Craft Festival Cheltenham March 2025

by Sarah Monk | Mar 14, 2025 | Exhibitions, News

A busy start to 2025!

I got straight back to the studio in January, getting new designs underway for Craft Festival Cheltenham! I’ve been making some cups & saucers, juicers, jugs and of course, some of my popular flower bricks! I’m paricularly excited about a new idea I’m going to trial too…. which are kind of flower frog teapots. So I’m interested to trial the response!

Who will be at Craft festival Cheltenham?

100 professional crafts exhibitors selected for quality by Craft Festival. See exhibitors here!

Plus an interesting lineup of speakers:

Kate Humble – Broadcaster and writer
Sarah Bayliss – Registered nutritionist
Katy Bevan – Publisher and editor

These will be engaging discussions that will inspire, inform and celebrate the intersection of creativity and well-being.

Undecorated terracotta clay pots by including some cups and saucers plus a rectangular shaped flower brock on a banding wheel in the studio of Sarah Monk at Eastnor Pottery.

Clay fower frog teapot in the wet cly making stage. It has a lid with holes pierced in to hold flowers. The teapot is on the worktable in Eastnor Pottery, the studio of Sarah Monk Ceramics

Tickets

Craft Festival takes place at Cheltenham Town Hall from Friday 21st March – Sunday 23rd March 2025 and advance tickets can be purchased online for £7 or on the door for £9. Children go free plus there are also some free family activities too!

Opening Times:

Friday and Saturday 10am-5pm
Sunday 10am-4pm

This is the third time I have exhibited at this fabulous event and I hope you can join in the fun!

Come and say ‘hello’, I’m in the main hall, stand no. 73.

See you soon,

Sarah x

Flower frog teapot by Sarah Monk in yellow with sgraffito flower design and polka dot handle, spout and lid.

Yellow sgraffito pottery on the display shelves at Eastnor Pottery made by Sarah Monk Ceramics

Trio of hand thrown pottery coffee cups, teal with brown dots, yellow with sgraffito flowers and white with blue dots made by Sarah Monk Ceramics

Guest Speaker at Preparing to Sell, Hereford.

by Sarah Monk | Feb 6, 2025 | News

I’ve been invited to Hereford College of Arts, on Thursday 20th February for Preparing to Sell.

This will be a lively and informative day, led by Sarah James MBE, Director of Craft Festival and Find a Maker. It will give makers at all stages of their career, the best possible advice for selling directly to the public.

Suitable for makers at all stages of their career Preparing to Sell is also a great opportunity to network and is also suitable for students who want to get ahead.

Sarah James MBE will be joined by marketing consultant, Susan James, social media specialist, Lou Chudney from Spark_Social and of course, myself!

brown planter and tray with sgraffito daisies made by sarah monk ceramics, corner view

What the day includes:

· How to Apply for Craft Fairs, ideas on stand presentation, sales techniques and tips and the importance of good photography

· How to start your business and how to diversify your practise.

· How to plan and deliver a marketing plan

· Why sell directly to the public? How to Make Your Show a Success

· What are the Do’s and Don’ts when taking part in big events

Price includes tea, coffee, biscuits. Please bring your lunch of choice or alternatively, Hereford College has an on-site café.

The whole day costs just £49. (Hereford College of Arts Students, £29

Venue: Hereford College of Arts
Date: Thursday February 20th 2025
Time: 9.30am till 3pm

Book Preparing to Sell here!

Find a Maker Week!

by Sarah Monk | May 16, 2022 | News, Pottery Studio Life

From the 16th- 20th May it’s Find a Maker Week!

Find a Maker is a crafts directory curated by the talented Craft Festival team.

work in progress studio shot of slipware bt Sarah Monk Ceramics

flower brick work in progress ata eastnor pottery by sarah monk

#findamakerweek heralds an exciting week of live chats and demos. There’s over 300 members, so please check out their social media platforms.

I shall be posting daily on Instagram @sarah_monk_ceramics too!

slab built butterdish work in progress in the studio of sarah monk ceramics

slab built olive plate work in progress with cobalt splatters

Find A Maker Member: Selected for Quality

by Sarah Monk | May 5, 2021 | News

‘Find a maker’ is an exciting new crafts directory created by the wonderful Craft Festival UK. It’s exciting to be part of this new movement and I’m chuffed to be selected!