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When you work hard people take notice... Because we work REALLY hard on all of our orders, occasionally we hear back from our customers as they 'take notice' of their handmade stoneware mugs. Whether it is in the shape of a hand written card, letter, emails, or pictures, these notes are a joy to receive. We recently received one such email from a wonderful customer in Vermont that first contacted us in May, 'visionkeeper' of Peace of Mind Emporium Julie White RN: "We are Vermont's Premier Stress Reduction Store and Wellness Center created by Nurses. Our name, Peace of Mind Emporium, and lovely buildings and grounds, draw people in who are looking for an oasis from their stress - filled lives. They often remark that they want to take a piece of Peace of Mind home with them after visiting in our store..."
exteriorLovely Building and Gardens

In the throws of summer we begin to prepare for the holidays... It's crazy to have to think down the road 4 months, but when it comes to making handmade stoneware everything takes time! In August we send out an email to all of our customers offering a free set-up for anyone that hasn't ordered our ornaments, or 5 additional free ornaments to those that have ordered them in the past. We started doing this about 3 years ago and with that first special I received an email from Emily Hoche-Mong the Innkeeper at the Goose & Turrets:

"One Christmas season I gave all guests a handmade ornament from Deneen Pottery with my Goose & Turrets logo. One guest, a young lady from Australia, began to cry, and she flung her arms around my neck and said, "You are just so sweet, that's the only present I've gotten this Christmas." I will never forget that experience nor that Deneen Pottery was a part of it.

Here is what that ornament looks like:

goose

Hell's Backbone Grill is located in Boulder, Utah, population 180 - one of the most remote towns in the United States! The chef-owners, Jen Castle and Blake Spalding operate their restaurant following Buddhist principles, with a commitment to sustainability, environmental ethics, and social and community responsibility. They serve organic, locally produced, regionally and seasonally appropriate cusine and grow many of their own vegetables organically in the restaurants two gardens and on their six-acre farm! They feature dishes made with fruit from Boulder's heirloom orchards and rely largely on local ranchers for the natural meats. Every cup of coffee is served in a handmade mug, by (you guessed it) Deneen Pottery!hellsname Now in their 9th season, their mission and passion have not gone unrecognized.   Hell's Backbone Grill enjoys one of the highest Zagat ratings in Utah and was selected as a Fodor’s Choice 2006 recipient. The restaurant was also named Salt Lake Magazine’s “Best Restaurant in Southern Utah” for 2007 and was awarded the prestigious Utah Governor’s Mansion Award for Culinary Artistry in 2006, presented by Governor Jon Huntsman. In 2005, Blake and Jen received an award from the Museum of Northern Arizona and the Center for Sustainable Environments for being “Culture Bearers of Sustainability in the Four Corners Region.” Additionally, Hell’s Backbone Grill was chosen as one of four restaurants representing Utah’s Slow Food movement in an exhibit in the Smithsonian Museum in Washington, D.C. The restaurant has been featured in O, the Oprah Magazine, The New York Times, Sunset Magazine, Bon Appetit, Organic Gardening, Outside Traveler, Travel and Leisure, Washington Post, Men’s Journal, and National Geographic Traveler.

As my family has been making mugs for customers for over 30 years from time to time we hear from folks like Vince Smith of Houston, Texas: Dear Niles: Approximately 12 years ago, my wife and I were in Ithaca, NY and had the pleasure of spending a night at the Rose Inn.  In a matter of days, the two mugs we purchased became my favorite [handmade coffee mugs] of all time.  Unfortunately, one of them was broken beyond recognition.  I know that’s hard to believe since they are so sturdy.

Spring is finally in the air and I had a few minutes this morning to take pictures of the firing that took place yesterday. We fire the kiln 4-5 days a week, each glaze firing heats the stoneware inside up to about 2350º F and takes 24 hours to heat up and cool down. Like most commercial and handmade pottery we have 2 firings; bisque, and glaze. The bisque firing is the first and heats the our handmade stoneware up to 1600º F over the course of 12 hours. I'll take some pictures of the difference in air dry, bisque, glazed and then glaze fired in the next report. Now for the mug shots:
Clay Corner Colonial Mugs - BurgundyClay Corner - Burgundy, Colonial Mugs