When Gillian of Art Ceramics Studio sent me an e-mail at the end of last year announcing there were some free places at her ceramics course starting January 2017, I did not hesitate and registered both me and my boyfriend.

Two and a half months later since our first class, we are the proud owners of our hand-made plates, boxes, vases – to name but a few of our modest creations in clay. Few things can equal the satisfaction of creating, and there is something refreshingly elementary about creating with clay.

The studio itself, located in the heart of Amsterdam’s Jordaan neighbourhood, is very inspiring. Gillian and the other students made us feel at home, so now, when we are about to take a break for the summer, feels like a good time to look back to the good times we spent there.