Handmade Tile

The Holden Arboretum's annual holiday art show begins this month. I am delighted that my tiles will be featured along with the work of many talented artists.  All of the work in the show is inspired by nature. The sale benefits local artists and the Holden Arboretum. The event runs from Nov. 19th through Jan. 8th. Here are some of the tiles that will be included: If you have the chance, visit the show then take a hike. Darrell and I were lucky to be able to spend a perfect afternoon exploring the arboretum on the day we delivered the...

You may have noticed that EmuTile.com looks different all of a sudden. That is because our new website went live on Halloween! This is website #5 for our little business. (I chronicled the first 4 websites in a blog post just over 3 years ago when we launched the previous version.) Why so many websites? Because my husband is awesome, that is why. He is very security minded, so he strives to keep us up to date with current web standards. You can tell the new website has strong security because the web address for every page begins with "https://" instead of...

This may not look like much to you... ...but to me it looks like Christmas, my birthday, and the Fourth of July all rolled into one. I am so happy that my studio is back together and I am making tiles again. Thanks to a lot of hard work, the studio is cleaner and better organized than ever before. The work-space pictured above doubles as my glazing and packing area. The next picture was taken from the exact same spot, but with the camera pointed in a different direction.   In the foreground is the slab roller, which I use to make field tiles. The tile pressing room...

Happy first day of September! We have re-opened our online store and you are welcome to place an order. In the interest of full disclosure, we aren't quite finished putting the studio back together. It is still a bit completely empty. Sealing and staining the floor took a longer than we had anticipated, (pretty much every aspect of this project took longer than we anticipated!) but we are ready to start bringing my work tables, tile molds and shelves back in. I am SO READY to start making tiles again, but the studio won't be ready for another day or two. Thank you so...

It isn't really a baby, it is just very small. And it is actually a bison, if you want to get technical. But since I made him on request from the Graycliff Estate, which is located just outside Buffalo, New York, I am calling him a buffalo. As soon as Darrell and I get my studio put back together I will make a mold of this little guy. The studio should be ready for me to resume production one week from today, on September 1st, as planned. We will re-open the online store by 11:59pm on August 31st. I had planned to make a bunch of new tile designs...

A variety of 4"x4" plant tiles in the Autumn glaze are featured in this smart kitchen. They are set among 6"x6" slate field tiles, which have been cleverly set on the diagonal. This layout is a great way to mix tiles of different sizes. I love how the diamond pattern is repeated in the embossed metal panel over the range. "Autumn" glaze mixes wonderfully with slate tiles. This combination shows off the art tiles well, without allowing them to visually dominate. Counter, backsplash, cabinets and floor all harmonize. The warm, textured earth tones blend easily with one another. Love that tile floor! What a flawless install. Check out how the slate tiles create a...

The installation pictures just keep coming! Within the last few days, I received two different sets of pictures of installed 4"x8" "Heron" tiles in Autumn glaze, so I decided to post sets at the same time. The first two photos feature a wet bar: The herons face each other in a field of white 2"x4" tiles. There are also three smaller 2"x2" feature tiles in autumn glaze that help to define the space. The homeowners designed and constructed this sweet little nook themselves. They even built these enviable cabinets:  I love those old fashioned latches on the cupboards. What a neat mix of modern and traditional...

Even though I absolutely adore my job, maybe I should try to take time off more than once every 3 and a half years. I am starting to think that there is some truth to the idea that taking vacation can actually improve productivity.   I finished sending out the last of my Summer 2016 orders out yesterday at 4:30, officially beginning my longest closure ever. I am taking a six and a half week break from firing the kilns. It has been less than 24 hours since I finished, and it still feels weird. I keep thinking that I am forgetting to do something really important. But I am also starting to feel energized! I...