Deborah set up The Olney Pottery in the North Bucks town of Olney in 1975 after studying at Camberwell School of Art and a further 4 years living and studying in Japan.

She makes finely thrown stoneware and porcelain bowls, vases and jugs which are often decorated with lettering. Inscriptions can be chosen to order for any occasion, from names and dates for a wedding, to individual wording for prizes and presents. In 2006 Deborah started The Olney Pottery Press, producing prints and books, in parallel with the pottery. Lettering and drawing are used on both pots and prints, often with similar techniques - incised decoration on pots like the lines cut into lino and wood blocks, paper resist with coloured slip on clay like screen printing through cut paper stencils.