Last Spring a regular customer of our shop came in and showed us a beautiful pottery travel mug she had bought in Galax, Virginia. The top had been specially crafted to fit perfectly so there was no spillage if the mug were to overturn. We were very interested to find the source and traced it to a small potter in the Appalachian Mountains of Southwest Virginia.Thus began our association with Hannah and Emi of HeartMoss Pottery.
It is always pleasant to find craftspeople who understand the wholesale side of sales and realize the cost of selling--whether it be driving to a craft show for two days or the cost of owning and operating a retail store. We decided to drive down to pick up the first order, taking the opportunity to spend a night camping in the area in our small motorhome. Hannah and Emi invited us for breakfast in their home and to meet the animals on their small homestead farm.
We enjoyed a delightful breakfast of fresh eggs, bacon and sausage from their farm and met the sheep, chickens and pigs that had replaced their former lives in New York City.
An introduction to their workshop revealed a beautiful array of other forms of pottery from bowls, plates, regular mugs and soap dishes. The incredible color schemes of their glazes are fascinating and unique. They are now a standard feature in our shop in Staunton and best selling new product of 2018!