r When I walked into Lulu’s, I wanted to make EVERYTHING I saw. From the “Spooky” wooden sign to the sparkly mermaid to the vintage Santa mug, Lulu’s offers everything you need to indulge your creative side. Plus, you can pay the studio fee to use all their fun supplies and not have to worry about making a mess at your house. I call that a win-win.rI was pretty excited because I was able to bring my daughters along when I went to Lulu’s. When I mentioned painting, they got very excited.r
rLulu’s Crafty Corner offer two types of crafts: wood items and ceramics (they have paints that can be fired to be food safe). I fell in love with all the Halloween wood signs (I’m a sucker for anything Halloween). Kathy informed me that they love Halloween around there. One thing that I love about Lulu’s is all the vintage designs. They have more than 700 vintage molds dating from the 1950s: the vintage Santa mug, the pitcher that looks like an old Log Cabin Syrup tin, or the Mexican hat-shaped chips and salsa tray. These amazing vintage finds are one of the things that really sets Lulu’s apart.r
rThe people that work there are amazing. Kathy and Shessan own Lulu’s but the real person in charge is Lulu, Shessan’s 6-year-old daughter. She is the perfect hostess. When we walked in, she greeted us and asked about our interests. She showed us the options that we might like and then suggested color combinations. She was a doll! When I was looking for a color, Kathy didn’t know it was there but Lulu did. I love that girl.rWith Lulu’s guidance, Olivia, my 3-year-old, chose a princess. She got bright, beautiful colors and went to town. Nothing really made sense but she painted it the way she wanted it. She loves her princess and she takes it with her everywhere she goes. Eliza got a wooden fish to paint. I loved the color combinations she chose: a turquoise blue, pearl and yellow. She got creative with the dripping paint for stripes and then added googly eyes and jewels.r
rI chose the spider web plate. I got excited seeing all the darling Halloween options. I chose the spider web plate because I thought it would be fun to put cookies on and eat on at Halloween time. I loved picking out my colors. I chose the glitter colors aquamarine and black web and then I did a pumpkin in the middle and spiders and ghosts. Painting was relaxing. You know how coloring is therapy? Painting is like coloring times 10. Just glide that brush over. Now imagine while you are painting you get to hang out with the girls, or a grandchild or your significant other. It is just plain fun.rOk. Treats. You won’t go hungry waiting for your paint to dry. They have a mini fridge stocked with water bottles, sparkling fruit juice, and these awesome sodas with crazy names. They also have treats from one of my favorite places: V Sisters. I reviewed them a few months back and their bakery items are divine. I loved the chocolate mint brownie. And you can’t beat the sugar cookie. Kathy told me they can order practically anything from V Sisters. So if you want to do a bachelorette party and order in dinner, you can.r
rNow for the backstory. Kathy and her sister Shessann grew up doing ceramics with their grandma and mom at a ceramics studio. Then one day, Shessann decided that she wanted to open a ceramics shop. They started looking around for molds to create ceramics. While they were searching, they found a gentleman who was selling his wife’s ceramic collection. It turns out that it was the same lady that they took classes from. They bought all of the molds, more than 700 total. The molds range from the 1950s until now. I loved all the vintage designs they have. Take, for example, the Mexican hat-shaped chips and salsa bowl. Or the 1950s vintage Santa mug. Or my favorite the mug with the scenic cow scene on it. Another classic is the pitcher that looks like an old Log Cabin Syrup tin. These amazing vintage finds are one of the things that really sets Lulu’s apart.rAnother thing I love about Lulu’s is that it is a fabulous place for gifts. They have the ultimate anniversary gift: you can bring someone in to paint a vase and then after they get it fired, a florist can fill it with beautiful flowers and deliver them. You can buy an item for a friend or loved one and give them a certificate to come in and use the studio supplies. Oh! And they do birthday parties. Boys love the dinosaurs or monsters.rLulu’s won me over. I loved being creative with my two daughters. We all had a blast and there was no mess to clean up. Pricing depends on the item you choose and you can pay a studio fee to use all the supplies. Head on over and get your creative on. Lulu’s Crafty Corner is located at 332 S. 100 West in Payson. They are open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. Check out www.luluscraftycorner.com.
