{"product_id":"margarets-handmade-cat-vase","title":"Margaret's Handmade Cat Vase","description":"\u003c!-- =====================================================\n     NINE LIVES VASE — PRODUCT DESCRIPTION\n     CSS-Prefix: .nl-pdp__\n     Drop into Shopify product description (HTML mode)\n     ===================================================== --\u003e\n\u003cstyle\u003e\n@import url('https:\/\/fonts.googleapis.com\/css2?family=Playfair+Display:wght@400;700;900\u0026family=Lora:wght@400;500;600;700\u0026display=swap');\n.nl-pdp__container {\n  font-family: 'Lora', Georgia, serif !important;\n  color: #2B2723 !important;\n  line-height: 1.7 !important;\n  max-width: 720px !important;\n  margin: 0 auto !important;\n}\n.nl-pdp__hero-quote {\n  font-family: 'Playfair Display', Georgia, serif !important;\n  font-style: italic !important;\n  font-size: 20px !important;\n  line-height: 1.5 !important;\n  color: #3d3831 !important;\n  text-align: center !important;\n  padding: 24px 20px !important;\n  background: #F3EDE2 !important;\n  border-top: 2px solid #2E6F6C !important;\n  border-bottom: 2px solid #2E6F6C !important;\n  margin: 0 0 28px !important;\n}\n.nl-pdp__hero-quote-author {\n  display: block !important;\n  font-family: 'Lora', Georgia, serif !important;\n  font-style: normal !important;\n  font-size: 13px !important;\n  font-weight: 600 !important;\n  color: #6F675E !important;\n  letter-spacing: 1px !important;\n  text-transform: uppercase !important;\n  margin-top: 12px !important;\n}\n.nl-pdp__intro {\n  font-size: 17px !important;\n  line-height: 1.75 !important;\n  color: #2B2723 !important;\n  margin: 0 0 28px !important;\n}\n.nl-pdp__intro strong {\n  color: #2E6F6C !important;\n}\n.nl-pdp__h2 {\n  font-family: 'Playfair Display', Georgia, serif !important;\n  font-weight: 700 !important;\n  font-size: 22px !important;\n  line-height: 1.3 !important;\n  color: #2B2723 !important;\n  margin: 36px 0 16px !important;\n  padding-bottom: 8px !important;\n  border-bottom: 1px solid #E4DDD1 !important;\n}\n.nl-pdp__p {\n  font-size: 16px !important;\n  line-height: 1.7 !important;\n  color: #2B2723 !important;\n  margin: 0 0 16px !important;\n}\n.nl-pdp__p strong {\n  color: #2E6F6C !important;\n}\n.nl-pdp__photo {\n  width: 100% !important;\n  height: auto !important;\n  display: block !important;\n  border-radius: 4px !important;\n  margin: 20px 0 8px !important;\n}\n.nl-pdp__photo-caption {\n  font-size: 12px !important;\n  color: #8B7A66 !important;\n  font-style: italic !important;\n  text-align: center !important;\n  margin: 0 0 20px !important;\n  letter-spacing: 0.5px !important;\n}\n.nl-pdp__variants {\n  display: grid !important;\n  grid-template-columns: 1fr !important;\n  gap: 16px !important;\n  margin: 24px 0 !important;\n}\n.nl-pdp__variant {\n  background: #FFFCF7 !important;\n  border: 1px solid #E4DDD1 !important;\n  border-left: 4px solid #2E6F6C !important;\n  border-radius: 4px !important;\n  padding: 18px 22px !important;\n}\n.nl-pdp__variant-title {\n  font-family: 'Playfair Display', Georgia, serif !important;\n  font-weight: 700 !important;\n  font-size: 17px !important;\n  color: #2E6F6C !important;\n  margin: 0 0 6px !important;\n}\n.nl-pdp__variant-desc {\n  font-size: 15px !important;\n  line-height: 1.55 !important;\n  color: #2B2723 !important;\n  margin: 0 !important;\n}\n.nl-pdp__features {\n  background: #F3EDE2 !important;\n  border: 1px solid #E4DDD1 !important;\n  border-radius: 4px !important;\n  padding: 22px 26px !important;\n  margin: 24px 0 !important;\n}\n.nl-pdp__features-title {\n  font-family: 'Playfair Display', Georgia, serif !important;\n  font-weight: 700 !important;\n  font-size: 18px !important;\n  color: #2B2723 !important;\n  margin: 0 0 14px !important;\n}\n.nl-pdp__features-list {\n  list-style: none !important;\n  padding: 0 !important;\n  margin: 0 !important;\n}\n.nl-pdp__features-list li {\n  padding: 10px 0 10px 24px !important;\n  position: relative !important;\n  font-size: 15px !important;\n  line-height: 1.6 !important;\n  border-bottom: 1px dashed #D5C9B8 !important;\n  color: #2B2723 !important;\n}\n.nl-pdp__features-list li:last-child {\n  border-bottom: none !important;\n}\n.nl-pdp__features-list li::before {\n  content: \"\\2192\" !important;\n  position: absolute !important;\n  left: 0 !important;\n  top: 10px !important;\n  color: #2E6F6C !important;\n  font-weight: 700 !important;\n}\n.nl-pdp__features-list strong {\n  color: #2E6F6C !important;\n}\n.nl-pdp__specs {\n  background: #FFFCF7 !important;\n  border: 1px solid #E4DDD1 !important;\n  border-radius: 4px !important;\n  padding: 18px 22px !important;\n  margin: 24px 0 !important;\n}\n.nl-pdp__specs-title {\n  font-family: 'Playfair Display', Georgia, serif !important;\n  font-weight: 700 !important;\n  font-size: 16px !important;\n  color: #2B2723 !important;\n  margin: 0 0 12px !important;\n  text-transform: uppercase !important;\n  letter-spacing: 1px !important;\n}\n.nl-pdp__specs-table {\n  width: 100% !important;\n  border-collapse: collapse !important;\n  font-size: 14px !important;\n}\n.nl-pdp__specs-table td {\n  padding: 8px 0 !important;\n  border-bottom: 1px dashed #E4DDD1 !important;\n  color: #2B2723 !important;\n}\n.nl-pdp__specs-table td:first-child {\n  font-weight: 600 !important;\n  color: #2E6F6C !important;\n  width: 38% !important;\n}\n.nl-pdp__specs-table tr:last-child td {\n  border-bottom: none !important;\n}\n.nl-pdp__guarantee {\n  background: #FFFCF7 !important;\n  border: 1px solid #E4DDD1 !important;\n  border-left: 4px solid #5F7A5A !important;\n  padding: 18px 22px !important;\n  margin: 24px 0 !important;\n  border-radius: 4px !important;\n}\n.nl-pdp__guarantee-title {\n  font-family: 'Playfair Display', Georgia, serif !important;\n  font-weight: 700 !important;\n  font-size: 17px !important;\n  color: #5F7A5A !important;\n  margin: 0 0 8px !important;\n}\n.nl-pdp__guarantee-text {\n  font-size: 15px !important;\n  line-height: 1.6 !important;\n  color: #2B2723 !important;\n  margin: 0 !important;\n}\n.nl-pdp__story-block {\n  background: #F3EDE2 !important;\n  padding: 22px 26px !important;\n  border-radius: 4px !important;\n  margin: 28px 0 !important;\n}\n.nl-pdp__story-block p {\n  font-size: 15px !important;\n  line-height: 1.7 !important;\n  color: #2B2723 !important;\n  margin: 0 0 12px !important;\n}\n.nl-pdp__story-block p:last-child {\n  margin-bottom: 0 !important;\n}\n.nl-pdp__story-block strong {\n  color: #2E6F6C !important;\n}\n\u003c\/style\u003e\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"nl-pdp__container\"\u003e\n\n\u003c!-- Hero quote --\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"nl-pdp__hero-quote\"\u003e\n  “I need these on windowsills. I want someone to look up from their tea, see that familiar shape, and smile instead of ache.”\n  \u003cspan class=\"nl-pdp__hero-quote-author\"\u003e— Margaret Whitfield, potter, Ludlow, Shropshire\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\n\u003c!-- Intro --\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"nl-pdp__intro\"\u003eThe \u003cstrong\u003eNine Lives Vase\u003c\/strong\u003e 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003c!-- Variants --\u003e\n\u003ch2 class=\"nl-pdp__h2\"\u003eChoose Your Cat (all hand-painted, no two alike)\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cimg alt=\"All five Nine Lives cat vase designs side by side on the studio workbench\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0829\/9505\/2887\/files\/hf_20260717_210404_a9dcc8ad-14a3-4565-8a6b-baab84285777.png?v=1784322405\" class=\"nl-pdp__photo\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"nl-pdp__photo-caption\"\u003eWilfred, Domino, Olive, Bramble and Sooty — five real cats from Margaret’s life, no two vases ever painted the same\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"nl-pdp__variants\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"nl-pdp__variant\"\u003e\n\u003ch3 class=\"nl-pdp__variant-title\"\u003e🧡 Wilfred — The Ginger Tom with the Teal Collar (Bestseller)\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"nl-pdp__variant-desc\"\u003eMargaret’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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"nl-pdp__variant\"\u003e\n\u003ch3 class=\"nl-pdp__variant-title\"\u003e🖤 Domino — The Black \u0026amp; White Patch\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"nl-pdp__variant-desc\"\u003eA 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"nl-pdp__variant\"\u003e\n\u003ch3 class=\"nl-pdp__variant-title\"\u003e💚 Olive — The Sage-Green Cat with the Red Scarf\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"nl-pdp__variant-desc\"\u003eThe 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"nl-pdp__variant\"\u003e\n\u003ch3 class=\"nl-pdp__variant-title\"\u003e🧡 Bramble — The Marmalade Tabby\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"nl-pdp__variant-desc\"\u003eA 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"nl-pdp__variant\"\u003e\n\u003ch3 class=\"nl-pdp__variant-title\"\u003e🖤 Sooty — The Sleek All-Black\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"nl-pdp__variant-desc\"\u003eThe 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\n\u003cp class=\"nl-pdp__p\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eWhichever 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.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003c!-- The Difference --\u003e\n\u003ch2 class=\"nl-pdp__h2\"\u003eWhat Makes It Different\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"nl-pdp__p\"\u003eMost 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cimg alt=\"Margaret Whitfield's hands shaping and painting a Nine Lives cat vase by hand in her studio\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0829\/9505\/2887\/files\/hf_20260717_205843_360c0753-a734-45dd-8396-f283b87a4353.png?v=1784322215\" class=\"nl-pdp__photo\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"nl-pdp__photo-caption\"\u003eEvery vase shaped, glazed and painted by the same pair of hands — 52 years of practice in every whisker\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"nl-pdp__features\"\u003e\n\u003ch3 class=\"nl-pdp__features-title\"\u003eBuilt the way it should be:\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul class=\"nl-pdp__features-list\"\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eHigh-fired Staffordshire stoneware\u003c\/strong\u003e — dense, warm-toned English clay fired to stoneware temperature. Real weight in the hand. “Pick it up. It should feel like picking her up.”\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFully glazed, watertight interior\u003c\/strong\u003e — holds water and fresh flowers, not just dust. The weekly ritual of changing the water is the whole point.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFreehand painting, no transfers, no decals\u003c\/strong\u003e — every collar, patch, stripe and whisker painted by hand. No two vases ever leave the studio the same.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFade-proof fired-in colour\u003c\/strong\u003e — documented unchanged after 30 years on sunny windowsills. No crazing, no greying by the window like cheap gift-shop glazes.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eWeighted base\u003c\/strong\u003e — tall and slender, yet balanced so a full bouquet never tips it.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eHand-cut felt underside\u003c\/strong\u003e — sits silently on the windowsill. The way she did.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\n\u003c!-- Specs --\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"nl-pdp__specs\"\u003e\n\u003ch3 class=\"nl-pdp__specs-title\"\u003eSpecifications\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003ctable class=\"nl-pdp__specs-table\"\u003e\n\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eTotal Height\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e11.8\" (30 cm)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eBase Diameter\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e3.5\" (9 cm)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eOpening (flower crown)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e1.6\" (4 cm)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eMaterial\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eHigh-fired Staffordshire stoneware, hand-painted underglaze\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eInterior\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eFully glazed, 100% watertight\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eBase\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eWeighted, with hand-cut felt underside\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eWeight\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eApprox. 2.4 lbs (1.1 kg)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eOrigin\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eHand-crafted in Ludlow, Shropshire, England\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eCare\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eRinse inside with warm water between bouquets. Wipe outside with a soft damp cloth. No sealants needed.\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/tbody\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\n\u003c!-- The story --\u003e\n\u003ch2 class=\"nl-pdp__h2\"\u003eThe Story Behind the Studio\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"nl-pdp__story-block\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMargaret 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 \u003cem\u003eis\u003c\/em\u003e 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eToday 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. \u003cstrong\u003eThis is the last batch of Nine Lives vases Margaret will ever make.\u003c\/strong\u003e When these shelves empty, 52 years of English pottery come to an end.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGranddaughter Lucy handles the online side, so Margaret can spend her last months at the wheel. Every order ships from the studio, wrapped by hand. \u003cstrong\u003e10% of every sale is donated to Cats Protection\u003c\/strong\u003e, the UK’s leading feline welfare charity.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\n\u003c!-- Guarantee --\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"nl-pdp__guarantee\"\u003e\n\u003ch3 class=\"nl-pdp__guarantee-title\"\u003e100% Satisfaction Guarantee\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"nl-pdp__guarantee-text\"\u003ePlace 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\n\u003c!-- Closing line --\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center !important; font-style: italic !important; color: #6F675E !important; margin-top: 28px !important;\" class=\"nl-pdp__p\"\u003eHand-crafted in Ludlow, Shropshire · Limited final production · Ships within 3–5 business days · Delivery 3–10 days\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Marlow Market","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54060698960215,"sku":null,"price":29.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0829\/9505\/2887\/files\/hf_20260717_213006_ce094ac9-eb78-456f-a7ac-ed48d3415d5e.png?v=1784323882","url":"https:\/\/www.marlowmarketco.com\/products\/margarets-handmade-cat-vase","provider":"Marlow Market","version":"1.0","type":"link"}