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LOCATION & ETHOS

Sonya Ceramic Art is located in Westbury-on-Trym, Bristol, UK. It is owned and operated by me, Sonya Wilkins.

I create beautiful, one-of-a-kind pieces of ceramic art, inspired by nature. Each piece is unique and made using the impression from a real leaf. I make functional pieces for the home, such as tablewares and hanging planters and also bespoke pieces of ceramic jewellery. Commissions are welcomed.

My hope and wish is to provide you with ceramics that will enhance your home environment with the healing beauty of nature.

SHIPPING

Shipping ceramics can be expensive because of the fragile nature of the material and the weight of an item. Where possible I use recycled materials for shipping in order to cut down on shipping costs, and limit my carbon footprint.

I don’t make any profit on shipping, the prices listed for each product include postage and packing.

At present I only ship to mainland UK. But I am willing to look into shipping worldwide on an individual basis. In this situation I need to know what items you wish to purchase and in what quantities, so I can send you a quote for the most cost efficient method. Please email studio@sonyaceramicart.com or send me a message if you wish to discuss this further.

Note: Upon receipt, please inspect your package closely. Should you observe significant damage to the outer packaging, please reject the shipment and have the carrier return it. If there is minor damage to the packaging, please indicate as such when you sign for the shipment.

SHIPPING FOR READY-MADE ITEMS FROM MY ONLINE SHOP

Mainland UK Ready-to-Ship orders from my online shop will be carefully packaged and shipped within 1-3 business days from purchase. Prices listed include Royal Mail postage ‘tracked and signed for’ and you will receive an email from me, letting you know when your order has been shipped.

SHIPPING FOR MADE-TO-ORDER AND COMMISSIONS

Made-to-Order and Commissioned items are produced and shipped within 4-6 weeks. This typically includes 1 week making time, 1 week drying time, 1 week glazing time (some items may require several firings in my kiln). Then packaging and shipment allowance of a further week. I will endeavour to send you photographs and updates about your commission throughout the making process and aim to deliver (to mainland UK) within 4 weeks.

Special worldwide commissions (agreed on an individual basis) will take up to 6 weeks to satisfy due to additional shipment timescales. Where every effort is made to satisfy this 6 week delivery timescale, I cannot guarantee delivery dates, but orders typically arrive 5-7 business days after the date of shipping (I will inform you by email when your item has been shipped).

Please contact me before you purchase an item if you need something by a specific date, as you may need upgraded shipping services in order for me to satisfy your timescales.

REFUND & CANCELLATION POLICY

The majority of my ceramics are made-to-order, as only a small amount of ready-made stock is available in my online shop. Therefore, I begin work to make and fulfil your items shortly after your order is placed. As a result, once an order is placed and items go into production, any modification or cancellation of the order may result in forfeiture of amounts already paid. Additionally, once an item has been shipped, I cannot make changes to the order.

I take pride in the photographic images I load onto my site, helping to describe my products. I also aim to give as much detail as possible about the dimensions, making process and care instructions, so that my customers are equipped to make informed purchase decisions. I also spend time clarifying customer expectations on commission orders so there is no ambiguity between maker and customer. On this basis I do not refund items, either bought from my shop or made-to-order. Please therefore make sure you read all the information available so you make considered decisions when purchasing and please don’t hesitate to contact me if you require clarification or additional information on any product. I would much rather you contact me, to double check.

It is also important to remember that every piece of ceramic art I make is handcrafted, and no two items are identical. While minimal, there are slight, and unavoidable variations due to the clay, glazes and firing techniques used. My work is not mass produced, created in a factory or on an assembly line. The variations of each piece are what make it uniquely yours and add to the authenticity of nature – as that too has many variations, not one leaf being exactly the same. I hope you enjoy your ‘nature inspired’ ceramics as much as I have enjoyed handcrafting them for you.

DAMAGED ITEMS

Note: Upon receipt, please inspect your package closely. Should you observe significant damage to the outer packaging, please reject the shipment and have the carrier return it. If there is minor damage to the packaging, please indicate as such when you sign for the shipment.

I am committed to providing beautiful, handmade, unique works of art to be enjoyed and used for a lifetime, (each piece is like one of my babies and I release them into the world each time one is sold).  I want you to be equally passionate about your new purchase, so I take care packaging my creations so they arrive with you safely and in one piece. In the rare instance that a product arrives damaged, please follow the instructions below:

  • Please notify me within 2 days of receipt and include photographic images of the damaged product(s) including an image of the damage caused to the box, such as any rips and tears. Please use studio@sonyaceramicart.com for the attachment of your images.
  • You must keep packaging materials for claim inspection.
  • Return the product(s) unused and in the same condition in which they arrived.
  • I will endeavour to respond to you within 2 business days after receipt of the damaged goods.

FAQs

All of my glazes are formulated and mixed by Bath Potters Supplies in the UK. The glazes that I use are all dishwasher and food safe.

Each piece is handmade in my Bristol studio in the UK.

Each piece is fired twice and in some instances three times (where lustre is added to the edges).

My tableware collection is made using stoneware grogged clay. This is fired to 1020 degrees bisque and then 1260 degrees stoneware once glaze is added. This means that it is robust enough for domestic use. I would however still recommend washing my products by hand as some dishwasher detergents can dull the sheen on glaze.

My porcelain planters are also fired to stoneware 1260 degrees, but they are thinner in areas in order to encourage semi-transparency, a lovely feature of porcelain. Therefore, care must be taken when cleaning them, so I would recommend gently wiping them with a cloth or running clean water over them and allowing them to dry naturally. Please do not brush them vigorously.

My jewellery is fired between 1055-1260 degrees depending on the colouration. It is fragile by nature and needs to be treated much like glass jewellery or Swarovski Crystal jewellery. Please therefore do not drop jewellery on a hard floor – it is likely to shatter. I recommend putting your jewellery on, seated, at a dressing table, with a carpeted floor. If the silver plated chain requires cleaning, I recommend detaching the chain from the pendant so this can be done without risk to the pendant.

I hope you enjoy using or wearing your unique ceramic art inspired by nature. It is a pleasure for me to produce these pieces – the whole process truly is my passion and personal art therapy!