The Repair Shop star Louise Drover has opened up about she began her career in crafts and it turns out the creativity runs in the family. Louise is the resident paper conservator on the BBC One show and her entry into the world of crafts began when she followed through on a piece of advice she was given by her aunt.
She explained: “My aunt was an art teacher and she recommended I try a couple of colleges in London. As soon as I walked into Camberwell School of Art I knew that was it – this is what I wanted to do. I didn’t know that until I went there and then I found the answer – Paper Conservation!”
When asked how she landed the job on The Repair Shop, Louise divulged: “Well, it was Lucia (Scalisi) actually, she’s a very good friend and recommended me. And then I recommended Chris Shaw, the bookbinder, it’s like a daisy chain of experts.”
During a previous episode that aired in December, Louise attempted tob salvage a medical certificate for a guest. She said: “This laminated document is quite possibly the worst I’ve seen in my entire 30-year career. It’s got three laminations to it and two layers of what appears to be a very thin cellophane.
“One lifting quite nicely, one still very firmly attached. I’m not sure how that one’s coming off yet and then this very thick crunchy one on the outside. The trickiest thing with this will possibly be to remove that final layer, I don’t actually know if I’ll be able to get it off.”
After closer inspection, she realised the document was one piece of paper which had been split in its thickness to be able to allow for more stamps to be added.
Louise devised a plan that she’d separate the layer which had already been peeled apart.
However, she had to be extremely careful not to tear the front side of the sheet as she started to strip away the lamination. Realising it was harder than she had anticipated, the expert commented: “It’s quite stiff actually this.
“It’s adhering really tightly in some areas more than others. Then I’ve got the next layer to contend with which is the thinner layer, I think it could tear very easily.
“Ah, it’s lifting the paper now, so I keep peeling the looser areas off and it’s just patience really and some prayers!”
After hours of work, the BBC star was able to get the certificate back to its pristine state and find a frame with glass on both sides to be able to allow for the stamps to be seen.
Now with the certificate in two parts, gueest Sidra was blown away by what the expert had been able to do.
