Social media tips for charities

Phil Dowding ‏@PhilGDowding

Charities - great tips on managing your #socialmedia - http://abt.cm/1grFz6f

Seeing Double

Jan Dowding    @JanDowding

'Seeing Double' 30x24" acrylic painting on canvas... - - I love daisies... http://www.jedart.co.uk - pic.twitter.com/CZkHPJRK15

Festive ceramics gifts

Ceramics made by Jan Dowding of JED Art will soon help raise funds for slum children in Uganda through Dorset-based charity Child of Hope (she's a trustee!), which is building schools for slum kids in Uganda.

These tealight Christmas trees and other yuletide gifts she has made will be for sale on her stand at the Christmas Craft Fayre at the Lighthouse Family Church (Holton Heath, Dorset) on Dec 7, 10am–2pm.

The event will feature local craft producers selling ceramics, Tupperware, hand-made cards, paintings, jewellery, books, gifts, preserves, cakes… and loads more.

Sunseeker award for outstanding performance

Luxury wood machinist/joiner Kirolite is celebrating after winning a prestigious award from luxury boat builder Sunseeker International – for our 'outstanding' work on its top-of-the-range Sea Raider V craft.

The Dorset-based company provided one-off interior furniture for the 40 metre yacht, ranging from a bar, television cabinets and air conditioning units to chest of drawers and bedside cupboards.

The timeframe from concept through to actual fitting out was just 16 weeks, described by Sunseeker as an "outstanding performance in meeting our most demanding requirements."

The award is a huge feather in Kirolite's cap from one of the world's most prestigious brands. The company has worked with Sunseeker for 35 years and feels very proud that its role in meeting the most exacting of requirements has been recognised in this way.

The five cabin Sea Raider V can accommodate up to 12 guests and seven crew members and is capable of a top speed of 24 knots. She is the largest Sunseeker to be built ahead of the launch of the 155 yacht next year. Sea Raider V was displayed at this year's Cannes and Monaco yacht shows following delivery to her owner in the Mediterranean earlier this summer.

The special award was officially presented to Kirolite at the 2013 Sunseeker Supplier of the Year Awards. In the picture: Bonnie Randall, Kirolite's managing director (second right); Nigel Crabbe, sales manager (right) and shareholders John and Margaret Randall join staff to celebrate the special award from Sunseeker.

Antique metal look is just stunning

Bespoke furniture producer Kirolite's latest one-off project for a 115 Sunseeker yacht has been installed – a bar mirror in distressed bronze finish, complete with two shelves in gloss traditional walnut burr veneers with a modern twist of stainless steel polished rails.

We love the amazing new antique-metal-look finishes... perfect for on board a luxury yacht or in a beautiful home or hotel.

The requirement: An old-fashioned-style saloon mirror to be positioned above a small bar cupboard.

The effect: We overlaid a bronze antique effect on an original hardwood and MDF frame. This was sprayed with the finish of metal filings, with the top layer burnished off to expose the metal, a ragged process with acid to obtain a suitably-mottled effect, polished, left to tarnish, then sealed with top coat… all done in-house.

The result: A gorgeous finish… and one that can be used to make many wood products look like they’re made of distressed metal. The finishes are limitless!