Frequently Asked Questions
Studio Process
What kind of clay do you use?
I use a variety of clays. Some of the clays you may have seen in my posts and for sales are : Bmix, a white clay with a smooth finish. Speckled Buff, its a tan clay with black speckles, the feeling is more textured. I am always testing new clays so you may see sporadically different clays that create unique items. All the clay I use at this time is cone 5-6.
How long does it take to finish your work?
I work in one month cycles, and my restocks are every 1st of the month. For finish a cycle (includes making drying and firing) it takes about 3-4 weeks
Do you recycle?
Unused and discarded clay is always recycled and repurposed for items or for my pottery experiments. I also use 100% recyclable packing materials, and repurpose packing materials when possible.
Do you make all the items yourself?
All the items I sell are handmade in every aspect by me.
Do you have your own kiln?
I do have my own kiln.
Why do certain items don’t come back in stock while others do?
While I try to always make sure my inventory keep everyone satisfied, many trends go through cycles. I try to always make sure that my popular items are available. Sometimes I like to change and do new things. So you can expect that at every restock I will have new items, old items or a mix of the two! If you would like me to make an item you loved from a past restock I would be more than happy to help you with a custom order.
What are the “seconds”
Seconds are items that are fully functional and safe for the intended use but may present minor esthetic flaws. If an item presents this flaw it will be clearly stated in the description and the price will be discounted.
Durability And Usage
Does your pottery scratch easily ?(a surface where you set it on)
My pottery does not scratch more than any other object of household use. Some mugs that are made with textured clay may cause minor scratches on surfaces. Although I’m fairly confident that you will be taking the proper precautions in case your furniture is extremely delicate to scratches.
Does your pottery break easily?
I use my own pottery daily and I have yet to break one of my mugs. I believe that any mug will break if you drop it on the floor. Normal use won’t pose a risk of breaking.
Availability
Why you don’t have my item in stock? And why will it take 4-5 weeks for it to be done?
Most of my items are one of a kind but popular items will come back at every restock. If you wanna make sure you have that specific color combination for yourself you can place a preorder in the preorder section of my shop. (Opening soon). If no items are shown, that means my “books” are full and I’m unable to make preorders. No additional cost is applied to preorder an item I made before.
Glaze colors
What is meant by “variation of our glaze colors / patterns of glazes” ?
When I replicate a color combination or “the same” item, I can’t control what the glaze will do in the kiln. Especially for my drip mugs there is no way that two of the “same” will have the same dripping placement or look. Even more from a batch to another but also in the same kiln load.
Can you change the finish type of your glaze from matte to gloss ? Or gloss to matte?
Short answer : no.
Long answer: The finish (gloss/matte) is a characteristic of the glaze itself. It’s not a topcoat. The chemicals and minerals that compose a glaze create the overall look. Trying to alterate a glaze will not only impact the color but also the stability of a glaze and not guarantee the safety of it.
Shipping And Ordering
Is it better to order a lot at once or in smaller batches?
If you want a set of mugs for example I highly recommend to order all at once. Every kiln load atmosphere and glaze application is slightly different so the same mug may have more of a certain hue in one kiln load and more of a different hue in the next kiln load.
Why don’t you offer free shipping ?
Shipping can be almost half of the price of a certain items. I don’t have any discount or special rates offered when I ship your item. I try to keep the price of my item as affordable as I can and if I offered “free shipping” I would have to include the cost in the price and you would just end up with an inflated item price. I want to keep the cost of my items as transparent as possible out of respect for my clients from in person markets.
Usually the cost of shipping you pay at checkout is an estimate made by USPS and I always ship your item with the best or fastest option that is offered by my shipping label provider. More often than not the cost of shipping and packaging materials exceeds the cost of shipping you pay at checkout. I gladly contribute in that cost to ensure the best service and a high packaging quality to make sure you receive your item fast and intact.
Food Safety
Is your pottery food safe?
I almost exclusively use “store” bought glazes. This will insure a high standard of safety. When i make my own glazes i always ensure that they are 100% LEAD FREE and free of toxic compound that are known to not be safe for items in contact with food.
For more info on this topic you can read my article about taking care of your handmade pottery item.