 By: Danielle Kearns Can you tell we love beer? The whole point of art is to have another method of relaxation in this crazy world of ours. Beer just takes that to the next level. I've mad it a habit over the years to try as many craft breweries around Connecticut as I can get to. Most recently, I visited Labyrinth Brewery in Manchester. It was an otherwise quiet Thursday night, but you wouldn't have been able to tell that sitting at the bar. The place was packed from wall to wall with all different walks of life enjoying a pint, or a mug club, beer after work. The energy was both relaxed and energetic, a perfect synergy for the post-work crowd. The bar itself was dimly lit with their gothic lighting and decor. Dragons perched on the sides of taps while candles and lanterns alike flickered in the room. I am a particular fan of sours, so I especially loved their pink guava... enough to have two. But the tap list has a little bit for every palette. While sitting there, I couldn't help but notice just how historic and beautiful the architecture of the place really was. Labyrinth was started up by 3 friends in 2017, one of whom happened to be there that night and gave me a little insight. The building that makes up the taproom, production facility, and art gallery is over 135 years old. Manchester used to be known as a "mill town," so this building has been through it. When established, Chris, Sean, and Adam decided to keep the building as intact as they could and utilize the elements on the property itself. Trees had to be cut down in order to make parking spots, so they used those trees to make the bar, by hand, that spans the length of the facility. The space is beautiful and creates a warm and inviting atmosphere you should be sure to visit. We are proud to call Labyrinth Brewing Company one of our new partners in collaboration. save the date for our in studio tasting : june 14th preregistration is required for this event must be 21+
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By: Danielle Kearns A few weeks back, we had a 90s theme night at the claypen. I was in my element. I am a 90s kid at heart, and had way too much fun revisiting all the highlights of the era. And what’s even better? Some of those things are still around and well to this day! Did you hear that they tried to remove Friends from Netflix and it cost them a million to keep it available for streaming because people were going to boycott the service? It might seem crazy, but people feel really strongly when something from their youth is readily available to them, and then suddenly, might not be. It is the ultimate comfort blanket for any bad day. It is the familiar that we can quote backwards and forwards and bond over as a generation. While preparing for the event, I couldn’t-help-but-Carrie-Bradshaw wonder what the main icons would be that stuck out for these different groups of people. What for me was a decade filled with Girl Power and the launch of the internet, others remember the launch of Starbucks and the rise of Boy Band Power. Here are my best tips to throwing a proper 90’s theme party:
By: Danielle Kearns I solemnly swear that I’m a grown human with a major thing for Harry Potter, and there is no shame in my game, so don't try and Horcrux this up for me! No lie, I once spent over six hours at the Warner Bros. Studio Lot in London touring the real sets and original costumes from the films, so yeah, I’m sort of qualified to speak on this front. Harry is where it’s at. My generation grew up with the Hogwartians (is that a word?) and considered Harry, Ron, and Hermione as our own, personal friends. I am a Gryffindor, through and through, and I just need to share with you our newest claypen additions that I’m so psyched out of my mind about -- HARRY POTTER SILK SCREENS! This might be the best thing we've offered yet, in my nerdy opinion. Think of a silkscreen like the ultimate adult stencil. It’s made out of a super thin material with microscopic holes that allow paint through, but just enough for fine-detail work. You just use your fingertip to apply, peel the screen off, and you've got a pretty magical finished project that looks just like the real thing. This is the first time we've ever offered anything Harry Potter related, and we're super excited to see all of the majesty as each item comes out of the kiln. Choose whatever piece of pottery you'd like to paint that night and apply one of your favorite Harry Potter themed images and symbols faster than you can say Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans. Here's a list of some of our available silkscreen options:
Can you wear costumes? We hope you do! Can you bring food or drinks? You better. Will you be tested on your Harry Potter knowledge? You bet. We will be featuring some Harry Potter trivia throughout the night for some extra fun. Get ready for it! We hope to see you there. save the date: saturday, march 2nd sign up on our events page See you there, witches. (Muggles welcome too.) By: Danielle Kearns Somehow, Valentine’s Day is just around the corner. Don’t ask me how or when, because I honestly feel like the trick-or-treaters were at my door just yesterday. The turkey and stuffing leftovers are long past gone. I have mourned a thousand deaths after putting all of my Christmas decorations away, and here we are. My only saving grace after each holiday ends is focusing on the next one. If you read my last post, you would know I don’t consider the “big game” a personal sacrificial holiday, so I am moving onto the next big thing. I get it… it’s a “commercial” holiday that most people would rather skip over or make way too big of a deal over. I sit comfortably in the middle of these two forms of thought. Do I demand a bouquet of roses before I’m even out of bed in the morning on February 14th? No, but I’ve never had a V-Day where my honey didn’t get them for me, so I consider myself lucky. Do I need reservations at the fanciest restaurant this side of West Hartford? No, but I like food the other 364 days of the year, so I wouldn’t mind eating some yummy delights, indulging in some extra carbs, and toasting with some bubbly… but again, that’s pretty much me on a year-round basis. Valentine’s Day can be whatever you and your other half want it to be and make it to be. In my nearly six year relationship with my man, we’ve had all the versions of the holiday you might expect and, for that matter, never expect. Our first Valentine’s Day we shared together, I had the stomach bug. And not just your normal, 24-hour thing. I had this demon from Hell for 10 solid days. It was not glamorous. It was not fun. There was nothing dreamy about it, but we did spend some romantic nights on the couch catching up on TV and nursing some Gatorade instead of my champagne. We’ve gone for a paint night and painted opposite sides of a common canvas. It was cute, I got drunk, and his came out ten times better than mine… which happens all too often when we do anything artistic. (Don’t even get me started on how he can decorate a Rice Krispy treat like a work of art. It is insanely frustrated as a natural competitor, individual who works at an art studio, and a prior teacher.) Anyway… back to my point. I’ve had friends who could care less about the “holiday” and would be confused if their partner showed up with a card. No matter your opinion on the day, I’d like to give some suggestions on how you can spend it here at the claypen and some of the options for all the folks out there -- taken, single, or apathetic. Here’s what’s happening this month for Valentine’s Day: sunday, february 3rd mommy + me “my little valentine” friday, february 8th kids: craft LOVE party saturday, february 9th daddy breakfast date sunday, february 10th kids: best friends painting party wednesday, february 13th mommy + me “my little monster” thursday, february 14th date night (*2 separate sessions) friday, february 15th gal-entine’s day party sunday, february 17th state love board art wednesday, february 20th kids: yard bird saturday, february 23rd magic mike adult only night thursday, february 28th “just my type” platter As always, sign up for any of our classes online to reserve your spot. We are constantly updating our events on Facebook + Instagram, so follow us out there to keep an eye out for availability. Is your gift for your loved one a surprise? Items should be painted by Thursday, February 7th for a Valentine’s Day pick-up. Have your item hidden here until you need it. Last minute shopping? Items can be rushed for an additional fee. Happy Valentine's Day, friends! |
authorHi! I'm the resident blogger here at the claypen. Let's create something special, unique, and creative together full of love + heART. ♥ Dani 
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