FAQ - Hand Painted Pottery
1. Is the pottery really hand painted?
2. Are all the pieces handmade?
3. Are the pottery pieces dishwasher, microwave and food safe?
4. Are the designs unique or will I find them everywhere?
5. Do you guarantee your product?
6. If I receive a chipped or broken piece of pottery, can I get a replacement?
7. Do the designs continually change at your web-store?
8. Where is the organic, extra virgin olive oil from?
9. What is your delivery time policy?
1. Is the pottery really hand painted?
Yes. Each piece is individually painted by Spanish artisans. Typical painting tools include the paint brushes, a painting wheel and a "pera". Some of our hand painted pottery is created only with brush strokes and other pieces include both brush strokes and also details applied by the "pera". The painting usually starts by placing a new pottery piece on a painting wheel that rotates by hand. The artisan will paint with a paint brush while turning the wheel and rotating the piece. The "pera" is used to apply details once the brush stroke painting is finished. A pera is a pear shaped device used to apply liquid colored clay. The pera details create a slightly raised surface when fired. The use of the pera is referred to in English as "slip trailing". The method is a long standing tradition in southern Spain.
2. Are all the pieces handmade?
Some of our pieces are 100% handmade. But most of our pieces are hand crafted. In each case, Spanish artisans put their hands on each piece in the production process. Many of the patio, garden decorative pieces are handmade from scratch. Most of the tabletop and kitchen pieces are formed with hydraulic presses or poured forms during which each piece is trimmed. Once the pieces are air dried, an artisan will again trim each piece and sand areas of each piece smooth. The pieces are then fired to produce a virgin pottery piece (many times referred to as bisque), which is then hand painted. Once the painting is compete, the pottery is dipped in a glaze, and then fired. Most of the Spanish ceramics is fired at approximately 980 degrees Celsius (approximately 1800 degree Fahrenheit). Some of the cruets which are porcelain, are fired at approximately 1100 degrees Celsius.
3. Are the pottery pieces dishwasher, microwave and food safe?
Yes. The pottery sold by Cactus Canyon Ceramics is safe for dishwasher washing. They will not lose their color. Also, the pottery is safe for the microwave. You will find that the pottery pieces heat up slightly in the microwave, but they are safe.
Finally, we are very careful to ensure that all of our items that are for food use, comply with US rules regulating lead and heavy metals. All of our tabletop and kitchen comply.
4. Are the designs unique or will I find them everywhere?
Starting in 2014, we have initiated two brand names. The first is "Cactus Canyon Ceramics" and the second under development is "GringoCool". The majority of designs sold under the Cactus Canyon Ceramics brand are developed by our company with the artisans of Spain. You will not see our designs everywhere, and in many cases we are the only source for the design. The GringoCool brand will offer only exclusive, unique designs. Starting in 2014, we have begun stamping our pottery, so each piece will have a stamp on the bottom declaring that the piece is "hand painted in Spain".
5. Do you guarantee your product?
Yes. We guarantee that you will receive a beautiful pottery piece without chips or breaks. Each piece will closely resemble the photo on our web-store. There will be small differences and small imperfections due to the fact that each piece is hand crafted and hand painted. No piece will be perfect, but each piece is unique. We cannot guarantee how long the piece will last, which is determined on how the piece is treated by the customer. Please be assured, we pride ourselves on our customer service and endeavor to provide top quality service.
6. If I receive a chipped or broken piece of pottery, can I get a replacement?
Yes. If you do receive a piece of pottery that is chipped or broken, please email with a photo and we will replace the piece. More information about this can be found in returns .
7. Do the designs continually change at your web-store?
Yes and no. Some of the designs we offer for as long as they are popular. Two of the designs we will continue to offer indefinitely are the "Sol" and the "Luna" designs in the tableware category. Other designs that prove to not be popular will be phased out. And, we are interested in providing new designs each year, especially in the patio and garden area. If you have specific questions please feel free to email for clarification.
8. Cold Pressed Elxir is from a family owned and operated olive mill called Almazara 1945, which is located approximately 30km from Cordoba. Almazara 1945 produces high quality olive oil using several different varieties of olives. The mill, extraction and storage process are state-of-the-art. No hands squashing olives, or feet stomping them involved. It is a process that assures a precise extraction, storage and bottling resulting in only the highest quality product. Steve, the owner/operator of Cactus Canyon Ceramics, has spent several years developing a business relationship with Ignacio and Pilar. Steve would be glad to answer any questions you may have about our Spanish, organic extra virgin olive oil.
9. What is your delivery time policy?
Once we receive an order, we ship with 2-3 business days. The majority of shipping is done with USPS & UPS. The delivery times vary slightly depending upon region of the US. We ship from Central Oregon, which is not a natural shipping hub. We cannot guarantee a shipping delivery time, but we always provide a tracking number to the customer for each shipment. We are always working to improve our ability to pack, ship and provide top quality customer service.
