Isn't Thanksgiving the best? There's something special about people coming together, spending time to make a meal, and finally enjoying the delicious results. It's a day full of thoughtfulness, appreciation, and gravy - what's there not to like?

It provides a stark contrast to Black Friday, where discounts and endless waves of mass-produced things can create a claustrophobic sense of panic.

Sure, it's a biased depiction, but I think I prefer the Thanksgiving part of this week.

That difference is also what draws me to ceramics. Our ceramics can be a small escape from the fast-paced and hectic environment we're too often surrounded by. It takes time, thoughtfulness, and an artist's touch to create a piece - and we get to enjoy the results. Today, you'll find the new collection from Oatmeal, all hand-made by Elise in her Pittsburgh studio.

This Thanksgiving, let's take it slow and remember how fortunate we already are. Enjoy your holiday and have a safe, delicious week with your loved ones.

Featured Artist: Elise Birnbaum of Oatmeal

Elise Birnbaum is the artist behind Oatmeal, a studio based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Her signature piece is the Union Knot necklace, a ceramic knot formed from unique clay bodies and strung with a leather cord.

Elise embraces her place amongst a larger movement of makers: people who create things they love. These makers create truly unique work, and Elise contributes her evolving perspective into the weird web of ideas they share.

The Knot Elise worked primarily through hand-building and found her clay almost wanted to be placed in that shape. The result is a seemingly impossible combination of both the flowiness of ribbon and the rigidity of clay.
Copper Medallion On the end of each necklace, there is a stamped copper medallion that brings the whole piece together. The leather cord is also put together for each piece individually.
Clay Bodies & Glazes Oatmeal's necklaces each have a unique clay body, sometimes glazed or left with a natural finish. The necklaces have their individual personalities, perfect to complement your own.