Dirty Valentine's Day

This year on Valentine's Day we decided to do something a little different. In the past we have offered studio rate specials but this year we wanted to capture the essence of couples and give them something fun to do on their special night out. We racked our brains to come up with something and then after a conversation with Paul Chisholm (a local potter) the idea hit us, a wheel throwing night based on the famous scene from the movie Ghost. The name Dirty Valentine's Day fit perfectly since it would catch people's attention, but also really speak to the theme behind the event, getting your hands dirty with wheelthrowing and handbuilding.

The evening consisted of hands on wheelthrowing with Paul, learning handbuilding techniques to create your own one of a kind coil pot and the chance to paint His and Her mugs. All three projects could be done at your own pace and the enviroment was warm and inviting with snacks and lots of laughter.

Each of the couples got a chance to create their very own bowl on the wheel and experience the process of transforming a slab of clay into a work of art. It was such a hit that after the event Paul and I talked about offering a workshop like this going forward on a monthly basis. And we knew exactly what to call it, Dirty Date Night.

For more details on the next upcoming Dirty Date Night, visit the event calendar on our website.

McKinley Co-op Preschool Field Trip

There's nothing like starting out your morning with the energy of 20 four year olds! The Preschool class from McKinley Co-op visited the studio for a special tile project this week. We painted 6" tiles with the kids starting out with all of our light colors first and then proceeding to give them darker colors for the stamps and stencils they picked out. Once all the tiles were painted our staff came around and placed the name and year on each tile so parents would have a reminder of how old their little one was when they created such a masterpiece.

Creatopia field trips are a blast! We can either come to you or you can bring the party to our studio. We offer great projects for the kids to do and make these simple for all kids and parents involved. Everything is ready for pick-up one week from the date it is painted for you to take home and enjoy or giveaway to a loved one.

Interested in putting together a Field Trip, possibly for Mother's Day? Contact the studio or visit our website for more details!

Happy 2008!

Hello Pottery Fans!

Phew, I can't believe that January has already come and gone. We had a fabulous year in 2007 and so much in store for you in 2008 at Creatopia Pottery! We're excited to begin the new year with new goals in mind for the studio and new ways to help serve you better. We will be launching new Birthday Party packages, offering more camp programs and exploring ways to go GREEN!


I would like to start the year off with a group of fiesty ladies who visited our studio recently. They were part of a Red Hat Ladies group and we had a blast working with them on creating some wonderful pieces. Let me tell you this group was energized and my staff had a hard time keeping up with them! What a group of wondeful ladies - we can only hope for more events with this much excitement throughout the year! If you, or someone you know is looking for a fun Red Hat Ladies event location be sure to have them visit our website or give the studio a call at (734) 453-8797!

Have any comments or suggestions for our studio? Feel free to email me at jessica@creatopiapottery.com ~ I would love to hear from you!

On your mark, get set, GO!

What could be more empowering than seeing hundreds of girls getting ready to experience their first running event with parents, coaches, brothers and sisters cheering them on! On Sunday October 28th Creatopia Pottery headed out to create Halloween themed Critter Tiles in Ann Arbor for the Haunted Hustle, a Girls on the Run sponsored event at Pioneer High School. My family was in town visiting from Illinois and my mom graciously volunteered to join me. It was one of those cold fall mornings and we pulled ourselves out of bed at 7:00am to be set-up and ready in time for the event and what an event it was! We had a blast talking with family members and hearing stories about fathers and daughters racing together for the first time. While the older girls were running their hearts out we spent time with the little ones placing their fingerprints on tiles and making them into everything from witches, to bats and pumpkins, keeping with the Halloween theme. As the runners came in, the line at our table grew and we were working double time to keep up with the crowd. The coolest thing was when one of the moms said, “Can you put my race number on the tile, I want to keep this as a memory of this event with my daughter”. How awesome is that! Not only did we enjoy participating and supporting such a great cause, but the people there were so gracious and appreciative of our time and effort.

Girls on the Run® of Southeastern Michigan (GOTR SeMI) uses the power of running to change the way girls see themselves and their opportunities! It is an innovative health education and wellness program that uniquely combines training for a 3.1 mile run/walk event with life-changing, self esteem enhancing lessons that encourage healthy habits and an active lifestyle in 8-12 year old girls. Girls learn to stretch themselves - physically, mentally, socially, and emotionally - and in the process, are inspired to a lifetime of self respect and healthy living! For more information on GOTR SeMI click here!

Anya's Birthday Party

Did you know that Creatopia hosts over 100 Birthday Parties a year! That's a lot of cake and brownies :) From paints and brushes to stencils and stamps, Creatopia provides everything you need to create a GREAT Birthday Party!

Just recently we hosted Anya's Birthday Party here at the studio. It was planned perfectly by the Birthday mom, cute ponies for the girls to paint and t-rex's for the boys along with a face painter who the birthday mom hired to entertain the younger siblings. What a blast the kids and parents had, a perfect opportunity to bring the family together.

It was so great to see friends and family reunite and share stories from their past week right here in the studio. What a fantastic reminder of how important it is to embrace our family (yes even your crazy cousin) and share our celebrations of life together. I was honored to be part of this family celebration and as they say, here at Creatopia, "mi casa es su casa".

Who is that crazy owner of Creatopia Pottery?

Hello, my name is Jessica Perlman and I am the studio owner of Creatopia in Downtown Plymouth! I graduated with a degree in Communications, worked for GM as a Project Manager and then ePrize, a small internet start-up for a few more years after that. I enjoy business just not the kind of business that tucks you away in a cubicle, I needed something more creative. Something with good energy that would remind me how important it is to do what you love, because life is to short. Thus Creatopia Pottery was born, and the entrepreneurial adventure began.

I have always been good with arts and crafts, giving homemade gifts to just about everyone in my family, so the pottery studio seemed like a perfect fit. Over the past year and a half I have educated myself on the process and methods of running a contemporary studio and learned so many lessons along the way. I’m a marketer, accountant, boss, customer service rep, party host, wife and tri-athlete. I created this blog to share my story with you and give you a sneak peek at the life of a business owner trying to navigate my way through this crazy world of entrepreneurship. My door is always open to suggestions, questions, critiques, ideas and opportunities and I look forward to hearing from you!