Maker’s Choice – Lizzy Chambers

Lizzy Chambers is a designer and creator of exquisite glass jewellery.

She has a passion for colour and growing beautiful natural things.

Her collection includes a beautiful botanical range of flowers and seeds that are grown in her own garden and from a farm in the North of England.

Her keepsake jewellery has a hint of nostalgia and fairy tales, giving it that magical feeling.

Lizzy's favourite product is the crystal pull through earrings, they add a little bit of glamour to your outfit and are super comfortable to wear too. She’ll be bringing them to Homeworks and Lizzy will probably wearing a pair too! 

Lizzy find's inspiration in places that you might not expect and normally when she isn't looking for it too. Whilst taking walks, browsing her favourite gardening magazines, taking a shower is sometimes the best place for a new idea!
Come and meet Lizzy at Homeworks on Sunday 9 December.

Maker’s Choice – Nina Nou

I am an illustrator and designer and run the brand Nina Nou, I work from my small studio in East London.

I make and sell art prints, stationery, children’s books and textile products:

I work alongside my faithful dog Ziggy who often features in my designs.

I would like to nominate my brand new cotton woven throws as my favourite product. The design ‘Persia’ was inspired by my half Persian roots.

The animals in the design are taken from Persian carpets, apart from Ziggy who makes an appearance on there too!

These woven throws are perfect as blankets, bedspreads, or can be used as wall hangings in kids’ rooms. They are made by a small family run mill in North Carolina in America and are spun and woven from 100% cotton.

I’ll be at Homeworks on Sunday 2 December, see you there!

Maker’s Choice – Rebecca Denton

I’m Rebecca Denton and I’m a painter/printmaker based in North London. I create unique, handcrafted prints and original illustrations.

I’m coming to Homeworks on Sunday 2 December with a selection of my prints and etchings.

I exhibit all over the UK, have work archived in the V+A and my etchings can be seen permanently at the Southbank Printmakers Gallery.

I work from my own rough sketches and ideas, combining various techniques.

I do love to create etchings and combining this ancient form of printmaking with original ideas. I enjoy every step of the process... from redrawing my pencil sketch onto a grounded zinc plate to adding various techniques for tone and texture.

The most exciting part is pulling the first print, as the result can be quite unexpected! The plate is inked for every print in the small edition making each one truly unique.

 

My favourite place to find inspiration:

Everywhere really... my sketchbook, imagination, holidays and childhood memories.

Come and meet Rebecca at Homeworks on Sunday 2 December.

Maker’s Choice – Dorothy Stiven

Homeworks regular Dorothy Stiven is back again this year with a selection of her carefully sourced one-off vintage finds. She’ll be at Homeworks on Sunday 2 December:

I started selling antiques and vintage when I was working in television and my daughter was at Malorees School in Queens Park. What started as a hobby has now become my business...I sell at Fairs all over the country, on Instagram @dorothystiven and at my stand at Station Mill Antiques in Chipping Norton in Oxfordshire.
I am also the co-organiser of The Reclaimed Home Fair in the Cotswolds.

I love the hunt involved in finding old things...it may be dark and cold at 5am at a brocante in France, at a trade fair on a racecourse in the U.K, or in a field at an antiques show in rural America but I still get a thrill in discovering treasures

It might be a torn old patchwork quilt, a tatty painting or a dirty old pair of candlesticks but I get a thrill in cleaning them up and seeing the beauty in them.

My customers, I would say, are those who love their homes, but are not bound by what is only mass produced or available on the high street.

I feel that by buying antiques and vintage you are not only reclaiming your home but also you are doing the planet a favour by not adding to landfill.

But paramount is that everything I sell is beautiful as well as useful!

Maker’s Choice – Consuelo Radclyffe

Brazilian born, Consuelo Radclyffe studied ceramics at Westminster University and graduated in 2008.

She makes clay sculptures and objects and her inspirations include childhood memories, cartoons characters and caricatures. Her favourite products are cats and plates. They are quirky and interesting, some functional and others decorative.

She will be back at Homeworks on Sunday 2 December selling a variety of objects – bowls and plates with painted faces, vases and birds.

Maker’s Choice – Scobel Clothing

Scobel Clothing is a carefully considered capsule wardrobe of versatile utility inspired items of clothing for women. Founder and creative director Jackie Parsons will be bringing her collection to Homeworks on Sunday 9 December.

Jackie explains in her own words the design philosophy behind her fashion label:
“I only wear clothes I have made. Inspiration comes from solving problems of wearability; tweaking the ‘cut’ so that each item is constantly evolving:

Where ever possible I strive to minimise pressure on the environment by using fabrics sourced from stock excess to the trade.

All items are designed, cut and sewn my myself in my studio in south east London. My favourite item is the cross back apron as it cam be worn by all members of the family in a number of situations:

Inspiration also comes from costume dramas which I can watch endlessly and visiting vintage markets and museums.”

Maker’s Choice – Romor Designs

Rob Jones, of Romor Designs is a textiles designer and maker practising Japanese textiles crafts including Shibori, Katagami stencilling, Sashiko and Boro and dyeing with Indigo and natural plant dyes.

He designs, dyes and creates all his own fabrics which he makes into into lampshades, homewares, scarves, bags and gifts.

We asked Rob which of his favourite products he will be bringing to Homeworks on Sunday 2 December and where does he find his inspiration:

“My favourite product I make is my lavender eye pillows. Filled with organic French lavender from Dove Farm in Norfolk, and dyed with Japanese indigo in a variety of patterns these are one of my best sellers and make a great gift.

Japan is my inspiration! I've been twice now and am taking a group over in November 2019 to do a textiles workshop in the mountains outside Tokyo. I love seeing the skill and expertise of the Japanese craftspeople which inspires my own work.”

Come and meet Rob on Sunday 2 December.

Maker’s Choice – Wilder Botanics

Wilder Botanics are organic therapeutic herbal blends for whole body well being, both inside and out. We specialise in organic and wild crafted herbal infusions; body and face oils and salts and soaks. We use only the the finest organic wild crafted ingredients in every hand blended product.

It’s difficult to choose just one favourite product as we love and use them all ... daily! 

Most probably at the moment our night oil makes me swoon. I love the forest, whether it be in Somerset or on the Heath . Or the mountains in Summer with wild Arnica & Echinacea.

Rachel.

Wilder Botanics will be at Homeworks on Sunday 2 December.

Maker’s Choice – By Cecil

I started my weaving life during my Foundation year at Camberwell when we were asked to complete a weaving module. It felt like a lightbulb moment and the realisation that this is what I was supposed to be doing.

I went on to complete a degree in Textiles Design at Central Saint Martins specialising in weave. After a decade working for high street brands in product management, I missed the joy you feel when creating a product from scratch.

By Cecil was launched in January of this year and I haven't looked back. I mainly work with wool concentrating on techniques such as double cloth and twills with my main focus being on texture and colour. I have a collection of merino wool scarves and blankets created as a part of a limited edition run. There are between 5 and 18 of each design made as a reflection of my desire to create heirloom pieces.

I love nothing more than snuggling under one of my blankets on the sofa. You cannot beat a Sunday film session, fire crackling and tea on tap. I find that I wear the Heather scarf most as I love the combination of colours. The merino wool is so soft and comforting, and I love the way it holds the scent of my perfume.
 

I love a wander on the beach, particularly on a cold and blustery day. It blows away the cobwebs and leaves you feeling simultaneously fresh and exhausted. If I am feeling stuck creatively, then I usually take a day to go to the Tate. A trip into town tends to involve a walk along the Thames from Borough (and of course a trip to Borough Market for some brownies).

Come and meet Cecilia at our Homeworks Christmas Bazaar on Sunday 9 December.

Makers Choice – Elvira Van Vredenburgh

In the coming weeks we will be featuring a selection of our designers and makers and asking them to choose a favourite piece from their collection.

Today we are kicking off with Elvira Van Vredenburgh, back for another year with us on Sunday 2 December:

I have always had a passion for anything printed and studied at The Royal College of Art leaving with an MA in printed textile design. Afterwards I set up a print studio selling silk screen and then digitally printed fabric designs worldwide to designer names such as Marc Jacobs and Calvin Klein to High Street stores such as The Gap and Victoria Secret.

In 2016 I decided it was time for a change of direction and so Elvira van Vredenburgh Designs was born. Instead of selling to other designers I wanted to become the designer maker.

Starting with a small collection of cards which then turned into wrapping paper, notecards, notebooks and giclee prints and printed silk scarves:

 My first collection ‘Birds’ was inspired by the drama and movement of birds in flight, almost like a dance. I wanted to capture this spirit in her designs. My style is very bold and graphic yet has a delicate edge.

I’m very inspired by 30’s style vintage posters with strong blocks of colour and pattern:

Designs start as a little pencil sketch and are then scanned into the computer and reworked in Adobe illustrator. This is where the play of bold shapes, colour and pattern takes place.

I will be bringing my updated snowflake Christmas wrapping paper to homeworks this year. It is my most popular online product and a current favourite: