In 2018, we set out to get some new, larger planters for our ever-growing houseplant collection. After a trip to the garden store, we found the selection to be uninspired. So, we did what we often do, and decided to find a way to create what we wanted ourselves. We called on the help of a seasoned craftsman and all-around excellent human; a man who we are fortunate to call uncle, enter: Lex.

Lex has been many things in his life: teacher, welder, engineer, member of the armed forces, ceramicist, and an inspiring mentor. He made available his dynamic ceramic studio, along with his knowledge and skills.
We began by learning the basics:
-Pouring: We learned to make slip (liquid clay). How to pour the mud into molds, wait the prefect amount of time then pouring out the excess. Wait for the casting to dry and release from the mold.
-Cleaning: Each piece of greenware (dry, leather hard, unfired clay) has a seam that needs to be removed and then details are etched back into the piece. During this learning process we inevitably broke many pieces of greenware, fortunately all this clay can be recycled and reused.
-Firing: We learned to load and fire the kiln to transform greenware into bisque (hard, fired clay), the clay morphs in color and durability. If improperly prepared, adding 1920° can lead to cracks, breaks and occasionally explosions in the kiln.
-Painting and glazing: We tested our painting skills with acrylics, under glaze and glaze. Glaze is fickle, the color is not reveled until after firing, firing changes it dramatically and there are several factors in the kiln (heat, air flow, gas from other glazes) that can change the outcome. Acrylics allow for a lot of depth and detail, but aren't nearly as durable. Most of our items are finished with under glaze, which is kind of like liquid chalk. We coat it with clear glaze and fire again.
-Fire again: Proper spacing is super important, glaze is glue when hot, and will stick to anything it touches.
Experiencing the WHOLE process gave us a real appreciation for the patience and skill involved in getting from a "want" to a finished product. Sometimes it seemed like a miracle for a piece to make it through the entire process successfully; there are just so many opportunities to fail.
Slowly, but surely we began to get the hang of it. Plant Tenders, aka Watering Spikes were a great medium for us to learn the creation process; small, functional and fun. Once all of our plants had a new friend we decided to gauge the interest of our hobby products online through Etsy. It was thrilling to see our functional art attract the interest of other plant lovers! Influenced by a creative and playful nature, we have learned to create our own molds to make distinctive watering spikes and planters. Over the course of a year, demand increased, and our hobby grew into a business.

As our skills and knowledge grow, so does the quality and consistency of our product. We are proud to create eco-friendly products, handcrafted in Colorado, USA. We started transitioning our garage into a pottery studio at the end of 2021. Our 1227 kiln arrived in March 2022! Our Mudroom should be fully functional April 2022!!

Thank you for checking out and supporting our little shop!! It’s a dream to be sharing our functional art with the world.

While our specialty has come to be plant accessories, we have many other outlets of our creativity and passion in the form of other offerings. Home décor, housewares, and holiday themed items are also available through our etsy store, and we hope to grow our product line along all of these categories as we become more capable and versatile in our abilities. With a gigantic selection of molds at our disposal, nearly 60,000 to choose from,
and an increased sculpting skill set; it is unlikely we will run out of avenues to pursue in the near future. If you have a request for a certain type or style of item, please don’t hesitate to ask, we will do our best to accommodate any of your custom ceramic needs!