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4 saturday april 1 2003 economist sun stouffville tribune diversions all fired up doityourself ceramic have young old in a glaze by patrick mangion siaff writer white ceramic fig urines of warlocks puppy dogs vases and plates line the shelves their smooth unfinished surfaces and careful detail beckon for colour to bring them to life there is nothing new about making and decorating ceramics mind you ancient civilizations did it out of necessity for years but in todays doityourself ceramics world there has been a shift from utilitarian to pastime generally my main cus tomers are mom and the kids mostly women says madison hoffman owner of your fired in richmond hill on yonge street just north of major mackenzie drive endless streams of traffic buzz by the store while inside one of the earliest products of civilization manifests itself in endearing keepsakes only a parent could appreciate customers can walk in pick from an inventory of hundreds of items and with a tip or two and some paint end up with a person alized item for the more artistically inclined hand drawing a design on an item of their choice before painting works well so does using the variety of stencils ms hoffman keeps on hand for the price of the ceramic rftem and a sitting fee which includes paint supplies and firing the piece in a kiln once complet ed customers can pick up their finished product about one week later the entire process is quite sim ple once the ceramic piece is painted ms hoffman applies a- pink glazeand the item is loaded into a kiln where dozens of geramic pieces are heated up to 2000c for 22 hours staff photomike barrett- meagan curran 13 paints her ceramic project at a birthday party at whatnots on main street in newmarket the glaze gives the final prod uct its shine and the firing process hardens the ceramics there are dozens of examples strewn throughout the studio and the storefront window these are mothers day gifts some kids did ms hoffman says pointing to a stack of plates deco rated with the type of creativity one would expect from five-year- olds next to the plates several can dlestick holders glisten with com binations of pastel and more tra ditional colours some 12-year- old girls spent an afternoon per sonalizing them in celebration of their bat mitzvah ms hoffman explains readymade dishware would be cheaper thats a given but youre making a one-of-a- kind item thats the appeal ms hoffman says kids wul come in and slap some colour on something grandparents die over that stuff it doesnt matter what it looks like its from the heart a large portion of ms hoffmans business is from chil dren and families your fired hosts as many as 16 childrens birthday parties per weekend the same can be said for one i of the newest additions to newmarkets historic main street a doityourself ceramics studio called vvthatnots sidestepping young children has become common practice for owner michelle claytonwood one after another on a warm sunny day young children file into the store for birthday parties and easter egg decorating after staking their place at one of the small tables and under the watchful eye of their parents the children scan a short section of shelves full of small trinkets to be painted deciding what to paint changes at a dizzying pace as they yell out their selections im going to do the puppy one little girl tells the group can i do the doggy bowl another child asks the larger more expensive items are out of reach on the top shelves for good reason eventually the commotion ceases and the children take their seats seemingly entranced by the prospect of paintladen hands and a personalized creation its a creative way for kids to see families page 25 sheryl greenspan notes on a napkin lengthy menu translates into many choices k06anei japanese seafood restaurant location 3901 hwy 7 west bdc building phone 9052652288 type japanese entree selection extensive and authentic hours monday to friday 1130 am to 11 pm saturday 1230 pm to 11 pm sunday 430 pm to 10 pm reservations recommended for private dining rooms and on weekends it may seem odd a japanese restau rant would thrive in the thick of woodbridge but koganei japanese seafood restaurant is an excellent example of what a japanese restaurant can and should be the atmosphere is simple under stated charm with clean lines and an almost austere appearance softening the look is beautiful japanese music in the background and private dining rooms that line one wall and run down a small corridor typical of- japanese restaurants the private rooms feature paper walls mat seating around a floor level table and the requisite silk slippers at the entrance the rooms are a treat for the japanese novice who wants to experience as well as taste authentic japanese cuisine leave plenty of time to get through the long diverse menu my dining com panions gave up after page five but i persevered and found some interesting gems hidden among the familiar udon noodles and tempuras and the three pages of sushi and sashimi the grill bar s see dessert page 25 i 1 1 i if 1 1 4 w i i m ii l fly to ottawa or sudbury from 99 one way jgg wearskinsklines discover the convenience of toronto buttonville airport located at hwy 404 and 16th avenue take advantage of free airport parking connections to sault ste marie north bay or thunder bay and collect aeroplan miles every trip the sooner you book the less you will pay lei the bear take you there call 905 4778035 or 18004652327 or book online at wwwbearskinairlinescom your travel agent can also tell you about all our great services aerobian j