For our 2018 Makers Market we have invited some of the best individual makers, designers and artists from Wales and across the UK to join us for our winter exhibition.

We will be featuring beautifully crafted and carefully selected ceramics, textiles, clothing, wood and leather as well as small local food producers.

There’ll be something for every pocket from that extra special hand crafted gift to a range of unusual stocking fillers.

 

Featuring:

For 2018 we’re delighted to be featuring blankets woven in west Wales and designed by London based Eleanor Pritchard; Welsh wool blankets from top Pembrokeshire designer and sheep farmer Gillian Osband; cushions and scarves from weaver Louise Tucker – Louise will also be showing a range of stylish woven maple wood lights.

Winter scarves and snoods in fabulous colourways from Ceredigion based knitter Marissa Thereze; a range of woven scarves and wraps from British design duo Wallace and Sewell, known for their use of colour, structure and yarn in surprising geometric patterns; unusual woollen socks and gloves in fun colours and patterns from London designer Catherine Tough.

We’re pleased to offer exceptional quality structured leather handbags from British designers Bonner Leather as well as leather belt and purse making kits from Carmarthenshire maker Nia Denman.

We’ll be stocking British designed and made utility wear including hard wearing work smocks, dungarees, work trousers, work jackets and duffle bags from the Carrier Company, set up in 1995 by Tina Guillory from her home in Norfolk.

Tiny embroidered fairy-tale dolls from Megan Ivy Griffiths; stitch work, stone carving and jewellery from Abergavenny artist duo Amanda and Matt Caines; we’re delighted to introduce the work of Dorset based stained glass artist Gillian McCormick, we’ll be showing a collection of subtly painted fused glass panels; The Stealthy Rabbit (Emily Warren) will be showing a beautiful range of characterful papier-mache creatures.

Ceramics from top UK makers including Pembrokeshire based Peter Bodenham; home ware from 6th generation Ewenny potter Caitlin Jenkins; new for 2018 we’ll be showing functional wheel thrown pottery by Robyn Cove made in her studio in south Wales – capturing a rustic warmth with contemporary surface designs; also new to the gallery Anne Barrell will be showing a range of sgraffito pots, jugs and platters featuring merchant ships, sailing boats, fishing trawlers and all things to do with the sea; influenced by folk art and story-telling, we have a range of vases and platters from Norfolk based Illustrator, ceramicist (and canary keeper) Polly Fern; a range of mugs combining the abstract, the familiar and the sensual made by Cardiff based Rosie Harman; we’ve selected a small,  elegantly decorated collection of unglazed jug and bottle forms from Carmarthenshire’s James and Tilla Waters – we’ll also be featuring ceramic bead necklaces made by Tilla.

North Wales based David White (The Whittlings) will be joining us this year showing a range of his hand-carved tableware made from sustainably sourced Welsh-grown hardwoods; Astrid de Groot, based in Pembrokeshire will be showing a collection of hand carved spoons alongside her new range of sustainable eco ‘take-away’ coffee mugs using sycamore wood sourced in west Wales; hand carved stools and seats from Carmarthenshire woodworker, Sam Knight made from a selection of local woods; we’re also pleased to welcome back Rudd’s Rakes who make traditional wooden hay rakes from ash and silver birch. Based in Cumbria, the company was established in 1890 and has remained in the Rudd family ever since, they are the last commercial rake makers in Britain.

North Wales maker Ann Catrin Evans will be showing a range of her hand forged door knockers; Pembrokeshire blacksmith Mike Davies has designed and made an exclusive range of iron toasting forks especially for our Makers Market 2018.

We’ll be featuring bottled produce from Welsh born cook Anja Dunk alongside her beautifully photographed and newly published book, Strudel, Noodles and Dumplings: The New Taste of German Cooking; we’re delighted to welcome Parc y Dderwen and thier raw, naturally fermented  sauerkraut & kimchi made in Pembrokeshire; we’ll have bottled produce from west Wales forager Jade Mellor (Wild Pickings); new and classic flavours of top quality chocolate made in Carmarthenshire by Nom Nom.

Adorn your Christmas tree with decorations from Carmarthenshire ceramicist Carlo Brisco; decorate your home and table with origami decorations, old fashioned paper chains and luxury Christmas cracker kits from Cambridge Imprint.

We’ve sourced some special stocking fillers including beautifully packaged cut flower seeds from Somerset based Grace Alexander Flowers; a forest of hand-turned, collectible, abstract tree ornaments from Sussex designers Forge Creative; a pop up theatre to assemble designed by artist Clive Hicks-Jenkins and produced by Benjamin Pollock’s Toy Theatre Company; Christmas rubber stamps Inspired by a love of nature and old folklore, designed and handmade on the South Coast of England by textile artist and designer Nula Shearing (Nooli Bird) – a great way to produce your own hand printed cards and wrapping paper; witty stationery from The School of Thought; stylishly covetable haberdashery from Sussex based Merchant & Mills; a range of special books including author and ‘wild dyer’ Abigail Booth; basket maker Jenny Crisp and small publisher Little Toller Books.

Last but most certainly not least, our exclusive Oriel Myrddin Gallery cooks matchbox designed by Carmarthenshire printmaker Tom Frost, an extra special stocking filler to grace your winter hearth.

 

 

 

Image: Robyn Cove