Frequently Asked Questions.
How do you make the work?
Sara designs all of the illustrated products herself. She draw the designs in Procreate and/or Photoshop and then we have them printed on various products through a few production partners, including: Printful, Sticker Ninja, and Mpix. Each of these companies employs real humans with high quality control standards. Before making a product available to consumers, we test each product type personally to ensure both item and print quality.
Sara designs and physically makes all of the ceramic artwork by herself in our studio. She hand-builds pieces with clay, usually using a cone 6 porcelain or stoneware, then bisque-fires them to 1828°F in our electric kiln. When the pieces have been bisqued, she illustrates onto their surfaces with underglazes and glazes, then fires them a second time to 2232°F. After the glaze-firing, she applies lusters or china paints to some pieces, then fires those pieces a third and final time to 1319°F. She carefully inspects each piece throughout this process. Once a piece no longer needs to be fired, she will sand or Dremel any rough areas, fill and fix any surface cracks, and apply paint, enamel, and varnish where needed. Sara's ceramic work is time-consuming and can take weeks to months to complete, depending on scale and complexity.
Do you teach ceramic workshops?
Yes! If you’re interested in having Sara teach an in-person or online clay workshop or artist talk at your center or school, please email us. She would be happy to discuss what you need. Subjects she has taught include: sculpting with porcelain, painting with underglaze, china painting, and clay illustration techniques.
Do you sell your ceramic work?
Yes! Much of Sara's ceramic work can be purchased through us directly, and some can be purchased through the art galleries she exhibits with. You can find a list of current and upcoming exhibitions on the “About” page. If you’re interested in a piece from her portfolio, check if the description says “Available.” You can email us with any questions about the piece or for info about purchasing. Follow Sara on Instagram for the latest info about drops and restocks.
Do you take commissions or custom orders?
Yes, we do accept commissions and custom orders for illustrations. However, Sara's timeline for completion varies. She has a chronic illness that impacts her physical ability, so she makes work when I can. If you’re comfortable with an open timeline, please email us and let us know what you’re thinking – we'd be happy to work with you. Note that although she do not make copies of work that has already sold, she is happy to make a custom piece in a similar vein. *Ceramic commissions are currently on hold while Sara's clay studio is in flux.*
How do your wall pieces hang?
All porcelain pieces intended to hang on a wall have 1 or more notches carved into their back foot ring. You can use a nail, screw, or hook to hang them. Since the notches are made of ceramic, care should be used when putting them on and taking them off of the hook. Try not to tweak or pivot the piece because it may chip. Some stoneware wall pieces have a small wire loop embedded into their backs. It is made of nichrome wire and has been fired into the piece, so its very durable, but not flexible. Those pieces work best hanging on small nails.
Are your pieces food, dishwasher, and microwave safe?
Most of Sara's work is not intended for functional use. Unless otherwise noted in the description, her art is intended for display only - not to serve food, go in the dishwasher, or go in the microwave. The few functional items she does make—including "bud vases" and small dishes—are safe to use, smoke from, or eat from. If a piece has luster or china paint on it, it should never be placed in the microwave and should only be hand-washed.
How do I care for my ceramic piece?
Ceramic art is fragile and should always be handled with care. When dusting decorative work, make sure to use a lint-free cloth. Lint can stick to unglazed clay surfaces and be annoying to get off.
To clean your ceramic "bud vase": Submerge the piece in isopropyl alcohol (75%+) in a plastic resealable bag. Add a few tablespoons of coarse salt such as flaky sea salt. Shake the bag and make sure the mixture gets into the piece. Let it sit for five or so minutes. Shake the bag vigorously. The solution should turn brown as it cleans out the gunk. Take the piece out of the bag and rinse thoroughly with warm water. Let it dry.
Tips for purchasing work from drops and restocks on our website:
Create a customer account and make sure to fill out your billing and shipping info ahead of time. It’s important to make sure your info is correct! We will ship your purchase to the address you give us, so if you give us the wrong address, there’s not much we can do to fix the situation after the fact.
A few minutes before the drop, sign in to your account so you’re ready - this will save you time while checking out. Make sure your internet connection is reliable. We appreciate your interest in Sara's work. If you miss out, please know there will be more sales in the future!
Sara designs all of the illustrated products herself. She draw the designs in Procreate and/or Photoshop and then we have them printed on various products through a few production partners, including: Printful, Sticker Ninja, and Mpix. Each of these companies employs real humans with high quality control standards. Before making a product available to consumers, we test each product type personally to ensure both item and print quality.
Sara designs and physically makes all of the ceramic artwork by herself in our studio. She hand-builds pieces with clay, usually using a cone 6 porcelain or stoneware, then bisque-fires them to 1828°F in our electric kiln. When the pieces have been bisqued, she illustrates onto their surfaces with underglazes and glazes, then fires them a second time to 2232°F. After the glaze-firing, she applies lusters or china paints to some pieces, then fires those pieces a third and final time to 1319°F. She carefully inspects each piece throughout this process. Once a piece no longer needs to be fired, she will sand or Dremel any rough areas, fill and fix any surface cracks, and apply paint, enamel, and varnish where needed. Sara's ceramic work is time-consuming and can take weeks to months to complete, depending on scale and complexity.
Do you teach ceramic workshops?
Yes! If you’re interested in having Sara teach an in-person or online clay workshop or artist talk at your center or school, please email us. She would be happy to discuss what you need. Subjects she has taught include: sculpting with porcelain, painting with underglaze, china painting, and clay illustration techniques.
Do you sell your ceramic work?
Yes! Much of Sara's ceramic work can be purchased through us directly, and some can be purchased through the art galleries she exhibits with. You can find a list of current and upcoming exhibitions on the “About” page. If you’re interested in a piece from her portfolio, check if the description says “Available.” You can email us with any questions about the piece or for info about purchasing. Follow Sara on Instagram for the latest info about drops and restocks.
Do you take commissions or custom orders?
Yes, we do accept commissions and custom orders for illustrations. However, Sara's timeline for completion varies. She has a chronic illness that impacts her physical ability, so she makes work when I can. If you’re comfortable with an open timeline, please email us and let us know what you’re thinking – we'd be happy to work with you. Note that although she do not make copies of work that has already sold, she is happy to make a custom piece in a similar vein. *Ceramic commissions are currently on hold while Sara's clay studio is in flux.*
How do your wall pieces hang?
All porcelain pieces intended to hang on a wall have 1 or more notches carved into their back foot ring. You can use a nail, screw, or hook to hang them. Since the notches are made of ceramic, care should be used when putting them on and taking them off of the hook. Try not to tweak or pivot the piece because it may chip. Some stoneware wall pieces have a small wire loop embedded into their backs. It is made of nichrome wire and has been fired into the piece, so its very durable, but not flexible. Those pieces work best hanging on small nails.
Are your pieces food, dishwasher, and microwave safe?
Most of Sara's work is not intended for functional use. Unless otherwise noted in the description, her art is intended for display only - not to serve food, go in the dishwasher, or go in the microwave. The few functional items she does make—including "bud vases" and small dishes—are safe to use, smoke from, or eat from. If a piece has luster or china paint on it, it should never be placed in the microwave and should only be hand-washed.
How do I care for my ceramic piece?
Ceramic art is fragile and should always be handled with care. When dusting decorative work, make sure to use a lint-free cloth. Lint can stick to unglazed clay surfaces and be annoying to get off.
To clean your ceramic "bud vase": Submerge the piece in isopropyl alcohol (75%+) in a plastic resealable bag. Add a few tablespoons of coarse salt such as flaky sea salt. Shake the bag and make sure the mixture gets into the piece. Let it sit for five or so minutes. Shake the bag vigorously. The solution should turn brown as it cleans out the gunk. Take the piece out of the bag and rinse thoroughly with warm water. Let it dry.
Tips for purchasing work from drops and restocks on our website:
Create a customer account and make sure to fill out your billing and shipping info ahead of time. It’s important to make sure your info is correct! We will ship your purchase to the address you give us, so if you give us the wrong address, there’s not much we can do to fix the situation after the fact.
A few minutes before the drop, sign in to your account so you’re ready - this will save you time while checking out. Make sure your internet connection is reliable. We appreciate your interest in Sara's work. If you miss out, please know there will be more sales in the future!
