Open Door Days This Week! (and updated stake pick-up time) – Wednesday, May 15, 1:00–5:00 pm & Sunday, May 19, 3:30–5:30 pm
Come visit us this week at the Staunton Clayground to take a tour, see what we’ve been up to, ask questions and pick up your garden stake (if you painted one at our Open House on April 20!). We can’t wait to see you!
Hello Friends of the Staunton Clayground!
We hope to see you for one of our “Open Door” days this week! If you missed our Open House, now is a great time to come visit us, tour our studio, ask questions and see what we’ve been up to. Did you come and paint your own garden stake on April 20? Then this is a great time to come and pick it up! Do you have a friend or two who couldn’t make itto the Open House in April? Bring them along!
Our door will be open on Wednesday, May 15 (that’s tomorrow!), from 1:00 to 5:00 pm and on Sunday, May 19, from 3:30 to 5:30 pm*.
Curious about the process of making a garden stake (before and after you do your amazing paint job)?
They were all so great! It was hard to pick just a few to feature here. I’m not worried though, because soon all of your garden stakes will be spread across Staunton, making our town smile
Clockwise from the top left in the above photo:
First, we take stakes that we have cut from rolled slabs of clay and bisque fire them to a temperature of about 1950 degrees F. This makes them harder and less fragile, so you can work with them without worrying too much about breaking them.
Second, you come along and unleash your creativity using paints called “underglazes.”
Third, once those are dry, we apply “wax resist” to the bottoms and edges to keep those parts dry and clean, and then we brush the top with two layers of a clear glaze (notice how it looks white before it’s fired, but don’t worry, your beautiful designs are still underneath!) and load them into the kiln.
Then we fire them again, but this time to a temperature of about 2160 degrees F (this is a “Cone 5” firing), which causes the top coat of clear glaze to transform, turn glossy and reveal all of your art underneath! It also makes your stake weatherproof, so you can put it out in your garden and enjoy it all year long 😀
If you have a problem making either of these two days, don’t worry! Get in touch and we’ll work something out.
If you haven’t been down to visit us yet, the entrance to the Staunton Clayground is located at the back of the post office building at 123 W. Frederick St. The door is marked “The Cellar” and will have a sign on it reading “Staunton Clayground.” Come on in and down the stairs and you’ll find us!
There are 10 parking spaces reserved for “The Cellar” in the lot across the street from our entrance, at 116 N. Lewis Street, in which you are free to park. There is also plenty of nearby street parking if you prefer.
Looking forward to seeing you!
*The second time has been updated from the previously published time for Sunday.
Garden Stakes Are Ready For Pickup!
The garden stakes our guests painted at Open House came out of the kiln today and are ready for pick up! We’ll have our door open to welcome you from 1–5 pm on Wed., May 15, and from 4–6 pm on Sun., May 19. We’ll also be giving tours and answering questions during these “Open Door” hours, so if you have a friend who couldn’t make it the first time, feel free to bring them along. See you soon!
(And Just One Week To Go Until Our Slab Geometric Vase Building Workshop Starts!)
Hello Friends of the Staunton Clayground! We have good news for you today 😀 We’ve just unloaded the garden stakes painted at Open House from the kiln and they are ready for pick-up!
Garden stakes by our endlessly creative Open House guests. Come and get ‘em!
For now, we are scheduling two pick-up days, and hopefully one of them will work for you! They are this coming Wednesday, May 15, 1:00–5:00 pm, and Sunday, May 19, 4:00–6:00 pm. These will also be “Open Door” events, meaning that we will have our door open and we will be welcoming anyone who wants to take a look at the studio, take a tour, and get answers to questions about classes or memberships (our membership program is coming in June!).
If you have a friend who wasn’t able to make it to our open house, please feel free to invite them along to check out our space!
The basil and oregano feel very well-adorned. Let’s hope the sage and rosemary don’t get jealous!
Looking forward to seeing you soon! And please remember, once you’ve picked up your stake, we’d love to see a photo of it in its forever home! Above are the garden stakes that live in the kitchen garden of yours truly.
Also, we still have spaces available in our six-hour Slab Geometric Vases Workshop
running 1:00–3:00 pm next Saturday, May 18, Sunday, May 19 and Sunday, June 2, 2024, and taught by Nicole Eyerman Hill.
We will look forward to seeing you soon! And don’t worry, if you can’t make it to one of these pick-up dates, we’ll figure something out!