a day at the shop

Saturday was such a fun day at the shop.

I had a wonderful conversation with a couple that stopped in after lunch at Melt, they found a perfect addition to their bird-themed wall-hanging collection. The next day I received a photo of their wall, with the new addition perfectly perched.

I met a sweet new customer, in town for a weekend, who exchanged a piece that was purchased for her in Rhode Island. She found three wee cups with her favorite animals on them.

My window-washer came, and excitedly shared that he and his fiancé are pregnant.

A neighbor stopped in, and told me that he and his wife will be moving back to Nashville to be near family. He purchased a candle to make their home smell yummy for showings. I will miss them, and wish them the best.

I love love all these interactions. Being  a shop owner, I have connected with my community on a completely new level. I share in the joys, loves, worries, get to meet the kids, meet the parents visiting from out of town, hear the local news, laugh at silly jokes. Sounds old fashioned, like something you would see in a film from 50 years ago.

After the NY wholesale trade show, I was a bit down. There are just not as many buyers walking the show, and my guess is that a lot of smaller, craft boutiques have closed. I know of a few in Cleveland that just couldn’t compete with online shopping opportunities, a sad loss for all of us. Coming home and seeing familiar faces at the shop was uplifting. I am so grateful that my community values tiny @gleenashop, and I feel fortunate to live, as well as work, here.

What a revelation 2017 had been! Opening a shop was a big risk for this introvert used to working behind closed studio doors.

Thank you Cleveland, for your heartfelt welcome, for the amazing conversations, and for a successful first year. A huge thank you to my online community, you have been my inspiration and support for many many years, thank you for the best gleena.com year to date. The email exchanges I have had with so many of you have been a joy.

And of course I am so grateful to the retailers who choose to carry gleena in their shops. Having a store of my own has shown me the amount of work that goes into putting together a cohesive retail collection.

Wishing everyone a wonderful, light-filled 2018, full of magical surprises.

handmade for everyone on your list

At gleenashop, I am committed to carrying works made by fellow small-studio artists. So I decided to put together a hand-made gift bundle. All the items together are $100, which includes shipping, a wonderful gift to a special someone, or gifted individually to many on your list.

What is in the bundle:
• soap by Keats, made in Cleveland Heights
• porcelain peace bunny, made by gleena
• terrarium pencils by June&December, made in Detroit
• PF Candle incense, made in LA
• porcelain heart by gleena
• LoveWild lavender bath salts, made in Brooklyn, NY
• handkerchief by Bittle & Burley made in Brooklyn, NY
• roundie bowl by gleena

This bundle can be shipped anywhere in the lower US. Or stop into the shop, it smells wonderful full of evergreens! Open Tuesday-Friday noon to 6, Saturday noon to 5pm. Located at 2114 S. Taylor Rd. Cleveland Heights, OH.

or email info (at) gleena.com for more info.

succulent love

The Midwestern Succulent and Cactus Society holds a sale every year at the Cleveland Botanical Garden. I scored some beauties, and quickly planted them up in gleena for the shop.

All cuttings, leaves for propagating, and extra re-plants reside, and rest, in the “research and development” planter until a gleena porcelain pot is available.

A few of the lovelies are now available at 2114 S. Taylor.

new in the shop

I have been expanding the double dipped line. I love overlapping two glazes, and seeing what happens at the intersection. Every time, it is a surprise, each piece unique, like a painting.

Nature inspired letter-pressed cards by Heartswell are a perfect compliment to gleena and the selection of air plants I now carry.

Wall hangings are a new direction to explore for me, this hearts garland was a big hit for Valentine's Day. I find it is also a good baby, wedding shower, and a Mother's Day gift.

My studio is part of the shop, and my apron is usually coated with porcelain as I work on making gleena daily. photo by Kris Craig

While winter turns the world blue outside, it is warm and cozy in the shop. Come visit!

studio shop at 2114 S. Taylor Rd, Cleveland Hts, Oh now open Wed-Fri 12 to 6pm, Sat 12 to 5pm

I’ve been dreaming of a small shop in the front of my studio for years, and in the last few months, that dream came true. A tiny store is now part of gleena studios at 2114 S. Taylor Rd. in Cleveland Hts, Ohio.

I decided to relocate to Ohio from Rhode Island to be near my family, and while looking for a studio space for gleena, this storefront came along. Serendipitously it was already separated with a wood herringbone floor for the front space, and a grey linoleum floor for the studio space. The linoleum is ideal for my ceramics process, I wash floors many times a day to keep the dust away.

It’s been a lengthy, hard-won, process getting the studio set up and the kilns hooked up. I needed three-phase 240 hook up for my two production electric kilns. This meant dealing with the Illuminating Company, the city for permits and inspections, and re-wiring the kilns to match the new power source. I realized that the kilns are an extension of myself, having them down was like losing a hand. Thankfully, one kiln is running smoothly, the other still needs a few parts.

Magically, the shop came together smoothly. During the past ten years of doing craft and trade shows, I have met so many incredible artists. It is an honor and a privilege to call them my friends. I am so grateful to these beautiful craftspeople, their products arrived in time for the opening and make the shop a truly special little place.  Come visit!

The beautiful shelves were created by Josh Miller, a local craftsman. Josh installed lights and all the display shelving and cases in the shop.

The rack holding Pilgrim Waters towels is an old wood stair that I found by the side of the road. I painted it to match the walls (Valspar Swill Coffee paint) and hung it upside down. Just right for Susy’s gorgeous creations.

I have many of Gauge NYC wall sculptures in my own home. Oh the shadows! Delicate and beautifully crafted, they have been selling well already.

Small aluminum letters are also made by Gauge NYC. Spell out any word, I carry the whole alphabet.

Baskets by Eliza Gran, towels and cards by June and December, cards by Heartswell, and towels by Teresa Green. Boxy shelves for cards were made for me back in grad school by a talented friend.

Letter-pressed cards by Heartswell. Just lovely.

This cups display was a very lucky dumpster dive rescue. It was someone’s fancy sock drawer, with brass tags on the side with color names. It is just the right size to hold wee teas, Gauge NYC letters and air plants.

gleena studio shop is open Wednesday-Friday 12 to 6pm, Saturday 12 to 5pm