Hi, how are you? It’s been a while!

I have finally built my workshop and Tea with Jud is operational again! It has been a very busy eight months. After moving house last December, I had some DIY to do in the house before I started planning my workshop.

In February I started to clear space in the garden. This included cutting trees, digging out bushes and removing a pond. The pond was pretty stagnant and I didn’t expect to find anything living in it, but was pleasantly surprised to find 2x frogs and a dragonfly pupae. These were all rehomed safely. Then I had to dig a track from the house across the path so I could lay the electricity cable.

I dismantled, moved and reassembled the shed I acquired with the property. What once was a boring, brown eyesore has now been transformed into my fabulous new stripy, slightly wonky, Tea with Jud HQ! This means I will have an area especially for wrapping and admin and I will no longer have to bring any work into the house!

After the shed was relocated I was able to cut back some more trees, ready for excavation to begin! Logistically, my new house is very tricky, so all the materials had to be wheelbarrowed in/out or carried down the path into my garden. After approximately 2x tonnes of mud was removed from site, we had to carry in 10x tonnes of type 1, 2x tonnes of sand, 3x sheets of mesh, 4x tonnes of concrete, 2x tonnes of wood, 10x sheets of tin, 200x sheets of insulation, 27x sheets of OSB, 17x sheets of cement board and several tins of paint. I am tired just even reading that, and I will not lie, it was hard, hard graft.

By June, the foundations were ready. My workshop is a kit house from Dunster House. Unbelievably with a team of six of us, the main structure was up in one day. It was so impressive! The instructions were a bit complicated at times, but thanks to my cousin delegating and excellent teamwork, it was relatively easy to build. It was just like a giant 3D jigsaw puzzle. It felt like such a huge step to have a solid building in one day, but it was only then I realized exactly how much I had left to do. Everything slowed down. Even though I had planned meticulously and ordered all the materials to arrive in time for each next step, it still didn’t stop me getting behind schedule. I was getting annoyed with myself. The flooring, insulating, lining, electrics, painting, basically everything else were all very time-consuming jobs!

Working as a cleaner during the day meant time was in short supply anyway, so all the prep work was done in the afternoons, evenings and weekends. My budget was also tight, everything that could be salvaged or bought second hand was. Apart from the professionals, most of the labour was done by myself and my friends, paid for with lunch, buns, cake and the occasional beer!

I have now been making pottery in the workshop for the past two weeks, and even though it is not fully set up inside yet, it is an absolute joy to work in. The windows let so much light in. The shelves are painted glossy so I can wipe them. The area around my wheel is tiled so I can wipe it clean too. It is a bright happy workspace, and with all the insulation I can already feel the warmth! It is so nice to get my hands dirty again and I’m thrilled that I remember how to throw after my short hiatus!

If you are waiting for pots, you will just have to wait a little longer! I am making for Potfest in the Pens in October! There is nothing like adding another ridiculous deadline to my year… After that I will be making for Christmas and there will be an online shop update in December, so please stay tuned for that! (You can subscribe to Tea with Jud if you haven’t already!)

This project has been filled with blood, sweat, tears, SO many splinters and even a stress induced cracked tooth from clinching my jaw in my sleep for the past eight months!! But it has also been a lot of fun at times!

My friends and family helped me make an absolute dream team. I cannot even begin to express my gratitude. They are the most loyal, encouraging, supportive bunch of people. I know I have said it before but I am so lucky to have them in my life. A VERY special humungous thanks to Kirsten and Robert, who without their unwavering support and help, I would not even have a workshop.

Thank you also to all my clients who employed me to clean as this enabled me to keep paying my bills!

I’m looking forward to being the real Jud again and going out to events selling my colourful pots!
Hope to see you about soon!
Cheerio
Jud

*Time to roll the credits…. Project Tea with Jud Workshop 2024 – Gareth, Marj, Jim, Piotr, Fraser, Uncle Alistair, Matt, Kristine, Richard, Scott, Graeme, Kirsten, Asa, Robert, Katy, Byron, Owen, Lawrence, Euan, Ross, Stewart, Mikey, Jeff, Eric, Maite, Anna, Peter, Melanie, Sandy, Zdenko, Cammie and Max! Thankyou all <3