Posts Tagged ‘Deneen Pottery’

Testimonials and Mug Art

Tuesday, December 14th, 2010

12/30/10 The final testimonial of 2010!

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

Warming Hearts – Big Snow!!!

Monday, December 13th, 2010

WOW did we get some snow over the weekend… The Metrodome collapsed, cars were buried, plows and snow removal crews worked overtime clearing roads and sidewalks… This is a picture just outside our back door here at the pottery.

The next thing that we Minnesotans cope well with, besides snow, is COLD temperatures… And it is now SUPER COLD with wind chills at -35ºF! There is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing! But once you come in from the cold and take off all the layers it’s nice to grab a hot handmade mug of coffee or hot chocolate. I prefer coffee, and the best thing that I’ve found to keep that coffee hot is to warm up my mug.

In an article that ran in Innkeeping Quarterly, the PAII journal for innkeepers, summer edition written by Heath Croft, there was mention of a warming tray. Julie Rolsen, of the Garth Mansion, has been using one of these for years to keep her mugs warm for guests first cup of coffee. I searched high and low and found the Waring Pro WT90B, available on Amazon for just $59.99 (free shipping), and I have it plugged in here at Deneen Pottery. After taking the picture on the mountain of snow I came and grabbed a hot mug from the tray and am now sipping my hot coffee.

The Garth Mansion sells about 800 mugs a year, every year, and keeping them warm is just one of the ideas… The other idea is to offer MANY different colors. Over the 10 years that we’ve been making custom handmade mugs for Julie, she has ordered just about every color that we make. When returning guests see a color that they haven’t seen before they are compelled to grow their mug collections. We couldn’t be happier about these idea, or working with Julie.

To read the full article you can download it from our Order Form Download page on our site (here).

Hope you all are staying warm, and remembering to enjoy your coffee in a Deneen Pottery mug!

Thanks for reading our blog.

Niles Deneen, VP Marketing

Stoneware for Military Spouses

Thursday, September 16th, 2010

This story begins with a nondescript catalog request that I received back on the 30th of July. Since all catalog requests arrive into my inbox I make a point of answering back and asking a few questions, like how did you find us, and what type of business do you have. Sometimes people don’t answer back but this time I did get an answer back from Janene of Charlottesville, VA.

“I am a volunteer for a military spouses group and we order lots of different items with our crest on it to sell, mostly to spouses.  We have done jewelry items, bags and such and would like to come up with something different so I was just cruising around the internet for ideas.”

Somehow Deneen Pottery surfaced in google and Janene filled out our CATALOG REQUEST page and we began bouncing ideas around. Instead of a handmade military mug, Janene was more interested in our handmade champagne coolers (sometimes called champagne chiller, buckets or crocks) and sent this piece artwork for us to look at:

The wooden ornament provided the perfect amount of detail for us to create this emblem design – The only change that Janene wanted to make was to remove the stars.

The design was approved and an order for 30 Champagne Coolers was placed and we began working on this special JAG CORP military stoneware order. A few weeks after first talking to Janene we shipped her order out and shortly after she wrote back to us. “Hey Niles – I got the pottery!  It’s great!  Thank you so much for everything!”

Here is a picture of the finished piece, done in navy w/white marble glaze:

Supporting those that support our troops is an honor, especially when we are given the opportunity to create handmade stoneware that bears the U.S. Army Jag Corps seal. For more information on how you can get your first order started just send us an email or give us a call – We are here everyday!

niles@denenpottery.com or call us toll free: 888-646-0238

Thank you for reading our blog!

Niles Deneen

Jay Karen at a Deneen Pottery Wheel!

Friday, May 21st, 2010

It is my honor to share this news report…
Subject: Jay Karen, Deneen Pottery, Hand-Thrown Mugs

Following the Minnesota Bed and Breakfast Conference Jay Karen stopped by and toured our studio. Halfway through my dad, Peter Deneen, sat Jay at a wheel and let him give it a spin! Keep in mind Jay is not a professional potter…

The mug, that has now just come out of the kiln, is truly one of a kind. (more…)

Buckhorn Inn – Quick Interview

Thursday, May 6th, 2010

In March we, here at Deneen Pottery, decided to do an ad campaign offering a free handmade coffee mug to those that mentioned the add when requesting a catalog on our website… I use the word ‘campaign’ loosely because it was just a single ad, but in a industry leading publication IQ or Innkeeping Quarterly. As PAII is the leading organization in this industry it only makes sense to test the waters with this type of an offer with them. We’ve always found success when working with PAII, and will continue to do so indefinitely! On a side note the president of PAII, Jay Karen, was recently here for a ‘hands on’ tour by our president, and my dad, Peter Deneen. To read up on that tour click here. Thanks for coming Jay, I look forward to seeing you again soon!

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. (more…)