JoneldreyCrafts on Etsy!
A Creative British Family!
By Sophie Juramy
One-of-a-kind
hand-painted furniture, fine embroidered “wish pillows” and
custom orders are the main fields explored by Andrew's family!
Hand-painted and decorated 5 hook key rack
Let's
talk to this creative family by interviewing Andrew, the
father!
Sophie:
Who decides what to create? How is the creative process
started?
Andrew:
My wife is very much the creative one, and has been producing all
kinds of beautiful items all her life. It has always been her hobby
and many of her counted cross-stitch works decorate the walls at
home. She can also knit, sew, make greetings cards, crochet, paint
with watercolours,
you name it! I have many years of experience hand-painting all kinds
of furniture, both new and restored. This has been a side-line that I
am now trying to turn into a business. So, you could say that we’re
both free to explore our own creative ideas but can turn to each
other for advice.
Hand-painted decorated small 3 drawers chest
Sophie:
Do you have family creativity moments?
Andrew:
Yes, just for fun! The children have learnt so much from their mother
especially, and certainly seem to have her creative gene!
Christmas novelty pin cushion
Sophie:
You’re the one who's hand-painting furniture. Your Mayfair line has
decorative hearts. To whom would you dedicate your design? Do you
have a baby line? By whom are you inspired? Why did you choose the
name Mayfair?
Andrew:
Well, although we’re based on the beautiful North Downs, we have a
business address in Mayfair for convenience. As that part of London
is synonymous with fashion and design, it seemed like the perfect
name for our hand-painted furniture range. I then came up with a
design emblem, which is our ribbon and heart Mayfair “M”. We
don’t have a baby line as such but just about any custom orders are
possible. The Claro charity workshop (details of which can be found
on our Etsy “About” page) are capable of all kinds of bespoke
work, so we’re open to any requests. My inspiration comes from
bringing those pieces “to life” with the best possible finishes
and paintwork.
Sophie:
Why did you choose to work with a charity?
Andrew:
As a family, we support a number of charities in various ways. At the
moment, for example, our eldest child is enjoying making knitted
squares for our church. These are turned into blankets and shipped
overseas to those who need them. Also, our youngest is preparing a
“shoebox gift” for the Samaritan’s Purse “Operation Christmas
Child” campaign. This will provide a poor child with a selection of
gifts, packed into a shoebox, to open this Christmas. All the items
in our Mayfair range are initially produced by the Claro workshop.
They are a remarkable charity that support people with mental health
problems by getting them involved with the workshop itself. I’d had
previous experience of the quality of their work, so had no
hesitation in approaching them with my woodwork production
requirements. Once I have finished, painted and decorated any of
their items, I am always delighted to have a piece that reflects the
quality of their initial workmanship. It’s also very rewarding to
know that my efforts have directly supported them financially.
Decorative bathroom light pull
Sophie:
What kind of custom orders are you making? Is there an extra
cost?
Andrew:
We are happy to take custom orders for anything in the Mayfair range.
We can produce the items in any
colour
required, with or without the ribbon and heart emblem. Also, if
customers have any design variations in mind or something completely
bespoke, the chances are that we can work with Claro to produce it!
We would agree a price beforehand, so customers always know what they
will be paying before deciding whether to proceed. Prices may vary
depending upon the complexity of the final design and availability of
colours, etc. However, we would always be as reasonable as possible
and the price quoted would include shipping via the agreed method.
Christmas decoration hanging banner
Andrew:
Yes, at present all of our items include free shipping to anywhere in
the world.
Sophie:
Is Etsy popular in Great Britain?
Andrew:
It seems to be becoming more popular. It still appears to be very
U.S. dominated, so hopefully our free shipping policy is particularly
useful to customers based there. However, Etsy ran a television
advertising campaign in Great Britain in the summer, so that was
great to see.
Sophie:
Would you recommend families to create together and why?
Andrew:
Creativity, in all its forms, is part of what makes us human.
Encouraging children to explore that has incalculable benefits for
them. There’s nothing more rewarding than seeing a child enjoying
doing something you’ve taught them and then watching them develop
their own ideas from it!
Sophie:
Thanks Andrew! We're inviting people to discover your family
creations and design on
Etsy!
Novelty hand-knitted joneldrey butterfly
