About A&E Creative Designs

A & E Creative Designs is a father and daughter team based in Wakefield, England. Andrew who recently retired from a career in computer system design, realised that coming to a dead stop after 40 years of work would probably be a fast way to retire from life as well. He wanted a hobby that would be interesting and challenging. This is what resulted thanks to daughter Emma and wife Linda……..

A & E CD are supposed to stand for Andrew and Emma, sometimes they are more a case of Arguments and Expletives – Continuous Disagreements or on at least one occasion Accident and Emergency – Complete Disaster, more on that later.

We aim to create a range of unique custom items in a range of materials.

We have CNC router equipment to capable of creating items such as: Clocks, (we have an interesting design that runs from a hidden electromagnetic drive system having neither springs nor weights), house signs and numbers in wood or slate, Harry Potter inspired items especially wands, custom wooden boxes – these we have made to be used for wedding ring presentation, jewellery or simply decorative, wood sculptures, plaques, trophy shields, shop signs, children’s furniture to name but a few. We are still finding uses for the router. We have even been commissioned for prototype developments under NDA (Non-Disclosure Agreement).

Emma seems to delight in the unusual (the more so, the better). Andrew enjoys the challenge of realising Emma’s ideas.

We also have a laser cutter-engraver which we use to make such things as key rings, light boxes, marble machines, wall plaques, coasters, wedding favours and accessories such as boxes from paper, wood and acrylic. We have made a number of ‘Save the date’ fridge magnets and invitation packs. We can engrave wood, slate, acrylic and glass items – not metal, well not yet.

A really great use for the laser came up at Christmas when Emma and a group of the mums at her youngest daughters (number 4 of 5 Granddaughters) school presented the class’s teachers with plaques engraved with drawings (self-portraits) and names of all the children in the class.

And if that’s not enough to play with, we recently acquired a 3D printer so watch for that in play soon. The Granddaughters have already figured out that they can design things such as bag tags, badges, broaches and earrings and they magically appear in a range of colours almost on request. No. 4 has already got a collection of earrings including Dr Who’s Tardis, Poo-Mojies and stars in different sizes and colours.

Where possible we try to use recycle wood. Most of the wooden items, (excluding MDF and plywood items), we make are hardwood, softwood is not usually able to be machined to fine level of detail, plus the more attractive of the woods are generally hardwoods. It was planing down a piece the mango that Andrew managed to remove about 1cm of his little finger, luckily on the right hand so it didn’t affect his guitar playing (remember the ‘Accident and Emergency – Complete Disaster’?)

We have made items from a recovered oak church pew, a mahogany table being scrapped, reclaimed flooring, an unwanted mango wood coffee table. A friend of ours is a builder and we often visit to see what odd scraps he may have acquired..

If you’re looking for something unusual or maybe have an idea for a unique gift please get in touch, we would love to be able to help – we like nothing better than something unusual.