RubyKite

It’s .amaker week and over the next few days we’ll be sharing some of our favourite designs, both new and old.

So, a big hello from our studio, where I paint most days, in north Surrey by the River Thames.

We started RubyKite just before lockdown. Not the best time to start, but it made us adapt and learn very fast! Joy and I have actually known each other since our children were very small, so it’s lovely that those “little” girls are now all grown up and model all our scarves for us. They’re also very good at telling us which designs work and don’t work - which is incredibly helpful before printing.

I originally studied graphic design (a million years ago) and after running an agency in London for 25 years, started printmaking and painting. I exhibit my work at various galleries in the UK, so creating the designs for our collections fits well into my work schedule. In fact it was joy that suggested taking one of my paintings and printing it on to silk. She has years of experience working in textiles and has a very good eye for knowing what will work as a piece of wearable art. And so RubyKite was born!

Since 2019, we’ve thrown ourselves into workshops, craft fairs and online talks. It’s been a huge learning curve but a very rewarding one. We’ve met the best bunch of makers and artists along the way too. A proper creative community that is so supportive.

This is another year filled with exciting shows - next up is Craft festival at Bovey Tracey. It’s the 20th anniversary and promises to be an amazing celebration of all things craft and design. We’ve also got open studio in June and our first appearance at The Fresh Air Sculpture exhibition at the beautiful Quenington Old Rectory gardens in Gloucestershire. And that’s just June!

Anyway, a big hello from both of us

So excited to be taking part in this year’s Festival of Craft at The Farnham Maltings.

Now in its 27th year, this annual two-day event features a curated selection of handmade crafts across all media, including homewares, jewellery, ceramics, stationery, accessories, furniture, lighting, textiles and print.

The festival champions great design and the process of making, both traditional and modern techniques and skills. This event offers a relaxed environment for visitors to browse and meet and buy directly from the makers.

We open this Saturday Oct 14th to Sunday 15th, 10am to 5pm




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Launched today! Our Meadow sherbets long silk wrap 🥰


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And our second launch of the day, Forget-me-not on large silk squares and cashmere wraps. Definitely my favourite blue 💙


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A very busy studio today. I’m multi-tasking between finishing paintings and creating designs for a new range of silk ties. It’s the first time we’ve done these so can’t wait to see them in print. Should be ready to launch in the Autumn 😃



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Oh so happy to share these pretty Forget-me-not silk bags. The blues really pop on the silk. Perfect for keeping all those bits and bobs💙

Just added to our shop - link in bio.

And excited to have some big new launches this week. More to follow…😃


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Over the moon to share our new colour story, Rockpool. We’ve just launched the whole collection on our website, including this beautiful cashmere wrap.

The original painting on cast plaster captures the experience rather than the reality of all those rock pools I’ve been dipping my toes in this summer. Slate, teal, yellow and chalk combine to create a real statement piece.




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Just over a week to go before we go to the Sussex Prairies.

We’ll be joining some the finest makers in the UK in these award-winning gardens with

It’s one of our favourite events of the year - such a privilege to be taking part and to be amongst the spectacular swathes of herbaceous perennials and grasses. Our Meadow Collection feels rather appropriate 🥰

Tickets are available:
https://www.beautiful-useful.co.uk/sussex-prairies

Beautiful & Useful
Sussex Prairies
Sat 16th – Sun 17th September 11:00am – 5:00pm


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Our “Rockpool” design on a really long silk wrap with hand rolled edges. It’s a beauty❤️

We’ve printed a small batch of these which we’ve just added online and we’ll be taking the whole colour story to the Sussex prairies this weekend for

Our first craft fair of the year - can’t wait 😃😃


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Over the moon to be launching our Tapestry collection next week. It will go live on our site this Friday😃😃Can’t wait to share more details - such a beautiful colour story ❤️


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A warm patchwork palette of moss, teal, terracotta, indigo and rose on our new Tapestry cashmere wrap. It’s a beauty❤️
And just added to our website.



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Ooooh look what we’re launching next month! So excited that “Rockpool” will be making its debut at the brilliant in the Sussex Prairies. Can’t wait!

“Rockpool” will be available from September on silk and cashmere as well as some gorgeous little silk bags 😃😃


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Wow! What a brilliant 3 days. Our first time at Bovey Tracey and we’ve loved it! Thank you to Sarah and all the team for putting on such a spectacular celebration of all things craft and design. It’s been brilliant 😃😃


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It’s a beauty! Our new design, Tapestry on a 110cm large silk square with a terracotta silk chiffon edging. Excited to be sharing these at our upcoming shows and we have a handful online too 😃



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https://www.instagram.com/p/CvfSt9xodg-/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

Time to pick our 5 favourite makers as part of this week’s .amaker. A virtually impossible task as ALL the makers are incredible. So, as we’re part of the textile bunch, I’ve chosen 5 fellow textile designers. Their work is such an inspiration - well worth visiting their websites. I have a wish list for each of them🥰







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Thank you to for including us in your favourites for .amaker week. Much appreciated 😃🥰

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It’s the last day of .amaker week. The final post is 5 favourite makers. There are too many to choose from but these makers were chosen to celebrate my love of art and colour.
Each photo is tagged with the makers too:




boundbyhand
It’s been great to take part in my first Find a Maker week.

Thanks so much to for including us in favourites 😃🥰

with .repost
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It’s the last day of .amaker week. The final post is 5 favourite makers. There are too many to choose from but these makers were chosen to celebrate my love of art and colour.
Each photo is tagged with the makers too:




boundbyhand
It’s been great to take part in my first Find a Maker week.

Find a Maker Week: Best seller.
“Tides” is definitely one of our most popular designs at the moment. The original painting on plaster has lots of texture and a chalky palette with a pop of yellow, which look so good on silk and cashmere. There’s something about neutral blues which makes this design so wearable. And the large cashmere wrap is especially useful right now!

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Hello, hello! This week is find a maker week; a celebration of all things craft and we’ll be posting a few films and pics that give a little insight into what we make.⁠
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We love exploring unique textures that translate beautifully on to our silk and cashmere art scarves and little pouches. Each colour story is printed in more sustainable small batches, to create wearable art with a 3d-effect and signature chalky palette. ⁠

Our studio is just by the river Thames and we’re opening our doors again this year in June as part of Surrey artists open studios. So if you’re close-by, we’d love to see you. We’re also very excited to be taking part in our first Craft Festival at Bovey Tracy. Can’t wait for that!
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We’re now just over three years old which means we’re incredibly excited about the possibilities for RubyKIte. Making our products as sustainable as possible is really important to us. We’re already minimising waste; printing in small batches and have replaced our gift boxes with silk pouches made from off-cuts from our “Tree” and “Poppy” design, as well as printing with dyes that are AZO free.

We have some exciting new collections launching this in June. All from my paintings on plaster with intricate textures that translate so well onto our wearable art. We’ve also been experimenting with different sizes to compliment our large silk squares and long cashmere wraps, which we’ll launch at Bovey Tracy.
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Our aim is to create treasured, timeless pieces that prioritise longevity over fast fashion; original art scarves that stand-out in a world of mass production.⁠
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Playing with florals today. New collections coming along. Lots of texture and mark making on this little painting on plaster🥰💙



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A reminder of Spring, even though it feels like Winter! A big “Daisy” hug of a scarf. Taken from my daisy paintings, with intricate textures which have translated beautifully on cashmere. Definitely need this today 🥶


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For all dog lovers! And especially sight hounds (as you can see from our Runners design🥰). This month is national pet month, raising awareness of responsible pet ownership. So we’re joining with .amaker to celebrate all of our furry friends.

One of the many swan feathers from the riverside. A constant source of inspiration - my studio is filled with them😆
This was the inspiration for our Feather colour story, printed on silk and on cashmere, with a sage and heather palette. All rather lovely😍


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Thank you Handmade in Britain]
Bring on Spring - please! 🌸

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Flowers are one of the defining visuals of Spring, and are among the most universally aesthetically pleasing things in the world. Here are just some of our favourite flower pieces we have available. Swipe to browse 💐
.. And did you know, today is the start of community garden week in the UK?

The big swan feathers are out!
Thank you for wearing our Feather on cashmere so beautifully. Looks great on you!

We’ve just printed another small batch of these for Spring 😃


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Here’s to all mums past and present❤️Happy, happy Mother’s Day 🥰🥰

Gorgeous gift ideas from .amaker including our meadow silk scarves 😃🌸

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M O T H E R S D A Y

New mums, old mums, adopted mums, busy mums, tired mums, those wanting to be mums, those missing their mums, fur-baby mums, ALL mums deserve a great big hug for doing a fantastic job ♥️​​​​​​​

As we approach Mother’s Day we’ve curated thoughtful gifts from our .amaker members to brighten that special person's day and deliver a taste of Spring. We have included a suggestion from each group of makers that you can find on the .amaker website.

Head to the website (link in bio) to view our full range of exceptional makers where you are guaranteed to find a special, unique handmade gift that will allow you to show your appreciation for that mother figure in your life and bring joy everyday.

Furniture and Wood
Glass
Ceramics .russell.vessel.ceramics
Leather
Metal and Silver
Mixed Media .design
Non Precious Jewellery
Paper and Print
Precious Jewellery .hamak
Textiles

“Sherbets” on peace silk. Perfect little pouches for all those bits ‘n bobs. And a rather lovely gift🥰

We now have 7 designs to choose from in peace silk, all with studded leather tabs.




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