Heartful Handmade Blog

beautiful stoneware mugs and bowls by karin lorenc

Karin Lorenc is a potter and ceramic artist.  She creates beautiful mugs and bowls and other tableware that she fires at high temperature to make them strong and durable for everyday use.  And that means you can wash them in the dishwasher and use them in the microwave.   I especially like the clean, elegant, modern feel of her white stoneware with brightly colored insides.  So that's what I'm featuring today.

Set of Four Stoneware Mugs, $86

These stoneware mugs are huge.  They hold about 18 ounces of something yummy.  So if you're trying to get down to one cup of coffee a day, this is the cup for you.  They're great for chili and soup, too.  This is the summer colors set.  You might also like this other design in spring colors.  Or this one in white and blue only.  You can also choose your mugs individually, and she also has some in sets of two.

Set of Four Ceral Bowls, $84

These festive cereal bowls are just over 5 inches in diameter and are 2-1/4 inches high.  So they're pretty roomy.  If you usually have to go back for seconds, these bowls may fill you up with one serving.  Karen has more bowls to choose from, including this set of four in lime green, and some nice nesting bowl sets. You'll also find casseroles, garlic graters, and some other pieces for the kitchen and table.  So click on over to Karin Lorenc and check them all out for yourself.

new handpicked handmade coffee mugs

When I told you about my handpicked collection of handmade coffee mugs back in 2010, I had no idea it would become one of my most popular curations.  But that definitely did happen.  It shot up to the top 10 list within a couple of months and has stayed there ever since. I don't know why I was surprised.  Coffee drinking is serious business and deserves a serious mug to drink it. 

Most of the years I worked in offices, the coffee was pretty forgettable.   Maybe that explains why I drank so much of it.  That ever-present cup of watery java on my desk was more the result of habit than a love of the brew.  And it was a pretty bad habit that made me jumpy and a bit spacey too.  But somewhere along the way I discovered good coffees and became what some folks call a coffee snob.  I started grinding the beans myself and got picky about where I bought them.  And when I started drinking the good stuff, I also started drinking way less of it. 

It's now mostly a morning ritual, enjoyed along with the paper (via Kindle) and (way too often) a peanut butter sandwich.

Anyway, I decided  this past weekend that a new edition of the mugs collection was in order.  You can click this link to check it out.

new home and garden shopping page

I just realized I never did a post here about the new Lookup^quick shopping page at Heartful Village.  It makes it very easy to find handmade home products because you shop from an array of cool shops and artisans all together.  Art, decorative boxes, garden decor, Buddha statues, vases and lots more handmade products for around the home are easily shopped by price, by store, or by artisan.  So click on over and check the new Home & Garden shopping page now.

handmade ceramic teabag and teaspoon rests

These pretty little handmade ceramic discs are designed as teabag holders or teaspoon rests, making them great for adding a bit of elegance to tea time when the brew is served up in mugs.  And they make really nice gifts, too.  The ones in this set are 2-1/2 inches round, and the set of four is $19.00.

 

They were made by the talented ceramic artist at Jules Ceramics, who also made this lovely cooking-serving spoon rest,  This one is 4-1/2 inches long by 4-1/4 inches wide and is perfect for the buffet table or stovetop.  It's $10.50.

Besides tea bag holders and spoon rests, Jules Ceramics also has a nice selection of ceramic pendants, and more nice pieces for the home or gift giving.  So click on over and check out Jules Ceramics now.

heavy duty handmade mesquite chopping board

If you like to pound steaks into tender submission or slash through king crab legs, then this is the cutting board for you.  It's made of end grain mesquite hardwood with strong forged stainless steel hoops that make it pretty much indifferent to your heavy handed pounding.  I don't do much chopping and pounding myself, but still find this board ideal.  That's because I like to put my board in the sink to work so I can easily gather up all the bits and pieces that roll off.  And the 12 inch diameter and 4-1/2 inch height of this board is the perfect size for in-sink cutting.  And I like the fact that it will last a lifetime.  And that it's very pretty to look at.  It's available from Mesquite Forge, in Tucson, Arizona, for $150.  Click on over and check out this very nice shop.

add a touch of elegance to kitchen chopping chores

Cutting boards are kitchen tools that can make a statement while they serve their purpose.  A finely crafted wooden board has a transformative elegance that can brighten your spirits every time you use it.  And Margery Bradshaw offers an impressive selection of beautiful handmade cutting boards, as well as knife racks, lazy susans, and more.  So click on over and check out the fine woodworks in Margery Bradshaw's shop, Dragonfly WoodWrights.  The pictured 12x12" board is $30.

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Dragonfly Woodwrights is also in Handmade Lookup.

handmade mugs for coffee, tea, or gifts

I'm a serious coffee drinker.  And I like to drink my coffee out of mugs.  Big mugs.  Really big mugs.  That way, I can tell myself I only drink one (sometimes two) cups of coffee a day.  Never mind that I have to brew two of what my coffee maker calls cups to get one mug filled.  Which is all explanation for why I named my handpicked mug collection Handmade Coffee Mugs for Gifts and for Yourself.  So, if you're a tea drinker (or shopping for one), just substitute "Tea" for "Coffee" and this collection is perfect for you, too.  And, if you only drink your coffee (or tea) out of proper cups (with matched saucers), shorten the title to end with "Gifts" and you're also good to go.  So click on over and check out my handpicked collection of beautiful handmade mugs.

festive colorful handmade ceramic bowl

This sweet bowl is aptly named Dripping With Happy.  It feels like a warm lazy day in the tropics.  I love the surface texture and the way the colors blend into a canvas-like piece of art.  This is a wonderful art quality ceramic work that's designed to be totally functional.  It's by Lori Phillips.  You'll find more fine ceramics in her shop.  This bowl is $18.

 

a small flock of rainbow colored bird vases

I find these lovely little vases appealing for a number of reasons:  For starters, they're fun to look at. The whimsically drawn colorful birds are guaranteed spirit lifters.  I also like that these vases are small. At two inches high (and just under), they're perfect for displaying flowers with broken stems (or that geranium you snagged from the grocery store planter when no one was looking).  And I like the price.  At $56 for a set of 6, they come in under $10 apiece.  That makes them affordable high-quality one-of-a-kind gifts if given individually. They're made by Catherine Reece, who makes lots of other whimsical functional pottery.

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Catherine Reece is also in Handmade Lookup.

keep dip chilled and pretty

This two-piece dip chiller bowl is so cool! (No pun intended). You put cold water and/or ice in the large base container. Then sit the bowl of dip or potato salad or whatever on top. I like the added height also because it creates an eye-pleasing additional level on the serving table. This handmade stoneware set is from rzdesign in Evanston, Illinois, and comes in a couple of other colors/glazes. $22.50.