Fired Figments for the Holidays

It’s gift giving time. . .

. . . and if you are wondering where to find Fired Figments for your friends and family this year, you’re in the right place! This year is a little different than past years for reasons known to my Patreon members, but not announced publicly, yet. I will not be having an online restock before the holidays, but there are still some ways to get my pottery this month.

1. The Gallery in the Valley

I’ve collaborated again with Jopeydopes to bring her amazing designs to ceramics! All month long you can shop our collaboration at The Gallery in the Valley in Geneseo, NY. I’ll be at the Art Party there on Friday, December 13th from 6:00 - 8:00pm if you want to say hi! Can’t make it to Geneseo? You can shop some of my pieces online through the 2024 Holiday Gift Guide.

2. Running to Places Giving Auction

Support local theatre and get a limited edition Fired Figments mug at the same time! Look out for this “Let it Snow Mug” in the auction starting December 8th. Only two were ever made and YOU could own one of them!

3. Mystery Mug Sale

When I bought my year supply of glazes this fall, I decided to treat myself to some new colors too! It's time for me to experiment with glaze combinations and a chance for you to get discounted mugs. Going into 2025, I probably won't have classic mugs online very often. I'll be saving them for the Renaissance Faire and keeping my more unique, sculptural pottery online. This is your chance to be the first to have my classic mugs in a brand new color!

Classic mugs generally sell for $37 plus shipping. Mystery mugs start at $35 and when you buy more, you save more - up to $10 off per mug! You can find them in the secret shop exclusive to Patreon members. Just join any paid tier for the link, plus other special perks and discounts too!

4. The Online Shop

Last, but not least, there is still the online shop! I may not be adding more to inventory right now, but I do have fairy pots and pocket dragons perfect for stocking stuffers and some one-of-a-kind fantasy sculptures for a show-stopping gift!

Thanks for taking the time to read through this little update! I hope you have a warm and relaxing end to the year. I have some exciting projects in mind for 2025 and look forward to sharing them with you!

Summer in the Studio

Hi there! Can you believe that it is already June? Summer for Fired Figments means that I am in full production mode for the New York Renaissance Faire and lots of exciting things are happening online and in the studio! I wanted to write this so that you don’t miss anything that is going on!

First up - Early Bird Savings!

If you’ve ever worked a seasonal job, you know what it is like when the work season is a month or two away and your savings from the previous year are running thin. (It reminds me of all my summers working at an ice cream shop in high school and college.) Getting ready for the Renaissance Faire feels a little like this when I have to start saving more inventory for the faire and less pottery is available online. Around this time of year I like to help you help me with an early bird discount - win win!

Now through July 31st you can save for the NY Renaissance Faire by purchasing an e-gift card for 10% off values of $25 or more! And do you know what the best part is? While everyone else is in line for the ATM, you can shop with me using just your name and I’ll have your credit on file!

Getting a gift card now helps me make it to Ren Faire season and you get to shop at the faire knowing you already got 10% off your pottery!

Want to save even more? Patreon members of The Fan(g) Club or higher get 5% - 15% off all their orders, which will apply on top of the 10% you already saved!

Speaking of Patreon - Three BIG Updates

NEW Membership Mugs

I’m so excited that I finally have the new stamps for Patreon club mugs! If you didn’t know, Patreon members can earn an exclusive member mug over a year, six months, four months, or in as little as two months depending on your tier! YOU get to customize your mug by choosing the mug shape, handle placement, glaze colors, and custom colors for the club crest. Here are some examples from the 2022 crests, and a peek at the new club crest.

Surprises are Coming

Renaissance Faire season means that I am too busy to keep up with the normal exclusive monthly pre-orders for Patreon members, but I will still try to make as many exclusive offers as I can manage. I actually have a deal going on right now, but I wanted to let you know that paying members who are active June through October will get a special pottery gift when the faire is all over! I like to give some pottery away as a thank you for sticking with me during my busy months since I might go a little quiet online.

First Dibs on Puppy Wizards

My Patreon deal going on right now is first dibs on my first two puppy wizards - an extension of the kitty wizards I released last year. All this week, members of The Nest or above can comment their interest to purchase one or both of the sculptures, and on June 9th I will randomly pick a winning buyer for each sculpture. My hope is this method avoids the stress of “first to claim,” and anyone who is interested in buying will get the same chance to purchase. I am also offering payment plans if you’d like to buy in installments. If no one claims a sculpture during this first dibs period, the sculptures may become available online, or they might be saved for the Renaissance Faire.

On Social Media . . .

You may or may not know about Meta’s new claim that content on their platforms can be used to train their AI generative programs. Many artists on my feed are stressing about the implications, and it is just another reminder that we don’t truly own our audiences or work on social media platforms. Whether or not this ultimately sways the majority of users away from Meta platforms, I just wanted to remind you about other ways to keep up with my work.

1.) I am going to start utilizing the free membership aspects of Patreon more. While exclusive behind-the-scenes content will still stay reserved for paying members, I will post anything that would normally go on Instagram for free members on Patreon. You can choose to receive notifications when I post so you never miss a thing.

2.) Fired Figments news right in your inbox! If you’re not already an email list member, now is a great time to join! Email members get to know the exact times of online restocks and occasionally get exclusive discounts during the year.

3.) For something completely different - YouTube! If you didn’t know, I have a growing channel on YouTube with content that is totally different from my other social media platforms. I talk a lot about the aspects of running a pottery business and give you a more in-depth behind-the-scenes looks at my studio. If you are an artist yourself, or someone who likes videos playing in the background of your day, these are great work companions in the studio or while you’re washing the dishes.

Thanks for reading this far! I actually had about 75% of this typed out when I accidentally “discarded” the blog post and could not retrieve it, so I’m a bit wiped from typing it all out again. I really appreciate every form of support for my small business - purchases, shares, comments, and likes all mean a lot in their own way. I hope you are having a great start to summer and we’ll talk again soon!

- Stephanie, Fired Figments

Sustainable Ceramics on the Batty Bitches Podcast

You might know that the environment is always on my mind, even when running my business. I recently had the opportunity to talk to Brooke Thivierge on her podcast, Batty Bitches, about Sustainable Ceramics.

Some of the topics we cover are: recycling clay, reusing water, sourcing secondhand studio furniture, plastic free shipping, repairing pottery, and ultimately remembering to not be so hard on yourself when attempting sustainability.

In the episode, I mention my bucket system for reusing water that prevents any water from ever going down a drain. You can see a visual breakdown of that system on my YouTube channel.

Looking for some more quick tips? Here are my favorite tips for a more eco-friendly pottery studio:

@firedfigments What is something you do to reduce waste in your business or life? ♻️ #ReduceWaste #ReduceReuseRecycle #CeramicStudio #PotteryTips #EcoTips ♬ Sunny Day - Ted Fresco

@firedfigments Celebrating Earth Day with a part 2 of reducing Waste in my ceramic studio. 💚♻️ #ReduceWaste #EarthDay #EarthDay2021 #EcoHacks #EcoTips #PotteryTips ♬ bee - Burbank

Did we miss any of your favorite sustainable practices? Do you have any questions about making pottery more eco-friendly? Comment with your thoughts and questions here!

Fired Figments is on Patreon!

Hi! I'm Stephanie, the artist behind Fired Figments.

You might know me from Etsy, TikTok, the Sterling Renaissance Festival, and soon - YouTube! For over 10 years I have been bringing the figments of my imagination to life through whimsical ceramic sculptures and pottery. I'm excited to expand the magic to YouTube and to embrace my love for fantasy with more sculptural work and larger pieces. Your support will make this experimentation possible!

I have been blown away by the support everyone has given my small business, especially over the past two years! Now I'd love to reward that support with some fun bonuses! From extra behind-the-scenes access, to stickers, discount codes, free shipping, and even curated gift packages, there is sure to be a reward you'll love. Oh! And don't forget the exclusive mug designed by patrons for patrons!

How it Works:
Patreon is a subscription style website that allows you to support creators by picking a monthly payment tier matched with certain rewards. Read through the reward tiers and choose which level you would like to join. You will be charged upon joining so that you can gain instant access to your rewards and benefits. After that, your membership will be renewed and your account charged around the 1st of each month. You may unsubscribe or change your tier at any time.

Everyone chooses to support for their own reasons, so I completely understand if not every reward is of interest to you. Your welcome message will include a link to a quick form which allows you to opt-out of any of the recognition or product rewards that you would prefer not to receive.

Thank you for reading and considering, and for all the ways you support my small business!