Shabby Chic and A Berry Bowl

I know it's been some time since we posted, but August is just one of those months.

Here are a few new items just added to the shop...

I know I am excited about our white pottery! Here is the first of several pieces we have (email us if you want a preview of any others - we have a 12 inch square serving platter, another small square plate, and a shell plate). The white is just so shabby chic, elegant and rustic, and perfect for those who just can't make a color commitment : ) I love the way Mom let the clay show through the glaze.

maple leaf applique square plate

Another berry bowl for those that missed out in June...

forest green and purple berry bowl

And this is just a great color....

royal blue and grape ruffle plate

First Firing

I am about a week and a half late in posting this, but forgive me....I was on vacation : ) As you all know, Mom's new garage studio just got a little bit hotter with the addition of a brand new kiln!

She did her first bisque firing and had great success (we showed you those pictures in our first post about the new kiln here). It took almost a full 24 hours (if I remember correctly) to get up to temperature and then slowly cool back down to 100 degrees. See our post on bisque firing for more details on that process.

But if I thought she was excited about the bisque firing, the glaze firing was like Christmas morning. Glaze firing gets even hotter so it took close to a day and a half to get up to temp and cool back down before they could open the lid. The suspense was killing her! But it was worth it. Check out what they found....

Top layer
(new white plates!)

middle layer
(new aqua teal color...loving it...can't remember the name right now, forgive me)

bottom layer
(coasters and jewelry...will have some new rings, button earrings - both clip and post)

Summer Colors: Gunmetal

Metallics are hot and we are excited to be able to include them in our summer glazes. Gunmetal gray is a gorgeous pewter gray metallic glaze that we are highlighting in a variety of ways.

Gunmetal on its own leans toward the bronze gray metallic side and I just love it on this plate. The modern lines are clean and simple.

gunmetal square plate

Same gorgeous gunmetal with a little softer edge in these coasters.
gunmetal coasters

And here is gunmetal paired with black in a trivet. Love how it brought out the pewter green almost patina look.
gunmetal leaf trivet

Giveaway Winner and A Surprise!!!

Congratulations to Ginger!!!

She was comment #6. I tried to copy and post the random.org number generator, but it's not working and it's not worth it! Congrats, Ginger! She already had her eye on the robin's egg blue bowl and it's already reserved for her, but we have another surprise for everyone else who did not win this time around...

Anyone who entered our giveaway will receive 20% off any order of $35 or more made between now and next Sunday, August 9.

Just type in "blog giveaway" in the "Message to Seller" box before you finish the check out process in Etsy.


The nitty gritty details....

Refunds will process in the following methods:
1. For PayPal, we will issue a refund to your account if you have already processed payment.
2. If you prefer, we can adjust the Etsy price prior to payment through PayPal and list the item as reserved for you (Although some of you have had items slip through your fingers during an email convo, so we understand if you want to pay first! Those darn berry bowls flew out the door!)
3. If paying by check, please convo us for a revised total before mailing your payment.

All discounts are applied to the purchase price prior to shipping charges (and sales tax where applicable).

The Kiln

Don't forget our giveaway winner will be announced tomorrow! Last chance to enter to win a $20 gift certificate to our shop. See this post. And maybe we have another surprise up our sleeve for tomorrow as well : )

On to the good stuff...

More than a few months in the making, but Stone Lotus Pottery officially has its own kiln and the beginnings of its own garage studio!!!

Mom and Dad are painting contractors, so their oversized two-car garage has always been home to a fair share of paint, supplies, and large equipment in addition to what everyone else stores in their garages. Earlier this summer, Dad built a new shed on the back of the garage and moved all the painting supplies into it.

All that....to make room for this!

The Stone Lotus Pottery studio is well on its way with a brand new kiln and a cleaned out garage ready for new shelving and storage for all of Mom's clay, glaze, tools, and of course all that pottery in various stages of production! I'll post more pictures as they send them to me, but I hear the studio is really coming together.

And here are a few layers of our very first bisque firing in the new kiln. This is the first firing to get a piece ready for glazing : )