Raised in a home full of art supplies, Sylvie Watson is hard wired to create things. The Auckland-based jewellery designer and maker draws on her creative training and the nature of found objects and materials to design contemporary jewellery that combines simple lines, strong form, and organic shapes and textures.
Christchurch-based graphic designer Donna Robertson is devoted to creating illustrations that grab people’s attention and hearts. She finds inspiration in her beloved city of Ōtautahi Christchurch, creating illustrations that celebrate city’s revitalisation. Her work has recently been recognised by the Christchurch City Council, who value her designs as as gifts for visiting dignitaries, and her beautiful designs also feature in this year’s Felt Christmas Gift Guide.
Nicola Price of Orchid Blue NZ leads a busy life: she is a jewellery maker by day and an HCA in a rest home/dementia unit by night. Her jewellery reflects her desire to reduce waste by upcycling and recycling tiny everyday art treasures – vintage silverwares and Aotearoa’s beautiful old coins.
John Robertson of Wood and Chisel crafts beautiful wooden homewares from his Ōtautahi Christchurch family home. His work is a response to the absence of beauty and meaning in modern day mass production. His mission? To create beautiful and useful objects with unique pieces of reclaimed timber, to bring moments of joy as we go about our everyday activities.
For Liz Neale, it all began with a desire to create something truly special for her sensitive skin – something that not only brought results, but also nourished and nurtured the skin with the goodness of nature. Seeing skincare products with extravagant claims and sometimes questionable ingredients sparked a fire within her to do better, to offer something natural, genuine, and effective. The result? Bodytreats
When Emma Gillard sold her bookshop and took time out to recuperate after a breast cancer diagnosis, she discovered a passion for pottery that has taken over her North Canterbury garage and become Emma G Potteree. Beautiful textures are a feature of her hand built ceramic homewares, inspired by textiles and natural treasures she collects.
When the opportunity arose for architects Natalie and Lukas to take their passion for sustainable living and love of growing microgreens to the next level, they took the plunge and started Little Stem Microgreens.
Julia Banks has a passion for hand making slow-crafted sterling silver jewellery using traditional silversmithing techniques. Working from her home studio in rural Greendale, Canterbury, her work takes inspiration from nature and her home garden – and her focus is on exquisite detail and quality from beginning to end.
Bianca Escobar, also known as Bee, creates intricate pieces of hand embroidery for her Felt shop Embroider with Bee. Based in Ōtautahi Christchurch, Bee designs and stitches original works, mainly inspired by nature and promoting positive mental health. She also embroiders custom pieces, and has recently embarked on a new project involving creating patterns and teaching.
Umi is a lifelong learner of all things ‘makery’, especially if they involve watercolours, paper, inks or yarns. Working out of her small shed in rural north Auckland, she makes and packages ‘slow’ stationery and art. Umi’s background in science and education fuels her desire for slowing down and really noticing the world around her – be that the path of a busy beetle or the settling of granules in a watercolour stroke.