1. The piece is created in one of three ways:

• (a) Slip (liquid clay) is poured into a plaster two (or more) piece mold and when hardened enough to attain the right thickness, the remaining slip is poured out. When the slip which remains in the mold has dried to a so called leather hard, the mold is split and the piece removed. At this point the piece is called "greenware" but is actually a light brown-grey in color; or

• (b) A semisolid clay mix is pressed into the mold; or

• (c) A glob of clay is "thrown" on a potter's wheel which is rotated while the piece is shaped by the hands of the potter.

The slip method provides the most choice of shapes and details and is the method used exclusively by Sarajane's Ceramics. Because that is the messy part of the job it is farmed out to quality casting shops which also have the space to store 10,000-50,000 molds.

Tip: Look at the finished piece to make sure the details are sharp because some casting shops use molds that are worn out.

2. For poured slip pieces the mold line is scraped off the greenware and other imperfections are removed.

Tip: Check the finished piece carefully to ensure that the mold line is unobtrusive or invisible (very rare).

3. The pieces are placed on shelves in a kiln, which is like a superinsulated oven that is capable of heating ceramic pieces to a temperature in excess of 2000 degrees Fahrenheit. The heating process takes about 5 hours but the cool-down process adds about 17 more hours (a total of about 22 hours until it is safe to remove the pieces, which are by now pure white. At this stage the piece is called "bisque".

4. Now the decorative process begins. For pieces which will be, or include, a color other than white, special ceramic paint called underglaze and/or overglaze or stain is applied to the piece at selected locations to give it one or more colors. Pieces, which are to be all white are "clear glazed" so that the color of the bisque (step 3. above) is maintained. Angels, cherubs and some other pieces are only clear glazed and have an elegant slight off-white color when finished. As an interesting aside the clear glaze is really colored blue, green, pink or orange (see left picture below) for ease of application but becomes clear when fired (contrast with right picture below).

Before firing (left); After firing (right)

5. The glazed pieces (but not stained pieces which receive a shellac like finish) are again put in the kiln (left picture above) but this time on stilts (ceramic pieces with 3 or more upright pins that support the pieces, such as the one holding the egg). The stilts are necessary because otherwise the glazed bottoms would stick to the kiln shelves. Without glazed bottoms the pieces can be placed directly on the shelves (a process called "dryfooting") but the result is an inferior product. This time the kiln is fired to about 1900 degrees Fahrenheit. The firing and cool-down processes still take nearly 22 hours.

Tip: Look under a ceramic piece to make sure it is glazed on the entire bottom. Do the same for the insides of containers and lids.

Depending on the complexity of the piece additional glaze may be applied and the firing step 5. repeated one or more times.