Estes Park, CO – Owned and operated Lois H. Smith – Stoneware by Deneen Pottery

We are now in our second year of working with the Baldpate Inn and we are just into the heart of the busy season. Thing are going well… Really well actually:

“HELP!  The mugs are flying off the shelves!  We can barely use them in the restaurant we have sold so many!!!   Can we get another order ASAP?  I think you have already sent all I had on my January Pack & Ship order.”

“I guess I should have realized these would sell so great, but just didn’t anticipate the demand” wrote Lois in a second email after her next order of 350 handmade custom mugs was approved.

What can you do except make more and get it out as quick as we can! Finding the perfect place, and the perfect season, and then the right people is how we are growing our family business. When more and more products are made outside of our country, with fossil fuels burned to get them here, we feel like we are doing our small part to make the world a better place.

Glazing the plates, one-by-one, is the founder, president, Peter Deneen… The gizmo that he is using is a pending a patent, and is affectionelly called the Glaze-A Whirl. It is just one of the many machines, and processes that we invented in our pursuit to create the finest handmade stoneware.

Creating functional, durable, American Made Stoneware is what we do – It’s who we are as a family!

If you have any questions just give us a call, or send an email using the ‘Contact Us’ button on the left.

Thank for reading our blog -

Niles Deneen VP, Marketing – Deneen Pottery

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

Well, the response to that ad? It was good. And last week I began to do follow up calls to those that we sent mugs to. In the course of my calls I came across a property called Harpole’s Heartland Lodge, an Illinois hunting lodge / bed and breakfast located in serene Pike County.

I am a very visual person and one that likes to find connections… This connection hit me when looking at Harpole’s Heartland Lodge was one of a big buck. As I’ve been adopted by my in-laws into the traditions of white tail hunting in northern Minnesota, anytime I see a buck my thoughts turn to the season in which we wear blaze orange and sit quietly in the woods.

The second thing that hit me was that Harpole’s Heartland Lodge had an authenticity similar to one of our most successful Inns located in Gatlinburg, TN – Buckhorn Inn.

Besides the fact that one is a hunting lodge, and one is not, both properties are bed & breakfasts and I figured that Wanda, the owner of Harpole’s, might benefit from knowing a bit about Buckhorn. That’s when I picked up the phone and called Lee, the owner of Buckhorn.

“We love our mugs, – More importantly, our guests love our mugs,” was one of the very first things that Lee said. Since 2005 we have been making Footed Mugs in Hunter Green, at a rate of about 200-400 a year. Pictured below is one of the mugs as it is coming through production – The artwork for Buckhorn prominently features a majestic looking multi-point buck, one that any hunter would sure be proud to bring home.

The difficulty of bagging a big buck was kinda like the decision that Lee faced when trying to find the right mug for her property.  “[We] couldn’t find anything that looked as good as your mugs [with the] feeling that they’ll hold up,” Lee said.

“We thought the mugs were too expensive – You’ve got to be kidding, we’ll have to sell them for at least 16, and we thought that they wouldn’t sell.” But that all changed once that first order arrived…

“We’ve just been delighted and the sales have been fantastic – Sure some guests won’t buy them but we are probably selling 375 per year – That is a lot of money for no extra effort.” The secret is that you just serve coffee in the mugs, “you don’t have to build a room, people just have them at breakfast.”

Since we’ve been perfecting the craft of handmaking mugs for over 30 years, ensuring their durability is paramount. “[Deneen Pottery is] known in the industry – I have seen your mugs in some really nice places,” Lee mentioned.

Having a mug with your name on it can be a great marketing tool, but if that decal wears off, or the mug is easily broken, it will end up in the trash. Our mugs are made to be used, handle abuse and still look good! “We love them, and use them for serving morning coffee, we’ve only broken one as the mugs are sturdy, and most importantly they have a great look” Lee said.

Lee also said that she “likes dealing with a small company – We know you and you know us!” It’s been wonderful to have the opportunity to work with Lee over the years and we look forward to continuing that relationship in the years to come.

At the end of our conversation I suggest that Lee try a new glaze color on her next order… Be it known that there will be 20 Footed Mugs in a new color – Our Marble Hunter w/Blue White Top going to the Buckhorn Inn. If past performances are any indicator of future results, then we had better get another order of Marble glazed mug into production! I have a feeling the new color will be very popular this summer!

In closing I’ve pictured the home page of Harpole’s Heartland Lodge – As you can see the prominence of that buck is what sparked this blog. Hopefully the similarities that I see will be noticed by others… It’s never fun to extend trust and open yourself up to a new relationship, especially a business relationship in these economic times… Hopefully this blog will help ‘others’ know that with Deneen Pottery is worthy of that trust!

Thanks for reading our Pottery Blog!

Niles Deneen

I am really excited to hear how these new introductions go, but with the shipping time to Oregon we are going to have to wait until after this weekend. Chuck, Debbie and I were all hoping that this order of round belly mugs would arrive earlier…

Thanks for reading our blog!

Niles Deneen

Since Olive was about 5 months old she has been coming to work with me and has made friends with everyone that works here at Deneen Pottery! Her favorite thing to do is to jump into Julie’s lap first thing in the morning greeting her with kisses.

Yesterday Laura, one of our potters, was having a difficult time with the clay that she was using to throw pilsners… Olive and I decided to pop in and see if we could help.

After a bit of coaching Olive sat beside Laura’s wheel to watch how the next piece was thrown…

As usual Olive was able to bring a smile and lighten the mood… It’s amazing how well she can ease tensions and make the small things go a little bit easier! Olive then decided she should check on Jon to see how he was coming along with his custom mugs.

For an early afternoon tour of the throwing area Olive was quite tuckered out… Keeping an eye on everyone can be a lot of work!

So goes the life of being a shop dog…

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

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

The 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!

Now for the mug shots:

Located in Blacksburg, Virginia – The Clay Corner has been a customer since 2008 and this is their second order. Last time the two colors that were chosen were Burgundy and Cinnamon… This time around Joanne Anderson (the innkeeper) changed out the cinnamon for butter (not pictured) for half of her order of custom handmade mugs, and a repeat of burgundy. Guess the burgundy was a bit more popular.

Besides the handmade mugs, we also make other useful items like pitchers! Tori McGough from the Gros Ventre RIver Ranch ordered a small quantity of our newest item the 6 oz. Pitcher. These handmade 6 oz. pitchers are perfect for cream to be served with coffee or for heating up syrup. As we fire our handmade stoneware up to 2350º F there is no risk of placing these tough little guys in a microwave to heat up the syrup. This is the first order that we’ve made for Tori and we wish them well this season!

Located in New York, The Coffey House has duplicated their first order of stoneware mugs in the Colonial style all in our custom Navy Blue Glaze. Although we try to suggest offering at least 2 colors, so that you guests will have a choice, not everyone sees things our same way. Ellie Coffey has a beautiful 4 room inn (www.thecoffeyhouse.com) that is furnished with antiques, high quality plush comforters and linens, and bathrobes. Next time I get to East Marion I’ll be staying with her… When I do I’ll suggest bringing in a new color on her next order.

I can’t tell you how excited I am with this order going out! Instead of saying too much I’ll just say that the innkeeper of the Romantique Lakeview Lodge, Chris Fischer, and I talked a few weeks back and these mugs might mark the beginning of something really, REALLY, good. I can say that that Fieldstone is our newest color, and a satin finish, has been getting great reviews from our customers… Pictured here in one of our most popular styles of Signature Mugs – the Round Belly Mug!

Lois Hoover from Kansas City, Missouri has been a customer since 2002! I have had the pleasure of meeting up with her on a few occasions and the last time was in Independence for the MO-KAN conference where she placed this order for more handmade stoneware mugs in a VIBRANT coral glaze. Her property is celebrating it’s ‘10th Anniversary’ this year and has an in-ground pool and movie theatre! Can’t wait to stay with her next time I pass through KC!

Another exciting order that is just about to head south to Washington, Texas… The is the first order of custom hand-thrown mugs that are just coming off the kiln for Barbara Segal and her Lilian Farms Country Estate! The picture that we used was photographed from a hot air baloon and the detail on the medallion is AMAZING!!! In her first order she selected 2 different styles of custom mugs each in their own color. As pictured above the Jr. Executive Mug in burgundy, and the other selection was the Round Belly Mug in our custom glaze – Hunter Green. Can’t wait to hear how her guests respond when she serves her first cups of coffee and tea!!!

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

About the conference… The event allows the attendees to share time with the other professionals in the Innkeeping Industry – This is one that every innkeeper should attend. While it takes some figuring to calculate your exact ROI (return on investment) for the ideas that you learn the camaraderie and conversations that happen between the educational sessions are INVALUABLE… The surge of energy and creation of ‘flow’ that happens when you spend time with others that are doing what you do creates an environment of positivity that recharges your soul.

While you can accomplish many tasks in your day at home, spending a few hours on the Trade Show Floor listening, looking, touching and comparing the services and products is such a time saving experience… Especially when you are in our booth! Holding the different Styles of Signature Mugs and choosing the best Glaze Colors can only be done with REAL handmade mugs in your hand. Pictured below are Ray and Kristie Rosset from Lookout Point Lakeside Inn with my dad, Peter Deneen, selecting their new colors for their mug order.

The President of Paii – Jay Karen has taken the reins of the organization and is moving towardTo amuse ourselves and to keep traffic moving through the isles, tables of sweets are provided… With some special help by Lewis Sternthal, from InnStyle, a sponsored table was placed in our row on the final day of the show. When picking the right handmade mug, of the right thread count and quality of linen snacks make it easier!

Next years show is going to be held in Austin, Texas… Hope to see YOU there!

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.