May 22nd draws nearer!

 

Well folks, here is Heart Gallery in print and in all its glory - five finalists, one trophy!

Just to let you know that Heart Gallery will be closed Thursday 22nd May and Friday 23rd May as we hot foot it down to London to this prestigious event. I am so excited about this …. not just being one of five finalists to be truthful, but having a two day break away from Hebden Bridge. I am proud and overwhelmed to have got this far and just to be at The Royal Lancaster Hotel enjoying this amazing evening will be fantastic (don’t think I will be quaffing any wine though … just got the wine list through and their cheapest red is an Australian Shiraz at £36!!).

So, as a reminder, I shall close at 5pm Wednesday 21st May and re-open at 10.30am Saturday 24th May ….. hopefully with the award taking pride of place in Heart Gallery but if not, make sure you call in to get all the gossip!

Craft & Design - May/June

 

This has just arrived in so hurry down before they all go as it is certainly gaining in popularity as a visual feast for makers.

Makepiece - truth and beauty

After much anticipation the new Spring/Summer range from Makepiece has now arrived in Heart Gallery, and boy was it worth the wait! Beautiful clothes with ethics. For hundreds of years, farmer makers in our Pennine valley have produced wool, spun it and created fabric pieces. Makepiece has taken their legacy and created a collection of clothes for the future. Natural yarns from sustainable farming. Undyed and natural dyed options. Low impact manufacture. Fair employment. Working to be carbon neutral. 

The story of the yarns Makepiece use starts with sheep. Our landscape is shaped by centuries of ovine grazing, from bleak Lakeland peaks to the beaches of northerly Hebridean islands to lush southern pastures. Makepiece use the cream of fibre produced in the UK through their association with Prestige Fibres. Their wool is accredited by the British Wool Marketing Board.

Spinning is traditional to West Yorkshire. The best wool is collected and cleaned to remove grease, combed into tops which are then spun. Most of their yarns are spun locally, by specialist mills in Bradford and Halifax, within 20 miles of the Makepiece studio. These yarns are highly unusual and very special, the produce of years of experience and expertise.

Makepiece love colour, but colouring processes can be unkind to the environment and to the yarn. Makepiece choose their palette from undyed yarn - some of it from sheep with naturally black, brown or grey fleece, organic dyestuffs, natural dye and environmentally monitored chlorine free synthetic dye processes.

Makepiece’s collections are designed in the Makepiece studio by Nicola. Garments are knitted by specialist knitters and by a small traditional lace knitting factory. Some garments are felted after knitting to create a textured knitted fabric. All Makepiece clothes are hand finished. Makepiece make all their pieces in the UK.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Helen Noakes

Helen makes a fantastically, unique range of jewellery, but then most designer/makers do! How dull to stick to just earrings but …what a pair!! Helen’s work is greatly admired in Heart Gallery and I am really proud she chose me as one if her outlets. Helen recently described me as a ‘breath of fresh air’ but I have to say her innovative work also fits into this description! Make sure you call in soon to see her amazing pieces. 

 

 

 

Cloversoul

I first met Bec and Warren less than 3 weeks ago after they had contacted me about stocking their pieces; this was a meeting of like-minded souls that lasted for most of the afternoon over a cuppa! Much of the conversation was about mass-produced jewellery that might be designed in the UK but it is not made by the designer at his or her workbench. The designs are shipped off to China, India or Indonesia, copied by people housed in factories that pay peanuts and then shipped back here to be passed off as designer-made … outrageous but true! If you saw the programme this last week about sweatshops then you will know exactly what I am talking about and it is happening under your very noses, just look around and you will see ….. but not in Heart Gallery as I seek out the very best local and national designer/makers in all crafts, often visiting their workshops and getting involved in their design processes.

Bec and Warren use English solid sterling, hand marked silver and as an up and coming partnership they aim to put the passion, energy and excitement of their union into luscious hand crafted works that aim to: inspire; be worn; lived with and cherished. Born of desire and a will to create, their jewellery is hand crafted from their studio/workshop based in the North of England and is designed from the heart.

Cloversoul’s new range which is due in this weekend, Souls In Link, is inspired by holding something very close to your heart, cherishing something so precious that it keeps you positive and moving forward into the future. An observation on the intertwining ebbs and flows of human relationships.

I am as excited to be their first retail outlet as much as they are proud to have their work in Heart Gallery and am certain that this will be one journey we shall all enjoy ….. I hope you enjoy it too! Seeing is believing so do pop along to Heart Gallery very soon to see this brand new range.

 

 

 

New work on its way!

Exciting new work on its way to Heart Gallery as we speak so I just wanted to give you a sneaky peak at a few pieces to whet your appetite ….enjoy!

First up, talented contemporary designer/maker Alexis Dove. Her designer jewellery collections are inspired by cultures & traditions of adornment. Nature is an important influence as are amulets, talismans & momento mori. Shells, flowers & skulls are combined with gemstones & pearls to adorn the wearer & create contemporary jewellery that is both wearable & beautiful.

 

 

 

Next up, new work from Sarah Keyes to add to her ever popular collection inspired by japanese flowers.

 

 

I met this talented young lady only a couple of weeks ago and these amazing lampshades using an innovative and specially developed method of papermaking will be in next week. Julie Roberts constructs these sculptural forms by combining paper with natural fibres, these are then moulded, dyed and often, hand stitched ….. illuminating!

 

 

Rosie Bill was working as a gardener and continually digging up broken pieces of pottery which contained echoes of the past. Although chipped and grubby at the edges, the detail of the patterns in each fragment inspired her to create her ‘Lost & Found’ collection. The intention is to breathe new life into discarded objects. This collection will be adorning my cabinets shortly but, for now, feast your eyes on these images:

 

 

The Greats Awards

 

Best Newcomer - North

Brauz, Barton Under Needwood
Ginger Jewellery & Gifts, Belper
Heart Gallery, Hebden Bridge
Pad, Chorlton, Manchester
Wax, Wicks and More, Dudley

 

 

Hi folks, this is taken from The Greats Website and shows the other 4 finalists. As 22 May draws nearer I am getting really excited but my main reason for such joy is knowing I shall be in London for 2 days, with my hubby, away from Hebden Bridge for the first time since I opened the doors of Heart Gallery. My daughter will be staying with Grandma and Grandad and she is really excited about this too, as are my Dad and Sandra, so everyone is happy! What a chance for a break and how exciting will the Awards night be? There is a Victorian theme so this is the only thing stressing me out slightly - What do I wear?!! If any of you have some thoughts on this then I would love to hear from you, cheers folks, speak again soon.

 

Selvedge

This arrived at the end of the week and it is another great issue so hurry on down to get your copy soon. There are a few Crafts magazines Mar/Apr left and even less Craft & Design so if you haven’t picked up your copy of either of these yet don’t leave it too long before you do. I met Kerry Williamson at BCTF last week, her work is featured on the cover of Craft & Design and I hope to have some of her quirky, functional ceramic tableware in Heart this year. She was having a great show and did think being featured on the cover had helped her enormously.

 

BCTF

Hi folks

Back from this amazing show, which never fails to impress, and buzzing with new ideas and new designer/makers to introduce to Heart Gallery very soon. Just watch this space for a taste of things to come shortly and I will keep you posted.

Thank You

Oh, I almost forgot! Can I just say thank you to all my loyal customers and faithful designer/makers who have taken the trouble to email or phone me to congratulate me on reaching the finals of The Greats. There has been an amazing response and loads of lovely comments and best wishes so I am overwhelmed once more. I even featured on Page 3 of our local paper this week so I was chuffed to bits with that too.

 

Tickets are booked for the event on May 22^nd so it is a bit of a nail biting wait but will let you know as soon as I know. Posh frock at the ready, here I come!