Christmas 2023

Well, the Christmas season is upon us again. It feels too early, as it always does, but as we are just about to tip over into November I thought this was a good time to announce our upcoming Christmas markets for 2023.

First is the Olive Tree Market in Newcastle. One of our favourites, we have been trading at this market since 2015. We will be attending all 4 of their Christmas market dates, which are 4th and 18th November, and the 2nd and 16th of December. The Olive Tree Market is located at Civic Park, Newcastle, and the market days run from 9-2.

In the second weekend of November, the 11th and 12th, I will be at the Arthouse Pavilion at 25 Muraban Road Dural as a part of the Arcadian Artisans Trail. This is a wonderful artists trail run by locals, and showcasing local work, alongside the work of visiting artists and artisans who are hosted by the venues on the trail. It’s a great excuse to get to know this pocket of Sydney better if you’ve never really been there before. The trail will be open 9-5 on both days.

On the 25th of November we have the Sydney Made Art and Design Market which will be held at Sydney Town Hall from 10-5. This is one of the few markets we’ll be doing in Sydney this Christmas season, and getting access to the market couldn’t be easier with it’s fabulously central location. Entry is a gold-coin donation as the market is run entirely by volunteers and all the money goes back into running and servicing that community.

The 3rd of December is a double market day for us. We will be running one stall at the Coal Loader Artisan Market (a twilight market) 3-9 in Waverton, and another in Coogee at the Best Gift Market (times TBC) which is held on the park just behind Coogee Beach.

And lastly, one of the big ones, we are very glad to say that we will be coming down to Canberra for the Handmade Canberra market which will be held 8-10 of December, with the 8th being an evening only event, and the 9th and 10th being 10-4. We are anticipating that this will be a really big event being a part of the market with 150 other makers. We’re always so warmly received when we do make it down for a Handmade Canberra date, so we’re really looking forward to this.

So, if you’re looking for a little piece of ceramic joy for yourself or for a loved one this Christmas season, please come visit our stall on one of these dates. But if you’re not able to make any you’re always welcome to book in a time to visit the studio, or to shop on our online store. We’ve had some extra time on our hands this year to work on some new designs and are really looking forward to seeing how everything is received. Happy Christmas season everyone!

We Are Hiring

For the longest time it’s just been me toiling away my studio, helped and supported immensely by friends and family, but ultimately alone. The journey from a full time ‘regular’ job with ceramics on the side to full time ceramics has taken a long time and now I’m at the point where my pottery can support me and also another person. So. I AM HIRING! If you or anyone else is interested, please head here for more details and shoot me an email if you want to know more. Looking for someone to start January or February 2022

Back to Work

After a massive 12 weeks away I will on October 11 finally be able to get back in to the studio! Cue the celebrations! Of course this also means that I will have a lot to get done in the lead up to Christmas with lots of markets planned on top of pre-lockdown orders to fulfil. Add to all of this that Australia Post is probably running on fumes at this point…If there’s anything you want in time for Christmas, my recommendation would be to order sooner rather than later, and to pick up in person if possible. In the meantime, if you need me, I’ll probably be in the studio…

More COVID disruptions

Sydney is currently going through another round of COVID-related disruptions, and LouiseM studio has been heavily effected by these changes. As the studio is located in the Inner West Council, and I live in the highly restricted Canterbury-Bankstown Council area, I am unable to get in to the studio because crossing council boundaries for work in not allowed for non-essential workers. Much as I love my job I wouldn’t dream of trying to frame my work as essential. What this means is I am restricted to working at home, and as my kiln isn’t at home there isn’t a terribly large amount of work-related tasks I can complete at home. Unfortunately it looks like the making of Hardenbergia pieces for the flora range will be impacted, as well as Flannel Flower pieces. Hopefully I don’t spend all of spring in lockdown!

Any orders placed through this website at this time will be delayed. If the piece is in stock, I am able to get occasional drop-offs from one of my studio partners, so it will be delayed, but only for a week or so. Any items that need to be made will be delayed to the end of lockdown plus an extra few weeks. Once I get back I will be working as fast as I can to get everything out to everyone as quickly as possible, but there will most likely be delays.

One thing to be grateful for though is that my kiln, which had been broken for approximately a month prior to the lockdown has been fixed, and I am very fortunate that my studio partners have been working their way through firing my back-log of pieces. And so we wait, and we hope, and we try to embrace the down-time. Things at home have never been neater or better organised!

COVID-19 and my small business

The world is gripped in the panic of COVID-19 and it affects us all in some way, large or small. I am lucky enough to be young, healthy and living in a country that decided to take action relatively early, meaning that I don’t know anyone who has caught the disease, nor am I likely to sicken significantly if I did happen to catch it. How it affects me is how it affects my business.

Being the owner of a creatively-based small business means that my income is never steady, but after 8 years of trading I am starting to get a feel for the pattern of things. And what is happening now is not normal. A tentative assessment of my loss of income (required for government assistance) has put that number a reduction of 80%. It is huge. And although I acknowledge the privileged position I find myself in, compared some of my colleagues in other, less-easily-quantifiable creative roles, I know the next few months will be a struggle. I am fortunate that I am eligible for government assistance, but what happens next is murky and uncertain. I will be attempting to use my extra spare time to prepare for a brighter future that I’m not completely certain of the timing of. I plan to still be around, making ceramics after this is all over, but really who can predict the future?

So I’ll be hunkering down in my studio, elated at the extra time available to spend devoted to pursuing new projects and freedom from the usual grind, but also bereft without my usual jammed schedule of making, markets and classes. Being human often involves a complex tangle of contradictory emotion, so I’ll know it’s pretty normal to feel these two things simultaneously and that I’m not alone in these thoughts. Knowing that we’re all in it together has become rather comforting. If you still have a job: please support struggling local business wherever you can. The appreciation isn’t endless, but it is immense.

Lastly, stay safe out there. Much love, Louise