Special Mother’s Day Event at Mimosa Studios

Also, don’t miss our Mother’s Day event here at the studio. We provide refreshments while you paint with your family. $15/person minimum.

We have 3 sessions:

• 10am-12pm
• 12:30-2:30pm
• 3-5pm

Call 503-288-0770 to make your reservation! This event has sold out the past 2 years in a row, so don’t miss out!

Here are some tips on how to capture the best painted hand and foot prints on pottery.

• Children under 1 year don’t make very good hand prints. Foot prints are much easier on the little ones.
• Some kids are shy while others are excited to feel the squishy paint. We adjust the approach accordingly.
• Occasionally we have to re-do a print until we get it right. Don’t be afraid to ask for a re-do.  We simply wash the paint off, dry the pottery, and try again.
• If they are old enough, it’s fun to get the kids involved by choosing colors and planning the project.

Our studio manager, Allison, made a deal with Aaron. If he painted her foot, she could paint his. Mom definitely got a kick out of this and they now have a super footprint of Aaron’s foot!

This couple brought in their newborn to capture a footprint.  A perfect gift for grandparents!

Happy #2 Birthday, Lenora. And how cool will it be for her to see this plate in years to come?!

]]> http://www.mimosa-studios.com/2013/03/hand-foot-and-paw-print-perfection/feed/ 0 http://www.mimosa-studios.com/2013/02/spring-fever-hits-at-mimosa-studios-2/ http://www.mimosa-studios.com/2013/02/spring-fever-hits-at-mimosa-studios-2/#comments Wed, 27 Feb 2013 23:21:26 +0000 Leann http://www.mimosa-studios.com/?p=1899 Spring is just around the corner and Mimosa Studios is getting Spring Fever! We are stocking up on lots of fun items to celebrate good times ahead — flower pots, bird houses, gardening pails and critters in all shapes and sizes!

We have beautiful Seder Plates and Kiddush Cups for Passover which starts March 26. Easter Sunday is March 31, and we have lots of sweet bunnies and Easter eggs to paint. So come in now to make sure your tables are beautifully decorated with your handmade art!

March 25-29 is Spring Break!

We will be offering daily giveaways and drawings for cool art supplies and will have snacks and treats all week. Plus, everything will be 10% off, March 25-29.

“Craft materials include bottle corks and soy wax and bisque platters ready for little hand-prints. They also include sketch paper, fabric pieces and mugs awaiting decoration. Creative ideas take shape around the array of ink stamps, colored pens, specialty tapes and jewelry pieces available in local craft shops, say the owners of Collage and Mimosa Studio, both at Northeast 17th Avenue and Alberta Street.

The non-profit ScRAP, 2915 N.e. Martin luther King Jr. Blvd., can’t keep up with the demand for corks, just one of the materials for arts, crafts and offices donated to it by businesses, community groups and individuals. The reusable supplies are low-cost; and, meeting a major goal of ScRAP, they don’t line a landfill.

Whether it’s creativity or do-it-yourself impulses, Portlanders are seeking not only craft supplies but also classes that teach them new techniques, said Maria Raleigh, the owner of Collage, which she opened in 2004. The $5 Fridays and $10 Tuesdays classes, including supplies for the 90-minute sessions, regularly sell out, she said. embroidered heart pillows, glass etching and Valentine’s Day cards are among scheduled subjects. longer classes, lasting two to six hours with costs ranging from $20 to $70, include encaustic painting, basic calligraphy and beginning soldering.

At Mimosa, which owner Austin Raglione opened in 2001, staff members always are available to help customers paint a bisque bowl or butter dish. Then the item is fired for a shiny finish. The staff also helps with children’s birthday parties centered around ceramics painting. Adult parties can reserve the studio, too; and office groups can schedule team-building events around pottery projects. Collage also schedules adult and children’s parties around a craft, but ScRAP gatherings focus on children, who learn how to reuse materials creatively and are introduced to other sustainable habits, said Stephanie Stoller, the store director. craft classes may offer more than instruction, Raleigh suggested. “I think there’s a social aspect to it,” she said. “There’s a feeling of building a community. You’re learning with other people, and there’s something that people get from that.”

At Mimosa, said Raglione, people sit together, almost as if at a dinner table, while they explore what they can do with the materials. “There’s a sense of community,” she said; “and people can bond here.” A frequent Mimosa customer, Dick Feeney, periodically paints with family members, including his four grandchildren. Feeney, whose professional life has been in public policy areas, including 25 years with Tri-Met, has artists in his family but never had time to pursue artistic interests while he was working fulltime, he said. In retirement, he started painting pottery to make gifts for his wife and other family members. He estimates he has produced 100 pieces in recent years. He was surprised, he said, when he received compliments on his work. “It’s affirming,” he said. “At my age, I need that. It gives me purpose, meaning and legacy.”

At ScRAP, said Marjorie Hirsch, a long-time customer who became a volunteer more than two years ago, she’s seeing young people revive the crafts that an older generation once did, such as embroidery.Hirsch, a fabric artist who managed the clark college gallery in Vancouver for a dozen years, said she appreciates ScRAP’s low prices for art and craft materials. A recent supply of stained-glass sheets sat at the back of the shop, not far from the barrel of leather pieces that some customers purchase for belts. ScRAP’s newest trend, Stoller said, is packaging related items, such as wrapping paper with gift tags, and small animals with items that might complete a collage.

At Collage, Raleigh said, new interests are miniatures for a terrarium or a three-dimensional diorama. Some crafters are assembling found objects and treasured items for a framed display with personal meaning. But what of all those corks that leave ScRAP at the rate of 25 cents for a handful or $4 for a filled grocery sack? They become miniature people or animals for some crafters. Near ScRAP’s cash register, Stoller pointed out, they are lined up in a frame to become a cork board.”

We love Valentine’s Day and we have stocked our shelves with hearts of all shapes and sizes! We have tons of choices for adorable hand made gifts for mom and dad, or come in yourself to paint something special for your sweetheart.

Special Valentine’s Date Night
Thursday, February 14th from 6-9 pm
Reservations recommended

Call us at 503-288-0770 or contact us online for reservations as space is limited. $15.00 minimum.

This inspiring program within the Children’s Cancer Association provides a supportive relationship for children undergoing cancer treatment. Children range in age from 2-21 and are matched with a trusted mentor who helps provide support and guidance as they go through the emotionally isolating and physically difficult treatment.

Here are some of the beautiful ornaments the kids created.

Chemo pals Chelsea and Bella

Austin and Allison helping out.

We asked Chelsea about her experience so far in the program:

How did you get involved with the organization?

I came back from France in summer of 2011 and knew I wanted to get involved volunteering somehow, I saw an opportunity while at PSU for the Chemo Pal Mentor Program and knew that that was the one!

My mother passed away in August 2010 from inflammatory breast cancer after being diagnosed with it in 2002. I remember people reaching out to my family through various programs, Meals on Wheels, etc., and thought this would be a good way to give back and somehow make cancer (as a general experience) a more positive thing.

How long have you been doing this?

I met Bella in the Spring of 2012 after I applying for Chemo Pals in the Fall of 2011. It took a bit of time to get approved because I had to make sure I had all the right immunizations.

How often do you meet with your pal?

Every two weeks, usually on Fridays. sometimes we have schedule conflicts but for the most part, twice a month.

What kinds of things do you do?

Play games, watch movies, chit-chat, do math homework or just lay back and work on a friendship bracelet.

Any thoughts on the experience you want to share with others?

I really would like to encourage others to join. Not all the kids have cancer, some just spend a lot, I mean A LOT, of time in the hospital from various diseases, so don’t worry about getting your heart broken. Also as much as it is for the kiddo, you’re there for the parents. If Bella’s mom can catch a quick 5 minute nap while I’m there then I’ve done my part.

$150 minimum for 1.5 hours of studio time. This minimum goes towards pottery. No minimum number of painters. Most weekdays evenings are available.

Hours

• AM parties are 8:30am-10am
• PM parties can be 6-7:30 or 6:30-8pm

Call 503-288-0770 to book the studio