General FAQ
The Obvara firing technique originated in Eastern Europe around the 12th century, and 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 given 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 Obvara signature on the unglazed surface, the surface is treated with Elements Earth a permanent food safe matt clear sealer using nanotechnology.
Even though the nano-scopic seal produced by Elements Air & Elements Earth is invisible, but yet fully breathable, the sticking ability of organic dirt and mineral deposits are reduced to such an extent 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 300 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 is 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,or any ceramics.
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.
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 art work, 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 nano-tectile sealer also has no adverse effect on the treated textiles, 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 the South African internationally approved payment gateway, and you can choose Visa or MasterCard, or Bank transfer. Please note that you do not have to have an existing Payfast account to pay via credit card – you can simply make use of the PayFast platform on a once off basis.
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:
We accept payments through Payfast, the South African internationally approved payment gateway system, and you can pay via Visa or MasterCard. Payfast is the South African Secure online payment system and is widely used by small and big companies.
Please note that you do not have to have an existing Payfast account to pay via credit card – you can simply make use of the PayFast platform on a once off basis.
We do not recommend paying via bank transfer- the bank fees might be very high!
All Elements Ceramics 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, and labelled fragile.
The parcel is insured for total loss. In the case of a damaged item we need to be notified within 48 hours with a time stamped photograph and a description of the damage. We will then replace the item and courier cost at our expense. Please see section 10 (link) under 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.
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.
