Emma Bridgewater set up her hand-decorated pottery business in 1985, with her husband Matthew (Rice) joining a couple of years later, and the company is still owned and run by Emma and Matthew with them both contributing designs. Emma is responsible for the majority of the spongeware patterns such as Polka Dot, Starry Skies, Hellebore and Sampler, whilst, for example, the Birds and Dogs ranges feature Matthew Rice’s artwork. The pottery is made from warm, cream-coloured earthenware (which is a quintessential Staffordshire product) and it’s hand-decorated in the Emma Bridgewater factory in Stoke-on-Trent, which is the sixth largest employer of potters in the area. Birthday card and greetings card designs are lifted directly from patterns originally featured on the pottery.
Cards | Advent Calendars | |
---|---|---|
Small | 150cm² or less e.g. 12x10cm |
Advent cards 180-300cm² e.g. 17x12cm |
Medium | Around 225cm² e.g. 15x15cm |
Around 800cm² e.g. 35x25cm |
Large | 275cm² or more e.g. 20x15cm |
Around 1000cm² e.g. 30x40cm |
X-Large | Around 2000cm² e.g. 52x38cm |