Clayshapes

Handmade pottery always makes food taste better...

Toronto, Ontario · 859 Sales

5 out of 5 stars
(283)

Clayshapes

Handmade pottery always makes food taste better...

Toronto, Ontario 859 Sales On Etsy since 2011

5 out of 5 stars
(283)

Shop owner

Leslie Fruman

Contact

Clayshapes is taking a short break

Note from shop owner I'm taking a break to build a new studio in Prince Edward County, Ontario. Renovations are sllllooooww! But please contact me with any questions, in the meantime, at clayshapespottery [!at] gmail.com - or visit my social media outlets for information about the exact date of re-opening. Just type in "Clayshapes" on Facebook and Instagram to find me. See you back here soon!

Note from shop owner

Last updated on 19 Jul, 2018

I'm taking a break to build a new studio in Prince Edward County, Ontario. Renovations are sllllooooww! But please contact me with any questions, in the meantime, at clayshapespottery [!at] gmail.com - or visit my social media outlets for information about the exact date of re-opening. Just type in "Clayshapes" on Facebook and Instagram to find me. See you back here soon!

Leslie Fruman

Contact shop owner

Leslie Fruman

Reviews

Average item review
5 out of 5 stars
(283)
View all 283 reviews

Updates

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About

  • My newest palette - Robins Egg Blue, Aqua and Oatmeal
  • I'm always experimenting with bold color!
  • Ginkgo leaves from a local tree get transformed into little bowls hundreds of times a year - I always stock these!
  • I love to make pendants and pins from scraps of clay that would otherwise be wasted. My studio is waste free.
  • I show my work at juried shows throughout the year. This is a picture from the One of A Kind Show, in Toronto

My Second Career: Adventures in Clay

I started dabbling in ceramics in 2010, when I was taking a short break from a busy, long-term career as a journalist and television producer. I was looking for a hands-on hobby and signed up for a pottery course at a local museum in Toronto, where I live.

Immediately, something just clicked.

Within a few months I bought a used kiln on craigslist, and set up a home studio...and within a year - I'd quit my job to continue making pottery full time.

It's not as big a stretch as it sounds - I come from a very creative family - everyone is a maker of some kind - mostly painters, but my mother and aunts all did some pottery, too. I always wondered if I had the gene that fueled their creativity, and now I'm happily exploring it, up to my elbows in mud.

My work changes regularly - but it is marked by simple organic forms, and a penchant for surface decoration. One perennial theme is botanicals - another is combining textures using stamps, lace, and anything, really, that will make a mark on clay.

My palette also changes regularly - but people often comment on how unusually colourful my work is.

I work exclusively with hand built slabs - I don't use a pottery wheel - and my Clayshapes are always a little wonky - never perfectly round or square - so you will never mistake my work for something that comes from a factory. It is obviously handmade - but completely functional - and always dishwasher safe.

I work from my two home studios - one in Toronto, and another in Prince Edward County. And I am on the road quite often selling my work at juried artisan shows, near and far.

I hope you will visit here often - there are always new Clayshapes coming out of my kiln.

Visit my shop, here: https://www.etsy.com/ca/shop/Clayshapes?ref=shopsection_shophome_leftnav
If you'd like a peek at my handmade life, follow me on instagram and Facebook - just look for Clayshapes once you're there. (or click on the links below)

Around the web

Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
Website

Shop members

  • Leslie Fruman

    Owner, Maker

    I used to be a journalist and television producer...but I gave that up recently, to explore something more tactile -- creating organic shapes in a rainbow of colour using clay as my medium.

  • Gracie the Schnoodle

    Assistant In Charge Of Scheduling And Treats

    Gracie is in charge of making sure we take breaks at appropriate times, get out for some fresh air...and have treats before we start working again.

Shop policies

More information

Last updated on 05 May, 2016
Frequently asked questions

Care instructions

All Clayshapes dishes, plates, platters, bowls and cups are dishwasher safe. But Clayshapes jewelry - pendants, earrings, brooches and rings - should not be exposed to excessive moisture - please don't wear these pieces while swimming or bathing as the glued connection between metal and clay will be degraded.

Custom and personalized orders

Most custom orders take 2-3 weeks to make, before shipping.

Wholesale availability

Please send me a message for details.