New Bisque

Now in stock.

All these super new pieces have a ridiculously good Trade Price. Do get in touch for details,...

2012 Business Outlook

We look forward to helping your business reach new highs in 2012..

So what did we all make of 2011? Doom and Gloom? Tough Times? Impending new Recession and all that, how have the dreary headlines all over the media affected the Pottery Painting Industry within the UK?

How are existing studios doing, what are the prospects for the New Year, and is this a good time to be considering starting up a new business in this craft?

Well, over the 25 years we have been wholesaling to this market we have seen wild peaks and troughs in retail sentiment, boom and bust of the wider economy and inevitable changes in culture, styles and trends. At the moment it is hard to escape the news of more Retail giants issuing profit warnings, Thomas Cook and Thorntons are two such businesses that are in the thick of it right now, suggesting retail sentiment for ‘special’, ‘non-essential’ purchases is withering away? Perhaps, but I would suggest it may be worth digging just a little deeper, to see how a small independent business like yours can actually benefit from such a trend.

‘Value for Money’.

Everything you do should be seen as excellent value for money. You are not selling pieces of ceramics, oh no,… much more fulfilling than that; you are offering an activity that both Children and Adults will enjoy, the by-product of which is a timeless heirloom that could be cherished for generations, or at the very least taken home and used. Compare what you are offering with other activities available to middle class families in your area; going to the Cinema, Restaurants, Activity Parks and the like, and you should see that the ‘decorating activity’ you provide, plus the ‘finished item’ the customer will return for, makes for a fantastic, (Fun!) purchase that will compare very favourably in both cost and ‘creative value’ to the customer.

‘Love what you do!’

This really comes hand in hand with this wonderful Pottery Painting industry. The majority of studio owners have got involved due to an interest they had as a customer, and then see the business potential in running a studio. Hang on to this, as it is all too easy to lose sight of why you got involved in the first place. That’s why your customers come to your studio. Keep your business as fun and inspiring as you would like to find it if you were a customer.

To give an overall view of the market, as we see it as a supplier, we need to acknowledge that there is no ‘standard format’, or list of ‘set rules’ to run a ‘Pottery Painting’ business. It is an area of constant fascination to us both, how varied the new businesses we supply turn out to be. Essentially using the same product, colour + bisque + glaze, cook it and return it, yet operating unique businesses of varying sizes as you would expect in an industry consisting of mainly independent enterprises. The variety of size, location and style among the studios will account for the differences we see in purchasing volume, however, from what we have seen, 2011 can be looked back on as very much a positive year for the majority of the businesses we supply from small mobile to large high street studio.

The shock of the recession is really no shock any more. Looking forward, you have to go a long way to find many optimistic predictions for the economy in 2012. However, back to the small independent nature of the business you run, you are in an ideal position to capitalise on the retail public’s desire to search out products and activities that are unique and great Value for Money. Increasingly, you can add to that a desire to support local independent businesses that are invested within the local community. That ‘IS’ the business you run!

Even with the constant leaps and bounds in technology, there is still no substitute to firing a glazed piece of ceramics in a kiln to 1000C. ‘Pottery Painting’ will never be an activity the public can do at home without a kiln, they need YOU! ….well your kiln at least!

2011 has seen our business grow once again. After speaking with many studios over the past few weeks, it seems this is a trend we are not alone in. As a positive ‘barometer’ of the market , two long term studios we supply have reported to us this week that 2011 has smashed all previous records. One very useful, addition to this Winter which we did not expect was the significant attendance at Pottery Painting studios on the day of the National Civil Service strike! Take your own view on the pros and cons of striking; it seemed to fill up studios up and down the country!

So onwards to 2012! We have a lot planned, new shapes, new website, new discounting, new equipment, new ideas; more of that inour next newsletter, for now, please make a note of the new dates we have just released for the next Mayco Pottery Camp, May15th and 16th 2012.

We look forward to helping you all make 2012 another record breaking year!

Simple Christmas Clay Project for Kids

Clay is a wonderful medium to use with kids of all ages and abilities, as it is so forgiving, and once fired with a coat of glaze over the top, the results can look spectacular. Matt has recently completed a fab Christmas tree project with the local 'Beaver' group, (mini-scouts, not aquatic rodents!)

Grab yourself a paper Party hat, turn it upside down and place a plastic bag inside. Then fill that bag with plaster, Let it set, and Voila, a simple cone shaped mould.

Provide each kid a cone mould and a 'prepped' piece of flat clay. Let them wrap the clay around the cone and press together at the join. Then using a drinking straw bash a load of holes all over the clay cone, using the plaster mould as a support, (even the most aggressive 'bashing' shouldn't fell the tree on its cone support!). Then paint all over using a green Stroke & Coat colour.

Then, using a clay gun, extrude some square 'worms', to be attached to the painted tree as tinsel. It looks best to give them a little twist as you apply them, which gives them a little more depth. Makes sure they press them well against the tree as you want the whole piece to dry at the same rate, you do not want the tinsel to pop off as it dries.

Then ask the kids to roll up 'pea' sized balls which are again, pressed onto the side of the tree, giving the effect of little baubles. These can them be painted, along with the tinsel.

Provide a template of a star for each of them to cut around. Have them write their name on the reverse. Then paint the other side, and carefully squidge down on the top of the tree.

Leave teh whole thing on the cone to firm up, (as long as the paint still looks wet to the touch), then remove and stand on a board to dry completely. Fire to Cone 05, glaze, and fire again to cone 06.

For added 'Bling' paint on a little over-glaze gold star and refire to complete.

These pieces can them be used for many Christmases to come as adorable little candle covers.

Worth a Watch....

Fabulous, inspiring series just started on BBC 4, running through the fascinating history of Pottery/Ceramics within the UK. 'Ceramics: A fragile History' explains the foundation of the business we run today.

Even though our industry in 'Pottery Painting' does not get involved with the raw material as much as the examples in the program, so many of the principles of 'why' an item has been created are reflected very strongly within each of the businesses we supply today. A particularly poetic quote from the program noted that unlike other materials, silver, glass, fabric, etc, ceramics is made as a mark in time, and cannot then be remade or melted down.

Within your businesses you are able to offer the general public a very successful way of getting involved with this contemporary ceramic creation process, which I see embraces very similar commemorative principles as have been considered for hundreds, even thousands of years. The difference now is with 'Pottery Painting' you are able to introduce anybody into your business, and with a little guidance, create items that will mark a special moment in time, that could last every bit as long as some of the examples within the program.

Well worth a watch.

New Bisque Mr Men Plaques

10 New Mr. Men Bisque Plaques, just released.

These 15.5cm wide pieces have a popular character inscribed into the surface, as well as a decent blank area and hanging holes,that can be used to make the item into a door plaque.

Click here to see the characters available:

3D Hearts Back in Stock

Back in Stock, due to high demand from several Studios.

This 3D bisque heart has a metal loop fired into the clay during production, allowing the finished item to be used as a hanging decoration.

It is curved on the front and back, and only has one tiny air hole in the bottom, which is almost invisible.

The most tactile of pieces, fits perfectly into the palm of your hand.

Funky Owl Technique

New Technique, now available for FREE online.
Click the picture to follow this Funky, Simple technique, using Mayco Stroke & Coat, on some plain bisque pieces. Chances are, you'll already have all the supplies required!