One of the first things I hold in the morning, is my mug of coffee. It warms my hands and heart. The quality of the mug is important to me. My hands know the difference between a hand crafted vessel and one that has been made by a machine.
So I posed the question, “What do you look for in a mug? What makes your favorite mug special?” Although people like different mugs, everyone responds to how his or her mug feels. And that is, I think, what makes the hand crafted item special. It is made with feeling.
Jo, from St Louis, was the winner of our latest Mug Shot drawing, and I was delighted to see her lovely photograph of her new favorite mug.
If you would like to order a mug, priced at $22 each, we would be glad to make one for you. Each mug is made, one at a time, by hand, of white stoneware clay, and can be made in greens, blues or earth tones. If you have another color in mind, let us know; we have hundreds of glazes that have been developed over the years. Send me an email (FromSkilledHands AT gmail DOT com) , or use the contact form on this site.
We are a husband and wife team in the Village of Peninsula, Ohio; Steve throws pots and I make tiles. Sometimes he glazes my tiles, and sometimes I carve the pots he has thrown. We are truly a family business, as one of our daughters is working with us, casting, trimming, glazing and doing other things in the studio.
Let us know if you would like us to make something for you, and stay tuned for our new! improved website–complete with online ordering and a shopping cart.
The deadline is March 31! Send me a photo of your favorite mug for a chance to win one of ours. Send photo to FromSkilledHands AT gmail DOT comAnd, as always, please feel free to leave me a comment, or a stone (o), to let me know you’ve stopped by.
Mary writes, “”My favorite mugs. One from my daughter in law and another made by Debra at Elements Gallery”
Susan is another Peninsula potter. She sent us this photo of one of her favorite mugs.
Several years ago, we sponsored Cups of Kindness, a benefit for our local food bank. Pam purchased this mug at that time. She writes, “Not only does it have a dove and peace sign but it cuddles cold hands during times of stress.”
Kelly’s favorite mug is by potter Christa Assad.
I may have found my new sacred mug for home as well as a contender for my studio mug. Take a look. And remember that you still have a few days to send me a photo of your favorite mug. I will enter your name in a drawing to win one of our mugs. Send me your mug shot!
Send your mug shot to FromSkilledHands AT gmail DOT com
I have been trying out different mugs, attempting to find a replacement for my 2, count them, 2 broken sacred mugs. Alas, nothing has been quite right yet.
Carolyn has a special mug. She writes, “My favorite mug was a gift from my son, Neill, who lives in Sheffield, England, hand carried on his last visit. I have a chicken design thing going on in my kitchen – Cath Kidston is a Martha Stewart sort-of-designer in the UK – Another adorable design from Cath Kidston, this Cockerel mug is perfect for breakfast time. The Cockerel is also known as a rooster but this wouldn’t sound as good! He is actually a young male chicken immediately identifiable by his comb on top of his head and his dangly bit underneath his chin which is called a wattle.
The cockerel symbol is used worldwide as emblems and is used often in kitchens for breakfast time as the cock announces sunrise and time to wake up. This mug is cheery and bright and full of vintage charm, nothing less we expect from the wonderful Cath Kidston designs. Cock-a-doodle-doo!”
Barb is a spinner and knitter in Washington. Her mug represents some of her interests.
Send me your Mug Shot! Send a photo of your favorite mug, and I will enter your name in a drawing for one of ours. Email to FromSkilledHands AT gmail DOT com.
Kim Ayres is the winner of our Ugly Mug Contest, not because he has one, but because he won the drawing.
Kim is an extraordinary fellow. His writing is honest and clear, and his photographic images touch my being. They are as honest and clear as his writing. Some months ago, I wrote this about photography:
“When I look at a photograph, I feel like I have a glimpse into how the photographer sees the world. That’s what I like about photographic images—it’s not the “prettiness” of a view—it’s the quality of the light, the slant of the sun, the place where the shadow meets the light.
And once in a while, I come across someone who sees the quiet spaces, the places where my heart stops to linger and to rest. A person who sees the extraordinary beauty in ordinary objects, and who appreciates the sacredness of it all.”
Thanks to everyone who entered. If you are so inclined, you can order your own mug here. And, as always, feel free to leave me a comment, or a stone (o), to let me know that you’ve stopped by.
It has been said that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. There is no question that most mugs are functional: they hold the liquid which has been placed inside. There are, it seems, other factors that make a mug “work.” The size and weight of the vessel, and the size, weight and position of the handle are important to the user. And then there are other factors. How has the piece been decorated? For me a question is: has it been made by hand?
Some mugs are beyond description—- and that, my friends, is why we are having an Ugly Mug Contest. Send me a photo of your ugly mug and I will enter your name in the contest. The prize? One of our favorite mugs! Send your photo to: from skilled hands AT g mail DOT com (remove spaces).
Here are some photos:
And here is the mug and the comment that inspired this contest:
Kris stated, “I didn’t send a picture last time because I *hate my mugs! I don’t have a one that I love. I can tell by the image above that the handles of those mugs are perfect – plenty of space for more than two fingers, which I like. Want me to send you a picture of the mug I use but don’t love??”
By fromskilledhands (
May 10, 2010 at 9:19 pm)
· Filed under Giveaway, Mug Shots, Mug
Kris stated, “I didn’t send a picture last time because I *hate my mugs! I don’t have a one that I love. I can tell by the image above that the handles of those mugs are perfect – plenty of space for more than two fingers, which I like. Want me to send you a picture of the mug I use but don’t love??”
When I thought about it, I figured that if a slipcover company can have an ugly couch contest, then I can have an ugly mug contest. So send me a photo of your ugliest mug (from which you drink . I will do another high tech drawing during which I will draw a name from a mug. The winner will receive one of our favorite mugs.
**The deadline for sending me the photo is May 15, at 11:59 PM DST. I will post the winner on Monday, May 17. Email to from skilled hands AT g mail DOT com (remove spaces.)
The winner of one of our favorite mugs is Laura P. I know she loves her little brown mug, and I hope that she will love one of our favorite mugs, too. Check back tomorrow for a look at our next drawing, where, you, too, will have the opportunity to win!
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Kris
. I will do another high tech drawing during which I will draw a name from a mug. The winner will receive one of our favorite mugs. 
The winner of one of our favorite mugs is Laura P. I know she loves her little brown mug, and I hope that she will love one of our favorite mugs, too. Check back tomorrow for a look at our next drawing, where, you, too, will have the opportunity to win!
