July 2024 Newsletter

Happy July, potter pals! We had a blast seeing everybody at our 25th Anniversary Open House and we can’t wait to see you again in our store. See all the great photos from the event, posted our instagram account. Days are longer and markets have reached full swing, and thus we’re better stocked than ever to help with your projects! We hope you’re enjoying some summer lovin’ in your studios and kicking up something grand.

We’re starting July off with one of Colorado’s largest arts festivals of the year. You guessed it—the Cherry Creek Arts Festival is this month!

From July 5 to 7, the Festival will fill the streets of Cherry Creek North with over 250 juried artists ready to share their talent. This event will have plenty of live music, kids’ activities, art, information about art education, food, and more. In the ceramic category, some of the vendors present will be our very own customers! Come on out and celebrate the community, with a plethora of mediums for art-lovers of all kinds!

If you’d like to learn more, here’s the website for the Festival with an overview, location and FAQs. If you’d like to learn more about the artists, here’s the artists’ page!

We also recommend checking out the Colorado Black Arts Festival happening July 12 - 14 at the Denver City Park West. There’ll be an amazing mix of artists exhibiting gorgeous works of art. Grab a friend, make a day of it and swing on by!

There’s also the Cheesman Park Art Festival July 22 - 23 in Capitol Hill. Those who want to stop by the park can take a look or shop for items from over 150 painters, potters, jewelers, sculptors, and many more. Food trucks and live music will also be present at the park fest!

As a reminder, we’re kicking off our spring cleaning by cleaning off the board and starting fresh this 4th of July weekend! If you’d like to retrieve previous fliers, or replace them with fresh ones, feel free to swing by or let us know. Any fliers that were dropped off in the last week pertaining to July events will remain on the board.

It’s time to order back-to-school clay! The beginning of the school year is just around the corner. We recommend you place your orders early on to make sure all of your supplies are ready for the back-to-school rush! Our clay deliveries can take up to two weeks to schedule, so if you have any orders or questions, please shoot requests to info@stoneleafpottery.com!

Ingrid weighs in on Kemper Mfg closing...

I think everyone was surprised and concerned to learn that Kemper is closing their business. Yes, there are other companies that make and sell pottery making tools, but they generally do cost more than Kemper tools.Ingrid King, the owner of Stone Leaf Pottery, has some wise words for those concerned:

A look in your kitchen or a kitchen store will yield some options. I prefer a potato peeler to cut beveled edges from the base of sculptures over more expensive bevel tools. I have used dental floss to cut through pugs of clay.A look in your kitchen or a kitchen store will yield some options. I prefer a potato peeler to cut beveled edges from the base of sculptures over more expensive bevel tools. I have used dental floss to cut through pugs of clay.

A big favorite of mine is using old key cards or spent gift cards to create tools. I find shorter blades to be more maneuverable than longer blades, so I use a heavy scissor to cut a thin section from the side of a key card, bringing one end to a point. The point cuts clay slabs beautifully.

I use the remaining portion of the key card to cut smooth ribs. I have cut serrated edges on some ribs, but I find them annoying to cut.

We have a holiday closure coming up. July 4th the store will be closed for Independence Day. Go celebrate with your friends and family, and we’ll see you the following Friday.

Up next, our specials!

CLAY OF THE MONTH

Iceman with Grog by Kentucky Mudworks, $22.25 per bag

We’ve sold a lot of Iceman with Grog at Stone Leaf Pottery because it’s an excellent substitute for those who aren’t a fan of B-Mix with grog. And now you can check it out too at a discounted price! Kentucky Mudworks Iceman with Grog is a cool white stoneware that is durable and a pleasure to throw. This clay has fine sand for a bit of tooth, which does not get too soupy if you throw with a lot of water. It's super plastic and co-operative for all forming methods. Maturing at cone 5-6, it can also be pushed to cone 7 with slow firing. Pick up a bag today!Want to see some examples of Iceman with Grog? Check out this example from Reddit!

TOOL OF THE MONTH

MKM Texture Rollers and Stamps, 15% off

It’s a customer favorite! Ever walk by our tool aisle and gaze longingly at the stamps and rollers? We wanted to share such a special brand with our customers this month. MKM Texture Rollers and Stamps are perfect for adding beautiful and intricate patterns to your pottery. These tools are designed to create detailed textures and designs with ease, making them ideal for both beginners and experienced potters looking to enhance their work. Add a flourish in an easy way, and scoop up your new favorite MKM Roller or Stamp today!

Want to see this tool in action? Check out this fabulous bowl-making video with MKM Rollers on YouTube!

Check out a few examples of the MKM tools on sale below or go to the MKM section on our website!

GLAZE OF THE MONTH

Amaco Cosmos Glazes, 10% off

We wanted to make our glaze special EXTRA special this month. We know our customers can’t get enough of the Amaco Cosmos line, now you can scoop up a pint on sale! Amaco Cosmos glazes are a brand new cone 5/6 glaze line that exhibits unique and captivating visual effects reminiscent of cosmic or otherworldly phenomena. These glazes are meticulously crafted to capture the mesmerizing beauty of crystalline glazes in every brushstroke, transforming your pottery into celestial masterpieces that sparkle with the brilliance of distant galaxies. The metallic finish adds an extra dimension of depth and shimmer. While these glazes are food safe, they are not recommended for food surfaces due to their durability. They can be fired in a normal medium-speed firing with no special cooling schedule required, but using a controlled cooling schedule can increase crystal growth for even more spectacular results.

Check out this cool video on Instagram about layering Cosmos over underglazes!

That’s all for now, folks! Happy potting 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 July 2024 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!