Monterey Ceramics Imprint On My Heart Custom Ceramic Impressions for Baby, Babies, Child, Children, and Pet

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a clay impression? A clay impression is where the foot, hand, or pet paw is pressed down into a wet clay media to capture all the details, lines, and qualities. It is captures the unique qualities of each baby, child, adult or pet in a three dimensional piece. The clay is fired and creates a unique ceramic keepsake piece.

How long does it take? The ceramic pieces take approximately four to six weeks to complete. We take the time to make sure you have a beautiful, high-quality keepsake you will cherish. We do our best to accommodate any special delivery requests! Once the impression is taken and the information is either written or stamped on the front, the clay has to dry for several days before it can be fired. Once it has been fired and cools down, each piece is glazed and re-fired. The final step is to finish the piece and get it ready for delivery.

Do you have a storefront where I can view your products? Yes - our retail display is located at Expressed Luv, 3160 Ocean Terrace Marina, California. We are available at Expressed Luv by appointment and during our Walk-In Events.

How big of a foot or hand can we imprint? Ceramic imprints depend on the piece and the desired look for the piece. There is no age limit.

Can I do an impression myself if I’m not near Monterey? We offer all our products via mail-order. All we need is an impression of the hands and/or feet in Crayola Model Magic. Purchase a package of Crayola Model Magic that is large enough to fit all the prints you need. If you are taking both hands and both feet of a baby or child, you may need a couple of packages of Crayola Model Magic. Roll the Crayola Model Magic out until it is approximately 3/4" in depth. Use a piece of wax paper beneath the Crayola Model Magic before you take the impressions. Place the hand or foot on the Crayola Model Magic and press from the palm or heel then all the fingers or toes. Be sure the entire hand or foot has been pressed in the Crayola Model Magic. Slowly remove the hand or foot and check to see if you have a good impression. If you don't have a good impression, you can ball up the Crayola Model Magic and roll out again and redo the impression. Once you have a good impression, let the Crayola Model Magic dry completely on both sides. Package the impressions in a box so they will not get damaged. Include your contact information, the size and shape of the product you would like to order, the glaze colors, information to stamp on the font and the information to be written on the back. Mail to Monterey Ceramics, 3160 Ocean Terrace, Marina, CA 93933. We will contact you as soon as the impressions arrive and to place your order. Please allow 5-6 weeks for your pieces to be completed and shipped back to you. There is an additional $18 charge to cover reversing the prints and for shipping.

I would like to have a clock with my dog's paw prints, is that available? Yes, we offer all of our clocks to fit the size of the prints. We offer many decorative stamps, fonts and glaze colors to create your own unique clock.

Can I have a ceramic piece done of my dying child? Yes. We provide a service to take the impressions or use the impressions from your hospital or funeral home. Please contact us for more information. We suggest that you use Crayola Model Magic to take the impressions.

Can we make more that one item from each impression? Each impression of the hand or foot in ceramic is the actual piece you receive. With mail order, more than one piece can be created from your impression.

I would like a heart stamped on the front, can you do that? Yes, we have a large selection of stamps to add your unique style to each piece. We want you to create a piece that is unique as your child and designed by you to match your decor.

How old do the children need to be? Any age baby, child or adult is great for a clay ceramic impression.

Is it messy to do? No. The hand or foot just needs to be washed once the impression is taken.

Can I have my child's name on the back of my piece? Custom personalized information is free for all ceramic pieces.

I don't like the handwriting, do you stamp letters instead? Yes, we have a large selection of fonts to choose for the name and date on the front. All information on the back is written by hand to preserve the integrity of the prints on the front.

Why is this so different about the clay ceramic impressions? Monterey Ceramics, Imprint on My Heart®, LLC impressions are an actual imprint of your child or pet captured in wet clay. The quality of the clay is vastly different from plaster of paris and other like materials. The clay is very fine and smooth and captures every detail of the handprint or footprint down to the lines in the fingerprint. You can treasure the keepsake of the actual size and details of your baby's or child's hand or foot, or pet paw. Every piece is custom made by hand and designed to showcase the very ones you love most. We make every effort to make the highest quality hand crafted piece for you to cherish!

Can I design my own shape or size? Yes, just bring your ideas and we will do our best! Every piece is unique and custom made just for you! We offer many different serving dishes, platters, clocks, and special unique pieces. All our cutters are especially made so we can provide you with a standard, high-quality piece that is as close to the same size as possible. If you are requesting your own shape design, we will do our best, but cannot guarantee the shape and size for that piece due to the variations in how clay bodies dry and lack of a cutter.

Are the ceramic pieces food safe? Yes, all glazes used are lead free and conform to food safety standards. Only lead-free glazes have been used in the studio and with all equipment.

Can I choose my own colors? Yes. We have many colors of glaze to choose from for ceramic impressions. You can choose a piece with just one color or many different color glazes - it is up to you and your taste and style!

Do you have a store? Yes, please visit us at Expressed Luv, 3160 Ocean Terrace in Marina.

Each piece is handmade. Variations in the size, shape, clay texture and glaze are normal and enhance the custom uniqueness of each piece. Variations in clay bodies, clay color, and glaze color batches are beyond our control.

Please contact Kathryn by email or call 831-233-4533 for a free brochure and information or with questions about our products.

We accept VISA, Mastercard, Discover, American Express, Personal Check & PayPal

Member of the Better Business Bureau

Member of the Association of Clay and Glass Artists of California, Professional Women's Network of the Monterey Peninsula, Salinas Valley Business Women's Network, Salinas Valley Chamber of Commerce, Marina Chamber of Commerce, Monterey Peninsula Chamber of Commerce, Carmel Valley Chamber of Commerce and the Monterey County Better Business Bureau.