When cousins Candy Beal and Debbie Hipp opened Crafter’s Heart Studio, they set out to cultivate a calming environment that allows those who step inside to explore their creative side through unique art classes.
Located in Robbins, Crafter’s Heart Studio isn’t your typical art studio. Rather than leaving with an acrylic painting that’s supposed to resemble Van Gogh’s “Starry Night,” participants will leave with a craft that they’ll use for years to come.
Candy and Debbie offer classes on everything from wreath making to seasonal sign painting at Crafter’s Heart. Their most recent crafts include 1960s-style ceramic Christmas trees — an item whose popularity has exploded — and vintage ceramic trucks.
“Canvas painting is fun while you do it, but what do you do with it when you get home? It’s like ‘okay that was fun, but that’s a really ugly cow,'” Candy said. “This is stuff you can hang up on your door and be really proud of and can use day to day or season to season.”
Candy owns the studio and Debbie, a retired middle school art teacher, teaches the classes. Crafter’s Heart has stayed consistently busy since it opened its doors in October.
The studio pays homage to Candy’s daughter Caroline, who passed away unexpectedly in March of this year. Caroline was a talented artist, and according to Candy, is the “Heart” in Crafter’s Heart Studio.
Though they’re focusing on Christmas at the moment, the studio is toying with the idea of hosting classes on barn quilt making and pillow stenciling following the holiday season.
“We just want people to have something that’ll help them escape the world,” Debbie said. “And art is so therapeutic.”
Ceramic tree painting classes at Crafter’s Heart are filling up fast, but the ladies are willing to open up a few slots — just give them a call at 910-569-7000, check them out on Facebook or browse their website for studio times.
Crafter’s Heart Studio is located at 105 S. Middleton St. in Robbins.