From her workshop in Vendée, Caroline creates ceramic beans for bakeries throughout France

“It amuses me, I have fun. »

In a workshop located between her living room and her bedroom in her house in Sables-d'Olonne, Caroline Schwab creates.

From his hands are born all kinds of ceramic objects.

From a store sign to a house number plaque, the artist also creates beans for the galettes de rois in various bakeries in Les Sables-d'Olonne, in Vendée, but also in the four corners of the France.

Living from your art

10 years ago, Caroline Schwab, sculptor, created Cinq à 10.

At first, Caroline didn't realize only sculptures. Until the day a friend recommended that she create “useful things”, everyday ceramic objects imagined by the artist. An idea at the start which attracted him “no more than that”, but which in the end turned out to be a paid choice.

Caroline's creations allow her to make a full living from her activity as an artist by selling her ceramic objects to professionals or individuals. “I live from it and I live well from it,” confides Caroline, “it’s cool.”

To create, the artist is alone. And to sell too.

Its objects are to buy directly from her or via her website. Caroline does not go through boutique resellers.

Before each Christmas, in December, she organizes an exhibition of her objects in her garden for those who would like to come and see and perhaps leave with one of Caroline's creations.

The activity that Caroline would like to develop is the creation of signs for shops, bars or restaurants. “Ceramic ages better than plastic, it lasts longer and then when it is worn it gives an effect of wear which is not ugly”, explains Caroline, “and it is not more expensive than plastic”.

A family helper

Caroline has three children. Each of them was involved in the artist's project in their own way.

His son, an architect, imagined the workshop where Caroline works. “I’m so comfortable here,” Caroline smiles as she gazes out of the large “bright” window that illuminates her work space.

Her daughter, a member of a theater troupe, has already come with some of her friends to lend a hand for what looks like a cohesion course.

Finally, her other daughter is fully involved in the commercial part from Five to 10. Canvassing bakeries, creating a file presenting Caroline's activities, she manages everything that her mother “hates doing, I love working but I don't like the commercial part at all”.

The creation of beans

For the month of January, Caroline creates beans for the galettes des rois of certain bakeries. Work carried out well in advance.

“We start canvassing in February-March,” explains Caroline. Because all its beans are handmade.

These little objects that will designate the kings and queens of January, “are work all year round! »

The artist displays his work from February to early December. “I take a breather in December” after the intensity of the year doing “these little things that I like to do”.

For the first deliveries, it is from September that Caroline sends the beans to certain bakeries to ensure their stock.

Vendée Globe, Snapchat…

For this year 2025, beans from Five to 10 can be found in particular at the Fournil de Pepette in Sables-d’Olonne.

But the artist has exported herself. Its beans are also present in pancakes from bakeries in Jard-sur-Mer and Saint-Georges-de-Montaigu.

And Vendée is not not its limit. She also works in collaboration with bakeries in Paris, Fontainebleau, her hometown, but also in the south in Nice.

“I only work with bakeries that make good cakes,” laughs the ceramist.

For the Fournil de Pepette, its beans are on the theme of the Vendée Globe. An idea that didn't particularly interest Caroline at first. Then the prospect of creating “little colorful boats” born from his imagination finally tempted him.

Recently, it is the Snapchat application which ordered a hundred beans from him for an event organized by the social network which has more than 400 million daily active users.

The only condition Caroline set was to be able to make the beans for the Snapchat logo with the colors she wanted. A request validated by the application.

“You can imagine that I don't use Snapchat so I didn't know, but it made my children laugh and it's the most important thing in my life, to make my children laugh, so I accepted. »

Contacts : 06 46 88 22 98 ou [email protected] Site internet : cinqa10.fr

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