Laurel Tree Pottery

09/09/2026

I know AI is a bit of a hot topic these days, and I honestly don't know how everyone feels about it. So I thought I'd share how I use it in my creative process.
First, a little disclaimer about this turkey mug: the mug you are looking at is purely an AI mock-up. It does not exist…yet. 😂

My goal is to take what you see here and recreate it in actual clay.
This turkey started as an idea in my head. I knew the general look I wanted—the style, the feeling, the colors, the details—and I used AI to help me get that idea onto the screen.

Then I started the tweaking process, and yes, that did take a while.
And tweaking. And tweaking some more. 😂

“Move this.”
“Make that simpler.”
“Change the colors.” (which I am able to tell it exactly what glazes I want to use)
Eventually, I get to the point where I look at it and think, YES. That’s what I was seeing in my head.

That’s how I think about AI in my creative process. It isn't creating the idea for me. It’s helping me visualize and develop an idea I already have. And yes - it definitely speeds things up. Instead of spending hours trying to sketch something just to figure out if the idea works, I can experiment with different possibilities and make changes very quickly.

But getting the picture on the screen is only the beginning.

Now I have to figure out how to translate this into clay. What becomes a stamp? What gets carved? Will those glazes actually give me the look I want? How do I make all those little details work on an actual mug?

And there is absolutely no guarantee that what I make will look exactly like this. 😂I guess maybe that’s part of the fun??

So think of this image as my digital sketchbook. AI helps me take the vision in my head and turn it into something I can actually see and work from. Then it’s up to me to take that vision from screen → clay → kiln → finished mug.

I hope you don't think any less of me with the process I have started using. I get some great ideas. Now we'll see if I can pull it off. 🦃🤣❤

09/08/2026

Can we talk about Thanksgiving for a minute? 😂
Do you ever feel like Thanksgiving is the overlooked holiday?
It gets sandwiched between Halloween and Christmas and sometimes feels like…

🎃 Halloween: “LOOK AT ME!”

🎄 Christmas: “I’M HERE!!!”

🦃 Thanksgiving: “Um…hi. There’s turkey.” 😂

Well, I’ve decided Thanksgiving deserves better. So this year, Laurel Tree Pottery is giving Thanksgiving its moment. ❣️I have already designed the mugs (and NO, I’m not sharing them yet 😉), but I can tell you to think folksy + vintage…turkeys, old trucks, oak leaves, acorns, and all sorts of cozy Thanksgiving goodness.
And these are going to be work. There are LOTS of little glazing details, so they may be a little higher priced than some of my other mugs. But I think they’re going to be pretty special.

I’m shooting for a Thanksgiving drop the last week of October or the first week of November. 🦃🍂

I’m finishing up some fall pieces for Kleather’s right now, and then Thanksgiving is officially on the studio schedule.

Oh - and those little animal planters I’ve been teasing? 🐱🐶🦉🐷🐮
I haven’t forgotten about them! I’m thinking I may hold those back and see if they want to make their grand entrance as a Christmas release. 🎄

So basically…there’s a lot happening in the studio. And my poor husband is probably wondering where we’re going to put all of it. 😂 Stay tuned... ❤️

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09/07/2026

A sort-of, kind-of rant ahead .... Those who know me know I love my coffee.
I have tried to quit several times over the years. That didn't work. 😂 I have reduced, though. These days I drink one cup a day, and it's a 50% less-caffeine brew. And I savor it.
I slowly sip my coffee in the morning while sitting on the front porch or looking out the window, contemplating what I want to accomplish that day.

Just black coffee.
No fru-fru stuff. No foam. No drizzle. No syrup. No whipped cream. No tiny umbrella.
Simple life. Simple coffee. ☕️

I have tried black coffee from Starbucks, and I now understand why people get it loaded with all the stuff. By itself, it is burnt garbage. 😂
But now there's 7 Brew. And I just don't get it.

A line of cars that stretches for OVER A MILE for the drive-thru.
Is their coffee gold? Is there a pot of liquid happiness at the end of that line that I don't know about? Is the coffee actually that good? Or is it just for folks who like more than coffee in their coffee?

Because I genuinely don't understand.

I'm sorry. My time is much more valuable to me than sitting in a mile-long line for a beverage. I would rather be on my porch with my little cup of black coffee, watching the world wake up. 😊

And perhaps this is where my pottery comes into play...
I make mugs. For coffee. 😂

I love the idea that something as ordinary as your morning cup of coffee can be made a little more special by the mug you're holding. That's really what I love about making pottery—the everyday things we use can have a little personality, a little whimsy, and a little bit of us in them.

So give me a good cup of black coffee in a handmade mug, a quiet morning, and a few minutes to think about the day.
That's my kind of coffee culture.

No offense to anyone who is part of the 7 Brew Cult. 😂 You do you! But I don't drive past that mile-long line in awe. I drive past shaking my head in bewilderment...and, yes, occasionally frustrated that traffic is being impeded.

So I'm serious. I don't get it. Someone please explain 7 Brew to me. 😂☕️

And while you're at it...tell me which of my mugs you'd choose for your morning coffee. 😉 I'd love to see a picture. ❤☕️

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09/06/2026

Y’all. I am blown away that people want to buy my mugs. Like… seriously. 😂

I have SO much fun making them. I’m constantly thinking about what I can make next and coming up with new ideas. I guess people like whimsical and different things because somehow, y’all keep proving that to me. ❤️

I’m really just over here trying to stay out of trouble by keeping myself busy with positive things. 😂 And apparently pottery is a pretty good way to do that.

I am so thankful for Emma at Kleather’s Pumpkin Patch for giving me the opportunity to do some big things with my pottery. It means so much to me and gives me the push to keep doing something I truly love.

And honestly, I really like doing the drops now. It has taken away the pressure of having an online store that I constantly have to keep stocked. I don’t have to make 25 of the same thing because I think I should. I can just make whatever I’m feeling inspired to make, whenever I feel like making it.

And then I get to show it to you.

And the craziest part? You guys actually want it. 😂

I don’t know exactly what it is that makes someone see one of my mugs and think, “Oh my gosh, I need that.” Maybe it’s the whimsy. Maybe it’s that they’re different. Maybe it’s just the fact that they’re handmade and each one has a little bit of me in it.

Whatever it is… I am incredibly thankful.

So thank you for letting me play in clay, come up with crazy ideas, and occasionally get myself into a little trouble. 😂

I’ll just keep making things that make me happy and hope they make you happy, too. ❤️

09/04/2026

My first ever carved piece of pottery and today's view from the pottery wheel. 😊

09/03/2026

Yesterday I worked on a special mug request from my GME (Greatest Mother-in-Law Ever). ❤️
I had one mug left to decorate and decided to forego the medallions I was in the process of making and finally do this one.
I could have printed a cutter for the sunflower, slapped it on the mug, and called it done. But I wanted this to be special. So I got out my glazes, grabbed my carving tools, and began.
And I honestly can't even express how satisfying this was for me. I have MISSED this.
If you've perused my Instagram, you may have seen that during the Great Isolation (aka COVID 😅), I started doing quite a bit of carving. I've returned to it sporadically over the years, but yesterday reminded me just how much I love it.
I think I'm finally ready to pick a theme and create a series of carved mugs.
Of course, no two will ever be exactly alike. That's part of the magic. Each one will have its own little quirks, details, and personality. ❤️
Sometimes you just have to stop doing what you should be doing and make something that makes your heart happy. (I'll post a pic of this one when it is completely finished and in the hands of its owner. 🥰🌻)

09/02/2026

I have not made these mugs in years - in fact, these mugs that I made are heavy, the handles I do not like, but they were fun to do and I know some of you have one and enjoy them. (I'm thankful I have improved my skills over the years!) With my new printer, I have redesigned and want to make some more! Some of them might show up at Kleather's Pumpkin Patch (not making any guarantees) or they might be in a pottery drop some time in October. Fall inspires me - I am ready for football and cooler weather and wearing hoodies! 🧡💛🤎

09/01/2026

Today I am feeling especially thankful (and blessed) to have a pottery studio with lots of windows. ❤️

While my previous studio was a nice space, it was built inside our barn and had no windows. I never realized how much I would enjoy being able to look outside while I work.

This move has been good in so many ways. I’m able to keep this space much cleaner and more manageable (seriously…what is up with that? 😂), and today, while giving all these mugs some personality, I looked out the window just in time to see a red fox trotting across our back yard. 🦊

It was one of those little moments that makes you stop and smile — and one I would have completely missed if I were still working in my old studio.

I’m pretty sure these mugs got a little extra personality today. ❤️

08/31/2026

I have a serious problem. Woke up this morning with a vision of another mug design complete with how I will glaze it. Of course you can guess some of the colors to be used. 🤍💛🧡 The other color I will use will really make the "corn" ... "Pop!" 🤪