Business mums launch upcycling and crafts shop in Crowland
Two mums have brought the craze of upcycling to Crowland after opening a new shop just yards from the town’s famous Trinity Bridge.
Sue Parsons, of Spalding, and Peterborough mother-of-three Sophie Mace are the co-founders and business partners of Bon Appechic in South Street.
Full of upcycled and hand-painted furniture, gifts, homeware and craft items, the shop is also home to regular arts and painting workshops run by Sue and Sophie who, together, have about 30 years of artistic experience.
Sue, a mother-of-six and grandmother, said: “I was involved in selling giftware years ago and when my children were young, I watched a TV programme called ‘Changing Rooms’ where people would upcycle materials to improve their homes.
“That what’s got me started in painting furniture and stencilling about 25 years ago.
“I also did a floristry course five years later and learned how to make florally decorated arrangements.
The first month has been brilliant and we’ve had so many people in from Crowland who have really supported us which I’ve been really pleased with
“Sophie is a friend of my daughter’s and when she started selling Frenchic furniture paint at a retail unit in Market Deeping, I approached her about holding some painting workshops.
“But because she didn’t have enough room, Sophie went and found a shop in Crowland which we both decided to have.
“We set the shop up up in February and opened it on March 3, getting quite a lot of interest from all areas of the region.”
Bon Appechic has only been open for a month but Sue and Sophie have already attracted customers from Pinchbeck, Boston, March and Peterborough.
Mother-of-three Sophie said: “The first month has been brilliant and it’s gone a lot better than I expected.
“I started painting furniture about five years ago and last September, I opened a unit at Deepings Antiques Centre selling craft materials
“But I always wanted to have a shop and we’ve had so many people in from Crowland who have really supported us which I’ve been really pleased with.”
Sue said: “We’ve already had the first craft workship which was very successful and now we just want to keep raising of where we are and what we’re doing because we both have big plans for the shop.”
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