Seasonal Arts & Crafts Fair at the striking venue of Cresswell Pele Tower and its gardens
The village of Cresswell, a popular tourist destination, sits at the southern end of the magnificent curve of Druridge Bay in Northumberland. The impressive sandstone tower dominates the little village.
Pele towers were built between 1350 and 1600 and were basically miniature castles built as a defensible retreat against attacks from the Border Reivers, raiders and robbers from either side of the Scottish border. At a time when the rest of England was generally a peaceful and prosperous place, the border folk needed the thick-walled bastle houses and pele towers simply to survive. Cresswell Pele Tower is a well preserved example, one of only two in preservation and open to the public, thanks to recent excavations and an extensive renovation by Cresswell Pele Tower Trust.
High quality, unmissable selling fair and show of Northern and Borders Artists and Makers.
Artworks for life, to treasure, to love.
NE61 5JU
FREE ENTRY
EASTER WEEKEND - 30th & 31st March 2024
10am -4pm
Where is The Pele Tower? (click this link)
CATALOGUE OF EXHIBITORS
ALISON TUTCHER, milliner
Beautiful hats for every ordinary and extraordinary day. Refashioned timeless millinery chic.
I like making hats for wearing. Sometimes an everyday weather beater is just as fun a project as an elegant wedding hat can be and, chances are, it’ll come out of the cupboard a hundred times more. For thirty years now I’ve been honing my skills and sharpening my eyes, and I still love the challenge of something new.
EILEEN HEYWOOD, painter
My paintings are of the sea and the coast line and of the landscape of Northumberland. I hope to evoke a sense of place and an essence of the air around you when looking at the view. In my life drawings, I hope to create a sensitive feeling of the human form.
I work from my studio in Hexham using mixed media, oil paint, watercolour and collage. I make collage cards you can frame as each one is an original, a card and a gift to send.
Looking forward to seeing old and new friends at the Pele Tower .
JEANETTE LANDER, textiles & mixed media
Jeanette Lander was born in Liverpool and studied at Dartington College of Arts in Devon.
Her medium is collage.
Paper,fabric old and new are collected....Dyed, printed, painted, snipped and stitched together in layers to create images of the beautiful hills and coastline of Northumberland.
She works from her studio at home in Coldmartin near Wooler and is constantly inspired by her view of the Cheviot Hills and the spacious skies that surround them.
Jeanette exhibits mainly at 3D2D events in Scotland and is a member of Serendipity in Berwick.
DIANE STEWARDSON, jeweller
Diane makes a range of contemporary sterling silver and contrasting metal jewellery.
She also makes a range of jewellery using sea glass found on the beaches of the North East coast.
All of her work is handmade in Northumberland.
IRIS HOUGHTON, fused glass
Iris Houghton has been creating fused glass art for the last sixteen years. Her pieces are inspired by the coast and countryside of Northumberland, Cumbria, and Yorkshire.
Because of the process of the making each piece of glass is unique. A proportion of her work contains painterly elements using paints that are also found in traditional stained glass, these will never fade or change.
Iris is constantly working on new ideas to further develop the uniqueness of her art glass.
MARTIN ELLIS, photographer
My photography comes from my love of Northumberland and the North East of England, the landscape and the people I meet there. I love the Cheviots and Upper Coquetdale in particular, the landscape here can seem vast and bleak, utterly beautiful.
It was here where my photography really started, hiking into the hills, exploring the landscape and its rich history. I began using digital cameras, but after taking many photos, especially at shows and sporting events, I felt the need to slow down a bit.
I dusted down my old 35mm camera and immersed myself in film photography. I still use my digital cameras, but I also really enjoy going back to basics with a pinhole camera.
JANE CHARLES, glassware - blown
Jane Charles produces a range of freeblown studio glass to include bottles, bowls , vases, paperweights and sculptural forms. They come in a wide range of shapes, vivid colours and finishes and each piece has its own wee personality and character. Jane finds her inspiration from the light, forms and moods of the natural world.
I went to art college in the late 70s to do ceramics. This coincided with the arrival of the Studio Glass movement to the UK and the rest as they say is history….I was hooked. I consider myself so lucky to be able to make a living working with this magical material and the medium has held my attention now for over 40 years and I’m not done yet …..still lots to explore and infinite possibilities to play with. I was lucky enough to have worked with some of the masters of glass before setting up my own business in 1987.
ALISON GARGETT, painter
Alison Gargett is a artist based in Durham City in the North East of England. She is an artist who expresses herself using strong colours often using paint straight from the tube blending and mixing as she paints.
She is open minded about her subjects but gravitates towards the natural world. Her bold abstracts are often on large canvases. Florals are also a favourite subject of hers with an abstract flavour. Sometimes uses flicks and drips to enhance the visual experience.
NATALIE GOODMAN, machine embroidery and textile art
I am inspired by nature and for the last ten years I have been exploring how to capture the look and feel of my Northumberland home. In its ever-changing way the sea and land change seasons and each day the colours of the world change. Our world is a blessing we walk through and often do not see.
My work is based on freestyle machine embroidery, fabric painting and hand finished
MARIE PHILPOTT, silk painter | Red Dragonfly Silks
I work with paints and dyes, and use different weights of silk depending upon the effect I am looking for. I became a member of the Guild of Silkpainters in 2012.
In addition to hand-painted silk scarves, pictures, lampshades, notecards and book-covers, I also create silk-on-glass artefacts, including decorative vases, bowls and plates. Every piece is unique and individual.
LINDA SCOTT-ROBINSON, painter
I am a landscape painter based in North Northumberland. I work in watercolour, acrylic and mixed media. My work is shaped by colour and light. I paint from outdoor sketches and photographs.
BEYOND THE BYRE, jeweller
Husband and wife team Carolyn & David Asquith, Beyond The Byre create handmade men's and ladies copper, enamel and mixed metal jewellery.
Inspired by nature, landscapes and the seasons their collection includes rings, bangles, earrings, necklaces, brooches and pin badges.
They use traditional methods to create their unique pieces, including hand forging, smelting and casting and wherever possible they incorporate recycled materials and utilise hand tools to make their work sustainable.
Their studio is based in rural Northumberland, a constant source of inspiration and creativity, they are happy to discuss bespoke and commissioned pieces for anniversaries and special occasions.
PHYLLIS VAUGHAN, painter
I moved to the Scottish Borders 8 years ago. I'm Scottish born and raised, but I lived in Rutland for 45 years.
I enjoy painting an eclectic mix of British landscapes. My paintings are inspired by and reflect various aspects of landscape, flora and fauna. I particularly enjoy painting birds, making use of mixes media: water-based, oils, oil pastels, acrylics and inks.
ALISON HALL, creative photography
Alison’s photographic art is achieved through a skilful mix of creative and traditional techniques used in-camera and post-production.
Her workflow is responsive and experimental: sensitive application of intentional camera movement and blending scene and close-up, intensify textures and painterly effects within multiple exposure images. This genre of photography enables her to express her love of landscape and nature in a very distinctive contemporary style.
If you are an artist/maker and are interested in exhibiting, please email
(NB: 'Arrayed @' in May 2024 is a wearables show for contemporary makers.)