The three-day retreat is offered to those who are undergoing treatment for any type of cancer, not just breast cancer.  Some of them even have multiple forms of the disease.  There is no cost to the women who attend because of Kathy’s tireless efforts to provide funding for the event.  Not only has she applied for and received grants, but she also approaches local businesses for their support. She has been successful at getting the retreat covered under the Ventura County Medical Group’s 501(c)(3) status which recognizes it as a nonprofit program. According to the article, a locally-owned grocery store offers food that the ladies use to prepare meals together in the kitchen.

We were so moved by this article that we wanted to do something for Kathy and the ladies who will attend the next retreat.  Since making handmade stoneware mugs is what we do best, we decided to create the first-ever INNcourage commemorative mug as our way of thanking Kathy for her noble and benevolent work.

Because of the close connection that Heath established with Kathy, he was able to get logos for both the Lavender Inn and INNcourage so that we could design this special mug without her suspecting a thing.  Teena, our talented art director, was able to combine the two pieces to create the beautiful medallion. For this unique run we selected the round belly mug because of its graceful shape and it’s a perfect size for wrapping your hands around. This is our first announcement of the special project for Kathy and the INNcourage retreat!

The entire retreat is designed around serenity.  Facials, makeovers, and yoga by candlelight are just some of the examples of the special treatment that Kathy provides. One-on-one therapy as well as group sessions led by a certified therapist are also offered. Those who attend are always encouraged to participate in the activities but are free to spend time alone.  Kathy’s goal is to make them feel as comfortable and as welcome as possible.  They are also treated to dinner at Ojai’s Feast Bistro. The owners there have supported Kathy since day one.

The most touching part of this story for us is that these ladies are hand-selected by nurses at the local oncology clinic. Those who get chosen are ones who wouldn’t normally have the chance to experience this type of retreat due to financial or familial obligations. Many of them don’t even have insurance, and some of them are single parents working two jobs. This year each guest will receive her own INNcourage mug that we created especially for the retreat.

Teena lost a dear aunt who survived two bouts with breast cancer but ultimately lost her battle with liver cancer. Heath lost both grandmothers to the disease. Kathy Hartley’s own father is a cancer survivor and wanting to give something back was what compelled her to launch this program.

We hope that our small donation will not only raise awareness for cancer itself, but will also be a call to action for others to make a difference whenever and however possible. We are so fortunate to have grown our family business within this industry where individuals like Kathy continue to inspire and INNcourage us every day.

Niles Deneen – VP, Marketing
Deneen Pottery

Olive ‘the shop dog’ is doing a great job of being an older sister and we are all just staying warm these cold winter days. The only thing that we are missing is the bread that Annie used to bring home from Rustica, where she was a pastry chef. Now we have a loaf of wheat bread from the grocery store… And it just doesn’t touch the quality that we are used to!

And just today we are getting a new order of mugs in for another outstanding bakery that also makes everything from scratch – Earthly Kneads, located in Muskegon, MI. I’ve been working with Gail and today marks the official start of production. I’ve got to try their bread sometime, but for now I’m heading home to see my baby!

Here is the artwork that is going on the mugs and pitchers that we are making for Gail:

Thank you for reading our blog!
Niles Deneen VP, Marketing

This educational and networking event focuses specifically on the innkeeper. This conference will bring together the key leaders and experts to share their wisdom on the issues that impact you the most to make you stand ahead of the competition. This premier event for innkeepers is held in South Carolina Jaunary 10-13th and is hosted by the Professional Association of Innkeepers International, in cooperation with Select Registry.

We are proud, honored, and psyched to unveil the initial mock up for the 2011 mug… This year we are going back to a traditional style that has been in production since 1986 – The Flare Mug, in Hunter Green. The handle of this style is the ‘C’ Handle, which we designed for more hand clearance… Just one of the little things that we do to make our mugs the best!

There is still time to register! For more information visit: www.innkeepingshow.com

To get your hands on one of these fantastic mugs, all you have to do is sign up and attend our conference! We can’t wait to explore SC, visit our innkeeping friends, meet new ones, and talk about what we do best – MAKING AWESOME STONEWARE! Hope to see and meet up with you in 2011!

Thank you for reading our blog,
Niles Deneen VP, Marketing

That’s right – We are offering a ‘New Customer’ special for the month of August giving a $75.00 discount on the First Time Set-Up fee! This was just approved by our President Peter Deneen, and is available for the whole month of August!!! I was formerly under the impression that the discount was going to be less, but now it turns out that the First Time Set-Up is HALF OFF (regular price is $150.00).

To take advantage of this you need to place your first order of 50 signature mugs (or more) in the next 30 days – Delivery will be about 12 weeks, because of our production levels, so mugs will be ready to ship in October or November perfect for the Foliage Season!!!

Any questions that you have can be answered by calling us toll free at 888-646-0238.

Here is the snappy graphic that also goes over everything and can be printed out:

Like all specials there is some fine print – Offer not valid with any other offer, subject to refusal and may change without notice. Honestly, we just want to work with a few more new customers that have been on the fence, and just need a small nudge to jump in!!! The water is great and we look forward to hearing from you!!!

We are best known for our Signature Coffee mugs, but have over 55 different items all made by hand. Working from photos, or camera ready art, we create designs that are cut into clay with our “Glaze-Engraved™” process. Pictured below are 3 of our 10 styles of mugs – We have over 180 different glaze combinations!

Each mug is hand-thrown on a potter’s wheel by a master potter at our studio in St. Paul, MN. While each piece is almost identical, no two are exactly the same – And that is just one aspect that makes our stoneware so collectable.

If you found this page by clicking through from the Museum Store Marketplace – Welcome. Mention this blog and we’ll give you $50 off your first order.

For more information on our stoneware and the $50 coupon email niles@deneenpottery.com with your contact info and we’ll send you a catalog with the coupon and a sample mug, if you’d like. You can also call us, we like talking about our stoneware: 888-646-0238

To explore our website you can click here www.deneenpottery.com, or you can use the navigation bar to your left.

We look forward to hearing from you!

Realizing that none of this valuable information is posted on our website I figured that I could post it here so that it won’t languish in it’s small archived 2002 file. Unbelievably, most of the questions and answers are still the same.

Q: Are these mugs dishwasher safe?

A: Depends on who is washing your dishes… Just kidding, every piece of stoneware we make will be fine in the strongest industrial dishwasher. Just don’t drop it when you are putting them away.

Q: Will the colors fade over time?

A: None of the glaze colors will fade, even if they sit in direct sunlight for years! We have seen mugs that we made from 1984 that look like we just took them out of the kiln.

Q: If I store this pottery in the freezer will it break or crack because of the cold?

A: Our tankards along with our wine and champagne coolers are supposed to be stored in the freezer. Just be cautions of extreme changes in temperature, like from the freezer to the oven or vice versa as this expansion and shrinking are ideal for causing ceramics and even glass to crack.

Q: How do the mugs do in the oven, or micro-wave?

A: Great! Our kilns fire pottery up to 2200ºF so 350-400ºF would be fine. With heating things up in the micro-wave, especially beverages, just be sure that the stoneware mug is at least half full. This will allow even heat distribution through the piece and ensure that no cracking or breaking will occur.

Q: What is a good price to charge for one of the mugs if you are going to sell them?

A: Our Suggested Retail Price is $16.00, but it is just that a suggestion. Really it depends on what you want to get out of the mug. Some of our inns charge as much as $20.00 to make a profit, and others charge $12.00 just to make sure that their guests take one home as they cover their costs.

Q: How do these mugs work for advertising?

A: We think that the mugs are great for that subtle little reminder that actually gets used.  Every time a beverage is enjoyed in one of these cups thoughts go back to the time spent at your inn. Next thing you know they want to come back for another stay.

I also found an accompanying advertising postcard, or handout, in that same file from 2002… Those same hands, that you see in the picture, are still here making pottery on a wheel! What I also find difficult to believe, is that we once used purple and grey as our branding colors?!? But then again that was before I was ‘seriously’ working for our family’s business.

If you have any other questions about our custom stoneware mugs, our our company just jot it down below and I’ll be sure to answer you back.

Thanks for reading our pottery blog!

Niles Deneen

We’ve been proudly making mugs for PAII and their Innkeeping Show since 1992, when JoAnn Bell first sent out a form letter seeking a ‘handmade mug supplier’ to provide an item to commemorate PAII’s second biennial event. There is much more to this story that I will be reporting on in the weeks to come.

We have been honored to produce a collectable mug for each conference since 1992 and are ready to unveil the tentative mock up for this years show in Austin, Texas. Working with Pat Hardy and JoAnn Bell was a joy for my father, Peter Deneen, and I an just as pleased to be working with the President and CEO of PAII today, Jay Karen.

If you are an innkeeper and are curious about PAII, and the Innkeeping Show click here: www.innkeepingshow.com

Now for a brief introduction – This new mug style, which is being designed just for PAII, is going to be called the Small Abby. Still in the design phase the Small Abby will hold approximetly 10 oz. and will be about 4 inches tall. The color that we will be using for this inaugural run will be solid chocolate, a perfect western color. The image here pictures the mug in one of our other 33 solid glazes – Fieldstone.

Thank you for reading our blog – Stay warm and savor a warm mug in your hands when you can.

Hope to see you at the PAII conference!

Niles Deneen, VP-Marketing

Because we are having some difficulties in sending Tammie’s ‘Art Approval’ to her I’ve decided to post it here, on our blog. Nice to tackle the small problems first thing on a Monday morning.

Also it is kinda neat to show what a design looks like before we make it into clay… The logo that we are using can also been seen on Tammie’s new website that is days away from launching – You can see the homepage here: www.poteaucoffeecup.com

We got a few inches of fresh snow last night, can’t wait to get my x-country skis on this afternoon!

Thanks for reading our blog!

Niles Deneen – VP, Marketing

Option 1 - An classic example of 'backfill'

Option 2 - A traditional design.

We apologize for this miscommunication and failure to send you our catalog.

The problems have been fixed and the “Catalog Request” page is now working. We promise to send one to you if you’ll request one again. Click here to request another one.

Sincerely,                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         Niles Deneen VP, Marketing                                                                                                                                                                                            Deneen Pottery