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Apr

25

How to Sell Unique Coffee Mugs

By Ceramic Design



The cultivation of the coffee bean as a drink was first developed by people living in the East African mountains of Ethiopia, according to National Geographic reports. The cultural and social folkways that have arisen around drinking this hardy brew makes selling associated specialty items such as coffee mugs a feasible business enterprise in most marketplaces. While a visit to most major retailers’ kitchenware departments will reveal the specialty mug market as competitive, design uniqueness can become your competitive advantage.

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    Make or buy unique mugs. If you do not know how to make mugs, enroll in a pottery class to learn how to design and make custom mugs. Draft out a mug design and have the specifications developed by an artisan as a commission or from a manufacturer for large orders. Alternatively, develop an inventory of unique mugs from the works of artisans who make mugs and other suppliers with a wide selection of mug designs.

  • 2
    Specialty mugs are especially popular gift items during the winter holiday season.

     

    Sell at kiosks or a store front. Determine the feasibility for a specialty mug shop in your community. Remember that a retail store will require a large quantity of specialty cups inventory. While a kiosk has a much lower inventory demand, it also has a corresponding lower income potential than a retail shop.

  • 3

    Sell to retailers. Distribute coffee mugs to retail shops by offering wholesale prices for specialty mug inventory. The reduction in unit price for distributor-wholesalers is typically recovered by the gain in the quantity of an order.

  • 4
    Valentine’s Day offers an opportunity to sell associated specialty mugs.

     

    Sell on-line. Develop the new business enterprise and launch a website to sell directly to the public on-line. Set up on-line shopping carts for each retail item for credit and debit card purchases. Unique coffee mugs can also be sold at on-line auctions or through “buy it now” features of on-line retailers like eBay.com.

Apr

25

Oversized Coffee Cups

By Ceramic Design



Coffee lovers cannot get enough of their favorite beverage, so having an oversized coffee cup is particularly useful. An oversized mug allows the coffee drinker to have ample servings of coffee at one time, without having to worry about constantly refilling the mug. Making an oversized mug is relatively easy and you can do many things with the finished product, including giving it to other coffee lovers as a gift.

  • 1

    Lay old newspapers down to protect your work area. If you’re working on a table with texture, the newspapers will keep the clay from absorbing the design on the table.

  • 2

    Take a fist-sized piece of clay and roll it into a ball. Put the ball on the table and stick your thumbs in the center. Carefully pinch the clay, extending it out to the desired width of your mug. Keep in mind that for an oversized coffee cup, the base should be wide. Do not worry if the sides start to cave in or are too thin; you can fix any problems in the next steps.

  • 3

    Take another ball of clay and use both hands to roll out a long coil. Slowly and evenly distribute pressure along the coil to ensure that it remains the same size. Avoid rolling the coil too thin; it should be no thinner than a quarter of an inch.

  • 4

    Attach the coil to the bottom piece of clay by first scoring the bottom of the coil. Scoring is done by creating a checked pattern into the clay with a needle. Wet the scored area using a paintbrush dipped in water. After you have scored it, attach the coil onto the bottom slab and smooth the inside and outside edges together. Continue stacking the coils one on top of another until you have reached the desired height for your oversized coffee cup. Read more »

Feb

18

14th century development Blue and white porcelain

By Ceramic Design



In the early 14th century mass-production of fine, translucent, blue and white porcelain started at Jingdezhen, sometimes called the porcelain capital of China. This development was due to the combination of Chinese techniques and Islamic trade. The new ware was made possible by the export of cobalt from Persia (called Huihui qing, 回回青, “Islamic blue”), combined with the translucent white quality of Chinese porcelain. Cobalt blue was considered as a precious commodity, with a value about twice that of gold.Motifs also draw inspiration from Islamic decorations. A large portion of these blue-and-white wares was then shipped to Southwest-Asian markets through the Muslim traders based in Guangzhou.

Chinese blue and white porcelain was once-fired: after the porcelain body was dried, decorated with refined cobalt-blue pigment mixed with water and applied using a brush, coated with a clear glaze and fired at high temperature. From the 16th century, local sources of cobalt blue started to be developed, although Persian cobalt remained the most expensive. Production of blue and white wares has continued at Jingdezhen to this day. Blue and white porcelain made at Jingdezhen probably reached the height of its technical excellence during the reign of the Kangxi emperor of the Qing Dynasty (reigned 1661 to 1722).

Feb

8

Tang Sancai burial wares

By Ceramic Design



Sancai means three-colours. However, the colours of the glazes used to decorate the wares of the Tang dynasty were not limited to three in number. In the West, Tang sancai wares were sometimes referred to as egg-and-spinach by dealers for the use of green, yellow and white. Though the latter of the two colours might be more properly described as amber and off-white / cream.

Sancai wares were northern wares made using white and buff-firing secondary kaolins and fire clays. At kiln sites located at Tongchuan, Neiqui county in Hebei and Gongxian in Henan, the clays used for burial wares were similar to those used by Tang potters. The burial wares were fired at a lower temperature than contemporaneous whitewares. Burial wares, such as the well-known representations of camels and horses, were cast in sections, in moulds with the parts luted together using clay slip. In some cases, a degree of individuality was imparted to the assembled figurines by hand-carving.

Apr

16

Brillante: incredible, it’s ceramic!

By Ceramic Design



From the skills of Fap ceramiche in creating complete solutions comes Brillante, the new collection of ultrathin, ultra-polish white body tiles with coordinated porcelain stoneware floor tiles. One large size 30.5×91.5 cm, rectified – just 5.5 mm thick, runs along the walls to create a sophisticated striped marble texture, with a vein which tells a centuries-old story.
 
The extraordinary design skill of Fap ceramiche is shown concretely in the presence of original special trims,all finished with the range of coordinated TonoSuTono grouts. This particular element is used to create perfect bathrooms, with attention right down to the last detail. The tiling becomes total, absolutely complete, like a veil laid over the floors and walls. This is one of the winning features of Fap ceramiche, which has always paid attention to the most advanced technological research, to create effective design solutions with unique beauty.  
 
New colours and decorations, evocative and shining, study marble from a unique point of view, examining the thousand aspects of the material and discovering hidden qualities and features, for increasingly sophisticated ideas. 5 exclusive colours: Brown, Champagne, Fumè, Lemon, Quartz.
 
Marble is reinterpreted with Brillante in an ultrathin tile, which maintains its strength and character but dresses it up in a new, lightweight and impalpable meaning. A contrast which becomes the expression guiding thread of this perfect synergy.
Its thickness allows Brillante to be laid on existing tiles, becoming an exclusive partner for creating practical bathrooms, kitchens and living areas, veritable works of art which pay attention to the demands of modern environments. 
With this collection, Fap ceramiche once again declares its attention to protecting the environment. An absolutely cutting-edge production technology has made it possible to create this ultra-thin product, limiting the use of raw materials, water, energy and above almost negligible amounts of waste – which is in any case correctly disposed of or recycled – and harmful substances.
 
The bathrooms created with this new range can be combined with the Fap+ collection of ceramic accessories.
 
Brillante: under the sign of lightness!

Apr

16

Gsg Ceramic Design

By Ceramic Design



GSG is a company specialized in the production of ceramic sanitaryware, and is located in the ceramic district of Civita Castellana. GSG company has a long experiance in the foreign market with classic design, and now, a careful awareness of todays designs and styles, is enlarging the range of products to combine a new way of living and concept of architectural bathrooms.
From this idea GSG Ceramic Design has realized an esthetic result, functional and modern, developing the race, lilac and dunia series.

Three projects for one bathroom design.
The 2006 collection is completed by ”oz” washbasin and the shower tray ”ecoscape” two realizations that go beyond a simple sanitaryware project.

Gsg Ceramic Design
  Address: Via Terni Snc
  City: Civita Castellana – (VT)
  Code: 01033
  Telephone: +39 0761 515258
  Fax: +39 0761 517444