From painting pottery to fusing glass, channel your inner maker at Fired Up!
Cassidy Chester was only 12 when her mom Linda, a graphic designer in Atlanta, decided it was time to leave the city and find an artful venture. When they packed the car and moved to Asheville, the stars aligned: a local paint-your-own-pottery (PYOP) studio, Fired Up Creative Lounge, was seeking new ownership.
“My parents wanted to be more hands on and do more creative stuff,” said Cassidy Chester, who manages the store, 14 years after the family moved to Asheville.
Visit the studio and you’ll be glad they took the leap. Fired Up!’s colorful, cozy atmosphere inspires creative expression, and Chester prides her family business as chock-full of passionate, helpful people.
Crafty Costs
Pricing at Fired Up! Creative Lounge includes all necessary materials, firings, and assistance. The exact cost depends on project activity and size, but here’s a general idea:
- PYOP: $14-$150, with most pieces between $20-$40.
- Glass: $15-$65
- Canvas: $25-30
- Wheel throwing: $55
- Clay hand building: $25 per pound
“We’re passionate about getting everyone to feel confident in what they’re doing,” she said. “We’re just really willing to help and make sure people are happy when they leave.” She’ll even offer a steady hand to PYOP customers who want something written on their creations. The writing assistance is a welcome and familiar challenge.
While PYOP is one of the store’s more popular offerings due to its accessibility, Fired Up! offers several craft creations to ignite your inner artist. Come for a self-guided canvas painting session to paint by your imagination or an outline, hand build with clay, or take a wheel-throwing lesson.
The studio’s most unique offering, though, is glass fusing. Start with a clear glass base–perhaps a pendant, a night light, or a dish–and glue colored glass pieces to the base in any design. When the piece is kiln fired (as any of the PYOP, wheel-thrown pottery, or hand-built clay pieces are) the colors will melt onto the base to create an eye-catching piece.
“Glass is really popular among returning customers,” says Chester. “That’s not always an option for people at other studios, and it’s an interesting thing we can offer that’s more accessible than they think.”
Fan the Flames of Creativity at Fired Up!
Once you’ve created your masterpiece, all that’s left for you to do is wait. Your piece will be available for pickup, following the firing, in about a week. The studio offers to ship for those who can’t make a second drive up Highway 25. Those who can make another trek will find a second crafty opportunity and a chance to try the Fired Up! staff’s favorite coffee across the street at Trade & Lore.
“Luckily, we’re surrounded by a lot of really good places [for food and drink],” Chester says. “I always tell people, ‘If you pick a direction and walk in that direction, you’ll find something you want.’”
Fired Up! Creative Lounge, 26 Wall Street, Asheville, 828.253.8181, fireduplounge.com/asheville
