From painting pots to creating cosmetics, Jill Myers and Faith Robinson's business offers something for all the family. Women's Editor Christen Pears reports.

THE smell of freshly ground coffee and the warmth from the kiln make the Clay Caf an inviting place on a cold morning. It's just a few minutes after opening time and it's already busy. Children are sitting down painting while mums and dads enjoy a hot drink and a chat.

Faith Robinson, who owns the Spennymoor caf with friend and business partner Jill Myers, came across the idea during a trip to Canada and was determined to bring it to the North-East. Customers choose a piece of bisque from the huge range on display, whether it's a teapot or an ornamental teddy bear, and they decorate it themselves. Then it's glazed and fired in the kiln by Jill and Faith.

"Jill loved the idea right from the start," says Faith. "She was convinced it would work here and she's been right. There are some Clay Cafs in London but this is the only one in the region. We've only been open a few weeks and we've had people from all over coming in.

"The bisque ranges in price from £3 to £30 and people can do what they want with it. It's great fun, no matter what your ability and you can have as much or as little help as you want. We have lots of books full of designs and stencils if you're looking for ideas or we can leave you alone to get on with your masterpiece."

I visit during the half term holiday. It's the last day of art camp and a group of children are making papier mache pigs. Other activities have included glass and pottery painting and, judging by some of the efforts on display, some of the youngsters have a real artistic streak.

"It's brilliant if you have kids. Faith and I both have teaching qualifications so mums know they can leave their children here safely for a few hours."

But the caf isn't just for children. Anyone can come along and have a go, and it's a brilliant idea if you want to give someone an unusual gift. There's no limit to how long you can spend decorating your pot. Some people spend an hour or two, others have ongoing projects that last for several weeks.

The Clay Caf is just the latest addition to Faith and Jill's business. In 1998, a chance find in a bookshop led the friends down a completely new career route. Faith was a primary school teacher and Jill had worked as an exercise instructor for over 30 years. Both bored with their jobs, they began to look for an alternative and stumbled upon a book of recipes from a Victorian stillroom - the part of the house where maids concocted kitchen cleaners, soaps, candles and cosmetics for the ladies of the house.

They knew they'd found what they were looking for and starting trying out some of the recipes and testing them out on friends.

"It was hard at first and we had no idea what would work," says Jill. "I was having real problems with a lip balm. I just couldn't get it to work so I phoned up the managing director of a major cosmetics company and asked him what I should do. Looking back, I can't believe I did it but he was so taken aback by how cheeky I was, he told me."

The pair also had to get to grips with all the regulations set down by the Department of Trade and Industry, trading standards and environmental health. In 1998, they launched Stillroom Cosmetics - a range of 100 per cent natural cosmetics. They're suitable for both vegetarians and vegans and are excellent for people suffering from skin conditions such as eczema and psoriasis.

For the first couple of years, they were based in an enterprise centre in Hartlepool but the business grew so much they had to start looking round for new premises. Last year, they spotted a shop in Spennymoor, a large, dilapidated building on the High Street with peeling walls and falling-down ceilings. After eight weeks of solid work, it's been transformed into a welcoming, colourful building. As well as the caf, there are 12 other rooms, giving Faith and Jill plenty of space for them to make their cosmetics. They also have a nail bar and treatment rooms upstairs, where they offer complementary therapies including aromatherapy and reflexology.

"We wanted to do something that would involve whole family. Faith and I both have grown-up children, as well as two 11-year-olds so we know how difficult it can be to please everyone. The children can paint, mums can have a massage upstairs and dads can sit down and have a cup of coffee. It does seem like a bit of a strange mix but I think it's really going to work."

* For more information about Stillroom cosmetics or the Clay Caf, log onto www.stillroom.com or telephone (01388) 811811.