The Blog
Our 2nd annual Queer and Dear art show opens today. How do we put this show in context? Art sits high atop the hierarchy of needs, above survival and safety, in the rarefied air of self-actualization. In the age of coronavirus, is what we do still relevant? People are worried. People are scared. People are dying. There is so much work to do. Why are we still making rainbow mugs? Meanwhile, the pattern of systemic violence against black and brown people continues. George Floyd was murdered, and we, as a country, ignited. Pride is not the exclusive domain of the queer community....
Good News! According to the most recent update to Washington State guidelines related to COVID-19 restrictions, retailers like us can offer no-contact pick-up/drop-off! This means that you can order products online and pick them up at our retail location AND you can drop-off your Saltstone@Home greenware projects and we will fire them for you! Here's how it will work: Order your product or pay for your firing service online. When you are completing payment, you will have an opportunity to select "in-store pick-up" instead of shipping. Our Pick-Up/Drop-Off hours are Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday, 1-5 pm. Your order will be...
Hello! We hope you and your loved ones are staying healthy and (relatively) happy during this weird, stressful time. Our business continues to be (more or less) closed due to the Governor's "Stay Home, Stay Healthy" order. This has been an incredibly challenging time for us–we've seen 90% of our income disappear, but our fixed costs like rent and utilities continue on. We're doing our best to support our staff by keeping them on payroll as much as possible, but our business, and their jobs, were built around teaching you and your friends. Needless to say, this has been really...
Governor Inslee's "Stay Home, Stay Healthy" order was extended and modified over the weekend, which means... we can run the Retail Pickup Window again! Just in time for Mother's Day: shop online from the comfort of your home/pajamas, and the head down to our Wallingford store to pick up your purchases (still in your pajamas, that's fine with us). We'll be available to hand your purchases out the door on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays from 1pm to 5pm. We can't wait to start seeing (half of) your (masked) faces again!
Every year we eagerly await the Seattle Tilth Alliance plant sale. We pour over the lists of tomato plants, trying to figure out the perfect mix for this year's garden. And every year we get to the sale early, dressed in overalls and pulling the wagon, ready to grab those plants before they sell out. For us, it's the official kick-off weekend for warm-weather gardening in Seattle. So you can imagine our delight when we were invited to partner with them to have a booth at the 2020 plant sale! The annual sale takes place just two blocks from our Wallingford store and we...
We've got a definite morning routine. Sarah gets up first and makes the coffee, then disappears for an hour of alone time until the caffeine has fully taken hold. I get out of bed a little later and start my day with a few cups of coffee alongside eggs-on-greens and a slice of homemade sourdough. And then our daughter grumbles out of bed at Teenager O'Clock and eats her daily bread-dipped-in-oil-and-balsamic at the counter... she hates everything about coffee, but does enjoy the occasional sweet milk. And we find her stimulating enough just the way she is. Meanwhile, The US...
As you might expect, we've got a lot of handmade tools in our kitchen: two hand-forged knives, bowls and platters of all shapes and sizes, wooden scoops and spoons, more cutting boards than we really need, serving trays, bowls, plates, mugs, cups, the dining table.... These are all beautiful and well-loved, of course, but if there's one handmade item in the kitchen that has changed the way I cook, it's Sarah's mortar and pestle. I've used other mortar-and-pestles in my kitchen adventures, but they've all come up lacking. The marble one had no teeth. The mexican molcajete left grit in the food. The iron...
COVID-19 is on everyone's mind in the Seattle area. Here are some quick notes about how we are addressing this issue at Saltstone Ceramics. We are a "third place"–a social gathering place outside of home and work–and we take pride in the important role we fill in our wider community. The COVID-19 outbreak is challenging everyone to find balance when protecting their economic, cultural, social, and physical health. To that end, we appreciate the patience and support of everyone in our pottery community. It can be hard to be helpful and understanding in times of stress, anxiety, and uncertainty. We encourage you...
A new order from the Governor of Washington State has closed all non-essential retail businesses, including ours. Our retail pickup window will no longer be open to sell clay, pottery tools, or fine handmade ceramics. The continuing and expanding closures of small businesses like ours is devastating to us and our employees. Rebuilding the social, cultural, and economic fabric of our community is going to be a formidable challenge. But we think Gov. Inslee's choice is the right one: stay home, stay healthy. But while we're stuck at home, we're still hard at work! First and foremost: our online gallery is...
Today we're excited to announce a temporary pivot/cannonball into a great new project: Saltstone@Home! Saltstone@Home is a way for everyone to stay engaged in our pottery community and keep up their pottery practice while our classes are postponed. Here's how it works: You buy a bag of clay from us during one of our Retail Pickup Window hours. We'll also have tools for sale (including fabulous handmade pottery tools from Ruby Pear). You follow us on Instagram at our new account: @SaltstoneClasses We post tips, project ideas, encouragement, and advice from your favorite instructors every day. You make great pottery at...