The most memorable gifts often are crafted by hand. Thereโs no talent required โ itโs the thought that counts.
Christie Marshall, owner of Fired Up! Joe Shmoeโs Art Studio, says the Christmas season is one of the shopโs busiest times. Her philosophy when opening the art studio 22 years ago was that any Joe Shmoe could create something special.
Customers come in to create platters, mugs, cookie jars, cups, plates, platters, Santas, reindeer, ornaments, snowmen, and ceram- ic trees, which the studio starts ordering in September. Choose a ceramic item, paint a design, and then it goes into the kiln and is ready to take home within a week.
โItโs a one-of-a-kind gift โ canโt get any more personal,โ says Marshall, a former dental hygienist. โAs a mom, I cry if I get gifts like that.โ
A more popular request is for children to create ceramic ornaments from their handprints, one of the few items the art studio makes itself. Children press their hand into clay, Marshall puts it in the kiln, paints an elf, reindeer, Santa Claus, or whatever they want onto the handprint, and puts the ornament back into the kiln. Marshall says that ornaments like these โ plus footprints for babies โ are often gifts for grandparents since โthe kids get to do it themselvesโ and, luckily, they โare usually not that messy.โ
โI have many repeat customers that have a collection and can see how their children have grown each year,โ Marshall says. Vintage Christmas trees, sporting a glowing star and lights, are another popular ceramic because of the nostalgia for childhood Christmases that they tap into.
โPeople go crazy over these trees,โ she says.
As Dec. 25 draws closer, Lana Mandel of Evansville, a Fired Up! customer, says it is โstanding room only.โ Mandel describes creating ceramics as โaddicting,โ while Janet Bullington, also of Evansville and a fellow regular, describes it as โrelaxing.โ The studio also hosts field trips, fundraisers, and workshops as well as many date nights.
โItโs an art outlet for all ages, from young children to senior citizens,โ Bullington says.
โPeople walk in off the street, [and itโs] incredible to see what they can produce,โ Marshall says.
FIRED UP! JOE SHMOEโS ART STUDIO
2121 N. Green River Road, Ste. D fireduppaintspottery.com
