abigail leach ceramics

Abigail Leach is a Wiltshire-based ceramicist combining terracotta clay and bespoke coloured slips to handbuild and decorate a range of contemporary domestic items for everyday use.

Her work is characterised by its simple terracotta forms and is frequently accompanied by a limited palette of decorative dots and spots in various forms. She likes to combine areas of raw smooth terracotta and glossy decoration to produce humorous, joyful items.

Abigail says, “Each piece of my work shares characteristics but the very nature of handbuilding and individually decorating clay ensures that every piece has its own idiosyncrasies. This is what I love and what makes it so special for me.”

Ali Tregaskes

Contemporary jewellery designer maker, Ali Tregaskes, specialises in creating etched and oxidised, nature-inspired silver jewellery.

As an avid photographer, Ali bases her etchings on the photographs she makes for each individual piece of jewellery. Inspired by nature, the sea and architecture, Ali's finely detailed collections are entirely handmade in her lovely Ross-on-Wye based studio.

Ali says, "In my more mature years I returned to college to study metalwork and I was able to become the artist that I had always been searching for. I cannot believe how lucky I am, and absolutely love being in my workshop creating my etched pieces; I think the love shows in my work!"

Ameow Designs

Amy Lau of Ameow Designs specialise in handmade resin jewellery and accessories inspired by nature and containing real flowers and plants.

Drawn to capturing the essence of nature and time with adventurous collections, Ameow Designs create modern botanical resin jewellery for both everyday wear, as well as statement jewellery for special occasions.

Amy says, “Each piece turns out slightly different, as each flower has its own idiosyncrasies including colour variations in hue and brightness. The handmade process of working with resin and flowers is a truly a labour of handmade love, from drying the flowers, mixing the resin, pouring, setting, de-moulding, sawing, sanding, drilling, and polishing, phew! But the end result is always interesting and satisfying.”

Ashleigh Proud

Bristol-based artist, Ashleigh Proud, combines enamel with printmaking. Inspired by all kinds of flora and fauna, she creates three-dimensional objects such as leaves, feathers and flowers. These influences can be found in the form of brooches, trinket dishes and framed pieces.

Ashleigh says, “Each piece is unique - once it has entered the kiln I cannot control what happens!”

Bianca rose wood

Jewellery maker Bianca Pardhy-Avis uses reclaimed hardwoods, such as oak, walnut and maple to make her hand-painted necklaces and earrings.  Bianca’s designs, which currently use a carefully selected palette of greens, dusky pinks and golds, are reminiscent of rolling hills or cliff top seascapes.  

Bianca is obsessed with colour and loves combining different tones that compliment the warmth of the wood. She makes all her pieces by hand in her Bristol studio

Bianca says: “I love turning this functional and utilitarian material into something more precious.”

Black & White Book Project

When graphic designer Ruth Bradford had her first baby and found that newborns can only see black and white, she was motivated to design a book that would capture her baby’s attention, provide visual stimulation and look great too!

The book was an instant success and further books, flash cards and prints soon followed. Ruth chose a diverse selection of animals from Africa, Asia and Australia and, in an effort to give something back to the animals that inspired her, she donates 25% of her profits to wildlife charities in those areas.

Ruth says: “My mission is to inspire the next generation of animal lovers and conservationists from an early age.”

Boodle

Boodle is the Bristol-based business of designer-maker Beth Buss, who creates a range of organic clothing and homeware inspired by adventure, animals and nature.

Fun and eco-friendly clothing for all the family, Boodle uses organic fair wear cotton and eco-friendly inks to ensure low impact on the environment and a high quality product. Beth also makes a range of fun cards, art prints, mugs and seasonal decorations.

Beth says, “We work to ensure our products are long-lasting and functional. We like our clothing to be worn over and over again to get the most use out of every item possible.”

Botanica Verde

Botanica Verde specialises in botanical crafts. Beverly is a lifelong plant-lover and creates hand-cast concrete pots. She offers a selection of cacti, succulents and air plants as the perfect accessories. Other more unusual items on offer include kokedamas (Japanese string gardens) and plant wall-hangings.

Beverly says, “The thing I love most about my concrete pots is that every one of them is unique; from the batch colour to the minute air bubbles in the mixture. It's very rewarding seeing the finished product potted up with a fabulous plant."

BRIC

BRIC ® make high quality, beautifully crafted lunch bags for the eco-conscious.

Founder of BRIC ®, Bianca Ward hand makes all the bags in her studio in Bristol. They are designed so that there is no fabric wastage (think: Japanese Kimonos). The bags are inspired by Japanese culture, travels to India and Scandinavia, combined with a love of the outdoors and nature. The colours and their combinations play an integral part in the design and relate to woodland, camping trips and hark to a 1970s aesthetic.

Bianca says, “The bags encompass my experiences of working in Costume combined with my love of walking and having identified the need for a well-designed lunch bag. They have been carefully designed with practicality as a key component but also represent a need to value the things we own and eat our food from.”

bronwen gwillam

Bronwen Gwillim makes statement jewellery from recycled plastic - reminiscent of pebbles on a beach.

Referring to herself a ‘plasticsmith’, Bronwen is interested in how we might use the mountains of existing throwaway plastic as a raw resource for making.  She picks up on its intrinsic colour, texture and form by using only hand tools to cut, file and scratch its surfaces.  Her leftover material is mixed with binders and used to create a new composite material, therefore very little goes to waste.

Trained as a jeweller and silversmith, Bronwen juxtaposes waste with recycled silver and in so doing seeks to challenge our perceptions of ‘preciousness’ and to reappraise plastic as a precious material to be used thoughtfully and sparingly. 

Bronwen says, "I make wearable, sculptural jewellery from recycled materials. Mimicking the effects of the sea, I work their surfaces till they feel natural in the hand, like a treasured pebble."

Brüün Design

Brüün Design is an established brand in the Bristol-Bath area for handmade, bespoke, contemporary kitchens and furniture. Steve Brüün is of Norwegian heritage and has always been highly influenced by Scandinavian design. Brüün’s range of household accessories are handcrafted in his Bristol workshop and, like his spaces, are clean and considered in their design.

Steve says “My passion for working with wood started from the age of 10, so I’ve been honing my skills for over 35 years. I love that each piece of timber is entirely unique - the smell, the grain, the feel of it and its versatility. It draws you in and you want to make the best you can from it.”

Ceridwen Hazelchild Design

Ceridwen’s studio is nestled between a woodland nature reserve and the River Avon, so it is no surprise that her work is overflowing with flora and fauna.  Badgers, hares, foxes and flowers are all brought to life in her colourful illustrations that adorn wash bags, pencil cases, tote bags, mugs and stationery. Whether it’s a reusable tote bag adorned with a cheerful print or a scenic lampshade, she aims to make beautiful products which promote a love of our natural world.

Ceridwen says: “I love long walks in the countryside and the colour turquoise. I believe that by expressing our creativity and encouraging eco-friendly behaviour, we can make our world more beautiful.”

Charlotte Macey Textiles

Charlotte Macey is a British textile designer hand making floral embroidered and printed homeware, accessories and gifts. Inspired by the flora and fauna of her countryside surroundings, Charlotte uses a fresh colour palette with natural fabrics to create subtle Scandi-style designs.

Charlotte loves sketching ideas for new patterns and embroideries and develops her illustrations into sustainably printed fabric items for the home.

Charlotte says, “Hand making an item and seeing it through to a high quality finished product is immensely satisfying. Each embroidered linen pouch, cushion or coin purse is completely unique. As a lover of all-things-pattern, using my original embroidered illustrations to create patterns from is just my favourite thing.”

Christopher david jones

Christopher is an artist based in Bath creating illustrative and abstract paintings using bold and vibrant colours.

Drawing from his architectural training, Christopher's current practice explores ideas of play in society and culture. As a result his colourful paintings aim to depict a sense of place and suggest stories for the viewer to interpret.

“The scenes I paint are all places that are significant to me. When I paint, I am not merely looking to depict a scene solely based on appearance, but to tell a story of that place.”

Colour Designs

Jeweller Clare Lloyd is passionate about colour, she wanted to make it the focal point of her designs without using gem stones so she started experimenting with polymer and resin clay and Colour Designs was born.

Each element of her jewellery is made by hand in her studio in the Silk Mill in Frome. Clare mixes each carefully chosen colour to reflect the colours she sees around her in the Somerset countryside.

Clare says: “I try to keep the shapes and styles of the jewellery simple to allow the colour to become the focal point.”

Forest & Fawn

Forest & Fawn is a contemporary jewellery brand, based in Falmouth, Cornwall. Each piece of jewellery is created by hand using recycled eco sterling silver and 9ct eco gold, and responsibly sourced diamonds and stones.

Forest & Fawn jewellery takes simple shapes alongside unusual textures and colours creating unique designs that are meant to be worn over and over again.

Forest & Fawn say, “We get a huge thrill from seeing people wearing our designs, creating pieces to be worn for a lifetime—we believe in slow fashion.”

Hannah Broadway

Hannah Broadway is an illustrator & designer making work that celebrates the little things in life.

Illustrating for over a decade, Hannah has worked with a range of clients from the NHS to Nike, Bristol University to Bloomsbury Publishing. She has illustrated picture books, designed t-shirts and produced murals for hospitals. She sells a range of print and cards that celebrate her love of the little things in life - and she appreciates how fortunate she is to do a job she loves!

Hannah says, “Everything starts with drawing - whether that is with pen and paper or pen and Wacom tablet, I make marks, think about colour and then play with composition.”

Hanne Rysgaard

Fun follows function for Bristol-based Danish ceramicist, Hanne Rysgaard, who creates colourful porcelain tableware and jewellery.

Hanne’s iconic milk jugs and mugs are made from the finest British porcelain with colourful transfer patterns which transform and enhance each piece, resulting in a joyful collection of ceramics which is made to make you smile :)

“I believe that a functional artefact should be made to do its job well... and it’s even better if it also succeeds in putting a smile on your face! All my work is made by my own two hands, and it is my heartfelt wish that people will enjoy using / wearing my work as much as I enjoy making it! x”

I Am Acrylic

Sometimes-cute, sometimes-stylish, I Am Acrylic design make hand-cut jewellery and knick-knacks, mostly made from acrylic.

All of I Am Acrylic’s designs are made using their trusty fretsaw. They don't use any laser cutting, and pride themselves that each and every creation is a unique one-off. Brendan & Ruth make everything in their Bristol workshop, set behind their shop on Christmas Steps. They often work with off-cuts of acrylic leftover from other makers to create mainly their popular Little Layered Lump necklaces. They are also big fans of knick-knacks and bric-a-brac and enjoy making miniature trees, flowers and buildings to decorate your desk / shelves / home with!

Ruth says, “Every component, from the design through to the polished product is carefully crafted, it’s a labour of love, but well worth it, as each item remains totally unique.”

Ilo

Gender-neutral clothing designed by Ilo is inspired by the Scandinavian philosophy of childhood, where play, comfort, environment, family and friends are all intertwined to nurture a wholesome child.

At the heart of our brand is a desire for a better future by creating long-lasting clothing made from organic cotton, that kids want to wear, and that grows with them, and won't need to be replaced often (if ever). Once its finished with, if it can’t be passed on, it can be recycled as much as possible, thus reducing throwaway fashion and waste. 

Violeta says, “Local is very important to us because of our desire for transparency. The bright and better world for our children includes knowing who made our clothes, and knowing that their working conditions are right and proper. We simply can't have it any other way.”

Kay Morgan

Kay Morgan is a leather jewellery maker who creates a colourful and stylish range of accessories from reclaimed leather.

Kay makes all her leather jewellery by hand in her studio at the bottom of her garden in Bristol.
Taking inspiration from her large range of antique hand punch tools and her love of shape, colour and texture, she loves combining all these elements in many variations to keep pieces lightweight, stylish and unique.

Kay says, “All my leather is now reclaimed from factories as either surplus or offcuts, and due to my making process very little waste is produced. Any waste I do create is either recycled or passed on to other makers for use in their own practises.”

Liz Vidal

From her studio just north of Bristol, Liz creates handmade, tactile ceramics with a focus on functionality and quality.

Liz intends her ceramics to be used everyday and she loves the idea that these objects could become a part of their owner's daily ritual. Each piece is very tactile, using a mix of stoneware clays to produce unique items. Her glaze palette ranges from bright pink to matte white, in the hope that there will be a pot for everyone in her collection.

Liz says, “Each design is tested first in my home – I am driven to produce very tactile pots, which sit comfortably in your hand.”

Loop

Polly Meech is a massage therapist with a passion for creating products that compliment her holistic practice.

Loop Massage is a boutique massage studio in a single shipping container in the now famous Wapping Wharf, established by Polly in 2017. To compliment the studio, she started to create a line of delicious smelling but natural, organic candles, scrubs and soaks. This was so that clients who loved the studio could take a bit of its joy back to their own homes.

Polly says, “I love that Loop is known for making people feel better, "it smells so good in here" is our most heard phrase. Our range is the how people get to keep our relaxing atmosphere with them, whenever they need it.”

Meryl Till

Meryl Till hand builds with porcelain to make a variety of interior based ceramics.

Recently Meryl has produced a range of colourful porcelain vessels that stack together, as well as making angled vases. Inlaying and marbling the porcelain she also makes unique individual small bowls and coasters that refer to nature. Her original collection of embossed porcelain lamps and candle covers play on the translucency of the clay.

Meryl says, "Due to the nature of hand built ceramics each of my pieces has an individual quality."

Paly Glass

Nikki from Paly Glass turns sheets of glass into beautiful botanical frames to hang around your home.

From her home studio in Totterdown, Bristol, Nikki encases hand pressed English flowers inside her individually handmade glass frames, where they are preserved forever.

Nikki says, “Every piece of glass is carefully cut and constructed into a beautiful item for you home. There are a lot of steps before I reach the final finished product, but so satisfying when I have some beautiful shiny polished glass at the end of it!”

Priormade

Priormade creates contemporary homewares, lighting and accessories using a range of sustainable, low impact and recycled materials. Attention to detail, skilled craftsmanship and responsible fabrication are at the forefront of every design.

Designer and fabricator Beck Prior creates each product in her Bristol shop – Prior Shop. Using only sustainable or reclaimed materials, each process is carefully executed. All off cuts are used to create key rings, magnets, jewellery or donated to local youth projects.

Beck says, “Every time I'm at a market and I hear a compliment about my work it makes my heart leap! Even after 7 years I am so emotionally attached to each piece as they've been created with my hands.”

Rose Nisbet

Rose Nisbet is a Bristol ceramicist who makes whimsical yet sophisticated homewares using organic forms and bold patterns.

Rose is a self taught ceramicist who developed her unique style from experimenting and seeing her mistakes flourish into new ideas in her studio in Bristol. She prefers to use a slab-building method which gives her ceramics a lovable irregular shape, illustrating the beauty of handmade objects. Rose hand paints her ceramics using bold patterns, then embellishes them in touches of gold (22 karat).

Rose says, “Even though my ceramics are decorative, I make sure each one can be used as an functional everyday item by using water resistant stoneware clay and gold lustre which is food safe. I don't want them to collect dust on the shelves, I want people to enjoy using them everyday.”

Sonya Bennett

Sonya’s jewellery collections feature exquisitely formed stags, owls and foxes alongside magpies, robins and oak trees, all handmade in sterling silver or gold, often with semi-precious stones and pearls.

Sonya Bennett’s inspiration for her jewellery range comes from first-hand observation of nature, as well as traditional rural tales and the symbolism of Romantic painters and poets.

Sonya says:  “The natural world cast a spell over me when I was a child and my jewellery reflects that all-consuming love of nature and storytelling.”

Sophie Walker

Sophie Walker makes small-scale sculptures designed to intrigue the curious.

Her hand-carved wooden sculptures often have hollow areas, sometimes hidden by doors, into which are placed smaller found objects or curiosities, or sometimes pieces of text or a poem.

Sophie says, “I love working to commission - it's wonderful to have the opportunity to make something that will ultimately mean more to someone else than it does to me.”

Studio Fae

Studio Fae is a Bristol-based designer, working with bold shapes and hand-printed textures to produce playful prints, pins and other hand printed items.

Print designer Katie Pieczenko works from her home studio in Bristol creating contemporary collages by mixing linoprints, monoprints and hand-painted patterns with bold paper shapes. Katie loves bright colour, and experimenting with different graphic techniques to create her prints.

Katie says, “I like to create a theme when working on my prints, maybe it’s a colour palette, a place I've been, or a natural element that I can create textures and shapes from. It always starts off quite messy: creating lino prints, rollering ink around to make textures, and then once I've got my composition I'll tidy it up on the computer, then re-screen print it or get it Giclée printed.”

Wendy Calder

Wendy Calder is a Bristol ceramicist who creates functional earthenware ceramics with botanical themed surface designs.

Wendy enjoys sketching and takes inspiration for her work from her own garden, walks around the local nature reserve and various National Trust properties. She uses the natural creams and reds of earthenware clays to compliment her delicate botanical images. Her handmade pieces are decorated with monoprint & scraffito techniques, each one slightly different in line and tone.

Wendy says, “I love the motion of the potter's wheel, the ball of clay becomes a vessel quite quickly. It's therapeutic and mesmerising at the same time. Thrown, turned, assembled, decorated, dried, fired, sanded, glazed, fired again ... anticipation runs high when I open the kiln for the last time for the piece to finally reveal itself.”

Wild Grove

Handmade, zero-waste bath and body soaps, based in Stokes Croft Bristol, Wild Grove offer incredible scents for a luxurious cleansing experience.

Lisa Pasquill adds fragrance and essential oil to the soap batter after the "cook", which locks in and maintains the integrity of scent. Many of these are generous bars of soap, but she also offers uniquely crafted felted soaps, wrapped in Merino wool creating boldly coloured exteriors which provide gentle exfoliation. A recent addition are the very popular and extremely gentle shampoo bars.

Lisa says, “All of my recipes have been created after years of research, careful testing and experience. Customers have a keen sense of this and trust the value of my product.”

Will Priestley

Will Priestley is a greenwood worker based in Bristol who specialises in hand-carved spoons, bowls and other beautiful and functional wooden items.

Using an axe, knives and traditional techniques dating back many hundreds of years, Will hand crafts wares from wood foraged within 10 miles of his workshop in Bristol.

Will says, “Every piece of wood has its own unique character and presents its own challenges which means that no two finished spoons are alike. It's exciting to split open a log and see what I have to work with!”