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Margaret's Handmade Cat Vase
Margaret's Handmade Cat Vase
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Margaret's Handmade Cat Vase
The Nine Lives Vase is a hand-thrown stoneware cat vase, made one piece at a time by retired potter Margaret Whitfield in her converted coach house studio in Ludlow, Shropshire. Shaped and painted using techniques passed down from her mother in 1971, every vase stands in the one pose every cat owner knows — upright, patient, tail curled around its paws — with fresh flowers blooming straight from the crown of its head. Built to hold water, hold flowers, and hold memories for decades, not seasons.
Choose Your Cat (all hand-painted, no two alike)
Wilfred, Domino, Olive, Bramble and Sooty — five real cats from Margaret’s life, no two vases ever painted the same
🧡 Wilfred — The Ginger Tom with the Teal Collar (Bestseller)
Margaret’s signature piece. A proud ginger tom with a hand-painted teal collar and tiny brass bell, sitting tall the way he sat waiting for supper. The story behind it: Wilfred was Margaret’s own big ginger, and the very first cat she ever turned into a vase — she couldn’t bear the empty spot by the kitchen window. Warm marmalade coat, smug and contented smile.
🖤 Domino — The Black & White Patch
A black-and-white patched cat with a permanently startled little face. Modelled on Domino, a tom from Corve Street whose 1994 vase has now passed through three generations of the same family. Every patch placed freehand — no two Dominos ever match.
💚 Olive — The Sage-Green Cat with the Red Scarf
The most unusual of the five: a soft sage-green coat with a hand-painted red scarf. “Green, because memory doesn’t have to be literal,” Margaret says. Olive wears the faintly disapproving expression of a cat with opinions about your furniture. A favourite for anyone who wants something a little different.
🧡 Bramble — The Marmalade Tabby
A striped marmalade tabby, every stripe drawn one by one in a single steady stroke. Closed eyes, quiet smile — the look of a cat asleep in a sunbeam.
🖤 Sooty — The Sleek All-Black
The minimalist of the collection. Deep black coat, whiskers picked out against the glaze, elegant from every angle. Striking with white daisies or a single stem of lavender.
Whichever cat you choose, the making is identical: same Staffordshire stoneware, same high-temperature firing, same watertight glazed interior, same weighted base and hand-cut felt underside. Margaret paints every whisker at the same workbench.
What Makes It Different
Most cat ornaments sold today are cast resin with printed faces — cold, hollow, identical by the thousand. They look fine on the shelf, but they were made for a market, not for a cat. The Nine Lives Vase is built the way English country potteries used to build things: to outlast you.
Every vase shaped, glazed and painted by the same pair of hands — 52 years of practice in every whisker
Built the way it should be:
- High-fired Staffordshire stoneware — dense, warm-toned English clay fired to stoneware temperature. Real weight in the hand. “Pick it up. It should feel like picking her up.”
- Fully glazed, watertight interior — holds water and fresh flowers, not just dust. The weekly ritual of changing the water is the whole point.
- Freehand painting, no transfers, no decals — every collar, patch, stripe and whisker painted by hand. No two vases ever leave the studio the same.
- Fade-proof fired-in colour — documented unchanged after 30 years on sunny windowsills. No crazing, no greying by the window like cheap gift-shop glazes.
- Weighted base — tall and slender, yet balanced so a full bouquet never tips it.
- Hand-cut felt underside — sits silently on the windowsill. The way she did.
Specifications
| Total Height | 11.8" (30 cm) |
| Base Diameter | 3.5" (9 cm) |
| Opening (flower crown) | 1.6" (4 cm) |
| Material | High-fired Staffordshire stoneware, hand-painted underglaze |
| Interior | Fully glazed, 100% watertight |
| Base | Weighted, with hand-cut felt underside |
| Weight | Approx. 2.4 lbs (1.1 kg) |
| Origin | Hand-crafted in Ludlow, Shropshire, England |
| Care | Rinse inside with warm water between bouquets. Wipe outside with a soft damp cloth. No sealants needed. |
The Story Behind the Studio
Margaret Whitfield spent 52 years as a working potter in Ludlow — jugs, bowls and honest tableware first, then, from 1974, the cats. Fourteen cats of her own over a lifetime, and every one of them ended up in clay: the tilt of a head, the curl of a tail, the one essential shape that is a cat. Her studio ledgers hold half a century of sketches, glaze recipes and the names of the town’s cats they were modelled on.
Today the kiln is cooling for the last time. Arthritis has taken the steadiness that freehand whiskers demand, and Margaret refuses to make anything “almost” right. There is no apprentice and no successor. This is the last batch of Nine Lives vases Margaret will ever make. When these shelves empty, 52 years of English pottery come to an end.
Granddaughter Lucy handles the online side, so Margaret can spend her last months at the wheel. Every order ships from the studio, wrapped by hand. 10% of every sale is donated to Cats Protection, the UK’s leading feline welfare charity.
100% Satisfaction Guarantee
Place your Nine Lives Vase on the sill, fill it with flowers, and live with it a while. If it doesn’t feel like her — for any reason — send it back within 30 days for a full refund, no questions asked. Margaret and Lucy stand behind every piece.
Hand-crafted in Ludlow, Shropshire · Limited final production · Ships within 3–5 business days · Delivery 3–10 days
The Final Sale
The Final Sale
Message from the Artist:
After years of making things by hand, our workshop is closing. These are the last pieces we'll ever ship. Every item on this page was made slowly, carefully, and with more love than any factory could replicate. Nothing rushed. Nothing outsourced. Just real craft from real hands.
We're proud of every single one. We hope they find good homes.
When they're gone, they're gone — and so are we.
Shipping with UPS / USPS
Shipping with UPS / USPS
Free shipping across the United States
- Delivery time: 7–14 business days
- Insured: Every package is fully insured
🌳 Carbon-neutral shipping with UPS / USPS
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Freqquently Asked Questions
Got a question? Here's how to reach us.
Got a question? Here's how to reach us.
My wife and I personally respond to every single email — as fast as we possibly can. Whether you have a question about your order or just want to talk craft, we're here.
You can reach us:
- Mon – Fri: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM (CT)
- Saturday: 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM (CT)
Email: info@craftfolk.com
Can I return my order if I don't like it?
Can I return my order if I don't like it?
Of course. We stand behind everything on CraftFolk 100%. If you're not happy, neither are we. Just shoot us an email within 90 days and we'll make it right — no hassle, no headaches.
How are your products made?
How are your products made?
Every single product on CraftFolk is 100% handmade — crafted by hand, using only premium quality materials. We're proud to carry on a tradition of craftsmanship that has been passed down through generations.