The Felt team would like to say a huge thank you to all the wonderful makers we’ve met through our Meet the maker blog series in 2020 – you’re truly inspiring! We’re looking forward to getting to know more amazing Kiwi makers in 2021. 🙂
Christchurch ceramicist Emma Turner enjoys telling stories about our every day surroundings in her artistic and functional pieces. From her home studio she produces appealing and practical thrown and hand built ceramic wares, as well as a range of striking, unique necklaces and brooches.
Deb Tuckey of Finnbear Kicks and Capers is the mastermind behind a range of gorgeous original designs inspired by and created for her boys – and now she’s sharing them with you! From her home on Paraparaumu she makes colourful, high quality bike and scooter handlebar baskets, soft sole baby and toddler shoes, and stunning masks and headbands for imaginative play.
Suzie Horne of Curlicue NZ produces her wirework jewellery from beautiful Titirangi, West Auckland. When making her jewellery she takes inspiration from the natural environment around her, and places importance on selecting materials on the basis of how local and sustainable they are. Utilising 100% recycled sterling silver wires, semi precious stones, pearls, paua and Swarovski crystals, her pieces often feature the spirals and curlicues that fascinate her.
A lover of the ocean, Rowena Shirtcliff of Sonder & Wilde lived on the sea for three years and visited many remote islands while working as a chef on private yachts in the Mediterranean, Atlantic, Caribbean and Pacific. It was here she grew her appreciation for traditional methods of making textiles, food, and products. Recently Rowena spent time at the Scuola del Cuoio (School of Leather) in Florence, Italy, where she worked alongside an artisan leather worker and learned incredibly valuable skills in construction and finishing. Sonder & Wilde comes from that love of creating and the need for honest, quality New Zealand leather goods.
Sculptor and miniaturist Reynold Turner of Old Relic has a passion for local history and the old gold rush-era relics and buildings around Central Otago. He loves to recreate their homes and equipment in miniature, using the same building methods as the early settlers. Working with his bare hands, hammer, chisel, and tin snips, he shapes schist, river stone, slate, and rusty tin into stunning tiny scenes.
Austrian born Jinx from Magpie Castle decided to move halfway across the world to New Zealand after finishing school. She’d never been on a plane before, but being adventurous and a bit naïve at the time she thought it’d be a good idea. Her mum’s reaction was: “New Zealand? Do they even have roads there?” But mum always told her to “Live your dreams” as well so that’s exactly what she did, and it all turned out fine on the other side of the world.
Amy Civil of Stitched is a time-management genius, juggling the commitments of being a stay-at-home mum with developing her sewing hobby into a home-based business. From her Rotorua home she produces beautifully constructed and presented textile items, for little ones and their grown-ups.
Mike Walker of Walker’s Woodturning was born and bred on a sheep and beef farm in the King Country. His passion for woodturning began with many childhood hours spent turning with his grandfather. In 2002 Mike broke his back, and it was this that eventually led him to take up woodturning again in his adult years, this time in a professional capacity. Assisted by his wife Helen on the business front, Mike has worked hard to adapt traditional turning techniques to his needs, and as a result he’s competent at ambidextrous turning, and turning seated or standing.
Cathy Bouma of Tuahiwi Botanicals has been fascinated by herbs since she created her first herb garden as a teenager. Now she grows all the herbs that she uses in her botanical skincare products. She likes to share this knowledge in workshops that she runs … Read more »