Home - Common Stone Pottery

Deborah J. Speer

Deborah J. Speer took her first pottery course at Brooks Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas, in 1993.

The name for the business came from a song that was written by a girl named Orion long before she ever took her first pottery course. The song talks about how God can use a cup made of common stone. Deborah liked the idea of Common Stone Pottery for a name because it reminds her that God can use the most ordinary people for extraordinary things.

"Clay is an amazing medium to work with. The possibilities are endless, and I have only scratched the surface of what can be done with functional pottery."

When I make a mug I think about how it will stand up in the dishwasher and microwave. Will the plate be durable, and will cutting food on it mar the finish? Will this large serving bowl be easy to pick up when full of hot food?

"After these practical problems are solved, the real fun begins. When this pot is sitting on someone’s patio, will the geckos be lying on its warm surface? Wouldn’t it be fun to give them little places to go in and out, a little gecko playground on top of the pot?"

"If I put a funny face on this mug, will it bring a smile to someone’s face?"

"What can I do to a regular mug to make it uniquely mine and still make someone happy to be holding it in his or her hands?"

"Does everything have to be so symmetrical? Are things that are a little bit wonkers more interesting?"