June - 2026

Another highly challenging month.

I'm aware it is the 6th of July at the time of writing, but unfortunately, it has been another highly stressful month of uncertainty and expenses!

This month I've been met by even more firing issues with my kiln. It has now had a new thermocouple, contactor and controller as well as being completely rewired. These repairs have cost me a lot of money and put me out of work for the past couple of months. My business has certainly taken a hit, and not only that, but now I have shattered my chances of being approved for a mortgage after 3 years of building up my books :(

(Mortgage people HATE the self-employed!)

During a test fire, it proved that the thermocouple did not work and overfired my work yet again. Therefore, I am now upgrading my thermocouple and re-insulating my kiln, which is costing me a lot more in repairs than I had first anticipated it would. Remember when I thought it was such a good idea to buy a second-hand kiln and restore it? This has been the most expensive lesson I have learnt in a long time, and I will always buy new to last from now on!

Luckily, the majority of my customers have been so understanding and genuinely lovely about the whole situation. So a big thank you to everyone who has waited patiently for your orders to be made. I am very lucky that I have been able to fire my work over at The Scarborough Pottery, a massive thank you to Taylor for making this possible!

However, due to some issues I have had with people not responding to emails or not making payments when they are due, I have decided to halt my bespoke pieces for now. This is not something I want to do, as I love making work specifically for people who want their specific dog replicated. But, just for now, I am going to work on a restock on my website so the people who really want my work will still be able to purchase it and support me.

Lastly, some good news! (FINALLY!) I have a new studio space!

I am now based at AHH Studio Collective, Malton. I am so pleased to officially become part of the collective and join the local arts community.