Introducing Touch of Ross Pottery

[photos by Kim Ross]

Another Tuesday has rolled around which means it's time for another member profile! This week we're delighted to meet Kim of Touch of Ross Pottery.


Living the Etsy Life:

How did you find Etsy?
I found it through the internet one day while googling craft sites.

How long have you been selling on Etsy?
Since November 16, 2008

How long have you been making the items you sell on Etsy?
Approximately two years.

What types of items do you sell in your shop?
We sell Functional and Nonfunctional handbuilt and wheelthrown pottery using our own homemade glazes and incorporating glass into many pieces.

My boys carve several items out including faces.

Is there a story behind your shop name?
Touch Of Ross Pottery is a name my sons and I came up with since we love using our hands to create our pottery. We feel each piece is unique and we have put a "Touch of Love" into every one we create and want the buyer to know that and feel that in the pieces they buy.

Are there other places outside of Etsy where you sell your work?
Yes, we have our pieces in Waynesville at DejaView, Bryson City at Sleepy Hollow Farms, Balsam Mountain Inn, and in two galleries in Virginia.


Creative Endeavors:

What are your favorite materials to use in your crafts?
We love using recycled clay, glazes which we make that are nontoxic, and glass.

Where do you find your inspiration?
I have always wanted to do pottery since I was 9 years old. I was born and in raised in a place called Snowflake, Va, maybe 40 to 50 people in our little town. When I was 9 I scooped up some dark clay mud from our driveway and made two small cup looking pieces with my hands. My Mom then baked those in our oven and I painted it with regular paint. I still have those two pieces sitting in my living room to this day and I cannot believe that after all these years they're still together!

I moved to Waynesville, NC 18 years ago and then met my wonderful husband. After I both of my boys, who are now ages 13 and 14, I started homeschooling. Approximately two years ago I went to a studio to learn pottery and my boys also went. We are now a team making pottery and have been very blessed with the success we have had and working together as a unit.

Do you work another job in addition to Etsy?
I am a part-time medical transcriptionist and I work out of my home doing that.

Aside from your creations on Etsy, what other creative endeavors are you involved in?
I am a homeschool mom and I think this is a pretty creative endeavor of its own and I also make Wilton cakes.

Of Local Interest:

What's the best thing about living in the Asheville area?
I live in Waynesville and am only maybe 30 minutes away from Asheville. Where I live we have a 180-acre farm with cattle, chickens, etc., and I get some of my inspirations from just looking around at the beauty and landscape.

What’s your impression of the local arts & crafts scene here?
I think it's amazing and I want to eventually go into Asheville with my pottery and get into some galleries. I have focused mainly on the Waynesville/Dillsboro/Sylva areas here. I do want to branch out more and become familiar with the galleries and people out that way!

If someone is visiting the area, what is the one thing that they
must see or do before they leave?
They need to walk Main Street here in Waynesville and see the diverse type of crafts that are offered in the stores. In Asheville of course, they need to see all the galleries there too.

What's your vote for best place to eat in Asheville?
The Olive Garden!


Random & Fun:

What's your favorite movie?
"Tombstone," and "The King And I."

What quote do you find yourself saying most often?
"Boys it is school time!"

Who are your heroes and heroines?
Jesus is my hero and my mother. Jesus to me is a hero who went through so much the short time he was on this earth and he has given me hope! My mother has been an awesome mom who raised us to strive to go after whatever it was we wanted to be and
not say "I cannot do it." She told me I could do whatever I wanted and not to limit myself. She is a very crafty person herself and taught herself how to quilt, paint, make sock monkeys, etc.