I'm attempting to see if we can develop a way for online shoppers to custom request certain types of Claymonsters. You will ideally be able to pick a monster style, choose a feature, add a glaze and make other item specific choices. This is a learning process so I'm not promising it will all go perfectly at first but we appreciate your help in sorting it all out.
For most Special Request Monsters (SRM) you will notice a small price increase. This is because coordinating special requests takes loads and loads more time than usual. Prices for SRM ordered online will still include shipping.
•Your order will be placed with a $10 deposit. After the order is placed, you'll likely get a confirmation email from Cat which may have follow up questions.
• It will take us about 4-8 weeks to make, glaze and fire your individual one-of-a-kind Claymonster depending on what we're currently working on in the system.
• When your monster unloads from the kiln it will have a personal photoshoot, and then we'll send you a glamor shot.
• Assuming you love it to pieces, you can then pay the remainder of the adoption fees and we'll ship forthright.
Keep in mind, a good chunk of the creative details are up to the art director (me). This allows each monster to be unique. It will not be an exact copy of what's in the photos but pretty close.
Our host, Shopify only allows so many options per listed item therefore some choices will require additional communications. Please take the time to read down and make sure you understand all your options.
FEATURES (choose only one)
• Generally Claymonsters only have one feature per monster.
This varies by monster but you'll generally pick either: teeth, tongue, ears or horns (or none).
• Due to the limitations of the Shopify ordering system horn color or tooth styles will need to be communicated outside the order. ***After making your order please email monstermanager@claymonster.net with specifics.
• Most Claymonsters will have 2 eyes but you can opt for a single eye (monoclopse) or more than 2 (multiclopse).
• Eyes will generally have a round pupil but they can alternatively have a happy squint or an x (drunk or dead, you decide!). This collection of images illustrates a few words we use to describe some of the more subtle eye variations.
• These add-on options are not part of the shopify ordering system and will need to be communicated outside the order. ***After making your order please email monstermanager@claymonster.net with eyeball specifics.
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OPTIONAL SURFACE DECORATION: (choose only one)
• Some Claymonsters can have additional surface decoration and this will be indicated in the item description. Please pick only one decoration. If no surface decoration is picked we will simply glaze the monster with your chosen glaze choice.
• Surface options include: Pointy Bits (sharp dots), sgrafitto (carved squiggles), slip trail (raised surface squiggles), poxy (stamped dots on the surface), or various other stamps (stars, hearts, leaves, snowflakes, elephants, frogs, turtles, spirals, and skull&crossbones. Some glazes look better with some surface decorations more than others. If I foresee an issue I'll let you know.
• These add-on options are not part of the Shopify ordering system and will need to be communicated outside the order. After making your order please email monstermanager@claymonster.net with surface decoration requests.
I don't need to tell you all that The Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival is one of my favorite things in the whole world because if you know me, you know I love fiber. I love EVERYTHING fiber. This event has all the nifty satisfying fiber goodness, all the most wonderful fiber people & creatures, it's a busy bustling event for vendors, demonstrators, shoppers and crafty enthusiasts! It's all awesome all the time.
Last years cancellation was heartbreaking and I remember it was the first in a series of shut downs that started to make Covid very real for me personally and financially. The S&W committee made all the best and smartest decisions in a year that was just plain crappy all around. A few months ago they made the very smart but again sad decision to keep the show virtual again for another year. Last year was a bust for our part in the festival but this year, we're ready and a quite a bit more prepared to mount a real presence in the virtual event for 2021!
First, we've sponsored the event. Yay!
Second, we've been preparing and hoarding a whole bunch of work to have a MASSIVE sale on our website (www.claymonster.net) starting Saturday morning May 1st. Lots and lots of Claymonster's excited to go to new homes.
Third, Cat will be live streaming on Twitch for both days from 10 am to 3 pm. For the whole weekend of May 1 & 2 we're going to pretend like we're taking part in the festival in person! Well, except we'll be in our studio doing clay and fiber arts demos, answering questions, unloading kilns live and making mini monsters for the viewers! Here is a link to our Twitch page: https://www.twitch.tv/clayisfood. Join us this weekend for tons of fun but all from the safety and comfort of your own home. Neat, right?
I just took look at the MD Sheep & Wool page and spent some time seeing how things are going to present in virtual. First, here is a link to the vendors page. If you have the time and interest please support the participating vendors. Many are small creators, farmers and yarn businesses and they have not seen a sale or festival for over a year.
Here are a few of my favorite vendors and/or friends that I love to promote:
There are also virtual versions of almost all the things you'd see in a regular year:
So... Lots happening this weekend at the Maryland Sheep & Wool! If you'd like updates on what's happening we post in three places:
I hope everyone is well and I hope to see you this weekend!
CAT
This could prove to be a good reference page when you're sending an email with a request or you're looking at monsters for sale.
]]>It's been a long time coming. We've finally made the switch to a spiffy new website. With the world moving virtual I hope all our amazing monster fans are finding the site as helpful as we are.
Our new logo (above) is inspired by the often square or circular potter's 'chops' used throughout history as a stamp of authorship and pride in craftsmanship. This friendly little monster also represents the whimsy nature of our work. Its doesn't yet have a name. Do you have any suggestions?
This could prove to be a good reference page when you're sending an email with a request or you're looking at monsters for sale.
All of our stoneware glazes are made here in the studio except for one. They are weighed out according to tried and true recipes and they consist of powdered minerals, clays and colorant oxides. These are the glazes we use on the mid-fired stoneware pottery. This entry doesn't address anything to do with low-fire glazes (CMO's, pumpkins, etc).
I thought this would be a good start to our blog for 2021 since glaze making is our first task of the year. Almost every bucket needs a good refill after the busy winter season we had. Its not the most exciting job in our studio but its an important one.
One important note, all of our glazes are food safe, microwave and dishwasher safe. We do not, would not and have never used any lead in a glaze. Lead is bad and hasn't been used in the U.S. ceramics industry for a long long time. Its so much more dangerous to us as potters than it is to you the customer so NO LEAD in any Claymonsters, I promise.
This is a pretty semiopaque pale blue with purple hues. Its a flawless glaze that works well when layered with other glazes.
A clear jade green that works hard to show off texture. It looks great when layered with other glazes but can sometimes pinhole when it goes on too thick.
Celadon is a beautiful semi-transclucent turquoise that works well on monsters and shows off texture and the specks from the clay body. It layers well with other glazes, particularly the Pinkiedoo to make the "Candy Stripe" pattern Cat loves.
This is a pretty almost red - almost purple glaze that can be a bit finicky if not mixed 'just so'. Its semi-opaque but still shows texture and looks wonderful when its applied really thick.
This is a soft opaque white glaze that only turns pink when used with the Raspberry glaze. Its a solid flawless glaze that shows lots of specks from the clay body.
A reliable opaque pastel turquoise with an almost paint like quality. Looks pretty with any combination of our glaze palette.
A warm toasty two tone glaze that is as close as we get to a matt glaze. Where its really thin its a dark iron rust brown and if applied thick it's an almond cream color. It shines when used in combination with additional glazes like Seafoam or Celadon.
Much to my frustration this glaze does not photograph well but in person its a deep warm brown/black. Imagine looking deep into a glass of Guinness... It absorbs other glazes so we apply it thick and leave it alone.