Retail Therapy

Beverley Ward – Candle Maker

Beverly is offering beautiful and affordable products - candles, melts, soaps and pot pourri all handmade and decorated in Exeter. All products are produced with the environment in mind, using ecosoya wax (made from the soya beans) and natural products wherever possible. A range of driftwood items will also be on offer – everything used has been reclaimed, even the screws! This will be Beverley’s second year at the LW4W women’s day and she will be donating a gift basket containing an oil burner, some melts, pot pourri and a candle. For further information, see www.thecandleroom.co.uk.

Antonya Marshall - Ppurple Accessories

Antonya will be presenting a range of fabulous handbags – take a look at her website for a preview and make contact if there is anything in particular you would like her to bring… www.ppurpleaccessories.co.uk. Antonya moved to Plymouth from Granada five years ago and has successfully set up two retail outlets in Plymouth called Ppurple.

There will be a gorgeous handbag up for grabs in the raffle!

Sue Martin – Welcombe Glass Art

Fused and lampwork glass with silver

Sue has lived in North Devon since 1970. Glass working was a new venture in 2001 after bringing up four children and teaching at the local secondary school for many years. Sue creates fused glassware and lampwork beads from a studio in Barnstaple. Initial inspiration is taken from the colours of the sea, using various shades of blue, green and azure. For the kiln fired work which is an ancient art form, flat sheets of Bullseye fusible glass are used, resulting in spectacular dishes, bowls, wall objects, clocks and jewellery. The lampwork beads are made from Italian produced glass rods. Sue also works in sterling silver, gold, precious metal clay and these materials enhance her fused and beadwork jewellery.

All pieces are a result of the merging of shapes and colours, the interplay of light and shadow and the use of extreme temperatures within the kiln. Each article is a labour of love, taking days of inspiration and work. Sue personally designs and fabricates every item, with the emphasis being on individuality rather than mass production. Her background as a science teacher and, previously as a stained glass worker, has given Sue an understanding of the manufacture of glass and it's properties, which in turn has enabled her to develop a range of beautiful products. For further information please see www.welcombeglassart.co.uk

Rose McCabe, Silver Rose Design – Jewellery

Following on from taking City and Guilds in Basketry, weaving with Willow, Rose has combined her skills with the intricate designs and art of Chain Maille to create individual pieces of silver jewellery with glass beads and semi precious stones. Since completing the NCFE award in Creative Craft using Fibre Crafts she has incorporated felt in the designs which creates an interesting mix of textile techniques combining colour, fibre and silver.

Amy McCarthy – Artist

With a degree and training in art and textiles, Amy graduated from Leeds University intending to take further training as an art therapist, but life got in the way. Moving to Devon in 2003 gave Amy the opportunity to take her art more seriously and she studied stained glass techniques for 2 years and fell in love with the process of making stained glass windows and the way you can use colour and line to stunning effect. In her small studio Amy designs and repairs bespoke commission windows and smaller gift items. An exhibiting mixed media artist, Amy works with recycled materials and exhibits her work with the TRAIL collective.

Amy’s style has always been expressionist and bold and she makes simple striking designs with bold colour, often leaning towards abstraction. The local countryside and coast are the inspiration for her work and she is never short of new ideas! To see examples of this work please visit: www.amyorangejuice.co.uk

Karen Smith – Unique Gifts

Lazy Daze supplies a range of handcrafted products such as hand, beach and children’s bags, cushions, bunting and even bandanas for dogs! All of Karen’s designs are bespoke and made using high quality fabrics and linens making them ideal for exclusive gifts. Where possible goods are sourced with consideration to the environment and your carbon foot print. But mostly Karen would like to bring a touch of the South West into your homes with beautiful products that will let you day-dream of lazy days by the sea! For further information, see www.lazydazeshop.co.uk

Annalisa Patient – Interior Designer

Annalisa is offering a workshop to introduce you to some basic interior design concepts, but will also be available in the main retailers area to showcase sample “mood boards” of her interior designs. From her studio in Exeter, she offers consulting on an hourly basis or project management for your interior design projects. For a very reasonable fee, she also has a “Mood Board” service so if you just require some advice on fabrics or some inspiration for your room, Annalisa will discuss your requirements and any ideas you may have in detail and a few weeks later you will receive a detailed mood board including ideas for fabric, paint and wallpaper, furniture, lighting and accessories. For further information please see www.annalisainteriordesign.co.uk

Moving Nature – Pauline Dyer and Michelle Wilkinson

Pauline and Michelle are two artists who find inspiration in free dance movement and in nature. They create simple artworks at different sites with whatever nature provides. Because these artworks are ephemeral they record their explorations as digital photographs. These are then printed onto a variety of handmade papers and made into beautiful textured canvases. As well as proving a Yoga Dance experience on 13 November, Pauline and Michelle will also be exhibiting and selling their artwork. Visit the Moving Art Gallery for images of their explorations, workshops and canvas artworks.

Judith Davey - Pearls & Wisdom

Pearls & Wisdom is one of Devon’s hidden treasures. An ethical business, they go right to the world’s ‘pearl capital’, Zhuji in China, and buy top quality gems produced in traditional way using sustainable sources.

The beauty of owning a pearl is that it is unique, there is not another like it in the world. While other gems can be cut precisely to match another, no one can influence or determine how pearls will grow. The variety of different shapes, sizes, hues and lustres is quite simply a miracle of nature.

In addition to stocking beautiful and unusual jewellery, Pearls & Wisdom also have a bespoke service where local Devon craftsmen make the pearls into your own designs. Pearls set in gold and silver look exceptionally effective. Particularly popular is combining pearls from family heirlooms into new pieces. One customer, Caroline, commissioned a new necklace that incorporates pearls from a necklace that her grandmother wore at her wedding in the 1920’s. It broke in the 1940’s and sat in a jewellery box until it became an integral and valued part of Caroline’s new necklace.

Pearls & Wisdom is delighted to be part of the women's day for FORCE. 25% of any sales made on the day will be donated to FORCE and the staff at Pearls & Wisdom will be doing a sponsored swim and all proceeds will be donated to FORCE.

For more information, visit www.pearls-and-wisdom.com

Handmade cards, ‘Design your own’ Kits, Bookmarks and more! Handcrafted in Devon by Verity

Verity started making her own handcrafted cards for friends and family in August 2008 as it was something she could sit quietly and do in the evenings, but after realising it’s something she really enjoyed doing, and that her home was rapidly being filled with finished stock, Verity thought she’d better start selling to make a bit of space! All cards are her own original designs. She uses a variety of techniques including die-cutting, embossing, rubber stamping, and shimmer to make the cards. Verity only uses good quality materials (card blanks and envelopes, backing papers, and embellishments) as these give a much better finish. Most of the cards can be personalised on request, and Verity am happy to undertake commissions.

If you would like to contact Verity in the meantime; details are as follows:Email: handcraftedbyvee@fsmail.net Mobile: 07855 813250

For the raffle to be drawn on the day, Verity will be donating a luxury selection of Handmade Cards to suit a variety of occasions, beautifully presented in a gift box.

Temple Spa Facials - Tracy Craze – Temple Spa Lifestyle Consultant

I am a Temple Spa Lifestyle Consultant based in South Devon and have my own business selling Temple Spa skincare products in the home and workplace across Devon and Cornwall. I am happy to teach skin and spa classes to a group of ladies in a fun, relaxing environment where you will learn how to create a skincare regime for your skin type and give yourself a facial with plenty of free tips and advice on how to have healthy, radiant skin every day. I have been with Temple Spa for over 3 years and I am 100% passionate about the products and the company behind them.

Having tried a multitude of skincare brands over the years I was overjoyed to find a range of products which are highly effective, affordable, a delight to use and created by a British company with pure values and a real heartbeat. Inspired by the healthy diet and lifestyle of the Mediterranean our professional formulations contain high levels of the finest natural ingredients combined with cutting-edge scientific technology - a wonderful fusion of nature and science. Our products are geared towards serious results, self-pampering and wellbeing and are designed for busy people who demand and deserve the very best skincare. For more information please visit www.templespa.com/tracycraze

Ishbel Ramsay - Naturally Made Soaps

Naturally Made Soaps is an unique new small business hand making wonderful natural soap inspired by nature using the traditional cold process methods and ingredients from both England and Portugal.

The recipes are the creation of owner Ishbel Ramsay and are inspired by the contrasting nature of her two favorite places - lush, green East Devon and the stunning mountains of Northern Portugal. Ishbel uses natural ingredients including flowers and spices, many sourced and grown by herself. This unique fusion of two countries and the natural soap making products they both provide is a first. Soap ingredients abound in both Devon and Portugal think of rose, English lavender, sea salt, goats milk, oranges and lemons, olive oil and eucalyptus to mention a few. Naturally Made Soaps aim to share this rich joint bounty and in doing so give its users the chance to experience why these two places are so special to Ishbel and her family. Follow her story on the blog http://naturallymadesoaps.blogspot.com and visit her visually stimulating and exciting new website www.naturallymadesoaps.co.uk

Ishbel hopes that she will eventually be able to run her business from both Portugal and Devon growing and supplying all the ingredients she needs to continue to develop her wonderful range of soaps.

Ishbel is happy to donate a selection of her beautiful soaps to the raffle to help raise funds for FORCE.