Made Not Manufactured

Origin is the Crafts Council's annual showcase of original contemporary craft, there were over 2o0 of the most innovative UK and international makers in the Old Spitalfields Market for us to enjoy. Here are some of my favourites:

Claire Brewster

Birds flowers and insects majestically come to life from the pages of old maps and atlases.


Debbie Smyth

Playful contemporary artworks created by stretching a network of threads between accurately plotted pins.

Joanne Tinker

Delicate sheets of recycled chocolate foil wrappers are transformed into jewel like sculptures and textures.

John Moore

Moore's distinctive designs explore form colour and movement through the repetition of shapes in aluminium and silver. He uses car spray paint to create an amazing finish to pieces that can be worn in a variety of ways. He was a wonderful inspiration, he very kindly explained his work to us and showed a real interest in our creative pursuits.

Sarah Morpeth

Sarah’s handmade books incorporate a range of textile methods and traditional bookbinding techniques. Using machine and hand stitch, folding and cutting, she explores the book form, creating sculptural and decorative pieces. The above is my favourite piece- Joan's Book

My perfect weekend culminated in a relaxing hot chocolate in The Vintage Emporium on Bacon Street, where a passing tourist set her bleached locks alight on the candle in the table!