“We wanted a well-made, handcrafted mug to honor the 10th anniversary of our fundraising bike ride,” says Ayleen Crotty.  “I spent two full days researching mug options before I settled on Deneen Pottery.” And we’re certainly glad she chose us. We are now a second-generation family business with 40 years of experience, and we love working with groups like this!  Ayleen tells us that she couldn’t be happier with her choice, and she’s just placed an even larger order for next February’s race.

Last year was the first year that they created a mug, she says, for the simple reason that they wanted to offer something that people could cozy up with to enjoy a nice warm cup of coffee or hot cocoa and enjoy great memories of the ride all year long.

When Niles began helping her decide on glazes, Ayleen was hesitant at first about one of his ideas.

“Niles was extremely helpful in color choices,” she says.  “He suggested we try a color we would have never picked on our own, and it was the first to sell out.” That color was wisteria w/plum white top, which is quickly becoming a favorite among our customers.

The Worst Day of the Year Ride is a paradox in itself.  Ayleen says that in the past 10 years, the weather has never really been that bad.  February in Portland should be cold and wet, she says.  But riders have never awakened to significant rain, and she says the temperature is usually pretty nice. That’s a huge contrast to the frosty, snow-covered, and frigid land of 10,000 lakes we call home.

The Worst Day of the Year Ride raises funds for the Community Cycling Center whose slogan – Every child deserves a bike! – pretty much sums it up. Some 4,000 riders participate in the annual 18-mile trek through downtown Portland, and there’s even a huge costume contest.  Not only do the participants dress themselves in whimsical outfits, but they decorate their bikes as well. You can see from the photos that everyone has lots of fun. Isn’t it awesome when people can help others, especially kids, and have a great time doing it? We’re excited that our custom handmade mugs will again have a part in such an important event.

And Ayleen had such high praise for us that we thought we’d include it here as well. “The company is excellent to work with, completely organized, very knowledgeable, and of course, the mugs are of amazingly gorgeous quality,” she says. To receive such praise from promoters of an event like this means the world to us. Thanks so much Ayleen!

We hope the 2012 Worst Day of the Year Ride will again be the perfect day to buy a custom handmade stoneware mug from Deneen Pottery.

Thanks so much for reading our blog. We welcome your comments, and don’t forget to check us out on Facebook!

Heath Croft

Director of Communications

“My guests and staff just love our mugs, they are so wonderful and durable! In the 3 years that we’ve been serving in them we’ve only broken 1. They sell so well, and now with only 3 mugs in stock, I need to get another order! I remember one of our staff saying she was afraid of chipping our mugs, but we are still waiting for that to happen – They are just so durable!”

That is just such a nice thing to hear on a Monday morning… And knowing that the mugs that we make can handle abuse without chipping or breaking means that we’re doing a good job.

This is just a short blog – Once Annie and Eloise get back I’ll add the ‘Sweet’ part again.

Thanks for reading our blog!
Niles Deneen – CEO
Deneen Pottery

Absolutely you may post my comments.

I feel it is so important for each of us to do our part in supporting locally owned and operated companies for our survival as a country.

My husband and I learned about your company upon visiting T’s Restaurant in Cranston RI for breakfast.  After drinking my cup of tea I flipped the mug over to see where the mug was made and was VERY HAPPY to see that they are made in the USA and not in some foreign country.

I purchased a set T’s mugs for my brother for Christmas since he was the one who invited us out to T’s Restaurant that day.

Upon reviewing your website I realize that you cater to businesses for their local advertising.  I hope one day you will carry a full line of products for in home use for customers like myself who believe and “Trust” in items made in the USA.  There are may of us out here that would prefer to get back to locally made products!

Keep up the good work and best wishes to you and your family and company in 2011 as well!

Yours truly,
Martha Brown

12/28/10 Could this be the last testimonial for 2010?

“I just wanted to drop you a quick thank you for our mug order. We were very happy with the quality of the [handmade] mugs and the delivery before the holidays. I have received many favorable comments relative the the quality of the mugs from our clients. I would like to thank Teena especially for a great job on the design of the emblem! John Gormley PMP • Warwick Neck Associates – Warneck, RI

When you want a beautiful handmade mug, unparalleled customer service, and YOUR customers to comment on the quality of the finished piece then give us a call 888-646-0238. We are a family owned and operated pottery company that LOVES making beautiful handthrown mugs!

Thanks again John for allowing us to post your email on our blog!

Niles Deneen VP, Marketing
Deneen Pottery

/12/21/10 It happened again…

“I have not received my mugs yet, but if they are half as good as Deneen Pottery’s customer service I will be beyond satisfied. The staff at Deneen Pottery is friendly, knowledgeable, and shockingly accessible. I am going to find a reason to use Deneen Pottery again.” S. Beaux Jones • LSU Law J.D./D.C.L Candidate 2011 –Baton Rouge, LA

_________________________________________________________________

Although we do have a full running list of testimonials on our website I thought that it would be nice to have mug designs accompany the glowing words from our happy customers. I am not sure if I will do new blogs for each new testimonial yet but I have found the first one for this effort – Kaleidoscope Yoga:

Dear Peter,

& Niles, Julie, Teena & the those of you that I don’t know the names for who have brought joy & light to my life through your creative gifts & talents emerging from Deneen Pottery…Thanks for the awesome craftsmanship, quality, & beautiful translation of my logo & the organically wonderful feel & look of “my” mugs.

Kaleidoscope Yoga is slated to open mid-January & I look forward to having the mugs available for “sampling” with my students/clients’ drink selections after classes/sessions.  I stayed at a B&B in Asheville a little over a year ago & was introduced to your product with my morning coffee & purchased a couple mugs & thought “one day” in my own studio I would want to offer these.  And, here “we” are.

May the holidays bring peace & contentment & health to your hearts which continues throughout 2011 & beyond.

Gratefully,
Roberta Johnson
Kaleidoscope Yoga

Thank you for reading our blog

Niles Deneen – VP, Marketing

Helping Red and all of the individuals that work with him to keep people safe is a great honor! When Michael, Superintendent of Communications for Allentown, PA, first called to get more information I could only hope that we would get the chance to make mugs for him… Those that serve the public, especially in situations of life and death, are an invaluable part of our society.

“The entire staff was very pleased with how they turned out including our 911 Mascot, Red E. Fox,” Mike wrote in shorty after the mugs arrived.

Like all things that have great worth, you must work to achieve them… That goes the same with this order. Initially Michael sent their logo and asked how a mug might look. This was the first step and one that I did immediately. Here is the first virtual sample pictured on our newest mug style – The Abby.

Along with the Abby the order also included the Barrel mug – That is the one that Red E. Fox likes the best. “We were very impressed with the quality and finish of the mugs as well as the look and feel,” Micheal wrote in an email following delivery of their mugs.  He also wrote, “Our new mugs will certainly be our top choice for our morning cup of coffee.”

Since our mugs are made to last, the staff at Allentown Communications will be enjoying their morning coffee in our mugs for years to come!

As Red E. Fox keeps drinking from his mug, maybe he’ll show it to some of his other friends in Allentown…

Thanks for reading our blog!

Niles Deneen – VP Marketing

After some conversations between our president, Peter Deneen, and Gabe we got the green light to produce a first order and by March. Gabe was really excited to have  the tankards in hand and emailed me a few weeks into production, “just wanted to send a follow-up regarding the order.  Any estimates of when we might see them?”

I just happened that Gabe’s order was on the kiln that had opened up that morning… With my camera in hand I snapped a couple of pictures and emailed them back saying that the order would ship out in the next few days. The tag line that year was “24 hours in a day, 24 beers in a case. Hmm?”

Gabe wrote back with a glowing testimonial that I haven’t published until now, “I gotta tell you, I am very impressed [Deneen Pottery].  To include photos of our mugs blows me away and lets me know that I made the right choice with you.  They look amazing!!! I look forward to receiving the mugs.  Thanks again!”

Since that first order in 2008 Gabe has returned to us in 2009, and again in 2010.

This year, however, he put us to the test by waiting until March 1st to give us his new slogan. Part of what makes the Porterhouse’s Mug Club so special is that each year a new mug is rolled out with a new saying. In 2009 they went with “Life’s not all Beer and Skittles,” and for 2010? Well, for the 2010 slogan you’ll have to visit their website or have a meal with them in Lahaska.

Getting back to this year’s order… With a delay in receiving the art, and a shortened production schedule, when we were able to get a partial order out Gabe was even more impressed with us and wrote an email to us over the weekend. “Just a quick note to let you know that the mugs look incredible!!!  I am so happy that I found your company.  You helped me out with a late order and delivered!!!  Once again, you have exceeded my expectations!  Thank you so much for everything!”

Because our tankards are handthrown and high fired to 2040ºF they are tough enough to bang around in a brewpub… Did I mention that they are also lead and cadmium free, dishwasher, microwave, freezer and oven safe as well??? Getting to work with more Breweries or Pubs like the Porterhouse would be fantastic. If any such establishments find this blog and are interested in seeing a sample give us a call and we’ll send one out 888-646-0238. We’ll stand behind our work, and help you in anyway that we can!

Thanks for reading our Pottery Blog.

Niles Deneen

Hi ,my name is Pamela Matherne. I am from Houma , Louisiana. My husband and I were passing through Wagonwheel Gap , CO. and stayed at the Blue Creek Lodge. I was looking for a gift to bring home to my sister and I bought her one of your handmade mugs. She says it’s the one she always wants to use because it keeps her coffee warm longer.

I thought it would be wonderful to own my own , in fact I thought it would be nice to get one for my husband and my 2 sons also. So what Im wondering is if I could order 4 mugs from you. It doesn’t have to have a logo. Hot tea and coffee sounds great in your mugs !!! Please let me know . Thank you…….Pamela

Thank you for reading our blog and if there are ever any questions about our stoneware just send me an email and I’ll get right back to you!

Sincerely,

Niles Deneen - niles@deneenpottery.com ]]> http://www.deneenpottery.com/blog/2010/03/mug-appreciation-from-louisiana/feed/ 0 http://www.deneenpottery.com/blog/2009/10/peace-of-mind/ http://www.deneenpottery.com/blog/2009/10/peace-of-mind/#comments Wed, 21 Oct 2009 14:33:18 +0000 Niles Deneen http://www.deneenpottery.com/blog/?p=321 When you work hard people take notice… Because we work REALLY hard on all of our orders, occasionally we hear back from our customers as they ‘take notice’ of their handmade stoneware mugs. Whether it is in the shape of a hand written card, letter, emails, or pictures, these notes are a joy to receive.

We recently received one such email from a wonderful customer in Vermont that first contacted us in May, ‘visionkeeper’ of Peace of Mind Emporium Julie White RN:

“We are Vermont’s Premier Stress Reduction Store and Wellness Center created by Nurses. Our name, Peace of Mind Emporium, and lovely buildings and grounds, draw people in who are looking for an oasis from their stress – filled lives. They often remark that they want to take a piece of Peace of Mind home with them after visiting in our store…”

“In honor of our 15th anniversary we were looking for a new logo item, not a tschatkees you find in the personalization catalogs, or the business ID catalogs. We accidentally came across a Deneen Pottery mug when visiting a nearby Vermont Inn, and were impressed. Our artistic staffer, Brenna Flanagan, worked closely with Niles and designer Teena, to create our look…”

Originally We thought that an image of the sign would work and we came up with this version:

It became clear that this design wouldn’t be it so we went back to the drawing board with the idea to “… capture the lovely building and gardens on the logo. We wanted to squeeze as much as we could into the logo and [Teena] did just that.” Working from a photograph and taking a bit of artistic license to remove the roofline and replace it with heavenly clouds we came up with this version:

“We love the luscious rich color palette and mug styles. We placed our order and waited with excitement for the results. We were thrilled. We choose the colors used in our logo and the results were terrific!”

“We began selling the mugs at our 15th anniversary sale. Customers were thrilled to see our wonderful building and logo on the mugs. They were delighted to find the mugs MADE in the USA! They proudly bought mugs for gifts and one of each color for themselves. We set a breakfast table (even though we are NOT an Inn) and love watching customers stop and look at the table as they walk by. We now can offer customers a way to begin every morning with ‘Peace of Mind’. We Accompany the display mugs on the table with daily meditation books, affirmation calanders, wellness CDS, green and herbal teas, and Peace of Mind body card products.”

“Congratulations Deneen Pottery on customer service, and a tremendously well-made and exquisite mug. We are glad to be your customer and sell your delightful mugs. Here’s to many more orders (and colors) in the future!” Julie White RN and Brenna Flanagan

We are proud to post this blog and hope that all who are in need of reducing stress will visit Peace of Mind Emporiums new website by clicking here!

Thanks for reading our blog,

Niles Deneen

]]> http://www.deneenpottery.com/blog/2009/10/peace-of-mind/feed/ 1 http://www.deneenpottery.com/blog/2009/05/mugs-and-stoves-craftsmanship-at-its-best/ http://www.deneenpottery.com/blog/2009/05/mugs-and-stoves-craftsmanship-at-its-best/#comments Fri, 08 May 2009 14:28:30 +0000 Niles Deneen http://www.deneenpottery.com/blog/?p=209

Mountain Man Stoves – Design 1

When you look up the word ‘craftsmanship’ in the dictionary there are two definitions:

1.      a person who practices or is highly skilled in a craft; artisan.

2.     an artist.

When I was first contacted by Rodney Zell – a true craftsman, and owner of Mountain Man Stoves, I realized something about the timelessness of functional creativity and craftsmanship. The antique stoves that Rodney restores, were created in a time when many everyday items were made by hand – like our mugs. The similarities that Deneen Pottery shares with Mountian Man Stoves, is also tied to the ability for both of our business to succeed. People value craftsmanship!

In today’s world of imports and comparisons on price and only price alone it is a wonder that anyone would want to simply pay more for something… That is until you take a moment to consider the value of craftsmanship, and artistry. Yes I believe our mugs are amazing in their detail, durability and form, as are these baseburner stoves.

To heat a room or to drink a cup of coffee there are a wide variety of options on every price point. Inexpensive space heaters from Home Depot or Menard’s will get the job done, as will a paper cup… The joy and satisfaction one receives from sitting in front of a flawlessly restored antique stove while drinking coffee out of a handmade stoneware mug are far immeasurable!

Those creature comforts and simple pleasures must explain why our mugs went over well with Rodney’s customers:

Hi Niles -

We are very pleased with the quality of the pottery mugs that you make for us, the artwork is beautiful. It compliments the antique stoves that we sell and the beautiful mountains surrounding the Estes Park area. Thank you for a quality product and great customer service.

The handmade mugs have a style and character all their own, much like the old antique stoves we show and restore. In just two months we had make a second order.

The mugs are such beautiful  pieces. They don’t chip or hardly break… and they don’t tip over and spill, and they feel comfortable in you hand. Our customers love the mugs almost as much as they love these beautiful antique stoves – both are an easy sell because they sell themselves. We have several customers who have bought more that one – mugs and stoves – that is, and they make great gifts.

Thanks again,
Rodney

For Rodneys design we worked from a few images that he sent looking out of his shop in Estes Park – Not a bad view if you ask me!

For more information on Mountain Man Stoves visit Rodney’s site by clicking here.

Thanks for reading our blog.

Niles Deneen

Dear Niles:
Approximately 12 years ago, my wife and I were in Ithaca, NY and had the pleasure of spending a night at the Rose Inn.  In a matter of days, the two mugs we purchased became my favorite [handmade coffee mugs] of all time.  Unfortunately, one of them was broken beyond recognition.  I know that’s hard to believe since they are so sturdy.  Later, the handle was broken on the other one.  When I tried to contact the Rose Inn for replacements, I learned that a terrible fire had virtually destroyed that historic inn.  A couple of years later, we found out that the inn had been rebuilt and reopened by new owners.  I contacted them, but to my disappointment they did not preserve the “mug tradition.”  A couple of weeks ago, I was with a friend who was sipping coffee from a [handmade mug] with the identical shape but a different color.  She gave me the contact information for the Taylor House Inn in Valle Crucis, NC.  Their website included an on-line catalog where I saw the same shaped mug in red.  I was ecstatic and immediately placed an order for two of them.  To my chagrin, they sent me an e-mail stating that their stock was depleted, and that they did not know when to expect more.  The innkeepers (Tessa and Bernard Russo) were very kind to provide contact information for your company.

After navigating your website, I now realize that my favorite mugs from the Rose Inn were made by [Deneen Pottery] and were of the “round belly” style.  In fact, when I clicked on “glaze and colors,” and then clicked on “greens,” I see the forest green round belly mug WITH THE ROSE INN ART.

I know you are a distributor and don’t normally assist with small quantities.  But, I thought I would inquire anyway.  Do you know how I might obtain a small quantity ( from 2 to 8 ) round belly mugs?  Are you aware of an inn that has a well stocked gift shop?  Is there anyway I can order a small number directly from Deneen?

You don’t know how hard I have been trying to replace the broken mugs.  Thanks in advance for your assistance.
Vince Smith

Dear Vince,
Thank you for taking the time to write to us. I remembering hearing about that fire at the Rose Inn years ago, what a terrible loss that was.
Your tenacity at hunting down the round belly mug is commendable!

I think you like reading this… We do sell mugs directly to customers – and we can make them for you without medallions! The retail cost is $15.00 per mug plus ($10 for shipping up to 4 mugs) or ($15 when shipping 8 mugs). For 4 mugs you can have one color choice, but for 8 you can have two (4 per color choice).

Just let me know the total number and color and we’ll get your favorite HANDmade mugs back into your HANDS ASAP!
Niles Deneen – VP, Marketing

Deneen Pottery – 2325 Endicott Street – St. Paul, Minnesota – 55114
Toll Free: 888-646-0238 – Fax: 651-646-8605 – Local: 651-646-0238
www.deneenpottery.com

Dear Niles:
This is great news.  I’m sure we will be ordering some mugs, but I need to get my wife’s input before selecting the color.  Feel free to use my story on your blog.  Maybe it will help someone else who’s had a similar mug misfortune.

There is one part of my mug replacement saga that I left out in an effort to make a long story just a bit shorter.  In 2007 we were with friends in Scotland.  We ran across a potter who had mugs that reminded me of the round belly’s shape.  (See attached mug shot.)  I bought two of them even though they were overpriced.  Back in the States, we realized that both of them leaked to the point of being unusable.  In hind site, the fact that they leaked is probably a good thing.  Otherwise, I might have abandoned my search for the “real thing.”

You will be hearing from me soon about the quantity and color.
Vince Smith

Similar Styles... But not the same!

Hello Niles,
Yesterday I received the handmade mugs, they’re PERFECT! it’s exactly what I was looking for. I was impressed with the quality of your mugs & the artwork, and equally impressed with the packaging and the eco-foam. You are a good find and would not hesitate to recommend you. I am sure we will be doing more business with you. Thank you! ~Cristina Ward

From their purchase of the building in October of 2008 until now they have been working tirelessly to restore the building to its former splendor. The picture above shows the ‘after’ along with the design that we created for their mugs. Very soon the doors will open and fresh-made sandwiches, soups & salads, gourmet coffee and tea, and fresh-baked goods will be served.