Well, this happened last Friday as a couple was at the Split Rock Lighthouse and they didn’t see exactly what they wanted on the shelf. It should be noted that Split Rock is celebrating it’s 100th Anniversary this year, so with the increase in interest they’ve sold out of some pieces. So the couple called us to find out where they could find another mug. Julie, our amazingly talented GM, referred them to the B&B that she recently stayed at, the Firelight Inn, located in Duluth, MN – the innkeepers Jim and Joy Fisher are the best!!!

Like most calls that we get about finding a mug we never hear anything and just hope that our assistance was appreciated… This time, we did hear and it was posted on the facebook page of the Firelight Inn!!!

So the phone rings this afternoon and a couple tells us they saw some stoneware at Split Rock Lighthouse but its not quite what they want. They see its made by Deneen Pottery and they give them a call and, off course, Deneen Pottery sends them to The Firelight Inn. They just left with two Firelight mugs which they considered “perfect”! Sweetness!

Once  you have an appreciation for handmade mugs by Deneen Pottery, nothing else will do! Even thought the couple didn’t stay with Jim and Joy Fisher, they loved their mugs enough to buy a pair. That certainly is much better than getting a parking ticket!!!

For more information on how you can place your first order, or find your next mug, just give us a call 888-646-0238!

Thanks for reading our blog.

Niles Deneen

Realizing that none of this valuable information is posted on our website I figured that I could post it here so that it won’t languish in it’s small archived 2002 file. Unbelievably, most of the questions and answers are still the same.

Q: Are these mugs dishwasher safe?

A: Depends on who is washing your dishes… Just kidding, every piece of stoneware we make will be fine in the strongest industrial dishwasher. Just don’t drop it when you are putting them away.

Q: Will the colors fade over time?

A: None of the glaze colors will fade, even if they sit in direct sunlight for years! We have seen mugs that we made from 1984 that look like we just took them out of the kiln.

Q: If I store this pottery in the freezer will it break or crack because of the cold?

A: Our tankards along with our wine and champagne coolers are supposed to be stored in the freezer. Just be cautions of extreme changes in temperature, like from the freezer to the oven or vice versa as this expansion and shrinking are ideal for causing ceramics and even glass to crack.

Q: How do the mugs do in the oven, or micro-wave?

A: Great! Our kilns fire pottery up to 2200ºF so 350-400ºF would be fine. With heating things up in the micro-wave, especially beverages, just be sure that the stoneware mug is at least half full. This will allow even heat distribution through the piece and ensure that no cracking or breaking will occur.

Q: What is a good price to charge for one of the mugs if you are going to sell them?

A: Our Suggested Retail Price is $16.00, but it is just that a suggestion. Really it depends on what you want to get out of the mug. Some of our inns charge as much as $20.00 to make a profit, and others charge $12.00 just to make sure that their guests take one home as they cover their costs.

Q: How do these mugs work for advertising?

A: We think that the mugs are great for that subtle little reminder that actually gets used.  Every time a beverage is enjoyed in one of these cups thoughts go back to the time spent at your inn. Next thing you know they want to come back for another stay.

I also found an accompanying advertising postcard, or handout, in that same file from 2002… Those same hands, that you see in the picture, are still here making pottery on a wheel! What I also find difficult to believe, is that we once used purple and grey as our branding colors?!? But then again that was before I was ’seriously’ working for our family’s business.

If you have any other questions about our custom stoneware mugs, our our company just jot it down below and I’ll be sure to answer you back.

Thanks for reading our pottery blog!

Niles Deneen

In August we send out an email to all of our customers offering a free set-up for anyone that hasn’t ordered our ornaments, or 5 additional free ornaments to those that have ordered them in the past. We started doing this about 3 years ago and with that first special I received an email from Emily Hoche-Mong the Innkeeper at the Goose & Turrets:

“One Christmas season I gave all guests a handmade ornament from Deneen Pottery with my Goose & Turrets logo. One guest, a young lady from Australia, began to cry, and she flung her arms around my neck and said, “You are just so sweet, that’s the only present I’ve gotten this Christmas.” I will never forget that experience nor that Deneen Pottery was a part of it.

Here is what that ornament looks like:

Real ornaments are threaded with golden string, and depending on the graphics can incorporate a solid glaze color. below is an actual image of one of the ornaments that we are currently making for Valerie Larrea, the Innkeeper and Owner of Abbington Green B&B. When I was talking with Valerie last week about her re-order she said that she loves giving them out around the holidays… “Giving away an ornament to guests upon departure is such a nice thing… An unexpected and truly appreciated feeling. It is my hope to remembered, and that my act of kindness will lead into a story, to others, about the stay.” It really is the small things in life that can have the most impact and are what we truly remember.

From small to large properties keeping your name in front of your guests and customers through giving is a wonderful way to embrace the spirit of the holidays. We are thrilled this year to beginning a tradition with the Bar Harbor Inn, in Bar Harbor Maine:

Deneen Pottery will be making an ornament that will feature a different building on the grounds of the Bar Harbor Inn. The first year is pictured above and features the Main House. We aren’t sure who is going to be the lucky reciepients of these handmade keepsakes, or what the next year’s ornament will feature, but we are proud to be a part of this tradition!

Each ornament is made by hand, pressed from a white stoneware clay body that is specifically engineered for our company. From beginning to end each ornament will be touched by 12 pairs of hands, fired twice, and finished off with golden thread. Like all of the stoneware mugs that we make, these ornaments are lead and cadimum free. Clarity and detail, memories and kindness, love what you do and do what you love!

If you are curious about the special, or have any questions, give me a call! Thanks for reading today’s blog.

Niles Deneen - VP, Marketing

]]> http://www.deneenpottery.com/blog/2009/09/something-special-for-the-holidays/feed/ 1 http://www.deneenpottery.com/blog/2009/04/amazing-stoneware-mugs-amazing-images/ http://www.deneenpottery.com/blog/2009/04/amazing-stoneware-mugs-amazing-images/#comments Thu, 23 Apr 2009 15:33:58 +0000 Niles Deneen http://www.deneenpottery.com/blog/?p=146

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!

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!

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!