Frequently Asked Questions

All of my clay figures are made using high quality polymer clay, specifically Sculpey Premo. Figures with a shiny finish are glazed with Sculpey Gloss Glaze. 

Polymer clay is a synthetic modelling clay made from plastic polymers, primarily polyvinyl chloride (PVC). It also contains plasticizers, oils, binders, fillers, lubricants, and pigments. 

Properly cured polymer clay is strong and durable and it can withstand everyday use, with proper care, polymer clay figures can last you a very long time. It is recommended to avoid direct contact with sharp objects and prolonged exposure to water, harsh chemicals, and direct sunlight. If needed, wipe clean with a soft, damp cloth. 

All of our products are non-toxic. 

However, Sculpey’s clays and glazes have not been tested for direct and indirect contact with food and are therefore labeled as not food safe. As a result, our products are not to be ingested or combined with utensils or other items that directly touch food, or smoking materials, and are not to be placed inside aquariums. 

Non-toxic certification: 

Sculpey’s Health and Safety information states that Sculpey Premo and Sculpey Gloss Glaze are certified non-toxic and carry the AP (Approved Product) seal from the Art and Creative Materials Institute. They further state that their products comply with the phthalate and lead content restrictions of the Consumer Products Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (CPSIA), containing no more than 0.1% of any of the six phthalates restricted or banned by the regulations. They have fully tested their products to the global regulations and the toy safety standards and their formations and chemicals have been reviewed by the top toxicologists at Duke University as part of their membership with the Art & Creative Materials Institute.

Due to small parts, all of our products are not recommended for children under 5 as small parts can pose a chocking hazard. 

Under Sculpey’s Health and Safety information it states that all of their clay and glaze products are free from common allergens such as wheat, dairy, gluten, sulphur, nut, egg, tree oils, and are latex free. 

No. Under Sculpey’s Health and Safety information it states that none of their products are tested on animals.

No, Sculpey Premo is not vegan. 

Sculpey states,

" We understand that the vegan lifestyle its important to many of our customers, and as strive to be as transparent as possible about the ingredients in our products. While our polymer clays are not vegan and do contain animal-based ingredients, I want to assure you that none of our products are tested on animals. While we cannot share specific details due to proprietary reasons, we can assure you that we do not knowingly use animal products during the production process. However, it's important to note that we cannot provide a 100% guarantee that animal-derived ingredients are not included, which is why we do not specify it on the packaging "

Orders within Canada  

As our store is based in Canada, it is our responsibility to collect Sales Tax during checkout for orders within Canada. Product prices do not include sales tax, these will be automatically calculated at checkout. Sales tax rates depend on the province or territory the products are to be delivered to. 

The following sales tax rates are the current rates that will be applied at checkout and it will be based on the customer’s shipping address:

Alberta: 5% GST 

British Columbia: 5% GST

Manitoba: 5% GST

Northwest Territories: 5% GST

Nunavut: 5% GST

Quebec: 5% GST

Saskatchewan: 5% GST

Yukon: 5% GST

Ontario: 13% HST

Nova Scotia: 14% HST

New Brunswick: 15% HST

Newfoundland and Labrador: 15% HST

Prince Edward Island: 15% HST

As a new, and small business, for the time being we do not collect provincial taxes, these include PST for British Columbia and Saskatchewan, RST for Manitoba, and QST for Quebec. Customers in these provinces will not be charged an additional PST, RST, and QST. 

Orders within Canada

As our business is based in Canada, orders within Canada are subjected to shipping tax

Shipping taxes are taxes charged on shipping costs. Shipping taxes are additional taxes to sales tax, and are also not included in our product prices, shipping taxes are collected during checkout. 

The shipping tax rates are the same as the GST/HST sales tax rates, and will also depend on the province the products are to be delivered to. 

For example: 

If the customer lives in British Columbia and places an order for $37 and the shipping cost is $15, during checkout, the customer will be charged GST of 5% on the product (37 x 0.05 = 1.85) and GST of 5% on shipping costs (15 x 0.05 =0.75). The total taxes paid would be $1.85 + $0.75. 

These are the current shipping tax rates per province:

Alberta: 5% GST 

British Columbia: 5% GST

Manitoba: 5% GST

Northwest Territories: 5% GST

Nunavut: 5% GST

Quebec: 5% GST

Saskatchewan: 5% GST

Yukon: 5% GST

Ontario: 13% HST

Nova Scotia: 14% HST

New Brunswick: 15% HST

Newfoundland and Labrador: 15% HST

Prince Edward Island: 15% HST

As a new, and small business, for the time being we do not collect provincial taxes, these include PST for British Columbia and Saskatchewan, RST for Manitoba, and QST for Quebec. Customers in these provinces will not be charged an additional PST, RST, and QST on shipping costs.

I do offer international shipping outside of Canada. If you do not see your country when placing your order, contact me and I can add your country to my shipping zones. 

Our business is based in Canada. Any international orders outside of Canada are subjected to customs duties and import taxes upon delivery.

Custom duties and import fees are not collected during checkout*. It is the responsibility of the customer to pay these fees upon delivery of their product. 

All products at Yoisu Studio are given a Harmonized System (HS) Code for international shipments. This helps avoid non-compliance penalties, border delays, seizure of products, or denial of import. 

Please note: 

If customs duties and import fees are not paid by the recipient upon delivery of their shipment, they will be unable to receive their package and their package may be held for a limited time until fees are paid. If the fees are not paid, the package will be returned to the sender. 

*Update October 1, 2025:

As of August 29, 2025, de minimis doesn't apply to shipments to the United States. Duties and import taxes will now apply to all U.S. imports, regardless of the value of the shipment. Duties and import taxes for U.S. will be collected at checkout. Shipments will be sent as DDP (Delivered Duties Paid). 

International orders outside of Canada are not charged sales tax or shipping tax. These are not included in product prices and are not collected during checkout. 

Orders outside of Canada are subjected however to customs duties and import fees which are the responsibility of the recipient to pay upon delivery.

As each piece is hand sculpted individually, and depending on order volumes, I may not get to work on your order straight away. However, I am committed to have your products shipped within two weeks upon receiving your order. 

Our website has been set up to provide customers with live shipping rates which are pulled directly from shipping couriers. During check out, customers can select their preferred courier and shipping options. Shipping costs are calculated based on weight, size, and destination. 

Delivery times depend on the destination and shipping method selected at checkout. Estimated delivery times should be displayed under shipping options during checkout before placing your order. 

Please note that shipping times may be affected by customs, as well as any unprecedented delays or issues. 

I stand by my promise to deliver quality. Every product is individually handcrafted with love and care, and it is not shipped to the customer until it has passed all quality checks and tests. Packaging materials are also carefully selected to ensure a safe delivery and avoid damages during transit. For this reason I do not issue standard refunds, returns, or exchanges. 

However, if you believe there are true quality issues with your product please contact me, I am committed to working with you to ensure you are happy with your purchase! 

Packaging materials are selected carefully to protect any product from damages during transit. Unfortunately, once orders are shipped out they are out of my control and I cannot guarantee the packages won't arrive damaged or be lost or delayed. 

Please contact me for any damaged, lost, or delayed packages. I am committed to working with you to ensure you are happy with your purchase! 

Note: 

If your package is delivered damaged, please take pictures of the package and the product immediately upon delivery.

If an undelivered/ unclaimed package is returned back to me, I will provide you with a full refund minus shipping costs and any unprecedented fees.

In essence, polymer clay is a type of plastic, and due to its composition polymer clay cannot be recycled. 

At Yoisu Studio, a clean workspace is maintained to prevent cross-contamination between clay colors so that any scraps can be reused to minimize plastic waste. Products are also cured properly not only to deliver quality to our customers but to also minimize waste.

If well taken care of, polymer clay figures can last many years. Please consider reusing, repurposing, donating, or gifting any unwanted polymer clay items so they can become special to someone else and not end up in a landfill and hurt our environment.

At Yoisu Studio, most of our packaging is sustainable and environmentally friendly. We use biodegradable mailer bags, recyclable corrugated cardboard boxes, recyclable tissue paper, and thermal shipping labels.