NEC Designs

So incredibly grateful for this little pet-friendly pottery business I’ve built 🫶🏼

I mean, I didn’t spend 11 years learning how to make pottery just to drink out of a regular mug on vacation. 🤣

There’s something so special about getting to use the things you’ve made with your own two hands, especially while making new memories. Whether it’s morning coffee in the mountains or the pups enjoying their breakfast, these little moments are exactly why I love creating functional pottery.

Now I need to know, are you the type to pack your favorite mug for a trip, or do you just use whatever’s there? 😂

It is officially Fall in Georgia, and I am here for it!

I love that Ancho and Chopper can be outside without burning up in 0.5 seconds, and it’s cozy season for the warm drinks out of my favorite mugs.

What handmade mug are you sipping from this season?

One of my most asked questions when I’m showing people my pottery process is, “why do you have a greenhouse in your studio?”

Some people also think my entire studio is IN a greenhouse. (It is not)
When making pottery, it’s often important that the clay dries slowly and evenly to avoid cracking.

Typically potters will cover their clay pieces in sheets of plastic to accomplish this.

However, I hate using plastic sheets to cover my work because it’s clunky, it gets dusty, and it’s just a pain to be honest.
So one evening (at like 7pm lol), I had a random thought to go buy a greenhouse from the garden center and use it to put all my pieces in while they are drying. We drive to Lowe’s right before they closed and found it!

It works MAGNIFICENTLY.

As you can see, I put an extra shelf (aka a plant stand) inside of it, so I had extra room to fit more pottery within it, but overall this greenhouse is perfect with the black shelves that come with it.

If I need things to dry extra slowly, I can close the entire flap, and when I want more air flow for quicker drying, I can unzip the flap as much or as little as I want.

I no longer have to rely on dusty plastic sheets and trying to make sure every piece of clay is covered.
It’s been great.

I’ve been using this greenhouse for about a year, and I think I may get another one for even more drying space!
What do you think about this hack?

Our anniversary was this weekend, so we went out to dinner and stopped at a shop along the way. We stopped in in Trilith and found these toys.

We’ve been trying to find chew toys made with materials other than plastic, so these were perfect to try out!

On our way home, Drew and I were both so excited to get home and give the dogs their new toys. It’s truly the best part of going out and about and coming home. LOL

One benefit of my handmade ceramic slow feeders is that I can pour hot water directly into these bowls to rehydrate this food.

I would NOT recommend that with a plastic slow feeder, as it will leech toxins into the hot water and dog food.

This was the first time the pups tried the Every Dog Health food, and it definitely won’t be the last! They loved it so much, and I loved seeing actual food ingredients in their bowl instead of the monotonous look of their usual dried kibble.

Since I make these ceramic slow feeders, I love testing out different dog foods and treats/snacks in the bowls to see what works well and what doesn’t.

Feel free to tag other dogs food, treat, and vitamin brands in the comments that you want to see next!

Ceramic slow feeders for the win again!!

One of my favorite moments from last weekend 🥹

A customer bought two mugs from me on the first day of the market, and the next day she came back to my booth to buy another one. She told me she had used her new mug that morning and loved it so much that she needed another. 😭

I put so much time and love into every piece I make, so hearing that someone went home, actually used something I made, loved it, AND came back the very next day for another one just made my whole weekend. 🫶🏼

It’s little moments like this that remind me how cool it is that things I make with my hands get to become part of someone else’s everyday life. 🥹

PLASTIC IS NOT GOOD FOR LIVING THINGS

Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way…

Hi! I’m Natalie, and I’ve been making these ceramic slow feeders for about a year now, and I love it!

It makes me so happy to be able to create plastic-free bowls for our pups (and kitties too!!), so they don’t have to ingest plastic every time they eat.

I’m hoping to expand to raised cat bowls and ceramic lick mats, so stay tuned for my future creations!

Do you have any other ideas for pet-friendly pottery that I could make? Let me know in the comments!