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22 + WATERLOO CHRONICLE + Wednesday, November 14, 2007 en the Smrcek family Waw a sign that said Luci‘s Mudhouse was closing, they knew they had to do someâ€" thing. They had always enjoyed visitâ€" ing the ceramic art studio, in uptown Waterloo, where patrons can paint their own pottery. "We just thought, that‘s not very good news because we love this place and I‘m sure we‘re not the only ones," said Helen Smrcek, the studio‘s new owner. Luci‘s Mudhouse potteryâ€"painting studio offers fun for families Handsâ€"on fun They soon discovered that Luci Harmon, who opened the doors to Luci‘s Mudhouse 10 years ago, was looking for a potential buyer to takeover her business. And that‘s just what Helen and her husband Martin Smrcek did at the end of September. Helen has always enjoyed art, espécially pottery and painting. But it was the fun the family had at Luci‘s that inspired them to pursue this venture. Customers can either drop into the studio, at 22 Regina St. N., at their convenience, or book a group event. It‘s a popular place for birthâ€" day parties, work functions and field trips, among others. Upon arrival, customers select a piece of fired pottery from a small showroom that holds a wide selecâ€" tion of items. For starters, there are everyday pieces, such as mugs, plates and serving platters. Kids enjoy paintâ€" ing piggy banks, critters and jewelâ€" ry boxes. And for your pet, there are bowls and bone jars. Plus, there are lots of pieces for the holidays. With Christmas right around the corner, there are ornaâ€" ments as well as themed Tâ€"pots, cookie jars and dishes. Right now there are also pieces for Hanukkah and Chinese New Year‘s. Customers then pick from 150 paint colours, find a workstation and start painting. â€" The finished pieces are ready for pickup one week later. Many of the customers are moms and daughters, and, in Helen‘s opinion, it‘s a great place for families to spend quality time together. "We believe in creating strong families, and working on an art piece together helps you to comâ€" municate and to create lasting By Jennirer OrmstoN â€" _ Chronicle Staff If you know a young person, aged 6 s & 22. se _ 10 17, who is invalved in worthwhile Ontario Junior Citizen of the Year Awards community service; a special ity Thme i t £ 5 , who is contibuting while “vinma The strength of our community lies in solid citizens. Today‘s youth are tomorrow‘s leaders. ( limitation; a vouth who has performed f an act of heroism; or a ‘good kid‘ who Follow the leader... leading by example ONTARIO JUNIOR CITIZEN on mnia) s Nominations will be accepted until December 28, 2007 OF THE YEAR AWARDS w,,w;sm then Contact this newspaper or the Ontario Community Newspapers Sponsored bv:i:;’j Canada Trus age â€" help us recognize their Association at www.ocna.org or 905.639.8720. j paxm-mminahthemfioday! n i e n L s o Coâ€"ordinated by: Amnenga Her nineâ€"yearâ€"old daughter Christine agrees, saying she has always enjoyed coming to Luci‘s because she gets to talk to her parâ€" ents and brother, Peter. bonds," she said. "It‘s fun and (the pottery‘s) something you can keep for a very very long time," she said, adding kids should always remember not to apply dark paints on top of lighter ones because they‘ll cover up their designs. The new owner of Luci‘s Mudhouse, Helen Smrcek, photographed with her daughter Christine, 9, has lots of plans for the handsâ€"on ceramic studio, at 22 Regina St. N. She finds inspiration in other people‘s pieces, and customers can either paint freeâ€"hand designs or use stencils. Kids aged two to five can get their hands dirty at Luci‘s on Wednesday mornings from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., when Helen holds Mud Pie sessions. Mom‘s Mornings are for moms ACCEPT THE CHALLENGE â€" NOMINATE SOMEONE TODAY! Nominations are now being accepted for the Ontario Junior Citizen of the Year Awards BUSINESS of babies under two on Tuesdays. Moms bring their children and spend an hour painting and chatâ€" ting over coffee. Parents can also drop their kids off there for winter camps over the Christmas holidays and March break. More information will be available on Luci‘s website, at "It‘s fun and (the pottery‘s) something you can keep for a very very long time." â€" Christine Smrcek Young pottery fan HOnsTaE www.lucismudhouse.com, later this month. Helen is also looking at lining up sessions for seniors, who typiâ€" cally enjoy visiting Luci‘s with their grandchildren to paint gifts for relâ€" "So it becomes a family affair, a crossâ€"generational thing when they can work together and create something beautiful, and it‘s a great keepsake for the family," she Making the studio more accesâ€" sible to people with special needs is another priority. . 0_ â€" "We do have a few clients with special needs who come in, and they love their pieces. They take great pride in creating something that‘s meaningful to them and it lasts," Helen said. Kids can have their picture taken with Santa Claus at the stuâ€" dio‘s first annual food bank drive, to be held on Nov. 17 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., for $1 plus a nonâ€"perishâ€" able food item. All Christmas stock will be 25 per cent off at that time. Prices at Luci‘s are based on the piece of pottery a customer choosâ€" es, plus the amount of time they spend painting. Pottery costs range from $2 for magnets and ornaments, to $6 for children‘s figurines, to $40 for platâ€" ters. Adult studio fees are $8 an hour, seniors and students are $6 and children are $5. Monthly passâ€" es are also available. Luci‘s Mudhouse is open for extended hours in November and December, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Tuesdays, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Wednesdays to Saturdays and noon to 6 p.m. on Sundays. é&)cna JENNIFER ORMSTON PHOTO