The Obvara firing technique originated in Eastern Europe around the 12th century, ans was originally used to seal low fire functional pottery. There is a revival of the technique in the Ukraine and the Baltic countries, and has therefore been gicen the nickname of Baltic Raku. 

To achieve the Obvara signature, pieces are heated to around 700-900 C and then dipped briefly in a pre-prepared yeast mixture. It is then cooled down in cold water to stop the developing process and “fix” the signature. The result is that every piece is unique and can never be repeated.

Yes, all Elements Ceramics functional pieces are full fired and often glazed with a food safe glaze on the surface that has contact with food. To protect the Ovara signature on the unglazed surface, the surface is treated with Elements Earth, a permanent foodsafe matt clear sealer using nanotechnology. [What is nanotechnology?]

Even though the nanoscopic seal produced by Elements Air [What is Elements Air?] & Elements Earth [What is Elements Earth?] is invisible, but yet fully breathable, the sticking ability of organic dirt and mineral deposits are reduced to such an extend that the treated surface can very easily be cleaned with a soft cloth or sponge, or (just) rinsed.

Due to this extraordinary quality of Elements Air and Elements Earth there is no need for abrasive cleaning methods or harsh chemicals. Cleaning frequencies, methods of cleaning, mechanical abrasion, amount of use, etc. are all factors influencing the durability of any matt glaze or coating.

Like all handmade ceramics proper care of a functional Elements Ceramics piece will prolong its use.

Elements Air is dishwasher safe and heat resistant up to 450 deg. Celsius. If you use Elements Air on penetrative techniques like smoke firing, barely, pit and wood firing, cleaning the functional wares in a dishwasher is complete safe. If you use Elements Air on a shallow carbon signature technique like Obvara, is its not recommended to clean the wares in a dishwasher. Simply use a soft sponge and a ph neutral or phosphate free  dishwashing liquid.

Elements Earth is dishwasher safe and heat resistant up to 300 deg.Celsius. Elements Air can be used on SMOOTH surfaces of all no-glaze techniques, and have been successfully time tested in a dishwasher on OBVARA( a shallow carbon penetrative technique)

All Elements Ceramics & Design’s functional ware in the Obvara technique is sealed with Elements Earth and is dishwasher proof. PH Neutral, environmentally friendly or phosphate free dishwashing liquid and powers are recommended to ensure longevity of your Obvara pieces.

The wares may be used gently in a dishwasher. Please see the info about dishwashing liquids and powders as well as the Elements Air and Elements Earth FAQ’s for more information.

Although some of my clients have warmed their coffee/tea  in an Elements Ceramics Obvara piece in the microwave with no obvious adverse effect,  it is best not to use it in the microwave as the integrity of the Obvara [What is Obvara?] signature cannot be  guaranteed.

Due to the nature of the Obvara firing process, the integrity of the Obvara to signature cannot be  guaranteed.

Cyanotype is an historic photographic printing process that gives a cyan-blue print. It uses sunlight to activate light sensitive chemicals which have been applied to a substrate. This can be done on paper and textiles as well as ceramics.

Images are placed onto the light sensitive cyanotype base and act as a resist to the sunlight leaving their image behind. 

The process using two iron salts and the sun for developing, was discovered in 1842 by Herschel. The process has changed very little in over 170 years.

Each cyanotype is a handmade original. It is an intensive hands on process and each print is treated individually to give each one unique characteristics.

Blues can be reduced or toned with various household substances to give a range of colours.

My range of scarves has been created using several natural fabrics as well as the all time favourite, silk. Designs are mostly photograms of plants. Cyanotypes are photographs, not dyes and they require extra care in handling.

Paper Prints

Prints are made on high quality watercolour paper and other handmade papers. Cyanotype prints on paper favour a pH neutral or slightly acidic environment and non buffered mat boards. Like all artwork, prints have to be protected and against UV and sunlight and not 

Fabric Prints

IMPORTANT CARE INSTRUCTIONS

Each fabric print is protected by a nano-textile sealer that bonds at the molecular level for absolute protection against moisture, dirt & oil stains as well as being anti-bacterial. The nanotech sealer also has no adverse effect on the treated tectiles, in other words it does not affect the handle, look or feel of the treated textile.

The image is permanent, but the blue colour will change to yellow if washed with phosphates, soda, borax or bleach. To preserve the original blue colour – hand wash using only a small amount of non-phosphate liquid soap.

Use just water if possible. Rinse thoroughly and dry flat in the shade. Not suitable for frequent washing. Blueprints can be ironed using a dry iron. Dry cleaning is NOT recommended.

Payment is easy.

SOUTH AFRICA & AFRICA:

We accept payments through Payfast, you can choose Visa or Mastercard, or Bank transfer. 

You can pay via EFT( bank transfer) or with your credit or debit card via Payfast (secure link) you can choose Visa or Mastercard, or Bank transfer. 

INTERNATIONAL:

You can pay via Visa or Mastercard. We do not recommend paying via bank transfer- the bank fees might be very high!

All Elements Ceramics & Design items are packaged with extra care.  We care about the environment so we try to package Elements Ceramics with recycled or recyclable materials where possible, and secured in a strong cardboard carton. 

The parcel is insured for total loss. In the case of a damaged item we need to be notified within 48 hours with images and description of the damage. We will then replace the item and courier cost at our expense. Please see T&C’s

We will send you an email within 2 working days of receipt of your order to acknowledge that we have received it.

As I run a small studio all orders will be shipped every Thursday. Orders placed on Fridays and over the weekend will need to wait till the next Thursday to be shipped off. 

LOCAL:

The website will automatically charge a fee for delivery based on your location and quantity. The local fee ranges from R50 to R150 and is usually delivered within 1-3 days. We use Fastway Couriers or the Courier Guy to get your parcel to you safely. 

We will send you a tracking number to track your parcel, please be sure that there is someone at the address to accept the delivery!

INTERNATIONAL:

If you are placing an order from outside South Africa, delivery via DHL Express will automatically be quoted. We prefer shipping with DHL, they are extremely reliable and very quick (3-7 days)! If you are looking for a less expensive option, please send us an email and we will come back to you with a local Post Office price. Just be aware that the South African Post Office is known for their sluggishness- they usually take about 3 weeks. Once a Post Office Parcel leaves South Africa, we cannot track it.

Every country has its own tax rate for parcels entering. You may or may not be charged VAT on your order and this will be for the buyer’s account.

If you are unhappy with the order, please notify us within 24 hours. You may then return the item within 5 working days, securely packaged and at your own cost and we will credit you so that you may select something else. If the item arrives at our studio in a damaged condition, no credit will be offered.

Unfortunately no returns on international purchases. Please see T&C for more info.