Frequently Asked Questions

Steven Showalter Pottery is based out of my home in Eagan, Minnesota. I sell primarily through my website and occasionally attend art fairs around the Midwest. 

Yes! While I don't have regular hours, I'm always happy to set up appointments for people to come see the studio and purchase pottery in person. However, you'll always have the most selection to choose from by shopping via my online sales. 

Please wear a mask when inside the studio. I will do the same during visits. We have unvaccinated children who also attend school. 

Yes! We love our local customers and local pick ups. When you purchase your items via the website, select "pickup" at checkout and you will not be charged shipping fees. We'll notify you when your item is ready for pickup at the studio. The best part about local pick ups is we always get those ready first, so your item will often be available the very next day after you order. 

I make and glaze all the pottery myself and simply can't keep everything in stock. I need time to make and glaze the work in between sales. 

Restocks are hosted via the shop on my website: https://stevenshowalter.com/shop


Images of exact items will not be available beforehand, as I typically am glazing pottery and uploading items to the shop right until the last second before a sale goes live.


Some popular items that often sell out are sometimes available as "backorder" items. These orders will be made right away and delivered to you within 4-6 weeks (or sooner).



Items in your cart are not held in your cart; you must pay for and complete the transaction to insure the purchase. 


We accept Paypal, Apple Pay and all major credit cards for your convenience.


If you make multiple purchases and/or order multiple items, we will make all our best efforts to combine your pottery into as few as packages as possible; shipping overages will then be refunded. There are occasions when we are unable to consolidate your items, based on size of items and possible fragility when shipped in one box. 


We are able to shop around for the best shipping rates on each package, which is generally via UPS or USPS. You'll receive tracking info to your email address when your order ships.

In almost all cases, items are safe to put in the dishwasher, microwave and oven. My pottery is very durable and can be used just like regular dishes. The exception are any items that have additional parts added, such as soap pumps, trivets, yarn bowls, etc. 

No, unfortunately I cannot accept any special orders or custom orders. In almost all cases, for various reasons it ends up being too much of a burden and customers end up waiting far too long for their items. However, I love hearing new ideas, so please submit them via the form on my website and you may just find your request in an upcoming sale. 

Each candle is hand-poured in St Paul, MN by Sensorious Candle Company. using natural soy wax, crackling wooden wicks, premium fragrance oils and reusable ceramic tumblers.  

MATERIALS USED

• Soy wax is longer-lasting and cleaner burning- no toxins, pollutants or carcinogens and it burns cooler which means you can enjoy for 30-50% longer than a paraffin candle. To top it off, soy is a completely renewable product produced by American farmers.
• Wooden wicks enhance the scent throw, provide an even melt pool and crackle just like a real open fire. Made of the finest wood in the USA.
• Fragrance oils for candles consist of many aromatic ingredients, some are made naturally and others synthetically. All oils used in our candles are developed for performance in soy wax and adhere to RIFM and IFRA standards for safety and purity.

REUSABLE CERAMIC TUMBLERS

When you've enjoyed the last of your candle, simply heat the tumbler in the oven at 170 degrees for a few minutes until wax is softened, carefully discard wax and wick tab into trash bin using paper towels then wash thoroughly with warm soapy water.  Your tumbler is now cocktail-ready! 

CANDLE BURNING TIPS

To ensure you're getting the most out of your candle burning experience and to prevent tunneling, soot or failure of the wick to remain lit, it is highly important to follow these instructions:

• Light the wick all the way across, not just on one end. This helps the candle burn evenly.
• Burning the candle for a minimum of 2 or 3 hours at a time will ensure that the melted wax pool has reached the sides of the glass jar optimizing your burn time.
• Keep the candle away from drafts, such as ceiling fans, air conditioners or breezes.
• Keep the wick trimmed to 1/8th of an inch between each burn by breaking off the charred end with your fingers or trimming with nail clippers when the candle is cold. Remove all wick trimmings before relighting.
• Once the wax has got to within 1/2 an inch of the bottom of the candle stop using it.

WARNING!

Never place your candles on anything that could catch fire and always place them on a protected heat resistant dry surface. Allow the candle to cool completely before relighting or handling. Never leave a burning candle unattended.

Shipping is calculated for customers based on the weight of the items and size of the boxes. Because the system requires me to select a carrier, shipping is calculated based on USPS rates.  

After a customer places an order, I utilize a software called Shippo, which allows me to compare shipping rates, create labels, generate international customs documents, return labels, and track packages. 

Sometimes the cost of shipping out your order will be significantly less than what you paid for shipping when you purchased your items. If that's the case, I will refund the difference and you will be notified. 

Although shipping rates are calculated assuming I am shipping via USPS, I almost always choose the least expensive carrier, which is sometimes UPS and sometimes USPS. 

Finally, if you have ordered more than one item or you have placed more than one order, I will always combine your items/orders into as few as boxes as possible and will refund back to you any shipping overages. However, please note that certain items (e.g., chip and dips, vases, etc.) must be shipped separately in order to ensure safe arrival. 

Before I opened my online store, I spent a considerable amount of time researching the best methods for shipping in order to ensure that items arrive safely without breaking. I have a method of wrapping and packaging items that has worked extremely well, and it is rare that something arrives broken.

However, unfortunately sometimes it happens. If your item happens to arrive broken, please email me a photo of the broken item, as well as a photo of the box. We try and learn from our mistakes and need to know what NOT to do in order to avoid future breakage. If I have the same color/style on hand, I can ship you a new item immediately. More often than not, I will need to either refund you for your purchase OR you can wait for me to make a new item (typical turn around time for a replacement is about 3-4 weeks, which is why we try extremely hard not to have anything break during shipping).