Our Friday Feature this week is the very talented Alex from Alex Allday Ceramic & Surface Pattern Design. Having recently celebrated ten years in business, Alex really understands what it takes to make a living doing something you love. Her business has evolved a bit over time, but she’s always stayed true to what brings her joy.
Let’s get to know more about the creative woman behind the small business…
It’s the opportunity to express my thoughts and ideas visually across different mediums, with endless possibilities. Being creative allows me to fully switch off from the world and really get lost in what I’m creating and making. As I’m a very visual person, I naturally approach problem-solving through creativity and innovative thinking.
I’d just finished an MA in ceramic design from Staffordshire University and had received a few opportunities to exhibit my work in gallery exhibitions and was invited to take part in the great northern contemporary craft fair, Manchester. I found a great studio space with fellow graduates at Middleport Pottery (where I’m still based today) and thought let’s give this a go. I was very keen to take up these opportunities and see where they lead.
I’d really developed my distinctive style whilst on the MA and was keen to continue making and developing my ceramics range and was driven to be able to start selling my ceramics and make a living from it. I learnt so much in the early days, it wasn’t easy but creating a small business out of doing something I love gave me the motivation and drive to keep going, developing and evolving.
I find it extremely relaxing and therapeutic working in and creating things out of clay. I love that you can take a ball of clay or a jug of slip and literally turn it into anything. There really are endless possibilities working in clay and I love that there are so many different processes and techniques that you can do to create such unique pieces of ceramics.
When I started my business, I was making and selling more one-off, higher end pieces. I still make these pieces as part of my collection, but I quickly learnt I needed to have a broader product offering to appeal to a wider target audience in order to drive more sales. I’ve found introducing a variety of products at different prices has really helped to increase sales along with updating my range and product offering as well as considering new or different trends, such as planter pots and pieces for home scents like diffuser pots and wax melt burners.
2 years into running my small business I started to introduce pottery workshops to my offering and now after years of developing a variety of different workshops, gaining a larger following/customer base and continuing to deliver more and more they are a significant part of my business. I’ve gained so much confidence by pushing myself out of my comfort zone to run them and I really love creating enjoyable experiences for people to come along and show them how to create beautiful pieces of pottery.
I create my hand-built porcelain wall-hanging planter pockets in a way that they look like fabric from a distance. So many people genuinely think they are made from fabric until they get up close and touch them. They are very tactile pieces with lots of texture on which always gives this illusion and makes people want to feel them.
Reaching 10 years of running my small business last October [2025] was definitely a highlight and a milestone worth celebrating. It’s taken a lot of hard work, long days and pure drive, motivation and love for my craft to keep my small business going and developing each year. It’s tough times for any small business right now and I’m really proud to have got it to a place where I can make a living out of doing something I really enjoy. Alongside this over the last couple of years I’ve been asked to do some really great commission work for other businesses which I am proud to have my name on.
Yes definitely. Particularly in the early days, I always worried people would think I didn’t really know what I was doing and I also experienced it when I first started delivering workshops and showing people how to create their own pieces of ceramics. I’ve found the more I have done something and made mistakes the more I have learnt and the more confident I have become.
Craft fairs were scary in the early days and I would always doubt whether my work was good enough to be there. After years of doing them, they have become second nature to me now as I’ve gained so much experience. I know how to effectively display my ceramics so that they sell and I genuinely feel a lot more confident about my work.
The same applies to delivering my workshops. I used to feel so nervous before each one and questioned whether I was good enough and if I knew enough to be teaching others. The more experience I have gained by running them the more confident I have become and I really enjoy showing people how they can create their own beautiful pieces.
I have definitely found it challenging over the years to not let running my small business take over too much and have been guilty of working all of the hours on it and not giving myself enough time off. Since having my daughter almost 3 years ago it’s definitely made me more efficient with my time as I just don’t have as much of it. It’s certainly been a juggle but my days off with her are now non-negotiable and, if anything, it has made me plan my time around running my small business more effectively and gives me proper time off from it. Everything has to be a lot more organised in advance now so I know what my year is roughly looking like at the start. I’ve also learnt to start to say no to things that I know aren’t going to be the best use of my time.
I’m always really drawn in by the intricate patterns and details that I notice around me such as within nature and on ornate historic architecture. I’m also really inspired by traditional prints and patterns found on old textile pieces and in pattern books. These all influence my surface designs, I recreate pattern elements I see and love to play around with bringing different patterns together to create interesting compositions. I’ve always been drawn in by different homewares, not just ceramics, and I love flicking through homeware magazines when I’m looking for some inspiration for a new piece or pattern collection.
I absolutely love printed textiles, wallpapers, anything homeware related and also painting which is something I don’t really get time to do much. So maybe something more textile and print based.
It’s so lovely to hear that, after ten years, Alex still loves what she does and now feels more confident in her abilities and knowledge. Being able to not only create gorgeous pieces herself, but also inspire and teach others to give ceramics a try, is a wonderful thing.
To see more of Alex’s ceramic pieces, or find out about a workshop, head to her website: alexallday.co.uk – or for some behind the scenes, take a look at her Instagram: @alexalldayceramics
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