F.a.q. / Policy

How are your pieces made?

Each piece is carefully crafted by hand. The main vessel form is first thrown on the wheel. Once it’s partially dried and sturdy enough, I trim the base to create a foot ring, stamp the work with my signature, and then decorate. I attach handles and detailed additions to each piece, one by one. Everything you see is one of a kind and meticulously sculpted. My “sets” of work will all have minor differences, due to the nature of the material, and the fact that they are handmade. Once the piece is completed and dried, I bisque fire (or first fire) the piece to change the chemical nature of the clay and turn it to porous stone. I then hand paint and dip the pieces in glaze, and fire them to vitrification, at Cone 10 (or about 2345° F). This completes the process, to give you the final pieces you see here. I have worked in Oxidation firing, Reduction firing, and Soda firing. My current work available in my shop is Oxidation fired to Cone 10.

Do you take custom orders?

Yes, I take a limited amount of custom orders per month. I have created a Custom Order Form on both of my Shop pages (https://www.katelynsugalski.com/shop/custom-order-form). Please read the form carefully and fill it out completely. You will be asked to pay a deposit fee of $30 at check out. This deposit is non-refundable. Details are explained in the shop listing. When checking out, please choose the CUSTOM ORDER ONLY shipping option, otherwise your request will not go through my system. You’ll receive an email confirmation, if your order went through successfully. After the batch has been completed, you will receive an invoice for the remaining payment of the piece(s), plus the shipping cost if applicable. Once the final invoice has been paid by you, only then will the item(s) will be mailed out to you or available for market pick up. Checking out with the “custom order only” checkout option will allow local and international orders to input their addresses (in limited countries, at the moment - Austria, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Mexico, Turkey, the United States, and the United Kingdom). My standard USPS shipping option (US only), will not work for custom orders. Please do not mix these up when checking out. With any additional questions, please contact me through my email (katelynsugalskiart@gmail.com), or my Instagram direct message (@sugalski.ceramics), to discuss details and availability. I will only make custom pieces based around my personal style of pottery. I work directly with customers to determine the details. Please expect custom work to range in a higher price point, compared to my standard work. Custom pieces require more time and effort to complete, as well as planning to fit within scheduled kiln batches, so take note that these orders may fall outside of my usual stock updates, and the timeline to completion will vary. If you don’t receive an immediate email update, it means I’m still working. Be patient. Thank you!

What about pre-orders?

A “pre-ordered” piece simply means that you’re requesting and partially paying for a specific item ahead of my usual shop updates. I offer mug pre-orders at the moment, and there is a monthly listing for this on my regular Shop page. Requesting and paying for a pre-order spot guarantees you your mug, instead of possibly missing the opportunity when purchasing from my normal shop updates, with the rest of the crowd. Pre-orders are similar to custom orders. Please read all the information on my pre-order listing, if you are interested (https://www.katelynsugalski.com/shop/mug-pre-orders).

Do you take wholesale orders? And custom WEDDING orders?

Yes. I will consult on a one-on-one basis with customers located in the USA for wholesale orders. Wholesale prices change based on the products desired. Some pieces are more complex and take an extra level of time and effort to complete. Note that wholesale orders fall outside of my usual stock updates, and the timeline to completion will vary. Please give me a minimum of a month in advance for regular wholesale orders, and a minimum of two months or more in advance for a custom wedding order. Thank you!

Why do I have to pay $30 for a pre-order or custom?

First off, please note that the pre-order and custom $30 deposit is non-refundable. When a customer requests a pre-ordered or custom item from an artist, the artist is completing a custom request for that item, making a piece separate from their usual pieces in the batch that they're working on. By requesting this, you are paying for your spot, and in turn, taking a spot away from another person who could have wanted that spot. You are also requesting my time an energy to make that specific piece or pieces for you. So if you change your mind about your order in the middle of the process, and cancel the order, I am under no obligation to refund you the deposit.

Your shop is empty, or items are missing, how do I purchase your work?

You will be able to find the next release date on the top of my Instagram page (www.instagram.com/sugalski.ceramics). Restock announcements are always announced on Instagram. At the moment, most of my stock updates are brought to local markets, rather than offered online.

Can you hold a piece for me?

In order to keep everything fair for everyone, my shop is made available on a first-come first-serve basis. I do not offer holds or reserves. If you are concerned about getting a specific piece, be very prompt when shop updates drop! Check my social media, and subscribe to my email list. I have also recently implemented a pre-order list for popular items that sell out quickly. Check on my SHOP page for the pre-order listing, and sign up for a spot, to pay partial in advance and reserve a popular item. You will be added to my limited pre-order list and guaranteed that item in my next shop update. This works similarly to my custom order form. Pre-order options and space depend on the space available in that months kiln batch. If you have any questions, email me at katelynsugalskiart@gmail.com.

I really love this glaze, can I have the recipe?

While I truly appreciate your adoration of my textures and glazes, there are certain things I must keep personal. Please understand that as an artist, I’ve worked in my field for many years, learning and building the products you see today. What you are asking for is not simply a glaze recipe or technique. It’s a continuing process, years in the making, and unique to my skill and research. I will always be willing to help a studying artist figure out their own path, however please respect my recipe privacy.

Do you ship internationally?

At this time, I only ship my regular stock to locations in the United States. However, I am making moves to start shipping to Canada more regularly, as a first step to shipping large quantities of products internationally. If you have any questions, please contact me. If you are an international customer looking to purchase a piece, the custom order form on my shop page is a good place to start. The custom order form allows for mailing to these countries at the moment — Austria, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Mexico, Turkey, and the United Kingdom.

Where are you located?

I am local to eastern Massachusetts, in the Unites States, EST time zone.

Are your pieces dishwasher and microwave safe?

While I personally treat my pieces with an extra level of handling and care, they are made with Food Safe Cone 10 clay and glazes, and are safe for the dishwasher and microwave. I choose to hand wash all my wares to protect them and preserve their longevity. My pieces are not made with Thermal Shock clay, as most aren’t, and will not appreciate going from one drastic temperature to another. If you freeze a mug, and pour boiling water into it, it will most likely crack.

I love a piece you made awhile back. Will it be back in your shop anytime soon?

Being a small scale “production potter” I have stock that repeats often in shop. However, since my pieces are handmade, I create my work based on my own personal inspiration, and the mass favorites of my customers. I take pride in having a wide variety of work, and am constantly adding to the diversity of my stock. My small scale batches usually take me a month to complete. If you’re looking for something very specific, you’re more than welcome to send me an email, but also make sure to check my Instagram for updates on what I will be restocking with each drop.

I tried to contact you and you haven’t replied.

If the question you asked is answered in this FAQ page, then chances are I will direct you here. I receive messages often and because of this, I provide the FAQ page to easily answer any questions I get on a regular basis. If your question can not be answered on this FAQ page, please email me at katelynsugalskiart@gmail.com.

I bought multiple pieces in the same order, or separate orders made at the same time, will you combine shipping? And refund overages?

Yes. With each customer, I combine items to get the most cost effective result, using USPS Priority shipping. However sometimes because of the weight or delicacy of a specific piece, I find it best to ship items separately, or in a larger box with more padding. Rarely will I spilt up a small order between multiple boxes, and I will email you if there are any issues. Bulk and wholesale orders are usually packed safely and separately in a few boxes. Most of the time for a small order, you will receive a refund from shipping overages. I do this, because it costs significantly less to mail an item domestically, than it does to mail the same item to the other side of the country. I start my prices at the minimum it would take to mail a piece the farthest, and refund from there.

How do you ship your items?

I mainly use USPS Priority shipping, packed in ECT (edge crush test) safe boxes, using padding made from recycled materials (including biodegradable peanuts and paper or cello tape). I make sure to pack my pieces with care, as to protect them on their journey to you. Please recycle my packing materials so we can protect this planet together!!

Can you include a personal gift message with my order?
Absolutely! I’ve recently added a Gift Message prompt at checkout. Use this prompt, and fill out the form completely. Or, please let me know that what you have ordered is specifically a gift in the “notes section” during checkout, or in a detailed email, with the order number included. Finally, include the EXACT text you wish to have in the personalized message. It is more convenient to separate orders between gift orders, and regular orders. If you’re worried about something selling out, and are purchasing multiple items at the same time and need something shipped to a gift address, please send me a detailed email. I also offer fancy gift wrapping, for an extra fee, if you are mailing the package directly to a loved one.

Returns and Exchanges.

I do not offer exchanges or returns. Unless in a rare case, your item arrives broken (please see below). Every individual piece is handcrafted, and minor differences will be present in every item. I am a one woman business and production company, and I truly adore the subtle differences between my pieces. All pieces are photographed to show their best qualities. My glazes look the best in bright, shining light. Please understand that these glazes may not appear as vibrant in regular kitchen light, though they will still be beautiful.

My piece arrived broken, what do I do?

Please contact me as soon as possible, within 5 DAYS of receiving a broken piece. Email me at katelynsugalskiart@gmail.com and include multiple photos of the piece and the box, and save ALL packing material, the box, and the broken pieces. USPS requires you to bring the damaged contents to one of their locations to see in person. To successfully file a claim with USPS I will need details. I have only had a few items break in shipping after mailing hundreds (knock on wood), and I hope to continue that streak! I will do everything in my power to replace your piece in a timely manner. However if you contact me later than the 5 day time frame, I apologize, but it’s most likely out of my hands. Broken pieces DO NOT include being broken by “human error” .. only if the piece arrives broken in the packaging.

Shipping.

All United States orders ship within a few days via USPS Priority Shipping, or USPS ground advantage. International orders can take anywhere from a week, to a month, depending on location. Keep your tracking number and pay attention to the updates. If there’s an issue with a missing package or a tracking number that doesn’t seem to be updating, please contact me. Due to the overload of packages to the Postal Service since Covid-19, packages are experiencing much longer delays than usual. If you are planning to purchase a special gift, make sure to add extra time into your timeline for this delay. Or I can update your shipping to USPS express. Once the package is out of my hands, I can no longer be responsible for it and it’s trajectory.

Other questions?
Feel free to visit the CONTACT page and send me a message with any additional questions. I will respond as soon as possible.