Wheel Big Deal! Houston Ceramicist Gets Nod from Etsy, JoJo Fletcher

An exclusive collection touts Box Sparrow Studio’s handmade pieces — and they’re selling fast.

Wheel Big Deal! Houston Ceramicist Gets Nod from Etsy, JoJo Fletcher

In 2012, Abbie Preston Edmonson, a newly minted art-school graduate, moved from her home state of Georgia to Houston to partner with the local chapter of The Art Project, a nonprofit that channels the power and process of art for healing and empowerment among the homeless. Her stint in Houston was supposed to last one year — but, inspired by how the city embraces creatives, Edmonson stayed, renting a space in the Hardy & Nance studios and working retail to make ends meet.


il_1588xN.2508799909_7byq

Fast forward to 2020, and her Box Sparrow Studio is quite evidently a full-time endeavor — one that was recently called out by Etsy and JoJo Fletcher. Fletcher teamed up with the art-forward, small-biz-promoting e-commerce site to curate a summer collection of special handmade décor, and Box Sparrow Studio's ceramics are among the top-selling items.

il_794xN.2509658425_66gc

Edmonson's collection of hand-thrown tea cups, serving dishes, vases and vessels — simultaneously minimalist-chic and impossibly detail-oriented — caught Fletcher's attention, and for good reason. Brush strokes of warm grays and golds sweep across smooth, pristinely formed pottery; a mid-century aesthetic is recurring, but a modern splatter of blue is not uncommon. For the Etsy x JoJo Fletcher line, Edmonson created a slender serving pitcher in satin-matte white with 22-karat-gold detailing, and a selection of pink-tinged tumblers (10-ounce and 12-ounce) with a similar look.

Edmonson also takes commissions for full custom dinnerware sets. She believes that, through her art form, she and her customers will be rewarded by an ability to resist society's demand for instant gratification.

AT TOP: JoJo Fletcher with Box Sparrow Studio ceramics

People + Places
Leadership in Action: Entrepreneur Saba Syed of Moroccan Bath Determined to Build ‘Lasting Legacy’

Saba Syed, Founder of Oasis Moroccan Bath

How did you get to where you are today? My journey began with a need to be financially independent and an even a deeper drive to create a lasting legacy. The centuries-old Hammam tradition has always fascinated me—not just for its relaxation benefits, but for its holistic approach to cleansing the body, mind, and soul. So, combining my passion with a vision to bring an authentic yet luxurious Hammam spa experience to Houston, I took the leap less than two years ago to open my own spa.

Keep Reading Show less

Christine Johnson and Jody Merritt

A LOVELY AND truly heart-felt tradition continued, when Saks Fifth Avenue and its 5115 restaurant hosted the 14th annual Houston Sweethearts tea.

Keep Reading Show less
Party People

ON JAN. 3, 2025, I observed a big personal anniversary. As of that day, it’d been 20 years since I first moved to Houston — from the Big Apple media circus, by way of my home state of Louisiana — and began working as an editor in the lifestyle-magazine biz here. It’s been two full decades, which is hard to believe! I like to joke that I’m far too young and good-looking to have done anything for two decades. But here we are.

Keep Reading Show less