Tuesday SPOTLIGHT – Featured Etsy Artist

I was browsing Etsy the other day and ran across this adorable ceramic shop and since I have been wanting to revive my “Featured Etsy Artist” posts, I contacted Elizabeth to see if she was interested in being in the “spotlight”.  Be sure to visit Elizabeth’s shop, PrinceDesignUK and don’t forget her delightful blog “Gone to Pot” (love the title).  Without further adieu, here is Elizabeth to talk about her life and her shop, in her own words:

Tell us a little bit about yourself.
Hello! My name is Elizabeth Prince, and I am a full time ceramicist. I live and work in Manchester, England, and ship my work worldwide. I enjoy taking pleasure in the small things in life, like the pattern of a bird's footprints in the snow, sunlight through trees or tea in a pretty cup. I feel (and am) incredibly lucky to be able to work full time doing something that I absolutely love.  (Note from Sassy – these little guys are what caught my eye and made me want to explore Elizabeth’s shop – aren’t adorable!).  I have chosen to feature all red items since Valentine’s Day is just around the corner.

Lovebird Bowls

 

How did you choose your shop name?
The name of my etsy shop is PrinceDesignUK... Well my surname is Prince, so that was a starting point. Apart from that, I wanted to distinguish myself from traditional potters in a way. I love clay and all forms of pottery, but my own work is design-led, and I wanted the emphasis to be on that. My first online shop was on Etsy, and I was aware that many of my customers would be in the states or abroad, so I wanted to include my location too.

Little Poppy Bowl

How long have you been creating/crafting?
According to my mum it started before I could talk! She got the paint and collage stuff out every day after breakfast and I would play that way. I loved it, and there are a few family photos knocking about of a smiling little me covered in paint as a child. I tended toward artistic subjects in school, and then after that did a degree in art and design. After that I worked as an interior designer and made ceramic, textile, painting and photography work in my spare time until my clay obsession took over completely.

Heart Decorations – Set of 5

What item do you enjoy making the most?
All of them.

Full of Love Heart Bowl

 

What inspires you?
All sorts of things! Sometimes ideas just come into my head, or come from the things that make me smile - look out for my new range of bird footprint designs (coming soon to my shop) for example! Sometimes, I work and rework existing ideas and develop them into new things. Sometimes I want something I have never seen before for myself so I make it. My friends and my customers inspire me too. It isn't just the good stuff that inspires me though - if I see an object that I don't like, I will take an element of the concept behind it and completely re-work it into an object that I think works better.

Butterfly Decorations – Set of 5

Just for fun - if you could visit any place in the world, where would you go and why?
I have been lucky enough to travel to some wonderful destinations, but next on the list is India. I want to experience a culture that is very different from my own, and want to see some of the making that goes on there. They have fabulous potteries and screen printing workshops in some areas, and I am fascinated to see those. As well as that side of things, they have amazing woven houseboats in Kerala that you can stay on for a couple of days, fantastic food and of course the Himalayas... just as soon as I can tear myself away from the clay!

Elizabeth, thank you so much for sharing some of your life and your beautiful work with us.