Welcome to the House of Swears of Joy

The story behind the sass!

It started with a gift, a laugh, and someone I loved deeply.

Over fifteen years ago, one of my closest friends gave me my first piece of sweary china — a beautiful mug with a completely inappropriate message. It was elegant, unexpected, and absolutely hilarious. Every time I looked at it, I laughed. That gift stayed with me.

He kept finding them too. Sweary little treasures. Ridiculous, delicate, perfect things.

The man who unknowingly started all of this.
He’d have loved every mischievous, ridiculous, beautifully sweary bit of it.

When he passed away, I found myself returning to those pieces. They reminded me of his humour, his warmth, and his gift for finding joy where you least expect it.

That’s how Swears of Joy began — not as a business idea, but as a way to keep that spirit alive. To take beautiful, forgotten china and give it a second life full of personality, laughter, and just the right amount of rebellion.

Every piece I make is a small tribute.
Vintage. Unapologetic. Slightly unhinged.

Just like the joy he brought into my life

Swears of Joy became the place where all that love and laughter had somewhere to go.

Nice things. Questionable Manners.

The china always comes first.

Every piece of vintage china has already lived a life. I don't want to erase that or make it new again. I want to give it another chapter.

The original china leads the design. I take colours from its flowers, patterns and details, choosing typography that works with what is already there rather than fighting against it. The aim is for the words to feel at home on the piece — as though they've always been hiding amongst the roses, just waiting for someone to notice them.

Picture plates have their own way of telling me what they want to become. An expression, a tiny detail, the composition or the story already happening in the picture can spark a phrase. I don't force it. If the picture doesn't give me something, I leave it behind.

The mugs give me a different kind of freedom. Starting with fine bone china and a blank canvas means the whole design is mine — the words, typography, colours and everything around them. Some phrases begin life on vintage china and find their way onto a mug; others are created especially for one of the mug collections. Different process, same Swears of Joy attitude.

That's how an old picture gets a new story, a forgotten piece finds a new purpose, and a beautifully behaved mug gets given something thoroughly inappropriate to say.

Beautiful china. New stories. Questionable manners.

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