From her Wellington home studio looking out over a semi-wild garden, Fireworks jewellery designer Melanie Mills creates beautiful, unique metal pieces inspired by ferns, corokia and other flora of the forest. Characterised by elegant botanical shapes, her designs feature intricate filigree and the stunning combination of sterling silver with copper and brass.
Just the right weight to hang beautifully, but light enough to wear comfortably all day, this sculptural linked leather chain by Gotta Have is made from 100% leather offcuts handcrafted into wearable art.
Ceramicist Kaye Bustin lives and works from her home in Waikanae Beach, Wellington, creating mini artworks inspired by the intricacies of seedpods and sea shells. Her simple designs draw on her experiences living in India and reflect a fascination with tiny treasures collected from New Zealand beaches and native bush.
From her studio overlooking stunning native bush in the beautiful Bay of Plenty, Aly Bennett has built up her craft business, Native Creative, from an original range of collages on plywood to a collection of innovative product designs inspired by New Zealand birdlife.
Jewellery designer Hannah Clayton has been crafting her wares in a little house on the hill over looking Whitianga Bay for the last seven years. Already established selling under her own name through design stores and galleries throughout New Zealand, this year she launched Whalebird Jewellery, her own online shop on Felt.
Ceramics artist Gillian Weavers of Mudbird is making the best of a bad situation. Her Woolston property, like so many in Christchurch, has taken a hammering in the recent earthquakes. Silt flooded her property in February and again in June, swamping her garage and damaging her kiln. However, Gillian isn’t one to be put off by a spate of natural disasters. She took the silt and made it into something beautiful.
How awesome to see Petra wearing Cloud Nine Creative earthquake earrings on Breakfast yesterday! Lee is donating 20% of proceeds from her Love Christchurch jewellery range to the Red Cross Canterbury Earthquake Appeal.
Based in the Wairarapa, Sharyl Skipsey started her jewellery label flameRED in 2009 after moving with her family from Wellington to Featherston for a change of lifestyle. Since then, her creative outlet has grown into a successful small business both online and through retailers around the country.
Gillian Weavers started her ceramics business, MudbirdNZ, on Felt in October last year. Since then she has featured at three markets in her hometown of Christchurch and is becoming a regular at local craft events. Trained as a professional photographer, Gill was born into a creative family and is now passing her crafty skills on to her three children.
Jewellery artists Charmayne Dobbs and Ingrid Schloemer invite you to attend their second Summer Silver Retreat in Haumoana, Hawke’s Bay on 12 and 13 March 2011. Over the two days, they’ll give tuition in the creation of silver jewellery using precious metal clay. An experience for all senses and a time to meet like-minded people and make new friends!