My passion for craft began in 2013 when I was introduced to green woodworking whilst volunteering with a woodland community called the Cherrywood Project. I began volunteering a year before completing my degree in Environmental Management at the University of the West of England, as the main focus of my studies was ecological conservation and the growing need for people to reconnect to their environment, understand it and to protect it.
From the beginning of this journey, I have helped to build cob houses, cob ovens, timber framed cabins, yurts, outdoor structures, and compost toilets; admiring the use of local resources intertwined with sustainable forestry and land use. Over the years I have had the privilege to learn from the best craftspeople who encouraged me to push my craft further, and my main passion lies in making ash splint baskets, bowl turning and leather work.
I enjoy working off-grid with hand tools, using only hardwood that is locally sourced, from sustainably managed woodlands as part of a natural thinning and woodland regeneration process. It comes either from the outskirts of Bristol, Gloucestershire, or the South/East of Wales, and is naturally air dried or solar kiln dried.
On top of selling my crafts, I am a freelance teacher of both ash splint basketry and pole-lathe bowl turning. I have had the privilege of working with Fazey Woodcraft, Wye Valley Forestry, Oxfordshire Basketmakers Association, Humble by Nature, Tree to Treen, Ardington School of Crafts, Focus on Forestry First, Small Woods Association & Pen-y-Graig Woodland Centre.
I am currently a member of the Heritage Crafts Association, Basket Makers Association, Oxfordshire Basketmakers and & Association of Pole-lathe Turners & Green Woodworkers
2022 News
I’m proud to announce I am 1st place winner of The Worshipful Company Basket Makers 2022 Basketry Competition! Detailed photographs to follow!
2021 News
– I recently featured in Escape to the Farm with Kate Humble on Channel 5 turning on a bowl on my pole lathe, catch my episode here – https://www.my5.tv/escape-to-the-farm-with-kate-humble/season-2/episode-7|
– My pole-lathe work has also featured in Quercus Magazine, Issue 8 – September/October Issue;
subscribe here: https://www.mymagazinesub.co.uk/quercus
To see the pictures featured in the magazine in more detail, please see this post by clicking here.
– I’m proud to announce that I’m also 3rd place winner of The Worshipful Company Basket Makers 2021 Basketry Competition – For more detailed pictures, click here.
If you would like to get in touch for a commission, collaboration or even just to say ‘hello’, you can do so in the form below or through my Instagram page.
MICHELLE MATEO CRAFTS 