Frequently Asked Questions

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• Adults and Students of all levels and over the age of 16 are welcome.
• Students must be supervised by an attending parent/adult if under the age of 18.
• You must be over 18 to attend the Pottery and Pints workshops – there’s alcohol - its the law!
• Kids holiday workshops aged between 7 and 15 years.

Just yourself and be ready for fun.

• Closed-in shoes is a fabulous idea and clothes that you don’t mind getting a bit dusty. 
• Aprons are available but wont guarantee spotlessness.

• Please give as much notice as possible. Workshops are non-refundable if less than 24 hours notice given. However, things do happen out of our control. Contact Rachelle to discuss options.
• The 8 session Weekly Workshop students can do a catch-up class during the other scheduled weekly workshops if space available. 

The studio is not big enough for extra bodies. Companion animals welcome.

Your work needs to be totally dry for the first firing and this will take a week or 2 depending on the thickness of the clay. It then takes a couple of days for the firing process – then it needs to be glazed and fired again so it will take between 3-4 weeks. If you have not been contacted to pick up your work after 4 weeks call the studio.

You will given a certain amount of clay for workshops where clay and materials are included.

If you wish to use more clay than what is included in the cost you are welcome to buy a bag and take the leftovers home with you. If you wish to make something from leftover clay outside of the allocated activity you will need to pay for the firing of the extra piece according to the firing policy. You are welcome to use the firing service for anything you make at home.

EFTPOS is available, bank transfer or cash. Receipts will be emailed after payment (you need to provide email address)

No, however after pay is coming.

You MUST wipe every trace of glaze off the bottom of your pot and anywhere your piece touches the shelf or it will not get fired! Glaze sticks to the shelves which ruins them and they are $250 + each! So if its still sitting there check to bottom.

 Once a piece has been bisque-fired, you significantly reduce the risk of explosion, as the moisture and organic materials in the clay have already been burned off. In contrast, raw glazed pieces still contain moisture, and if they're not completely dry or if the firing schedule isn't carefully controlled, they can explode in the kiln.

This can be disastrous—not only for your masterpiece itself but for other work in the kiln, shelves, and even the kiln elements, which can be damaged by flying glaze and shards. so NO your raw glazed masterpiece will not be fired! 

Clay and glazes can be unpredictable for the beginner (and even for the master) and sometimes it takes a lot of experimenting and experience to get that perfect piece. We will do our best to instruct you on how to avoid blowups, cracks and disasters however there’s no guarantee your work will come out of the kiln as expected. It’s the nature of ceramics!

It’s a great idea to put your name/initials/mark somewhere on your work before it dries. Then it won’t be taken by mistake. Take a photo of it on your phone. North Shore Studios is not responsible for lost, stolen or broken works

It will be stored for 2 weeks after the final firing, then it will be donated to charity. There just isn’t space. So don’t forget about it!

Same as in the pub – a relaxing fun atmosphere is what we are after so sensible alcohol consumption is encouraged. Being totally wasted or intoxicated is not fun for others and you will be asked to leave. Behave!

We really enjoy having you in the workshop and love seeing your enthusiasm! However, once class is over, we have other tasks and preparations that need our attention. So while we appreciate the chat, we kindly ask that you wrap things up promptly. Thanks for understanding! 

Our ceramics are fired at earthenware temperatures up to 1100°C.

Yes, our ceramics are microwave and dishwasher safe. However, to prolong the life of your piece, we recommend hand washing whenever possible.