My day in cups of tea Potter Katie Coston

WE ASKED OXFORD POTTER KATIE COSTON TO TELL US ABOUT HER DAY IN CUPPAS

First cuppa of the day. What are you having? My first cup is always coffee and it comes as soon as I can get it! My husband, Micah, gets up before me and makes a cafetiere for us to share. Coffee down. Then what happens? I’m a potter and I own my own studio and shop in Oxford. Before work starts at 10, I sit with my coffee, eat breakfast and read the Bible and pray. I then do some yoga stretches to limber up for making. Then it’s downstairs to kiss my kitty, Lucie Maud, and start the day. A tough question for a potter – do you have a favourite mug? I usually drink from a large, textured vessel made by another UK-based potter, Lisa Hammond. Or, I use one of my own. Mugs are a big part of my making schedule – I’m working on #the1000mugsproject. One pound from every mug goes to Home for Good, a UK charity to help children find foster and adoptive homes. Time for a break. How do you switch off? If it’s sunny, I step out into my back garden. I’ll either just enjoy the sun or will be looking at Instagram: I’m a big fan of @bridgetbodenham – her pieces and feed are so playful. Who is your favourite tea drinking companion? Micah. (Can you tell I like him? We’ve been married for 12 years.) We’ll work through marketing plans, designs and admin over tea. When do you down tools for the day? I usually leave the studio around 6pm. But after dinner, I’m often seen frantically posting to Instagram, planning a new design or answering emails. I don’t get much down time away from Illyria Pottery, but that’s the way I like it. Time for one last cuppa? Fully caffeinated, please. I’m a sleep sponge, so it doesn’t affect me.

KATIE COSTON lives in Oxford and is the artist and owner of her bricks-and-mortar shop, Illyria Pottery (@illyriapottery) and online store, illyriapottery.co.uk. Her simple thing is the feeling of clay running through her hands.