Why are most ceramic/pottery pieces that you carry microwave, oven, and dishwasher safe?
The oven is an easy one. If you think about it, most ceramic pieces are fired in a kiln at temperatures over 2000 degrees. Your oven is no match. Ceramics need to be heated evenly to avoid shattering - so stove tops and other uneven heating surfaces are a must-avoid. On that same note - dishwasher temps (and microwaves) are fine too as they generally heat evenly as well. To avoid ratting, you may want to put the piece on the top shelf of your dishwasher.
How do your hotplates work if the surface is plastic?
This is a common question. What makes the hotplates we carry so unique is that they're built with a proprietary acrylic that the artist developed and patented. They can hold up to 400 degrees - just don't put something from the stovetop directly on the hotplate. The concentrated surface of a pot as well as the unknown temperature of the stove top may jeopardize the hotplate's surface.
How do you meet your artists?
This is a bit of a Field of Dreams, if you build it they will come. Since we opened &Home over 2 yrs ago we met many talented artists in the Chester, NJ area and across the county. Liz being an artist herself has certainly opened up doors and expanded our network. There are many talented people out there - we just need to keep finding them.