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

Hello everyone.

Time feels like it is moving faster than ever, but the slower approach I am taking towards work this year is beginning to suit me just fine. Physically I am feeling the benefits. My hand and elbow are no longer swollen and sore from RSI. I am slowly changing how I work, making smaller batches of pots, and therefore dramatically reducing the amount of hours I am spending in the workshop. I have been making plenty of time for swimming and I even went Kayaking again at sunrise. It was incredible. The only negative is if I am not in the workshop or out and about doing fun things I am spending more time in the house = a massive heating bill!

Focusing on myself a bit more – I have always wanted to experiment with animal print pattern on ceramics, just for me. I LOVE it, but I never set time aside to do it before. I am happy with how my attempts are developing so far and totally delighted with the response on social media, it seems that a lot of people love leopard print as much as me! The designs are still very much at the developing stage and I will keep working on them until I can get them exactly how I want them, as I would love to make some to sell.

My usual “just get on with it” approach didn’t give me time and space i needed to think before, but this change of pace is helping me realise that sometimes you do just need to stop. With everything that is going on in the world at the minute, I feel there may be more of a forced break coming soon but for now I have made my plan for the year and I am going to stick to it as best I can. 

My first part of the plan was to simplify my product range a bit. I will no longer be making espresso cups or dessert bowls so for the first time ever I am having a sale. Yes! That’s right… a SALE.  Woohoo! I am aware it’s probably not the best time to have a sale as people are shopping for essential items but these products are being discontinued and can stay in the sale until they are sold! You can find them in my online shop.

In April I hope to be launching my Spring/Summer Range – Pastel Dreamscape. I am very excited about it! It is currently being photographed for the website, so expect some bright cheery colours coming your way soon.

I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t worried about my job and my business, like so many people in this unpredictable situation, but I am counting my blessings that I work from home, alone and for the foreseeable future I’m just going to try and keep doing what I do with my chin up. To make sure you don’t miss out on all the latest information please sign up to my blog.

Wishing you all well and lots of love
Jud

Last Autumn I got a new business neighbour on the farm.

Outdoor Explore moved into the barn beside my workshop. I first met Piotr from Outdoor Explore a few years ago when I went on a Night Kayaking Tour with some friends. It was brilliant and I had always intended to go again, but you know how life just moves on and you don’t make time to do the things you want to…?

Well, not long after he moved in, Piotr asked me to make some little cups for his kayaking tours. Even though I don’t do commissions anymore, of course I agreed!

I made some espresso sized tumblers with no handles, and glazed them in my green polka dot style, to keep with the outdoor theme.

To see my pots in action, Piotr said he would take me on a Sunrise Kayak Tour. We set off one morning last week. It was a very cold, but dry morning. There was no wind, so perfect kayaking conditions. There was a glimmer of pink in the sky glowing in the wing mirrors as we drove to Loch Tummel. I was excited.

When we arrived we got kitted out in our waterproofs and life jackets and started to paddle down the loch. It was quite cloudy so the pink sky I’d hoped to see did not appear. The water was so clam in some parts it was like glass and the trees along the shore reflected beautifully. At some points you could see a snowy mountain top peeking through too, and even in the distance Glencoe. After paddling for about an hour we stopped and had breakfast. I had packed croissants, fruit and flapjacks, Piot provided the Picnic boards, a flask of coffee and my cups.

It was so nice to experience using my own pottery in a completely different setting to normal. The cups are perfect to wrap your hands around and help warm up cold fingers. If I didn’t have to make pottery I wish I could eat breakfast like this every morning! Can you imagine eating breakfast in a kayak, on a loch, listening to the birds and waterfalls? Just bliss.

Not only is Outdoor Explore passionate about kayaking, but the trip was made even more interesting with stories and historical facts about the loch and surrounding area. Piotr is also championing local independent businesses. When he provides the food for his trips he uses the local Deli, Cornerstone. The coffee is supplied by Glen Lyon Coffee Roasters, and it’s all served on specially made Picnic Boards made by Highwood Furniture, and of course the cups made by me!

This was such a fabulous morning last week and one thing that impressed me most was when it was time to leave I managed to paddle the whole way back to shore without knocking anything of my picnic board! This might not have been the case had it been windy!

If you are near Perthshire and up for an adventure I cannot recommend Outdoor Explore enough!

I’m back in the workshop now, working on new designs and dreaming of my next kayaking expedition and I can’t wait!

1 week down, 51 to go.

I always try and start each New Year with a positive attitude and a list of goals, both business and personal. This year is no exception but I already know I have faffed about all last week, eating biscuits and feel bad about not being as productive as normal.

I had a long list of little things to do, so it meant I only made 30 pots, and to me that is really bad compared to my usual production level.

In 2018 out of curiosity I kept a record of how many pots I made during the year. I was shocked adding it all up to discover I made 4099 pieces of pottery! Obviously not all of them made it to a finished piece, a lot ended up as seconds or in the bin, but it made me re-evaluate how many hours I spend in my workshop. In 2019 I decided to try and make less than the year before. I did achieve this, but only 379 pots less, that’s approximately 2 weeks’ worth of throwing. I think I spent those 2 weeks wild swimming, so I suppose that’s good!

As busy as last year was, I know I absolutely benefited from squeezing in a bit more me time. My Repetitive Strain Injury in October proved to me that I cannot keep pushing my body as hard as I do. So, if I can make even less again this year I think that would be a great idea! I’ve just got to be even more organised and strict at finishing work, closing the door behind me and switching off.  I will also have to try hard at changing my mind-set, so that I don’t feel bad if I do only make 30 pots in 1 week!

What I did actually do last week was work on some new designs which I will hopefully share with you in February. Thankfully I got these glazed before my kiln decided to give up on me yesterday. Unfortunately all my customer orders that I made were in the firing but I’m keeping my fingers crossed that they are not destroyed. The electrician is coming later today and I really hope he can fix it! Oh man, ceramics is so stressful at times.

I also restocked my shop in the barn wall for any passing customers this winter.

On Friday I got the potters wheel of my dreams! I have wanted one since I learned how to throw at University. I had to do a bit of rearranging in the workshop as it’s the size of a horse! (a small horse) and it doesn’t even squeak so I can hear the radio again when I’m throwing = throwing heaven. My workshop was small to begin with, but I could definitely do with a bigger one now, something I really should consider in the near future.

I think that’s you up to date. I hope January is going well for you and you haven’t been faffing around like me! One other goal is to stop procrastinating…at least by the end of January!

Cheerio!

PS: thanks for all your lovely messages over Christmas. I’m delighted to hear you liked your presents!
PPS: 2 dates in my diary so far… I’ll be back at Potfest Scotland and Potfest in the Pens this year! Yay!

Woohooo! Market season has finished for me! I cannot believe how busy this year has been. In some ways it feels like its been a really long year, but also like it has flown by! I’m just finishing off a few commissions this week, doing some admin (schmadmin) and this morning I unpacked the car and added whats left onto the website – just in time for last orders TOMORROW!

I know I say thanks a lot, but I really do mean it. Thanks so much to everyone who has helped me in any way this year. To anyone who has done a delivery, wrapped an order, gone to the post office, looked after Albert for me, carried a crate, manned my stand… the list is endless.

Thanks to all my stockists for your continued support and to the organisers of the markets and events who always work so hard behind the scenes.

Also thank you to you, my customers, who say really nice things and buy my pottery as without you I would not be able to thank the people in the paragraphs above or do a job that I love.

So really it is just big fat thank yous all round.

Wow there… what’s this then?

Since last year I have been inundated with requests for more Grey & Gold pottery. I deliberated for ages whether I should make more as I initially released it as a Limited Edition but then I thought “why not?” There are no set rules in this self employment, and why should I deprive you of something that you want?! So as a wee special treat I have made a few pieces. I only glazed a small amount as I’ve had about 90 million other things to do (not an exaggeration) So if you want one, be quick!

There are some mugs, small mugs and espresso mugs available here. I’m considering making more, maybe making this a permanent colour range? but I need to have a good think about it next year.

*Reminder alert* – Any orders placed after Tuesday 17th will not be processed until January. Last postage is Wednesday 18th December.

Thank you very much.

Hello there,

Christmas is approaching fast and I have been beavering away in the workshop. Only 2 events left and I’m sure I can see a tiny Christmas light twinkling at the end of the tunnel.

Some news – My new “Small Breakfast Bowls” have been proving very popular at the markets and I am very pleased to add them to my product range. I have just added some onto the website and they are available to purchase here. They are a size in between my “Small Bowl” and my “Breakfast Bowl”, perfect for a small bowl of porridge or delicious homemade granola. The perfect size for mums, well, my mum anyway! Apologies if this makes decision making even more difficult in the bowl department.

My Hanging Planters are also available online too. You can shop for them here.

CHRISTMAS POST – All online orders must be placed by Tuesday 17th December as the last Tea with Jud post run is on Wednesday 18th December. I will then be closing up the workshop and any orders placed after that will not be processed until I return to work January.

My last 2 events of the year are this weekend – at Abernyte Brewery Christmas Market, and next weekend I will be at the Bowhouse in Fife with Tea green Events. These markets are my absolute favourite! They are packed full of independent designers, makers, bakers, brewers etc… and the most delicious food to eat. They have a really lovely atmosphere and I cannot wait to see what treats await me so I can finish off my Christmas shopping too! Hopefully I will see you there.

Cheerio for now!