February 2023 Newsletter

Warm greetings, my fellow artisans and potters! We hope everyone’s staying safe as we wait for the sun to melt some of this ice and snow. Winter days are lovely for cozying up inside and creating beautiful things, and if you use our firing services, we look forward to seeing what you’ll make!

February marks a very exciting time at Stone Leaf. If you know it, say it with me: classes are coming!

An Electric Kiln Workshop will be held February 12th on Sunday, 9:00am - 1:00pm, taught by Stone Leaf Pottery owners Bob and Ingrid 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.

A Studio Essentials class will also be held on Sunday, February 12th 2:00pm - 4:00pm. The cost is $15. This is a class you should consider taking before setting up your own studio! It covers making cone packs, catch plates, custom making stilts, making dry wall bats, recycling clay, and protecting your plumbing. This class does not cover firing your kiln, so take the EKW for that info.

Calling All Artists!!!

If you’re interested in your pieces being carried in our gallery, please contact Kate at kate@stoneleafpottery.com.

Also, starting the first Saturday in March, we’ll be having a Stone Leaf Staffer demo their favorite areas in pottery on the first Saturday of each month. Swing by then to see what Stone Leafers can pass along. We all love learning new things, and we’re lucky to have so many potters work for our studio! Stay tuned for further details!

Some reminders for our customers:

Snow days! Please be aware that during the winter months, we may have weather closures. Our first priority is staff and customer safety, so if it’s looking like the roads are perilous, we want you to know about it! Be sure to check our social media, website and voicemail for weather-related schedule changes.

If you require our firing services, give us a call and schedule a firing appointment to drop off your pieces! We now have a $2.50 surcharge for not having an appointment, so calling ahead both ensures staff will have time to check your pieces in, and you can avoid additional fees.

And, a spot of news:

SlabMat will officially be available at NCECA! Find us in Cincinnati the weekend of March 17th. Swing by and say hello, we look forward to seeing you!

Now, onto the specials. We’ll be featuring the favorite clay, glaze and tool of a Stone Leaf staff member every month! We’re kicking off with Ingrid, founder and fearless leader.

CLAY OF THE MONTH

Whitestone by Laguna, $16.25 per bag up to 100#

One of Ingrid’s favorite clays, Whitestone is a Laguna classic! She shared some words about Whitestone, and I thought she put it best:

“Whitestone, WC-422, is a porcellanous mid-fire stoneware. I became acquainted with it when I was looking for a new clay body. I specified I wanted a clay body that was always white, never displayed speckles of any kind, that works well for hand-building as well as throwing. It’s all of that, and as a bonus, for me it has a less than 1% cracking rate! It’s simply marvelous! Be aware, it can be as finicky as porcelain can be. Don’t dry it in a draft, try to not stack it when bisque firing, and never swear at it.”

Whitestone is unique in that Laguna makes it special for Stone Leaf Pottery. Grab a bag today!

GLAZE OF THE MONTH

Laguna’s Robin’s Egg glaze, 20% off

Ingrid’s selected Laguna’s mid-fire Robin’s Egg pint to be on sale while supplies last! If you’re partial to glaze colors and reactions, or simply beautiful blue glazes, Robin’s Egg is a definite need for your assembly. Laguna nails its blues time and time again, and Robin’s Egg is no exception. An opulent semi-opaque glaze, its vibrant hues that take the definition of “robin’s egg blue” to an exciting new level. Part of Laguna’s Moroccan Sand glaze series, the crystalline chemical movement and tones make this glaze a staff and customer favorite at Stone Leaf. Don’t miss out on this lovely pint!

Want to see more of Robin’s Egg? Check out Pinterest’s results!

TOOL OF THE MONTH

Kemper K34, trimmer knife and Kemper TT4, turning tool - 20% off

Ingrid’s chosen tools, the K34 and TT4, are 20% off this month! The K34 is a trimmer knife, featuring a semi-flexible stainless steel blade set in a sturdy wooden handle. From carving delicate designs to trimming clay, the blade is sharpened for a cool, neat cut. The end product is five inches of straight usefulness. The TT4, or the turning tool, is used to shape, contour and trim pieces off the wheel. The heavy-duty steel head has sharpened edges and is brazed to a steel shaft, plated, and firmly set into a smooth hardwood handle. The heavy gauge and teardrop head make it a great shape for quick work. Make sure to peel that coating off prior to using! Snag both of these tools this month, and get ready to have new studio go-tos!

Our specials wheel will still be around, and available for customers to spin who spend $75 and more while in-store!

That’s all for now. Stay warm and happy potting, everybody, and we look forward to seeing you around the store!

Elise and the Stone Leaf Pottery Crew

Follow us on social media, Instagram @stoneleafpottery and Facebook Stone Leaf Pottery!

All Clay of the Month purchases are limited to 100# of clay. The sale price is valid only in February 2023 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!