we recommend using the clay as quickly as you can. there is no set amount of time after which your clay becomes automatically unusable — clay has no "expiration date." but a good rule of thumb is to use it within a month or so. what's more important is that you don't let your clay dry out. if you don’t get around to using it right away you can rehydrate the clay by just spraying some water inside the bag and leaving it overnight to soak up the water. if your clay does dry or become super hard before you get a chance to use it, email megan@sunparlorstudio and we will help you out.

please allow up to eight weeks from the time you drop off your work for it to be bisque fired, clear glazed, fired again, and returned to you.

you can bring your work to us at any stage of dryness, but we will not fire it until it is fully dry. we usually wait 1-2 weeks before firing to ensure your work is completely dry and prevent explosions in the kiln.

a good rule of thumb is:

1 lb: a mug and a spoon rest

2 lb: a cereal bowl and an espresso cup

3 lb: two mugs and two ring dishes

still not sure how much clay to purchase? email megan@sunparlorstudio.com

anyone can use a take-home clay kit! if you are starting with no knowledge of ceramics and no creative experience at all, we have a clay kit starter guide that comes with every clay kit and will provide you with all the basic information you need to get started. that said, nothing can replace the value of taking a class. we highly recommend taking a class or at the very least watching some youtube videos for help!

signing your work is always a good idea, but in order to trace your work back to you, we must receive a fully completed firing slip, which will be provided with your clay kit. you can also fill out a firing slip at https://www.sunparlorstudio.com/firing-slip

yes, we will clear glaze your work for you, which will make it glossy and food safe*!

*generally speaking. food safety in ceramics is a whole can of worms... if you make something with a super rough surface that is impossible to clean, it won't be food safe even though our clay and glazes are food safe. this is because super rough surfaces can harbor bacteria.

go to https://www.sunparlorstudio.com/pickup-dropoff to schedule dropoff.

tools include: pottery sponge for smoothing and hydrating clay, flexible metal rib and wooden rib for smoothing, needle tool for carving, scoring, and cutting, wooden tool for sculpting and smoothing, two loop tools for carving, wire tool for cutting clay, and two paint brushes.

no, take-home clay kits are available for local pickup only. pickup is in cleveland's old brooklyn neighborhood.

we fire all work to cone 6 in an oxidation atmosphere. (cone 6, not cone 06. cone 6 is mid-fire, cone 06 is low-fire.)