Express Yourself Ceramically

If you have youngsters and are looking for a crafts activity for them, or if you yourself are feeling craftsy, or if you've been looking for new ways to express yourself and you've yet to try to "say it with ceramics," y'all gotta hurry on down to Lindiwe Kamau's wonderful corner store on Nostrand at Rutland called "Expressions in Ceramics."

We just signed up our 4 year old for 10 sessions (up to 2 hrs each) for $80 (you read that right) to come in and make all kinds of fun stuff. Today she started making homemade ornaments out of clay. You cut 'em out and form them, then they get fired, then you paint them and voila...gramma cries when she opens the present! (That's how it's supposed to work; I'll keep you posted.) Then you're on to the next holiday...Valentine's Day I suppose.

Lindiwe is someone I've championed here before for her role as leader of the Nostrand Avenue Merchants Association. She's a real civic go-getter, organizer, and all around Trinidadian-American powerhouse. Her shop was something of a de facto campaign headquarters last fall, so I have a sweet spot for that too.

Seriously stop by, tell her the Q sent you, and sign on up. Note that she doesn't do the wheel - it's all hand stuff and painting. But you can get pre-made forms like plates and bowls and paint those if you're dying to get something utilitarian. It's really something anyone can do from the git-go. You can sign up in small groups if you want to turn it into a playdate so mommy/daddy can get a little time to themselves. You can even leave your kid there, as there's always teacher running things. You just call ahead to make sure the time is available. Pretty neat, right?