We meet the founders of Pottery Post Co., Jayne and Rebecca, to discover life as craft influencers in the slow lane. With Christmas coming up, what better way to embrace creativity and the handmade than with these stunning ready-to-paint bisques? 

How did you come up with the idea of Pottery Post Co.?
Inspired by the slowcraft movement and the creation of unique family keepsakes, the idea was born. All Pottery Post Co. bisques are lovingly handmade on presses that are over 100 years old in a tumbledown studio in Stoke-on-Trent. They’re handcrafted with silkscreen illustrations, working with artists and illustrators to create beautiful designs. The bisques are then carefully posted to the customer to paint at home. The final step is glazing and firing by the hardworking Pottery Post Co kiln, aka. Sweaty Betty. The masterpiece is then returned to be treasured forever.

Can you tell us the inspiration behind your illustrations?
Working with different illustrators is at heart of Pottery Post Co. Collaboration helps us push our designs in new directions. Our recent collections have been developed in partnership with two wonderful illustrators, Saskia Frost and Hello Sketchy. Our plate collection was inspired by Azulejo tiles; the hand painted, tin-glazed ceramic tiles that cover interior and exterior buildings across Portugal. Wanderlust and the yearning for travel to faraway places inspired our travel mug design which features exotic embellishments and strong flora and fauna elements.

 
We’d love to hear your top tips on ceramic painting?
Always adjust the amount of paint you apply depending on your desired look. For a solid, even coat of colour apply two to three coats of glaze. Allow the first coat to fully dry before applying the next. A single wash of paint will give you a transparent finish and your brush strokes will be visible. Multiple coats will help smooth out the lines during kiln firing and leave a true, solid colour.

What’s it like behind the scenes at Pottery Post Co.?
We have great fun together; there’s a lot of laughter in our studio. Our children love to be involved and ‘help’ too, so it’s always busy! Coffee is our saviour and the type of music and radio station we tune into reflects the week we’re having!

Finally, why do you think more people are turning to crafts as a hobby?
People are looking for ways to slow down and relish in traditional crafts and skills, such as painting our handcrafted bisques. We champion the beauty and uniqueness of handmade gifts, favouring care and quality over speed and quantity.

Pottery Post Co.‘s bisques are available to buy from Not On The High Street.

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