From Clay to Cup
Any piece takes 2–4 weeks to make. Let’s break down why:
Every Cuppie piece is shaped by hand: we take a piece of raw clay, knead it well to release all the air bubbles (which could later cause cracks in the ceramic), then shape the form, followed by the handle and any decorative details. The more complex the form, the more time it takes to create.
Then the pieces go through a stage of natural drying, which — depending on the conditions — takes anywhere from 2 days to a week. If the clay doesn’t dry enough, it will simply explode during firing. And all the time spent creating it goes to waste :(
Next comes decorating. We prepare each mug for painting — sanding the surface smooth and leveling the bottom. Once the surface is fully dry, we paint the designs or write the words.
The first firing. Here we load all the pieces into the kiln, which then heats up to 1000°C (yes, unfortunately, you can’t fire a mug in your home oven). During the first firing, excess moisture is removed and the piece becomes strong. If an air bubble was left in the mug from the first stage, this is exactly where it comes to the surface and forms a crack that can no longer be fixed. It takes about a day.
Glazing. We coat each piece with glaze by hand. The second firing. This is where the final version of the mug is born — one you can drink from, wash in the dishwasher, and heat in the microwave. This firing happens at 1200°C / 2190°F: the glaze melts and forms a smooth, glossy surface that’s lovely to the touch. The wait is a little over a day.
And here’s the most interesting part — at any stage, a mug can break, crack, warp, explode in the kiln, lose its color, or the glaze can run too much. And then everything has to be redone from scratch. Because clay is a living, unpredictable material, and this is 100% handmade work. There’s no way to calculate everything and be sure it’ll turn out exactly as planned.
But that’s exactly where its magic lies — no two pieces will ever be the same. You’ll always have a one-of-a-kind cup, a unique vase, a special pendant. Each with its own quirks and its own story.