Clover Signs Blog

Unlike our standardised house signs, business signs are usually accompanied by a whole range of complexities. However, when the Women’s Wellness Centre, across from the  Chelsea and Westmisnster Hospital, approached us to make them a sign, the design seemed fairly straightforward. With our trademark hand carved letters on a striking white background, and the colours customed mixed to exactly match their logo, the end result was more than satisfactory. The one challenge of the job was to have the sign stick out perpendicularly from the wall, in the fashion of the other shops on this busy stetch of the Fulham road in Chelsea.

Wall mounted double-sided business sign.

The Women's Wellness Centre on Fulham Road in Chelsea

It’s another blue plaque, but surely not from English Heritage.

Futuristic Blue Plaque

Possibly the most humorous sign we have made, “The Dead Ostrich” is to hang in a private study, (not on a pub).  The background depicts a pub building on a hill top in the Karoo region of South Africa, hense the Afrikaans translation on the reverse of the sign. It was given as a 70th birthday present to a much loved uncle, and  I trust he is enjoying it on his wall as much as we enjoyed designing and crafting it.

The Dead Ostrich

If you would like to relax, unwind and sip champagne in Shropshire … read on! Back in September 2006, Gilly and Brian Bachelor purchased The Walkmill, and now the renovations are finally complete and they are open for business. Not the least of the improvements was the purchase of a new sign from Clover Signs.

The Walkmill comprises three cottages – Stone Cottage, Walkmill House and Walkmill Lodge all set in four acres of beautiful Shropshire countryside within an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty with views of the Long Mynd and The Stiperstones.

They have secured a tie-up with www.champagneuk.com so arrivals will be welcomed by a bottle of champagne on ice.

When I received an enquiry from Canada for a large Church sign, I thought: this couldn’t be real. As a traditional house sign maker, we haven’t done a lot of Church signs to date. We designed it and didn’t hear back for a long time. The congregation must have eventually come to an agreement because they confirmed the order and the elegant sign is now hanging on their elegant edifice.

St. John's Anglican Church of Canada

Notice the classy Canadian Crest that has been made out of a seperate piece of material and fixed to the sign (on both sides).

Although primarily a traditional house sign maker, Clover Signs has also expanded into the business market, making pub signs and bed and breakfast signs. In October of 2007, Martine approached us for a hanging sign for her new B & B which she clevery called “Martinn”.  The Martinn, located in southwest France, opened its doors on March 20th 2008 and we are pleased to see our sign gracing its entrance. I can assure you, the inside is much more attractive than the outside, featuring a pool, gourmet food and many great activities.

Usually when someone requests a house sign which is to incorporate a beloved pet, that means painting its picture onto one of our traditional house signs. However, when we received the order for the sign below, I wasn’t sure I wanted to see the picture of those particular pets, much less meet them personally. More than feeling nostalgia for some childhood playmate, I was reminded of some other more famous dogs. Pavlov’s dogs, to be precise.

In the 1890s, Ivan Pavlov, a Russian physiologist, psychologist, and physician was investigating the gastric function of dogs. He used a technique of training or “conditioning” wherein he would ring a bell and then give the dogs some food. After a time the dogs would actually start salivating upon hearing the bell, without ever getting their food. Hopefully this sign produces the same results if you happen to visit this customer’s home.

From time to time, a customer will ask for something different – for example, a house sign for inside the house. With a sign like this on your bathroom door, its almost like a jungle holiday every time you go to use the loo.

Of course, we do all sorts of signs – contact us to discuss an unusual or exciting sign idea – something just for you.

Are you thinking of the movie, the song, or the drink? Its funny how some words or phrases just sound good. Tequila Sunrise is a 1988 Robert Towne movie starring Mel Gibson. It is a single by the Eagles (1973) and by Cypress Hill (1998). Most commonly, however it is a cocktail, and quite a nice one. The name comes, of course, from is appearance as the grenadine and orange settle fading from red at the bottom to clear tequila at the top.

According to the International Bartenders’ Association (IBA) it is a ‘long drink’ meaning it contains rather more mixer. The official recipe is as follows:

• 4.5 cl (3 parts) Tequila
• 9.0 cl (6 parts) Orange juice
• 1.5 cl (1 part) Grenadine syrup

Clover Signs has also made its own (humble) contribution to the scene with the sign below:

Like it? Find another Gold and Black Carved House Sign.

It is getting to be that time of year again. As Remembrance Day comes closer, poppies start appearing on nearly every suit and jacket.

Each year, I remember these lines from John McRae’s famous poem – maybe my favourite war poem of all time:

…To you from failing hands we throw
the torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields

The full text can be found at inflandersfields.be

Here is quite a nice sign from our range of cream and black house signs.