Meet Pippa’s Pottery
This month’s Maker of the Month is Pippa’s Pottery, where clay meets countryside charm. From her garden studio in Wiltshire, Pippa creates beautiful botanically inspired ceramics, joyful ‘People Vases’ and heartfelt wedding keepsakes. Surrounded by dogs, wildlife and wildflowers, her work is full of nature, character and creativity. We caught up with Pippa to hear about her journey, her inspirations, and her advice for fellow makers.
Get 10% off Pippa’s Pottery throughout September using the code ‘pippa10’ at checkout.
How did you find the world of pottery?
For as long as I can remember I’ve loved clay! I can remember making my first coil pot at school which we made into little ceramic owls. I ended up with quite the collection of pots which my mum still has to this day. So my passion for clay started from a very young age.
What is your creative space like?
Living in the heart of the Wiltshire countryside, I have a little studio at the top of my garden. I’m surrounded by my dogs, wildlife and the most wonderful nature that inspires me daily.
What inspires you & how do you come up with new designs?
My main range of work is my ‘ botanical range’. I hand-build my forms and then press plants and flowers into the clay body. There is nothing better than rambling through the countryside with my dogs finding wonderful plants to work with. Botanicals leave the most wonderful impressions in the clay. Nearly all of my botanical work is finished in blue as it picks up the impressions of the plants so well. Just to elevate my pieces that bit more, I add gold lustre around the rims.
What is your favourite product type to make and why?
Something I do love to make is forever keepsakes from wedding bouquets. It’s always a real honour to be asked to do this and there’s something so special about creating a forever keepsake from such a special day. I mainly make these into vases along with the bride and groom’s names and their wedding date.
Do you have any big plans for this year, or new product launches you’re excited about? Or is it more of a natural evolution?
Having a creative brain constantly leads me to wanting to explore new ideas whether it be more hand-building or throwing pots on the wheel. This is how my ‘People Vases’ came about. Just exploring one day I started adding little faces on pots. Before I know it I’ve made a range and they became really popular. People love to collect them and also they’ve made great gifts. Adding flowers gives them a little hair style and they really make you smile!
Can you tell us about a time where you feel you failed/struggled as a maker?
Sometimes I just get ‘stuck’. I can’t think of new ideas or I over think ideas and get myself in a pickle. A bit like ‘writers block’ I get ‘makers block’. It’s very frustrating and that’s a sign that I need time out from my studio. Usually it’s not too long and I go back feeling refreshed and ready to go again.
Your instagram is lovely, do you have any tips for other makers trying to grow their online communities?
Social media has really helped my small business, especially Instagram. It’s helped me to connect with other potters, other small businesses and really gets my work seen. I do love the ‘stories’ feature on Instagram as I post little snippets of my life and my dogs. I like to keep it fun and light hearted, that way people get to know you a little bit too!
What is your number one piece of advice to others wanting to start a craft business?
For anyone starting out my number one piece of advice would be GO FOR IT!
You’ve got to take that leap of faith. There is so much doubt and worry about starting out but if you love what you do so will other people! If you believe in yourself and your work there, go for it. It may take time to build that confidence but definitely give it a go!
If you weren’t a potter what do you think you’d be doing?
I’m so grateful for my pottery business and the support I get so I can keep doing what I love. If I didn’t get into pottery I’m pretty sure I’d be working with animals in some form. I used to have a dog walking and dog boarding business which I loved. There’s nothing better than having a pile of dogs in front of the aga or snuggling up to you on the sofa!
Last Month’s Maker of the Month was Northern Mudlarks
To find out more about Northern Mudlarks head to:
