News From Ephraim
Vol. 4, issue no. 3R
August 2002

In this issue:

Ephraim Faience Pottery is joining forces with its company store, Dovetail Antiques, to help crafts people in need. EFP has created an original, limited edition vase to benefit the Craft Emergency Relief Fund (CERF). 

The  Chamomile Vase for CERF will be available exclusively through Dovetail Antiques, and only during the month of September 2002 as part of CERF’s main fund-raising event of the year, A Month for CERF. Dovetail Antiques and Ephraim Faience Pottery will donate 50% of the profits from the sale of the Chamomile Vases to CERF.

The shoulder of the sea spray blue vase is decorated with white and yellow chamomile flowers. In the traditional language of flowers, chamomile represents energy in adversity. Energy, in the form of money and support, is what CERF provides to crafts people facing serious adversity: possible career-ending illnesses and disasters.

EFP will create a minimum of 25 and a maximum of 100 of the Chamomile Vases for CERF. EFP and Dovetail Antiques are proud to participate in A Month for CERF. We hope you will join us in supporting this worthy cause by purchasing a Chamomile Vase for CERF, or by making a donation directly to CERF by calling 802-229-2306.

The Chamomile Vase for CERF
Limited edition—100 pieces max.
Approx.  6“h
Color: Sea Spray Blue vase; white flowers with yellow centers
$98 (phone orders add $13.00 for shipping  and handling; WI residents add 5.5% sales tax)

Available exclusively at Dovetail Antiques only during the month of September. To purchase yours, stop in at Dovetail, or call John at 608-764-1454.

What is CERF?

The Craft Emergency Relief Fund (CERF), a non-profit, tax-exempt organization, is the only one of its kind in the U.S. CERF enriches the cultural and economic vitality of the U.S. by helping craftspeople sustain crafts making as a livelihood. CERF accomplishes its mission by providing immediate support to professional craftspeople suffering career-threatening emergencies. You can read about some of the crafts people that CERF has helped on their  web site, www.craftemergency.org.

Craft Emergency Relief Fund
PO Box 838
Montpelier, VT 05601
Tel. 802-229-2306

The #063 Boston Fern Cabinet Vase has been a hot ticket since it was introduced 2 years ago. So hot, in fact, that it’s approaching completion of its limited edition of 500 pieces. The combination of small size, great design, and an affordable price make this a great piece for the beginning collector, or for filling that awkward space that just needs “a little something.”

There are only about 50 pieces left in the edition, so please order yours before they’re gone! Limit 2 per customer, please. Click here to view a photo and details. Please call 888-704-POTS to place your order.

With more than 30 new pieces added to our line this year, we decided that it’s time to retire some more pottery. Because we only have two potters (Kevin Hicks and Laura Klein), it’s tough for them to keep track of all those forms and designs! So, we’re paring down our line by retiring 7 more “oldies-but-goodies.”

Here is a list of the pieces to be retired. The deadline to order these pieces will be 5:00 p.m. CT on August 30. Please call 888-704-POTS to order. Retired pieces ordered will be shipped in early to mid-November.

Click here to view color photos of these pieces, or refer back to your old catalogs, if you have them. 

By all measures, our very first Potters’ Edition Auction was a great success. On May 18th, collectors came to tiny Deerfield, Wisconsin, from as far away as Washington state to bid on one-of-a-kind and strictly limited edition pieces created especially for the event by the EFP artists.

In the capable hands of auctioneer John Mathews of Dovetail Antiques, the bidding went smoothly for the one-of-a-kind pieces. Serious collectors, bundled up against the chilly May wind, obviously came to buy. The Heron Vase, a one-of-a-kind piece created by Laura Klein and Jesse Wolf, realized a record high price for an EFP piece: $4050! High bids for all pieces, including the strictly limited edition pieces, are listed on dovetailantiques.com, Dovetail Antiques’ web site.

The Heron Vase

To view more auction photos, click here.

Todd "Eye Candy" Butzin

Important Notice: Installing EFP Tiles

EFP’s tiles are porous. They are not suitable for very wet environments, such as shower stalls and tub surrounds. If you will be using our tile for a project and setting it with grout, please call our toll-free number (888-704-POTS) for advice before beginning your project. We will provide information about how to protect the surface of the tile from being damaged by the grout during installation.

Congratulations, Wendy & Greg!

Thank you!

I would like to take this opportunity to thank not only the team here at Ephraim but also our family of customers. I have met the man of my dreams, and have agreed to marry him and move with him to Baltimore. Unfortunately that means leaving behind a wonderful group of people. I fell in love with this family that I work for and am thankful to be able to take a part of it with me as I have several pieces of pottery to display in my new home, reminding me of all the fun and fellowship that we have enjoyed over the past two years. I will miss working with you, and for you. Thank you all for your support and friendship.

Blessings to all,

Wendy

The revival of the Arts and Crafts movement is the subject of an article in the July issue of Old House Interiors. Brian Coleman, in his article “Arts and Crafts Today,” asserts that “the Arts and Crafts movement is enjoying a revival that is making it even more popular than it was during its heyday.” The article explores the roots and current expressions of the revival, including Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel. EFP’s pottery is featured in the article, along with some comments from Mr. Coleman’s interview with EFP’s manager, Kristin Zanetti. Old House Interiors continues its focus on the Arts and Crafts revival in its September issue, which includes a feature on contemporary Arts & Crafts furniture makers.

You can find Old House Interiors on your favorite newsstand, and on the Internet at www.oldhouseinteriors.com. To subscribe, call 800-462-0211. Back issues are available for $6.50 each by calling 978-281-8803.

Spotlight on... Shows

For more information on any of these events, go to our "Events" page, or click on the links below.

August 10-11
Arts & Crafts San Francisco
Concourse Exhibition Ctr, 8th & Brannan
Saturday 10-6 and Sunday 11-5
Info: artsandcrafts-sf.com or 949-494-9499

August 24
Wisconsin Pottery Assoc. Show
Saturday 9-4
Alliant Center, John Nolen Dr., Madison, WI
Info: wisconsinpottery.org or 608-251-1306

October 19-20
Pasadena Heritage’s Craftsman Wknd
Furnishings & Dec. Arts Show & Sale
Saturday and Sunday 9-5
Masonic Temple, Euclid & Cordova Sts., Pasadena, CA
Info: pasadenaheritage.org or 626-441-6333

A survey about the format of our newsletter was mailed to everyone who received their copy in the mail. If you'd like to participate in this survey, please click here to access a printable survey form. Please print the form, complete the survey, and mail it to Ephraim Pottery, PO Box 168, Deerfield, WI 53531. The response deadline is September 15th. 

Thank you for voicing your opinion!

Down on the farm
by Kristin Zanetti

August already—where has the time gone? Summer just began, and it’s already fading. I don’t know about you, but I haven’t done anything that I really wanted to do this summer. Oh, I made some grand plans back in April. In the freshness of spring, everything seemed possible. I was going to take weekend trips, exploring the driftless area of southwestern Wisconsin. I was going to go hiking with my dog (and my husband) in some of our beautiful state parks. I bought a pack, water bottles, hiking shoes, a collapsible dog bowl—the works. Sadly, I haven’t even strapped on the pack (well, o.k., just once, in my living room, to test it out).

The other day, I noticed some hollyhocks growing up against the wall of a farmhouse and wondered if kids still make hollyhock ladies, or if they even know what they are. I hope so, because, when we’re desperate to escape the hectic adult world we’ve grown into, it’s the memories of those small, simple pleasures of childhood summers that refresh and sustain us. 

Ephraim Faience Pottery - PO Box 168 - Deerfield, WI 53531
Tel 888-704-POTS/ 608-764-1302 - Fax 608-764-8439