| Greetings! |
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The ice sculptures from the Knickbocker Ice Festival still look good 2 weeks after the event. |
Welcome to the February issue of News & Notes. Even though it's cold outside, we'd like to wish you a very warm and heartfelt Happy Valentine's Day!
As the southern U.S. digs out from Snowpocalypse 2014, we're continuing to get ready for our annual trek to Asheville, North Carolina, for the Grove Park Inn Arts and Crafts Conference. Despite the snow, preparations continue and everything should be ready next week as planned. Our booth will be in a new location out in the hall this year. In addition to our pottery, tiles, tile frames, and stands, you can also check out examples of our new portraits, pendant lamps, and Reserve Edition miniature (see below). We hope to see many of you there!
And, finally, thanks to everyone who took the survey we conducted last month about our web site and online store. We received over 500 responses! If you're curious about the results, see the article below. It generated lots of helpful feedback that will help us improve your experience using our site.
Appreciatively,
Kristin Cramer
Ephraim Faience Pottery
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Have you seen our latest Reserve Edition piece? |
Now, for a limited time, one of our most popular new pieces is available as a miniature through our Reserve Edition series. The Miniature Ginkgo Branch Vase has all of the sculpting and glazing details of the full-size version, including the ginkgo fruits and the multi-colored glazing on the leaves. Each piece is a numbered, handmade original. You can view more photos and details in our online store.
The ordering deadline is 5:00 p.m. (CST) on Monday, February 24. There is a limit of 2 pieces per couple or household. These pieces will be shipped in early April.
To place your order, please shop our online store or call us at 1-888-704-POTS (M-F 9-5 CDT). If you have any questions, please let us know. Thank you!
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And the survey says... | |
Last month, we invited you to take a survey about our web site and online store. We received over 500 responses! We'd like to sincerely thank all of you who responded and offered feedback and comments. 
We were encouraged to learn that a clear majority of respondents are "somewhat" or "highly" satisfied with our current site. The lion's share of suggestions for improvement involved the product photos. You want more: more photos, more views, more details, and better labeling of color choices. There were many other good suggestions and we have shared them with our web designer. We will be working to incorporate as many of your suggestions as possible into the redesign. If you missed the survey but have specific suggestions that you feel would improve the user experience on our site, please email them to info@ephraimpottery.com.
A number of the survey respondents also included comments about what they like and dislike about our current offerings of pottery and tile. Interestingly, it was not unusual to find that one person's "like" was another's "dislike." Obviously, it is impossible to make all of our customers happy all of the time; we can't even make ourselves happy all of the time! We will, however, continue to strive to offer you options: in design, color, size, price, and buying opportunities. In this way, we hope to be able to make most of you happy, most of the time.
Your passion, enthusiasm, and ongoing interest in our work motivate us to keep growing, stretching, and improving. We will continue to develop new pieces and we look forward to presenting new work to you throughout the coming year. |
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Employee Spotlight: Laura Klein | |
 Laura Klein joined Ephraim Pottery in July 2000. Before coming to EFP, Laura worked at two other Wisconsin potteries. She started in the shipping department, while doing oil painting on the side. A supervisor recognized her talent and interest in pottery, and offered her an apprenticeship. She honed her skills after hours, selling her riding saddle to buy her first pottery wheel.
Laura is blessed with an active imagination and a seemingly bottomless well of creativity. She is a talented sculptor and has been able to put that skill to good use at Ephraim. Laura has an affinity for flowers and animals and her creations often feature these motifs. Over the years she has developed many popular pieces for Ephraim, including the Tidepool Treasure (Reserve Edition), which she is shown working on in the photo at right.
Laura's lifestyle perfectly fits her down-to-earth personality. When she's not throwing, sculpting, or loading kilns, she enjoys gardening, tending her chickens, and spending time with her family as well as her horses and dogs.
Q & A with Laura
Why did you choose a career in pottery?
It was a challenge. I love eating out of the pieces I made when I first started.
What attracted you to Arts and Crafts?
I love the shapes, the dark glazes, and the cool dark wood inside the homes.
"One thing I know for sure is..."
I hate winter. It should be shorter. |
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| Coming Events |
February 21-23
Grove Park Inn
Asheville, North Carolina
Contemporary Craftsfirms
Show Hours*
Fri. 1-6 p.m.
Sat. 12-6 p.m.
Sun. 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Admission: $10
* Look for our booth IN THE HALL outside the Hoover Room this year!
May 17-18
Arts & Crafts Chicago
Concordia University
River Forest, Illinois
Sat. 10-5, Sun. 10-4
Admission: $7
Online events calendar
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| New catalog? | |
The artists have been busy in the studio working on ideas for new pieces. This year, we are planning to go back to issuing one catalog, instead of two like we did in 2012 and 2013. We plan to release this year's Studio Collection on our website during the second half of June. The print catalog will be mailed in mid-July.
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What is Laura working on???
Shh.. it's a surprise! |
We will also be offering more Reserve Edition pieces as the year progresses. Please make sure that your email subscription is up-to-date to ensure that you receive announcements of new pieces. We will also post announcements on our Facebook page.
And speaking of Facebook, we are planning a fun surprise on our Facebook page this spring. Make sure to "like" Ephraim Faience Pottery Studio & Gallery on Facebook and check our page for a special announcement on Monday, February 24. |
| Contact us | |
Ephraim Pottery Office & Studio
203 W. Lake St., Lake Mills, WI
Website & Online Store
Orders & Customer Service
Mon-Fri 9:00-5:00 CDT
Toll free 1-888-704-POTS (7687)
920-648-5269
Ephraim Pottery Gallery
130 East Lake St., Lake Mills, WI
Tel. 920-648-3534
Winter Hours: Wed-Sat 10-5,
Sun 11-4
Ephraim Pottery West
728 Main Street, Cambria, CA 93428
Tel. 805-924-1275
Hours: Mon-Sat 10-5, Sun 11-4
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