Meet The Co Founders
Anne-Marie Randall and Sandie Randle established Handmade In – Painswick in 2021 with a mission to support the work of local artists and to strengthen the community of arts and artists in the Five Valleys area. They represent artists across a wide range of media from fine art to artisans working in traditional crafts. They are committed to ideas of localism and to the importance of the arts as fundamental to local culture, economy and identity.
Our philosophy
Objects can hold a special place in our hearts. They foster connection and embed a sense of belonging through the memories they hold to people and places. At Handmade In – UK we recognise the importance of the connectedness between artists and makers, the objects they make and the people who buy them. There is an unspoken dialogue. Many of our artists like to know who has bought one of their paintings for example, who will gaze on the images they have created. This connection is very real. It is recognised and nurtured in our relational enterprise that brings together objects and people.
At Handmade In - UK we understand that how we shop has changed. People are seeking to buy less, to buy in a more sustainable manner, to support small businesses and to recognise the importance of localism. Creating sustainable retail and selling objects that we love is part of our vibe. We also aim to support artists and artisans -what’s that phrase – ‘without art, earth is just eh’. Art feeds our souls, it makes us who we are, and in a world of fast, fast, fast, art makes us stop and connect. Art is about understanding who we are, where we fit and how we can belong. Come with us on this journey of imagination and beauty to shop in a way that supports our planet and soothes our souls.
We are here to support you in your desire to buy beautiful things, to shop ethically and in a way that enriches your life and the lives of artists and artisans. We are part of this positive change, and we invite you to join us. Visit our curated online shop for inspiration, to find a gift for yourself or something special for someone you love.
Where it all began
Handmade In - UK is the love child of friends and neighbours Anne-Marie Randall and Sandie Randle. It was born on a chilly winter walk in the early days of the second Covid lockdown. For us, as for just about everybody around the world, life had taken an unexpected swerve. We were required to stay at home, and our usual work life was on pause. We live in a Cotswold village where there are lots of artists and makers, and as makers ourselves, we were aware of how the forced isolation would be impacting on their livelihoods and thus on our community. We hatched a plan to host a pop-up shop in our local arts centre for the forthcoming summer months. Just a 3 month pop-up with the aim of building our community of artists and makers and generating some hope and light out of the gloomy and uncertain time.
By the time of our launch in May 2021 we were working with 23 artists and makers, all from our immediate area. The shop was busy from day one and continued to buzz right across the summer months. The relaxation of Covid restrictions meant that people were keen to get back out into the world and there we were offering a destination right in the heart of our village, which was embraced by both locals and visitors.
The success of the pop-up spurred us on, and we continued to curate the work of local artists and artisans and to sell through our shop in Painswick, near Stroud in Gloucestershire. We began to expand our reach and include artists from the Five Valleys around the Stroud area and now draw on a growing list of makers.
We have learnt a lot. We have found that attitudes to shopping are changing. The story attached to what we buy has grown in importance. The narrative threads of these stories include themes of sustainability, ethical production with a low environmental footprint and strong provenance. It is not just the aesthetic, which of course still holds strong appeal, but the story that accompanies an item that is crucial to what we buy. Ideas of localism and of what Mary Portas has termed the ‘kindness economy’ influence the decisions we make about what we bring into our homes and what we gift to others.
We have developed this online platform based on the same simple principles on which we developed our retail base. We want to connect you to the vast array of artists and artisans around the UK, each producing stunning work. We have a curated collection of products each made by people that we know. We want the work to bring you a positive story of ethical production. We want you to be linked to the person who made the items you buy. We want to create a community based on beauty, kindness and connection. Thank you for being part of this growing story!