Theme: Love
Providing an additional platform to showcase your handcrafted work.
Every month, we share a theme. Makers from all over the country are invited to create new work or share photos of existing work that relates to the chosen theme of the month. The theme for June 2022 was 'Love.'
The maker of each submission is also entered into a free prize draw and a winner is selected at random to win a £25.00 Turners Retreat voucher! That work will be our ‘Featured Piece of the Month’ and will be shared with our Mailing List subscribers by email and on our social media pages.
View the submissions sent in to us during June below and support fellow makers by following their social media pages. Let's help eachother grow!
If you would like to take part in the next theme, click here to find out how to enter!
Prize Draw Result
The winner of the prize draw and featured piece of the month is Les Gardiner. Congratulations, Les! A £25 Turners Retreat voucher is on its way to you by email, and your work will be featured on our social media feeds and in our e-newsletters during the month of July.
Featured Piece of the Month: Les Gardiner
Maker: Les Gardiner
Craft: Woodworking/Woodcarving
What inspired this piece: I began power carving in November '21. My intention was to just give myself a hobby that I could do with a heart condition as I have had to give up some of my other hobbies. I have not stopped since, mostly commissioned pieces like this one.
It is a birthday gift for someones mum who has a special thing for hot air balloons as it reminds her of her late husband (the buyers father) The base represents a whole heart (the two of them) and the arm half a heart as ones passed, The hot air balloon is their thing.
The balloon is Olive wood and the arm is Elm I cannot remember what the base is its a remnant of a piece of wood I have had for over 30 years.
Les does not currently have any social media links.
Quirky & Posh Gifts
Maker: Jayne Collinson
Craft: Pyrography
What inspired this piece: I've been practicing the art of pyrography engraving for nearly a decade. I recently attended a pyrography course at Turners Retreat to explore new techniques, tools and mediums. The heart shaped wooden coaster that I've submitted uses a combination of pyrography engraving and colour enhancement. It is then sealed and varnished for protection. Wood commemorates 5th anniversaries, celebrations and sharing the love. I loved designing this piece and I hope you like it too.
Find Quirky & Posh Gifts Online
Facebook | Instagram | Website
Immy's Woodcraft
Maker: Imants Grindulis
Craft: Woodworking/Woodturning
What inspired this piece: It was a challenge! A fellow crafter asked me to make interlocking hearts out of one piece of wood for her anniversary. This is the result. A smaller version has since been used as a wedding cake topper and others have become valentine gifts.
The sculpture is made of naturally seasoned banded sycamore that was shaped (with a deliberate "hand made feel") using a JET scroll saw. The central cut-out became the base and the hearts sawn into two by band saw. They were sanded with various grades of abrasive paper then finished with Chestnut cellulose sanding sealer followed by Chestnut shellac polish and finally a locally sourced beeswax. Heart interlocking and final assembly - done by magic!
Find Immy's Woodcraft Online
Facebook | Website
Peter Bee
Maker: Peter Bee
Craft: Woodworking/Woodturning
What inspired this piece: I created this piece as a Valentine’s gift for my partner: an annual tradition which I established at the start of our relationship. The challenge was to turn a torus which, when sliced, would make a perfect heart. I used Robert Sorby Turning tools and Patriot chuck plus home-made templates.
Peter does not currently have any social media links.
The Craft Connection
Maker: Dave Cusick RPT
Craft: Woodturning
What inspired this piece: Just my love of turning! I have been looking at this piece of Lignum sitting on the shelf for years and thought it was time I practiced with my Robert Sorby chasing tools.
Find The Craft Connection Online
Facebook | Website
Alison Buchanan Pyrography & Art Work
Maker: Alison Buchanan
Craft: Pyrography
What inspired this piece: This piece is inspired by Marsil & Fergus’s wedding scene from the tv show Outlander, it is one of a series I completed earlier this year. This Piece is done on A5 birch ply, with a Peter Child pyrography machine and spoon tip bought from Turner Retreat.
Find Alison Buchanan Online
Facebook
Nutty As Squirrel
Maker: Abi Gregg
Craft: Woodturning
What inspired this piece: Bentwood ring with glass inlay. This was a gift I made 'with love' for a friend to say thank you for all of her support. I used Turners Retreat walnut veneer, Record Power lathe and Robert Sorby chisels.
Find Nutty As Squirrel Online
Facebook | Instagram | Website
Graham Doyle
Maker: Graham Doyle
Craft: Woodworking/Woodturning
What inspired this piece: The piece was inspired by my good friends and neighbours 50th wedding anniversary. I have made many similar pieces in the past in various forms to celebrate anniversaries, weddings and birthdays and they always seem well received. I think two people who have been married for 50 years must be ‘in love’ so that is why I submitted the piece to you..
Graham does not currently have any social media links.
Harry Butler
Maker: Harry Butler
Craft: Woodturning/Woodworking
What inspired this piece: I made the clock as 5-year wedding present for very dear friends. Being fully aware that they very much appreciate all things wood, especially when much of the original shape and colour of the wood was retained. The finished clock proved to be a great success and is now a treasured family possession.
Harry does not currently have any social media links.
Vance Lupton
Maker: Vance Lupton
Craft: Woodturning/Woodworking
What inspired this piece: Inspired by the work of Margaret Garrard. Always admired her pierced and decorated turnings. The piece was a St Valentines Day gift. The material used is 6” x 2” sycamore. All my turning tools are kept sharp with the Robert Sorby ProEdge and the bowl was turned using a standard 3/8” Sorby bowl gouge and refined with a Multitip scraper.
Find Vance Lupton Online
Website
Percy Bishton Woodwork
Maker: Percy Bishton
Craft: Woodturning/Woodworking
What inspired this piece: A chair inspired by my late Father who was a great woodworker himself. A Tete-a-tete Windsor chair - perfect for having a conversation with a loved one.
Find Percy Bishton Woodwork Online
Website
Orana Crafts
Maker: Sam Derrick
Craft: Woodcarving/Pyrography
What inspired this piece: I love to create, and have done since I was a kid, I love to learn how to do new things and I love to challenge my skills as I learn. A couple of my first woodcarving challenges were a spiral, and a ball in a cage, so I decided to combine the two, and add some pyrography for contrast.
Find Orana Crafts Online
Instagram | Website | Etsy Shop
Chris Doy
Maker: Chris Doy
Craft: Woodcarving
What inspired this piece: I carve for a hobby. I prefer where possible to finish a carving in the natural wood colours, so would test the finish on an offcut from the project. I started to shape the offcuts into hearts to not only test the finish but to have a small gift to give away for only a little extra work. The gifts are proving popular.
The wood is apple from a tree felled at my parents house. I sand the finish with Abranet up to 400grade, to get a good feel in the hand- I think wood should be handled as well as looked at. I wear the Elipse Half Face mask for protection, and as a glasses wearer have found that it's the first one that doesn't steam the glasses up and it's comfortable to wear.
Chris does not currently have any social media links.
Jenka Craftworks
Maker: Kate Groves
Craft: Pyrography
What inspired this piece: This is the gift I gave my wife on our fifth wedding anniversary. Giraffes are my wife’s favourite animals, On the back is a short message from me followed by the two separate sets of wedding vows we said at the ceremony.
Find Jenka Craftworks Online
Facebook
Kate's Kuality Krafts
Maker: Kate Kitchin
Craft: Woodworking, turning and pyrography
What inspired this piece: Heart Clock. Inspired by a friend’s recent anniversary and some small but beautiful pieces of wood in the never-ending wood pile. I created this heart shaped clock and the cogs actually work! All cut on my scroll saw from Oak and Walnut with a turned Oak base.
Find Kate's Kuality Krafts Online
Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Etsy Shop
Special Branch Turning
Maker: Glynn Harrington
Craft: Woodturning
What inspired this piece: My wife’s trinket bowl (used to store her wedding & engagement rings) was looking somewhat tired. I decided I could do better and came up with this ring-stand design instead. Fortunately I had a lovely piece of yew. It worked perfectly and my wife loves it!
Find Special Branch Turning Online
Instagram | Etsy Shop | eBay Shop
Thank you to everyone who took part in this month's Showcase. Our hearts are full seeing your work and learning more about the inspiration behind each piece, thank you for sharing your stories with us!
To find out the theme for next month and details on how to get involved, please click here.
Here's some of the products used to make this month's submissions...
