I've been in love with the work of Vancouver-based ceramics artist Claire Madill of Heyday Design ever since I visited her studio during our city's annual East Side Culture Crawl last November. Claire finds inspiration in mundane things – from the patterns of Chinese take-out box and commercial pickle jars – then translates these textures beautifully into porcelain.

Says Claire:

“When exploring thrift stores, I consistently am drawn to the designs and forms of vintage kitchen ware: the backbone of a bygone domestic era. I remind myself that, even though these objects are for sale, they essentially had little use or value to the previous owner when they were given away to the thrift shop."

I'm especially drawn to Claire's vintage jar series, pictured above. She recently launched three new pieces in this series – Mary, Edna and Vera – named for the three grandmothers in her life.

Prices for Heyday ceramics prices range from $40 to 125. For now, they can only be purchased in Vancouver, Toronto, and Berkeley, though Claire says on her website that she has plans to sell online soon. In the meantime, if any of these pieces strike your fancy, contact her through her website.