News / Bespoke

This weekends work...

I was asked by a lovely lady to help transform her dining room furniture. These chairs had already been some upycling before getting to me. The chars originally had an open style back - the client has had this set for some time and wanted a complete new look. She had them re-upholstered locally with a gorgeous teal fabric, they filled in the back and added stud-work to finish off the look. They turned out fantastic. Time for a lick of paint to freshen them up - that is where I come in :)

Before

The client wanted a nice modern clean look with a bit of texture to the finish - Chalk Paint is the obvious choice for this type of finish. Handpainted using Antique White chalk paint by Annie Sloan for the chairs, table legs and surround, finished off with a high gloss varnish for the table top. This dining set has been completely transformed and re-loved to be enjoyed for many more years to come. Take a look at the after shots below.

After

Whenever I've gone quiet on social media and my blog it usually means I'm up to something in my own home. This time is no different! We've had to get works done in the house (damp coursing, fully rewired - the joy of an older house!) so while it was already a mess, I started uncovering this beauty of a floor in my kitchen! I had no idea it'd still be good under all the thick layers upon layers black paint. Lots of work to go, but I do love a challenge! 

We used some fairly potent smelling paint stripper - caution and lots of ventilation and a mask is advised! Our house is an old Victorian redbrick oozing with old world charm and loveliness, however being 120 odd years old, in places the paint is 120 layers thick! This floor was no exception, and again because of it's age we needed to be careful with sanding as there was a risk of old paint containing lead, and being our kitchen floor, with an open shelving style galley kitchen - it would not be a good environment to have tiny lead particles floating around in. I am also fairly sure that the final coating of paint was an industrial style garage floor paint, quite the mess to remove. It was black, layered on until all definition between board was lots and scuffed to bits, never looking clean and very dark in an otherwise bright kitchen. It had to go.

I have always wanted a painted wooden floor, and although my head says to varnish or stain to a darker wooden finish (after all it will help to hide some of that dirt amiright?), alas the heart wants what the heart wants. Painted floorboards are notoriously not as hard-wearing as a good old fashioned varnished one, and although this will be quite a high traffic area I'm still going to give it a whirl. This will only be a temporary solution until we save to get something else, and is our first house after renting for many years so its great to be finally about to do what we want with our own home. Those trusty converse have seen quite a few upcycles in their time! Check back in to see the progress. Wish me luck!

Junk Kouture is an awesome recycled fashion competition held in Ireland for secondary level students to create their own recycled and wearable fashion items. What a fantastic way to get teenagers thinking about what they can do to help recycle and preserve the environment around them for their own and furture generations. Below is some amazing work by the kids in CBS Westland Row - all made from recycled materials! The materials they used were all sourced from Recreate Ireland. Recreate Ireland is a fantastic initiative that partners with businesses to recycle their waste for use as art & craft materials. Well done to the talented kids in CBS Westland Row, incredible work and all made from 'junk', some serious talent and creativity- best of luck in the competition! 

It's been another amazing year for The Makery and wouldn't have been possible without all you wonderful Makery fans, and for that I am truly grateful. It is because of you that I get to do what I love and that means the world to me. 

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and all of the very best for the New Year ahead. Have a great day wherever you are, eat, drink and be merry. ✨🎄

Hats off to 7up for this clever marketing campaign. As I always say, anything can be made unique and fabulous if you just look at things differently. 

By simply using some glue, tape and glitter, empty bottles have been upcycled to make them sparkle for the festive season. So simple to do, the kids will love it. 

One of my cute handmade peg decorations in full glory on my tree...please excuse the sentiments in the background - crafters are full steam ahead at this time of year with markets & handmade gifts in the run up to Christmas and it takes its toll at times! :)

Some new custom pebble art for some very special Grandparents. What a sweet gift from their lovely grand kids! 

Please get in touch for more info about commissions. I love working with clients on their ideas and watching them come to life. I offer a tailored approach to to all pebble art commissions, ensuring your piece ends up just as you want it. A truly unique gift from the heart.