Behind the kiln door: A week of clay and chaos

Welcome back to The Potter’s Hideaway, where the shelves are full, the kiln is hotter than the kettle, and I’m fairly sure there’s clay in places clay should never be.

The last two weeks?

Imagine Santa’s workshop… but swap the elves for one very tired woman (hi), swap the toys for mugs and sauce pots, and swap the jingling bells for my kiln clicking, whirring and threatening to overheat.

That’s the vibe.

Every Shelf Has a Shelf

My poor little cabin — my cosy hideaway — currently looks like it’s auditioning for a pottery-themed episode of Hoarders.

One shelf full of wet clay drying

One shelf full of dry clay waiting to be bisque fired

One shelf full of bisque shouting “GLAZE ME WOMAN!”

One shelf full of finished stock for my markets in two weeks

Oh, and then there’s my desk.

Half ribbons, half glaze splatters, all chaos.

The brushes need cleaning.

The wheel needs cleaning.

The floor definitely needs cleaning.

And my hair and nails… listen, I’m 90% sure I spotted a ribbon stuck to my head yesterday and I’ve just accepted the clay under my nails as an aesthetic now.

The Double Shift Life

People think pottery is calm and peaceful.

And yes, sometimes it is.

But right now?

I clock out of work at 5pm.

I clock straight into the cabin at 5:30pm like some kind of ceramic-obsessed superhero.

A couple of hours each night, then the weekends are FULL pottery mode.

Saturday mornings?

7am: Cabin door open.

Kiln humming.

Me, wrapped in a hoodie wondering why it’s always freezing when I start and boiling when I finish.

Winter is definitely coming.

(Yes, I’m a Game of Thrones fan. Also a Harry Potter one. And yes, there’s usually country music playing in the background while I throw a mug like it’s a spell gone wrong.)

Market Prep Mania

With two market weekends coming up, I’ve got the perfect mix of:

excitement

nerves

panic

“Will anyone even like these?”

and “Oh god, I still have so much to glaze”

I’m creating things I hope people love — a mix of what I adore myself and what a bit of market research tells me is sensible. But pottery is personal. You put a little soul into every piece. So yes, I worry. But I also can’t wait.

Right now?

I’m looking at around 20 sauce pots and 20 coasters ready for glazing.

Yes, my hands are already aching just thinking about it.

Good Morning, Chaos

So here we are.

It’s 7am on a chilly Saturday.

The cabin’s slowly warming up.

I’m slowly warming up.

And a full day of glazing, throwing, wiping, firing, cleaning, ribbon-wrapping, panic-laughing and dancing to country songs is waiting for me.

Behind the kiln door, life is messy. Chaotic. Clay-splattered.

But it’s also my favourite place in the world.

Thanks for being here with me through it all.

Now… where did I put my coffee? It’s probably behind the kiln.