HOME Is where the RAF sends us…
by Annalisa Wilson H
ow many quarters have you had? Where is home this year? In part inspired, in part dismayed by the constant
moving, I took it upon myself to keep a record of all the homes we had lived in over the years. Fiddling with paintbrushes, tester pots and bits of wood, I set about fashioning a light-hearted but gorgeous way of remembering all our postings.
It turned out rather well – a pretty house shape with our family name on it and blocks hanging below detailing all our postings. I made one for a wedding present for a friend… and one of the bride’s friends emailed me to ask for one. I thought I would try having a stall at a craft fair on the patch and I was mobbed with orders.
From small beginnings, I worked on beautifully hand-crafted and painted plaques for others too and now I have a website! Little wooden wall plaques, totally personalised to show ‘Home is where the RAF sends us’. Below each are little blocks to add to your house each time you move – just order from the website, allowing you to keep your record up to date. You can also add details of when your children were born, when pets joined the family, Op tours, special dates… whatever you like, meaning your house is totally personal to you.
The ‘brand’ has expanded to include grandparents’ signs showing ‘Granny’s Little Angels, ‘Nanna and Grandad’s horrors’
...choose your totally personal slogan and I’ll make a house that’s unique for you, with the blocks showing the grandchildren’s names, dates of birth and pink or blue footprints. They make great presents! And it doesn’t need to be for Grandparents – how about a family house with Mum, Dad, children, dogs, cats, chickens, guinea pigs, pet chickens… the list is endless.
I’ve made Home-Is houses for teachers, doctors, dog breeders (champion dogs on the blocks), bankers, ex-pats and many, many members of the military community. There are Granny and Grandad signs hanging in pride of place in lounges around the country… and the world! I’ve sold to Australia, the USA, France, Italy, Canada and have covered pretty much every BFPO address there is!
I now make personalised Christmas signs and ‘until Daddy comes home’ chuff charts too.
I was sitting in the spare bedroom/ workshop, the sun was shining and
www.raf-ff.org.uk Envoy Winter 2012 45
Michael Bublé was on full blast, I was painting a pretty cottage shape and I thought how lucky I am – I’ve found a little business that I am passionate about and my customers often email me to say thank you which makes me feel great!
Every time we move (8 quarters so far!) I just pack it all up and move it with me and then it’s just a matter of getting the paintbrushes out at the new house and cracking on – no job hunting, trying to find a job which fits in around my family (I have daughters of 7, 4 and 8 months). Home-Is has become a real family affair. Lottie and Sophie help putting stickers on envelopes (the baby is still in training!) and my husband is pretty handy with an electric screwdriver! There’s nothing more therapeutic than painting little houses – and the joy is that people pay me for them, helping out with the family finances and meaning that I am not a ‘dependent’ in the absolute sense of the word – sometimes, my husband has to ask me for money! It’s a pretty satisfying way of spending my time.
Come visit us at
www.home-is.com
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