Selling things stresses me out. But making things is fun, so here we are. If you’re looking for holiday gifts – for yourself or others – I’d love to help out. Take my pots, please!

| journal

Handmade holiday gifts

I like making them, and I hope you like gifting them

White jar with orange stripes and swirls that match our wall.
Decorated by Erin, and available to you

Erin offered to decorate some of the pieces I made this fall, if…

So I did! I even got some mid-fire Kota porcelain from Kentucky Mudworks, for a bright white (and sometimes-translucent) finish.

Today’s ‘drop’ includes several of these bright and colorful pieces inspired by the decorations around our home:

A blue couch with yellow pillows, an old console tv converted to hold records, various artworks on the counter, plants, and a white wall painted with two orange pillars and large lighter orange swirls that match the fabric of a yellow & orange curtain.
The wall, as inspiration

I also worked on few commissions that resulted in extra pieces – like a stemmed wine goblet, a number of large soup bowls, and two-tone bottles/soap dispensers made from a combination of Rocky Mountain Clay BMX and New Mexico Clay Ironstone.

Pay what you want, more or less

When you look around at pottery prices, the range is dramatic. I’ve tried to price my pieces where I think they fit “the market” in terms of style and refinement – but it still feels somewhat arbitrary.

I know these prices are higher than your average Etsy seller. But I’m not in it for the money. I’m just happy if I can afford to keep making pots – and I’m especially happy when other people are enjoying the things I’ve made.

Ideally, I’d prefer a pay-what-you-want model, but my shop setup doesn’t allow that – and people seem to get stressed out choosing a price. Relatable!

Instead I’ve added a page of discounts and a tip jar. I encourage you to use them!

Don’t hesitate to bring those prices into a range that fits your budget. If you see something you like, I want you to have it. That’s more fun for me than storing it in a cupboard.

Feel free to pass this along to other people you think might be interested!

Commission something specific

Three large wine goblets with stepped bases and slightly flared stems up to round-bottom bowls that angle in from a wide base to a narrower rim. glazed in a deep blue black from the base, turning white in the top half of the cup.
A recent goblet commission, one still available!

I’ve done several commissions, and I enjoy it! Here’s the deal:

  1. You tell me what you’re looking for (like a wine goblet or a soap dispenser or a tissue box cover, etc).
  2. I tell you if that sounds fun. The more finishing details (like color) you leave to my discretion, the more fun I’ll have.

You can ask me for a price, and I’ll make something up. But the whole point is to make things that sound fun, for people who would use them. So I won’t take the commission unless I’m excited to try it for the experience.

It usually takes at least a month of turnaround time, depending on the complexity.

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If you’re interested in updates when I make new work, sign up for the occasional email. I promise to keep them rare.

I called the newsletter Mia Culpa because it means something like through my fault, which is an accurate description of how my pottery comes to be. I also like apologies, and think it would be funny to call this whole endeavor My Bad Pottery.

Oops, sorry, here’s some pots!