Newcastle Craft Mafia Members:
Core members:
Founding member:
Leeanne Lowe
www.sittingonthewall.com www.sittingonthewall.etsy.com
I spend so much of my time sitting on the wall with my two little boys . . . talking about things that, to us adults, may seem irrelevant, but to me and my little boy, they are what makes us tick. . . In a child's words, life can be so exciting . . . everything they see, everything they do . . . well it's what makes them who they are isn't it? Some of the products I make are inspired by what we see sitting on the wall, some are things I have made for my little ones, some are the things that i am inspired by and some are just random things that i make...
All Sitting on the Wall products are handmade with extreme care and your little one in mind. We aim to provide a range of beautiful handmade products that are reflective of a time gone by; cherished handmade items that can be passed down from generation to generation. In a world where mass production is, sadly becoming more evident, we strive provide you with an alternative, more design led range of products that should be cherished for years to come.
Founding member:
Cassandra Harrison - Textile and Print Artist (Gee How Quaint)
www.cassandraharrison.co.uk www.geehowquaint.com
Very simply, I love to create artwork. More importantly, I live to create artwork that is enjoyed by others. Whether it's a simple scene from a much loved city, or an illustration chalk full of vivid colours, I must create. As my friend says, I have joined in 'the war against ugly' with my small creations.
I love working with screen print and fabric. My current artworks, based on Newcastle, has been brilliant. I like contrasts. I like the rigid structures of the buildings and capturing that in print, then softening it up a bit with colourful fabric and stitching.
Gee How Quaint is a business I started in 2005. Knicker bags, shoe bags and my registered design for the Waterproof Swim Bag are my unique offerings for those who love to travel.
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Core members:
Emma Louise Originals
Christine White - Thread Spider Textiles
www.threadspidertextiles.co.uk
My name is Christine White and I am based in Newcastle upon Tyne .I have always been fascinated with textiles but I decided about 7 years ago that I needed to formalise my interest in textiles and embroidery and extend my skills. This resulted in a Diploma in Design and Creative Embroidery. Currently I am continuing my exploration of stitch and design on a Master class course which is nearing completion. I am a member of "Stitch in 9" textile group and have exhibited in various venues locally.
I love creating new surfaces-to-stitch from a wide range of different sources, including hand created fabrics and paper. The new textile is then further worked using hand or machine embroidery, with the added embellishment of paint or beads to make wearable art or functional items, such as accessories and wall hangings.
Please visit my web page for more information and images.
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My work is inspired mainly by toys and memories from when I was small: marbles, buttons, paper snowflakes, spirograph patterns - they all keep cropping up in the things I make. I spend most of my time on printmaking and jewellery at the moment, and have recently added some sterling silver items to my website including my favourite ghosty earrings!
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Handmade By Button was created in 2008. I create one off unique plush teddies and felt food items all crafted by hand with some machine sewing involved in larger items (Lumpy Bears.)
I am inspired by colour, patterns and everyday items such as cakes in shop windows. I love to collect things like buttons, ribbons and materials as they inspire me while I work.
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Amy Frampton
www.finalcrit.com/art/amyshrew www.folksy.com/shops/amyframpton
Some small badgers like biscuits and so do I. I produce prints (lino, mono, screen and digital) that focus on animals in both natural and un-natural settings and commonly having a nice bit of tea or such. They all have personalities. The prints are normally between postcard and a5 sizes but can be bigger or smaller depending on the design. I enjoy shape, colour and being playful. As well as prints, I also design and make textile produce including jewellery, home goods, blankets and accessories that all feature animal and bird motifs.
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Zulekha
www.zuleykha.etsy.com www.zuclay.blogspot.com
I have been crafting for as long as I can remember. Sewing, knitting, crochet and embroidery - I have devoted 3-4 years to each of those lovely hobbies, each time fully dissolving in it, giving it a good part of each day. That is why the first part of my shop's name is "stitch", although I no longer work with fibers and fabric. Half a year ago, just before Chritmas 2008, I found photos of beautiful creations made of polymer clay, which took my breath away. Polymer clay filled my mind and I could not think of anything else since then. Polymer clay is a fantastic media with endless possibilities. Using Internet sources I taught myself millefiori technique (and I keep learning each day), which is my most favourite technique in polymer clay right now.
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Brigid Campbell - Irish Granny Originals
I'm a granny and Irish, now living in Newcastle upon Tyne. I've always loved making things. My mother taught me how to knit and my granny taught me crochet. I knitted my first garment in 1959, an emerald green jumper using yarn ripped out from a cardigan of my mother's - those were the days of post-war thrift! Granny was an expert at crochet - her specialism was fine white Irish lace crochet but in the upper room (parlour) of the farmhouse, at Eshnadarragh, (translates as 'waterfall of the oak trees') in the hills of County Fermanagh there were also 'granny square' cushions made from colourful scraps of wool. There were few books and no TV when my sister and I stayed at granny's but I remember being fascinated by an old Dulux paint chart which I found in the shed among the half-empty paint pots. I loved the shiny colour samples and the words to describe them - Wedgewood blue, moonlight grey - i've always loved colour!
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Joanna Sullivan - Joannasaurus-rex
In the last year I have been making my own cards mainly for friends & family, simply to keep my creative juices flowing while I eagerly await my Textiles & Surface Design course. I am counting down the days! (88
Laura Hebron
Inspired by the Northumberland coast, I collect natural and industrial objects from beaches, harbours and ports. I manipulate these rejected and ignored items into jewellery using a mix of textile techniques and fisherman's rope work. I started this collection to push against our current destructive throwaway fashion culture by recycling rejected objects and transforming them into desirable and wearable pieces of art.
Leanne Pearce
Crafternoon sells ready-made beautiful items for the home, crafts in a kit form and limited edition illustrations. Crafternoon is my new business venture, but my passion for arts and crafts has been with me all my life.
Alongside the product range I teach craft in various venues around the Northeast, including Woodhorn Colliery every last Sunday of the month, its free to all visitors as long as you book.
Website is currently under construction
Brittania Douglas - Rule Brittania
P.S. Yea, her name really is Brittania, and she likes to think, one day, she will rule her kingdom.
http://www.petlambcupcakes.blogspot.com
http://petlambpatisserie@hotmail.com
Sure, for the purists among you, we're not actually a real patisserie yet but we'll be working on that one ;) For now you'll just have to deal with delicious cupcakes, delightful brownies, yumtastic cookies served by two very happy lasses!
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I have always enjoyed arts and generally being creative from a young age, I have continued my passion and studied fashion and fine art. With this background I create paintings using very mixed medium- anything I can get my hands on! I am inspired by generally anything that I come across; flowers, cities, day to day events - I tend not to stick to a specific subject matter. And if I'm not painting, I am deconstructing vintage pieces of jewellery, (with the help from my sister) and reconstructing them into more unique and individual pieces alternative to the usual high street designs. If that hasn't satisfied my creativity for the day, I get my sewing machine out and create soft furnishings using vintage fabrics.
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http://www.etsy.com/shop/Paperfaerie
England. I make sculptures and installations out of second hand books, maps and found papers. I am interested in the patterns of language and the language of pattern, both of which play a large part in the work that I make. My work ranges from one-off free standing and wall mounted sculptures to large scale installations consisting of hundreds of sculptures, I also make functional items for the home and office such as lighting, cards, journals and ornaments. I am enthralled by repetition, recycling forgotten objects and secret codes and mysteries.
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I am an illustrator and designer, living and sometimes working
in a lovely corner of the North East. My work is often inspired by Fashion,
Art, music and folklore.
Victoria Mcdonald - Mixed Madia Artist & Champagne drinker
b. 1981 in Belfast, Northern IrelandWhen Victoria is not acting as a tourist information service to hen and stag dos in Newcastle City Centre and generally trying to keep the Queen's peace, she likes to create mixed media artworks as her own form of therapy!
Emma Hamilton Jewellery designer/maker
Associate members:
Zoe Yen Yen Jewellery and Art
www.folksy.com/shops/zoeyenyen
Hi, my name is Zoe and I design and make Jewellery/Accessories and paint my own Art. You will see from my collections that I love colour and shapes and try to be as adventurous with them as I can. My inspiration comes from many things but mostly from my surroundings and the people around me. I don't believe too much in trends and tend to make items which are one off's as I believe this will make the buyer feel they are spending value for money. I also hate it when I see someone else wearing the same thing as me, so have consciously decided that we should all be given the right to be individuals.
My current products consist of a lot of flowers and beads -inspired by summer. I hope to develop further products in silver jewellery so keep an eye out for new items on my blog and online shop.
I will also be adding more paintings on as and when I find the time to paint. This is one of my favourite past times. I find it so therapeutic and relaxing. My ideas for artwork often come from influential artists such as Georgia O'keeffe and Salvador Dali and images I've collected over the years for my scrapbook of inspiration.
Gemma Owens - Senor Picklesworth
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Rachael Reid - Slugs and snails and puppy dog tails
My textile products are inspired by my little boy and all the things he likes - diggers, tractors, dinosaurs, choo-choos, spiders, helicopters, monkeys… I found it really hard to find appealing bags etc. that weren't just based on TV merchandising so decided to create my own. My range is aimed mainly (but not exclusively) at little boys, and little girls who don't just like pink! Bright and colourful with bold appliquéd images, products currently include child sized backpacks, book bags, washbags, pocket money purses, pencil cases and tooth fairy pillows. Each piece is unique and can be personalised with name, initials and favourite objects/animals/pets…
www.folksy.com/shops/hulahulahair
I live in South Shields with my Fiance Chris and our two dogs Brodie and Kai.
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Lorna Hogg - Sockimals
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Tara Scholes Jewellery Designer http://www.tarascholes.yolasite.com
Want to join the family? Email us at
membership@newcastlecraftmafia.com