live blogging from today's leeds event: leeds corn exchange

(vintage home styling by claudia)

Hello folks! We you know the drill by now, follow us on twitter, facebook or watch the blog today for live updates from our event - we have a wealth of designer/maker talent here for you today, and tomorrow...at Leeds Corn Exchange - just a minute's walk from Briggate! Supprt local independent shopping this christmas!

(perfect gifts for fans of paper
cutting and silhouettes - bear follows cat)

(handmade cards by witshop)

(stunning pattern design by fenton)

It's today in Sheffield with reetsweet!

Morning all! Please bob down on this perfect winter's day today and see us at The Millennium Gallery Sheffield, from 12p to 4pm. We have some perfect gifts 100% handmade, to give to your loved ones, and are situated in The Arundel Room, just turn left and follow the signs from the top of the escalator! Free entry - as always with us! Keep an eye on the blog, facebook and twitter for live feeds from the event!

...it's beginning to look a lot like sheffield!

I cannot tell you how excited and honoured we are to be hosting reetsweet tomorrow at the millennium gallery in sheffield (12pm to 4pm).

Never been before? Take a look here for guidance!... Not only are we situated at the heart of city, nestled between the stunning winter gardens and that fancy train station (LOVE the fountain), we will be by the best cake shop ever (fancie at the winter gardens), surrounded by amazing art at the gallery (come and see the exhibition next door by ian breakwell - it's beautiful)...

(debbie greenaway)

We will have an amazing selection of makers for you... Including we live here, james green, kay guccione, heather dewick will be there with her bookbinding... We will keep a few secrets for you, but we also have finest imaginary also with her awesome jewellery and stationery and lianne mellor's chinaware (stocked in liberty of london!)... We choose a range of makers from high fashion jewellery, and amazing modern leather, to artisan makers working in traditional mediums. You won't be disappointed Sheffield!

reetsweet's christmas at sheffield: final countdown previews

I think it would be fair to say that I am a big kid, and here at reetsweet I get to let my inner child take over - the ethos behind reetsweet is about bringing a piece of handmade joy into people's lives, getting them away from the high street, buying local, handmade beautiful things!



One of my first reetsweet moments of amazement was seeing this lady's work the first time...Sian Wheatcroft of strawberry kitten; she makes utterly original toys (for big kids) that are so well made...a total joy! Sian began with the larger bears you see here, but has now moved on to making stunning jointed bears, and she also offers a range of prints, small accessories and the bear cushions. She will be at reetsweet's fair in sheffield's millenium gallery this sunday 27th with us from 12pm to 4pm...see you there!

reetsweet's christmas at sheffield: previews

Another new reetsweeter, and former craft candy regular, on sunday we will be introducing you to Joey Ramone.

Joey lives in Sheffield, and has been making cute fabric brooches, bags and other accessories since 2008 which she sells from her Etsy shop. She has been a contributor of sewing projects to the magazines Sew Hip, Making Gifts and Quilt Scene 2010 and was delighted to win the Feeling Stitchy Rainbow of Stitches online contest in May 2010 with her embroidery, “Little Tiger's Orangey Celebration”.

Joeysdreamgarden.blogspot.com

Our fair this sunday runs from 12pm to 4pm at Sheffield's Millenium Gallery click here for more info...

reetsweet's christmas at sheffield: previews

Did we mention we have our first event in Sheffield very soon? If you're new to reetsweet, we have a treat for you - reetsweet is no ordinary craft fair, we only select the very best original art, homewares, prints and accessories for you - all at free events. Join us at the Millenium Gallery from 12pm to 4pm next sunday - Nov 27th....Sheffield!

You will be able to meet Jonathan Wilkinson of We Live Here. We Live Here’s prints and products celebrate the buildings and scenes that define where we live. All illustration and design is created by We Live Here founder, Jonathan Wilkinson.

'Inspired by constructivist graphic design and the Bauhaus movement, We Live Here’s pared-down diagrammatical style aims to represent as much detail as is possible in just two or three colours. More recent works take the style in a new direction by attempting to create a more hyperreal image that sits somewhere between illustration and photography. "Above all I get a kick out of reimagining these unconventionally beautiful buildings in my own style. For me it gives the buildings a greater sense of importance and hopefully makes us think a little differently about them too."'

reetsweet's christmas at sheffield: previews

Two more brilliant women appearing at the sheffield fair - we have a boutique accessory maker - Alison Moore - whose bright and playful designs are the perfect gift for any vintage loving woman, and then the very 'hardcore' Jessica Flinn who has a stunning range of silver jewellery including her unique concrete collection...

'Alison Moore began designing and making for the public in 2009, after a lifetime of creating. She enjoys working with tactile media; her current project being 'Kitsch and Stitch', a range of accessories made with beautiful cotton fabrics.




The designer's inspiration comes from a variety of places, from her surroundings on the edge of the Peak District National Park and memories of the six years she lived in South Texas, to old prints and ceramics.

Alison's aim, is to provide people with new products that will become treasured vintage items of the future.'




'I am Jessica Flinn, I design and make handmade contemporary Jewellery from my workshop in Sheffield, I use a variety of traditional metalwork tools; some of which are 100s of years old! I use "hardcore" metalwork techniques - think blowtorches not beads! My current collections are made from Stainless steel and sterling silver. I have four ranges in my current collections: Mosaics, Lace, Spices and finally the concrete range.




I have just over 40 pieces in my collections and these range in price from £20 - £100. I also offer a bespoke design service for one off orders. Your wish is my command!'

See these makers and more on sunday 27th nov at the millenium gallery in sheffield....free entry! For more information on our fairs and future events please go to www.reetsweet.com

reetsweet's christmas at sheffield: previews

James Green is one of our favourite artists and has supported reetsweet from our very first fair, come and see his achingly beautiful work at the sheffield fair sunday 27th Nov...

'I'm a printmaker based in Sheffield and I specialise in linocut prints. I've been working in the medium for around eight years, and I'm a little obsessed with it. I produce prints of people, animals, landscapes and the occasional absurd dream. I've produced commissioned work for Domino Records, Paul Smith Menswear, Tramlines Festival and I also run linocut workshops, teaching people how to make prints. Oh, I've also recently produced some mugs with my prints on (with the help of Lianne Mellor), so might bring them along to Reetsweet!'

reetsweet's christmas at sheffield: previews

Sheffield is diverse in it's range of makers, which has made selecting the christmas fair nov 27th so much fun for us at reetsweet....some more makers to show you at the nov fair very soon...



'Butterscotch & Beesting is a little business selling confectionery, toys and handmade bits and pieces, powered by a sprinkling of magic and an ounce or two of imagination. It’s all made, designed and illustrated by me, Camilla, but in my head it’s run by two fictitious characters called Betty Butterscotch and Bumblewick Beesting, who together own Butterstings Circus – a magical place populated by troupes of dazzlingly talented performing animals. Betty’s story is that she used to be a quite remarkable trapeze artist, until her ‘accident’ (of which she still can’t bear to hear mention), and she now sells her delicious sweets and treats in the circus sweet shop. Bumblewick, meanwhile, is a conjurer of worldwide renown and is also the proprietor of the circus’ rather special shop...'



What is very special about Camilla's work is how the original illustrations and narratives to draw you into the world of Betty and Bumblewick and their circus. Camilla's range includes magical potion kits, wands, potion bottles, confectionery, handmade ceramics, screen-printed t-shirts and jewellery, she plans to introduce more confectionery in the future, a book and....a boardgame!

reetsweet's christmas at sheffield

This winter we are delighted at reetsweet to carry on the work of our friends at craft candy in sheffield and will be at the prestigious millenium gallery near the train station on sunday 27th of this month from 12pm to 4pm! For more details see our events page here.

Meanwhile, we have an incredible amount of maker talent from the next fair to preview to you right here on the blog! We are very proud to introduce hayley wright of born restless...

'Born Restless is a collection of embroidered art and jewellery, made by someone who is trying to live a little better and work a little less. Currently living in Manchester, I make most of the things you’ll see here in my bedroom at night, whilst listening to ghost stories on the radio. I’m inspired by ideas of home and memory, the occult, my regular nightmares, as well as anything else that seems like a great idea at the time.'

We love her work - it's refreshing and modern and very quirky! Check back this week for more previews...