Manufacturing

We work with liquid clay (casting clay/casting mass), which is poured into plaster molds. There it remains for a certain time, depending on how thick/wall solid the object is to be, before the remaining clay is poured out again. Now the mold stays for a while longer, so that the clay can further solidify - this varies from a few hours for small objects, to 1 or even 2 days for large molds (such as our candles or Christmas balls). This duration is also influenced by the weather, as well as the condition of the mold itself. Since the plaster molds, which draw moisture from the clay, absorb more and more moisture with each casting. Thus, the plaster mold must also dry out in between, before we can make the next casts. Therefore, a dry and warm climate like in summer is more advantageous for the mold than a cold and damp environment, which is why our production times can also vary depending on the season.

Once the clay in the mold is solidified enough, we can open it and take the object out. Now we can for example the candle leave to stand a little in the air, until the clay is leather-hard, in order to then incise and cut out the openings and motives. Or we join several parts together into one piece after removal, where liquid clay is used almost like glue. This is for example the case with the base of our Christmas balls, where at least the landscape and the base are always slipped together - depending on the motive, there may be more individual parts.

Is the object finished - if necessary, assembled and/or cuted - it goes on the shelf and must dry completely before we can continue working on it. This process also takes time, as the climate plays a crucial role here, just as before. You surely know this from your laundry: If you hang it outside in the summer, where the air is warm, it is quickly dry, but in winter inside on the drying rack, it takes longer to dry.

After drying, comes the cleaning. This means that we round off the edges and sand down the casting seams - that is, where the two halves of the mould meet and leave a seam in the object - as well as remove smaller imperfections. Since the material is now dry, this is a very dusty affair. However, to achieve the best possible results, we have decided to finish the material only in this way, as a much finer result is possible than with other methods.

Now we are almost there and have completed the most time-consuming section of the entire production. For the production of the raw material (this is what we call the material before it is fired) it can take between 1 to 3 weeks before the objects are then placed in the kiln after cleaning. When the kiln is full, the raw material is fired at over 1.000°C. As the oven heats up slowly and also cools down slowly (to avoid large/sudden differences in tension and thus the risk of cracks), firing the material also takes another day.

When we take the bisque (material named after fired at over 1.000°C) out of the kiln, the production is complete and it’s time to paint. Depending on the size of the object, effort and painting technique, this process also takes its time. As you can read in the brief overview above, we have many years of experience in painting with acrylic paints and have developed a certain routine, allowing us to complete the objects quickly. Finally, the acrylic paints are sealed with varnish, so you can easily wipe them clean with a damp cloth. 
If the object is a piece that is glazed (not painted with acrylic paints), it must go in the kiln 1 or even 2 more times and be fired again (with 2 days passing for each glazing firing).

Whether you see painting as art or craft, and no matter how much practice and experience we have in it, in the end, it simply takes time for us to hand over to you a special piece of craftsmanship that you can enjoy for a long time or give someone a very special gift.

Delivery

As we are a small family business and do not have mass or assembly line production, we ask for your understanding and respect that it may take a few weeks, depending on the item, until your order is ready. We deliver reliably and as quickly as we can, without compromising on quality. That is exactly what makes our products so special – they are not mass-produced!

In the shop, you will find a delivery time for the products that gives you a rough idea. However, of course, individual specific items may deviate from this and may be produced faster, or they may still be in stock. As soon as we have received your order, we will send you an order confirmation by email, in which the actual delivery time for your ordered products is stated.

As you could read above in our manufacturing process, the first section often just means waiting for something to dry. To ensure that the goods are drying in a good environment, we can only try to influence the surroundings to a certain extent and thus speed up the drying time. However, this does not mean that we heat our workshop excessively in the cold months and waste energy to speed up the process. We hope you understand this, because on one hand, we all want to use our resources in an energy-saving and environmentally friendly way in today's time, and on the other hand, we would have to pass on the resulting additional costs to our products and thus ultimately to you - but we want to avoid that.

Delivery times always vary slightly with the current order situation. So here’s a little tip: You should order a Christmas gift as early as possible - not just shortly before Christmas.😉

If you need to know before placing your order how long it will take exactly, because you need a gift by a certain date, please feel free to contact us.

As soon as your order is ready, we will inform you. If you do not pick up the goods yourself but have them sent, we will pack them securely and dispatch the shipment immediately. In case something arrives damaged, please contact us and we will find a solution as quickly as possible (please also read our terms and conditions regarding complaints).