Glazetastic: The hottest place in town Explore Baltimore County
Even without firing up the kilns at their new store, sisters Trish Smith and Lisa Shipp own the hottest place in Sparks. Their pottery and glass studio, Glazetastic, has been open several weeks and it already has a large following.
They are booked on weekends for birthday parties, during which kids paint a piece of pottery or make jewelry out of glass. And the store's eight worktables are filled during twice-monthly ladies' nights, where women eat, drink and be creative.
"This is exactly what we hoped for," said Smith, of Forest Hill. "We knew if we offered a relaxing place to work on a craft at reasonable prices, people would find us."
"One person tells another and it's contagious," Shipp said.
Glazetastic, in the Sparks Village Shopping Center off York Road, offers a big selection of unfinished pottery ranging from a $6 child's cup to a $65 platter. The price of each piece includes paint and materials, studio time to paint, as well as glazing and firing. Customers pick up finished pieces at Glazetastic seven days after painting.
"The nicest thing is that there's no studio fee. You know before you start exactly what it's going to cost," said Jessica Hellman of Phoenix, who joined Monica Tillman and Nina Wetzel for ladies' night Jan. 29.
Each table of women came well fortified for the night. They sipped wine, soda, beer or water, and snacked on dips and munchies.
"We hit Wegman's before we came here," said Sharon Bailey, of Sparks, pointing to the sushi, olives, cheese and crackers on her table. She painted a big pasta bowl, while her daughter, Liz Bailey, a senior at Hereford High School, worked on a mug, and their friend Liz Ellis painted a flower-shaped bowl. "They have such a great selection of pottery here. We'll be back to do more."
