Handmade Steampunk Coffee Table

I thought I would show off my industrial looking steampunk coffee table that I recently handmade. The coffee table was inspired by a similar one that I saw being sold in the USA, however due to the high import duties, I thought I would make my own.

My handmade steampunk coffee table

The wooden frame of the steampunk coffee table was provided for me by a craftsman in the UK. The frame is formed from recycled scaffold boards and beautifully stained with Danish oil. I added the cast iron corner brackets to the table to give it an industrial feel. The most difficult item to source were the square headed screws. I eventually found some on eBay, and the seller had just enough of them for my requirements; I then sprayed them to match the corner brackets. Pipe fittings were then added to the underside of the table to form the legs.

Steampunk coffee table - side view

Inside the frame of the steampunk coffee table, I added quite an intricate maze of pipe fittings. pressure gauges, a stopcock, and light fittings. As you can appreciate this was quite a complicated jigsaw to sort out! I spent several hours scratching my head trying to get the fittings evenly distributed within the table, however I am incredibly pleased with the result!

Steampunk coffee table - Lighting

An electrical supply was fitted to the steampunk table and threaded through the pipework to power the Edison style bulbs. The table was then topped with a sheet of tempered glass, attached to the table with mirror screws. The steampunk coffee table has been an enormous success for my son and his art studies; the light shining through the glass has created a lightbox that aids him when tracing pictures.

Steampunk coffee table - Details

I hope you have been inspired by my coffee table made from recycled objects!

Electrician Gift – Promotional Paperweight

I recently finished making this resin paperweight containing a lightbulb. The paperweight is one of several paperweights I have been asked to make for the owner of an electrical services company in London. 

Lightbulb Paperweight - Electrician Gift

The electrician who has recently started his company, required several custom paperweights making so that he could give them to his clients in order to advertise and promote his business. The custom-made paperweight contains a real lightbulb and is further personalised with the website address for the company.

Promotional paperweights for an Electrician

The lightbulb paperweight would make an unusual gift to give to present to an electrician, anyone involved in the lighting industry or even somebody who has recently had a bright idea!

If you would like to see more examples of my custom-made paperweights that I have made, please select from the menu above.

World Trade Center stamped coin souvenir

It has been 20 years since the deadly attacks of 9/11, and I thought on this anniversary that I would share a custom-made paperweight I was asked to make earlier this year.

I was sent an elongated coin that had been pressed during a tourist visit to the World Trade Center in January 2001, just eight months before the attack on the twin towers. The coin has been pressed with an image of the New York sky line, complete with the twin towers and the wording ‘World Trade Center – New York’.

World Trade Center coin souvenir custom paperweight

Presumably the souvenir coin pressing machine was located within a tourist area of the Word Trade Center, perhaps at the entrance or an observation deck?

I encased the coin within a square resin paperweight and included some lettering to record the occasion. If  you would like to see more of my custom-made paperweights, please view them from the menu above.

Thanks

Mick

My memorial jewellery for hair and ashes on display

 I was contacted recently by Rose of Kane Family Funerals, an independent, family owned, and family run funeral directors based in Bradford. Kane Family Funerals expressed an interest in having samples of my resin memorial jewellery and paperweights containing hair and ashes for display in their shop.

I produced a range of jewellery for ashes, hair keepsake jewellery and paperweights and here they are on display within their Bradford shop.

Shpangle Jewellery on display in Bradford

I am particularly proud to have my memorial items on display in the Kane Family Funerals’ shop because they share the same ethos as me. Providing a personal service with the importance of providing care and detail to families.

Memorial Jewellery Bradford

Rose even produced a poster advertising my work. It reads “Shpangle – more than just jewellery. Hand-crafted by Mick Cluley. Beautiful resin memorial items encasing what glass cannot. Each piece uniquely holds: a lock of hair, handwriting or printed fingerprint, a photo or scrap of material, sand or soil from a special place, cremated ash”.

Shpangle Jewellery Poster

So, if you are local to the area of Bradford, or are passing through the area, please visit the shop to view my memorial jewellery.

Remembrance items Bradford

They also have an extensive range of other remembrance items for both loved ones and pets.

Many thanks for reading

Mick

Resin seaside art – Seashells and beachcombing items encased in resin

With lockdown lifting and things hopefully getting back to normal, may of us are looking forward to getting away this summer, I know I am! Living in the heart of the Midlands, you could not get much further from the seaside, and I so long to dip my feet into the sea!

So, to get us all in the holiday mood, I thought I would share some of the resin art I have previously made using seashells and other items discovered from beachcombing.

The first item is a resin paperweight encapsulating shells and pieces of coral sent to me by a customer, following her holiday. The resin enhances the colour of the shells beautifully!

Seashell and coral paperweight

This is a similar resin paperweight I made containing a single seashell.

Seashell resin paperweight

These pendants are one of the first things I encased within resin over 10 years ago. The left pendant contains tiny seashells; and the right pendant contains both seashells and sand.

Seashell and sand pendants

This is a square resin paperweight containing a Seahorse that was sent to me by a customer.

Seahorse paperweight

And another square paperweight made from seashells and personalised with the holiday destination and date.

Personalised seashell paperweight

And finally, this is a picture I made from pieces of sea glass that I collected from a Jersey beach. This mosaic style picture is meant to resemble one of the beaches that we visited in Jersey.

Sea glass picture of a Jersey beach

I hope you have enjoyed viewing my resin seaside art and whatever you decide to do this Summer, I hope that you have a wonderful time.

Irish and Celtic Memorial Jewellery

With St Patrick's Day just two weeks away, I was inspired to show off some of the Irish and Celtic themed memorial jewellery that I have previously made for people. I am quite often asked by customers from Ireland to incorporate Irish themes into the jewellery that I make from them, including colours and symbolic objects.

The first example below includes three bracelet charms containing cremated ashes. The three heart shaped bracelet charms are coloured green, white and orange to represent the Irish flag or tricolour.

Memorial charms for ashes in the colours of the Irish Flag

The second example is a lock of hair preserved inside a resin heart shaped pendant, with the addition of a glittery green Shamrock symbol.

Hair keepsake pendant with Shamrock

Continuing with the theme of Shamrocks, this is a real pressed Shamrock that was sent to me for preservation inside a resin paperweight.

Real pressed Shamrock paperweight

And finally, a pair of sterling silver Celtic style memorial earrings containing cremated ashes and the settings coloured green.

Celtic style earrings containing ashes

I hope that you have enjoyed looking at some of my Irish and Celtic themed memorial jewellery and that you all have a wonderful St Patrick's Day!

Mick

Remembrance Day Poppy Paperweights

"Remembering those brave men, women and animals that gave and continue to give so much for our freedom and safety".

The red Poppy is used as a symbol of both remembrance and hope for a peaceful future. I am sharing today paperweights that incorporate the red Poppy. All Poppies were sent to me for preserving inside the handmade resin paperweights, so that the owner can safely display their Poppies all year round.

The first paperweight contains four traditional paper Poppies sold by the Royal British Legion. These were sent to me for preserving inside a resin square paperweight.

Royal British Legion Poppy Paperweight

The second paperweight contains an imitation fabric Poppy flower and cremated ashes, preserved inside a resin domed paperweight.

Fabric Poppy Paperweight

The final paperweight contains a hand-drawn Remembrance Day Poppy. This Poppy was drawn and coloured by my customer who then sent the flower to me for preservation.

Hand-drawn Poppy Paperweight

Many thanks for reading!

Mick