Archive for September, 2010

Deneen Pottery Awarded for Military Mug!

Thursday, September 30th, 2010

The best possible outcome, when you produce an order of handmade military mugs, usually, is that you don’t hear anything… That would mean that the mugs arrived at the right place, on time, and were handed out and everything was perfect.

When you receive a manila envelope, a heavy, thick manila envelope, you just don’t know what to think… After the opening I discovered this AMAZING award:

Not only does this Certificate of Achievement bear the insignia of the 2nd Batallion, it is also signed by the Battalion Commander, and the Battalion Command Sergeant Major!!! Both very important people that are responsible for the safety of their troops, their mission and our country.

This is what the certificate says:

FOR OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT WHILE DESIGNING AND CREATING MUGS FOR THE 2ND SPECIAL TROOPS BATTALION REDEPLOYMENT BALL. YOUR COMMITMENT TO EXCELLENCE AND EAGERNESS TO SUPPORT THE AMERICAN WHILE CREATING A UNIQUE AND BEAUTIFUL MOMENTO OF THE UNIT’S DEPLOYMENT TO OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM CONTRIBUTED GREATLY TO THE SUCCESS OF THE EVENT. THE EMPLOYEES OF DENEEN POTTERY’S ACTIONS REFLECT GREAT CREDIT UPON THEMSELVES, THE STATE OF MINNESOTA AND THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA!

Deneen_Pottery.Battalion.Ball.Mug.jpg

We are so proud to have had the opportunity to work with the Spartans on this order! A special thanks to 1LT Liam, without his interest in our work none of this would be possible. Knowing that the event was a success, and that our mugs were part of that is all the thanks that we need – This is just the icing on the cake!

For more information on getting your first order started just give us a call 888-646-0238 or send an email to niles@deneenpottery.com!

Thanks for reading our blog

Niles Deneen – VP, Marketing

Stoneware for Military Spouses

Thursday, September 16th, 2010

This story begins with a nondescript catalog request that I received back on the 30th of July. Since all catalog requests arrive into my inbox I make a point of answering back and asking a few questions, like how did you find us, and what type of business do you have. Sometimes people don’t answer back but this time I did get an answer back from Janene of Charlottesville, VA.

“I am a volunteer for a military spouses group and we order lots of different items with our crest on it to sell, mostly to spouses.  We have done jewelry items, bags and such and would like to come up with something different so I was just cruising around the internet for ideas.”

Somehow Deneen Pottery surfaced in google and Janene filled out our CATALOG REQUEST page and we began bouncing ideas around. Instead of a handmade military mug, Janene was more interested in our handmade champagne coolers (sometimes called champagne chiller, buckets or crocks) and sent this piece artwork for us to look at:

The wooden ornament provided the perfect amount of detail for us to create this emblem design – The only change that Janene wanted to make was to remove the stars.

The design was approved and an order for 30 Champagne Coolers was placed and we began working on this special JAG CORP military stoneware order. A few weeks after first talking to Janene we shipped her order out and shortly after she wrote back to us. “Hey Niles – I got the pottery!  It’s great!  Thank you so much for everything!”

Here is a picture of the finished piece, done in navy w/white marble glaze:

Supporting those that support our troops is an honor, especially when we are given the opportunity to create handmade stoneware that bears the U.S. Army Jag Corps seal. For more information on how you can get your first order started just send us an email or give us a call – We are here everyday!

niles@denenpottery.com or call us toll free: 888-646-0238

Thank you for reading our blog!

Niles Deneen

A Handmade Mug Story

Tuesday, September 14th, 2010

Getting to work for a family business can be a challenge.

The rewards of working for a family business, especially one that makes things, like Handmade Stoneware Mugs, are many. One such perk is being connected to the act of creating functional, durable, and safe mugs that people use. Our work is validated when our pieces move into homes of real people and the mugs are used each and every day.

Another awesome benefits is when a real person that bought a mug writes us an an email – Saying good things about our mugs. This does not happen everyday, and when it does we like to talk about it. When I say talk, I mean post a blog, or a testimonial, or put a word on our facebook page.

Well, today was one of those such days, and received one such email from Angela:

“I recently purchased a very cute yellow mug from Sunrise Landing B & B in Dundee, NY with your stamp on the bottom. I purchased it not only because it was cute and a nice memory from my trip but mainly because the advertising said your mugs are lead and cadmium free which absolutely THRILLS me. It is so hard to find tableware that are lead and cadmium free. When I went to put my new purchase away in the cupboard along side its fellow morning coffee mugs I remembered I purchased a mug from Meadow Creek B&B in Pine, CO a few years ago. I flipped it over and saw the same stamp on the bottom. I am very pleased with both purchases.”

Thanks so much
Angela

She was also kind enough to take this picture!

Now Angela has 3 beautiful handmade mugs in her home that are safe to use, and will remind her of her time at both the Sunrise Landing and the Meadow Creek B&B. Thanks to the fact that every Deneen Pottery mug is free from lead and cadmium, Angela will live a long life and will enjoy these mugs for a very long time!

Thank you, Angela, for supporting our family business and for staying with, and buying mugs from, both of these properties.

Also, thank all of you for reading our blog.

Niles Deneen

Our Favorite Duluth Inns!!!

Wednesday, September 1st, 2010

It has come to light that it appeared as if we were playing favorites with our innkeepers of Duluth. The earlier story that I posted was not complete in it’s informative nature…

As it turns out the nice couple that called was, in fact, looking for a very particular color for the mug that they were seeking – Burgundy. The only inn in Duluth that has burgundy mugs in stock was the Firelight Inn on Oregon Creek. That being said, Julie our now infamous GM, looked at the order history of each of our Duluth Inns before finding the location of a burgundy mug.

In alphabetical order… Our favorite Inns of Duluth: (more…)