The fair will take place from Friday 1st to Sunday 3rd of November and Butler Gallery will be filled with handmade quality Irish craft from makers of ceramics, jewellery and glass, textiles, wood, precious metals as well as paper, leatherwork and mixed media.
This is a great opportunity to get your Christmas shopping done early whilst supporting local Irish handmade craft!
CRAFT FAIR WEEKEND OPENING TIMES
Friday 1st November 2pm - 8pm
Saturday 2nd November 10am - 5pm
Sunday 3rd November 11am - 5pm
Weekend Entry Fee: €5 pp. Free for children under 12. Your entry ticket helps to raise funds for Butler Gallery and includes automatic entry to a luxury craft prize draw for you.
Butler Gallery is a registered charity (CHY12922) and at all other times free to enter. All proceeds from the entry fee will support Butler Gallery who in turn, supports living artists and all audiences through our ongoing annual programme of exhibitions and events. Butler Gallery is 60% funded by the Arts Council and 40% funded by private fundraising and other commercial income. Without events like this and your support we would not be able to provide free tours for schools, extensive workshops for children and adults, residencies for artists, care for our collection and our exhibitions programme would be severely impacted. We thank you in advance for your support and look forward to seeing you at our Craft Fair.
Adele makes a range of functional porcelain objects that are inspired by simplicity of form, clean lines and bright colour. She strives to make useful, simple objects that people can enjoy and use every day. The forms are slip cast using liquid porcelain, and once dried and finished, are painted with layers of coloured slips to create vivid surfaces. The coloured clay is sanded and left unglazed, enhancing its tactile quality. It is contrasted with shiny glazed surfaces.
Aleksandra graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in Wroclaw, Poland with a degree in Ceramics and Glass. Everything Aleksandra does is made with love and passion. Every product is one of a kind, for people who love to surround themselves with things that are unique, they love to be extraordinary. At Aleks Designs, all products are made from natural fibers, including Australian merino wool, silk, linen and bamboo. At Bartus Studio Aleksandra is making pottery along with a collection of cotton scarves and cotton blouses with hand painted designs and other applications.
Aoife from Sew, Tea, Dough makes sewn items made from off-cut and remnant fabric used in the production of baby slings. She is also a leatherworker. All items are made with a minimal waste ethos. Items for sale include handbags, leather earrings, tassels, reusable birthday crowns, neck cowls, baby bibs, reusable wipes, scrunchies and soother clips.
Goldsmith, artist and designer Catherine Conroy creates contemporary fine jewellery, made and finished by hand, using traditional techniques. Catherine finds inspiration from intensely observing the shapes, patterns and cycles that can be found in the natural world and she also draws great inspiration from the tribal artefacts of pre Columbian cultures. The tools and ornaments such as discs, arrows, whorls and feather shapes of these societies are recurring motifs in her designs. The quality of craftsmanship and design, combined with the timeless integrity of the materials Catherine employs in making her creations, ensures they will be enjoyed and treasured now and by future generations. Catherine is a member of the Made in Kilkenny bespoke craft collective.
Cheryl specialises in fused glass art and her pieces are individually designed, hand cut, made and kiln-fused in her studio in Oylegate. Cheryl was inspired to learn the art of glass fusion from her love of seeing light shining through or reflecting on coloured glass. Cheryl takes her inspiration mainly from nature and the changing seasons. ‘Siorghlas’ is irish for evergreen. As well as describing trees that keep their foliage it also depicts people or things that always seem fresh, lively or interesting and that remain popular despite their age; which is how Cheryl likes her glass art to be.
After making his first pieces of jewellery from copper and aluminium at sixteen years of age, David took formal training as a goldsmith in 2001. Over the last 20 years, he has developed and discovered techniques both ancient and original and has had the pleasure of learning from excellent goldsmiths in vibrant workshops across Canada, Scotland and Ireland.
“I believe Jewellery should invoke pride in the wearer and maker alike”.
Deirdre is a contemporary artist, working predominantly in textiles, yarns and clay. Her work incorporates themes of narrative, character and nature, inspired by childhood, the sea and cultural traditions.
Ekotree is a designer and maker of knitwear brand based in Doolin, Co. Clare. They specialise in fine knitting using quality yarns including pure merino and Grade A cashmere.
Donnacha is passionate about designing and hand carving one-of-a-kind pieces of functional art / furniture and lighting and he particularly loves curves and textures, inspired by 1960's architecture. Metal and Mallet's ethos is that each piece not only has 'a story to tell' but are thought provoking and exceptional pieces to admire.
Exceptional, eclectic furniture and lighting design carved by hand is an integral part of Metal and Mallet. Donnacha hand carves bespoke, sustainable, Irish pieces of functional art / furniture and lighting from sustainably sought wood, pre-loved copper and metal. Donnacha only uses traditional tools, for example hand sanders and grinders, no big workshop machinery is used. Donnacha does so, in order to allow the design to organically evolve whilst enabling me to work and respect the grains in the wood.
Each piece is unique! One can be totally confident that each piece is exclusive and bespoke and which demonstrates the discerning eye of the owner.
Emily Thompson is a textile artist who specialises in needle felting. Using locally sourced Irish wool, which is washed and dyed using natural materials, Emily meticulously layers the dyed wool to create images of the beautiful Irish landscape. She uses a needle felting tool, and the required technique, which consists of matting the woollen fibers together by repetitively pushing the fibers back and forth using the sharp barbed needle tool. Following this Emily uses both her sewing machine, and simple needle and thread to add further texture and detail to her works. Emily considers her dyed wool her ‘palette’ and felting needles her ‘paintbrush’. Emily sells at a variety of price points, from large scale statement works, to smaller more intimate works framed in embroidery hoops. She also offers a variety of stationary products, homeware, and prints featuring her work. These products include coasters, mugs, calendars, and cards.
Away with Nature's award-winning brand, recognized with a Silver Award at the Global Green Beauty Awards last week is dedicated to creating natural, artisan skincare that embraces the healing power of nature. They offer handcrafted products specifically designed to soothe and nourish, particularly for those with sensitive skin conditions.
Gemma thinks design integrity and quality are essential. To achieve this, Gemma works on a separate design story for each collection and all of her pieces are made using the ancient art of metalworking and combining it with modern technologies. Gemma uses 100% recycled silver and gold in their work. In a world saturated by reproduction of the same designs over and over, Gemma’s aim is to provide unique jewellery in a sustainable manner.
Gillian loves to create jewellery and home decor using sustainable materials such as Irish mussel and scallop shells. I also use leather off-cuts that I source from handbag manufacturers. Beautifully patterned fabrics feature in Gemmas designs.
Kata of Mavis Nest makes handcrafted soaps, enriching body butters, lip balms and beard care products using high quality and vegan-friendly ingredients that provide a luxurious experience. Every product is meticulously handcrafted with love and attention to detail.
Katharina makes pots for the table and one-off vessels in stoneware and porcelain. Katharina is interested in pots that are quiet, but an enriching part of people's everyday lives. They can hold memories of a really good meal, a certain moment, story or person.
Katharina likes the tension between looseness and definition, the interplay of considered craftsmanship and unpredictability of movement in the heat of the kiln. Traditional ash glazes with local clay and rock additions decorate many surfaces of the pots, paired with simple and modern shapes. Most recently, Katharina’s work has seen an exploration of silky microcrystalline glazes which - layered in different ways - create movement, subtle patterns and depth of surface.
Liga Valge, designer and maker behind Valg Studio specialises in the medium of polymer clay to create simple, contemporary statement jewellery and sculptural wall art. Although self taught, Liga continues to master her craft by regularly participating in international workshops, always striving to bring her work to the next level. Her current designs are inspired by Liga's love for colour, unusual patterns and shapes. When she is not deep in the process of making cool earrings, you can find her involved with community art projects, teaching workshops or taking pictures of a family cat and gardening.
Maria started embroidering in September 2019 and her main inspirations are folk motifs and nature. When Maria starts a new embroidery they just draw an idea on the fabrics and step by step chooses colours and decorations. Maria never knows exactly what her embroidery is going to look like because she never plans it completely, Maria just uses the materials she have.
The custom instruments on sale are a part of the SOUL SONG Exhibition. An amalgamation of the visual arts & music created by visual artist Marion Stern. A first of its kind, playable exhibition will create an environment encouraging anyone to pick up the instruments and play - even if they are not musicians themselves - and have an immense impact on the creative process.Marion’s vision is to create a space where musicians (artists in their own right) and non-musicians can come and play her art and in doing so create a whole new piece in the process. Inviting impromptu sessions, encouraging creativity and collaboration, and the inspiration of new learning opportunities are the goals of this work.
As a stone sculptor, Martin’s work concentrates on natural, organic forms and the composition and texture of the stone he is working. A sense of place and a concern for the natural environment informs Martin’s practice, with inspiration drawn from the trees, hedgerows, stone walls, bogs and the landscape of the Blackstairs Mountains and also his garden. Martin explores the sculptural form and shape of the things he finds, but also their divisions, segmentation, ridges, lobes, patterns and textures in relation to their feel and interaction with light. Martin has always been fascinated by the physical landscape and this led to a career previously as an Engineering Geologist. This understanding of the geological processes and a feel for the material of stone has led to Martin’s desire to sculpt stone. Martin mainly works with local Kilkenny limestone, often waste off-cuts from local quarries, full of fossiliferous life, that can be worked from light grey to black, but he also uses local Carlow granite or any found stone suitable to work.
Michael describes himself as a self-taught woodturner but has also taken master classes with Nikos Siragas [Crete] and Jean Francois Escolon [France]. Michael's products can be functional, decorative or just downright whimsical. Michaels work includes clocks, bowls, lamps and items that just make you smile. Michael does not adhere to the principal the woodturning should be "round and brown" and therefore much of his product is embellished with colour and gilt.
Michele seeks to capture the beauty and joy of the natural world and bring it into everyday life through the medium of ceramics. Each piece Michele creates is an intimate expression of the landscapes and organic forms that surround us, shaped in Michele’s Castleknock studio in Dublin.
With over thirty years of experience working with clay, Michele’s journey with ceramics is rooted in a deep passion for the craft. This passion was nurtured at the National College of Art and Design, where Michele first fell in love with the possibilities of clay. Since founding Michele Hannan Ceramics in 1997, Michele has been dedicated to create both functional and sculptural works that embody the vibrant spirit of the Irish landscape and coastline.
For Michele, ceramics is more than a medium—it is a celebration of nature, crafted to bring moments of joy and reflection into our everyday lives.
Michele Sweetman provides fabric printed for furnishings & curtains. These are designed and printed to order on Irish linen and other natural materials. Michele is a member of LPS.
When first encountering the work of Muireann Ryan, natural textures, colours and forms of place flood the senses. The outdoor world with all its feminine mystique is finely observed, informs her work and is celebrated in her designs. Stepping closer, the story of her process begins to unfold before us: It is a story told from within the natural world as she offers us understanding of our environment’s mysteries. Geometric structures are revealed on the surface of the sea, textures of the land retold in marks hammered in silver and low winter light captured on matt brushed metal as landscape becomes adornment.
There is no trite answer here but an elevation of the age old interplay of art and inquiry. She submits her designs to the viewer as proposals or invitations to share in her encounters with the land and the sea. A diving enthusiast, Ryan's work is inspired from her immersion in the wild places of County Waterford, where she has made her home. Like a journeyman to these hidden places she gathers us to see the wonders she has seen. This generous act also asks us to value the perfect distillation of her experience as her work reflects the perfection of nature’s fleeting moment. These tantalising vistas and possibilities become keepsakes: jewellery, artworks and sculptures that carry all the knowledge she has unearthed about place.
Navodita is an Indian artist living in Carlow who uses a variety of mediums including acrylic, watercolour and oil pastels. Navodita also makes hand painted crafts like keychains, earrings, wall decor, postcards, bookmarks, stickers, coasters and paintings. Navodita makes texture art using acrylic paints in piping cones. Navodita’s artwork is inspired by the colourful art they grew up with like henna patterns, mandalas and colourful rangoli. Navodita stitches these together in their paintings and adds their own style to create the crafts and some original paintings.
Sonja has always been interested in the architectural and natural world that surrounds us and her ceramic houses explore the mood and character of buildings. Sonja is interested in the relationship between people and their living spaces and how architectural style develops and expresses its cultural context. Sonja believes as buildings age, they take on an organic quality and when we look at architecture, the buildings evoke feelings in us and that an atmosphere can permeate a building. Sonja tries to capture human qualities in her work, through movement and distortion the buildings gain character and personality. Initially Sonja’s work was more representative of actual buildings, easily identified, but has become more abstract in recent years, exploring movement, colour and texture and the interplay between pieces. Sonja is a trained thrower and over the past two years have gone back to more wheel-based work, experimenting with colours and textures, inspired by the natural world; fissures in and layers of rocks, textures of dried earth or molten and bubbling lava. Sonja tries to create beautiful objects that bring joy to the beholder.
Stephanie has recently set up Wicklow Wellness as is a qualified reiki master. Stephanie has just launched Serenity Scents, natural, handmade body oil candles each with their own unique uses but all made to soothe your soul.
Yvonne Bolger Jewellery is a fine jewellery brand. All pieces are designed and made by using traditional gold and silversmithing techniques. The Brand is a one woman creative business. From my Studio in Emo, Co.Laois I design and create stylish contemporary jewellery taking inspiration from my surroundings Laois and rich Irish history. All products are made from recycled gold and sterling silver. Jewellery boxes are made from eco-friendly materials and bear the FSC Certification.
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Opening Hours
Monday: closed (except Bank Holidays when Sunday hours apply) Tuesday-Saturday: 10.00–17.00 Thursdays: Late Night 10.00–20.00 Sunday: 11.00–17.00 Last admission is 30 mins before closing times.
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