The girls received some money for Christmas and from the first envelope opened Miss E was adamant that we would have to head over to Masterpiece pottery painting studio, near Hailsham in East Sussex. It's somewhere we've been a couple of times before and enjoyed, so I was happy to promise that we would go over there during the Christmas school break.
Pottery Studio
Masterpiece is a pottery painting studio based on the Holmes Hill Estate, on the A22 heading from Eastbourne to Lewes. There is an abundance of free parking and also onsite is a furniture store, fabric warehouse, cafe and a couple of nice lakes where you can sit or walk. You're always best to call first and book in so that a table can be ready for you but on occasions where we have turned up without a booking, we have been able to be accommodated, just maybe on a shared table.
I love that Masterpiece is open to pottery painters of all ages, but this does mean you need to be aware of child noise and small fingers! It is amazing to see super skilled painters working alongside pre-schoolers, and it is great that there is no time limit on your booking, so if you are doing a really intricate piece and are there for three or four hours, they are fine with that.
We've always found the staff to be super patient and happy to help with advise about colours and techniques. Katie has fantastic artistic skills and Neeve is super friendly and helpful.
Pricing
All you pay is the one inclusive price that you see written on the naked piece of pottery. There is no add ons, like studio fees or paints. This can mean that pieces look expensive at first glance but when you realise that the price includes the pottery, the paints, glaze, your time painting in the studio and the final firing of the piece so that it lasts. The only extra cost you may incur is if you wish to use a specialist paint, like crackle glaze, or to have one of the staff use their skill to put wording on your item. Of course you can do that yourself if you have a steady hand though.
The kind of prices you might pay are - Ice cream sundae dish - £15, square trinket dish - £10, large teapot - £26.50, large letter - £9.50. I think prices start from about £6 for an egg cup. The second time we went we cashed in on the Christmas pieces being half price and we paid £4.50 for a Christmas tree trinket dish, £9.00 for a large snowman, £3.25 for a tree decoration and £7.25 for a mug.
As you can see below, they have a massive range of pottery pieces to chose from.
The Process
Once you have chosen your piece of pottery, it will be washed for you to remove any dust and you can choose the paints you will use. The paints look completely different when you paint them on, to how they will look once the item has been fired in the kiln. So you need to look at the colour guides and choose according to the numbers on the pots.
Take as long as you wish to paint your item, and once finished you leave it with the staff member and pay. You'll need to return to the studio to collect your completed item about nine days later. Or thereafter to suit your diary. Items are kept for 6 months, so you have plenty of time.
Here are our finished creations.
Refreshments
Whilst you paint you can order a drink and the prices are really reasonable and of a good standard too. The cost is £1.25 for a regular or fruit tea, £1.75 for speciality coffees or hot chocolate and these are all served with biscuits. There is a fridge with cold drinks and you can buy chocolate, crisps and sweets, The girls like to pick up a pack of Haribo for 50p.
Parties
We've not been to one but there is a separate room where Masterpiece can host your party, either for children or adults. Prices for children's parties start at £10 for a small piece of pottery or decopatch and there is lots of flexibility in regards to your requirements and catering. Take a look on their web page for lots of information.
Useful Information
Address: The MasterPiece Studio, Unit 3, Holmes Hill Estate, Whitesmith, BN8 6JA
Telephone: 01825 872225
Email: info@masterpiecestudio.co.uk
Opening Hours: Generally the studio is open 10am - 5pm (with 4pm closing on Sundays) but you are best to check closure dates during term time. It is always closed on a Tuesday and at the moment it is closed on Wednesdays as well.
Checkout their Facebook page
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Disclosure: None necessary, I paid for all our items, we just really enjoyed ourselves and wanted to share with you.