Posts Tagged ‘Custom Mugs’

Handmade Mugs Exceeding Expectations

Thursday, July 15th, 2010

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.

Handmade Stoneware by Deneen Pottery – In service at Baldpate

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Innkeeper Q&A: Katherine Brown of Bloomsbury

Friday, April 23rd, 2010

The snow and cold is a distant memory, but the mornings are still starting out on the chilly side – Today it was 35º when dawn broke here at the pottery shop. Finding things that fit makes life more fulfilling, and definitely makes work more fun… Be it a perfect pair of sunglasses to protect your eyes as spring comes, or a perfect mug.

I’ve been waiting to find the next Innkeeper to interview and after hearing from Katherine Brown of Bloomsbury located in Camden, SC earlier this week I knew she would be perfect. In October of lat year we first talked about her property and our mugs and a few weeks later we combined a photograph of her property, and a drawing, by Randall Peterson, into this beautiful creation by Teena our Art Director.

At the start of the week I received a sorta tap-on-the-shoulder email that, more or less, hit me over the head and prompted me to see if Katherine would want to be the second official participant of  our Innkeeper Q&A.

“Good morning Niles – this is where you can share a ‘great laugh’ with everyone at Deneen Pottery!  When we ordered mugs a few short months ago, it was primarily because I like them–I wanted to try them on our breakfast table.

As it would never have occurred to me to buy a mug (with some logo) when I was traveling — I rather dismissed when you said how well they sell.   OK – I need to place an order.   Quit laughing and tell me what you need.”

I don’t mind being dismissed especially when I get to hear about it – That’s why this statement is also on our testimonials page… It helps to look back at positive statements when you are having a rough day – And I figure if I keep stacking up the positive things that have been said, more will KNOW that we ARE the best at making Custom Stoneware Coffee Mugs! (more…)

New Customer “The Coffee Cup” Cameron, OK

Monday, December 14th, 2009

Just before Thanksgiving Tammie, owner of The Coffee Cup located in Cameron, OK, was searching google for handmade mugs when she came across our website. “I looked at others but your product, professionalism, and website blew the others away.”  Now we have her design ready for approval and we are eagerly looking forward to working on her first order of custom mugs!

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Olive – The shop dog

Thursday, August 6th, 2009

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.The breeders wrote our name on her belly.

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Amazing Stoneware Mugs – Amazing Images

Thursday, April 23rd, 2009

jr_wichergarden1The Wicher Garden – Queens Cup

Recently 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!

jr_richmont1The Richmont Inn – Tankard Mug

jr_brampton1The Brampton Inn – Colonial Mug
jr_beavercottage1Beaver Lake Cottages – Flare Mug
jr_wichermenu1The Wicher Garden – Custom Mugs ready to serve

We 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!

Custom Handmade Stoneware Mugs & More – Kiln Report 2

Wednesday, April 15th, 2009

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 Colonial Mugs - BurgundyClay Corner – Burgundy, Colonial Mugs

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Innkeeping Conference and Trade Show – Paii

Thursday, April 9th, 2009

Not 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

Julie Rolsen with Annie and Mary Deneen

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Peter Deneen at the Illinois Conference

Friday, March 27th, 2009

No early retirement for Peter Deneen.

At the start of this year with all of the economic uncertainty we decided to head out to more bed and breakfast conferences in the hopes of attracting new customers. A few weeks back my dad attended the Illinois Innkeepers conference where he met many lovely people that had not heard of Deneen Pottery, and were unfamiliar with our hand made mugs.

Peter Deneen at the Illinois ConferencePeter Deneen at the Illinois Conference

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First Handmade Stoneware Testimonial!

Monday, February 23rd, 2009

With each order that we ship, we hope to meet or exceed our customer’s expectations… Now and then we are lucky enough to have a reaction like this:

Dear Niles and Teena,
I want you to know that our new custom mugs are simply spectacular.  The logo has depth, every detail is perfect and I’m thrilled to once again have Deneen Pottery mugs in the inn.  They look rich and I’ve already sold two in spite of slow business.

Susie Goldsmith
Boreas B&B – Long Beach, WA

Footed Coffee Mug - Navy w/Sky White TopFooted Mug Navy w/Sky Blue White Top

Susie has also posted a blog on her site about her new handmade mugs, read more…

Custom Handmade Stoneware Mugs & More – Kiln Report

Monday, February 16th, 2009

It was a cool and sunny weekend here in Minnesota and we had a firing that took place. Today I photographed a few pictures of some of the handmade stoneware custom mugs that are just about to be shipped.

img_07702Custom Handmade Round Belly Mug

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