FAQs

You're FiredSM
Paint Your Own Pottery and Mosaics Studios

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. I’m not at all artistic. Can I make something that won’t embarrass
me?

A. Absolutely. Not only are we full of great ideas, we’re well stocked
with stamps, sponges and stencils, idea books and creative samples.
We’ll show you how to make something that is sure to make you smile.
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Q. How much does painting ceramics cost?

A. Our bisque pieces range from $7 (tiles and magnets) to $61 (for
large sets and platters). Most pieces are less than $20. Studio time,
which includes the use of all of our paint, brushes and accessories is $8
for adults and $6 for kids.
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Q. What happens next?

A. Once your piece is completely dry, we glaze it and fire it in our kilns
at over 1800°. Come back in a week to be completely surprised. Half of
the fun is seeing how much the piece changes.
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Q. What about Mosaics. It looks hard— all those little pieces...

A. Making a mosaic is some of the easiest fun you’ll ever have. The
pieces are precut so you don’t have to tackle that learning curve until
you are ready to. All you need to do is choose your base and pick your
colors. Fitting the pieces together is like working a puzzle, except that
there are no rules. There’s plenty of guidance available—we want you
to make cool stuff.
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Q. Why does it take a week after I paint?

A. Once you finish your work, the underglaze needs 24 hours to
properly dry. After this, we dip it in a special glaze, which also needs 24
hours to properly set. Once dried, we hand sand the pieces, to smooth
any glaze buildup or drip marks, then "pack" each Kiln by setting your
pieces on specially designed stilts. Once packed, the Kiln can be fired.
It takes on average 8-10 hours for the Kiln to reach temperature, but
then over 20 hours to cool to the point where we can handle your items.
We then unpack the Kiln, and dremmel any stilt marks left on the
bottom. If any quality issues come up during our inspection of your final
piece, we will re-glaze and run it through the cycle again.
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Q. Does You're Fired use leaded glaze?

A. No, all of our studios and products are completely lead free and non-
toxic.
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Q. Are the items made at You're Fired food safe?

A. Yes, when our items are fired, the clay glaze "fuses" to the pottery at
the molecular level. This leaves the items completely sealed and food
safe. With heavy use, the items may chip. If this happens, the exposed
bisque can be re-glazed and sealed. We allow you perform these repairs
(on items painted at our studio) at no charge, for the life of your product.
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Q. Are items made at You're Fired oven, freezer and microwave safe?

A. Yes, again, due to the firing process we use, and the high
temperature our items are fired at, they are safe for regular use in
ovens, freezers, dishwashers, and microwaves. Again, if through
regular use a chip or scratch occurs, they should be repaired. Open
bisque can absorb liquid, which when heated or frozen may cause the
items to crack.
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