Due to time constraints (ie 18 month old baby!) I have been unable to keep this page as up to date as I would like!

Please see my Facebook page 'Second Chance By Elf' to see current stock availability, including my new smaller items, and upcoming events.

Many thanks

Elf x

Commission piece - 'For Meg'

A month or so ago I got a phonecall from a lovely lady who had seen me at Seale-Hayne Christmas fayre and wanted to commission me, how exciting!

It turned out that Meg wanted a small table covered to compliment an amazing chair she had recently had painted and upholstered.

Meg had already bought the paper, a lovely mix of old fashionned pictures and prints so it was just down to me to get arty!

Close up of top

I laid the main pictures on top but added a border on the bevelled edge to compliment the chair colours.  The legs were distressed using cream and pink paint to create a worn effect which I think compliments the paper.

I really enjoyed creating this piece and Meg was a joy to create for!

SOLD

Home-Start Craft and Gift Fair

Sorry it's been a while! I've been busy organising a craft fair so production has taken a bit of a back seat!

I am organising a craft and gift fair for a charity I work for called Home-Start who support families in the South Hams, Plymouth and Tavistock areas experiencing difficulties.


It is taking place at Tavistock Town Hall on the 11th March 2012 10 - 4pm and will showcase lots of exciting crafts and gifts from local people.

We are having a raffle with some great prizes including family days out to Pennywell Farm, Dartmoor Zoo and Morwellham Quay and we will be selling delicious Devon cream teas!

Why not pop along and see if you can find that perfect gift for Mothers Day or just treat yourself!

We do still have a few tables left so if you're of the crafty persuasion and would like to sell your wares, please get in touch!

Elf x

Newton Abbot Craft Fayre booked

I am really excited as I have managed to get a last minute stall at the 'Hannahs At Seale Hayne' Christmas Craft and Food Fayre on Saturday the 10th December from 10am until 5pm.

I have been on the waiting list for a while and I am really looking forward to this event as it was hugely successful last year and draws crowds from far and wide!

Read all about it!

Ok so I know I said if ever did a magazine rack again I would paint the spindles but I love the papered effect too much so I decided to ignore my own advice!

This one is slightly smaller than the other and rather than use NME cuttings I used current newspapers.  As newspaper is thinner it was slightly easier and created an almost papermache effect in places. I also purposely didn't paint the rack first as I wanted the dark wood colour to create a dark base for the paper so it didn't look too 'new'.

Close up

Although it is all newspaper it is still quite colourful and I think it would look great in a student flat or in a trendy living room!

Price £55

Craft fair success!

A huge thankyou to everyone who came to the second Crocadon Sawmill Producers Market. A fantastic venue which is being built up into a fantastic monthly market.  I was in the old barns this time and I'm looking forward to the next one on the 17th December as I think the Christmas atmosphere will be amazing!

There was a lovely atmosphere with people enjoying the BBQ and music outside and a lovely mix of stalls from amazing cupcakes and food, to wood, jewellery, artwork, plants, organic veg. and more!

I sold a couple more pieces, 'Tidy Bunney Fluffs' and 'B'ook-shelf (n)' and I had a lot of interest in my other pieces - so if you're still thinking about buying don't leave it too long!

In the barn

If you saw something you now wish you'd bought I can take a deposit and keep it back for you to pick up at the next fair, just get in touch!

Love Elf x

Crocadon Sawmill Producers Market

Please come and see me at Crocadon Sawmill, St Mellion, Cornwall this Saturday November 19th from 9 until 3pm

I have lots of new exciting pieces and there will be a fantastic mix of stalls including art, crafts and food all set in a fantastic location!

"Highlighting the very best in designer upcycled products"

I am very excited as I have been featured on the 'Upcycled' website and facebook page!

A site dedicated to 'Highlighting the very best in designer upcycled products'

Click here to link to my products on their page and also take a look at the other great upcycled products they feature!

Elf x

Childrens Toy Cot

I was driving home from work when I saw this outside a shop in Modbury and had to stop!  I saw a smaller one in the summer but it was broken so I've always had my eye out for another.

I covered the cot in pictures from a large bedtime story book, it took a while as I individually cut out each picture but I think it's worth it - if only I had a girl (my son wasn't impressed when I told him it was his Christmas present!)

I love all the bright colours and the old-fashionned style pictures.

Close up

      H 40cm, W 57cm, D 32cm


(Please note this is for play purpose only - not to be used as a real cot)

SOLD

B'ook-shelf (n)

I found this wooden bookshelf on the way back from a craft fair with my mum, it caught my eye because of it's unusual shape and dark wood and also the fact that it came apart - lucky because we bought it forgetting we had a car full of stock!

I decided to cover it with an old dictionary, using the letters b,o,k and s  (I struggled with k though, who knew there were so few words beginning with the letter k!)

Close up

     H 72cm, W 90cm, D 19cm

I love the ends of the bookcase and they were the main reason I decided to leave some of the wood exposed, I think it enhances the old, slightly brown pages of the dictionary.  Now it is varnished the bookcase no longer comes apart, I love that there are no fixings in it and it is held together (very solidly!) purely by the wooden peg ends!

Price £65 SOLD

Signpost Ivybridge Magazine


A huge thank you to Karen from 'Signpost' who mentionned me in her November issue! You can check out the full magazine online here, and on their Facebook page 'Signpost Magazine Ivybridge'.

Signpost November 2011

"A great magazine, full of brilliant editorial and local events!"

Thank you!

I had a great time at the University of Plymouth craft fayre today,  lots of positive feedback and I sold my favourite piece Gosh Dang It To Heck! - thankyou and I hope it looks good in your new bathroom!

Hopefully I will hear from some of you who were interested in my other pieces too, look forward to it!

My next fair is:

Producers Fair
Crocadon Sawmill, St Mellion, Cornwall,
Saturday 19th November 2011   9 - 3pm

Hope to see you there!

Elf x

Don't forget you can find Second Chance by Elf this Friday at:

Roland Levinsky Building, University of Plymouth, Devon
Friday 4th November 2011 10.30 - 3.30pm

Please come along and have a look at all my new pieces, it's only 52 days 'til Christmas (sorry!) so now's the time to get that shopping started!

A Comic Creation!

This is definitely my new favourite, although I'm not sure the photo's do it justice!  I fell in love with this 60's retro table as soon as I saw it back in the summer,  it's the shape of the top and legs I like, it just had something about it that made me notice it even with a pile of other stuff stacked on top!

I knew I wanted to put something a bit unusual on it, to make it modern but also link it to the 60's and 70's.  I had already bought some 1979 Beano's and had been desperate to use them for a while, so I needed no excuse!

Close up

   H 24.5cm, W 67.5cm, D 38cm





The comics are slightly brown with age which I think adds to the character and I only used Dennis the Menace and Gnasher because they were my favourite, although I have lots of other characters I'm sure I will be tempted to use on other pieces! Watch this space!

Price £75  SOLD

Todays piece was brought to you by the letters EL and F!

I think this desk and chair has tipped me over the edge, I have been looking at the alphabet so long I'm now quoting Sesame Street!

Initially I was going to cover this pine desk and chair with old Beano's but after some market research (my sister!) I decided it was probably too grown up for little people so I used a childrens picture dictionary instead!  (The Beano's are now being used on a retro coffee table so they can be appreciated by us older lot!)

I have tried to keep it so you can read as much of the book as possible, the desk top shows the letters A to P and the chair Q to Z. I matched it with an orange paint to keep it bright and cheery and unisex so it can be kept and passed on.

Close up

Desk: H 47cm, W 60cm, D 51cm
Chair: H 53cm, W 30.5cm, D 30cm
         Seat H 28.5cm


SOLD        

Crocadon Sawmill Producers Market

I would like to say a huge thankyou to everyone who came out to support the first Crocadon Sawmill Producers Market. What a fantastic venue, with fantastic people topped off by fantastic weather! I also sold a couple of pieces which is a bonus!

There was a lovely atmosphere with people enjoying the BBQ and music outside and a lovely mix of stalls from amazing cupcakes and food, to wood, jewellery, artwork, plants, organic veg. and more!

I will definitely be going back for their next market on Saturday 19th November so I hope to see you there!

Love Elf x

Life and Times at the Rovers Return

I made this for the Coronation Street lovers out there! I don't watch it but my Nan is a lifetime fan and could name everyone on the tray!

The tray has a fair amount of history too!  I bought it in a set of three different sizes and apparently they were made by a prisoner of war in Ashburton, Devon and bought by a husband as a gift for his wife - I love a bit of social history!

Close up

H 32cm, W 57cm, D 3cm

I have left the wooden surround as it is beautifully made and I felt it should be seen, I couldn't face painting it after someone had put so much work into it so I gave it a gentle sand and treated it to some wood polish.

Price £20 SOLD

Arbuckle's Table

I must admit I'd never heard of Roy Rogers until I bought this annual, I certainly had no idea he was a real person!  I have since learnt that he has a horse named Trigger and is a Wild West hero but that's where my knowledge ends!

I love the effect the comic squares give on this table, you can even read a page of the story on the top!

Close up

It was great to make something aimed more at the men in our lives - maybe a brother or son going to uni!

H 41cm, W 30.5cm, D 30.5cm






Price £50  SOLD

Fifties Fancies

My mum gave me a 1950's Good Housekeeping cookbook that she had kept in the cupboard for years. Some of the recipes are good old fashionned home cooking, some bizarre and some politically incorrect!

I had two identical kitchen stools in stock so decided to decorate this one using cakes and all the sweet yummy stuff!

Close up of top

I love this picture of the perfect 1950's housewife baking cakes for her husband, waiting for him to arrive home with a 'warm smile on her face and a sincerity in her desire to please him!' Those were the days!

Laughter is the best medicine

I found a tiny 1950's junior first aid book a few months ago now and fell in love with it! Last week I finally found the perfect piece to decorate with it and I love the almost comic style effect.  The pages are quite aged and mottled and I think this adds to the 50's block colours.



Where else could you find a cupboard to store your medical supplies that also gives you advice at the same time! (although i'm not sure it's that current, the pictures might make you laugh and, as the saying goes...)

Inside (one shelf)

1970's Britain

This is a table I rescued a while ago, it was coated in goodness knows how many coats of thick yellow varnish and looking very sorry for itself!

After spending a (long!) while sanding I decided to cover it with an old 1970's AA map book, leaving the wooden ends and support as a contrast.

Close up

    H 57cm, W 60.5cm, D 28cm




The shape of the sides and the height make it completely different to any other table I have created so far.

You could while away the hours trying to find where you live! I'll give you a clue, Plymouth and Exeter are (of course) on the top!

Price £70

28th September 2011

Please come along and support me at my first craft fayre!

It's a bit short notice but I managed to get a table last minute and I'm very excited to see what people think of my pieces!

It's being held at the University of Plymouth, Roland Levinsky Building from 10.30 - 3.30pm and it's free admission!

I hate to use the 'C' word so early, but you never know you just might find that perfect Christmas present!

Love Elf
          

English Flower Tea!

Being a novice gardener I should probably have read this book rather than decorate a table with it, but then what are mum's for!

The different shades of green create a patchwork effect highlighted by the pinks and purples of the flowers, I think it's my prettiest piece so far!

Close up

'From Me to You'

My second commission complete!  I am really pleased with this one, I think it makes a very ordinary music stand truly unique!

Back of stand

The music stand and Beatles book were provided by the client and I just did the rest!




I love the idea of being able to see your favourite band's pictures while you play their music, rather than them all being hidden away in a book on a dusty bookshelf!

SOLD

Using your loaf!

This is my first commissioned piece and to say I was nervous is an understatement!  My friend wanted something for her mums new country kitchen, she provided the book and it was up to me to choose the piece!

I found a plain wooden bread bin and covered it with the brilliant old 1950's cookbook, using other old recipe book pictures for the inside.   I matched the handle and hinge to the colour of the stripes on the pages.

Close up of top

 H 22.5cm, W 44cm, D 24cm


I love the fact that the book was well loved and complete with all the usual cookery stains, it makes a completely personal piece!

SOLD

Bespoke items

I keep a stock of items that I have been inspired to create which would make brilliant gifts for that special person or maybe just a unique addition to your home but also I would love to create a piece just for you!

Maybe you are looking for a certain piece of furniture but can’t find what you want, let me know and I can source it and cover it with whatever you like! Or maybe you have a favourite book or piece of furniture, I can use it to create something just for you!


I currently have two commissions on the go, a breadbin (sourced by me) for my friends mums birthday which I am covering with one of her old cookery books, and a wooden music stand covered with a Beatles book both provided by the client. I have just sourced a lovely old fashioned childrens desk and chair that I can't wait to get my hands on!

These days a lot of people seem to buy what they want themselves so buying gifts for a 21st, 40th, 50th, 90th etc can be really tricky, why not give something completely unique rather than the usual shirt or slippers!

I can use photo’s if they are copied on a laser printer so the possibilities are endless. From a tray for great grandma covered with 90th birthday party pictures or photo’s of grandchildren to a coffee table covered with wedding photo’s, let’s face it we spend too much on wedding photo’s to keep them in an album tidied away in a drawer!

I hope you like my pieces as much as I like creating them!

Love Emma x

NOW That's What I Call Mag. Rack 2011!

Remember those old magazines racks everyone seemed to have back in the Nineties?  Well I've rescued one and given it some street cred for 2011!

I've coverered it with gig and tour ads from my husbands recent NME magazines (I did ask first!) but have left the knobs in their original state as I like the contrast between the old and new.

Close up of side

H 41cm, W 50cm, D 19.5cm



This piece took an age to make, I probably should have painted the spindles but for some mad reason decided to cover them instead!  I do however think the final effect is worth all the effort but I might just paint the spindles next time!

Price £65   SOLD

What do you call that then?

This was an odd little piece when I got it, I wasn't quite sure what it was. I came to the conclusion that it was a spice rack come utensil/key holder, so that's what it is! I didn't know what I wanted to cover this with, only that I wanted it to be something related to the kitchen.

Then I found  a very old Shetland cook book hidden away on a book shelf with some fantastically named recipes and here it is!

Close up of front

H 34.5cm, W 44cm, D 10.5cm

SOLD

This is the Table that Elf Built!

When I saw this table I had to buy it, it was the strangest table I had ever seen! Luckily I knew exactly what I was going to do with it and I had the perfect book!

My lovely sister had found a nursery rhyme book (slightly worse for wear) but with some brilliant pictures of old nursery rhymes from around the 1920's.  I have covered the table top with the pictures and the legs with the nursery rhymes themselves.

The pot in the middle and the cross bars are painted with an old fashioned blue to match the time era of the pictures.

Close up

Sit Down For Sleepytime!?

This (apart form the make-up mirror) was one of the fiddliest so far, but well worth it for the end result! Covered in Enid Blytons 'Sleepytime Tales' this was an old childrens wooden chair sitting very bare and lonely in the garden.


It has been covered with all three of the stories in the book and features many different interesting characters from lions to walking dominoes!

Close up

SOLD

1a. I Made a Table!

I love this table, I think the nostalgia is what makes it my favourite piece so far! Who can forget Peter and Jane and the adventures of Pat the dog! (Unless maybe you're under the age of 30, in which case I now feel really old!)

This is a small childrens table that can also take you on a trip down memory lane to a time when life was as simple as 'Peter likes Jane'

close up

Price £55

The 'Bunney-Fluffs'' Get Organised!

This is the smallest piece I have made so far, but not the easiest! (Note to self - small does not equal easy!)


The item is designed to store all your little Bunney-Fluffs' pens, crayons and other, incompatible with carpet and wall, items!

H 5cm, W 20.5cm, L33cm

Price £15 SOLD