Yarn Bowls

So it turns out people really like yarn bowls. Sure, they're useful - they keep the ball or cake of yarn from bouncing all over the floor and being attacked by the cat while you knit or crochet. And they're decorative too.

We started making them early in 2014 (thanks, Katie) and have had a great response both at Irish Fest and on Etsy. (Most of ours have an extra feature of a convenient scissors holder.) And now they're available locally in the Milwaukee area at The Wool & Cotton Co., a warm and colorful shop in downtown Greendale, Wisconsin (thanks again, Katie). This photo represents our initial inventory at the shop. Custom colors and sizes are available on request. (Note: The smaller bowls are multitaskers - when you're not in the middle of a project they make make a nice big cappuccino cup or soup bowl.)

Happy knitting!!

Victorian Steampunk

This functional set was made as a housewarming gift - garlic jar, utensil crock and sponge holder. The pieces are wheel thrown with Laguna white clay and glazed with a combination of Mayco glazes, using a black "ink" for the fine detail. The gear imprints are made with our handmade clay stamps. I envision making similar pieces in a variety of colors including midnight blue, violet and caramel.

Irish Fest 2014

Last day of the Fest today. We are so grateful for all the compliments and purchases! A lot of hard work and a lot of fun getting here...

Special Request Tea Set

This set was a special request for a teapot, teacups with matching plates, sugar & creamer set in black with white swirls and an occasional rose. Pretty happy with the outcome.

Unlike a lot of what we do, this was done with a full cover of black, with the white and red added over the top (all Mayco colors). The clay is Laguna B-Mix Cone 5.

Thanks, Q, for the photos!

Clay Soaps by Hills of Clay

After much experimenting and testing on our friends and family, we have a companion product to our pottery: Clay soaps. We're really happy with the results and they have been well received.

We'll be starting a second Etsy store soon featuring soap and soap dishes, and they will also be available in a soon-to-be-open shop in Waukesha, and at Milwaukee Irish Fest. Here's the scoop...

Clay Soaps 
Handcrafted by Hills of Clay

Why clay soap?
        Squeaky clean feeling
        Mild and non-drying
        Great for all skin types

We are potters, and  work with our hands
in clay every day. Lots of hand washing and 
exposure to pottery clay led to very dry skin, 
which everyday hand soap did not help. 
We decided to start making our own 
high-quality soap, and started researching 
ingredients.

Unlike pottery clay, Kaolin  is a fine, white 
clay that has been used in skin care and 
cosmetic products since ancient times, 
and is widely recognized as beneficial to 
both dry and oily skin types - with properties 
that soothe, detoxify and nourish the skin. 
As potters, it was an obvious choice for us
to add clay to our soaps, so we tried it. 
We loved the results, and hope you do too!

Our soap base is either clear glycerin or 
white goat milk glycerin, made with only 
high quality natural ingredients. The glycerin 
base makes for a long-lasting bar of soap 
that doesn’t melt away after just a few uses. 
The soaps make great lather for a squeaky 
clean feeling, and also help to soften and 
protect the skin. We offer our soaps in a wide 
variety of shapes, sizes, colors and fragrances. 

New designs and old favorites...

Favorite Holiday Request

While I wouldn't want to make these every day, they were a fun challenge. These tea-for-one sets were the result of a special request from a co-worker whose girlfriend collects this type of tea set. I decided to make two very different sets and let him choose...

A teapot is always a tricky venture, even without having to make sure the pot fits in the cup, the handles line up, etc.

The process reminded me a little of making gingerbread houses from scratch with my kids...with every step there is a real possibility of total disaster!

The body of the teapot, body of the cup, lid, lid handle and spout are each made individually on the pottery wheel, dried to "leather hard" and then trimmed and joined together, along with the "pulled" handles for the teapot and teacup.

The pieces are allowed to dry slowly to avoid warping, and then bisque fired to almost 2000 degrees (a 24-hour process of firing and cooling).

Glaze is applied (the lavender one was brushed with three coats of glaze and then hand-painted with a black "ink"; the multicolor one was brushed with three different glazes - one with little crystals which burst to make the dots) and then fired again in a fast glaze firing.

(He chose the tall, funky set for the gift.)

Happy New Year!!