Meet our Independent Designers

Sue Jones

Mulberry Glass Art

Mulberry Glass Art has been trading for over 15 years and Sue creates beautifully hand painted glassware which has been gifted by customers to all corners of the world. 
Vases, hurricane lanterns and drinking glasses with artwork that can be bespoke and personalised.

Jenni Rogers

Hi I live locally and my passion is my work. Sourcing stones and then combining with silver is what its all about for me. My inspiration comes from my materials, its just a sort of feeling I get when I see something beautiful and automatically I know what I am going to create. I  work with semi precious stones, pearls and sterling silver that is all I need.
I can make to order a large range of bangles and made to measure necklaces. I also can restring at a not too high cost and love revamping old necklaces. Looking forward to this new venture in my neighbouring village.

Wendy Rubie-Todd

Botanical Cast

Having a love of gardening and growing flowers, the process of casting them in plaster felt like a natural extension to my passion.

Gathering whatever is in season, I can preserve an everlasting moment in time, creating unique decorations to hang on your wall.

Sally-Ann

Buttons and Beads

Hi, I’m Sally-Ann from Buttons and Beads. Ever since I can remember I have always been busy crafting, a hobby I picked up with my mum. She taught me how to knit, crochet, cross stitch and many more.  
I’m always keen to keep learning new crafts and I don’t specialise in one particularly craft, it’s just whatever takes my fancy.

Tina Allen

Keep it in a Frame

Hi, I’m Tina, the person behind the name, Keep it in a Frame.  (did you spot my name hidden in my company name?). 

I’m based in Maidstone, and my small business is dedicated to helping you preserve your special memories to ensure they last a lifetime.  I’ve been running my business for more than  15 years, mainly selling personalised scrapbooks online, but since 2019, I’ve also been selling in local gifts shops in Kent.

My handmade memory books can be used for scrapbooking your treasured photos and keepsakes; as celebration guest books for special messages; for journaling, and as photo albums. We also have a range of photo mounts and peg frames, notebooks, and bookmarks, some of which are made using offcuts that would otherwise be recycled.

Kay & Tony

Pretty Unique Design

We are a long retired couple with a passion for craft and creativity.
I have always tried my hand at many crafts. Being a long time lover of glass and colour, I had the opportunity  to learn a new skill at Blackthorn Trust. A charity, very close to our hearts. 
With just a few lessons before the first Lockdown,  I knew immediately this was my new found love! Thankfully, having bought the equipment to work at home only days before (phew) was a sanity saver for me.
A chance visit to Lenham brought us to Kent Loves… A beautiful little shop with many clever, creative Designers. 
Meet Tony in the shop! The stable rock behind Kay’s creativity. 

Bethany Longhurst

Arty Bee Designs

I create unique watercolour greeting cards - from my original watercolour paintings which I print onto the cards and embellish by hand afterwards !

Arty Bee Designs was created after spending two years struggling to cope with various (part time) work environments due to having OCD, anxiety, and experiencing panic attacks;  I spent a lot of time thinking of ways that I could take the things that I enjoyed doing and use these to be able to work for myself - which was plants and painting ! 

I now sell my work at Kent Loves and I am loving every moment of it!

Stephanie & Danielle Smith

Country Fleur

I started Country Fleur in February 2020 with my Daughter.

After receiving a bouquet of soap flowers myself I thought they were such a lovely gift.  Not only do they look pretty, smell lovely, you can use them in the bath.  

They are the perfect gift for any occasion.  We have a variety of colours we can put together for your personal choice and happy to receive any enquiries.

We also do a variety of pebble frames which can be personalised.  We take great pride in what we make and warms us to see happy customers who purchase our gifts. 

Eva Hopkins

E-Rings

I’m Eva Hopkins of ‘E-Rings and at just 11 years old, I’m Kent Loves’s youngest designer!

 

I make resin keyrings, gifts and decorations. Each one is completely individual and I can make to order too.

 

I use epoxy resin, silicone moulds and a wide range of pigments, glitters and other additions to make my sparkly, colourful creations!

 

My dream is to open a cattery and cat cafe when I am older, so E-Rings is helping me save up!

 

I hope you like my products!

 

Eva x

Gwen Owen

GO Gems

Hi, my name is Gwen Owen. When I retired from my long career in retail, I knew I had to keep myself occupied. Im a fairly creative person, and  established ‘GO Gems’, making costume jewellery until I was inspired to make the decorative flower fairies which are now my signature piece. My white Christmas flower fairies were my very first fairy creation, and I now have a variety of beautiful fairies in various materials and colours winging their way all over the UK. I am proud to see my fairies hovering in Kent Loves and know that my customers enjoy them as much as I love making them.

Wendy Laffon

Northdown Nectar

We are a small, not for profit, local business. 
All profits are used to teach and mentor new beekeepers within the local area as we have less than 20%of the bees 
we had at the end of the second world war.
All our hives are local to Lenham and Harrietsham, in private gardens including local farming crops over the North 
Downs. The bees take all the light floral flavours of the wild flowers from Spring to Autumn, including the first snowdrops
catkins and bluebells, meadow thrift, lime hazel elder trees, burnet, corn cockle, lavender and poppies.

Kristina Boulden

Romney Marsh Wools

Kristina was born in Denmark and moved to Kent aged 11 due to her father’s work where she studied at Highworth Grammar School for Girls until leaving after her A’Levels.  Following her education, she decided to enter into the business world where she gained over 14 years’ experience in commercial sales within predominantly the FMCG Market.  Kristina has been a National Account Manager for companies such as COTY UK, Burtons Biscuits and Premier Foods, dealing in both the Independent retail sector as well as the Major Multiples and managing portfolios up to £70m.  In 2005 she married her husband Paul Boulden whose family have been faming on the Romney Marsh for over 130years. In 2008 Kristina and her husband set up an exciting diversification project to have their sheep fleeces transformed, and in July 2011 she gave up her full-time role as a National Account Manager to focus on their business Romney Marsh Wools.  In 2018 the farm further diversified and sited two bespoke made Shepherds Huts to tap into the Tourism industry and further diversify on the farm.  Today Kristina is a Company Director of Romney Marsh Wools along with her husband Paul as well as managing the Shepherds Huts, they have two children Oliver who is 11 and Sophia who is 10 years old whom they hope may follow in their footsteps in the future.

Chloé

Little Loved Stories

Little Loved Stories: Selling preloved, good condition, affordable children’s books. Hand-picked for your little ones! An environmentally friendly way to keep your children entertained!

Hello, my name is Chloé, a proud Mummy to one son. I soon realised that reading to my son rejuvenated my LOVE of children’s books! All the happy memories came flooding back!

Little Loved Stories was created during lockdown and started as a hobby, sourcing great quality second-hand books, helping keep kids entertained during the pandemic. My stock grew and I wanted to continue to spread the joy of wonderful children’s books. Kent Loves have provided me with that platform, and I am very grateful. Happy reading, LLS x

Cathy

Cathy is an artist, living and working in Egerton, Kent, who, using a sock knitting needle and a tin of wax- oil crayons, produces original, colourful and whimsical pictures in a unique style.

Working mostly to commission, Cathy seeks the “magical” in our everyday lives and creates deeply personal artwork for people, of their homes, lives and special places.

Cathy has four grown up children and has always been involved with the teaching of children and adults, of mostly art and laughter. 

Kate

I am a printmaker based in Wateringbury, Kent.

My lino and screen prints are all hand printed limited editions printed either at home on my kitchen table or at a print studio in Rochester. I use water based inks and print onto archival paper. Each print is an original piece of art with subtle variations. 

I am inspired by the beauty of the natural world and most of my prints are of plants, flowers and the landscape. However, having originally qualified and practiced as an architect I also have a passion for buildings and have recently printed some local landmark buildings such as Scotney Castle. 

My cards are professionally printed onto high quality card which is manufactured in the UK.

Matt Huggins

Local writer Matt is setting out on his lifelong dream of becoming an Author.  With the help of his other half Beth, who provides the wonderful illustrations, he has recently published his debut book and first in the Wrapper the Rabbit series; Adventures of Autumn.  This collection of short stories is based at a real-life location on the Kent and East Sussex border, and is set to be the first of four.

Outside of writing, Matt works for the charity Buttercups Sanctuary for Goats, where he has been for almost a decade.  As well as being involved in rescues and writing the quarterly newsletter, Matt and the team work tirelessly, catering to the 130 goats every whim!

Danny Graham

Axeworks Arts

Hello, I'm Danny Graham (BSc Hons PGCE), though am more commonly known by my nickname, Jack Skylark.  I've spent my adult working life as a teacher, tree surgeon and landscaper, though in recent years I have been more drawn towards artistic pursuits using sustainable and eco friendly products. My carvings and wood products are under the company name 'Axeworks Arts'.

Alan Colledge

From an early age to the present day Alan has sketched and painted in watercolour, remaining totally self taught.

Drawing on inspiration from around their home in Platts Heath, both Alan and his wife Hilary can be seen walking and photographing references  for future paintings.

Having originally trained in a drawing office his architectural knowledge remains useful when capturing local village scenes.

Although watercolour is his main passion, purely because it is so unpredictable, Alan also produces many pen and wash pieces.

John Harvey

Watercolour Artist

John Harvey studied at Croydon College of Art, he was Art Director at Ogilvys (advertising agents) for 17 years, Creative Director of JHP (advertising agents) for 10 years and Senior Designer at P&O until leaving to set up his own advertising and design services.

 

John paints in watercolour and has really taken off in the last few years, specialising in Landscapes with atmosphere, flowers, marine, animals, towns and villages.

Anna Livesey

Anna's Kitchen

Hi, I’m Anna Livesey of Anna’s Kitchen. I make Jams, Marmalades, Chutneys, Jellies and Curds.

I make all my preserves in my kitchen in Lenham. 

The Food Standards Agency awarded me a 5* rating.

My products are made from locally sourced suppliers, some from an orchard less than 3 miles away, others direct from local farms. I’m proud to say that I don’t use any artificial chemicals or preservatives.

Come and see my range in Kent Loves, and if you don’t find what you’re after, let me know and I’ll do my best to make it for you

Deb Mortimer

Willow Textiles

I'm Deb Mortimer, I live in rural Marden and I'm a Textile Artist and owner of Willow Textiles.

 

As a little girl, I was always surrounded by fabrics and the hum of a sewing machine as my Mum was a Soft Furnishing Seamstress. I had my first sewing machine at a young age and made little purses from ex-sample books. My very first job as an older school child was working alongside my Mum hand-sewing the hems of curtain linings! 

 

I trained in Textile Design in the early 90’s at the University of Derby, have since worked in various clerical jobs over the years, took time out to have my (now adult) daughter and ran my own wedding stationery business for over 10 years. Whatever sector I have worked in, I have always had something ‘arty’ running alongside my ‘normal job’ as being creative is a massive part of who I am! In 2019 I realised how much I was missing working with textiles, and I started creating pictures in fabric and from here Willow Textiles was formed.

 

My inspiration comes from nature, the countryside, and the seaside and is incorporated into my artwork. I can be attracted to a colourful flower, a garden scene, a bird visiting my seed feeder, an oast house or village scene I spot on my travels around Kent, or a stroll on the beach.

 

I love working with fabrics, beads, buttons, threads, ribbons, trims, felt, interesting textures, and colour. Give me some fabric, scissors and a sewing machine and I'm in my happy place! 

 

 My ‘makes’ include framed pictures, keyrings, bookmarks, greetings cards and tote bags (prints from my original artwork), and decorative pieces for the home.

Stella Hasler

Salty Old Sea Dog

Tantalise your taste buds and elevate your dishes with Salty Old Sea Dog's distinctive culinary salts.  From the rich colour and floral notes of Hibiscus; the earthy tones of Sun-Dried Tomato; to the warm briney tang of Chilli.  Each one will bring something unique to your dishes.  

Liz Eldridge

Liz Eldridge Art

Hi, my name is Liz and I am a professional artist from Ditton in Kent, who specialises in animals, birds and insects.  I am a mother of 3 and have a French Bulldog and two cats, but I am mad about all types of animals!

After drawing my French Bulldog Pepper, for fun, my friends and family loved my drawings so much that they started commissioning me to draw their pets too.  From there I started building up Liz Eldridge Art to what it is today. 

I draw mainly in Pastels and pride myself on my distinctive clean, realism style of art.  I love fine details and trying to make my images look as real as possible.  Once a piece is completed, I then print the images onto homeware, gifts and cards in my home studio.   I am also happy to take on commissions, particularly for pet portraits, which I can draw from your own photos, and you may spot a couple of my original dog drawings in the shop.

I was delighted to be accepted to be a part of the Kent Loves family and you will find a selection of both my original art and my products in the shop.  

You will find me helping out in the shop a couple of times each month and I will usually be busy working on my next piece of art, so please stop by and say hi!

Rosie

Rosie's Handmade Originals

Hi, my name is Rosie, I am a seamstress based in Lenham.

Rosie’s Handmade Originals began in 2017 when I started selling skirts to the ladies at my local jive club. In recent years I have expanded my range of products to also sell tops, hair accessories, makeup bags, cleansing pads and much more! I work mostly with cotton fabric in fun and unusual prints. I am currently selling my accessories range in Kent Loves, if you would like a skirt or a custom order please get in touch and I will be happy to help!

Melissa

Melissa Jane Jewellery

Hello, I’m Melissa of Melissa Jane Jewellery. I live in Maidstone and have been making jewellery using semi-precious stones, combined with sterling silver and plated metals for 11 years. I sold regularly at craft fairs around Maidstone and Medway until taking a break to study a degree in Environmental Science and Geography at The Open University. As I near the final years of my degree, jewellery making has been instrumental in giving me space to relax, rest and create. I can’t wait to share my designs with Kent Loves customers and I look forward to meeting you!

Claire Davies

Glazycow

My ceramics are handbuilt at my home studio in Biddenden, Kent.
I enjoy hand building, modelling and texturing clay to create individual usable and decorative pieces.

Enhancing the clay with vintage fabric, lace or natural botanical materials allows me to experiment with pattern and colour. 
I prefer to work in porcelain or white stoneware clay as it is more challenging and purer for the texture and patterns.

Glaze colours are more vibrant against the white background. I also like modelling the clay into small animals that take on a personality of their own.
Although an item can be copied in design and essence, no two pieces are ever the same.

Deb

Rowan & Willow

Hi I’m Deb and I’ve been creating with decoupage for over 30 years now. It’s something I have a huge passion for and really enjoy.

My designs are made with a decoupage technique, using separate elements cut from a variety of paper napkins to create something entirely unique for you. I'm constantly inspired by the countryside and nature, and William Morris prints. I offer a variety of home décor and gift items, and often add some one-off quirky pieces and upcycled products.

I’m thrilled to be a part of Kent Loves, and their ethos to support designers and creatives, whilst keeping the high street alive.

Owen

Made in the Malthouse

I’m Owen and I’m the owner of Made in the Malthouse. I live and craft just around the corner in an old Victorian malthouse in Lenham Heath that myself and my partner recently renovated. I am a full time nurse working in the NHS and find that to sit down and craft gives me much needed respite from an otherwise hectic life.

 

My main craft is with industrial materials such as concrete, copper with resin thrown in for good measure.. I like to incorporate materials that would ordinarily be thrown away such as bottle tops and used bicycle chains to name a few that make  interesting and unique items. Concrete is a particular favourite of mine as there are so many variables associated with how each item cures that you really don’t know what to expect when you de-mould. When working with concrete I like to experiment as much as possible with a range of techniques especially for adding colour, so you’re sure to find a truly one off piece for your collection.

 

Aside from the smaller items I have also been known to upscale and make larger items such as side tables made from concrete and copper pipes to coffee dripper sets and even wall planters made almost exclusively from copper pipe and fittings that are great for air plants.

Charlotte

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Charlotte is a Fine Art and Abstract Artist from Kent who loves to work with acrylics, watercolour and fine liner ink. Her work is defined by vibrant colours using different mediums and techniques. She is inspired by nature and use of colour to trigger emotion and thought.

Alma​

Alma Caira

I spend my days blowing and fusing glass in my Whitstable garden studio, in between multiple tea breaks. 

I studied Silversmithing and Jewellery at Glasgow School of Art, graduating in 1990, and it was experimenting with coloured enamels on silver in 2007 that got me started on my fused glass adventure. 

I create colourful fused glass hanging decorations such as chickens, hearts and fish. My fused glass earrings, brooches and pendants come in every colour of the rainbow but I also have a range of matt finish, muted colour designs which have a beautiful, tactile quality reminiscent of beach glass. 

In 2015, deciding kiln fused glass wasn’t quite dangerous enough, I acquired a bench torch and began teaching myself glass blowing. It’s a steep learning curve but I reckon I’m getting there!

Emma

Just by Emma

Just by Emma is a small independent skincare business based in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex and run by Emma. All products are lovingly handmade in my designated studio, in small batches and always made to order to maintain product quality. My ethos is about formulating products which focus on making your skincare routine natural, simple and including ingredients which contain

tremendous benefits for your skin.

Ingredients are sourced from local suppliers where ever possible but always from reputable suppliers who have clear ethical policies.

Just by Emma also believes in being completely transparent about each ingredient included in each product....

So you can make informed decisions about what you are putting on your skin.

Grace​

Meraki Crafts

Hi my name is Grace from ‘Meraki’ crafts.

I have loved art and crafts for as long as I can remember and in the past have worked in creative industries including floristry and visual merchandising. I enjoy working with a wide range of creative disciplines and styles including fabrics, floristry, wood, clay and other natural materials. I like to keep my work current and concentrate on making new items for each season. 

‘Meraki’ is a Greek word, it means ‘to leave an essence of your soul, love and creativity in your work’… something I feel I do in everything I make. It’s great to have the opportunity to be part of the creative team at Kent Loves.

Isabella

Candle Wise

Candle Wise is an award winning candle company, based in Benenden. Imagine a world where every flicker of a candle’s flame tells a story, where scents carry you away to distant memories and dreams. Welcome to Candle Wise, where we’re not just making candles; we create experiences, where our customers can travel around the world through the handpicked scents, in the end, it’s The World in a Candle. Every product in our cosy lineup, always thinking on sustainability from our candles and diffusers to scoopable melts and incenses, is a labour of love, handcrafted in small batches. Why small batches, you ask? Because we’re obsessed with quality. We want to ensure that every product you receive holds the warmth, care, and comfort we intended.

Our products have found their way across all seven continents — can you believe it? The essence of Candle Wise has travelled the globe, turning houses into homes, strangers into friends, moments into memories..​

Liz Haggart

I have made always enjoyed making ‘things’ and since 2020 I began selling my surplus creations. I particularly love repurposing good quality fabric and household items, but I also love to work with quality, well designed cottons (e.g. Liberty, Moda, William Morris etc.), Merchant and Mills’ dry oilskin, canvas and webbing and other designers’ fabric, vinyl, and cork that I come across. I am continually upskilling myself using different weights/types of materials, types of fasteners and even rivets whilst trying to engineer something out of a piece of fabric that I ‘just like the look of’.

I repurpose men’s silk ties into silk cowls/scarves, scrunchies, cushion covers, bag handles and greetings cards.  I love using wool, tweed, denim and cashmere fabrics found in unwanted clothing to make bags, phone/tablet stands, wallets, pencil cases, glasses cases, scarves and other items. As a lifelong needlecrafter I love pincushions and I make these using repurposed, silver napkin rings, cups, cut glass objects and candle holders!

I try to make items that have a use. The name Pod Squad came about because I seemed to make ‘containers’ or pods for things ranging from iPads to pins!