✦ Where are you based?
My Studio is currently in Lisbon, Portugal. A member of the EU, so if you are also in the EU, you don't have to worry about Customs.
✦Which shipping company do you use?
I ship all orders with the Portuguese national shipping company (CTT), and the type of shipping is "Registered Shipping".
✦ How long does it takes you to ship orders? How long does it take for orders to arrive?
Usually things are shipped out within 5 buisness days. Unless i have ran into any issues, for example sometimes i have to order extra boxes or struffing to be able to safely send orders, and so i you may have to wait a little extra. Other times i may receive more orders than usual and take a little longer to pack them. If you haven't received a confirmation email that your order has been shipped feel free to contact me so i can resolve the issue. You'll receive a tracking code on your e-mail, so please check it out! Once the parcel is over at postal services, it is completely out of my control in terms of its delivery speed. For domestic orders, it takes around 1-5 business days. For international orders it generally takes around 2-5 weeks. This estimation is also subject to change during holidays and strikes, where postal carriers have to handle a massive load of mail. Your patience is very much appreciated!
I encourage you to recycle and reutilize the packaging.
✦ Do you do custom orders?
As of December 2024 i have decided to stop taking any custom orders for the forseeable future, as it was it was becoming impossible for me to fulfill orders in a timely manner, and was taking away from being able to create new designs.
Pre-ordering a design from me means there are a few hand selected designs that, since they are so popular, I have decided to produce in a made to order fashion. With every shop update i will open a very limited ammount of slots which will only open up again once all pre-orders have been finnished.
Pre-orders are first come first serve, and in case of there being allot of orders, i may have to add orders to a waitlist . This means your MINIMUM wait period may increase to 2 or 3 months depending on order volume, however if your piece i taking longer than this to complete in case of multiple accidents or defects in the piece.it is uncommon but still possible.
Furthermore, by placing any pre-order, you have read and agreed to the following terms of service:
✦ To be patient with the time it takes to make your order, usually it takes around a month to finish a pottery piece, however it is an incredibly unpredictable process where many things can go wrong, where i will have to re-start the process. This means that you can expect to wait minimum 30 days until your piece is ready to ship, but it could take longer.
✦ In case of there being allot of pre-orders, i may have to add orders to a waitlist where i will make your piece but only fire as many pieces as the kiln space i rent allows and schedule a second kiln fire asap. This means your wait period may increase a little, however if you would like to know where your piece is at then read the next point.
✦ You are entitled to contact me on my email 𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘺𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘺𝘣𝘦𝘳𝘳𝘺𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘱@𝘨𝘮𝘢𝘪𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮 or on my social media, asking for updates on the process, where if the piece has already been started i am happy to provide photos and details about how it is going, and make minor alterations to the piece if they are still possible at that point in the process
✦ Be realistic about the end result, since all pieces are fully hand-made without the use of plaster casting, the proportions, colour and shapes are different and unique in every piece. I follow a guideline of measurements to ensure all pieces are as similar to the examples shown, however they will always be their own unique piece.
✦ If you wish to see the piece before shipping, leave a note on your order and specify where you would like to be contacted. If you are not happy with the result of the piece you have the right to a full refund, however the piece will be put up for sale on the website for someone else to buy
✦If your piece arrives and you are not happy with your order Under EU laws, buyers have the right to return products within 14 days. If your item was damaged upon delivery, please keep the original packaging as this is required evidence for any compensation to be issued. This means that you must return the product in the original packaging, and only once it arrives will the refund be issued. Shipping costs will only be refunded if the product was damaged upon 𝘥𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺.
✦All the other normal terms of service apply
Altho i have my own kiln, it is fairly small and only fits about 30 pieces at a time. Each ceramic piece must go though two 72h kiln fires in order to be complete *sometimes requiring an extra two or three if there is an issue in the glaze*. But even before that, all pieces must be hand thrown, sculpted, fully dried, smoothed, painted, washed and glazed. The time each step takes to complete can vray greatly depending on several factors. For example, if it is winter it may take up to two weeks for a piece to dry and be able to be fired in the kiln, which must happen in order to avoid kiln explosions.
This means that on average you will have to wait around 30 days for your piece to be finished after placing a pre-order, however this is a really rough estimate and it may end up being more or less depending on the circumstances.
Here are a few more things that factor into how long it takes to finish a piece
-A piece developing a crack during the drying or firing process, rendering it unusable, and meaning i will have to re-start your piece.
-Kilns can randomly fire at the wrong temperature, messing up the colours or glazes, meaning i will have to start again.
-If i order new supplies, for example underglazes, the formula might have changed and the result can be different from expected.
-Pieces can literally explode in the kiln, completly ruining a shelf and meaning i have to re-make all of what was in it.
-Power outages can happen and if the kiln was firing the pieces at that time, then they might have to be re-fired or re-made
- I may have made a mistake while making your piece, weather it be forgetfullness or using the wrong glaze, or forgetting a detail, and in that case, i try my best to fix it or i re-make the piece to make sure that your order is exactly as asked for
- I may have ran out of a certain supply, and have to wait for my order to arrive
Aside from that, even once your order has been finished, I still need to quality test and pack it myself. I do everything in this buisness from making, to packing , to managing social media etc etc... and it take a surprisingly long time to print each adress, safely pack each order, then create a shipping lable, a customs lable, and finally once all orders are ready, send them off. Sometimes orders may have to wait for other orders to be finished packing, before they can all be shipped since i try my best to reduce the ammount of car trips i take to the post office.
✦ I would like to make some small alterations to my pre-order, if that ok and how do i do it?
I would love to do that for you, just leave your request on the notes box at purchace. I'm happy to make any small changes like colour or add a small element to the design.
Unfortunately, i am not able to guarantee that your order will be finished by x date, so please make sure to request your commission with enough time in advance if you wish to get it for a special occasion. Even then it may not be possible to do, as per the nature of the Ceramics. It has happened that due to a large ammount of orders or because of defects in the first attempt at producing an item, sometimes i may have to re-make an order a few times before it is up to standard.
✦ I haven't heard anything from my order, is there any way for me to track it?
Luckily i have an Order Status Update List, here you can track your orders day by day.
✦ I've checked my order on your list, but it seems to be stuck on the same status for a while, is everything alright?
Most likely yes, I probably am busy with other orders, classes, or the piece simply isn't ready to start the next step yet.
✦ I've checked my order on your list, but i can't find mine.
If this happens, please contanct me directly, i may have accidentally erased it or skipped it, which definetly isn't intended. If you ordered it recently, it is possible that i just haven't entered it yet.
✦What is your cancelation policy?
As per the European Right to Withdrawl: If you buy a product or service online, by phone or from a seller at your doorstep you have the right to withdraw. This means you can cancel the contract within 14 days with providing any justification. For goods this means 14 days from the date of delivery, for services 14 days after the day the contract was agreed. If the cooling-off period expires on a non-working day, your deadline is extended until the next working day."
HOWEVER the 14-day cooling-off period does not apply to goods made to order or clearly personalised. AKA pre-orders and comissions
✦ Why does your stuff cost what it costs?
The price of pieces is carefully thought out taking into account every material, time, investment, taxes and care that goes into each piece. You're investing in an one of a kind handmade piece of art and not a mass produced product. Every piece takes hours to months make from start to finish. From the creative process to the end product, don't forget there is allot going on behind the scenes! Plus this is not my only job, and i have to use my free time to manage my little shop :D. Don't feel bad if you cannot afford something you really like, even if you just enjoy looking at it, share it around and apreciate it, you are supporting me and my dream, Thank you so much!
✦ I saw you post a piece that i would like to buy on your social media, but i am afraid of not getting it in time. Can you reserve it for me?In order for sale to be fair, i have a strict no reservations policy. If you happen not to get a piece in time you can always contact me and ask if i can take a pre-order for the design you would like to have. I think everyone deserves the same oportunity to get a piece they like.
✦ I want to order from your website but i think the shipping costs are too expensive, can you hand deliver something?
Shipping fees is money that i do not keep or decide the prices of myself, it is a set fee that the shipping company i use charges. Any shipping costs on the website are accurate to what the shipping company charges for that weight package and i do not charge any extra fees for shipping. I also do not chage anything for the boxes and packaging supplies themselves. Since i am shipping ceramics, the packages tend to be heavier as they require allot of stuffing to make sure your order arrives safely, generally speaking they tend to weight above 500g each for one piece. If you order two pieces it's common for the package to end up with more than 1kg and therefor there is an extra fee since the shipping company charges more for that weight category. I can also only ship packages up to 2kg so if your order ends up being heavier than 2kg i will have to separate it into two boxes and that is also more expensive. Ocasionally it may happen that the website undercharges or over charges your shipping due to the Big Cartel shipping fee system, i have tried my best to fix this but Big Cardel provides limited options for shipping pricing. In case of overcharging, that money always goes to any other package that may have been undercharged, or it goes to cover the packaging costs that i usually don't charge for.
In terms of hand deliveries, i also do not do those. Not only is it a safety issue, it is too time consuming and expensive for me to go out of my way to individually hand deliver packages.
✦ Do You attend events like art markets? How can i find out where you will be next?
I do! Though i don't do them very often, i always announce it on my instagram, and pin it to my highlights! If you would like to suggest or invite me to any event, just make sure to do so with a few months in advance so i have time to prepair. I am ok with international travel as well if the event is interesting.
✦ Where is the best place to get updates from you and know when the next shop update will be?
Right now the best place is on instagram, but if you would like to follow me elsewhere i have a linktree with all my social media links.
✦ Are your Ceramics food-safe and microwave safe? Can i put them in the dishwasher?
✦ Do you accept international orders?
Yes, I ship worldwide. Please understand that you are responsible for paying any customs fees/duties/taxes once it reaches your country in order to retrieve your package.
✦ What's the return, exchange + refund policy?
Under EU laws, buyers have the right to return products within 14 days. If your item was damaged upon delivery, please keep the original packaging as this is required evidence for any compensation to be issued. If these are the cases or if I sent you the wrong item, please contact me through my email [email protected] or my instagram @tinystrawberry.s within 3 days of delivery with your order number and any information I may need to recognise your issue with.
✦ Missing attempted deliveries and ordering with the wrong shipping address will result in the package being returned to me. In such instances, compensations will NOT be issued as it is the customers’ responsibility to provide a correct shipping address and to collect parcels within the given time provided by their allocated local post office. When the package have been successfully returned, customers will be informed via email and will have a choice between receiving a refund for the price of the items bought, or paying extra shipping fees for a second delivery. Please understand that returned goods may take over 1 month to be returned to sender. To avoid issues with delivery, please provide a correct shipping address when placing an order, and please refer to your tracking number so as to avoid missing deliveries.
✦ I would like to learn ceramics, do you teach?
I am a highschool ceramics teacher, and also do some ocasional workshops at a local studio where i am not the main teacher, so there aren't any currently open classes that you could attend. But in the future i would love to do something of the sorts
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If you have any other questions, please contact me though my email or any of my social media DM's