Laura Eddy runs De La Zouch Studio from her pottery in the old forge stables in the heart of Ashby, using the area she lives in and surrounding natural world to inspire her ceramics and fragrances.

Tucked away in her studio, it is clear from spending just a few minutes with Laura she is in her element, her excitement almost bubbling over as she opens the kiln to see how her creations have turned out.

Every pieces is made thoughtfully, with care and is entirely unique, which is clear from looking at the focus Laura has in all aspects of her work - from hand printing her own bags, creating delightful custom gifts for friends and family and curating her own take on traditional ceramics.

Discovering her love for pottery has happened since Laura retired four years ago. The mum-of-three had a varied career running her own businesses, undertaking a law degree and working as a Marketing Co-ordinator.

When she left her role in marketing, she didn't feel ready to 'full retire,' taking up occasional work as a supply teacher at Ashby School. During this time, she started a recreational course at Burton College.

During the six-week course, Laura was inspired by her teacher Bill to unleash her creativity when working with clay.

Laura's gonks, highland cows and other creations (Photo: Grace Kennington)

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Her first love for clay came from making 'gonks', cute Scandinavian-inspired gnomes that can be spotted hiding in every nook and cranny of her studio.

A key feature of Laura's work is, she said, that 'everything is organic and wobbly,' inspired by shapes found in rocks and coral.

Laura's 'bibbles', tealight holders and dishes (Photo: Grace Kennington)

Something else that stands out about Laura's work is the deep connection to Ashby. In her handmade fragrance range, she draws on local features as the basis of her work, creating candles inspired by Paddington's Marmalade Sandwich, hand lotions in the scent of 'Ashby Spa' or National Forest-inspired 'Mighty Oak' reed diffusers.

Early into her pottery journey, Laura discovered a love for creating little highland cows (Photo: Grace Kennington)

Joy exudes out of everything Laura makes; she enjoys the chaos and unpredictability of clay and glazing, never knowing how a piece will come out from the kiln.

'I just love it, it just makes me really, really happy,' said Laura, as she lifted a selection of tiny ceramic figures from the kiln.

Her 'Positive Potatoes', 'Positive Pigs' and 'Positive Penguins' are Laura's current fixation, wanting to make her work affordable and accessible for her customers. These pocket-size pottery pals come with a cute note, ideal for keeping on a desk or nightstand for when you need a pick-me-up.

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A 'Positive Potato'

Laura's work is varied, from candles and hand creams to dip bowls and lamps, but is all bought together by the clear love and care that goes into every individual item.

To find out about Laura's work, visit her website and Instagram.