By: Danielle Kearns
It's not too late to create a memory and a gift this holiday season! The last day to paint at either of our locations will be Saturday, December 21st! That means you have the next 10 days to come in and make something special with us. 

We have shelves of pottery options to help complete your mantel. We offer walk-in hand or footprint assistance for children on dinnerware, ornaments, platters and more. Custom lettering is an easy add-on to any child-painted art piece to mark their growth and development. Nothing is more special than holiday moments made here with family and friends around the table, surrounded by art, in a device-free environment.

And special this year, we have added some last minute vintage tree workshops and glass fused ornament making classes to our December calendar of events at The Firestone based on customer feedback! Check out everything we're offering here. Make sure to toggle between locations to see what's unique in the West Hartford and Manchester locations.

Gift cards are available for purchase at both studio locations and will be compatible at both The Claypen + The Firestone. We mail gift cards free of charge around the country. E-gift cards are also available online. 

By: Danielle Kearns
Hey, strangers! It's certainly been a while, but we have been crazy busy between both studios while also gearing up for the holiday season and hitting ALL the local breweries with our continuously sold out vintage tree events. But we did it! We opened our doors to the public at the new location in less than 2 months. 

We wanted to take a moment to check in and thank you for all the support we've received over these past few weeks. Both The Claypen and The Firestone have received so much love and attention, making us feel that maybe we're doing something right. Thank you to all who have come say hi and create with us so far.

You all have been so sweet and understanding of the process. And yes, there is still a lot to do! I know there's lots of questions on our progress, so here are the updates thus far. 

We opened the studio side of our new space last Saturday, November 23rd. We had a phenomenal turn out throughout the whole day, not to mention a live band in the evening, which packed the house. (Thanks Pious Mantis!) 

The cafe is greatly anticipated (by us as well, believe me), but it is coming along behind the scenes. We'll update you all when construction is done on that front and we're ready to start serving up delicious treats and frothing cappuccinos. 

We're also in the process of expanding our board art design options and will be introducing new size options soon. We are reorganizing our glass inventory, just in time for our first Glass 101 class later this week. After that point, if you've taken a Glass Class at either of our locations, you'll be approved to come do glass on a walk-in basis at The Firestone. Classes are open for enrollment now at BOTH locations. Check out both calendars here.

The wet clay room will be opening in early 2020. I encourage you to join the mailing list or follow us on social media to get all the updates in real time. 

There is plenty more to come, but let us know in the comments if there's anything in particular you're wondering about or looking for in our new space or this holiday season. 

By: Danielle Kearns + Cait Pomales
We are so thankful to you, our customer, and would love to fill your November calendar with so many goodies to close out the Harvest season and get prepped and ready for the Holidays. Here is a preview of what's coming to the studio this month. Our events calendar can be found online. Sign up for any of these events there.

Toddler Time: Wednesday, Nov. 6th, Saturday, Nov. 30th
Theme: a frozen princess engagement 
Age Group: perfect for 5 years old and younger
All of our Toddler Times include a read aloud story, take home craft project, pottery craft project, and nut-free snack. Your child can choose between a princess or a snowman. We'll be providing hot chocolate. We welcome and encourage your child to dress up!

Kid's Drop Off Event: Wednesday, Nov. 27th 4:30-7pm
Theme: Donuts x3
Age Group: 7+ [Drop off event]
Donuts + pizza + painting, oh my!  Drop the kids off so you can go get all your last minute Thanksgiving prep done.  We will even feed them dinner for you! The plan is to paint donut themed pottery + complete a step-by-step donut painting on canvas all while snacking on REAL donuts with a side of pizza. That's something to be thankful for.  

Vintage Trees Workshops: All month long
Many of our events have already sold out, but keep an eye peeled as we add more, both in studio and held at other local businesses. Create a personal family heirloom, just like Grandma had.  

By: Danielle Kearns
It may not be Halloween yet, but we are already look ahead to the holidays, that way we can ensure your personalized custom carved snowmen are here for you to create and paint. This is following our custom jack o'lantern sale that was hugely popular this year.

These cute little guys can be made uniquely your own. All you do is go to our online shop and pick which style of snowman you like best and what you want carved into them. (Orders are due by November 10th.) Then, allow a few weeks for these to come in as the process takes time. These will be delivered to our studio by December 10th unpainted, so you'll have to carve (ha!) out the time to come in and paint your snow-friend. Allow one week for your piece to be fired in our kiln. 

Once ready, each snowman will come with a light kit that can be used to illuminate the snowman from within and highlight your personalized name or message. These are perfect well beyond December, especially here in Connecticut, so consider these your new best friend through March... or maybe even April. 

Snowmen can be purchased right on our website in our online shop. More details and specifications can be found there, including character limitations and sizes|dimensions. 

Comment below with your favorite! 

By: Danielle Kearns 
As our opening is approaching in Manchester, we are trying to meet our neighbors, and what better method than another brewery paint night!?

Urban Lodge Brewing Co. opened just a couple of months ago, and they are already hugely popular among the locals. So popular, in fact, that they've had to limit their hours to weekends to keep enough beer in stock.

By: Danielle Kearns

​With construction underway at The Firestone, we are looking ahead to the fine details of everything we'll need to make the our opening amazing. So often, people come in to paint and create and are forced to leave early to grab a bite or a drink. We took that into consideration when planning out the new space and decided to add the cafe to make our customers that much more comfortable.

That being said, a lot goes into creating a commercial kitchen and crafting a menu. If you've ever worked in a place that involves food, you might know that it's required that there always be a ServSafe certified staff member present during food prep. But what is ServSafe and why is it key to the operation? 

We believe that food should be sourced locally and seasonally as much as possible, but it is also imperative that regulations are following during the entirety of the food cycle. That means from ordering, to delivery, to cooking, to storing, and to serving you - or customer. For that reason, we have chosen to start out open day with 3 full-time staff members trained and certified with ServSafe at the Manager's level.  

We are thrilled to fire up the oven and start serving you! Stay tuned for future updates. 

By: Danielle Kearns
We are OFFICIALLY under construction at 1115 Main Street in Manchester, also known as our new sister studio - The Firestone. We have been asked since our announcement when our new space would be open, but understandably, construction is an unpredictable endeavor and we are just getting started. That being said, we wanted to give you all a sneak peak into the construction zone.

Although early in the process, we are already seeing major changes in a short amount of time. Many of you know this historic building as Pinewood Furniture, but it has already had such a transformation since we got the keys October 1st. We have pulled up the carpeting and hope to restore the wooden floors beneath. The walls have been knocked down that were used to create make-shift rooms. Old inventory has been put into storage. And we are now looking at an open-concept space bringing in tons of light and an awesome view of the leaves changing on Main Street.

The architect has been in throughout the week assessing the blueprints and getting the plan set for our week to week goals. We are hoping to make this renovation as quick as possible to get our studio doors open for you before the holiday season. Follow along on all of our social platforms to see day-to-day updates as this space completely transforms. Our website is currently being updated, so check out its makeover as well here.

​Check out this epic video below of us literally tearing the walls down getting the space ready for you! Let us know what you are most excited to see in this renovated space and if you'll be visiting us come opening day. ​

By: Danielle Kearns
Don't mind us as we fan girl a little bit over here, but we're still riding that Convention high and thinking about all the rad things we saw and experienced. We'd love to highlight one of the our favorite artists who works the PYOP circuit like no one's business: Ammie Williams from Atlanta, Georgia. You may have seen her featured on our social media before because when we do get to see Ammie at industry events, it's like a college reunion for us.

Between visits, though, we are avid viewers of Ammie's Insta-story. This is probably the best place to follow along with her. Each month, Bisque Imports, one of the leading distributors in the industry, sends her a box of goodies to paint and experiment with. Sometimes, these finished products will be used for the item photo on the website. Other times, it will be a detailed tutorial video with technique sheets included. All in all, it's a great union of tips, tricks, and new products with our favorite southern bell whose style is best described as "something chaotic in the best way." That is because her pieces end up absolutely COVERED in color, cursive, and creativity... and let's face it: splatters galore! 

Some call her the brush lettering queen. Her natural talent is just enhanced by the hours of training and practice she does from notebook doodles and iPad sessions on the couch. She has and inspired styled and has inspired us to be more passionate about a piece and less stiff about the approach. We would love to thank her for her dedication and enthusiasm she brings to the arts and would love to give her a public shoutout here to influence her brand new crop of fans.

Get to know Ammie on the Internet: 
Ammie's Instagram
Bisque Imports Technique Sheets
YouTube Channel 
​Contributor of BI's Blog Spot 

By: Danielle Kearns 
Hello from Buffalo, New York! I am currently writing this between classes, trying to figure out what and when lunch is today, and grabbing my laptop for my business class later. I am overstimulated, under-caffeinated, and absolutely loving every minute of it. And I'm the newest of the new kids on the block here this weekend. 

Not only is this my first ever Convention, but I still haven't had my first birthday in the "paint your own pottery" world yet! But that doesn't mean I'm not soaking everything here up with a synthetic pottery sponge.

Let's just say, we are fired up as a staff -- and not just because kilns are a main topic of conversation around here. Did you know that paint your own pottery (PYOP) studios are most often a part of the CCSA - the Contemporary Ceramic Studio Association. They are responsible for much of the professional development in our industry and provide a wealth of knowledge and materials to set each of our studios up for success. This year, the national Convention is being held for one week in Buffalo, and a few of us staff members are currently in the thick of it! This weekend is FILLED with classes, tutorials, trainings, product debuts, paint demonstrations, mentorship -- and our favorite -- a SNEAK PEAK of so many NEW bisque pottery options.

As a first time attendee, this has been an overwhelming but thrilling experience for me. Never have I ever been in one place with so many PYOP enthusiasts who have the same small business mindset and dedication to the arts as we have. Classes are offered daily, covering all the heavy hitting topics: ordering, hiring, human resources, marketing, techniques, planning, finances, and of course, general art tricks and tips. Since four of us went this year, a record for The Claypen, we were really able to spread out and hit as many of these classes as possible, gaining a wealth of knowledge and enthusiasm for the future at both The Claypen and The Firestone. 

We hope that you have been following along with us on social media. If you have any questions about the benefits of being a CCSA member, feel free to comment below.

Resources
Join the organization​​
Contemporary Ceramic Studios Association​​
Great for FAQs + finding a studio near you
​Paint Your Own Pottery

A big thank you to all the sponsors + contributors that made this weekend so special, especially: 
Bisque Haus
Bisque Imports 
Chesapeake Ceramics 
Duncan
Impress Art 
Gare
Mayco
Social Artworking 
Skutt Kilns

By: Danielle Kearns
Let's talk about glass, baby! A few weeks back, we did a blog on bottle slumping -- an option that is available for glass fusing here in the studio. You can read all about that here. But there's a lot more available in terms of glass. Most notably, draping and slumping. Both options will allow the glass creation to take on a shape that will slowly melt in the kiln to create a fold or curve to the edges. But before I go there, let me break down where it all begins. 

Glass fusing might be a term that confuses some. It most often get confused for glass blowing or stained glass, but glass fusing is a little bit different. It is an art form that basically means you do the arrangement of glass and the kiln does the fusing for you. We teach you how to (safely) cut and assemble glass in the forms of scrap, pebbles, frit, or rods. These will all go on a base tile, which will ultimately determine the final piece's shape. Your job is to create a visual you like by arranging the glass fragments and keeping them attached to the glass base using either hair spray or school glue, believe it or not. 

The glass will then go into the kiln for its first load. This round will actually be the fusing step where the top layers will melt and adhere to the bottom base, ultimately "fusing" your piece as one. For many, this may create the final project. This is perfect for sun catchers, wall hangings, night lights, coasters -- or really anything that can be flat. But if you want to make things a little more interesting, you can opt to have your glass shaped. This requires a second go around in the kiln where a mold will be used to achieve that shape.

A slump is the most basic. It uses a mold in where the glass will be laid and the kiln will do all the work. The temperature is the perfect rate where the glass will take the shape of the mold, creating subtle, smooth curved edges. This allows the piece to be slightly more functional in your house -- this a soap dish, appetizer dish, or even a catch all. The "slump" technique is also how we achieve those bottle slumps everyone loves. 

A drape makes for a more exaggerated shape. In this process, the glass is put on a mold that resembles an upside down tumbler. The glass will then melt down in the kiln, creating more dramatic edges. This sort of piece is most often used to create a candle holder. The final form will never be exactly the same every time and the weight of the piece will play a part. Check out the rainbow glass in the photos below to see the crazy curves that came from this drape.

Want to know more about glass fusing? Send your questions to us in the comments section below and we'll be sure to answer them. Glass workshops are live on our website. Register for them here. 

You heard it here first! Glass fusing will only be available at our West Hartford location for a couple more months. During the holiday season, glass fusing will move to The Firestone, our new sister studio in Manchester and will no longer be available on a walk-in basis at The Claypen.