Our story
When Bell Met Walsh
A dairy farm, a pub quiz, a sewing machine and a heat press. How a framed name made for our daughter became Bell & Walsh.
Original artwork
Designed & stitched by Sarah
Made in Northumberland
Pressed in our farmhouse studio
Personalised for you
Names, dates & messages
Free UK delivery
On orders over £28
How it all began
A creative business was never part of the plan
But looking back, the seeds were probably sown early in my childhood. My parents were dairy farmers, self-employed and both with oodles of creativity. Maybe it was just a matter of time, even though I didn’t see it back then.
Bell & Walsh is a rather sentimental name: my maiden name Bell, and then meeting my future husband and becoming Walsh. It marks the start of a shared journey, one I love and which keeps growing and evolving.
— Sarah
The Journey So Far
Northumberland
A farm childhood
Growing up on the family dairy farm, surrounded by self-employed, creative parents.
Birmingham
A pub quiz
A research job, a city of strangers, and a quiz team where I met Terry.
The first piece
A framed name
I made a framed name to celebrate our daughter’s birth. Friends and family wanted their own.
2012
Bell & Walsh begins
After years of craft fairs on the side, I left academic research to do this full time.
Today
Back on the farm
Working from our studio on the Northumberland dairy farm where I grew up.
From stitch to gift
Every design starts at the sewing machine
Lockdown brought banana bread, sourdough and, less usually, a heat press. It let me experiment with new designs and products. Many pieces start as textile artwork, made from fabric scraps on my trusty sewing machine, then photographed and pressed onto ceramic and fabric in our studio.
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I love the process of making something and feeling proud of it, but I also love the joy and smile a gift can bring to others.
Sarah Walsh, maker
Made to order, with care
Small business, big heart
Every gift is made to order in our studio, never mass-produced. Terry and I work side by side, him on his design business and me on Bell & Walsh. Watching people giggle at the I like chickens more than people coaster at a craft fair, or reading a heartfelt message from a customer, is what keeps me going.
If you need help or advice, please get in touch. We’ll try to go the extra mile.
The fair season
Come and Find Us This Christmas.
See the originals, meet Sarah and order something personalised.
Living North
22–25 Oct
Brocksbushes
12–15 Nov
Blanchland
21–22 Nov
Hexham
1 Nov · 12 Dec