Time to expand, and I don't mean my waist!

As we all know times are hard at the moment for many of us. The financial crisis is still very real for many despite what Governments say. We have recently had a blow to our monthly income so I am having to get more creative and expand what Ty Siriol is all about. Thankfully when I named the business I added the '& Crafts' bit at the end of the name 'Ty Siriol Ceramics & Crafts'. 

I have had a light bulb moment. You see, I'm not able to keep up with the making side of my pottery due to illness and I can't keep the shop stocked and fresh like I'd want to. This is when I decided to expand into the vintage market as well but still focusing on ceramics and some glass. 

I have quite a bit of vintage stock on Etsy these days. I find them all over the place, clean them up and in some cases upcycle them and give them a fresh coat of glaze to bring them back to life. I have some stunning pieces as well that I'm quite proud of. I love it when I find a hand thrown piece of pottery with the artist's name or stamp on it. There is no way I will let them go to landfill. The artist would have worked damn hard and have trained for many years to get to that pot and it deserves to be loved by someone else. 

Here is one of my favourite finds. A hand thrown terracotta jug complete with the stamp of the artist. It's got a beautiful earthy and organic feel to it. The form is stunning and you can clearly see the stamp under the handle of the jug. Wonderful.

Here is another example of a wonderful find. This mug feels great in your hand and has a comforting feel, like drinking hot chocolate on a winters day feeling. Again we can see that the artist who threw this mug has signed the bottom. Another one-of-a-kind saved from landfill. 

This next piece I have fallen in love with and I really had to force myself to list it on Etsy. This stunning vase, thrown in terracotta, shows the lines from the wheel and you can feel the undulations. The accent of glaze across the front sets it off beautifully. If this one doesn't sell I'll be more than happy to keep it. ;-) 

It is still early days for my vintage section but so far things are looking promising. I really hope that it helps my Etsy shop to keep going. For now I'm not making very much but more doing what I want to for relaxation. To me, pottery is a form of meditation and I want to keep it that way. 

Once again, thanks for reading,
Cath xx

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