The Painted Turtle Pottery Studio

04/29/2026

A difficult decision was made earlier this month that needs to be shared publicly. Our new location will be at 1231 North Mission in Mt. Pleasant, it's about 4 minutes away from our old location. For those who have lived in town long enough, it's in the same plaza where the SOS office used to be. I was told there was also a tattoo shop there in the 90s!

Renovations have started and a lot of progress has been made already. It is not ready yet, but we are working as much as we can to get the studio open as quickly as possible. There will still be a party room, the wall just hasn't been taken down yet! I will put a timeframe together as to when we think the studio will be open once more renovations take place.

Change is hard, and it hasn't been easy to accept that the studio will not be the same as before. There is something exciting about a fresh start though. I love the downtown atmosphere and will miss that and the routine so so much, but the studio comes first over my feelings.

Thanks for reading and sticking around for updates.

01/02/2026

Update 3:
There are a few things left that need to be done before the restoration and remodeling can begin. Because of that, there is no clean cut time frame of when the studio will open (when I have that, I will share). The studio was at a standstill, but I was given the wonderful news yesterday that things are moving forward again! The reopening process may be moving at a turtle's pace, but progress is progress nonetheless and I can't be upset over that.
Here's to 2026. I hope this year is full of growth and happiness for not only the studio, but for all of you too.

10/08/2025

Update 2:

Everything has been put into storage. I haven't gotten any major updates about the studio besides the discovery of asbestos under the floor (it'll be removed next week). At this time, the studio will remain temporarily closed until further notice while the restoration team works hard to get us back up and running.

FINISHED items can now be picked up at Art Reach of Mid Michigan Monday through Friday between 10am - 5pm, or on Saturday between 10am - 4pm. The items pictured below have the wrong numbers on them or no name at all. If anyone knows Alexis Freeze (Star Wars bowl) or Christina Kelsey (Butterfly box), please let them know their items are available. The cow bowl is missing its receipt.

For those of you who have items ready to be fired, there is unfortunately going to be a delay. I will be reaching out to you directly.

Thank you for the continued support. I know the studio will come back better and stronger, but having to be away from it for so long feels like losing a best friend.

09/21/2025

Update 1:

Hi all. I have been putting off making this post as I knew it would be difficult. I was able to get into the studio earlier this week to check out the damage. The floors, walls, and ceiling (and possibly the ducting) need to be replaced. There is a lot of cleaning that will need to be done. Overall, it could have been worse.

I appreciate all of those who have been reaching out. I apologize for the delay in getting back to everyone. A day or so after the fire, it suddenly hit me while I was at home and it has been difficult to address, accept, and move forward with everyday life. Those who know me know I am very private and I make an effort to always be professional when it comes to the studio; making this post and sharing how I feel is not easy but I feel that being transparent is the best thing I can do right now. I think everyone affected and the customers/community are sad about what happened, and it's okay to talk about it.

To answer some questions that I have been receiving:

Q: When will you be back open?
A: I don't know. As soon as I am given a timeframe, I will be making more update posts. I will be changing our hours on Google to 'temporarily closed' as well as changing our voicemail to get rid of any confusion.

Q: When can I pick my piece up?
A: I don't know, and I apologize for that. I have been throwing around the idea of taking the pieces (after they have been appropriately cleaned) to a public space or even outside the studio for customers to pick them up. I'd like to hear your thoughts on that.

Q: Are my pieces OK?
A: Yes. Not a single piece was broken. I reached out to both suppliers and was given detailed instructions on what to look for, how to clean them, etc. The amazing restoration team that has been working with us also gave us insight and helpful information.

Q: Where are the turtles/are they OK?
A: The turtles are safe, they are currently at the previous owners home. Their tank may or may not be safe to use, I have to do more research on that. The plan is to get them back to the studio as soon as it is safe to do so and as soon as their tank gets either replaced or cleaned with whatever is needed to get any possible chemicals out.

Q: I have an event planned at the studio. Can we still come in?
A: As of now, all events booked for September and October unfortunately will have to be postponed or canceled. I am unsure about November and December at this moment. If you have an event booked for this month or next month and have not heard anything from me, I promise I did not forget. It is on my to do list.

Q: What can I do to help?
A: To be completely honest, the restoration team will be doing a lot of the work that needs to be done. The cleaning that is my responsibility will be a group effort of family and friends. There is a fundraiser for all 3 businesses going around, I will link it below. There is an event planned on Halloween at For Arts Sake, I'll share that when the flyer is posted.

DISCLAIMER: These funds will go directly to Pleasant City Cof… Middle Michigan Development Corporation needs your support for Support for Downtown Mt. Pleasant Businesses from Fire

09/16/2025

The studio and turtles are okay.
I have been told there was only smoke and no fire on my side of the building. I don't know what started it.

Thank you to everyone who reached out - family, friends, customers. I will be going in tomorrow to check it out since I'm not in Mt. Pleasant right now. The studio may have to close for a few days, I don't know; my head is all over the place. Thank you to whoever called in the fire, and thank you to the fire fighters. This is literally my worst fear every time I leave the studio for the day.

Please keep Stitches Oddities in your thoughts. They have been working their asses off to get it up and running and it's truly devastating.

09/13/2025

Some fun for your weekend feed 🌟

09/03/2025

Hi friends. We hate making posts like this, but to whoever took the penguin that belonged to this family, please return it. It has RR 2 on the bottom. Thanks.

09/03/2025

Reminder that we are no longer open on Tuesdays starting now! Also, we will be closed this upcoming Saturday to attend a concert!

Starting in September!!

09/03/2025

Happy September! Here are some of the items we put out on our shelves last week 🎃

08/21/2025

Starting in September!!