FAQ

Newly formed clay is called leatherware and becomes greenware when it dries.  The greenware is then fired in a kiln, resulting in a "bisque" piece.  Bisque is what we have on our shelves for you to pick and paint. Those pieces are ready to accept glaze.  It gets fired one more time, and then it becomes yours to treasure.

 

Yes, all of our pottery is food safe, once fired ... unless we specifically state otherwise on a certain color that we offer. We do not recommend using the microwave and dishwasher. This is a handpainted item that we hope you will enjoy using ... but we want it to last, too! Microwaving can cause thermo-shock which is terrible for pottery (never a good outcome) and washing in the dishwasher ... well, think about your regular dishes clanging around ... you take the risk of breakage. We recommend hand washing your pottery piece.

 

Well, then, THIS IS THE PLACE FOR YOU! If you can hold a paintbrush and follow directions, we guarantee you can make something pretty amazing in our studio. We have a ton of samples you can copy ... nothing too hard, but a few might take a little extra time. We have the tips and tricks to help you create a masterpiece. We have silkscreens, tape, sponges, tracing paper ... just to name a few of our many supplies. We offer fun techniques like bubbles, carbon paper, lace, stamping, and much more!

 

You don't need to make an appointment to come and paint! Customers can walk-in during posted business hours and paint pottery. HOWEVER, if you are planning on having a party (big or small), and you'll be bringing snacks and/or gifts, we do ask that you reserve the party room or you can rent a table or two in the main studio. Contact Nancy about this.

 

We currently do not take reservations for tables in our main studio. But, you are welcome to rent the party room for up to 3 hours for $25. Renting the party room allows you to bring food/snacks and it gives you a little more room to spread out. The party room is perfect for ... well ... parties (of any kind!) or larger groups. Contact Nancy about this. Our main studio has a few tables that seat 6 people. The rest seat 4.

 

Checks are fine but we prefer CASH or CREDIT/DEBIT CARDS.

 

We sure do! We have nice looking pre-printed ones on sturdy cardstock - comes with an envelope. We, also, have pottery ones that you can choose from - a mesh bag goes with it! You can get gift certificates in any denomination!

 

Absolutely! We have many items that your child can paint! We, also, have scheduled story times for the littles and workshops for the older kiddos. Our glazes are non-toxic, lead-free and easy to clean up on skin and clothes. This is perfect for kiddos! To work with other mediums that we offer, please ask Nancy about age limits.

Parents, we do ask that you allow your child to paint on their own piece. Let them create their own artwork. Try not to worry about touching up here and there or making it just right. Remember, there are no mistakes in art ... more importantly, your child is exploring art and creating a masterpiece that should be treasured. We want your child to enjoy their painting experience. We have seen too many times adults taking over a project and kiddos leaving the studio not fully enjoying the painting process and feeling like the adult is the better painter ... which is not what this is all about, right? We like to say "What if Picasso's mother finished all of his paintings?" Let them express themselves through art. We know in years to come, you will appreciate their artwork and look back at fond memories of where it all started.

 

We sure do! In fact, we LOVE to do them! Stop on by and we'll help you out! Saturdays can get a little crazy for us, so you might want to schedule a time so we can be sure to give you the attention you'll need. Another good time would be during business hours on Thursdays (seasonal hours) or Friday mornings/afternoon. Please be aware, during the holiday season it can get quite busy. We want this experience to be as pleasant as possible for you and your child. Feel free to contact us so we can make a plan together.

 

The owner, Nancy, used to be just that type of person. She jokes and says "This probably wasn't the best business to jump into when it comes to perfection!". That has changed for her. Being that we mainly deal with kiln-fired arts, slight imperfections and things out of our control can occur. Each piece created in our studio is uniquely made/painted, which makes it special. On rare occasions, kiln fired pieces can crack or even shatter during the firing process. Sometimes we are surprised with something "funky" that happens in the kiln ... it gets to over 1860 degrees in there! Although this is a rare occurrence in our studio, things can happen. We will do everything we can, within reason, to fix the situation ... because we value you as our customer!

 

No worries! We'll have you dry your piece and we'll bubble wrap it and put it in a box so you can take it home. We don't want you to rush during the painting process. There is no charge to return and finish your piece.

 

The short answer: You can pick up your pottery week from the day you finished painting it.

The long answer: Once you leave, the magic then happens. Your pottery piece has to dry 24 hours to ensure all layers of glaze are completely dry. Then, we carefully hand dip your piece into a large container of "overglaze". Overglaze is what makes your piece shiny, bright and food safe once it’s fired. This is a 2-step process, allowing 24 hours of dry time between each step. Once it’s completely dry, your piece is ready to be loaded into one of our 2 hardworking kilns. The kilns heat up to about 1860 degrees and then must cool slowly on their own. During the warmer months, the total time in the kiln is over 30 hours or more and roughly 25 hours during the cooler months. We don't rush this process. We, then, Dremel off the sharp points on the bottom of your piece from the stilts that we use (this keeps your piece from sticking to our shelves). Finally, we match up your piece to your form. Remember, we fired a LOT of pottery in one week. It's a process! This is why it takes 7 days ... start to finish. During busy season, please allow up to 10 days!

 

We are sorry, but we do not fire outside pieces. We need to ensure that pottery that gets fired in our kiln is compatible with our dipping glaze and that an internal crack- that cannot be seen- doesn't show up in our kiln (exploding pieces sticking to our shelves, kiln walls and heaven forbid, other people's pottery). We have learned this the hard way, unfortunately.