naomi Singer sees its influence in the colours that evolved her work. Naomi combines both traditional and modern warm glass techniques, along with digitally manipulated images to create unique glass pieces.  Even though her tableware is commercially successful, her heart lies in creating big statement wall panels, and sees her panels getting bigger and bigger in the future. You can see her work at stand HIB56

Aran Illingworth -Textiles–Aran’s love for antique & unusual fabrics is represented in her textiles. Originally trained as a nurse she pursued design after her son began nursery and obtained a first class degree in Applied Arts. Aran uses textiles as a medium to express her connection with undervalued women in Asian society and so her work inspires a powerful and emotional response. The colours are clearly influenced by Asian culture in addition to the dire social conditions that persist in Asia and although she is not a feminist her work has a certain feminist sympathy underlying within it. You can see more of her work in our book that will be launched in Handmade in Britain.

Amma Gyan – Fashion – Wear me, be you. Classic designs reinvented in collection of handmade

leather bags and inspiring moulded leather jewellery that challenges the perception of precious. Her latest work is constructed to illustrate freedom and movement, challenging the perception of how leather is used as a jewellery form and the concept of what is precious. See more of her work on stand HIB44.

Daphne Krinos – Jewellery - Creating original and striking pieces of jewellery in precious metals and translucent stones. Daphne moved to London from Greece to study jewellery design, despite being told ‘not to waste time on such a frivolous area’.  Attracted by odd and unusual shapes, Daphne clearly represents her love of cities buildings, scaffolding, bridges and all sorts of structures in various states of decay, in her work. See her work at stand HIB 17

Melanie Rye – Interiors/Furniture- With inspiration drawn from anywhere and everywhere, Melanie loves pattern and colour and spends much of her time sourcing fabrics in antique and vintage shops. Her impressive assortment of patterned fabrics is utilised and combined with antique furniture, which she upholsters to give character including lamps, chairs, screens and home accessories. Using modern trimmings in her work is “extraordinarily post-modern”, capturing the essence of anti-minimalist aesthetics.

Handmade in Britain will be on at Chelsea Old Town Hall from 28th-30th October, and will exhibit over 70 designers of contemporary craft. At the show we will launch our first ever book containing over 200 illustrations and featuring over 90 designers. 

We look forward to seeing you there.

EXHIBITOR BATH 2011: Silver Kitsune

Silver Kitsune designer maker Heather Fox's Sumptuous Silver range takes inspiration from drawings of nature and then translates the drawn line into silver, with just a subtle Japanese influence, she then started to add colour into the equation and the Colour Feast Collection was born.  Heather has taken a touch of inspiration from nature, added in a spot of texture and mixed with a splash of colour to creat a playful collection that is a Colour Feast for the eyes.  The coloured pieces are laser cut powdercoated steel set in white precious metal

Floral Fancies takes inspiration from the other two collections, a spot of colour and a touch of texture.  The floral design is hand pierced in either white precious metal or guilding metal with just a few pieces flocked in bright pinks and subtle greys 

Silver Kitsune also offers a Personalised Pieces collection of jewellery that is precisely that, personalised. Whether you want a necklace just like Carrie from Sex in the City or you just want to wear your name on your wrist this collection is for you.

See Silver Kitsune during the Handmade in Britain Show on STAND HIB 3 

Buy Tickets for the show HERE

EXHIBITOR BATH 2011: Algan Arts

Algan Art's designer Gail Kelly creates hand printed designs on linen to create art work perfect for any wall space, all designs, including the limited addition range are framed in natural wood. Algan Arts prints can also be found on greeting cards, giving someone special that extra special gift. 

Gail qualified from the University of Ulster with a B.A. Honours in Fine Art Printmaking and an M.F.A. from Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, U.S.A.

She returned home to Ireland from America in 1992 and now lives in the countryside near Belfast.  Gail's original prints have been exhibited widely both at home and abroad and are included in many public and private collections.

See Algan Arts during the Handmade in Britain Show on STAND HIB 3 

Buy Tickets for the show HERE

EXHIBITOR BATH 2011: Glass on Glass

Glass on glass offers unusual, kiln-formed glassware made with recycled glass. By using reclaimed glass to create wall tiles, bowls, candle bridges and myriad other useful and decorative objects, offering a material destined for landfill a new life by giving it a different shape, colour and purpose; it is a constantly evolving process. Designer maker Elaine Mason's commitment is that each piece should be unique, a work of art in it's own right, not to be replicated or copied unless specifically intended. 


Elaine has chosen to work with re-claimed glass and to create unique pieces of colour and texture from an otherwise waste product - re-cycling at its best. Using a fusing process (two pieces of glass fused together in the kiln) it is possible to encapsulate all manner of other materials within the glass - from precious metals to seed heads - and for this, too, she looks at re-cycling what is around her; cutting up used t-light holders, empty tomato puree tubes etc.

EXHIBITOR BATH 2011: Dot Sim

Dot Sim designs are inspired by her rural Scottish environment – from changing landscapes, windswept beaches, and stormy seas, to the minutiae found in rock pools and the garden. Dot "draws" with metal to capture movement and quality of line.

The work is handmade using traditional gold and silversmithing techniques. Dot chooses to use precious metals - materials that stand the test of time, as she is interested in the role of jewellery as heirlooms that are handed down, providing intimate memories for future generations. 

See Dot's Jewellery during the Handmade in Britain Show on STAND HIB 21 

Buy Tickets for the show HERE

  

EXHIBITOR BATH 2011: Deryn Relph

Deryn Relph is a textile designer, with a love of colour, pattern and texture, who likes to think creatively about the use of textiles she designs and constructs.

“Although I specialised in knitted textiles for Interior use during my BA(Hons) Textile Design at Winchester School of Art, I merge this with previous upholstery and furnishing skills to create unique and contemporary solutions to an idea.

Versatility is something I believe to be important, and I am keen to think ‘outside the box’ and take on any challenges for which my textile background might hold the key!

Issues affecting the Environment, and Sustainable design underpin my design ethos, and consideration to ‘Reduce, Reuse, Recycle’ is made throughout the process, with use of colour and technical ability aiding the solutions.

Working from a studio at my South coast, Hampshire home, I often re-invent discarded furniture and lightshades, making them desirable in a contemporary home. Informed and considerate choices are made in selecting fibres and yarns which come predominantly from factory surplus stocks.”

“Inspiration for my work is often taken from aspects of nature, particularly structures, or scientific imagery.

Nostalgia and evoking an emotional response to engage the user with an object play a part – if something makes us happy, or we love it for the memories it brings I believe we will treasure it for longer rather than send it to landfill.Retro influences are often evident in my designs, inspired by my own childhood memories and happy times.”

See Deryn during the Handmade in Britain Show on STAND HIB 30 

  

     Buy Tickets for the show HERE

EXHIBITOR BATH 2011: Corinne Phillips

Corinne Phillips is a Fairy Tale Maker. Storytelling is an important element of her art practice, she creates stories and illustrates them with textiles and found objects, embellishing with stitching and beads using both hand and machine embroidery, often using the sewing machine as a drawing tool. 

She has nostalgia for childhood, especially fairy tales, Victorian inventions and gadgets fascinate her and she is always on the look out for unusual objects that she can use in her work.  

Corinne likes to inject her quirky sense of humour into all of her pieces. She says; "When I am creating I am transported to a magical make-believe world and my aim is to bring it to life so that, hopefully, others can enjoy it too."

See Corinne Phillips Fairy Tale work at the Handmade in Britain Show on         

                                                  STAND HIB 21 

  

                                                  Buy Tickets for the show HERE

If you are on Twitter dont forget to get involved in Handmade in Britain's tweet minute. Thursday 17th June at 11am show your support for British Craftsmanship by sending all tweets with the tag #handmadeinbritain twitter.com/handmadebritain 

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EXHIBITOR BATH 2011: Devotion

Devotion will be showcasing their clothing and accessories collection once again at Handmade in Britain. The principle behind designer Carolyn Cowan's collection is one of respect for the body, the shapes we all have naturally. To flatter and enhance our assets, physically, and to minimize the parts of each of us that we do not have quite so much affection for.

For Women, the range is extensive, stylish and elegant with flattering cuts to stimulate the imagination. The sizing is generous, going from a UK women’s size 8 up to a UK women’s size 18 on most items. Some styles go up to a UK size 22+.

         
The Mens Clothing is a capsule collection of very beautiful Victorian coats, block printed waistcoats and shirts with some very elegant linens in plain colours all cut to bring style and elegance. The waistcoats are well cut and work on a woman’s body, too. The Brigitte Singh shirts transcend fashion, looking great with jeans or dressed up for the evening.  

All the fabrics are natural fibers, breathable, comfortable and easy to care for. See Devotion at the Handmade in Britain Bath Show Stand HIB 48.

                                         Buy Tickets for the show HERE

If you are on Twitter dont forget to get involved in Handmade in Britain's tweet minute. Thursday 17th June at 11am show your support for British Craftsmanship by sending all tweets with the tag #handmadeinbritain twitter.com/handmadebritain 

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EXHIBITOR BATH 2011: Anne Morgan

Jeweler Anne Morgan enjoys silver’s potential for texture and her moonscape range explores the relationship of look and feel in the materials she uses. Her creations proudly show off their origins in workshop experimentation. This is what makes her reticulated silver surfaces in particular unique: each marks a precise moment in which she withdraws her flame from part-liquefied silver.

Once she has perfected these surfaces Anne off sets them with strong lines. She forges a relationship between organic texture and a simple geometry, rather like the placing of a formal structure in a natural landscape. She sets up a coupling in which each element complements the other.

Anne continues to expand her work using her well developed technique of reticulation, which she combine with semi precious stones such as garnet and aquamarine. The textures of her pieces work particularly well with stones such as Lava. Anne creates small batches and limited edition pieces that are highly desirable.

See Anne's work on Stand HIB 13 in the Assembly Rooms Bath from 17th-19th June 2011 (11am-6pm) 


Buy Tickets for the show HERE

If you are on Twitter dont forget to get involved in Handmade in Britain's tweet minute. Thursday 17th June at 11am show your support for British Craftsmanship by sending all tweets with the tag #handmadeinbritain twitter.com/handmadebritain 

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EXHIBITOR BATH 2011: Fire and Hammers

Fire and Hammers designer maker Aileen McAulay works in silver and unusual semiprecious stones, especially ocean jasper, often hand-cut to suit a particular design. 


Intrigued by the design elements of mechanical items, particularly early 20th century vehicles, Aileen takes inspiration from designers such as Carlo Bugatti and Margaret Macdonald Mackintosh. These influences result in one-off experimental pieces with tubular elements surrounding semiprecious cabochons (the "Tubular Belles") and in the accessible "Klimt" suite with pierced concentric-circle patterns. 


You can see Aileen's full collection at Stand HIB 50 during Handmade in Britain's Bath Show 17th-19th June 2011 




Buy Tickets for the show HERE


If you are on Twitter dont forget to get involved in Handmade in Britain's tweet minute. Thursday 17th June at 11am show your support for British Craftsmanship by sending all tweets with the tag #handmadeinbritain twitter.com/handmadebritain 
Like us on Facebook facebook.com/handmadeinbritain