Exciting News from Madeline's !!!!!

Madeline's is excited to announce plans for a new interactive website with online shopping availability. We are in the beginning stages and look forward to visiting with our wonderful customers. In the process of doing this, we are going to say goodbye to our blog so we may focus more attention to our website. We have a lot of exciting new Spring and Summer items arriving daily. Hope to see you all soon!

Best wishes,
The Girls at Madeline's

Short Bio on Susy O'Donnell Pottery

Brown County Historic Redware is made by Susy O'Donnell in her Nashville Indiana studio exclusively for Madeline's. Her redware is an interpretation of the Brown County Pottery and Brown County Hills Pottery that was produced in an earlier part of Nashville's history. Each piece is made with red earthenware, either thrown or molded. Then, after applying a white slip over the piece, an intricate method of carving is used called sgrafitto, which cuts through the slip and outlines the image. The images are then hand painted with watercolors.


The motifs are common to the Brown County area and consist of flowers, acorns, persimmons, birds, etc. On the second firing, the glaze on the pots crackles as it cools and an aging technique finishes completes the process. The lead-free pieces are created for decorative use to inspire and are embellished with a touch of Brown County.

Susy is basically self-taught, gathering information and tutelage along the way from various masters and observing historical collections in the Pennsylvania Museum of Art. Beginning in 1988, she acquired a wheel and kilns and attended classes in Bloomington, Indiana at Mullet Pottery. A member of the Bloomington Potters Coop in the early 90's, she audited ceramic classes at Indiana University with Tim Mathers, head of the Ceramics Department. In the late 90's she took classes with master Mojolica potter Susan Snyder, learning pertinent techniques relating to Brown County decoration. Many enriching visits with renowned potter, Greg Shooner gave her insight, as well as books and materials related to the field of Americana Craftsmanship shows since 1994. Her interest in historic ceramic forms and her exposure to the early American pottery provided a natural evolution, as Brown County pottery involves the same clay and techniques as well as similar aesthetics.

The 3/50 Project

As everyone knows, the economy has had an effect on many things including small businesses. There is a great project going on called the 3/50 Project. In short, the project is designed to encourage consumers to support small businesses one shop at a time. And to let you know that you make all the difference!

To see more about the project, click on here and it will explain the awesome concept of how one person makes all the difference.

And so we here at Madeline's want to take this opportunity to say THANK YOU !!!!! We absolutely love our customers. You are the best and we know it. We literally couldn't do it without you.

And as always, have a wonderful day!!!!!

Fun was had by all!

They may look harmless but let me tell you- these gals from Gifford IL can do some serious shopping! The T-shirts say it all "Bad Girls of Brown County". They were having a girls weekend and tons of fun and we were fortunate enough to get to meet them! They are as follows: Marcia Mennenga, Donna LouAnn Mennenga and Maggie Johnson. Hope you had a great weekend girls and we look forward to seeing you again!

Fly away little birdies!

We were lucky enough to have some visitors this Spring of the feathered type. Yesterday, they literally left their nest. We will miss them and wish them the best as they begin their journey!

Byer's Choice Ltd. Collectibles have arrived !!!!!

If you haven't seen these beautiful pieces before, be sure to stop by our shop.

To view them online go to: http://www.byerschoice.com/

More pictures to come soon! And as always, have a wonderful day!

We are so happy to announce that SPRING HAS ARRIVED and with that has come some beautiful sunny days. New merchandise is arriving almost daily. So here are some wonderful photos of our lovely new items. And remember, if you cannot make it to the shop and see something you must have, WE SHIP!!!!

As always have a wonderful day!

Enjoy!!!!