MEET THE CRAFTERS
Check out our amazing resident crafters
RAYBEAM MAKES
Hello! I'm Bonnie, the founder of Raybeam Makes. I create handcrafted wooden laser-engraved designs and macrame pieces to add a unique, handmade touch to any space. Each laser-engraved piece, from coasters and signs to ornaments and home accents, begins with my digitally drawn designs, bringing intricate detail to life. Paired with my modern macrame creations, everything is crafted with care and creativity, offering beautiful gifts and decor that celebrate natural materials and timeless craftsmanship.
HALO'S
Hi my name is Lois, aka HaLo's. The majority of my crafts consist of hair accessories for women and children. Now that I have finished my full time job I am able to spend time doing what I love most - creative sewing! I have loved sewing since a child when I used to make my own dolls clothes; I find sewing relaxing and cathartic so am delighted to be able to stock at Castle Crafts. I am obsessed with buying different fabric so keep an eye out for ever changing patterns in the shop.
BATH FUNK
Hello my name is Claire and together me and my son Lucas started Bath Funk a couple of years ago. My son is autistic and he loves the sensory feel of the bath bombs and mixing them together. 2 years later and here we are! I like to use small family run business so all my ingredients are from a lovely company in Peterborough and my Molds are all shipped from a family run business in Florida. I try to use eco friendly packaging when I can and all my products are vegan and cruelty free.
THE WOOL SHOP
At Castle Crafts Gifts we love knitting and crochet and we stock a range of King Cold and Sirdar yarns. Come and visit our Wool Shop located in the room behind the gift shop. Let us know if you can't find what you are looking for and we'll do our best to stock what our local knitters require.
JUNO'S HOUSE
Hi, I'm Jackie from Juno's House. Juno is my gorgeous Jack Russell and it's in her home in Thornbury that the crafting magic happens, usually when she is snoozing on my lap! I love making cards, especially when they incorporate sentiments that we probably don't use enough in our busy lives. I want my cards to spread a little happiness. I love painting and drawing which I use on my cards and, as if I don't have enough hobbies, I've recently discovered the joy of crochet and embroidery. This has opened up a whole new world of card design and I am having a lot of fun experimenting with making textile inspired cards. I am very excited to be part of the Castle Crafts team and I hope you enjoy my cards as much as I enjoy making them.
ELLA WIGGANS
I’m a yarn addict who has loved knitting ever since my granny taught me as a child. These days I'm the co-founder of marketing agency Good Beans, but I knit whenever I find the time, and I've recently started weaving too. I moved to Thornbury at the end of 2020 and wanted to get involved with Castle Crafts to meet people and get involved in the community. I worked closely with the Castle Crafts team on the shop launch, which has been really fun! Pop in to see my colourful tea cosies and baby booties.
GLAZED OVER GLASS
The Creator behind Glazed Over Glass Designs, Cathy Adams, lives and works in Bristol. Cathy has always had an interest in art and crafts and enjoyed making things from an early age. She has been designing and working with glass since 2010. When she was introduced to fusing glass at a community workshop session, she immediately fell in love with the process. She uses transparent and opaque sheets of glass, crushed and powdered glass, paints, and metals in her work. Her creations are fused in her kiln at temperatures up to 850 degrees Celsius. Her work is influenced by her love of the countryside and sea shore. Cathy has studied many aspects of working with glass including stained glass, engraving, mosaic work, copper foiling and sand-blasting, but fusing remains Cathy’s passion.
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VICTORY VINTAGE CRAFTS
Hi, I'm Karen from Victory Vintage Crafts. I create things using decoupage. I have always enjoyed crafting. My mum taught me to knit and embroider and after many attempts at various crafts (glitter and I don't get on at all!), I found decoupage and I love it. Besides crafting, my other passion is all things vintage. Pre-Covid my husband and I spent most of the summer weekends at 1940s events and re-enactors. We love the community and hope to start again next year. My home reflects the vintage theme so it's natural for me to show this in my crafting. I am so excited to be part of the Castle Crafts Gifts team.
SHIPP SHAPE MAKES
Hi I’m Sarah the creator of Shippshape Makes.
I’m just a crazy mum of 3 and a very needy sausage dog. I dream of all things crafty and nautical. I live near Thornbury but spend lots of my time on the Roseland in South Cornwall. There is nothing I would rather do than wander the Cornish coast and collect driftwood, shells and seaglass. I love to create natural coastal treasures for gifting or the home. My motto is
‘Sea it, make it’
WORKSHOPS
Our talented crafters run regular workshops, sharing their skills with our wonderful customers. From wreath making to sewing skills and crochet for beginners. Pop into Castle Crafts Gifts to find out more and purchase tickets.
CLAYWAY
Clare is a ceramist/potter using traditional methods to create individual functional and decorative pieces. She loves the diversity of clay, its heritage and unique relationship to humanity. Coloured slips, varied glazes and textures work in unity to create her handmade pieces. They are stunning in person, come and check them out!
ALL SEW PRETTY
Hi I'm Laura, owner of All Sew Pretty. I live here in Thornbury with my family and I make fabric gifts, children's dresses and felt wall hangings and garlands. I specialise in making fabric gifts that are both attractive and useful. I love using beautiful, colourful felt to create pretty wall garlands and hangings as well as nursery ceiling mobiles. My aim in everything I make is that it is useful, practical and most importantly, All Sew Pretty!
THE POTTY STITCHER
I’m Karen, The Potty Stitcher. I have been dabbling in Textile Art and Ceramics for a number of years now, most inspired by my Mum, who is an avid crafter too and still making and trying new things at the age of 88! My design work is mainly centred around my observations in the natural world. My ceramics are hand-built using rolled slabs of clay and my current focus is a series of botanical themed designs. Each design is impressed into the clay using found objects, tools, handmade stamps, stones, stencils - anything that creates an interesting mark or texture in the clay. Once made, these designs are then highlighted with hand painted, coloured underglazes before being twice fired in a kiln.
EVE BEE CRAFTS
I have been sewing and knitting from an early age and was inspired to try the Sashiko technique (little stabs) on my visits to Japan. It's an embroidery technique that's been used since the 17th Century, first applied to clothing to reinforce and increase durability and I now use this technique to make fabric cases for practical items like Kindles, phones or small tablets. I love the contrast of the simple white stitching on navy blue cotton. The art of origami inspired my bookmark designs as well as providing a use for my stash of Japanese fabrics! I love to make gifts for Christmas and birthdays and my family have encouraged me to share them with a wider audience. So, I am excited and nervous to contribute to the creative collections in Castle Crafts. I hope you like them!
HABERDASHERY
We stock a wide range of haberdashery items in the room behind our gift shop. Pop and and see what we have and let us know if you're looking for something specific.
YASMIN JONES
Hi, I’m Yasmin and I live in Berkeley. I am a water colour artist using nature and wildlife as inspiration for my paintings. I also love animals, so this is reflected in my work too. You can find my artwork on lots of different products such as cards, mugs, tea towels, cushions, chopping boards and more. I also sell seed cards; they can be planted to grow beautiful wildflowers.
RAINBOW GLASS CREATIONS
I’m Wendy a.k.a Rainbow Glass Creations. A lifelong Bristolian and a self-confessed magpie. I’ve always been drawn to anything colour changing, iridescent and sparkly. Making jewellery let’s me indulge my inner magpie. I make a variety of jewellery in different mediums including Kiln Fired Dichroic Glass, Sterling Silver and Swarovski Crystals. My passion is Dichroic Glass as a lot of it changes colour due to the multiple layers of different metal oxides. It’s so versatile as you get totally different results depending on which colour glass you fuse it with and the temperature of the kiln. The options are endless and as a result a lot of my pieces are unique.
OODLE DOODLE ART
Hiya I’m Elise, owner of Oodle Doodle Art and Woodland Makery. I run creative workshops teaching crafts like whittling, wicker, clay, textiles as well as fun and games, in a woodland in Old Down. When I’m not there I’m busy being a textile artist, specialising in fibre to use in my needle felting, weaving and rope craft. I wrote the book FELT in the first lockdown and all the money goes to SANDS charity. At the moment, I’m busy making crafts in a bag and postal box kits to sell in the shop as well as fibre for your own projects.
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DAISY BROOK CRAFTS
I love making things. I have my Granny to thank for being able to sew, knit and embroider. I've been making crafty things since I was a little girl, knitting, crocheting, making clothes, embroideries and more. My hands are always busy. I love making memory bears and keepsakes using fabrics donated by you, making the end product extra special. Pop into Castle Crafts to ask about commissions and see examples of my work.
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HAFREN'S RIVER
Hi, I'm Lucy from Hafren’s River. I handcraft highly fragranced, clean burning candles and other wax and fragranced delights. I have always loved candles and scents for creating a welcoming environment and Castle Crafts allows me to share this passion with the lovely customers of Thornbury.
SAMIEGIFT
Hi, I'm Sami, owner of Samiegift. I live in Malmesbury and have worked in the equine industry for most of my working life. Samiegifts came about from my own passion and desire to unleash my creative side and to brighten up my own drinking glasses. If you're going to enjoy a nice tipple, why not have a beautiful colourful glass to drink it from? Samiegifts has grown and evolved over the years and I have found a real flair and enjoyment in the mandala style. I find painting mandalas to be very relaxing and therapeutic. The colourful, bright, unique designs can really bring a smile to any occasion. All of my glasses and stones are hand painted dot by dot and then sealed. Making them functional art to be enjoyed for years to come.