February '25 Newsletter
Published by Elise on Feb 3rd 2025
Happy February, chocolate-covered ceramic sweethearts!
Romance is in the air, and we’re falling in love all over again with our pottery projects. Grab your favorite clay, settle in next to the space heater and make something from the heart. We hope everyone out there is staying bundled and warm as snow covers the ground!
Upcoming Electric Kiln Workshop
An Electric Kiln Workshop will be held February 22 on Saturday, 8:30am - 1:30pm, taught by Stone Leaf Pottery owners Ingrid and Bob King. The cost is $75 or FREE with purchase of one new kiln from Stone Leaf Pottery in the last two years! One kiln = one EKW. Sign up at the front counter, order/register online or give us a call!
NOTE: If you’ve purchased a kiln, you’re still required to officially sign up in order to be a part of the workshop.
Upcoming Glaze Workshop
Laguna Cone 5/6 Glaze “Try It Before You Buy It” Workshop
March 8, 2025
$35.00
Clay of the Month
New Mexico Clay Chocolate - $0.61 per pound, limit of 100#
Buy yourself some chocolate this season at Stone Leaf! Our Clay of the Month is New Mexico Chocolate—a rich, dark Hershey chocolate brown stoneware that approaches an almost black hue once fired. This smooth clay offers a texture similar to porcelain but with superior plasticity, making it exceptionally easy to throw. It is ideal for creating striking pieces with glazes that pop against its deep, dark color. So delicious you’d be tempted to eat it (though please refrain, as it is still clay), this mid-fire dark body is sure to become your next favorite.
Tool of the Month
GR Pottery Forms - 10% off
We’re tickled pink to offer this special to our dear customers. A huge Stone Leaf favorite, GR Pottery Forms allow you to quickly create plates, platters, bowls, and dishes in repeating and complementary sizes. These forms are easy to use, budget-friendly, and lightweight, making them a valuable addition to any studio. They’re wood drape molds ideal for making dinnerware and serving platters, and the cut and beveled fiberboard make them durable and economical. Want to make a quick easy thing for your sweetheart, or kick butt in a Valentine’s Day market? Swing by and snag one of these easy-to-use wonder forms!
Want a walk-through on how to use a GR form? Check out this how-to on making a fish platter on their website!
Glaze of the Month
Select Red Glazes - 10% off
In honor of Valentine’s Day, we’re offering 10% off a selection of red glazes from Amaco, Coyote, and Mayco. Whether you’re working on romantic pieces or just love the boldness of red, now’s the perfect time to stock up on the reddest of all the reds.
Staff Interview: KIRA
We’re including a new segment in our newsletter where we interview a staff member from Stone Leaf! This month it’s Kira, a fabulous artist who will be leaving us soon for a tattoo apprenticeship in Peoria, IL.
[Stone Leaf Pottery] What’s your strongest focus in pottery?
[KIRA] “I like doing Sgraffito a lot. I like the description ‘whimsigoth’. Incorporating stars and spirals into everything, and one-eyed or three-eyed cats. Not two-eyed.”
[SLP] Kiss, marry, kill: throwing, hand-building, glazing?
[KIRA] “I would marry throwing, I would kiss glazing, and kill hand-building. I like hand-building, but I haven't done that as much.”
[SLP] What’s your secret weapon of pottery tools?
[KIRA] “Probably the little Kemper WS Wire Stylus Tool.”
[SLP] Do you do any other forms of art?
[KIRA] “Everything! Or, I want to be doing everything. I really like illustration and painting, and I’m excited about my tattoo apprenticeship.”
[SLP] If you were a clay tool, what would you be?
[KIRA] “I’d be a [Mudtools] wiggle wire!”
[SLP] What’s your favorite clay body recently?
[KIRA] “Ermine by New Mexico! The speckles look like woodchips. We don’t stock it in the store right now, but you can special order it by talking to any of the SLP staff.”
Thanks, Kira! Tune in next time for another interview.
Now, for Ingrid’s Tip of the Month! This month it’s on blending clay bodies and agateware, inspired by our clay special this month. To give Ingrid’s tip a try, pick up a bag of Chocolate at our special discount!
Ingrid King Tip of the Month
It is likely you have seen pots with swirls of different colored clays. When this is made by using two or more different colored clays, it is often called agateware. I have done this two ways. First, I have found two clays with the same shrinkage rate that fire to the same cone, layered and wedged them, then used them for hand building or throwing. Go to the clay company that manufactures the clays you are interested in using to check shrinkage rates. I have also taken dry powder stoneware or porcelain, taken a small amount of clay and stirred it with not more than 3% by weight of an oxide colorant or a Mason® stain, then blended in a small amount of water until the clay reaches the moisture level I want. I prefer doing this rather than combining wet clay with powdered stain or oxide, since the new colored clay can present a grainy look. With this method I will throw a thick cylinder, roll the colored clay into extremely thin coils, apply it to the exterior of the cylinder, then finish throwing the shape I want. I like this method since it saves on cost, unlike wedging 50/50 with the base clay and the stained clay.
2nd Annual Empty Bowls
You might’ve noticed we have a box accepting donations beneath our firing counter. For just a few more days until February 4th, we’re accepting donations for Empty Bowls at Bear Creek High School. Donate your glazed ceramic bowls, mugs and other handmade pieces. Donated pieces will be auctioned off at the Empty Bowls charity event with proceeds going to the Action Center.
Email mimi.blanch@jeffco.k12.co.us or go to the Empty Bowls website for more information.
As always, keep an eye out on social media for snow announcements! As the winter season gets chillier and much snowier, openings may be delayed or we’ll close if weather looks bad. Our first priority is staff and customer safety! Be sure to check our social media, website and voicemail for weather-related schedule changes.
Slabmat will be available at NCECA again this year, March 26-29! Swing by and say hello, we look forward to seeing you!
Want a cool art event this month? Check out the 46th Annual Valley Visual Art Show in Carbondale! From late January through February 20, folks can come out to see a gorgeous juried collection of works by local artists. Here’s their website for more information!
If you need a 2024 sales summary for tax information please email Sophia at sophia@stoneleafpottery.com.
That’s all for now, folks! Happy potting and stay warm in this snowy weather, and we look forward to seeing you around the store.
Elise and the Stone Leaf Pottery Crew
All Clay of the Month purchases are limited to 100# of clay. The sale price is valid only in February 2025 and not combinable with other discounts.
It's not uncommon for us to run out of the clay(s) of the Month, so we always suggest you shop early in the Month to ensure the clay is in stock. Also, when purchasing Glaze or Tool(s), or Equipment of the Month, again, it's limited to products on hand. So, if we don't have it when you shop, come shop with us again soon! We replenish our shelves constantly—we'll hopefully have more soon! Got more questions about how this works? Please, please reach out to us!
During the freezing months, we will not accept returns on clay or liquid chemical products such as wax resist. As much as we wish we could take back that half-frozen bag of B-Mix, we can’t repurpose it. Thank you for being mindful.