Hello! how are you? I hope you are keeping well and warm in this wild weather and frightful temperatures!

So far this year I have enjoyed only being in the workshop from Monday to Friday. Having always worked in hospitality before self employment, I have never had that “Friday feeling”. Long may it continue as I am definitely seeing the benefits of 2 days rest! I have been using my time off wisely and going on local adventures to places I have not been before. It is so beautiful around Blairgowrie, especially in winter.

The first 2 weeks of the year I concentrated on making more mugs for the website, which has just been restocked. Butter Dishes and Side Plates are currently in the kiln and will be added to the website next week. Once the Grey & Gold Range sell out, it will be going into hibernation until next Christmas so if you’ve had your eye on a piece, you know what to do.

The last 2 weeks of January were spent experimenting. It has been so much fun! I am usually so busy and don’t have enough time to play with clay, my list of ideas that I want to explore just seems to get longer and longer! However, I saw a window of opportunity and grasped it with both hands.

My experiments are quite varied. I have been developing my animal print designs, seeing if other products look good in Leopard Print, and working on the Zebra Print, which I thought had so much potential last year.

I am loving gold so much at the minute and want to put in on everything! I have an exciting variation using the Pastel Dreamscape colours. I am very happy with the glaze design on the mugs, I just need to do a bit more work on the plates and bowls. I will hopefully be able to show you a cohesive set soon. New product ideas like my plant pots and vases still need a bit of refinement but I think I have a better idea of what I’m aiming for now.

Weather wise January was been a lot of effort. The snow we had a few weeks ago froze, then more rain and snow fell and froze on top of that, making the ice even thicker. I had to bash out a path between my front door and workshop as it was too precarious to carry pots from one place to the other! I also had to leave my car at the top of the farm as the lane was like an ice rink. Getting customer orders to the Post Office has been a tricky operation, but I am committed, so it is nothing that my wheelbarrow and a pair of crampons couldn’t solve!

I will no longer be supplying my work to shops. Some stockists still have a selection of my pottery, but as of January 2021 work can only be purchased via Tea with Jud website, at markets or events, and directly from the workshop, when restrictions permit.

I will do my best to keep the website stocked with all your favourite items, but If a product is out of stock, there is now a clever tech whizz button where you can enter your email address and will therefore be notified stock levels are updated!

The only event I have planned so far this year is Potfest Scotland. I’m so delighted to have been accepted again and it feels good to have something to look forward to and work towards. All being well it will be held in June, as normal, but as you know, anything could happen between now then! I will keep the Diary up to date, and my fingers crossed.

I think that is all the important news I have to tell you for now.
Stay warm and cosy,
Cheerio!
jud xo

Hello there,

I can’t quite believe its December already! What a rollercoaster of a year! I think I have felt every emotion going, probably much like everyone else.

Although this year has been worrying at times, I am delighted to say I have been overwhelmed by your continuous support. I would like to thank you all very much for sticking by me, and purchasing my pottery to keep my small business going. I am hugely grateful. I feel very fortunate to be in this position and know this year has been tough for so many people. I think it would be nice to do something good this Christmas, so I’m having a Raffle! If you missed out on a Leopard Print Mug, here is your chance to win, not one, but two! All the money raised from the Christmas raffle will be donated to an excellent cause, Social Bite, a charity that helps homeless people across the UK. Please see ticket for full details. You can buy more than one ticket, which will obviously raise more money and increase your chance of winning the mugs! (RAFFLE NOW CLOSED)

As you can see I have made a few changes to the website, it is constantly evolving! You may have noticed the Shallow Bowls and Big Mugs are finally here! About time, I know! The Grey & Gold mugs sold out so quickly, so the past 2 weeks have been spent in a very cold workshop trying to get some more made. I really hope they will be ready in time for last post before Christmas (which, might I add is Friday 18th December. If you are planning on doing some Christmas shopping, please place your order by 6pm on Thursday 17th so I have time to wrap them!) I will announce on Social Media when the Grey & Gold Mugs are back in stock, so if you are after one, please keep your eyes peeled! Also, a new addition to the Grey & Gold Range is Breakfast Bowls and Small Breakfast Bowls. I love them!

I often get asked if I teach, I don’t, but I can definitely point you in the right direction! The website now has a Pottery Classes section. Obviously there will not be any classes running at the moment, but in the future, when we can look forward to doing fun things again, I thought I would make it easy for you to find a class so you can feed your creative desire and support the potters who missed out on teaching this year.

It’s not long to go now before I finish up for Christmas and have a good rest. I am staying in Scotland this year for the first time ever, I really hope it snows! I have a few knitting projects and a jigsaw waiting patiently for my attention but I’m already really excited to get back to work in January as I have a long list of experiments and ideas that I cannot wait to start working on!

From Tea with Jud HQ, Albert and I wish you a very happy festive season.
See you next year,
jud.xo

Hello everyone. I hope you are enjoying everything that Autumn has to offer, the leaves changing colour, crisper mornings, and hot drinks in a nice mug to keep you cosy. The weather has been so beautiful recently, and we were very lucky as the sun shone the whole weekend of Potfest at the end of September. Matt and the Potfest team did an amazing job to keep all the customers and exhibitors safe. The whole event was exhausting but brilliant and I was so pleased it was able to take place after a very uncertain year! I was very excited about my display as I elaborated on my kitchen theme and added a dresser unit.

Potfest in the Pens is planning to go ahead at the end of October, but unfortunately I have decided to pull out. It was such a hard decision to make, but after taking lots of factors into consideration, mainly time constraints and a dodgy wheel, the cons completely outweighed the pros. By doing so, this will allow me more time to work on existing orders, and make stock for the website.

RESTOCK

I had planned to launch the Big Mugs in my online shop after Potfest, but they were such a BIG hit I completely sold out! I am out of stock in lots of products so have been in the workshop making again, but my wheel is being very temperamental. My electrician has been to look at it and we just need to source a part for it, but as the wheel is old the part might not exist anymore! I’m keeping my fingers crossed very tightly. With the colder conditions too, my work is drying a lot slower, so realistically it will be November before the website will be properly restocked. I am planning to have all my colour ranges available, including Pastel Dreamscape and Grey & Gold. If you would like to receive an notification when the shop is full again, please subscribe to Tea with Jud.

SALE

Everything with the “original” style handle must go! I have Cups, Espresso Mugs, Jugs and only a few Mugs left in the original design. As I mentioned before, the Cups will be discontinued. Click here to view the sale items now to pick up a bargain!

SECONDS

I get a lot of enquiries about my seconds and experiments. The reason I don’t sell them online is because it would take too long to photograph, describe the imperfections/dimensions and list all the products, so they will only ever be available directly from my workshop. Perthshire Open Studios did not happen this year and I would normally use this opportunity to sell off my seconds and experiments. I have temporarily filled my “Shop” (display cabinet in the barn wall) with a selection of these pieces. If you are interested in a wonky pot, or a one off experiment, you are welcome to pop down the lane between 2pm – 6pm Wednesday, Thursday or Friday until Christmas. If you want to pay a visit at the weekend, please contact me, as I may be out swimming!

POST

I am still only going to the Post Office once a week, on Friday’s, this seems to be working for me so I will continue to do so for the foreseeable.

It’s not all work round here though, after the Potfest madness, I took a few days off to rest and do fun things. I went swimming, paddle boarding, made jam and lemon curd and just generally enjoyed life, but now it is time to knuckle down once again in preparation for Christmas. With no Markets in the Calendar this year I think it will be very strange, but hopefully this will allow me time to maintain stock levels for all your Christmas shopping needs!

I hope you are all keeping safe and well and appreciating the little things.
Cheerio for now and see you for the shop restock!

jud

SALE ITEMS

Sorry, the sale has now ended.

Hello!
Remember what I was saying in my last blog about a more structured routine!? Well, that has all gone completely out the window now! My workshop days are long and the kilns are on back to back. My hands are dry and sore from glazing and being overworked. Potfest Scotland set up is exactly 2 weeks today and I still have a lot more to do before then!

As I mentioned previously, I will be changing the handles on my mugs. I plan to launch these at Potfest. So, everything that is currently on the web shop is what I have left in stock with the original handle design (Mugs, Jugs, Espresso Mugs etc) But, I have a wee surprise for you… there are some Grey & Gold Mugs and Cups too! I know how much you love them – Take me to the Grey & Gold at once! After all these have sold I will update the website with my new designs.

My new style handle design doesn’t work on my Cup shape, so this is another product that I will be discontinuing. If you want a cup, you better grab one while they are still available!

During the summer I made some “Shallow Bowls”. These materialised after some customers requested wide bowls especially for their grapefruit at breakfast time. I tested them out myself and love using them for everything; salads, pasta, spaghetti carbonara, risotto, bangers and mash, rice… they really are so versatile! I have decided to add them to my pottery range. They are made and glazed, I just need to get them photographed and listed on here, but realistically who knows when that will happen…?!

If you are on the Leopard Print Waiting list and wondering why you haven’t received an email yet, huge apologies! I have been so busy making other stock, but I do plan to send out a secret order code to you soon.

That’s all for now, but if you want more frequent updates and snippets regarding all things Tea with Jud, make sure you are following along on Instagram.
Hope to see you at Potfest!

Cheerio,
jud

Hello! How are you doing? I feel like this year is going so fast and yet every day is like de ja vu. It certainly has been strange, but one good thing that has come out of lockdown is my work structure has been forced to be a bit more balanced which was something I was aiming for. I am trying hard to only be in the workshop Monday to Friday and take that weekends off! I know that is normal to most people, but for the past 6 ish years I have been working mainly 7 days a week. Even when I’m not in the workshop I’m doing all the other stuff, admin, thinking, preparing… there are always so many things to do. Anyway – I finally feel I have a better work balance, but whether I can produce enough work in that allotted time to meet demand is another question.

Exciting things you need to know…
Potfest is GO! The rescheduled dates are now confirmed. I am exhibiting at both Potfest Scotland and Potfest in the Pens. I have a bit of a Potfest Panic on now though as I am busy making stock for both shows. I got a new prop made too so I’m very excited about my display this year!

If you follow me on Instagram/Facebook, you will have seen my experiments with some new handle designs! I did a poll and the decision was 80% in favour of the new pulled handle style (like on the leopard print mugs). I have been testing these out all year and am really happy with how comfortable they are to hold. I still have some stock of the originals designs left on my website, but any mug made from now on will have the new style handle. From all the feedback it appears a lot of people like a BIG mug of tea or coffee, so I intend to make some BIG Mugs, (approx 450ml) for Potfest too! In the meantime there will be limited stock on my website, and I might be a little slower than usual responding to any e.mails as there is only 6 weeks to Potfest Scotland, Eeeeek!

Cheerio for now!
jud

Some of the Mugs I make…

Hello there, I hope you are keeping well and surviving ok.

I have been very busy here at Tea with Jud HQ. In some ways I feel like I’ve been busier than ever! Like most other shop outlets, online sales have increased dramatically during lockdown. Most weeks it takes a full day to wrap all your parcels for the Post Office. I’m not complaining! but that means a full day out of the workshop. It has made me question how I ever fit it in before?! Wrapping your pottery well is essential and it takes time to do it properly, so it is worth it when your orders arrive safely. I always include a hand written note with your pottery. It has been really nice to hear your feedback saying you love the personal touch! I debated (with myself) for a long time that it was unprofessional, but I’m glad you approve!

Baking

I generally have a positive outlook on things but of late I have been trying to maintain that even more so, especially on all my social media posts which is not always easy! I’m not ignoring the bad stuff, I just think its better to share positive things. I have been posting images of my work and life as normal, but also sharing some recipes too. It’s great to see I have inspired you to bake. I love seeing your pictures and also hearing how you’ve tweaked the recipes. It gives me more ideas for future bakes!

Recipes gallery – click through to view recipes on instagram

Pastel Dreamscape

I planned to launch the Pastel Dreamscape range earlier this year, but when I unleashed the Leopard Print designs, they seemed to dominate everything! I will be making more Leopard Print mugs at some point, but if you didn’t get one and would really like one, please sign up to my waiting list.

So, Pastel Dreamscape is finally here! It was inspired from colours I glazed one of my Teapots in the Teapot Challenge last year. I think the colours work so well together. I have a few design ideas using these colours, a bit more abstract and with gold too, but I will keep them on the back burner for now as I already have enough going on! You can shop the full Spring/Summer Pastel Dreamscape Range here.

Events

I’m sure you have fully come to accept that all plans for 2020 have either been cancelled or postponed! The same applies for my markets and events. Both Potfest Scotland and Potfest in the Pens, which I was supposed to be exhibiting at, are hopefully being rescheduled. I will update my Diary page as soon as I have confirmation. Unfortunately Perthshire Open Studios has been cancelled for this year, but proposed dates for 2021 are 4th – 12th September.

At the moment I am so thankful that I am still able to run my business and keep making pottery, but I will not take anything for granted. Thank you so much for all your continued support either by shopping, liking, sharing and just generally spreading the word about Tea with Jud.

That’s all for now, stay safe and well
Cheerio,
jud.

IF YOU WANT A LEOPARD PRINT MUG YOU NEED TO READ THIS

Hello,

Thank you SO much to everyone who bought a mug last week and to those who pre ordered at the weekend. You are all amazing because the final total raised to donate to the NHS (in particular honour of the care given to my aunt and uncle who were hospitalised with Covid), is £744.00. I can’t quite believe it. It’s just amazing.

I made a joke last week about being inundated, but after the pre order closed on Sunday I have been receiving emails, texts, phone calls, comments and direct message enquiries all week. To say I’m overwhelmed by it all is an understatement! I would really like to make more of these mugs as I love making pottery and love leopard print (obviously!), but I feel I am at full capacity and need to make the batch of orders I already have before I accept any more.

For those of you who don’t know, my business is run solely by me, I do everything:  the making, the marketing, the admin, wrapping orders etc… and I only have one pair of hands.

If you did miss out on the Leopard Print goodness then please sign up to my “Leopard Print Mailing List” via the form below. This will simplify things for me as all your details will be in the one place. When I am ready to make more mugs you will be e-mailed and then will be able to order the mug of your dreams! The only thing is, you will have to be patient!

If you need me, I’m in the workshop!
Thank you!
jud

Well… I cannot believe how many people love Leopard Print as much as me! The mugs sold out in less than two hours. AMAAAAAZING! Not only does that mean you all have exquisite taste, but so far you also helped to raise £320 for the NHS. Wooohoooo!

I received a good few messages and comments from people who missed out. That made me sad! So I have had a wee think and decided to run a pre-order this weekend only. From 5pm today (Friday 10th April) until 5pm on Sunday (12th April) you will be able to pre-order a Leopard Print Mug (or two!). It will be hand made especially for you. The usual turn around in my workshop is 3 – 5 weeks but it may take longer than that. Depending on how many pre-orders I get will determine how long they will take to make, but I will keep you up to date.

I have just ordered some more Terracotta slip (that I use for the decoration) in case I get inundated!! I will continue to donate £8 from each mug from the pre-orders and let you know the final total next week.

Thank you all so much. I really am so happy I could cry.
Actually, I have cried!
Hope you have a good weekend whatever you are up to.

jud x

Leopard Print Pre-order

*Please note usual turn around in my workshop is 3 – 5 weeks but it may take longer than that.

This range is currently out of stock but there is more coming and you can register an interest by following this link here.

Hello, I hope you are all doing well and adapting ok to the current way of life.

I am working away as normal but have been feeling pretty helpless and wondering what I can do to make a difference. Inspired by DyeCandy (a fabulous yarn dyer from Randalstown) who is raising money for the Coronavirus Relief Fund, I decided to make a batch of Leopard Print Mugs. They will be available on the website tomorrow night (Wednesday 8th April) at 7pm. My intention is to donate £8 from each mug sold and raise some money to help the fabulous NHS staff who are looking after our loved ones so selflessly.

I have a few different designs. They are all completely unique as they are hand painted. In the words of my friends ” These are possibly the most ‘jud’ mugs ever. I love them!” and “It had to happen at some point!” I agree, they are very me and it had to happen at some point, and its happening now! Well… I mean it will be happening tomorrow night, at 7pm.

Lots of leopard love,
jud xo