Every year after the Christmas season, we've had a clearance section on our website. This year, it's on Etsy, and it's a big one! Over 20 beautiful pieces, ranging in price from only $6 to $15! This is a clearance you will not want to miss!Each item is a quality, handmade piece of pottery that is very durable and ideally suited for use every day! But they also make beautiful items for home decor and gifts. The only reason these pieces are on sale so low is because of our new bowls! We have many, many new bowls being made every day and we simply need more room.So make sure to check out the clearance section and order your favorites today!
Annual Holiday Open HouseSaturday, December 1st, 10am - 6pmSunday, December 2nd, 12pm - 4pm
at
Jean Elton Studio & Gallery
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Come and browse through our home, gallery,and pottery studio as you sip coffee or ciderand check off your Christmas gift list!
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Hand Made OrnamentsFloral Christmas Trees
Specialty Table Top Items
Christmas Dinnerware
Hand Painted Glassware
Candleholders & Holiday WreathsDecorated Wrought Iron
Home Decor Items
Collectibles
Baby Star Bibs & Blankets
Handcrafted Jewelry
Mexican Gifts
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Presented by:
Lois Barker
Barbara DorchinskyDenise Janci
Wendy Kaufman
Adriana LobatoKathy Sackett
Amy Willers
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And featuring a gallery of our pottery students work:
Roni Widmer
Devony Widmer
Morgan Cutter
Missy Hill
Remember our post on the Evolution of the Painted Bowls? We now have a new addition to our painted bowl family! We are so excited about these new bowls because they are just as beautiful and durable as all our previous bowls, but they are also extremely light and easy to use!In the past, we would use our molds to drape clay on and then to allow them dry and obtain the shape of the mold.
We also have other molds called "slip molds" that are made out of plaster and are then filled with a very wet clay called slip. The plaster of the mold begins to absorb some of the water from the slip, which causes it to attach to the sides of the mold. After a short amount of time (usually about an hour), the molds are turned upside-down to pour out the remaining slip. They are left like that overnight and then taken apart the next day.Once the clay is almost dry, the molds are taken apart and the piece is cleaned up. This is the process we have used to make our disk vases, pitchers, and jars.
Finally, we have decided to combine the two processes to make our large bowls! The result is a beautiful, large bowl that is also extremely light and easy to use!
These three sets are now available on Etsy.
Do you ever watch shows like Cake Boss on TLC? It's one of our favorites, and makes me want to save up a lot of money (and calories!) and travel to Hoboken, NJ to buy cakes! Every episode, along with making beautiful cakes, there is always drama. I'm not sure if it's manufactured, or if the family is really that dramatic, but it definitely makes for good television!Recently, I've been thinking we should make a reality show out of our work at Jean Elton Studio. I'm sure the producers could really milk the drama that we occasionally encounter! For example, we get a big order and one of our kilns breaks down, or we run out of that particular color, or everything breaks in the firing. Did you know that if the clay isn't absolutely, completely dry for the bisque (first) firing, it explodes in the kiln!? Wouldn't that be a great episode?Even if we never get discovered by TLC, I'm still thinking of driving down to Hoboken to get one of those cakes. Can't you imagine a beautiful, handmade, hand-painted TEAPOT cake? Made to look just like one of our beautiful teapots! But unlike with our teapots, it would only be a one-time use product.I think I'll stick to our pottery: pretty enough for display, but durable enough to use every day.
We've been making teapots for a while now (remember the video From Jar to Teapot?), but they now have a new look. Lois has started to hand-throw them on the wheel, which gives her a lot more variety in shapes, sizes, and designs.
First she throws the body, the spout, and the lid, all separately. Once they have a chance to dry a little, she trims them, cleans them up, and then attaches the spout and handle. Next they need to dry completely. If something isn't completely dry when it is bisqued, there is the chance it could explode in the kiln, ruining not only all the hard work that goes into that one teapot, but also many of the pieces that are in there with it.The first firing goes up to a temperature of about 1800 degrees! Because we fire at such high temperatures, our pieces are very durable and not prone to chipping or breaking like so many other ceramic pieces. Stoneware is so durable because it is made with clay and then fired at very high temperatures. Like its name implies, the resulting material is like stone: hard to break and waterproof.
After they are fired, they are hand-painted in a unique design. No two of our teapots are exactly alike, which adds to their charm. We use glaze stains, or under glazes, and then cover them with a transparent glaze. Then they are fired again, to around 2000 degrees, which allows the colors deepen and the finish to shine.
To view our current stock of these new and unique teapots, visit our Etsy store. We add new pieces everyday, so bookmark it and check back often!
On May 12, the day before Mother's Day, we will be exhibiting at the Fairfield Arts & Crafts show on the Town Hall Green in Fairfield, CT. The show is from 10am to 4pm, rain or shine! We will be showing many new and exciting items, from message boards to clay cake pops, all the perfect gifts for Mother's Day, so make sure to come by and check it out!
If you are tired of the same old dinner and a movie for your nights out,
then one of our pottery painting events is just right for you!
Come to one of our pre-arranged events, or make a reservation for your own. You and your friends can explore your creative sides by painting your pottery, while sipping wine and snacking on hors devours. Then, you'll get a tour and demonstration in our studio and be able to see where your pieces will be fired to completion. Finally, you’ll finish the evening with coffee and dessert.
These events are perfect for:
At only $25 per person, your event will include:
