This entry isn’t really about our custom handmade mugs, instead it is on our mascot Olive. In May of last year my wife Annie gave me a long awaited Christmas present in the form of a Mini-GoldenDoodle who we named Olive. She arrived weighing just over 3 pounds but took up a lot of space in our hearts!
The breeders wrote our name on her belly.
Mountain Man Stoves – Design 1When 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! Read the rest of this entry »
Hell’s Backbone Grill is located in Boulder, Utah, population 180 – one of the most remote towns in the United States! The chef-owners, Jen Castle and Blake Spalding operate their restaurant following Buddhist principles, with a commitment to sustainability, environmental ethics, and social and community responsibility. They serve organic, locally produced, regionally and seasonally appropriate cusine and grow many of their own vegetables organically in the restaurants two gardens and on their six-acre farm! They feature dishes made with fruit from Boulder’s heirloom orchards and rely largely on local ranchers for the natural meats. Every cup of coffee is served in a handmade mug, by (you guessed it) Deneen Pottery!
Now in their 9th season, their mission and passion has not gone unrecognized.
Tankard Mug (12.oz.) Albany GlazeHell’s Backbone Grill enjoys one of the highest Zagat ratings in Utah and was selected as a Fodor’s Choice 2006 recipient. The restaurant was also named Salt Lake Magazine’s “Best Restaurant in Southern Utah” for 2007 and was awarded the prestigious Utah Governor’s Mansion Award for Culinary Artistry in 2006, presented by Governor Jon Huntsman. In 2005, Blake and Jen received an award from the Museum of Northern Arizona and the Center for Sustainable Environments for being “Culture Bearers of Sustainability in the Four Corners Region.” Additionally, Hell’s Backbone Grill was chosen as one of four restaurants representing Utah’s Slow Food movement in an exhibit in the Smithsonian Museum in Washington, D.C. The restaurant has been featured in O, the Oprah Magazine, The New York Times, Sunset Magazine, Bon Appetit, Organic Gardening, Outside Traveler, Travel and Leisure, Washington Post, Men’s Journal, and National Geographic Traveler. Read the rest of this entry »
At the end of January Annie and I flew out to California for the CABBI conference which was held in Monterey, CA. Since we are a fan of staying at Inns, and love staying with Innkeepers that serve coffee in handmade coffee mugs – The Jabberwock was an easy pick. The image you see below is of a Custom Handmade Vase by John Deneen… This item was donated to CABBI and surprisings won by Dawn in the silent auction. What a beautiful center piece it makes especially as it is the same custom glaze color as the handmade mugs that surround it.
Large Custom Vase
John and Dawn have such a timeless and elegant B&B that is perched up on Laine Street overlooking the bay. The conference wasn’t the best as far as business goes, but our trip was… As we were able to visit Big Sur, Santa Cruz and San Francisco. The highlight was being able to look out the windows of the Mimsy Suite each morning at the Monterey Bay, and then come downstairs for breakfasts that were delicious, rich, and fresh! The coffee was amazing as well, and it didn’t hurt that it was served in such beautiful custom handmade mugs 
View from our roomThe last morning of our trip we ran across the Golden Gate Bridge… A nice activity considering in Monnesota that day it was -15º. Luckily we have our kilns back here at the pottery that keeps us warm! There are some definite positives to growing up in a family that makes custom handmade stoneware!
Annie and Niles in SF
The Wicher Garden – Queens CupRecently I was working with Sarah Stotts, from BedandBreakfast.com, on an article about my family’s Custom Pottery Mug business When she asked me for any new images of our handmade stoneware Jumping Rocks popped into my head. So I got on the phone and left a message for Matthew Lovette, Photographer, and Mark Smith, Photo Stylist, to give me a call. These two amazingly talented guys previously owned and operated a successful and nationally-recognized country inn, The Woolverton Inn in New Jersey before they founded Jumping Rocks Photography… Their pictures have been published and reproduced by countless publications and hospitality websites. You’ll find them in Washingtonian Magazine, Philadelphia Magazine, Country Living, National Geographic Traveler, Forbes, among othersIt is not uncommon for our handmade mugs to ‘pop up’ in many of the distinguished properties that Jumping Rocks works with. Here are a few of the images that Matthew gave me permission to post online. I am pleased to share these images with you!
The Richmont Inn – Tankard Mug
The Brampton Inn – Colonial Mug
Beaver Lake Cottages – Flare Mug
The Wicher Garden – Custom Mugs ready to serveWe are passionate about the work of our hands, and when photographed in the setting in which our handmade mugs are found – they look stunning! Visit these properties and enjoy the time you have, purchase a mug to remember that time… And every time you drink from that handmade coffee mug you will be able to recall the details you loved the most!
If you have a property or business that is in need of mugs just give us a call – we look forward to hearing from you! Toll Free 888-646-0238 or visit us online by clicking here!
As my family has been making mugs for customers for over 30 years from time to time we hear from folks like Vince Smith of Houston, Texas:
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. Read the rest of this entry »
If you requested a catalog and didn’t receive one in February or March your information did not makes its way through our website to us.
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
Spring is finally in the air and I had a few minutes this morning to take pictures of the firing that took place yesterday. We fire the kiln 4-5 days a week, each glaze firing heats the stoneware inside up to about 2350º F and takes 24 hours to heat up and cool down. Like most commercial and handmade pottery we have 2 firings; bisque, and glaze. The bisque firing is the first and heats the our handmade stoneware up to 1600º F over the course of 12 hours. I’ll take some pictures of the difference in air dry, bisque, glazed and then glaze fired in the next report.
Now for the mug shots:
Clay Corner – Burgundy, Colonial MugsNot sure where you were from the March 30th – April 2nd…
My family (mom, dad, aunt and wifey) spent 4 days in Atlanta talking about our custom handmade stoneware mugs with some of the best innkeeping professionals in the country. We’ve been working with the Professional Association of Innkeepers International (paii), the sponsors of the conference, for over 26 years! There is a very interesting story here that is on it’s way…
For Deneen Pottery the event is a sort of family reunion with established and new customers that all find (or will find) success serving and selling the handmade custom mugs that we make. Below Julie Rolsen from the Garth Woodside Mansion, a dancing diva and highest seller of our Deneen Pottery Mugs!
Julie Rolsen with Annie and Mary Deneen
On February 13th we shipped an order of custom handmade mugs to Christina and Charlie Ward in Yanceyville, NC and on February 18th we received this email:
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
Click here to visit their wewbsite