MAKER Q & A : Libby Ballard

MAKER’S INTERVIEW

Libby Ballard

Comfortable with getting her hands dirty we wanted to know what else motivated Libby. Here are her answers to our 10 questions...

1 - where do you live and work?

I live in a little village 10minutes from Bath and work at The Pound Arts Centre in Corsham. A wonderful little art centre based in an old school. I am 1 of 3 Artist in residence working in some renovated studios which where part of the old school building.

2 - has making always been important to you? what did you study?

I have always been interested in getting my hands dirty and working in a hands on way. I studied at The University of Brighton, graduating from 3D Materials Practice WMCP (Wood, metal, ceramics, plastics) in 2013.

3 - what made you decide to start your own business?

It has been quite a steady process. I moved to London after graduating and I needed to work for the first year to save up a bit of money so that I could afford a studio space. I took various jobs, as a ceramic technician, teaching pottery classes, working for other ceramicists whilst having a little table space of my own at Wimbledon Art Studios. It took me a couple of years to really get some work together that started to develop into my range. Slowly I started doing more markets and getting seen a bit more. The busier my practice got I slowly started to stop a couple of my part time jobs. But I then got to a point where I wasn't earning enough in part time jobs to pay for my tiny table space in a shared studio but wasn't having enough time to make enough work to sell as things where picking up selling. So thats when we moved out of London to get an amazing studio and after 8 months I went full time in Feb 2017 and haven't looked back!

4 - what are the challenges of running your own business?

Challenges are having enough time to do it all! Running your own business as most people say is juggling all the different parts of your business but doing them all to your best ability!

5 - how do you develop new products?

I love being outdoors either in fields or by the sea. This is what inspires me and just walking and exploring and taking photos of colours, textures that inspire me along the way. I then just sit at my wheel and have a play! I have an idea of the products I want to develop and then just alter as I go along!

6 - how do you plan your days?

Every day is so different! I tend to do an hour or 2 of admin and emails in the morning. Then get on the wheel and throw what orders need doing. The afternoon will then be packing up orders and taking them to the couriers on the way home. Other days can involve mixing up glazes, adding handles or photographing products.

7 - what excites you professionally?

Mixing up new glazes and experimenting with different recipes! Seeing what happens when you overlap certain colours and how they look on different products! And opening the kiln after 2 days is always a great surprise whether it be good or bad!

8 - when you’re not spinning the pottery wheel what do you do?

I love walking in the countryside around where we live. Going down to the seaside to camp and explore new places!

9 - what is on your ‘to-do’ list of dreams?

I would love to run a small B'nB on the coast where breakfast would be served on my tableware. With a large-ish studio in the garden where people can come for weekends away to learn to throw and being in the fresh sea air! Continuing to develop my ranges and ship them out to stockists around the UK.

10 - what is your most treasure possession?

Photos…of holidays we’ve had and places we’ve been.

PRODUCTS BY LIBBY BALLARD

Bottle Vase (large)

sold out

Dinky Cup

sold out

Bottle Vase (small)

FROM THE JOURNAL

Wednesday 01 May | 7pm - 9pm | £70. Join us and Bleakhouse Flowers on May Day to create a hand-tied Spring Bouquet masterpiece. Read on for more information and tickets.

It can be a tricky day for so many but if you have a person who is dear to you that you’d like to show you care, we have a selection of gifts for you.

SIMPLE SHAPE x ARTISANS LEATHER PURSE WORKSHOP

We are joining forces with the super cool leather craft collective Artisans to bring you this leather purse making workshop. Come on your own or bring a friend and make yourself (or someone lucky) a little leather gift.

Our cheery little Christmas Micro Market is back for 2023. Saturday 25th November from 12-noon until 5pm. An independent shopping experience washed down with a little mulled wine. Sounds lovely, right?

THE 2023 CHRISTMAS WREATH MAKING WORKSHOP

Simple Shape x Bleak House Flowers bring you the Christmas Wreath Making Workshop. Thursday 30 November from 7-9pm (workshop will be between 2-2.5 hours) Get your ticket now. Tickets, £70

Coming full circle with Katie Mitchell. Read our Q&A. Katie will be teaching a macrame workshop on Thursday 2nd November at our Simple Shape Studio-Shop

We are hosting a workshop with founder of By-Me, where you will learn to wrap and knot your way to a fully finished Spiral Macrame Plant Hanger. For details & tickets, read on.

BROCKLEY OPEN STUDIO x MIMI SOAN x SIMPLE SHAPE

We are super happy to be hosting local artist Mimi Soan for BOS. BOS is an event that align with all our values: art, craft, creativity, making and community. join us on Sat 01 & Sun 02 July. From 1pm - 6pm.

If you thought that pale and Provence was the answer to rosé, prepare for an education. Contrary to popular belief the colour of a rosé does not dictate how sweet it is. Book your tickets and prepare to peer beyond the pale.

BRING-YOUR-OWN VASE FLOWER ARRANGING WORKSHOP

Thursday 27th April | 7pm - 9pm | £55. We are once again joining forces with Tobby Wu from Bleakhouse Flowers. This time to offer a Flower Arranging Workshop. Read on for more information. Tickets: HERE

We have passed the equinox in the Northern hemisphere and the sun is now officially moving northwards. With spring in the air we have added some fresh new things to the shop, all designed and made in the UK, of course.

WORKSHOP: A 'NEW FASHIONED' WINE TASTING EVENT

If you like the sound of an evening that is relaxed, interesting, fun, informative and delicious, where you will have the chance to taste 5 different ‘New Fashioned’ wines, this is for you. Read on for all the details and how to book.

Dinner candles, twisted candles, celebration candles and utterly incredible (the very best I think) scented candles. Plus really excellent candlestick holders. All hand made in the UK

For the tea drinkers, the coffee obsessives, and the flower arrangers…well, we have something for them all.

What better way to show the warmth of your affection than with a super soft, cosy lambswool or mohair blanket!

Serving boards and bowls for occasions, for gifts and for everyday. Each one of our boards and bowls are handmade in the UK by a talented collection of designer-makers, meaning that they are unique, different and super special.

Details of our Christmas MICRO MARKET, including times, locations and makers.

Kim Jordan is a cabinetmaker, he designs and makes furniture and other smaller pieces from his workshop in East London. He trained as an “ébéniste” in Paris and describes his work as “British Design meets French savoir-faire”. We asked 10 questions, read on…

How To: Dress a table for an Occasion (I’m thinking Christmas, but you can take the principals and use them for all occasions really!) Just add people and you’ll be set for a great event.

TOTALLY UNCOMMON CHRISTMAS WREATH MAKING WORKSHOP

Join us on the first evening of advent, Simple Shape is welcoming back Bleakhouse Flowers for an extraordinary Christmas Wreath Making Workshop. 7-9pm. This is a ticketed event.

If you’re local to South East London, put these dates in your diaries! Book onto our fantastic workshops and join us for the return of our Micro Christmas Market…shop local and independent this Christmas.

Our Simple Shape Studio is going to be a mass of felt, embroidery thread, beads and sequins for our Christmas Decoration Workshop. Author & presenter, Christine Leech, founder of SewYeah will be passing on her skills. We asked her 6 questions about her creative roots.

Trapping heat and effectively insulating yourself is a successful and time-worn way to stay warm when the weather turns bleak. And a wool blanket is a simple and excellent way to do that.

EMBROIDERED CHRISTMAS DECORATION WORKSHOP

Saturday 19 November | 2pm-4pm. We have joined forces with SewYeah to present a Christmas Decoration Workshop. Join us and make an embroidered, beaded Gingerbread House or a Babushka Doll.

The gift of some carving tools prompted Ewen Brown, founder of the Norfolk based workshop Slow Made Goods, to start experimenting with wood. Now just a handful of years later, he is turning a living from it. We posed 10 questions…

BROCKLEY OPEN STUDIOS x ANNA RUIZ x SIMPLE SHAPE

We are really excited to be hosting print artist Anna Ruiz for the Brockley Open Studios, Sat 2nd & Sun 3rd July. Walk through the streets of Brockley and find local artists and makers and seize this special opportunity to buy unique works. Read on for details and a Q&A with Anna.

AN EXHIBITION VISIT: DESIGNING THE BEAUTIFUL GAME

I know football is a little ‘off topic’ for a homewares shop but bear with me. Inspiration comes from many different sources; music, art, theatre, sport. So, we went to see Designing The Beautiful Game at the London Design Museum. And I was rewarded, it’s full of stories…

Bleakhouse Flowers are taking over the Simple Shape Studio for an afternoon. Founder, Tobby Wu is fascinated by the strange and curious. Her style is absolutely unique. Here is her 5 question Q&A.

OUT-OF-THE-ORDINARY FLOWER BOUQUET WORKSHOP

Saturday 23rd April | 2pm-4pm. We are bursting with excitement to be hosting a Spring Flower Bouquet Workshop here in the Simple Shape Studio taught by Tobby Wu of Bleak House

PHOTO STORY: COBWEB CLEARING WINTER BEACH WALK

Get outside, clear the cobwebs away, keep moving. January and February will give way to Spring soon enough. Photo story from Camber Sands.

ABOUT LIBBY BALLARD

Libby Ballard set up her business - Libby Ballard Ceramics - in the spring of 2017, taking the leap to make pottery her career.