Saturday 29 March 2014
Monday 24 March 2014
ShabbyAnd........The Story Gathers Momentum
ShabbyAnd........The Story Gathers MomentumJust over a year ago a new business began on Mersea Island that is going from strength to strength at a breathtaking pace.
Partners and self-confessed workaholics Ann Beament and Sara French are local Mersea girls with expansive ambitions. Their business, ShabbyAnd, was conceived originally to up cycle vintage and retro furniture using fresh ideas, exciting colourways and much elbow grease. In the early days, word-of-mouth, local advertising and a strengthening web presence brought in the business but soon the partners realised a retail outlet was required to give their customers the opportunity to see and touch the products of their inspiration and perspiration.Ideal shop premises became available in Barfield Road, West Mersea, which they quickly acquired and opened in September 2013. Soon other items were selected to sell alongside their unique and striking items of furniture. These comprised gifts including locally designed cards and jewellery, eclectic but very original ornaments and unique handmade soft furnishings too.
ShabbyAnd became proficient users of Autentico Chalk Paints and soon added an authorised distributorship of the wide range of lime based products to their portfolio. The two partners hold workshops in their Barfield Road shop teaching this exciting method of reinventing old furniture favourites, and these have proven to be extremely popular. They have also been asked to run classes teaching their craft as part of the Community Arts Workshops at the Community Enterprise Centre in Colchester. Based in Commerce Park on the Whitehall Industrial Estate, the Centre provides work space for community projects.
The burgeoning reputation of the partners' talent for colour and design has led to a lot of orders to reinvigorate furniture, including commissions to remodel a number of complete kitchens. This is challenging them to extend further and acquire workshop premises too. Just watch this space for the next instalment of the ShabbyAnd Story.
Tuesday 18 March 2014
ShabbyAnd... Chalk Paint on Kitchens
Sara and I would like to thank all our
followers that have liked our page and our customers for all there support in
our 1st year of business, we are now into our 5th month in the shop and it just
keeps changing daily, we not only Up-Cycle furniture and make soft furnishings
we stock an extensive range of unique gifts and cards. Some of which is Fair Trade and some made by
local craft people.
We are now the local stockiest for
Autentico Chalk Paint and have started running workshops for you all to get involved
in.
We are very excited at the moment as other
than you are all keeping us busy we have taken on our 1st Kitchen
transformation using Autentico's Velvet Chalk Paint as it is a harder wearing
alternative to vintage and comes in all the same colours.
ShabbyAnd... Giving Thanks
ShabbyAnd … has launched!
Sara and Ann would like to thank family and
friends for their support and help in putting it all together but in particular
Charlie Edwards our decorator, Ian and Teresa Watson for transport, Ronnie Bird
from Formula Flooring and Ainsley at Evo Signs.
The response to the shop has been amazing
and it’s been great to meet new clients, We have now been appointed official
suppliers of Autentico Chalk & Lime paint and we will be starting paint
classes from the end of November.
We are also planning to hold special events
throughout the year and are starting with a book signing on Friday 11th
October 5.30pm to 8.00pm by Ed Taylor a local Mersea author who has just
published his first book “ Dirty Bombers”
Book Signing at ShabbyAnd
Local girls Sara & Ann
of ShabbyAnd.. have successfully
launched their shop in Barfield Rd West Mersea and would like to thank
family and friends for their support.
So what can you expect to find in this little gem: Ann & Sara’s love of up-cycling furnishings
for the home means that all pieces are totally individual and unique. They use
reclaimed materials which are carefully hand painted, waxed and distressed
and as with any pre- owned furniture there may be the odd blemish or bump that
you'd expect with age but this is part of the attraction and if like us you
love vintage pieces with character this is the place for you. There furniture
is complimented with hand made soft furnishings and a mix of home accessories
and jewellery.
Ann and Sara will
be hosting events throughout the year and the first is a book signing with Ed
Taylor a local author. Ed has just
published his first book 'The Dirty Bombers', fulfilling a
lifelong ambition that he only found time for once he retired.
Ed Taylor was born in Herne Bay, Kent and has lived on the Island for
over 30 years. Ed is a keen member of both the Dabchicks Sailing Club and West
Mersea Yacht Club and races locally most weekends. His love of the coast
explains why maybe Seagulls would be the focus for this heartwarming work of
young adult fiction, which will also appeals to older readers.
Ed says "It always fascinates me that there are almost
daily reports in national and regional newspapers about gulls acting strangely
and sometimes viciously. They have definitely lost their fear of us. At the
same time I was reading reports of the intractable problems of the Palestinians
and Israelis and I joined the two thoughts together."
The Dirty Bombers is a story of a gull colony that is
under attack, being secretly culled by local business men. Rork, a young
seagull finds himself thrust unwillingly into leadership of the gulls and
organized a dramatic protest. Anne Rigby, a feisty young news reporter notices
the gulls acting in a structured and coordinated way; she realized they have a
message to convey.
The local population takes sides in the conflict that follows. This culminates in a pitched battle between gulls and gunmen. The conclusion is as sudden and surprising as it is unexpected.
The local population takes sides in the conflict that follows. This culminates in a pitched battle between gulls and gunmen. The conclusion is as sudden and surprising as it is unexpected.
Come and join Ed on Friday 11th October between
5.30pm and 8,00pm and enjoy a glass of fizz.
A New Shabby Chic Business for West Mersea
A New
Business For Mersea!
Local Mersea “GIRLS” Sara
French and Ann Beament have had great success with their online shop and are
now bringing ShabbyAnd… to West Mersea.
ShabbyAnd… Offers Shabby Chic, vintage and retro furnishings
for the home with a mix of jewellery and hand made gifts using a combination of
up-cycled and new materials. Ann &
Sara’s ethos is to make this Chic style affordable to
all, so only price pieces according to the cost to them.
The Grand opening of
their high street shop in Barfield Road West Mersea is on Friday 6th
September from 5.30pm until 9.00pm and will flow into Saturday 7th
from 10am until 4.30pm. Sara & Ann
will be available to discuss their work and any commissions you may have.
To celebrate the opening
they will be serving that all-important glass of FIZZ and nibbles and as a thank you for
attending the opening they will also be offering 10% off all furniture and
commissions on the day and up until the 14th of September.
So what can you expect to find in this little gem: Ann & Sara’s love of up-cycling furnishings
for the home means that all pieces are totally individual and unique. They use
reclaimed materials which are carefully hand painted, waxed and distressed
and as with any pre- owned furniture there may be the odd blemish or bump that
you'd expect with age but this is part of the attraction and if like us you
love vintage pieces with character this is the place for you. There furniture
is complimented with hand made soft furnishings and a mix of home accessories
and jewellery.
For that shabby
Chic look they use Annie Sloan's chalk paint to give each piece more character
and that 'time worn' distressed look, these are then waxed to give a soft sheen
and seal in the beauty. The
retro look has smooth flowing lines and to compliment this they apply a smooth
finish using vibrant colours.
If you have your
own piece of beloved furniture that you can not part with but want to give it a
new lease of life. Ann and Sara will take commissions to give it the finish
that you are looking for. They are also happy to discuss your requirements,
source furnishings, materials, paint colours and finishes and put them together
to form a unique piece of furniture for your home.
Ann and Sara are
already looking to the future and hope to offer workshops in paint finishes to
help you achieve that Shabby look yourselves.
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