I am hugely grateful to Jane Ogden-Swift for inviting me to exhibit my stained glass pieces at the Beeches Garden Gallery in Bishops Waltham, Hampshire.

I am even more grateful that she and fellow ceramicist Lois Mahoney wanted to set up and sell all the work themselves. For anyone who has had a stand at an event and offered products for sale, you will know that there is a huge amount of work before, during and after the show. Therefore to be able to leave them to it and return later to collect the boxes and display stands, as well as a great profit, was a very pleasant change!

Jane and Lois have very different styles of work, each beautiful in its own right. Jane loves to create larger ceramics, many made for the garden, and enjoys making art with rougher textures and earthy tones.

In contrast, Lois tends to make smaller, glazed pieces that tell a story – such as her whimsical horses and sardines in tins.

Both of them are very talented makers and I am pleased to say that they sold plenty of their work over the two days of the event.

The cabin was made most welcoming, with fairy lights sparkling around the exhibits.

Visitors could meander up the garden path, passing a selection of ceramic pieces positioned throughout the landscaped lawn and shrub beds, making their way up to the gallery at the top.

Once again, I sold a lot of small pieces, with Christmas decorations and small sculptures selling especially well. Several of my planted terrariums went off to new homes – or were purchased as gifts – too.

Look out for future openings of the Beeches Garden Gallery in 2023 – and in the meantime have a look at the Instagram page @thebeechesgardengallery.