Welcome to Find a Maker

We have spent 22 years creating some of the most beautiful craft festivals in Europe. Along the way, we have gathered a loyal and knowledgeable audience of followers that love and appreciate skilfully, handmade objects. We want to connect our audience with a curated collection of the finest makers, regardless of where they are based.

If you are a Maker, Craft Gallery or Craft Organisation you can Register Your Interest here

MAKER OF THE DAY

Deirdre McGuirk Ceramics

I am an Irish ceramic artist, based in Hertfordshire, and make wheel thrown functional ceramics from my home studio. I work mainly with porcelain, predominantly making vases and jars; these are minimally decorated with pencil, engobes, slips, and underglazes, in thin lines, created using masking techniques, inlay and sgraffito. I work on the wheel shaping each piece until I am satisfied with the form, and only after I have turned and finished the piece, do I make a final decision on decorating. I often keep the decoration to a minimum so that it doesn’t detract from its form or function. I want each piece to be beautiful but I don’t want it to dominate but rather to blend and fulfil a function.

I create my own engobes and glazes, I use both matt and shiny glazes and my engobes or slips contain various concentrations of oxides, generally cobalt, nickel, manganese, or copper, allowing me to control the depth and variation of colour. I prefer neutral and muted colours, particularly blues, greens and greys with subtle variations, reminiscent of the beautiful Co Wicklow mountains where I grew up.

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    The Capital of Craft Podcast with Ami Pepper

    The Capital of Craft Podcast

    Craft Festival Wales Season 2026

    Craft Festival Director, Sarah James MBE, met jeweller, Ami Pepper in her workshop / atelier in Newport to talk about her work, her family background and her approach to developing her jewellery collections. We also talked about what she is looking forward to at Craft Festival Wales 2026.

    Ami Pepper Jewellery

    Meet Ami at Craft Festival Wales at Cardigan Castle from September 11-13th 2026.

    Listen here

    Award Winning Festivals

    Since 2003 we have run multi-award winning Festivals in Bovey Tracey, Devon, Cardigan and Cheltenham. In June, we host the UK's best loved and finest contemporary Craft Festival in Bovey Tracey featuring over 200 curated makers. Hosted in idyllic parkland on the edge of Dartmoor. Complimented by an dazzling number of workshops, demonstrations, masterclasses, talks, family activities, street theatre, live music and feasting! In March we head to the beautiful Regency town of Cheltenham, presenting 100 makers at Craft Festival at the Town Hall. In September we will be hosting our first Craft Festival Wales at Cardigan Castle.

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    Craft Festival Cheltenham 2025 Image
    StartUP at Craft Festival Bovey Tracey

    Latest News

    StartUP at Craft Festival Bovey Tracey

    We are just 5 weeks away from this fabulous show.Our StartUP makers this year are of exceptional quality and we can't wait to see their work. There is a real mix of mediums from ceramics, paper and print, textiles, precious jewellery, leather, furtiture and wood. You are in for a real treat!Burnt orange and mustard yellow are very popular at the moment and here are a selection of our StartUP makers who are using these glorious colours. Book Your Tickets and workshops hereYou can also sign up to volunteer now, keep scrolling for details.Look forward to meeting you at Bovey. 

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