Ink Splotch Designs
Philippa (or Philly to friends and family) is a designer, illustrator and lino cutter based in Buckinghamshire.
Philly has always loved to draw using pen and ink; drawing by hand is usually the way she starts all of her projects. Sometimes she adds colour and texture digitally but only to enhance the main image. She has also recently taught herself to lino cut, which she has totally fallen in love with.
Philly trained initially as a textile designer, studying printed textiles for fashion and furnishing, nearly 20 years ago, but these days she can be found in her studio at home producing prints, greeting cards, decorations and various products with her illustrations on.
Dave Bellamy Art
Dave has been an artist for some years, more recently preferring working with oil paints.
Working out of his home studio in Ley Hill, Buckinghamshire, his work reflects his love and relationship with his environment, often experienced through his experiences as a trail runner. His running and time spent observing the dramatic landscapes of North Wales and Cornwall have ignited his twin passions for big skies and big seas.
Currently working in exhibitions at Discover Bucks Museum, Dave has a 40-year career in the museum sector, covering his time at the British Museum, British Library, and British Motor Museum.
Zero&Co
Inspired by their beloved Border Collie, Zero, Zero&Co was born out of a love for adventure and the bond we share with our pets.
In Zero’s memory, Zero&Co creates sustainable, handmade pet accessories that are stylish, durable, odour-free and easy to clean – perfect for muddy paws and playful spirits. Made locally in Buckinghamshire, each product is named after a real dog and crafted to celebrate joy, exploration and the unbreakable connection between pets and their families.
Meet The Moon
Stacey Young is a papercutting artist based in Buckinghamshire. She began creating handcrafted papercut gifts in 2016 under her brand Meet the Moon Designs.
What started as a relaxing hobby after work soon became something more – a mindful, therapeutic creative outlet that brought a real sense of calm. As Stacey began making more artwork and selling her designs, it naturally grew into a thriving small business.
Since then, her work has expanded to include greeting cards, exhibition pieces and bespoke commissions. Her art has been shortlisted for the RSPB Nature in the City competition and featured on Hochanda and The Craft Store TV channels.
Stacey’s designs explore everything from architecture and typography to animals and natural patterns, always inspired by the beauty of the world around her.
Through Meet the Moon, she also runs local workshops and private papercutting parties, promoting creativity and wellbeing through mindful making. Her online shop offers DIY kits and templates so others can enjoy the calm and satisfaction of papercutting at home.
Ray Holliman Wood Turning
Ray Holliman is a wood turner based within the beautiful Chiltern Hills and has been turning since 2013. He says it started as a hobby and is fast growing into an obsession. He mainly sources local wood as much as possible, with the help of winter storms, but also working with some more exotic woods responsibly sourced from further afield.
Harsha Basu Paintings
Harsha is a folk artist inspired by one of the oldest traditional art forms from India called Madhubani Art. Being an emotional, middle girl child in a traditional Indian household, she – unwittingly – used painting as therapy since she was a little girl, so before terms like ‘art therapy’ and ‘mindfulness’ became rife.
Her father had a bookshop. Illustrations are one thing that impressed her mind so much that she successfully used their magic for quite a few years making children’s books while working in the publishing industry, after studying literature at the university. Art came to her rescue as a new mother when she struggled to find time to be with herself, doing something fulfilling but totally undemanding. That was the time when she actually became alert to how important ‘being creative’ is and what wonders it has done for her mental health in the growing-up years.
Harsha learnt Madhubani Art under the guidance of two traditional artists, along with conducting her own extensive research on its cultural and historic aspects and practising for years. She has a deep appreciation for this unpretentious art form as the stories it tells are already a part of her culture – something she takes real pride in. The forgiving and vibrant nature of Madhubani Art, and the idea that it originated amongst a group of women to express their feelings and individuality is its most attractive aspect. Its simplicity and compassionate nature has helped Harsha tell stories – both that surround her and that dwell inside her heart, and thereby resolve or express difficult or beautiful thoughts. Its repetitive and intricate quality has helped Harsha meditate, re-charge and regain focus.
“I find creating these paintings and gazing at the gorgeous details of the complete work meditative and therapeutic. My artwork helps me stay sane and patient. I hope you will find my work stimulating as that is what my aim is – to empower and get empowered.”
Keeping in view the unlimited joy and satisfaction Harsha has gained while practicing Madhubani Art, she is now on a mission to encourage and inspire everyone to make art a part of their life. She actively encourages people from all age groups and genders to spend some time away from screens or being ‘productive’ and ‘useful’, and delve into whatever thoughts come and go. She loves working with the community and has been a part of numerous projects involving schools, museums and other community organisations.
“Madhubani Art is self healing. Come experience it.”
About Madhubani Art
Madhubani Art is one of the most celebrated ancient folk art forms from the Mithila region of Bihar (India) and parts of Nepal. It is also called Mithila Art.
This humble art form is known for its intricate designs, vibrant colours and rich cultural significance – often depicting themes from nature, mythology and daily life. Practised, preserved and progressed mainly by women, Mithila Art is not just a visual art form; it is deeply embedded in the cultural and social fabric of the Mithila region. A true Mithila artist never says, ‘I am painting’, but ‘I am writing’, as they use art to tell stories and as a means of self-expression and relaxation.
La Rose Noire
La Rose Noire Candles & Soaps is delighted to showcase their natural skincare cosmetic and luxury home fragrance range at Chiltern Made Craft Fair. Their skincare product is full of high quality and natural ingredients such as hawthorn, chamomile, horse chestnut extract, oils, butters and botanicals. Their skincare products include bar/liquid soaps, bath bombs, bath salt, body butter/lotions, face foot serums (Highly moisturising, antioxidant, emollient, nourishing serum, and suitable for all skin types). Their luxurious home fragrances include soy wax candles, reed diffusers, wax melts, and car fragrances.
La Rose Noire use only the best and high-quality fragrance oils for their home fragrance products. All their products are handmade from locally sourced ingredients.
Why not come and check out the diverse selection of all natural and luxurious skincare and home products in stock? (Recently featured at John Lewis Pop Up Shop.)
La Rose Noire have launched Christmas gift products with a variety of scents and colours. Perfect gifts for friends and loved ones this season.
The Silver Workshop
Liz has been making jewellery now for over ten years. Predominantly self-taught in jewellery making, she has a background in dental technology and hand crafts bespoke jewellery and wearable keepsakes in her garden workshop in Haddenham, Buckinghamshire.
Each piece is uniquely created using 100% recycled sterling silver, often incorporating mixed metals such as gold, copper and bronze, and enriched with vibrant semi-precious stones. Handmade using traditional silversmithing techniques, often commissioned to tell a personal story, Liz enjoys creating meaningful, one-of-a-kind pieces.
Beads by Madelleine
Helen from Beads by Madelleine has always had a passion for making and creating things and the magpie in her can’t resist the sparkle of gemstones and beads. She trained as a Silversmith and this has complemented her love of beading perfectly. She continues to learn and experiment with different beading techniques and to find new gemstones to work with.
She enjoys taking inspiration from her travels – the beautiful colours of the architecture, landscapes and the stunning turquoise seas inspire her to create new designs and colour combinations.
Crumbs and Brownies
Crumbs and Brownies is a small artisan bakery specialising in baked goods including brownies, blondies, cakes and cookies. The products are handmade by two sisters passionate about baking with over 20 years’ baking experience between them. The sisters are very passionate about their products and their brand and ensure to use only the best quality ingredients such as Belgian’s finest Callebaut chocolate, free range eggs and British butter for the best quality bakes. Their products are handmade in Buckinghamshire.
Huis Homewares
Huis Homewares is a small homewares brand, specialising in high-quality handmade accessories, gifts and seasonal decorations. The business was set up by Colette who lives and works in Berkhamsted. She learnt to sew almost a decade ago, and it soon became her passion.
Colette only uses natural fabrics such as cotton and linen in her creations, often seeking out fabric that is saved from landfill. She is drawn to vibrant colours and patterns, and makes every piece in her sewing room in Berkhamsted.
Creature Crafts
Creature Crafts is a handmade range of gifts, featuring the Teenies which are miniature needle felt collectibles.
You can expect to see fun and colourful creations that are ideal for decorations or for special gifts that will be cherished.
Rather Nice Art
Step into a world of colour, curiosity and creative surprises! Emily brings her artist’s eye and love of making into every piece – from enchanting Arts & Crafts Advent Calendars (which sold out last year!) bursting with creative goodies, to handmade Whimsical Journals ready to fill with your stories, to Blind Date with a Book packages sprinkled with treats for cosy winter nights. You’ll also find illustrated stationery, stickers, lucky dip bags and mystery art print packs – all designed to spark joy, inspire creativity and make your festive gift-giving just a little more magical. Perfect for treating yourself, or finding something truly unique for someone special!
Connie Fielder Ceramics
Connie’s work revolves around animals, capturing their spirit in her art. She also creates hand built ceramics often depicting animals showcasing their essence through expressive forms and detailed craftsmanship.
The Smart Stitcher
Elizabeth Bond, aka The Smart Stitcher, says she is a leather worker who enjoys using different surface decoration techniques, such as marbling, painting, or digital printing, on the products she makes.
She says: “I enjoy creating products that are unique and practical, allowing the wearer to express their own creativity and style. I also teach leather work and undertake commissions.”
Felted Forms
It was colours and textures that enticed crafter Anne into felt making originally – the range of vibrant and subtle colours of dyed merino wool and the contrasting rougher texture and more muted colours of natural sheep fleece.
When she first discovered how to construct a seamless wet-felted 3-D pot, she was incredibly excited by the endless possibilities. With experimentation and learning new techniques from workshops, Anne works mainly in 3-D. The natural world in all aspects inspires her and results in a range of work that includes: simple to complex containers; fungus to birds and all else in between; hats, gloves and jackets; bags and more recently lampshades.
Anne enjoys the process as much as the finished piece of work, and if it doesn’t turn out quite as she expected, she regards it as an experiment or works it into something else – magic!
Polka Dots and Roses
Polka Dots and Roses is a small sewing business run by Laura from her garden workroom in Stoke Mandeville.
She makes and sells a wide range of items at events and small independent shops locally.
She also runs workshops for children and adults, plus after school clubs which are very popular!
Marjorie Waye – Handloom Spinner & Weaver
Marjorie’s fascination with weaving commenced, age 8, at summer camp 400 miles north of Toronto. As an adult, she learned from a Dutch weaver whose father and grandfather were Master Weavers in the Netherlands. Further study at the Ontario College of Art & Design and at the Village Weaver hub in Toronto followed.
Marjorie’s original two looms moved to England with her in 1983. Completion of the Bradford Diploma in Handloom Weaving and a City and Guilds adult education module expanded her horizons.
Her teaching studio is now equipped with several carefully chosen looms and spinning wheels. She still loves working with traditional fibres such as wool, alpaca, camel down and silk, but recently has become challenged by some of the newer materials for spinning and weaving – bamboo, soyasilk, rose fibre and seacell.
Verity Bloom Makes
Felicity’s first stitching influencers were the women in her family who knitted, embroidered and
made clothes around her in her early years.
Having completed a BA Hons degree in Constructed Textiles at Middlesex Polytechnic London 1979-82, Felicity then spent some time in the 1980s designing and making handknitted Jumpers and accessories, selling at Covent Garden design market. After this, she taught Design Technology in Bristol and London, whilst working on commissioned work and selling at local markets in Bristol.
Felicity now designs and hand knits small accessories, such as hats and gloves, alongside designing hand stitched and embroidered Folk Art style, small Lavender filled house decorations, and framed pictures. She is influenced by the colours of nature, vintage clothing and Folk Art.
Chris Summers Sculpture
Chris Summers is passionate about creating art based on whatever scrap metal comes his way.
Metal sculptures, lighting and small tables are just a few of the items he is inspired to make.
Lets Be Cats Jewellery
Chesham-based Liz Turner is the face behind Lets Be Cats Jewellery and she loves to upcycle unusual materials into something new. Book pages, maps, bicycle inner tubes, playing cards and more are refashioned into jewellery, accessories, cards and decorations. She also takes commissions for her map work – jewellery and Christmas ornaments.
This year she has continued to hold a number of workshops using upcycled paper. You can also find her work at High Wycombe’s Craft Co-Op shop opposite TK Maxx in the Eden Centre, online at Etsy and at the Dickens Museum in London.
Mark Harding Blacksmith
Mark was trained at the Hereford College of Arts and he undertakes commissions both traditional and contemporary.
He can also be contacted for repairs, and restoration work.
LJC Pottery
Pottery is a lovely hobby for Laura – she says it’s good therapy throwing clay about!
Laura loves experimenting with new glazes to see what can be achieved using different colours together. Her style is very varied as she likes to try out new ideas such as her little vases with houses on them.
Julia Batten Glass
Working from her Chesham studio, Julia creates bold, quirky and colourful fused glass pieces.
Julia also runs popular workshops throughout the year and is very happy to be returning to exhibit at Chiltern Made! This year, her latest Christmas collection – Gingerbread Houses – will be a new addition to her stall!
Anidoodle
Kat is a local illustrator working on lots of cute and quirky gifts. These all include her fun cartoon style and range from adorable pin badges to humorous greetings cards, postcards and prints.
She has created her own comics including a family-friendly dinosaur adventure, Dinos and Dice Rolls, and is the illustrator on the more brooding series Tails of Mystery.
New to her stall this year is a set of five Christmas decorations, each featuring an adorable woodland creature. Also, a Christmas tea towel which has a fun festive illustration for each letter of the alphabet!
Dumbleberry Designs
Having enjoyed experimenting with fabric and thread for several years, Gaynor was looking for something cheerful and quirky to sew for Christmas. Awaking her ‘inner gnome’, she adapted an idea, loosely based on the mischievous Scandinavian gnomes, and added the on-the-spot personalisation which has been hugely popular.
The ‘family’ come in many colours, sizes and prices, from the tree hanging little guys to doorstop big fellas. Some will be stopping off in Bethlehem en route to the fair…
Niki Bell Art
Niki has always loved drawing and remembers as a child always having a pencil near to hand.
She was blessed with the most wonderful art teachers who all instilled in her that being an artist didn’t mean you were restricted to one medium – it meant that all aspects of art and design were to be explored and enjoyed and to these people she considers herself indebted.
From this education, she has always been interested in many aspects of art and design and painting came to her much later. Niki started in textiles, gaining her degree from Birmingham. After University, she went to work in Fashion and Fashion Graphic Design. Once Niki moved to the Chilterns, and started a family, she became hooked on the countryside around her. She found a passion for drawing British Wildlife and this developed into painting and printmaking. Niki wanted her paintings to be strong and have an element of wildness about them to capture the essence of the beautiful creatures. She found the best media to be Watercolour as this allows for fluidity whilst also being uncompromising.
Watercolour is a wonderful artistic medium that can create the most exquisite textures and ethereal qualities depending on the techniques used. Niki has been exploring and experimenting with these for over 10 years. Teaching allows her to share my love for this medium. She loves watching a student discover joy and satisfaction in their work.
Niki’s style is fluid and experimental whilst holding a realistic interpretation of the subject matter. She loves incorporating pastels into my work alongside stencilling and collage. When teaching, she encourages the understanding of techniques, colour mixing and experimenting so that a freedom and confidence can be found in the work.
Niki runs an art studio in Chesham, Buckinghamshire and teaches Watercolour, Acrylics, Mixed Media, Drawing and After School Art Clubs.
Holmsdale Wood
Chris has had an interest in trees and their timber from an early age. For the last twenty odd years his work and hobby has involved the use of wood and he’s still fascinated by its strength and beauty.
He likes sourcing timber that has natural interest and sometimes adding a variety of resins to hopefully make something that is interesting and unique. Chris also uses man made materials such as plywood and acrylic sheet.
Further to using a lathe, Chris makes all sorts of bird boxes, bird tables, bat roosts, &c. He also make slab/live edged tables all from local sources.
Hooked On Leaves
Sarah from Hooked on Leaves is a natural dyer who uses plants, flowers and leaves to hand dye
and botanically print textiles.
Sarah makes wearable art from natural fibres like silk, wool, linen and cotton, combining the crafts she loves. She uses upcycled fabric and clothing as much as possible, to give new life to unwanted textiles and keeping them out of landfill!
Inspired by nature, Sarah can often be found gathering the leaves, flowers, and plants in the Chilterns where she lives, whilst walking her dog or from her own garden where she grows the flowers she uses to print and dye with.
Yvonne Makes
Yvonne is driven by her love of sewing with unusual materials, her latest being Pinatex, a fabric made from pineapple leaves in the Philippines.
Her printed cork fabric, produced by Portuguese cork farmers, is another favourite as it is sustainable, water resistant and vegan friendly. Leather has been a long time raw material, a recent source being offcuts from a local sofa factory.
Yvonne’s latest passion is making bum bags for adults and children; she is enjoying the many lovely printed cotton fabrics which appeal to children
Marie Jones Fibre Art
Marie Jones is a textile artist specialising in felt and embroidery work. Framed and unframed re-imagined landscapes, as well as needle felting kits, will be available to purchase as gifts for art collectors and crafters.
Katie Sarah Makes
Katie designs and makes cards and other artwork by hand with a pair of scissors. They’re well-worn and well loved with small blades and big handles so she can comfortably achieve the smooth edges she’s proud of! Her pieces are bright, colourful and, she hopes, sunny and cheerful.
Katie has made cards and she’s loved words and sentiment for as long as she can remember. Birthday cards and invitations were always homemade, and she just never stopped making. She sells in a handful of independent shops, craft fairs and markets, and at the Craft Coop in High Wycombe. Katie is either topping up stock, coming up with new designs, or working by commission.
JHSGlass
Jenny Hoole designs and makes contemporary, affordable fused glass pieces which are modern, timeless and individual.
As an award-winning commercial designer with a background in fashion design, Jenny brings fresh ideas to the glass making process. Her inspiration is drawn from a fascination with colour, texture and pattern. Her fashion background is a huge influence in the flow and structure of the glass pieces she makes – whether it is about the colour and pattern or coaxing the shape and texture to achieve the idea in her mind. The jewellery pieces are modern and individual often influencing larger pieces as they evolve. Jenny’s vessels are primarily functional because it gives them purpose.
Jenny applies layers of tiny particles of glass which are heated in the kiln, in multiple firings, to achieve her bright, clean colours – before the fused glass takes on a moulded shape in a further firing.
As a clothing designer Jenny’s passion is about enveloping a form with fluid colour and pattern, flowing around the body enabling subtle drape effects – for fleeting moments. Her exploration in glass is about harnessing these moments and taking them to a new dimension using fusing and moulding techniques to achieve a new form – captured for the light to play with… proving both compelling and complex.
Works made in series usually evolve from an initial idea from which a number of sparks grow in to new forms… perhaps the shape or functionality may alter as the body of work progresses.
Often the forms are dictated by the raw materials being used in the process. Different sizes of glass, from small particles to sheet glass suggest how a finished design might look after kiln firing, along with inclusions of metals, enamels, oxides or vegetable materials – all behave differently but impact on the visual of the final artwork
Jenny is a member of The Contemporary Glass Society, The Buckinghamshire Craft Guild and The Visual Images Group. She will be participating in Bucks Art Weeks in June 2025
Two Spoons Tea
Two Spoons are a Chesham-based company named after the tools of the trade – their tasting spoons!
For the taste-buds behind Two Spoons, Giles & Mark, their time has involved tasting over one million cups between them. They choose teas they love using their many years’ expertise and want to inspire curiosity in this amazing product.
They’ve come up with an award winning range of teas that can be found all over the county. They will be bringing along caddies of their new, seasonal, spiced tea – it’s not called Winter Warmer for nothing! But it in the meantime, put the kettle on!
Chiltern Bee
Chiltern Bee is a small, low intensity bee keeping venture, with hives located in the South Chilterns, mainly between Henley and Marlow (the Hambelden Valley).
Chiltern Bee was founded by a beekeeper who is a biochemist by training (worked Pharmaceutical R&D for over twenty years).
Only the local native bee species is kept, and the focus is beeswax rather than honey. Product development is centred on effective skincare, and all products are unique and formulated by the founder. All have been independently safety assessed, undergone stability testing and are registered with the UK cosmetic agency.
The products behave completely differently from “High Street” products.
Skin Balms are made with the purified honeycomb beeswax, sweet almond oil and coconut butter. These three ingredients create an intensively moisturising balm where the oil and butter moisturise the skin which is locked in by the beeswax forming an occlusive layer.
Lipbalms are made with beeswax, extra virgin organic olive oil and shea butter. They work the same way meaning that one application should be sufficient for an entire day.
Soaps are incredibly mild, yet are still true soaps in they are of a pH to kill bacteria and cleanse. This is due to the properties of beeswax and “superfatting” of the soap, making it gentle on the skin.
“Naked Bee” only have the bare minimum ingredients to produce an incredibly simple yet effective product. There are then generally three variants: Mandarin & Grapefruit, Lime and Lavender. These are created by adding cold pressed essential oils to the Naked Bee base.
In addition to cosmetics, Chiltern Bee also produce honey, candles, bath-bombs and beeswax based homeware products (chopping board conditioner, leather conditioner and furniture polish) as well as Beeswax Food Wraps.
Product sales support our local bee population!
