Caring for Handmade Pottery
Food Safety: All of my work is made in either stoneware or porcelain clay bodies. It is fired once, then it is handpainted and/or glazed in food safe materials, and then fired again. If you have purchased a decorative item, such as a tile, vase, or ornament, it may have a lead free glaze that is completely safe to handle, but not to eat from. Now I'm not sure who is going to try to eat from their decorative wall hanging tile, but just in case, I make it VERY clear in the item description if it is not food safe. The piece will also be shipped with a note that VERY clearly indicates that it is not food safe. Absolutely all of my functional pottery designed to hold, store, or serve anything edible is food safe.
Microwave: All of my work is microwave safe with the exception of any piece with a gold or silver overglaze decal or metal decoration. This will be indicated in the product description and there will be a note in the packaging that clearly indicates that it is not microwave safe. If you think that the recipient of the piece will not read such a note or is on the oppositional side of life and might try it just because they won't be told what to do, then gift that person something different. In general, don't put anything metal in the microwave. Seriously people! It's not an approved flotation device either.
Dishwasher: Everything I make can be washed in the dishwasher. In general, it is advised that you hand wash your pieces for the longevity of the work. But, please know that I live in a really busy household and put absolutely everything I make into the dishwasher. Pottery lasts a long time. Some of our oldest pieces in the archaeological record are made of clay. Your Maytag is the least of your pottery's problems. More likely that your dog's tail is going to swat a mug off a coffee table or your ennui filled teen is going to have it fall off their desk in a moment of algebraic despair. Don't worry! I make more each and every day. I make functional work that is intended to be a beautiful and whimsical part of your everyday (real) life.
Customer Service
Unhappy? That's not good! Please send me an email and let me know what is going on. I am an independent artist making small batch pottery in my home studio. Unless you count my 19 chickens, seven-cats, or the gaggle of teens that pass through the house now and again looking for something to eat (even though it seems there is never anything GOOD to eat......), I'm working solo here. There is no "team". If there is something I can do to make things right, I absolutely will. Are you just a generally unhappy person? I get that. I really do. Unfortunately, I do not have the appropriate qualifications to help you with this kind of unhappiness. In this case, make a call to your therapist, your BFF, or take it out on someone at work who seems on the timid side and unlikely to fight back. Alternatively, get a dog or a bird or a new hobby or take a walk. There you go!
Returns: In general, I am not able to accept returns. Everything I make is one of a kind and I am not able to replace work. I carefully inspect absolutely every piece I sell. I package each piece carefully and ship it myself. I ship every piece with adequate insurance to provide a full refund for the item if there is genuine damage that occurs during shipping. If this happens, please take a picture of any damaged packaging and the damaged piece as I will need these pictures to obtain the insurance payment. I will process the claim as fast as I can and refund your purchase as soon as I receive the claim funds from insurance.
Flaws or Damage: If you are new to purchasing handmade pottery, it might be difficult to ascertain what is a flaw that is inherent to a handmade work of art vs. a damaged piece. Some damage is obvious, such as a handle that has cracked off a mug, an obvious chip that exposes the clay under the glaze, or a crack through the side of a piece. I try to photograph my work in natural light and do not filter or edit the images in any way that would change the color, shape, or appearance of the piece as it exists in real life. For ceramic work, there can be variations in the clay body, unpredictable glaze movement, or any number of small bumps, lumps, curves, or shifts in color, glaze, etc. If there is any flaw in the piece that impacts function, then I sell that piece as a "second" and a clear photograph of the imperfect area, describe how the imperfection may impact function or if it is just a cosmetic issue, and it is priced accordingly. Otherwise, upon my inspection prior to packaging, the piece is perfectly imperfect and any flaws should be considered a part of the value of having something made by hand and not a machine operated by children in a place you couldn't find on a map if you were on a game show and there was $1,000 on the line.
Exchanges: I'm not able to exchange work. There is simply too much risk and hassle involved in re-packaging work, returning it, and going through the process of adding it back to my inventory and shipping something different. I am just one person and my profit margin on each item I sell is just too small to manage this kind of process. Maybe this will change after I make my first million and hire a staff, but I think holding your breath on this might be really bad for your health. Have something you don't love? Re-gift it---perfect for Secret Santa exchanges! Or, another technique is to "accidentally" leave a disliked bowl or serving dish at a potluck and then never get around to picking it up. Add the cup or mug to the office kitchen and never look back! Turn that cup into a planter. Bring it with you in your purse to a bar and leave it behind in your one night stand's sink. Hang that ugly ornament on your ex's tree when you attend their holiday open house because you agreed to be friends, but you aren't actually feeling all that friendly. Get creative people! There may be just 50 ways to leave your lover, but there are infinite ways to lose a piece of pottery.
Summary
Pottery is strong.
Don't put metal in the microwave.
It's not a flaw. It's art.
Don't like it? Find a way to lose it.