Just our cup of tea: Charlotte's crocks give new meaning to bone china

It's not the kind of bone china cup and saucer you'd put in front of your dollies for a prissy picnic; there are no floral flourishes or pretty posies on her quirky creations.

You'd be more likely to find 28-year-old Charlotte's ceramics on display at a pathology museum. Her weird and wonderful designs combine the charming and the chilling. Yes, she sells kitsch cow butter dishes, but they're overlaid with anatomical bovine skeletons. Udderly unique!

"My stuff is designer china, custom-printed bone china pieces with a macabre theme," Charlotte tells us. "I've been doing it for a couple of years now. Initially I did a degree in glass at Wolverhampton University and began using a kiln and experimenting with printing on china as well as on jewellery. I found the china stuff sold better; there's less competition as it's quite bespoke. Everyone uses a cup, so I thought I'd see how far I could take it.

"Traditionally, bone china is floral or has lovely pictures of birds on it. I like the contrast between that and the more macabre stuff. I started by upcycling vintage pieces and putting a dark or modern twist on them. People liked them, and so it led to me using more skulls and Day of the Dead designs."

But it's not all macabre. Stourbridge-based Charlotte also makes romantic gifts . . . well, in a fashion. Her 'I love you with all my heart' design is very darling – even if it does feature a biological anatomical organ. You can imagine what her 'I think about you all the time' mug looks like.

"I really like the Sweet Nothings series with the heart and brain designs. You say things like 'I love you with all my heart' to your other half, but you don't really think about the true meaning of it!"

It's a brave move for the maker, but one that's paying off. It takes a courageous creator to pursue a career in the arts. For many, it's far too risky a path to follow – the current climate dictates that job safety is paramount, and safe, creative jobs just don't come along every day. Being an artist isn't a fanciful folly. For successful business owners like Charlotte, it's about not only developing quirky and fun trinkets, but also ensuring she can pay her bills. Happiness at work is important too.

"When I was at uni, I did a business course alongside the art as I knew it wasn't going to be easy to find a job. I set up my first business in 2008 called Pretty Vacant, which used vacant shop units to put on exhibitions. That's led me to where I am now with Shop in the Square."

Charlotte's wares are available at the Shrewsbury and Wolverhampton branches of the independent shop, and she helps manage the stores too.

"Having that as a day job has enabled me to take the leap and really push everything I can into my business. It's really taken off. After I left uni I spent about two years trying to find a job in the arts. There are so few jobs and so much competition that you'd go through the application process and interviews just to find out you hadn't got it. It's so disheartening.

"I got to the point where I'd worked in jobs that made me dreadfully unhappy, and I just couldn't do it any more. I decided I wasn't going to do anything I didn't love any more. I gave up my job and went on the dole until I got funding to set up my business. I wanted to make myself a job, because I couldn't get one."

They say fortune favours the brave. And across Shropshire and the Black Country, small creative companies like Charlotte's are going from strength to strength, combining wild imagination and shrewd business sense to make wonderful pieces of art that really sell. It's a difficult road, but one that she's currently tootling happily along on, heading towards a successful Christmas.

"Whenever I think about it, I can see how my past has led to where I am now. As well as having my own business, I work with all the designers at Shop in the Square. It works because I can lead by example – I use my experiences to help them with their businesses. I've lived with no money, trying to keep a roof over my head and at the same time not giving in and following my dreams. At points, designers have said they can't do it any more, they want to give up. And I say 'no, you're going to do this, try that' and try to keep them focussed and positive.

"The run-up to Christmas is a bit crazy for me, to be honest. I'm looking to get an industrial unit in the new year. I can make and make at the moment and sell the pieces, but I can't go to the next level as just one person. Because I work from home, I can't expand. I set myself a big target for the year and I've just done the books and it's looking like I'll reach my target! I didn't think I ever would, so it's so nice.

"As well as the making, there's the design and admin stuff as well. So I need a bit more time while not losing on the production side of it. In the new year I will look at taking it to the next level, employing a couple of people to free up my time. I'm terrified!"

But as Charlotte's creations show, sometimes the terrifying can be beautiful. We're sure she'll be smashing – though hopefully not literally.

by Kirsty Bosley