Inspired by memories of playing with Grandma's button tin as a child, and her homely hand made patchwork quilts, Gemma Nemer draws on her own collection of fabrics and kitsch objects. She loves the radiant honesty of these materials; every swatch of colourful patterned fabric or even a single beautifully formed button holds a memory. With basic tools, needle and thread, she makes vintage textile jewellery composed with scraps of memories hand sewn together with love and care. Each piece is an individual work of personal art.

Gemma is driven by the notion of finding and caring again for something discarded and lost, the art of salvage and recreation. By collecting, caring for, and re-using vintage materials she creates a nostalgic feel from things she relates to in other people's history. Car boot sales flee markets and charity shops hold snippets of excitement. The rush of finding little treasures in other people's junk!

The concept of kitsch is challenged in Gemma's art, she sees beyond the gaudy and tacky, creating fusions of colour, pattern and texture in a bright and beautiful experience.

Gemma delivers courses at community projects, schools, craft groups and galleries. Her skills include vintage textile crafts and her main practice is vintage textile jewellery. She produces showcases as well as commissions and is now running her own vintage craft studio the button tin

To see more of Gemma's work click here.....