Here at Ella Bella I love to find suppliers that are unique and special and these are definitely two words I would use to describe our meet the supplier – Hatchfully Yours creates beautifully hand carved eggshells for sentimental and bespoke wedding keepsakes. Let’s find out more. Please welcome Sheeba Kukreja.
Tell me a bit about you and how you got to where you are today?
I am an Essex based artist, who has had an ongoing love affair with eggshells for over 7 years. Its taken me a lot of practice, patience, perseverance not to mention hundreds if not thousands of broken eggshells and a lot of messy accidents to achieve the level of skill and confidence and quality in craftsmanship when carving eggshells.
Where did the inspiration come from for these extraordinary pieces?
I’ve always been a creative child. While my siblings enjoyed Math and science, I loved art. As a kid I loved drawing and watching Disney cartoons and animated movies. I enjoyed them so much that I went on to study animation in university.
To be able to answer this question in the best way possible I’d like to take you back a few years into my past. It was when my husband and me decided to tie the knot in 2010 when we were looking for unique gifts for close family and friends and very special guests. I was inspired by the idea of working with a bespoke artisan boutique on very exquisite and meaningful keepsakes for everyone. Something I might have never seen before. I didn’t know what I was looking for but I knew what ever it was it had to make me go ‘wow’ and it had to pull at my heartstrings instantly. I wasn’t looking for jewellery pieces, or personalised pendents, glassware, or personalised wallets. I was looking for something I would have never seen before that would not just impress our families and friends but also leave them shell shocked and feeling special at the same time.
We looked and looked and to my dismay, we reached a lot of deadness and had to go with what ever we could find that was apt for the occasion.
A few years after, a little challenge from friends to try and empty and egg without craving it, was a nudge I needed in the right direction. We tried all sorts, to prick holes in the egg from knitting needles to hand drills to tooth pricks but failed and ended up with a stinky mess in the back yard. But that got me researching, trying failing and then trying again till I could blow out and eggshell. I then experimented with drilling holes to big patterns on the shells and kept breaking and cracking and chipping them in the pursuit. A lot of failed attempts and disappointments there but this has led me on a path of happy discoveries along the way and there has been no looking back since.
What type of eggs do you work with?
I carve chicken, duck, goose, quail and Ostrich eggs and can source and carve Emu eggs on special request as well. These eggs make for beautiful ornamental keepsakes to be cherish for decades.
I offer these unusual eggshell sculptures as 1) Gifts for special occasions 2) Bridal collection and 3) Premium wedding favours.
How long do they take you you make?
Processing times depends on the type of egg and the intricacy of the pattern. It can take anywhere from a few hours for chicken and duck eggs to a few days for goose eggs and between 6-8 weeks for ostrich eggs.
How much do they cost?
I offer the eggshell sculptures in three categories:
1) 𝐎𝐜𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐠𝐢𝐟𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 :
From Birthdays and anniversaries to a house warming gift and Christenings,these eggshells sculptures make for very beautiful gifts for special occasions.
𝐏𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐈𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐬 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦:
Chicken eggshells : £90
Goose eggshells : £190
Duck eggshells : £590
2) 𝐁𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐥 𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧:
Unusual gifts for Mother of the Bride, Mother of the groom and bridesmaids gifts.
Minimum quantity 2 pieces
𝐏𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐈𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐬 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 :
£170 for two Chicken eggshell sculptures
£361 for two Goose eggshell sculptures
£1121 for two Ostrich eggshell sculptures
3) 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐮𝐦 𝐰𝐞𝐝𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐚𝐯𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬 :
These make for very rare and unusual wedding favours that will leave your guests talking about your special day in awe even years after the day!
𝘔𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘮𝘶𝘮 𝘲𝘶𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝟷𝟶 𝘱𝘪𝘦𝘤𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘢𝘹𝘪𝘮𝘶𝘮 𝘲𝘶𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝟷𝟶𝟶 𝘱𝘪𝘦𝘤𝘦𝘴
𝐏𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐈𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐬 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦:
£850 for 10 carved Chicken eggshell sculptures
£1850 for 10 carved Goose eggshell sculptures
£5370 for 10 carved Ostrich eggshell sculptures
How can we order?
Enquiries about these services can be sent via the contact us form on the website, or by emailing me on sheeba@hatchfullyyours.com
Once I get an enquiry I book you in for a free consultation to understand your preferences further and then send you a bespoke proposal based on your requirements along with the contract.
Thanks for Reading
x Jodie x
Next read my blog on Makeup with Emily Chantal here