After years of practising pottery, I’ve distilled the absolute one thing every Potter needs to know: be kind to yourself! Although being kind to yourself doesn’t seem like it has anything to do with making pottery! Self-kindness is actually something that superpowers your pottery learning journey and helps you cultivate a growth mindset. Being kind to yourself is an absolute must for learning any new thing that requires a lot of patience and making ‘mistakes’ along the way - like...

Using moulds in pottery is amazing! Moulds allow Potters to make the same shape consistently over and over again, create sets of pots, and save time and energy in their making process. Moulds can be used to make the main body of the pot or for creating decoration.  In this episode I talk about the 5 types of moulds available to Potters and how each one is used:  *Press mould *Hump mould  *Slip-casting mould  *Sprig mould (plaster of Paris)  *Sprig mould (silicone) Resources for...

Pottery is a very safe activity but there are certain times when Potters need to protect their lungs from fine powders. That’s where FFP3 face masks come in! In this episode, I talk about what an FFP3 face mask is, how it works, and four scenarios when a Potter would need one: *When making pottery glazes or clay. *When sieving plant ashes.  *When scraping dry clay. *When applying glaze to pottery by spraying. Resources for Potters: Oxford Clay website resources for Potters:...

Did you know that clay is actually made from lots of different materials such as crushed rocks, ball clays and china clay?  Making your own clay can be a great option for Potters who want to know exactly what ingredients are going into their clay to minimise the environmental impact of their pottery. Making clay yourself can be cheaper than buying it commercially and you can save the time, effort and CO2 emissions of haulage to get (heavy!) wet clay to you.   In this episode, I talk you...

There is some incredible equipment out there that is not necessarily made for the handmade pottery industry, but Potters can use it for amazing results! In this 2 part episode series I’ll tell you about 16 of my favourite pieces of non-pottery equipment that I regularly use to make my pottery. There's actually so much great equipment out there that I had to split this topic into two parts! In part 2 I tell you about how I use these things in pottery:  *Silicone spatula *Gardening...

There is some incredible equipment out there that is not necessarily made for the handmade pottery industry, but Potters can use it for amazing results! In this two-part episode series I’ll tell you about 16 of my favourite pieces of non-pottery equipment that I regularly use to make my pottery. There's actually so much great equipment out there that I had to split this topic into two parts! In Part 1 I tell you about how I use these things in pottery: *Cellulose Decorators...

Did you know that vinegar has several uses in pottery? In this episode, we explore three excellent ways Potters can use vinegar in their work, from helping to stick clay together, to thickening slips and even as an ingredient in making homemade pottery colouring oxides! Resources for Potters: Download the Free How to Make a Pottery Glaze Workbook (suitable for beginners): https://www.oxfordclay.co.uk/how-to-make-a-pottery-glaze-workbook  Download the Free How to programme an Electric Kiln...

Slip casting is a fantastic way of making pottery. It allows Potters to make the same shape of pot over and over again, saving time and effort. Slip casting also allows Potters to make sets of items and standardise their making process to ensure they can consistently replicate the quality of their pots. At Oxford Clay, I've been slip casting for a number of years now and have experienced a lot ups and downs with learning the process! In this episode, I talk about the 10 best slip-casting...

Plaster moulds are a great resource for Potters. Moulds can be used in pottery to press clay into (a press mould), smooth clay over (a hump mould), or pour liquid clay into (a slip casting mould). Plaster moulds allow Potters to make lots of the same shapes of pots simply and accurately. At Oxford Clay, I use a one-part plaster mould for slip-casting my work. In this episode, I talk through the step-by-step process of how I make my plaster moulds, by casting the profile of an enamel pie dish...

What are clay bodies made from and do you need to make your own as a Potter? Have you ever heard the term ‘clay body’ and been curious about what it means? Well, the ‘clay body’ and clay are the same thing! In this episode, we investigate what clay or clay bodies are made from, how they’re made and three reasons why a Potter may choose to make their own. Resources for Potters: Download the Free How to Make a Pottery Glaze Workbook (suitable for beginners):...

If you've ever felt blocked creatively in pottery or like nothing you’re making is any ‘good’ (who hasn’t?) this episode is for you! We discuss five tips for getting your creative flow back and generating original ideas in pottery. Some of them are just about getting out of our own way and not believing the thoughts our brains like to generate about our pottery practice. Resources for Potters: Download the Free How to Make a Pottery Glaze Workbook (suitable for beginners):...

There are many simple pottery material swaps Potters can do to make their pottery practice more eco-friendly. In this episode, we explore some easy pottery materials to switch from less eco-friendly to more environmentally friendly ones.  Resources for Potters: Download the Free How to Make a Pottery Glaze Workbook (suitable for beginners): https://www.oxfordclay.co.uk/how-to-make-a-pottery-glaze-workbook  Download the Free How to programme an Electric Kiln for bisque and stoneware glaze...

In this episode, I speak to Emily Marston from Emily Marston Ceramics. Emily runs pottery workshops in Oxford for beginners, and handbuilds pottery and ceramic jewellery from her Oxford-based studio.  Join us for this conversation about the highs and lows of making pottery! Emily tells us about her own creativity, the joy she gets from seeing other people make and fire their pottery at her workshops, and the things she does to prioritise and nourish her own creativity. I hope it inspires you...

Earthenware and stoneware are terms used in pottery to describe different clays and glazes. You may have wondered what the difference is between earthenware and stoneware in pottery. In this episode, we discuss the difference between earthenware and stoneware pottery and the temperatures in Celsius and Fahrenheit that classify each category. Resources for Potters: Download the Free How to Make a Pottery Glaze Workbook (suitable for beginners):...

In this episode, we discuss three excellent pottery books and how they have inspired both my pottery and my creativity in general. The books cover paper clay, natural glaze making and slip casting. Perhaps they will inspire you too!  The Books talked about in this episode are:  The Essential Guide to Mold Making & Slip Casting, by Andrew Martin, 2007, Lark Ceramics Books Natural Glazes: collecting and making, by Miranda Forrest, 2018, New Ceramics Paperclay: Art and Practice, by Rosette...

There is nothing more annoying than finding out that one of your beautifully made pots is starting to crack as it dries, or that the handle is starting to crack off your beautifully made mug. In this episode, we explore why cracking in pottery happens and how to stop it. I go through the top tips I’ve learned to stop cracking in hand-built pots, pots that are thrown on the wheel, and pots that are slip-cast (which are notoriously prone to cracking!) Resources for Potters: Download the...

Have you ever wondered how a pottery kiln actually fires pottery? How does a kiln know how much to heat when, and for how long? Well in this episode we discuss what a pottery kiln firing schedule is and the key terms used to describe the different stages of kiln heating and cooling. We also go through an example of what a kiln firing schedule looks like for a bisque and stoneware glaze firing. Resources for Potters: Download the Free How to programme an electric kiln for bisque and...

Ruth Harris runs two creative businesses, Catkin Tree Studio, and Field and Fabric. Ruth and I first met as fellow vendors at the Didcot Craft Fair in 2021 when we were serendipitously placed on stalls next to one another.   Since then, I’ve followed Ruth’s work and have been so inspired by her approach to cultivating such a diverse and abundant creative practice. Join us for this episode of the podcast where I ask Ruth all about how her own creativity works in her businesses. Ruth explains...

Did you know that Potters can use equipment originally designed for bakers? There are so many amazing pieces of equipment that bakers use for baking, cake decorating and sugarcraft that Potters can use too! Cake fondant has nearly the same consistency as clay and can be pressed, moulded and shaped in nearly the same way. In this episode, we explore some of the best baking and sugarcraft equipment that Potters can use in their practice. Resources for Potters: Download the Free How to Make a...

There are many things Potters can do to switch their tools from less eco-friendly to more environmentally friendly ones. In this episode, we explore some easy swaps Potters can make, from paint brushes, and eliminating chamois leather from their practice to the ever-useful sponge. Resources for Potters: Download the Free How to Make a Pottery Glaze Workbook (suitable for beginners): https://www.oxfordclay.co.uk/how-to-make-a-pottery-glaze-workbook  Download the Free How to programme an...

Pottery can be safely packaged and sent in the post without the use of bubblewrap. This allows the receiver to recycle all of the packaging easily and if it is disposed of in landfill, paper and cardboard packaging will fully biodegrade. In this episode, we explore the method I use at Oxford Clay to safely package work for sending in the post without the use of plastic bubble wrap or plastic tape. Find out how to package pottery using one hundred per cent paper and cardboard packaging which...

It can feel overwhelming trying to understand if the pottery materials you use have a negative impact on humans, animals or the environment. In this episode we explore a simple framework you can apply to any pottery material to better understand its environmental and social impact.  Read a more detailed explanation of this framework in this book: https://www.oxfordclay.co.uk/shop/p/eco-consciouspotteryglazingebook  Find out the energy mix of a country or region using this report:...

Glaze recipes may seem complicated to read but they are actually very simple. In this episode, we explore the principles of a glaze recipe and how to read them, how to weigh out the ingredients, including any colouring oxides and how much water to add when making a glaze. We also explain what to do if you accidentally add too much water to your glaze. Resources for Potters: Download the Free How to Make a Pottery Glaze Workbook (suitable for beginners):...

‘Pulling’ a handle may seem like a very difficult thing to do in pottery, but it is actually very achievable. Pulled handles look amazing and can really elevate the beauty of a pot. In this episode we explore what pulling a handle actually means, how handles are pulled in pottery, and five of the most helpful things I’ve learned for fantastic pulled handles. Resources for Potters: Download the Free How to Make a Pottery Glaze Workbook (suitable for beginners):...