Louth Craftmark Designers Network open Festival Pop Up Store

Following the success of their August pop store, Louth Craftmark Designers Network, a group of talented crafters, designers and visual artists based in and around County Louth have opened a new Christmas shop on the first floor of Powerscourt Townhouse Shopping Centre in Dublin.

The new store will showcase and sell an array of exquisitely crafted Irish treasures, from glistening glass art to cozy textile creations, charming ceramics, sparkling jewellery, luxurious silk scarves, opulent velvet wraps, willow baskets as well as snug felted shawls and accessories.

Whether you're on the hunt for the perfect Christmas present for a loved one, or planning to treat yourself, discover a wonderland of exquisite, handcrafted gifts at Louth Craftmark Designers Network in Powerscourt Townhouse Centre. Nestled alongside the Pepper Pot Café, the Christmas shop is open every day, from now until the end of December (Monday to Saturday from 10 am to 6 pm, and Sunday from 12 noon to 6 pm).

Designers taking part in the project include:

Aoife Burke – Glass Artist

Aoife Burke's artistry is a meticulous fusion of clear and vibrantly coloured glass, carefully shaping and assembling these elements into her final masterpieces. This intricate process, though slow and delicate, allows her to delve into the incredibly expressive character of this captivating material. What makes glass even more fascinating is its scientific allure - rather than traditional pigments, it's the metals and minerals like selenium, sulphur, copper, lead, silver, and gold that give it its mesmerising array of colours. These elements interact with each other, a quality she ingeniously incorporates into her glass designs, and represented by the atom symbol featured in her logo.

Nestled on the banks of the Boyne River during her formative years, she draws abundant inspiration from the natural world: the play of dappled light, the rich hues of leaves, and the elegant symmetry of seashells. Sometimes, her mission is simply to capture the essence of this beauty and encapsulate it in time. However, her work often serves as a vehicle for delving deeper, as she explores the intriguing questions that life presents.

Breda McNelis - Irish Landscape Textile Artist

Breda has been creating her one-of-a-kind textile art since 2011 and works from her studio in the historic Millmount Cultural Quarter, Drogheda, Co Louth. Captivated by our ever-changing skies, the ebb and flow of the sea, shorelines and wildflowers, Breda works with a canvas of traditional Irish fabrics, báinín, tweed and linen to create unique textile artwork that reflects her inspiration. Merino wools, silk fibres, select yarns and beads are carefully embellished onto this canvas creating textured pieces that at first glance are often perceived to be paintings. Look closer and you’ll discover the subtle details of embroidered stitches, metallic threads, or the glint of a glass bead as it catches the light.

Caoimhe Tuthill - Boann Irish Felt Designs

Textile designer Caoimhe Tuthill specialises in crafting unique hand-felted shawls, accessories, and artwork, all lovingly handmade in her Slane home. Her exceptional creations are born from the ancient craft of wet felting, resulting in a distinct style that draws profound inspiration from the lush Irish landscapes, the wonders of the natural world, and the Neolithic surroundings of Newgrange and Dowth.

Cecilia Casey – Jewellery Designer

Cecilia Casey is passionate about infusing her work with a rich tapestry of colours, textures, and diverse gemstone shapes, resulting in the crafting of genuinely unique jewellery. Her creations artfully meld the timeless essence of the classic with the contemporary. By uniting the enduring strength, adaptability, and sheer allure of gemstones with precious metals, she brings to life jewellery pieces that are both exquisite and unparalleled. Cecilia draws endless inspiration from the captivating beauty of the Irish coastline and the ever-shifting hues of nature's palette.

Claire Dooley - Ceramics

Working mainly with porcelain clay, Claire’s pieces are gentle and quiet - thrown on a potters’ wheel and then finely turned until a sense of balance is achieved. Living along the East Coast of Ireland, Clare’s work is often inspired by the sea and coastal landscapes. She approaches the decoration of her pieces thoughtfully. Clare use colours inspired by nature and often include local materials collected along the shoreline near my home in the surface decoration. Aside from providing textural and tonal qualities, the local materials give Clare’s work a sense of place, a connection to their environment.

Helen Marry

Helen Marry is a stained-glass artist working and living in the Boyne Valley, Co Meath. Helen’s work is strongly influenced by the magical mystical atmosphere of the great Neolithic cemetery in the bend of the river Boyne. All Helen’s pieces are original designs, hand-cut, hand soldered and finished in her home studio beside the passage grave of Knowth. Helen’s colours come from nature, soft greens and blues enlivened by reds and yellows and the lines in her work are reminiscent of the curves of the great tumulus in the shadow of which they are created.

Jane Campbell - Modern Irish Sculptural Ceramics

Jane Campbell works with stoneware clay and specialises in large scale slab-built work. Jane uses segments that she put together to create the final shape and makes decisions as the form grows. The interior shapes fascinate Jane. I want somehow to highlight them, to capture or contain or trap that space. I know the piece is finished when it conveys something to me, maybe it’s the form or the scale but usually it’s the empty spaces’ Jane has been exhibiting Ceramic Sculpture since 2018. In 2022 she was awarded an Agility grant from the Arts Council and completed a three-month residency in Guldagergaard International Ceramic centre Denmark. Also in 2022 she was one of the artists representing Ireland at Argillà Ceramic festival in Faenza Italy.

Linda Menton – Patchwork Textiles

Linda's journey into the world of patchwork artistry commenced during her time in Asia. It was the awe-inspiring handcrafted quilts from Cambodia that ignited her passion for this craft, spurring her to delve into its intricacies while living in Malaysia. Now, from her cozy home studio in Peacockstown, Linda skilfully crafts patchwork masterpieces. Her materials bear the tales of her adventures, a collection of fabrics she's gathered during her travels, alongside exquisite selections from globally celebrated designers, often procured from esteemed Irish quilting stores. Applique, collage, and thread painting are major elements: every offcut finds a home in her work. Locally made bespoke frames complete her pictures. The applique pictures, themed for children’s rooms, are bright and cheerful and her landscape and animal collages are suitable for myriad settings.

Mel Bradley - Handpainted Silk Scarves & Velvet Wraps

There’s nothing more luxurious than silk and Drogheda designer Mel Bradley who creates stunning scarves, wraps, cowls, and bespoke kaftans, is no stranger to working with the magnificent fabric.
With a remarkable 35-year history, Mel Bradley has been a creative force, designing and hand-painting silk scarves, wraps, cushions, and bed throws that have graced the realms of craft, fashion, and corporate elegance. Her artistry extends beyond her own brand, as she has collaborated with renowned Irish fashion designers including John Rocha, Louise Kennedy, Jen Kelly, Richard Lewis, and Pat Crowley, fashioning fabrics and wraps that grace their esteemed collections.

For Mel, silk is more than a canvas; it's a perfect medium for her artistic expression. She revels in silk's sensuous quality, its character, its texture, and the way it holds and radiates colour with unmatched beauty. Mel's stunning creations are a reflection of the ever-shifting world that envelops her, drawing inspiration from the kaleidoscope of colours all around. From the soft morning light streaming through her bedroom window to the dance of sunlight on the sea waves, the gentle sway of grasses in the breeze, the blossoming of a bud into a flower, and the grandeur of the rising and setting sun, her work is a testament to the world's natural beauty.

Michele Hannan - Ceramic Pottery & Jewellery

Michele has been working with clay for over thirty years. She grew up making things and her passion led her to the National College of Art and Design, where her love of ceramics began. Michelle has developed her own unique and distinctive range of ceramic products and one-off pieces. To add to her retail offering, over lockdown 2020 Michele developed a new collection of porcelain jewellery, called MiHa Porcelain Jewellery, including earrings and necklaces. Michelle’s work is characterised by organic shapes, combined with her love of colour, texture and pattern, drawing her inspiration from nature, Irish wildlife, the Irish coast and sea. Michele’s work encapsulates and celebrates the beauty and joy of the natural world.

Mide Reddin – Ceramic Pottery

Míde’s work is heavily influenced by nature, in particular the sea. On her regular walks along the beaches of Wicklow she draws inspiration from the organic forms she observes on the coastal shoreline – birds, rippling water, shells and the many varieties of seaweed. These marine influences are at the centre of her work which comprises a combination of ceramics and glass. Having trained in Ireland, France and Scotland she received her BA in Ceramic Design from the Glasgow School of Art. Her work has been exhibited in galleries throughout Ireland, the UK and France, in both solo and group exhibitions and select craft fairs. Her work can also be found in private collections across Europe and the Americas.

Noella Manley - ART by NOELLA

Noella, an artist residing in the heart of Louth, skilfully encapsulates the splendour and vividness of our world in her artwork. Her preferred medium is oil paint, and she artfully wields both palette knives and brushes to imbue her creations with a dynamic blend of colour and texture. Noella is an active participant at the renowned Peoples Art Exhibition in Dublin, and her artistic journey has seen her host three solo exhibitions to date. Her art has found cherished homes not only throughout Ireland but also in the United Kingdom, the United States, and even as far afield as Australia, where her captivating pieces have left a lasting impression.

Soheil Roohipour – Basketry & Silver Smith

Soheil Roohipour has been a basket weaver for more than five years. He embarked on his journey under the mentorship of seasoned masters in this age-old craft, and his thirst for knowledge remains unquenched as he continues to collaborate with these esteemed basket weavers, eagerly embracing both the traditional and innovative aspects of basketry. Soheil's charming creations find a welcoming home in the local markets of Newry, Louth, and the surrounding areas. What captivates Soheil most is the entire process of cultivating, harvesting, and preparing willow for his weaving endeavours. He finds immense fascination in the intricate dance between growth and artistry, often crafting unique, one-of-a-kind pieces that captivate the eye. Beyond the realm of basketry, Soheil's heart is entwined with the art of silversmithing.

Tracy Fry – Visual Artist

Tracy, a talented visual artist rooted in the picturesque landscape of Dundalk, County Louth, embarked on her artistic journey with a foundation in Fine Art Printmaking from NCAD. Her creative repertoire primarily thrives in the realms of printmaking and painting, although she also skilfully transforms salvaged slate into unique jewellery and delightful gifts.
Tracy's collagraph prints find their muse in the intersection of landscape and science, with many pieces delving into the enigmatic nano world and the intricate patterns woven into nature's tapestry. Beyond her printmaking, she takes on commissioned projects, crafting captivating landscape and portrait paintings. Notably, her recent explorations have led her to experiment with resin, resulting in vivid relief landscapes and lifelike portraits.