We all know there are a lot of talented artists in the region, but it’s not often you get the chance to see how their pieces are made at the same time as having the chance to buy them. That’s the idea behind Crafted By Hand, which is taking place at Masham Town Hall next weekend, which has revitalised the idea of craft fairs and aims to reveal the skill and passion of the makers behind a range of beautiful things. The hall is being transformed into an emporium of stunning contemporary design-led art and crafts, featuring some of the region’s best makers of jewellery, ceramics, glass, sculpture and printmaking.

Organisers Josie Beszant and Charlotte Morrison are both professional artist/makers themselves, and are keen to ensure the event showcases beautifully made art and craft items. “We decided that showing people how work is made and letting visitors make things themselves was just as important as showcasing great work,” says Josie. “At Crafted By Hand events visitors can watch and take part in all kinds of different crafts, including printmaking, blacksmithing, even furniture making and throwing their own pots.”

This year there are more than 40 artists to discover including a special feature showcase of two Yorkshire artists. Helaina Sharpley’s stunning wirework art is inspired by her love of tea, architecture and the Edwardian way of life. Collectors of her work include David Hockney. Meanwhile, David Mayne’s magical metal sculptures capture the essence of trees, deer and foxes. His work can be found in many collections throughout the UK.

Visitors will also get the chance to see prints, textiles and handbound notebooks by Folded Forest, who, as their name implies, take inspiration from the natural world; the endearing canine creations of Heartfelt Dogs; an exclusive range of felt and tweed bowler hats made by Weardale felt-maker Ellie Langley out of wool from her own flock of sheep; handmade wooden chopping boards, spoons and bowls created from British hardwoods by Hugh Leishman, and unique furniture by Mawdsley Williams. There will also be jewellery created from a host of materials, from precious stones to gold, silver and glass.

Crafted by Hand takes place from 10am to 4pm, Saturday and Sunday November 4-5, at Masham Town Hall, North Yorkshire. Entry £2 for adults, under 16s 50p. For more details visit by-handevents.com

  • Von Allen's needle felted canine characters are all inspired by her dog Barney and his ability to change personality according to what he thinks it might get him. All the dogs she creates are unique. They are needle-felted from 100 per cent wool with glass eyes and their clothes are selected from various vintage ranges from Paul and Sindy, Ken, Action Man, GI Joe, and other action dolls.
  • Ellie Langley keeps a small, varied flock of sheep, purely for their wool, at her smallholding high in Upper Weardale in the North Pennines Area of outstanding Natural Beauty - hence the name "Fleece with Altitude". The smallholding is a former lead miner's smallholding. It is off-grid and powered entirely by renewable forms of energy - wind, sun and wood. All animals on the smallholding are loved and pampered and live out their natural lives in the hay meadow and pasture. Ellie recently developed a new, exclusive range of felt and tweed bowler hats which she makes in her workshop on the smallholding.
  • Jewellery designer-maker Charlotte Whitmore uses a lot of pattern and texture in her work, most of which is created by hand-stamping. The stamps she uses are either handmade or antique/salvaged, which means that the prints are often quite unique to her work. As well as silver, she works with a range of other materials which include vintage plastics such as Bakelite and Lucite
  • Kate Bowles uses natural dyes, recycled fabrics and papers and assorted vintage haberdashery ephemera, to create hand-bound notebooks and journals. She places particular emphasis on revealing the sewn bindings on the spine of the book.
  • Hugh Leishman, is a Yorkshire craftsman with a small woodturning and carving workshop. He makes bowls, dishes, chopping boards, bakers peels, spoons and other wooden objects that are designed to be used. He works mainly in British hardwoods and finishes his work with "food-safe" oils.
  • Charlotte Morrison is a ceramicist from Masham in the Yorkshire Dales. Her ceramics all reflect the past in some form as she is an avid collector of vintage items and has a fascination in researching times past. Recent work is decorated with symbolic pattern, mapping ancient roads, places and the surrounding Yorkshire landscape.
  • Julia Batley of Teazle works from her studio in the historic textile area of West Yorkshire, where she designs and makes limited edition handbags and accessories. Handmade from the softest leathers in a range of vibrant colours, they’re lined with gorgeous liberty print fabrics.
  • Folded Forest is a creative venture by Ruth Viqueira & Sarah Peel. Together they design and make a range of limited edition screenprints, textiles and stationary, all screen-printed by hand in their small Yorkshire studio.
  • Spatchcock & Wurzill lovingly create unique musical instruments using upcycled reclaimed and recycled materials. Based on the Cigar Box Guitar, their musical instruments not only look wonderful, they are also built to be played.