FAQ
Q. I wanted to bring my 3 year old, but is she/he too young for this?
A. Not necessarily! We say give it a try. You are the best judge of your childs readiness to have the You’re Fired™ experience. Many 3 year olds really love it. What we’ve found is that some children are well prepared to engage with the process, and some need a little extra help from mom or dad – and we make it so easy that you’ve got nothing to worry about. Again, we leave it up to you, but it’s worth trying it out, because the goal isn’t really perfection – it’s about the experience. You’ll feel a real sense of accomplishment with your child and it’s a memory that will never fade. Visit a Studio!
Q. Is You’re Fired™ pretty much for young kids?
A. Not at all. Our studio experience is designed for children and adults. As such, we have many customers at many different age levels and a variety of skill levels who really enjoy You’re Fired™. Don’t be surprised to see all age groups in our studios at different times. Visit our calendar for age specific promotions. The secret is out that You’re Fired is a great time for everyone. (Even a date night!)
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.
Q. How much does painting ceramics cost?
A. Our bisque pieces range from $9 (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 $10 for adults and $8 for kids for the entire day, no matter how many items you choose!
Q. What happens next?
A. Once your piece is completely dry, we glaze it and fire it in our kilns at over 1800° and for more than 24 hours. Come back in a week to be completely surprised. Half of the fun is seeing how much the piece changes.
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 tiles. 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.
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.
Q. Does You’re Fired use leaded glaze?
A. No, all of our studios and products are completely lead free and non-toxic.
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.
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.