Chinese elm and brass-mounted side cabinet

This unusual, but rather battered, side cabinet was given the full tlc treatment:

• A good sanding down was followed by several layers of Frenchic Lazy Loof  black paint (chalk and mineral paint infused with wax).
• Then, just to be on the safe side, an additional couple of layers of Frenchic clear wax coat were added.
• The 2 painted shelf surfaces were treated to a makeover with Cranes in Flight, Palmetto wallpaper by Harlequin, with coordinating panels inserted inside the 2 doors.
• Finally, 2/3 layers of Craft Resin was applied to seal and protect the wallpaper, making the surfaces both heat resistant up to 200 degrees  and waterproof.

It now makes a neat little gin cabinet, don't you think?

This item is now sold, but I have lots more vintage and antique pieces undergoing a transformation! Please get in touch if you would like more information.

Teak and resin block light

My favourite mantra is, "How hard can it be be?" and sometimes I find out that it can be very hard indeed!

This was my biggest challenge to date: I had bought a big hollow block of wood made from lots of teak offcuts joined together to make a rustic side table and decided it would be interesting to fill in the gaps with coloured resin. Just enough colour to make the walls solid, but the holes transparent so that light would show through.

The journey was a long and steep learning curve with lots of mistakes accompanied by expletives, but in the end it was worth it. Several layers of clear resin on all 5 sides gave the block a shiny finished look which reflected light even when the lamp inside was off.

Resin coasters & holders

Resin is the perfect material for heat and spill resistant coasters. These coasters are happy to hold a cuppa up to 200 degrees and wipe down just the same as glass.

The use of colour can be solid or translucent and almost anything can be added. I love using feathers to match my table centrepieces or Christmas decorations, but equally, real dried flowers and leaves create a light and summery feel and can be kept simple or elaborated on.

One of my most popular items is the extra large, chunky coaster which comes in different shapes and colours and features used cartridge ends set in resin. Especially popular as gifts for those who enjoy countryside pursuits, they combine well with the feather theme and have a complementary range of wooden trays which also feature cartridges in resin.

All coasters can be sold individually or as sets, and the standard size models can be sold with or without the matching holders. These neat little boxes could also be used to display business cards or to hold a couple of packs of playing cards as a completely different stocking filler and can be produced in any colour or design.

The circular coasters sit as a set of 4 in a matching round container while the square ones come as a set of 6 sitting upright in a rectangular box, again to match.