Frequently Asked Questions For 3D Castings.

Will it hurt my baby/child?

Absolutely not. All materials that come in contact with the child's skin are completely organic and non-toxic. No known allergic reactions have been reported in hundreds of thousands of cases around the world. The process itself is very gentle - feeling like dipping your hand into luke warm yogurt. The only part of the process that can be tricky for a young child or baby is keeping still for the 1-2 minutes it takes to get a good cast. With babies we achieve this by trying to cast them when they are napping or having a feed or otherwise distracted by something they enjoy. With toddlers this is usually achieved with a mixture of distraction, bribery (choccy biccy or whatever their favourite treat is) and firmness (parent holds child firmly by the wrist or ankle to help them keep still). With older children usually an explanation of what they will achieve or a small treat is enough to persuade them and we work at floor level (or their preferred height) so they are as relaxed as possible. Remember that although your baby may cry, they are not being hurt in any way - simply annoyed with you for making them do something strange or possibly just confused that one moment they can wiggle that thing on the end of that other thing they have and suddenly they can't wiggle it any more. For 1-2 minutes of annoyance, you and they will get a lifetime of pleasure from capturing their tiny hand/feet/bottom in totally realistic sculpture. It is something you and they could never regret having done, and will provide endless fascination to them as they grow and compare the size of their hand/foot 'now' to how sweet and small it was 'then'.

How long does the casting session take?

To take the cast itself can take only a few minutes. However, I like to leave 30 minutes for casting sessions to enable you and your child to relax, talk through the process, check the size and shape of the area you wish to be cast, etc. For babies this can be important because they can take a while to settle and it's amazing how strong a baby can be when it wants to be wiggly! It's good to have that extra time not to feel rushed, as casting is in some ways like taking a 3d photograph - if someone moves even slightly during a photograph you can see it's them but it's slightly blurred, losing crisp detail. The same is true of casting - the stiller the baby or child, the better the results. So with team effort and good timing we try a few different methods to get the best from your child. 

What should we wear?

Both you and your baby should wear clothes that 'don't matter'. Casting can be a messy business and no matter how carefully we try to cover you up, one swift kick of a baby's foot can get you covered in 'goop'. The casting material does come out of some cloth with a process of rubbing with Fairy Liquid or other similar washing up liquid once it has dried, but who wants the bother of extra laundry nonsense when you can just come in something old and tatty and relax throughout the whole process.

What if my baby/child won't hold still long enough to be cast?

Well, although 1-2 minutes sounds like no time at all to an adult, it can on rare occasion be too much for a little one to cope with keeping still for on their own, particularly older babies or toddlers who are not old enough to understand but old enough to have an opinion about what's happening to them. For this we can try using distraction techniques to help us through this. Bring there favourite snacks or toys along with them.

 I want my baby cast to have an open hand, not a fist.

With little ones, there is no guarantee of pose. 99% of baby casts will end up in a clenched or loose fist shape because babies have an instinct to 'grip' items placed into the palm of their hand - and when they feel the cast gel, it triggers this gripping reflex. We can try our best to achieve an open hand, but this can never be guaranteed.

When will the finished sculpture be ready for collection?
This depends on whether you have chosen to have a plain or decorative finish, freestanding or on a base, etc. Casts can take 4 weeks to fully dry before we can start the decorative finish. So we recommend to book in plenty of time. Our average turnaround time is 4 – 6 weeks.

What options can I choose from?

We have a variety of colours for frames and plinths that you can choose from. The cast itself can either be white, silver, gold or bronze. All details will be taken at the time of booking.

What happens if the cast doesn’t work?

We will know within 2 days if the casting hasn’t taken well. We will contact you and re-book an appointment to take another cast. This is free of charge.