for a Chicago-based luxur y bedding
manufacturer. "I've always enjoyed
drawing
– that's always been something
that I've done in my f ree time," she said.
"I saw a video about how to make decals
and fire them onto ceramics. You needed
this big kiln. I just tried it. It was super-
cool, and I just thought, Oh my gosh, I
made
this – it's like a legit thing."
After a few years of pursuing her art as
an avocation, working in a studio she'd
set up with a used kiln that she purchased
with money she earned by making jewelry
and selling it to her f riends, she had
enough customers for her ceramics to
launch her business as a full-time
vocation. "I worked evenings and
weekends and watched it grow," she said.
"[Then] we got a house and a warehouse
space, and it's been a slow, organic
growth."
Steffen buys blank porcelain ware, and
she and her team print decals in their
Chicago-suburb studio and apply and fire
them into the ware, resulting in a product
that's dishwasher safe and, for most of
the items, also microwave oven safe. "That
was a big thing for me – the usability of
things," she said. Retail prices on the items
range f rom $15 to $90. Turnaround time
for stock items is usually one to three
days, with a five-day to seven-day
turnaround for custom items, which may
involve adding a client's name
to an item.
While
the porcelain items
are the heart of the collection,
Dishique also offers a range of
coasters and bar towels
coordinated with the designs
on the porcelain pieces. The
bar towels are 100 percent
cotton
and measure 20 inches
by
26 inches. They're machine
washable.
For more information, call
888.862.2616 or visit
www.dishiqueboutique.com. KN
www.kitchenwarenews.com • MARCH 2020 • KITCHENWARE NEWS & HOUSEWARES REVIEW
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