WHEN a beloved 100-year-old family heirloom was found in a state of disrepair, Birkdale sculptor Georgette Schwantes took on the challenge of restoring it to its former glory.
The flower pot, which was sculpted in Austria about a century ago, had been handed down from generation to generation before it made its way into the hands of Anne Dunne.
But when Mrs Dunne opened the package - which had been posted from New Zealand - she found it cracked, worn and damaged with big pieces missing.
"She was quite upset when it was handed to her," husband Glen said.
Ms Schwantes was tasked with repairing and restoring the flower pot.
"It took me about six weeks," she said.
"I had to re-sculpt the leaves and when I was sanding it back I noticed a crack that I also fixed up. It wasn't just that bit missing, there was a lot more to it."
After many hours of hard work, the pot was presented back to its rightful owners.
"When they picked it up, Mrs Dunne said it was better than how she remembered it and far better than she had hoped for," Ms Schwantes said.
"They both couldn't be happier."
As well as teaching sculpting classes and restoring damaged pieces, Ms Schwantes also creates custom pieces.
She sculpted a figure of St Martin De Porres for St Martin Catholic School in Carina, a sculpture which took about five months to complete and weighed about 350 kilograms.
She also created a life-size statue of Jesus, which now stands at Sandgate.