Our Factory Shop Manager Jemma Baskeyfield, has been busily arranging the displays in our shop at Middleport Pottery, ready for Halloween. Inspired by the darkened drama of our Black Willow collection and the theme of ‘Miss Havisham takes afternoon tea in a haunted forest’, Jemma has converted the upstairs window in our best quality shop into a Halloween styled set.
Before sourcing any props, Jemma created a drawing of the display to bring her idea to life. Here, she goes through the process of preparing the window:
Halloween is the ideal opportunity to have some fun with the displays in the Factory Shop. Last year, we constructed a pumpkin mountain, and decided to carve the pumpkins with a number of our iconic Burleigh patterns! This year, we decided to arrange the Halloween display in the window upstairs in our best shop, which had most recently been a late summer wedding arrangement, adorned with plenty of beautiful greenery.
I sourced some wonderfully eerie black crows and styled them alongside branches, weathered ivy, pumpkins, black goblets and our Black Willow teaware which adds to the shadowy look of the set.
The Black Willow pattern is a bold statement choice for any Burleigh fan. It’s also a very traditional Staffordshire pattern which is the epitome of western ceramics as well as celebrating the eastern influence in surface design. Although traditional and classic, this black coloured pattern also has a contemporary appeal and is very on-trend at the moment.
Lastly, I reused the artificial roses that were exhibited as part of the wedding window – I spray-painted each rose, angling the spray so that the finished effect was only visible at the edge of each flower, giving a dappled finish.
My next project is planning a display to celebrate 'Thanksgiving' in the Factory Shop. We welcome lots of visitors from the USA, and they love to see a recognition of this festive holiday. Pumpkin pie anyone?