"We are Gaëlle (on the left) and Lynn (on the right) and together we are Mud + Water Ceramics. We met at the school gates collecting our daughters and soon discovered we both had a guilty habit of collecting vintage ceramics.

Many years later, after some introductory workshops we decided to launch our own ceramics business. From then onwards we have created a range of functional stoneware pieces for everyday use which are dishwasher safe. 

We would describe our style as Victorian high tea with a splash of Tim Burton darkness. Lots of florals, foliage, animals and colour. We see this as the maximalist’s approach to ceramics. Our inspiration comes from art, music, film, Victorian natural history illustrations, antiques, designers like Celia Birtwell, Liberty fabrics, the V&A and the Sir John Soane Museum. 

We share our studio with two dogs, two cats and the normal chaos of family life, Radio 3 or Kerrang depending on our mood. We are pretty sure this ebullience is evident in the final pieces.

Each item is handmade, illustrated and painted by hand in our home studio. The labour-intensive nature of our work means that we are small batch producers and each piece is unique. Alongside our tableware, we make ceramic art dolls as well as decorative items such as tealight houses and tree decorations in stoneware and raku.

You can see these pieces in Byard Art, Cambridge and we have a regular pitch at All Saints Craft Market on a Saturday and at the main Cambridge Market on a Sunday." — GAËLLE + LYNN