Finally we got some of our recent work back from the galvanisers in Peterborough and they did an absolutely fantastic job.

It is not often I am happy with the work of the galvnising profession in general but this week they have excelled themselves.

The photos are of a damp bee after an acid etch. It was silver like the bench in it's raw galvanised state. The rain makes the finish very dark but when it is dry the surface has a patina of aged pewter. When it dries out I'll add another photo!

The garden bench I made last week is for Jane whose shop, Love Cushions (www.lovecushions.co.uk) is part of Creake Abbey studios in North Creake. We've made the bench to go outside her shop as a display piece for her bespoke bench cushions. It is available to buy and hopefully will serve to promote our bespoke commissioned services to Creake Abbey visitors. After this photo was taken I etched the bench with the mordant solution and so it too is dark and damp!

We were thrilled to have Keith in the forge for a couple of days last week.

His wife and son bought him two days with us to design and make a weathervane for their home.

Inspiration for the design came from his wife's grandfather who developed the hunter class Norfolk Broads boat.

He drew up the design from an old photo and plasma cut the sails, forged the waves, welded the pieces together and balanced the finished vane so it would spin nicely.

He left tired but happy and with the bracket to make in his workshop at home.

Over the last few days Helen has been working on a panel of soaring swifts (approx 12"x30") that she initially drew up in the late summer. With one thing and another work only recently began in earnest (and after selling out her remaining stock of running hares!).

Pictures will follow of her ongoing projects (barn owl, blackbird panel and a new series of hares in different positions).

It will soon be for sale at the Creakey Cafe.

Earlier this year we were approached by Taverham Parish Council to put forward a design for their new village sign. We were fortunate enough to win the commission and after working with them we had honed the design to the one you see below.

The local church is represented, as is the local Saint Walstan and the River Wensum that runs through the parish. It is all designed to stand on an amazing piece of twisted railway line to resonate with it's railway history.

We drew up the design life-size on a board and set to forging the individual elements to create the three-dimensionality of steel (see middle image).

Finally the whole lot was welded together and is ready for the galvanisers (bottom photo). Upon it's return we will be hand painted in colourful acrylics. I'll post more images as the project comes to completion