Press Release November 09

Filed under In the Press

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The Hand-made Revolution
Artists Converge in Unique Event to Showcase Work

Peterborough, 06 November 2009 – Peterborough residents who wish to support local artisans now have a unique opportunity to do so: This holiday season, Made by Artisans is launching a series of arts and crafts fairs featuring talented artists and designers from Cambridgeshire, Bedfordshire, Lincolnshire, Leicestershire, announces Tia Lush of Made by Artisans, the event organiser.

Made by Artisans was established to enable artists and designers to showcase their work and talents. The show will remain faithful to the arts and crafts movement in that there will only be items handcrafted by the artisans present. Mass-produced or brought-in items will not be sold at the event. Visitors can be confident that the goods they buy will be unique and hand-made by the artisans themselves.

The first fair will take place Saturday 21st November 2009 from 10am to 4pm at The Becket Chapel in Peterborough Cathedral, just in time for Christmas shopping season. Exhibitors at the fair will offer quality handcrafted items ranging from fine jewellery to accessories, recycled greetings cards to textile art to original canvases and prints. There will be demonstrations from a sculptor, a live photography portrait shoot and goody bags given to 50 visitors throughout the day.

“E-commerce is a convenient way to shop, but it lacks the personal element,” says Ms. Lush. “The same is true for large shopping centres, which furthermore do not feature local work. The purpose of the Made by Artisans fairs is to give shoppers the opportunity to meet talented artisans in our area and learn how their goods were made in a venue close to home.”

“In recent years, especially in the U.S. and now here in the U.K., handcrafted goods are becoming increasingly popular as recognition grows that they can compete with designer goods in terms of quality, and they have the added advantage of being unique and yet extremely affordable.”

She continues: “It’s clear that Peterborough and the surrounding area has been lacking in opportunities for artists to showcase their work and for shoppers to buy directly from them in an open market. Our goal is to introduce the community to the enormous pool of talent right at our doorstep. Entry to the fair is free, and I hope that visitors will take this opportunity to support their local artisans.”

Among the exhibitors are:

• Christine Pike, a talented maker of handmade bears who also specialises in ceramics, porcelain tableware and sculptures. Everything is designed and produced from her Norfolk-based studio. http://christinepikeblog.com/

• Hayley Mitchell, an art graduate who has a passion for illustrations and design and launched her own business selling recycled cards made from elephant poo. She currently sells her eco-cards and handmade jewellery to clients all around the world from her base in Leicestershire. http://www.rubywren.com

• Stephanie Phillips, a textile artist specialising in freeform crochet art who wants to show the world that crochet is not just about doilies and dishcloths and that even the Granny Square can be modern and exciting. Stephanie is based in Bedfordshire. http://hookandscumble.blogspot.com/

• Kerry Wilkinson, a designer who specialises in unique resin-based jewellery and accessories. Kerry uses a process of embedding objects into resin, which is then finished with varnish; each piece is carefully made entirely by hand from her studio in Leicestershire. http://www.penny-dog.co.uk/

• Amanda Crowther, a photographer who specialises in photographing children and families and capturing those treasured moments with candid and natural images. Amanda is based in South Lincs. http://www.pinkmilkphotography.co.uk/

• Nicola Callow, an award-winning fine jewellery designer who creates pieces ranging from simple and understated to bold “one-off” and unique. Nicola enjoys working on commissions and handcrafts all her jewellery from her shop in Cambridgeshire. http://www.muranosilver.com/

• Sarah Hickman, a maker of beautiful gifts for the home who uses reclaimed products and ethical methods. Sarah makes all her products from her base in Bedfordshire. http://www.landcuckoo.com/

A list of exhibitors at the November fair is available at www.madebyartisans.co.uk. Information about a subsequent spring fair in 2010 will also appear on the site in the next few months, and registration will begin shortly. Any local artisans wishing to participate can register their interest online.

Made by Artisans is managed and owned by Who Ate My Crayons Ltd., a design agency specialising in branding and design for small to medium-sized businesses. Design, not rocket science.

Comments (0) | November 6th, 2009