On 24th March 40 collectors, plus Hazle Stephen and members of the Hazle eramics team gathered outside Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese, ready for a day full of Charles Dickens…and what a day it was!

The weather was amazingly good, the food and the atmosphere at Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese was even better that expected, with groups of collectors seated in the Chop Room, and every level of the cellar bar.

Our guided walk was led by David, who stood in for Jean at the very last moment, after Jean was suddenly taken ill. He impressed everyone with his knowledge of the life and works of Charles Dickens, and used his booming voice to great dramatic effect.

We arrived at the Dickens Museum with some sore feet amongst us, but everyone agreeing the walk was more than worthwhile, and very ready for a cup of tea and a look at our NEW Dickens Ceramic, The Charles Dickens Birthplace (see below) If you came along, Thank you for joining us, we hope you enjoyed your ‘Day of Dickens’. What shall we do next?

The Charles Dickens Birthplace: Portsmouth

Charles Dickens was born at 1 Mile End Terrace, Portsmouth on 7th February 1812.  Although his family moved to London when Charles was three, the author retained a lifelong bond with the city.

13cm tall, and shows a silhouette of Oliver Twist

to the rear.

Price £28.00

Visit our shop for more information, or click here to buy now

If you display your ‘Nation of Shopkeepers’ collection by wall hanging them, you can do it in style with one of our purpose made frames.

Small Beech Effect Frame

Choose from two sizes and two finishes, designed to suit both traditional and modern interiors.

The Mahogany frame has a dark blue ‘night sky’ effect background, the Beech effect frame comes with a soft grey interior.  These backgrounds are made from loop fabric, so you can safely and easily hold your ceramics in place using sticky back velco, and when you want to change your display, you can put different ceramics in place in seconds!

Medium Mahogany Frame

The internal height (the size of the fabrid background)  of our frames is 265mm (10.5″) whichever size you choose.  The internal width of the small size frame is 380mm (15″) and of the medium frame is 575mm (22.75″)

To order your frames now visit our shop or click here

Sorry overseas collectors… but due to the size of the frames, these can only be shipped to a UK address.

We’ve seen the ’daredevil’ side of Hazle again, when last weekend, she undertook a ’firewalk’ over hot coals to raise money for a local charity.  17 brave souls gathered in the courtyard outside our studio, and as dusk fell, they put their best feet forward!  Hazle suffered no permanent damage, and has since been heard saying she would do a parachute jump next if she was asked !!

The Chinatown Collection

This is a collection that Hazle has wanted to do ever since we produced a much admired black and red Chinese restaurant, many years ago, (remember that?) and finally here are the first in what will eventually be a collection of 8 Chinese themed shops – 8 is regarded as an auspicious number in Chinese Culture, as it sounds very like the word for prosper or wealth.

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Chinese Calligraphy – The Year of the Dragon 2012

Launching our first new ceramic of 2012, on ‘Penhaligons of Covent Garden, London.  This famous perfumers was founded in 1870, and holds two royal warrants!

Here we present it ready for the Chinese New Year, the second in our Chinatown collection.

On the 23rd January 2012 the Chinese year of the Dragon begins, and as a Dragon year baby herself, with a special birthday later this year, Hazle has designed this limited painting of just 36 Ceramics, and will be painting all of this edition herself! Why 36?  The edition will be numbered up to 50 ceramics, but just for fun, as the number 4 is considered to be the unluckiest number, there will be no ceramics with a number 4 – leaving just 36 available ceramics in the edition!

On the ground floor we have a Chinese Calligraphy studio with an artist at work inside painting lucky sayings to greet friends in the new year.  A red & green Chinese dragon curves between the first and second floor windows, take a close look at his tail to read the date 2012.

Our new building measures 22.5cm tall (9”) x 9.8cm wide (just under 4”) and is priced at £94.95 + carriage/insurance.

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Oriental Spices – The Year of the Rabbit

Each shop will  display the year produced .  2011 is the year of the rabbit, so we start off the collection with this Oriental Spices emporium, painted on the ‘Sun Inn’ building in Canterbury, Kent.

If you don’t yet have this building among your collection, this could be the painting to tempt you!  Especially if you are a rabbit year baby yourself! (1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, Feb to Feb approx.)

Each ceramic will have a signed certificate with more details of the Chinese Zodiac Animals. Look out early next year for the next piece marking the year of the Dragon!  (1952, 1964 etc. …)

This Limited painting will be numbered up to 50 ceramics, but just for fun, we won’t be using those unlucky number 4’s leaving 36 available to buy.

Oriental Spices /The Year of the Rabbit is available at £ 74.95  +carriage/insurance.

Now Playing at the Royal Theatre….

We’re turning Japanese with two Limited Paintings on our Royal Theatre Building!  Both with posters beautifully painted by Christine and with colours and details to compliment the theme of the show.

Choose from Madame Butterfly at the Royal Court Theatre, or The Mikado at the Savoy, home of the D’Oyle Carte Theatre company who performed Gilbert & Sullivan comic operas.

Limited to 30 of each painting, ‘The Mikado’ and ‘Madame Butterfly are now available at

£64.95 each + postage/insurance. An informative signed & numbered Certificate accompanies.

Visit the ‘Numbered Ceramics’ section in our shop to order yours!