Warmer temperatures have finally arrived, along with newfound inspiration. If your studio relies on the good graces of the seasons, we’re all the more excited to see what you’ll make! Whether you’re throwing your first pot or glazing your hundredth, Stone Leaf Pottery is ready to supply your projects—especially with the arrival of many markets, fairs and shows. We have a couple of exciting workshops coming up!

Upcoming  Workshop

The “Try It Before You Buy It” Workshop returns, but this time for Amaco Cone 5/6 glazes! We plan to hold this workshop on May 10th. Inquire to sign up online, by phone call, or in person!

Ready to test out some Amaco glazes and see how they work with your favorite clay body? Join us for a hands-on glaze exploration workshop where you’ll have the chance to experiment with 25+ Amaco Cone 5/6 glazes. Bring your own bisque-fired Cone 5 clay pieces to test layering techniques and discover new glazes you may not have used before.

Unlike our in-store sample pots, which are typically tested on one clay body, this workshop allows you to see how the combination of glaze and clay body produces different effects. It’s the perfect opportunity to find the best glaze options for your unique pieces.

What’s included:

• 25+ glazes to sample
• A $10 coupon for Cone 5/6 Amaco glazes

What to Bring:

• 5 bisque-fired Cone 5/6 clay pieces (clean, dust-free, and residue-free). We recommend:
• 1 cylinder to test layered glazes on a vertical surface
• 1 tile or plate for horizontal surface testing
• 3 additional pieces to explore smooth vs. textured surfaces
• 5 or more brushes of various sizes
• Boxes and wrapping to take your glazed pieces home

There will be some cone 5 bisque pieces available for purchase.

Lara Suenram, Stone Leaf Pottery’s General Manager, is teaching this workshop. Firing is not included, but available for an additional cost. Preregistration is required – space is limited!

Following that, we’ll have a second Mayco Peacock workshop! All of the above applies to this workshop as well, but for Mayco, of course! Please give us a call, shoot us an email or register on our website if you’d like to be a part of this workshop, so awesome we had to do a round two. May 17th, 10am - 1pm. Stone Leaf Pottery Store Manager, Joseph. will be leading this workshop. We look forward to seeing you!

The next Electric Kiln Workshop will be held June 28, 9:00am to 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. Sign up at the front counter, order 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.

CLAY OF THE MONTH
KYMud Iceman and KYMud Iceman with Grog

This one I’m particularly excited about, because Iceman is one of my favorite clays! Dip your hands into a porcelaneous stoneware that’ll blow your mind. With its plasticity and gorgeous ivory finish, Iceman’s great to throw, Iceman with Grog to hand-build, but neither is exclusive to either category—they both work great! Iceman with Grog is made with 60 mesh sand, which gives the smooth body an extra oomph. Iceman on its own is a silky, workable clay, epitomizing Kentucky Mudworks’s signature plastic vibe. A duo that’ll change your making game, don’t miss out! Snag a bag of each while supplies last!

Want to see more of Iceman? Check out this cool Facebook post featuring a gorgeous green glaze combination!

TOOL OF THE MONTH
Garrity Tools - 10% off

Get to sculpting, shaping and saving. For the month of May, we’re offering a 10% discount on Garrity tools! One of our all-time favorite tool brands, whether you’re refining your forms or getting that perfect rim, Garrity tools will elevate your pieces in a way you never knew you needed. Or, if you’ve already loved these tools, now’s the perfect time to grab that loop, rib or bevel. Handcrafted, oiled and etched, these tools will bring an incredible new look to your work. Add texture to your pottery, or a foot, or take all of it away. Whether you’re just starting out or throwing like a pro, Garrity tools are great for every level. Their tagline is “your tools should inspire you” and we couldn’t agree more!

Only the Top Dozen  favorite (based on customer purchases) Garrity Tools are shown below,  but ALL of the Garrity Tools are 10% off this month! Add ‘em to your cart to see the discount!

Want to see more of these tools? Check out Garrity’s Instagram reel!

GLAZE OF THE MONTH
All AMACO Glazes, 10% off

In honor of our brand-new Amaco “Try Before You Buy” workshop this month, we’re adding a 10% discount on all Amaco glazes. This discounted price will be revealed when you add an AMACO glaze to your cart. One of the best-loved glaze houses of all time, Amaco boasts incredible stoneware lines, vibrant celadons and  velvety underglazes. Dreamy drip effects, as well as pigmented illustrations and your favorite zinc-free clears are all achievable. Amaco’s got a jar for everyone! Each of their glazes and underglazes are a studio classic, and often play well with many other glazes. Oatmeal, for instance, can be an excellent flux, but test every combination before you use it on your work! Dip it, brush it or pour it. Glaze, and glaze boldly! Whatever you pick up, you can’t go wrong.

Want some great Amaco combinations? Check out this YouTube account that dedicates their videos to Amaco combinations!

Ingrid King’s Tip of the Month…

…involves planning ahead!

Yes, it’s me, urging you to again plan ahead. As potters we often make gifts for friends’ birthdays and special events, and some of us take commissions. I stopped taking commissions a few years ago, but when I did still accept commissions, I always planned ahead. I have made many sets of commissioned dinnerware. Knowing that clay manufacturers may at times have unavoidable variations happen in their clay supply, I always made sure to have double the amount of clay I needed from the same batch of clay. I threw twice the number of ordered dinner plates, salad plates, and bowls ordered. This allowed me to match as closely as possible, dimensions, shape, and weight of pieces. I would finish extras in each shape, in the end selecting the ones that were the best match to fill the order. I offered to sell the extras to the person who ordered the commission. Generally they wanted to buy them as well. This process was reassuring to me, knowing I was far more likely to satisfy my customers. 

Recently I asked a friend of mine who is a professional pastry chef if he stocked extra supplies as back up for orders. “Always!” he exclaimed. “I only made the mistake of not doing that once. Now I always have extra supplies!” 

To meet your deadlines, your gift plans, or your customers’ orders, plan accordingly. 

Thank you, Ingrid!

Staff Interview: KAYLA

For our May Stone Leaf staff member interview, we have Kayla! Kayla’s our earthy-toned glaze queen and weigh-out master, creating the gorgeous oil pourers, planters and trays in our gallery.

[SLP] How long have you been making pottery?

[KAYLA] For about nine years, mostly self-taught. I started in high school and found more about it on my own terms. I’ve worked at a couple of studios before this, teaching and prepping. Here, I handle orders, answer a lot of questions, stocking, but also weigh-outs! Dry materials, glazes and stuff to make glazes.

[SLP]  Kiss, marry, kill: throwing, hand-building, glazing?

[KAYLA] Kill glazing, marry throwing and kiss hand-building.

There are many awesome art events in May!

Check out the Colorado Potters Guild Spring Sale, happening May 1-3! More than 2000 ceramic items—including both pottery and sculpture work—from the nearly 40 participating member artists. Refreshed each day, there’s a rotation of incredible work at this sale. Don’t miss out!

There’s also the Arvada Center's Spring Pottery Sale May 13-18! There will be hundreds of pieces available and prices to fit any budget. All work is created by the Arvada Center's nationally recognized faculty of ceramic artists, and advanced students. Proceeds benefit the participating artists and the Arvada Center Ceramics Studio.

And be sure to check out the Garden of the Gods Art Festival May 17-18 in Colorado Springs, which features pottery among other amazing art forms. The 2nd Annual Garden of the Gods Art Festival will take place at the Rock Ledge Ranch Historic Site. This art festival highlights an outstanding lineup of 150 juried fine artists and craftsmen from across the nation, presenting pottery, jewelry, textiles, paintings, sculpture, glass art and more.

While snow’s no longer a factor, be sure to look at our social media for event updates and other news!

Any further questions about our specials? Inquire at our front desk during regular business hours, our staff are happy to help!

That’s all for now, folks! Happy potting, and we look forward to seeing you soon.

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 May 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.