The cost to US customers for importing goods from the UK will certainly now increase. However, there is still no clarity or certainty on the ‘size’ of the impending duties.

Hopefully, as the situation becomes clearer over the next few weeks, I’ll be able to review my position.

Kirsty

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What finishes will it be available in…?
I am producing the Wren sculpture as a limited edition of 300 pieces in four different finishes; cold-cast bronze, iron and pewter, as well as a realistically coloured hand painted version. These will be cast for me by the team at Lakeland Mouldings in Cumbria, before being polished by me here in my studio. The specialist figurine painting company, GlenFirra of Langholm in The Scottish Borders, will hand paint the coloured version for me. 

Foundry bronze option…

In addition, 12 numbered pieces will be hand made to order in foundry bronze. The design of the foundry bronze Wren is slightly different, in that it has an extremely fine beak. This feature is only possible to produce in a hot pour foundry bronze. Coloured patinas can also be added. The price for the limited edition foundry bronze Wren is available on request. 

The foundry bronze Wrens are hand cast by Aron McCartney of the Mc@rt studios, Barnard Castle, in the north of the UK. Aron also moulded and cast the Max the ‘miracle’ dog bronze statue from my wax original. 

Nestor is now available to purchase online from my British Craft House store here HERE

Just Kirsty Sculpture & Gifts 

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He is the life-size of a four month old Otter pup. He is set on a Shetland beach, complete with sand and shells. ‘Erik’ is being hand made to order in a choice of finishes, in Cumbria, in the far north of England.

Different finishes…

This Otter sculpture is available in cold-cast bronze, iron, and pewter, as well as a bronze lacquer and verdigris finish.

Availability …

For current availability please visit my ‘Just Kirsty Sculpture & Gifts’ store on The British Craft House

Click on the link for ordering information. Please note that I no longer ship to the EU or NI, and that shipping to the US can only be arranged on request.

Donation to a wildlife charity… 

The Hillswick Wildlife Sanctuary on Shetland – where abandoned and injured otters & seals are cared for and rehabilitated – will also receive a donation from me from each piece purchased.

Please use the information on the Contact page to get in touch if you require any further information.

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The availability of my limited edition Harriet Hare sculptures is drawing to a close.

There are currently just two remaining in cold-cast iron, as well as three Artist’s copies in a choice of finishes, and then that’s it! The remaining Hare sculptures of the 150 piece limited edition have all been sold.

It will be rather strange not making this particular Hare sculpture anymore! She has been one of my main product lines for seven years.  Please do get in touch if you would like to secure one of these last Hares before they all

Details on the remaining Hare Sculptures and their different finishes can be seen in the ‘Hare’ section of my ‘Just Kirsty Sculpture & Gifts’ online store. 

View / Buy Harriet Hare

More information is also on the HARES page  on this website. 

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The Winter Solstice, along with the longest day in the Summer, are two of my most favourite days of the year. The Winter Solstice brings hope for the coming year. It also marks the beginning of the slow road back to lighter, longer days full of potential.

My sculpted relief; ‘Halcyon Days’ has a Winter Solstice connection too. ‘Halcyon’ is the name for a kingfisher-type bird in Greek mythology. It was believed that the birds had the power to calm the sea for two weeks around the WINTER SOLSTICE. This allowed them to lay their eggs on a floating nest and rear their chicks safely at sea. These two weeks of calm weather were know as ‘Halcyon days’.

I make my Halcyon days plaque in two sizes and in various finishes. The larger of the two (14” diameter), is cast in naturally occurring very dense and strong plaster. It is given a weathered bronze and verdigris patina finish. The second is smaller with a 5.5” diameter. These I make in cold-cast pewter, copper and bronze. They are small enough to adorn memory and treasure boxes, as well as smaller box frames.

Please visit my British Craft House store Just Kirsty Sculpture and Gifts for more information, or send me an email kirsty@justkirsty.com

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The end of an era…

The new GPSR regulations came into force yesterday, with the potential for huge new costs and time consuming red tape for small businesses like mine. Due to a clashing Etsy shipping area policy, this has ultimately led me to close my long established Etsy shop. The end of an era.

The future…

So, from today, all my products are now only available from my ‘Just Kirsty Sculpture & Gifts’ store on the British Craft House. I’ve had a shop with this wonderful online selling platform for the past 5 years now (and they don’t have a clashing shipping area policy…).

A Wren Sculpture…

Most of my working day is spent casting, polishing, finishing and packing up orders. Now that the Christmas rush is calming down, I feel a strong urge to sculpt a new piece. A Wren sculpture!

This morning I started to look through the Wren references material I’ve been gathering and had an idea… what if I could find an intact Wren’s skull? I could use it as the perfect armature for the head! I found one (on Etsy, of all places!) I’ll sculpt the detail in wax over the top of the skull, and also recreate the body entirely in modelling wax. The little Wren will be brought back to life!

Now, I also need to keep a look out for a little piece of weathered fence post for her to perch on… Updates soon!

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Please make any purchases intended as Christmas gifts by Friday to give them the best chance of being delivered in time!

Thank you! 
Kirsty 

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Erik is a life-sized otter cub and stands at about 14” tall. Although the stylised fur I add to my animal sculptures takes a very long time, I do enjoy it and I only have to do it on the original wax once. It is then reproduced through moulding and casting, locally to me in the English Lake District. I then polish or finish every Otter sculpture by hand each time one finds a home!

I have an ‘interested-but-no-obligation-to-purchase’ list for this Otter Sculpture which I will then use to offer the first 25 pieces at an introductory rate. If you’d like to be on the list, then please EMAIL me. I’m very much hoping that he will be finished shortly, and then he’ll be on his way to be moulded and put into production.

Erik will be helping the Hillswick Wildlife Sanctuary up on Shetland with every sale, and he’ll be available in cold-cast bronze, as well as cold-cast iron.

He’s a young Otter, and his name gives a nod to my Norse heritage, as well as connecting to my Grandfather (whose name was ‘Eric’). I also used to live on Shetland as a child and have very fond memories of it.

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Dottie, the founder of the British Craft House, will be in Downing Street today manning the stall. It will showcase almost 200 small businesses who are all part of the British Craft house. Our products will be in front of the press, and the TV cameras, and also Downing Street staff… including the Prime Minister!  As Rishi Sunak owns a Labrador, I’m hoping my Labrador tin will catch his eye! **UPDATE! The Prime minister and his wife were presented with one of my Labrador tins!

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My metallic leaf brooches are now available from  Just Kirsty Sculpture & Gifts over on The British Craft House  (link opens in a new window).

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