By: Danielle Kearns
We were proud to be donors for this year's Cruisin' on Main Street - an annual event that brings Manchester together for the combined love of cars and community. We were thrilled to be a part of this event and get to meet some of you in person to chat about our upcoming recent announcement about The Firestone opening this Fall.

It is one of the oldest car shows of its kind in the Northeast, which has drawn in over 400,000 spectators since 2001. Our table highlighted some of our art mediums that will be available on a walk-in basis with the classic Cruisin' logo. Attendees were invited to come up and ask about our new space and enter to win one of these awesome pieces of art. 

Congrats to our raffle winners!!!
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Fused Glass - Megan Gagnon
Ceramic Platter - Alan Bieber
Cruisin' Linoleum Stamp - Steve Bradley
Wood Sign - Linda Zimmerman
Canvas Painting - Tricia Enderli

By: Danielle Kearns
Grab your broom sticks, witches, we're going shopping! It's about to be pumpkin season, and although we love summer and wish it could last forever, the beauty of Connecticut's ever-changing seasons will be here before you know it.

We absolutely LOVE these darling custom jack o'lanterns, perfect from the front stoop, your mantel, a child's nightlight, or a little kitchen ambiance. 

These just went live on our website today and have been so popular in years past. They will be available for this discounted price up until September 1st, so put your order in ASAP.

Jack o'lanterns will be delivered to the studio in October with your desired custom name or saying already carved into the bisque piece. Then, all you have to do is come in any time that works for you to come paint it. Studio time will be included in your purchase.

Each small -- small or large -- each come with light kits, which will help give that perfect glow from within. Pieces will take a week to get back once painted, so get in early to paint them so they can be set up in time for Halloween. (How cute would it be to make a family set, by the way?)

And stay tuned! If you love the pumpkins, we will be offering pre-orders for custom snowmen in the coming weeks, perfect for all the winter months. 

By: Danielle Kearns 
Try something new the next time you're at The Claypen. Bottle slumping is a creative way to repurpose and recycle something to become functional and beautiful home decor. And, if the bottle is painted, the artwork will remain on the piece, like the sample above. How gorgeous is that? All you have to do is drop the bottle off.

Here are the requirements before you do: 
   - bottle must be completely clean of labels/paper
   - bottle must be completely dry 

That's it! Seriously. The kiln will do the rest of the work. We can melt the bottle down flat or arrange it on a mold to create a shape. 

Here are some bottle options to try out: 
 - wine bottle
 - champagne bottle
 - vodka bottles (think Grey Goose or Absolut) 
 - whiskey/bourbon bottle
 - glass milk jug
 - beer bottle (bomber bottles are perfect) 

Some uses for your slumped bottle: 
  - candle holder
  - cheeseboard 
  - spoon rest 
  - trivet
  - wall hanging/sun catcher
  - appetizer/snack dish

Note: Glass has a 2 week turn around 

Check out this informative video from another studio to get a better sense of how bottle slumping works. Love the awesome molds they're using.

And be sure to drop a comment below if you have any questions about glass bottle slumping or any of our other glass fusing options.