Ghosts

This pair has been discounted to $80 (originally $120) because of three very minor cosmetic spots: two needle-tip sized raised dots on the surface, and one very small area on the back where the glaze is slightly thicker and a bit blotchy. These details are honestly hardly noticeable, but we like to be transparent.

Born from forgotten molds and brought back to life in clay, these handmade ceramic ghosts carry both history and spirit. Each one begins in a decades-old plaster mold that has already lived a long life, making every pour feel rare and fleeting. After careful trimming, smoothing, and layers of hand-applied underglaze, the ghosts are transformed through multiple firings into glossy, vibrant figures with personalities all their own.

No two sets ever emerge the same. The glaze tells its own story each time, sometimes moody and dark, other times playful and bright, ensuring that every group of ghosts is a one-of-a-kind edition. Because our molds can only be used so many times before they fade, these spirits are limited not just by design, but by the life of the mold itself.

Packaged with a handwritten card, these ghosties are more than seasonal decor. They are rare ceramic artworks, each carrying a piece of our story, crafted to last long after their first haunting.

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A Note From Our Studio

Your purchase means the world to us. Every piece you adopt supports our small ceramic studio, helps us keep creating, filming videos, and sharing the magic of clay with the world. We feel incredibly lucky that people enjoy what we do as much as we love doing it, especially as we honor the legacy of Roxie, whose molds continue to inspire us. Opening each new mold is a surprise, a thrill, and a reminder that we are all along for this wild, creative ride together. Each figure is signed Asti & Joel, so you will always hold onto a piece of this story, a little bit of our hands, hearts, and history. Your support brings us genuine joy, fuels our passion, and keeps this beautiful journey unfolding. Thank you for being part of it.

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The Crafting Process

Each piece begins with liquid earthenware slip poured into a vintage plaster mold. After sitting for about 20 minutes, the excess slip is poured out, and the mold must rest until the next day before it can be opened. This waiting period ensures the clay is firm enough to release cleanly without warping. Because the mold needs time to dry out between pours, we can only use each one once a day.

The molds we use are vintage and hard to find, often decades old and already well-loved before they came to us. Makers say a plaster mold can only withstand about 100 pours before it loses its detail, which means every cast we make carries both the history of its past use and the knowledge that the mold’s life is limited.

Once removed, the piece is carefully trimmed and then smoothed with a sponge or a damp paintbrush to ensure a clean finish. This slow and detailed process requires patience and precision. After drying completely, it is bisque fired, then sanded on the bottom to ensure a smooth and even base. Before painting, the piece is thoroughly cleaned so no dust or particles remain that could interfere with the finish.

Only then is it thoughtfully hand-painted with underglazes. Most pieces receive three or more detailed coats, with a heat gun used between layers to fully dry them before the next coat is applied. Sometimes a clear coat is added on top to seal in the colors and add depth before the final firing.

It returns to the kiln for a glaze firing, where it transforms into a vibrant, durable, and silky-smooth ceramic figure. After this stage, the base is lightly sanded again so that the Asti & Joel signature feels smooth to the touch. If adorned with luster or gold accents, it undergoes a third firing to achieve its shimmering finish.

There are so many steps along the way, and at any point something can go wrong. A piece might crack while drying, break when being trimmed, or chip in the kiln. Glazes can also react in unexpected ways, sometimes ruining hours of work. Because of this, when a piece finally comes through every stage perfectly, it feels like a small miracle. That unpredictability is part of what makes ceramics so rewarding, and it is also why each finished piece feels so special.

Once complete, each piece is photographed so it can be added to the shop. We also edit and prepare our content at this stage, making sure everything is ready to share alongside the release.

Before shipping, every piece is carefully cleaned, wrapped for protection, and paired with a handwritten card created just for you. Finally, it is packaged with care and sent on its way from our tiny studio to your home.

Because our work often comes directly from the mystery molds you have seen in our videos, many of these figures are never recreated or appear only once in a very limited run. Each one has survived a long and delicate journey to exist at all, which makes it rare by nature. We love knowing that in the future, if someone discovers one of our pieces and looks up “Asti & Joel,” they can find the videos showing exactly how that mold was poured and brought to life. Each figure becomes more than just a ceramic object, it is a rare and lasting piece of our story that continues on long after it leaves our studio.