This is Allie. She's a uniquely handbuilt stoneware monsterpot with a lid for a head, and one eye considerably more skeptical of you than the other. Don't let the look fool you — it's the face of someone bracing for a joke, not someone who's about to refuse one.

This sturdy, tri-footed pot wears teal blue over translucent leaf green, the glaze pooling differently across her brow than it does down her sides . Lift the lid at her mouth and her lower teeth stay put, ringing the base of her jaw . Her matte yellow and white buttons give your hand a sure grip when lifting that lid. Interior glazed clear, food-grade safe, ready for whatever you trust her with.

Good for pet treats, spare coins, keepsakes, secrets — and yes, butter, since her lid seats snugly enough to keep it fresh. She also makes a tender keepsake vessel for the ashes of a beloved furry family member, the kind who probably also gave everyone that same "I'm not amused, but go on" look right before they were amused.

Allie might look like a grumblebug at first glance but she's got a real weakness for an outrageous story, the more improbable the better.

Standard 101 Buff Stoneware, fired to Cone 6. All glazes home-mixed and tested in Kest Pottery Studio.

#406

Hand wash please, and mind the teeth.