What a cool way to spend your birthday with friends. Not only will you have fun getting creative while having wine, you will also get something to keep from this special experience. You can make your creations totally unique with any design and even add your own name or a friends or family name to give as a gift. A fab mixture of fun and creativeness in a stylish venue with cool tunes! We can also play a couple of fun games to really get the party spirit going.
Bespoke packages are priced at $85 per person. For more info and to book, please text Sally on 0439709492
Set amongst gum trees the studio is a stylish light filled venue, with floor to ceiling windows & polished concrete floors. There is a large studio space & a seperate lounge area with plush furnishings & neon artwork, where you can relax & have a drink. You can party with exclusive access in the Studio. A minimum of 6 for a private event and a maximum of 40 ish.
We are tucked away in Drysdale on the Bellarine Peninsula. A short 20 minute drive from Geelong & less than 10 minutes from the Portarlington to Melbourne Ferry. A great position for you to continue your day by visiting the many wineries on offer & take in the amazing scenery the Bellarine has to offer. We are a five minute drive from award winning wineries.
I can also help you look at transport if you would like to carry on afterwards for a meal or wine tasting at the award winning local wineries that are five minutes away. We can discuss finer details such as the time you would like to arrive and how long you would like to stay. Generally three hours is a good length of time. All pieces that you create on your special day are dried out fully, bisque fired & then glazed & high fired. Products are usually ready to collect approximately 6 weeks after your event. Please contact me to discuss details.
All packages include
- Clay for each guest.
- The pottery is then stored & dried out fully for approximately 1 – 2 weeks dependent on weather.
- They are then bisque fired.
- All work has white glaze applied and they are then high temperature kiln fired.
- Access to the studio kitchen area and oven.
- Wine glasses and plates.
- A bubbles on arrival then BYO wine and alcohol, food platters etc.
Handcraft amazing keepsakes from this special day with friends & family. A truly memorable day with a unique blend & memories to cherish.
You can have food during your event or just concentrate on your creations and visit a local winery after your time here. We have a kitchen with oven if you would like to cook or warm anything.
We run an eco friendly studio and have invested in solar power. We provide the plates and wine glasses If you choose to bring your own plates etc, all we ask is that you take the rubbish with you. We use eco friendly soaps, washing liquid & detergent for the dishwasher. The studio also has a septic tank which pumps and treats water without energy or chemicals.
For more info and to book, please text Sally on 0439709492
To see images of the studio where the events will be held click on ‘The Studio’ tab in the information section at the bottom of the website.
THE PROCESS FOR YOUR POTTERY
Pottery work is dried out anywhere from a few days for jewellery and decorations to a few weeks for items with thicker areas. Work that is made with slabs and has areas of different thicknesses has to be dried very slowly to avoid cracking. And even with this slow drying there is always the chance that items can crack or break especially if they are slabs, delicate or have protruding areas. There is always some stress in clay because of the fact that is shrinks as it dries and when it is fired and it also expands and contracts during firing. Sometimes this stress is too much and it cracks. If the work is not fully dried out so it is bone dry then items can explode.
Once fully dried all pieces are loaded into the kiln then bisque fired to 1000 degrees celsius, which takes 21 hours. After this the kiln has to cool down so that the door can be opened safely without anything exploding due to the thermal shock. This takes about another 42 hours.
Work is removed and in between other firings these pieces are all glazed individually by hand. The base to each piece is individually wiped down to ensure no glaze is on the base as this would stick to the kiln shelf and destroy both the work and shelf. And if there are holes for wall hangings and jewellery these have to be checked and cleaned out individually. Work is then glaze fired to 1200. This takes 10 hours and then a further 36 hours to cool down so the door can be opened.
Failures in ceramics are inevitable, issues happen, but often the only way to understand this is to experience it! Even skilled potters run into trouble as there are so many variables when dealing with clay, glazing and firing
