Porcelain By De Long | Hand-painted Porcelain Baby Shoe Keepsakes

About China Painting
Hand Crafted One Brush Stroke At A Time.

The porcelain products start as plain white or off white objects that are made from porcelain clay using a process called 'slip casting' (which is an art form in itself). They have a bisque (or matte) finish.

China painting is a decorative art that has been around for centuries. Dorothy paints the flowers or scene directly on the bisque free hand, then it is 'fired' at temperatures ranging from 1300 to 1700 degrees, depending on the colors used and other factors. She will paint and fire several more times until she is satisfied with the results.

The china paints she uses are made from a mixture of different kinds of minerals (for color), a specially ground glass (as a flux material), and a medium to suspend the paint on the porcelain until it is fired. This firing causes the paint to permanently bond to the porcelain. In addition to the many paint colors we use, there are many painting techniques. Raised enameling can be used to enhance flowers, scenes or snow. Scrolls are sometimes used to form a frame. (Decals are never used.)

Because they are painted free hand each piece of porcelain painted by Porcelain by DeLong is unique. Dorothy paints with the hope that the hand-painted piece of porcelain you chose will be a treasured keepsake for years to come.
Painting a Porcelain Baby Shoe KeepsakeStep by Step

Step 1
First Fire
It requires four firings in a kiln which heats the shoes between 1300 and 1700 degrees Fahrenheit to complete each baby shoe. Pictured here is the first step. On the girls shoe pink roses painted on the toe and the left hand side. The boys porcelain baby shoe has blue forget-me-nots in the same locations. Once the flowers are painted the shoe is fired. That way the flowers won't be smeared during the next step or Stage 2.

Step 2
Second Fire
After the shoes have cooled from the first firing the foliage is painted and the flowers are touched up. Since all this work is done by hand no shoe is ever alike. Also, the shoe is signed at this stage. The signature is "delong" and is placed above a leaf on the left hand side.

Step 3
Third Fire
The porcelain baby shoes are now ready for personalization. At this stage the inscription with your baby's vital statistics - name, birth date, weight and length - is added as well as some detailing using a ink drawing pen nib and china paint.

By the way, these shoes make great patient gifts. An inscription is added to the bottom of the shoe with the name of the doctor and the practice office. Please contact us for more information.

Step 4
Last Fire
In this last and final stage the flowers are highlighted with white enamel and fired for the last time. The enamel work is done separately because it is fired at a lower temperature than the regular china paint. The shoe is now finished and ready to be shipped.
Porcelain Painting
Take a look and enjoy!

Dorothy's History with Porcelain Baby Shoe Keepsakes
In Part One of this Three Part Series Dorothy De Long shares how long she has been china painting on bisque porcelain - over 45 years! She will also demonstrate her specialty, painting personalized Porcelain Baby Shoe Keepsakes to celebrate the birth of little one's.
China Painting Technique
In Part Two of this Three Part Series Dorothy De Long demonstrates her technique to paint the delicate flowers and the foliage that adorns the porcelain baby shoe she is painting and discusses firing and durability.
Personalizing the Porcelain Baby Shoe Keepsake
In Part Three of this Three Part Series Dorothy De Long talks about how she customizes each Porcelain Baby Shoe Keepsake. She typical freehand writes the baby's name, birthday, height, and weight with a pen and china paint but also discusses some options for customizing the shoe.