Stephanie and Steven Clowe have been hard at work getting the new space ready to invite not only creators and students, but also customers who might be looking to purchase handmade ceramic crafts. It’s a passion Stephanie learned years ago in her hometown of Aspermont — and one she’s looking forward to bringing back.
The new business, New Creations Ceramics, LLC, will soon open at South Washington Street, sandwiched between the pharmacy and The Aspermont Retreat Center. The Aspermont Economic and Industrial Development Corporation recently announced the coming addition as part of the community’s growing downtown corridor.
For Clowe, this isn’t just another shop. It’s a return to something the town once had — and lost. She recalled the little ceramic shop that was located on the edge of town, where store owner Edith Hannis taught numerous locals about the craft.
“She had a shop just outside of town,” Clowe said. “Everybody in town used to pay a small membership fee to use the shop and have access to the molds.”
When Hannis passed away, so did the routine hum of creative hands shaping clay and conversation. For decades, the kilns went cold — until now.
“Now everybody’s going crazy that I’m opening this,” Clowe said. “They’re saying, ‘Oh my gosh, we loved doing ceramics.’” Leading a tour through the newly renovated space, Stephanie pointed out where tables will line the classroom area where beginners and longtime hobbyists can sit down and work on greenware before it’s fired. Shelves will display finished pieces for sale, and customers can also buy unfinished ceramics to glaze at home.
“The main goal is to give people something to do — and give myself something to do, too,” she laughed.
That lightheartedness also stems from a deeper strength. Clowe has survived more than her share of trials.
In the past year, she suffered multiple strokes and a battle with cancer. She underwent surgery to remove a portion of one of her lungs and months of chemotherapy.
“When my doctor said I had cancer, I told him, ‘Okay I’ve had worse places in my eye. That was my dad’s saying,” she said. It’s that combination of humor and grit that shaped both the person and the project. “Sitting at home for six months nearly drove me crazy.”
The building itself has its own story.
Once used as a hunting lodge, it came complete with multiple bathrooms and a kitchen — making it a perfect fit for conversion into a working studio.
She kept what she needed and traded much of the remaining furniture to a local handyman, who handled the plumbing and flooring work in return.
It was a practical exchange that helped make the space more functional without stretching her budget.
“I’m a penny-pincher,” said Clowe.
“But right now, I’m two thousand under budget from what we projected, and that makes me happy.”
The studio will house dozens of molds and two kilns that when she came across, which sparked the idea that grew into a business model.
“I lucked out,” said Clowe. “I found 200 molds and two kilns at an estate sale. That’s what started this whole process.”
The space will be used for beginner classes and open studio sessions, and she’s already hearing from residents eager to join.
“Some of the older ladies have never done it, and I’m surprised how many young people are interested,” said Clowe. They’ve been emailing me and messaging me on Facebook. It’s crazy.”
Clowe has also been in contact with the local school as well. She said AISD Art Teacher, Melanie Belle has expressed an interest in using the kilns for firing student projects as well has having the chance to display their own work.
“I told her we’d also hang the students’ artwork on the walls,” said Clowe.
“That way they can showcase their art, and I don’t have to buy decorations.
Win-win.”
For now, her focus is on getting the doors open and building a small membership base to cover costs. Stephanie said if they stay on track, they should be able to open the doors in early November. Looking ahead, Clowe plans to expand into creating functional ceramics of her own to sell, including dinnerware and handmade tiles for kitchens and backsplashes.
“Handmade tiles for backsplashes are a big deal right now,” said Clowe. “I could make them at a fraction of the cost of big stores, and they’d be unique.”
Aspermont has seen its share of businesses come and go, but what Clowe is building feels like something older that is becoming new again. She is hoping to instill the same love for creating that she found working alongside Edith Hannis all those years ago.
“I think it’s time this town had something creative again, and six-yearold kids could do it. It’s not hard,” said Clowe. “It’s a creative outlet for people who think they aren’t artists. You don’t have to paint pictures to be creative. This lets people make something with their hands. There’s something about looking at the finished product and thinking, ‘I made that.’” And when the first kiln fires up on South Washington Street, the soft orange glow inside will mark more than the start of a new business. It will mark the return of a craft, a memory, and a spark of imagination coming back to life.