Creative with Clay - Coiling & Botanical Vases - Experience at the Farmland Museum & Denny Abbey - August 2025

Yesterday's group ceramics experience at the fabulous Farmland Museum & Denny Abbey, was great fun. We had a lovely group of students who learnt how to make coiled vessels in the morning and then went on to create two large slab vases in the afternoon.

This workshop enables students to learn the basics of coiling and slab work, two of the main hand building techniques used in pottery. The morning of coiling is a relaxed scenario, where students can create anything they wish using coils and sprig work. The afternoon slab vases section involves learning the basic techniques of slab work and using pressed-in botanicals, stamps, and added sprigs to decorate.

All the work made it back to our Blended Monkey ceramics studio where it is now going to dry slowly before being bisque fired, glazed in the students' chosen colours, and then glaze fired.

It was lovely to meet everyone and I was pleased to hear all the positive feedback about the creative and relaxing nature of this experience.

Check out the photos and videos below!

If you missed out on this particular workshop, we'll be holding it again at the Farmland Museum next year but we also have the following dates available at the Haddenham Arts Centre:

• Saturday 18 April 2026 - Coiling & Botanical Slab Vases Experience - Haddenham Arts Centre BOOK & INFO

• Saturday 3 October 2026 - Coiling & Botanical Slab Vases Experience - Haddenham Arts Centre BOOK & INFO

We offer a variety of different arts and crafts experiences in our own studios in Upwell, at the Farmland Museum and at the Haddenham Arts centre.

We also invite other guest tutors to come and teach their amazing crafts, with experiences ranging from stone carving through to fused glass. Check out our website under "Group Workshops" for more info and to book an amazing, creative experience!

Botanical vases on display for students to see at the Blended Monkey Creative with Clay workshop

Student making a coiled vessel at the Blended Monkey Creative with Clay workshop

Beautiful coiled vessel at the Blended Monkey Creative with Clay workshop

Botanical vases on display for students to see at the Blended Monkey Creative with Clay workshop

Group shot of our lovely students at the Blended Monkey Creative with Clay workshop

Bowl created by one of the students

Acorns on the table

Student having just pressed in her botanicals for her slab vase

A completed coiled vessel

Mum & daughter enjoying their Creative with Clay Blended Monkey experience

Rolling botanicals into the slab

Botanicals pressed in to the slab

Family enjoying their Creative with Clay Blended Monkey experience

Students busily making their lovely botanical vases

Selection of stamps and botanicals to use on the vases

Students watching Louise demonstrating some of the techniques

Students enjoying their Creative with Clay experience

Botanical vases being made using the slab method

Friends enjoying their slab vase experience

The finished result!

Such a lovely group of students! Well done everyone!

The fired results!

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Students enjoying their creative day

Look at the results!

REVIEWS

"My daughter and I spent a lovely day with Louise and Simon at the Farmland Museum where we created some coiled ceramic creations in the morning and two botanical vases in the afternoon. Louise gave clear instructions with the help of a camera so we could all watch exactly what she was doing while she demonstrated. The atmosphere was really chilled while the group got on with their creations. We also enjoyed a lovely lunch at the museum cafe. I would highly recommend this course.”

 - Emma -

“Thank you so much Louise for a wonderful day of pottery! If you're looking for a lovely relaxed, therapeutic day, this is exactly what you are looking for. Well organised and friendly from start to finish.”

 - Jane -