This shop is currently empty. Please check back when we've restocked.

Pewter gifts, handmade in Derbyshire by Ian Buxton

I've been making and selling pewter gifts from my home in Belper for a year now. Pewter is a great metal to work with.

I started working with pewter as a result of exploring different mediums a few years ago.

I began carving in wood but found I couldn’t get the detail I wanted, even with the smallest tools available; this led me to exploring different types of clay which allowed me to get the detail I wanted but I missed the carving.

Now I hand carve my originals in jewellery wax which gives me the detail I need through carving rather than sculpting. The originals are then moulded, hand cast and hand finished by filing, sanding and polishing. I still sculpt my initial designs in oil-based clay just because I can get a shape together quickly and change the form at any point, without the clay going off. Once I’m happy with the shape I then carve it in wax to get the detail I need before moulding, casting and finishing.

Most of my making time is spent filing, sanding and polishing the castings, this can take hours but the final result is worth the time spent.

One of the great things about pewter is it’s recyclability, any spare pieces can just be melted down at a low temperature and re-used. It’s also a great material to work with because it’s a soft metal but it’s durable enough to survive some tough use.

All my work is inspired by British nature. I’m currently working on different size frogs which is quite a challenge.

Find Ian Buxton Designs on social media

• Twitter
• Facebook