About this Product
I threw this pottery mug on the wheel out of stoneware clay, pulled the handle, sculpted the face and carved words into the bottom, fired it in the kiln, glazed, and fired again to 2232F. After it was cool, I used fine-grit sandpaper so it has a smooth bottom :) The glaze is food-safe, and even un-glazed portions are non-porous.
**This listing is for the one mug in the first several photos - the bottom of this mug reads "you have strength and persistence".
Dimensions: approximately 4.8 inches tall, 4.75 inches wide including the handle, and the mouth opening is approximately 3 inches diameter.
The ceramic mug is in stock and ready to ship. I typically ship the day after payment is received Monday through Friday.
See my FAQ about "care instructions" for use in the oven, microwave, and dishwasher. It boils down to mitigating the risks of thermal shock and abrasive detergents by using simple precautions similar to glass ware.
This is a handmade, one-of-a-kind creation, with imperfections, and I hope that you will use it and enjoy it. I have tried to provide images that demonstrate the complete picture, but if you would like an additional image of a certain area, or if you have any questions, please ask.
I will cushion the heck out of this when I ship it, and I package in recycled materials whenever possible. If you want the item gift wrapped, please see my FAQ about "gifts."
StellaNCWorks
Meet the Maker
Proud veteran and West Point grad, I ended up in North Carolina, where I found the ceramics hobby shop on base when my husband deployed. There I learned how to handbuild from an experienced potter. When the shop soon transitioned to contracted management and inexperienced shopkeepers repeatedly overfired my work, I set up my own workshop, experimenting and learning on the internet how to throw. My husband and I built a kickwheel, which was soon replaced by an electric wheel. I started selling my work in November 2016, and in June 2020 I transitioned from being a “corporate-business-owner-with-a-pottery-hobby” to being a “potter.”
I work in a 12x12 window-full workshop set across a small stream among the ferns in the woods of Stella, North Carolina. Horizontal space is limited, so drying and storage goes vertical. The wheel in the corner splatters the windows that don't get cleaned often enough. I monitor each piece carefully as it dries and carry it to the kiln. A very small operation.
Pottery was the souvenir my parents brought back from every place we went, each piece chosen to represent that place, with the potter’s mark on the bottom. Embracing my home in NC is reflected in my own pottery. It seems appropriate, forming a chunk of the very land itself, through an intimate, engaged process, into a practical object that reflects the plants and animals that share the land. I am inspired by these plant and animal neighbors, by the idea that memories and heirlooms connect us to our loved ones, by things that are made by someone’s hands, and by shared humanity. I explore these ideas to create themes that celebrate the personal connection with nature and with other humans, and often use artifacts of these things—plant leaves, animal footprints, heirloom lace—to shape my work.
When I first started making my own pottery, it was driven by the need for a perfect vessel for a particular food: a plate for sardines with a line of mustard, bowls for pho, a big tea mug. Making clumsy pottery taught me lessons about making things better: about handle shape appropriate for leverage on a big mug, flat bottoms that don’t retain dishwater when drying upside down, shapes and edges that are comfortable for hands and lips. I make pottery for people who love the art in the practical, who love useful things made by someone’s hands.
If you'd like to be updated as fresh pottery emerges from the kiln, just let me know at the "contact" link at www.StellaNCworks.com
Thank you!
Erin
Shop Policies
SHIPPING: I usually ship twice per week, on Tuesday and Thursday or Friday. I only ship internationally by request, because it tends to be very expensive (pottery is heavy!).
RETURN POLICY: Please keep the original box and packing materials if you think you might be returning an item - the safest way to prevent breakage is to ship it back to me the same way I shipped it to you. I will refund the cost of the item (not shipping) if requested within 5 days of receipt, and only if the item returns to me in new condition.
BREAKAGE / REFUND: It is very rare that a piece breaks in shipping, because I pack carefully! However, if it does happen, please contact me within 5 days of receipt with photos of the broken item, packing materials, and any box damage, etc.; I will take care of the insurance claim and we can discuss whether you prefer refund or replacement.
GIFTS: I am happy to ship directly to a gift recipient. But I will not know, from looking at the address, whether this is going to you or to someone else - so please let me know if you'd like me to indicate who the gift is from. I'm also happy to include a gift message on a notecard. I do gift wrap by request - please let me know if you would like gift wrap, and I will set up a custom giftwrap add-on charge. Gift wrapping requires a wrapped box inside a bigger box, so I compensate for the shipping expense with a giftwrap add-on charge. Please confirm the address I will send it to!
MICROWAVE SAFE: Stoneware ceramics are typically microwave safe. Do not take a pottery piece from the fridge or freezer and pour boiling water into it or put it in a hot oven, and do not put ice in a hot pottery piece. Thermal shock works with pottery the same way it works with glass - it can be prevented by heating or cooling gradually. But room-temperature pottery is fine for adding hot or cold things. Anomalies like a knock on the countertop may create a tiny, invisible crack that is exploited into a catastrophic break when you suddenly pour hot liquid into it, and much of this can be prevented by being gradual with temperature changes. I do test all new glaze combinations by pouring boiling water into a room-temperature mug. **Any piece with gold luster is not microwave safe! I rarely use gold luster, though, and it will be clearly noted in the item description.
DISHWASHER SAFE: Yep, no problem. In fact, dishwashers are safer than some people's hand washing...you know who you are.
FOOD SAFE and NON-TOXIC: All glazes have been tested for food safety. No lead is ever in the glazes or any other materials that I use. All of my glazes are non-toxic, and to further reduce risk, I use only single glazes on the inside of functional pieces (glaze combinations only on the outside).
CUSTOM WORK: Please visit www.StellaNCWorks.com
WHOLESALE: Please visit www.StellaNCWorks.com
ECO FRIENDLINESS: I re-use boxes whenever I can (about 50%), and 100% of my packing/cushioning materials are re-used (obtained from several local shops that receive incoming shipments and give the packing materials to me). Except for tape - it's rather difficult to re-use tape, so I do have to buy that new. *So, if you are sending an item as a gift, and you'd prefer that it looks fancy, please see "GIFTS," above, for gift wrap. Additionally, I do not typically include a paper packing list, so please let me know if you'd like one. Other environmental concerns: all of my scrap clay gets recycled and re-used, pieces that break in the kiln get recycled into mosaics or other similar work, when cleaning brushes and buckets I prevent glaze materials from reaching the water table, and I re-use or recycle material containers. The leaves that I press into my work are gathered as sustainably as possible - either gathered after they have fallen, collected live but only in small scale among a healthy population, and/or pressed once to make a mold that can be used to press thereafter into my pieces.
EMAIL LIST: If you want to receive updates of new work, and sales events, I send approximately 6 emails per year. Just let me know if you want me to add your email address to my list. And if you ever change your mind, I will remove your email immediately upon your request.
PRIVACY POLICY: I am a one-person workshop: I am the maker, the shipper, and the manager. So customer information and email list information stays with me, and will not be shared with any other entity, ever.
