From a tranquil location on the shores of Loch Oich in the Great Glen, unique, limited edition tapestry kits are available online.  Retreattapestry.com is revolutionising tapestry kit design, using tapestry to create serious works of art.

Alex and Dominic Lloyd, the couple behind retreattapestry.com, are drawing on the natural beauty that surrounds their home to create these exclusive tapestries.

Alex and Dominic have received HIE-Starts funding of £5,200 from Lochaber Enterprise to assist with this project.  The network-wide HIE-Starts scheme is a European funded initiative designed to give new businesses support and financial assistance in their infancy by providing a regular income over the first 12 months of trading - traditionally the most difficult time.

Commenting on their new venture Alex said: "We plan to create only ten new tapestries each year to maintain the highest design standards.  With prints of each design limited to just 100, we are producing some of the most exclusive tapestry kits on the market."

Because only 100 of each design are ever printed, each kit contains a card authenticating its limited print number.  To make each tapestry instantly recognisable they all carry the retreattapestry.com logo as part of the design.

Made with environmentally friendly materials, each kit contains a printed canvas, needle, instructions, wool and an easy to follow chart.  It also comes with a printed calico bag to keep the work in.  All paper and packaging is made using recycled paper.

Elaine Boyd, a development manager for Lochaber Enterprise said: "Alex and Dominic are both trained designers who have demonstrated a high level of skill at designing premium tapestry kits. 

"This project will aid the establishment of a new and unique craft business in the area."

As the name suggests retreattapestry.com will use the world wide web as their main sales tool.  With assistance from Lochaber Enterprise's e-Business programme of £1,083 Alex and Dominic have set up a website to sell their original works online.  The collection can be viewed at www.retreattapestry.com

Elaine Boyd said: "The development of e-business solutions is important to Lochaber Enterprise.  Helping small, rural businesses compete on a level playing field and access markets they normally wouldn't be able to target.

"Alex and Dominic are able to reach a global audience, and with their creative tapestries reflecting life in this part of the world, they are effectively promoting Lochaber at the same time."

Part of the Lloyds wider business plans include the establishment of a retreat to provide people with the opportunity to gain or build on existing skills in the field of traditional craft manufacturing.

Talking about their new life Dominic said: "We decided two years ago to leave our careers in London and move to the highlands.  We both suffer from long term illness and realised part of our recovery involved changing to a more natural and spiritual lifestyle.
 
"As the business grows we plan to use the profits to fund the development of a spiritual retreat, a place where people of any faith or no faith can stay and take time out from the hustle and bustle of modern living."