News
23 Apr Innkeeper Q&A: Katherine Brown of Bloomsbury
The snow and cold is a distant memory, but the mornings are still starting out on the chilly side - Today it was 35º when dawn broke here at the pottery shop. Finding things that fit makes life more fulfilling, and definitely makes work more fun... Be it a perfect pair of sunglasses to protect your eyes as spring comes, or a perfect mug.I've been waiting to find the next Innkeeper to interview and after hearing from Katherine Brown of Bloomsbury located in Camden, SC earlier this week I knew she would be perfect. In October of lat year we first talked about her property and our mugs and a few weeks later we combined a photograph of her property, and a drawing, by Randall Peterson, into this beautiful creation by Teena our Art Director.
At the start of the week I received a sorta tap-on-the-shoulder email that, more or less, hit me over the head and prompted me to see if Katherine would want to be the second official participant of our Innkeeper Q&A. "Good morning Niles - this is where you can share a 'great laugh' with everyone at Deneen Pottery! When we ordered mugs a few short months ago, it was primarily because I like them--I wanted to try them on our breakfast table. As it would never have occurred to me to buy a mug (with some logo) when I was traveling -- I rather dismissed when you said how well they sell. OK - I need to place an order. Quit laughing and tell me what you need." I don't mind being dismissed especially when I get to hear about it - That's why this statement is also on our testimonials page... It helps to look back at positive statements when you are having a rough day - And I figure if I keep stacking up the positive things that have been said, more will KNOW that we ARE the best at making Custom Stoneware Coffee Mugs!03 Mar Eighth Day Books & Mugs…
In September of last year I received a catalog request from Warren Farha, the owner of Eighth Day Books, of Wichita, KS. As I was filling out the envelope I searched google and came across their webpage and I saw this quote, "that which is true, is ours". Little did I know that we would make an order of handmade mugs for Warren, and that that order would have a 'true' story of it's own.
And that true story is told by Joshua and it goes like this:
"Just as we were unpacking your delicious shipment at the front counter (we call it the 'front counter' but it's by the back door), our friend Philip (long-time customer) came in to buy Christmas gifts for his (prodigous) family. He was immediately entranced by the mugs, and selected 8 as stocking-stuffers."
So the very first day that EIGHTH day books had their mugs, they sold EIGHT... How Cool!
10 Dec Innkeeper Q&A: Selena Einwechter of B&B on Tiffany Hill
It's a snowy COLD day here in Minnesota - single digit highs and -30º below at night with the wind chill. Sorting through the importance of Facebook, and finding relavent material and ideas to share on a blog can be TOUGH. A few weeks back when I figured that I'd like to use our Facebook page to showcase 'Innkeepers Mug Displays' I was given a tip by Linda Hayes from the Inn at Riverbend in Pearlsburg, Virginia about her friend Selena. "You should get [a picture] from Selena at Bed and Breakfast on Tiffany Hill, her retail wall with your mugs is beautiful."
24 Sep Something Special for the Holidays
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:
06 Aug Olive – The shop dog
This entry isn't really about our custom handmade mugs, instead it is on our mascot Olive. In May of last year my wife Annie gave me a long awaited Christmas present in the form of a Mini-GoldenDoodle who we named Olive. She arrived weighing just over 3 pounds but took up a lot of space in our hearts!
06 May Hell’s Backbone and Deneen Pottery Mugs
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!
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.
13 Feb First blog about our Hand Made Stoneware Mugs
We have an almost inexhaustible range of glaze colors and finishes on our handmade stoneware. A virtual rainbow of options that allow you to 'feel like a kid in a candy store' as you narrow your selection for each order....