TWO North Wales artists-cum-businesswomen have merged their jewellery and interiors businesses into one new, eco-friendly venture which they are aiming to grow in 2008.

Kate Hamilton-Hunter is a metal designer who fashions contemporary jewellery out of recycled tea-caddies, biscuit and sweet tins and other materials such as aluminium and wire.

Her business partner is Nia Roberts who works in mixed media and has developed her own style of design through adding texture and layers.

The two have set up Denbighshire-based The Contemporary Design Company to make jewellery, original canvases, limited edition prints, greetings cards and other products.

They work together to produce some of their pieces, Ms Roberts doing the background painting on canvas, for example, and Ms Hamilton-Hunter adding the metalwork decoration.

They say their aim is to make their business as eco-friendly and ethically sound as possible, not just through reusing vintage tins, but also by printing on recycled paper and using environmentally-friendly paints to reduce their carbon footprint.

The two business partners have relocated their manufacturing and studios from Glan Conwy and Caerwys to their new premises on Victoria Trading Estate in Abergele Road, Bodelwyddan, where a new shop and online buying facility are being launched.

Employment in the business is currently five full-time – including its two founders – and two part-timers, but more positions are expected to be created during 2008 as the business expands.

Contemporary Design also hopes to act as a base for other people working in media as diverse as ceramics and photography, developing joint projects and ideas, and helping younger artists break into the marketplace.

Ms Roberts said: “Kate and I have a very positive outlook for the future of The Contemporary Design Company.

“We envisage having one stockist in every major town and city across the UK, so that we become known for our unique style and ethos of our products, and the fact that everything is ‘Made In Wales’.”

Ms Hamilton-Hunter said: “We are also developing the business as a ‘design house’ whereby we will promote up and coming new designers, setting them a brief to design work that has an essence of The Contemporary Design Company, but designed in their style.

“We will sell their work alongside our own to create a broad, modern look for our customers, and promote new designers at the same time.

“We would like to invite young Welsh designers to approach us to consider their work for our collection in 2008.”

Marketing manager Shan Rowlands said: “We have 150 stockists within the British Isles – upmarket gift shops and galleries from London to the Orkney Islands.

“We also sell to customers in the USA, Japan and Australia,” she added.

The new business has been helped by Venture Wales and North Wales-based business advisor Nick Bradley.

The cheapest piece on sale from The Contemporary Design Company is a pair of earrings for £7.99, and the most expensive is a large art work which carries a £350 price tag.