In the beginning, I was looking for some inspiration for a new craft to try and came across papier mâché. I thought it was a nice easy thing to start with. When Covid hit and stores had no materials, I decided to go down a different route. A chance comment sent me to many concrete crafting videos and the rest is history. Where I am, concrete statues are not common, with stores that do stock statues, often selling unpainted and poor-quality concrete pieces. 

I vowed to change the game and only offer quality, hand-painted pieces that could be appreciated for many years to come. While my equipment and workshop are nothing special, I have found concrete to be very accessible, affordable and satisfying. My quality articles are built tough and hand-crafted with great care, to outlast the competition and raise the bar for home decor.

After establishing concrete production, in my spare time I practiced other crafts and hobbies. I'm keen to give anything a go! Feel free to browse this site with the many, varied handmade goods I have to offer. A product info link and order form button can be found at the bottom of each page. Enjoy!

Black Lion Crafts is the culmination of multiple connected ideas. 

Why Black? The inspiration was my old cat Puddy, who I said goodbye to, at age 19, in mid-2023. He was a massive cat and my best mate, who always had the nickname of 'Black Panther'. Due to the copyright issue of Marvel's character of the same name, I was forced to adapt the idea, and Lion fit right in. Black is my favourite colour and all of my clothes reflect that fact. 

Why Lion? My favourite movie as a child was always Disney's classic The Lion King, and my favourite animal was always the cat (and lions are just big ol' cats). My surname is the Germanic word for lion, so it all seemed to fit together perfectly. With English heritage, where the lion is symbolic and a Holden make car, lions have always had a prominence in all aspects of my life.

Registering the business would need to ensure that there were no branding conflicts or trademark infringements. Crafts came about as I didn't want to only work with concrete, as I am a Jack of all trades (master of none!). I registered the business on June 10, 2021, although preparations had started prior.

The logo was developed by me, utilising Microsoft Paint. The Lion is laying in a relaxed position, with a rather neutral expression. The wings were always to be incorporated as the development took place while old mate Puddy was still alive, but I knew he would be soon better represented by a lion with angelic wings. An early concept can be seen on this page, a rough sketch that was refined into the logo.

As a sole trader, it is little old me, crafting everything on this site, from start to finish, mostly self-taught. 

Starting off, was the preparation and gathering of equipment and materials. Utilising YouTube and online forums, I purchased many of the materials used by others. Through the first year of crafting, I found out what worked best for me, with much trial and error. 

The main workspace is a metal shed in the yard with shelving and a table. Some of the process has been moved into the house, including moulding, painting and sealing. Working in the shed can be rough in the extremes of the Australian weather:  reaching 35-40C in peak summer and below zero in winter. Casting is the main activity, usually over a few hours, then the moulds are left to sit while the concrete cures.

Inside the house is where mould making takes place, using a natural rubber, latex. Painting is done in my own bedroom as it is the longest process, so items are done in a batch fashion to maximise efficiency, as paint has to dry between applications. Sealing is done indoors and can be finished in just a day.

Most other crafts take place inside the house: with food preparation in the kitchen, laser engraving and 3D printing on their designated workbench and all others generally in my bedroom where I can craft in comfort. Geneally anything involving live plants is initially done outside to avoid soil spillage.