UPDATE: After being on the road for years, we are so happy for our friends at Studio Hue as they open their first brick and mortar location! Check them out at 50 Broadway in Buffalo. More HERE.
It all started as a hobby.
And it turned into a fun, creative, and very successful business venture. Three ladies Tina Rigley, Christine Sugrue and Alicia Hark – are the masterminds behind StudioHue DIY Parties and Workshops. Actually, they’re called pARTies. Just so you know… 🙂
Alicia was an IT Manager at YMCA Buffalo Niagara – but, she wanted to do something to help nurture her artistic side; maybe a little less left brain, more right brain, “It got me thinking, wouldn’t it be cool to feature a variety of DIY projects instead so every time you went, you could make something different. I pitched my idea to some friends and StudioHue was born in May 2015!” She teamed up with the other ladies – and it was a perfect threesome. Christine recently finished her MBA at UB and brings her business background, while Tina’s career in counseling and welcoming personality shines through at events. And Alicia is the tech-savvy one who manages the website and database.
I know! Three smart, talented, and creative ladies. They say they work best when they’re all together; brainstorming. They pull inspiration from everywhere and everyone.
I know what you’re thinking – I can’t make that. Well, no worries. Alicia promises you can. “We try to make our craft pARTies as easy as we can so guests with no artistic abilities or the next Picasso can both create a beautiful finished product. Our patient and attentive team members provide step-by-step instructions as well as all the materials needed for each class. If my mom can come to our classes and leave with something she loves, ANYONE can!”
The ladies love watching customers see their finished artwork, “We LOVE watching people peel off their stencils – yup, stencils, told you we make things easy – at the end of a party. You really can’t tell how the finished project is going to look until everything is painted and revealed from underneath the layers of stencils and paint. When our DIYs begin slowly peeling their stencils back, you can see all their anxiety turning into excitement! It’s awesome! People are always so amazed that they were able to make such a cool DIY project themselves and can’t wait to show their friends.”
The truth is … it all comes down to some serious City love,”We love Buffalo and everything about it! We love Buffalo’s rich history and are thrilled about its resurgence! Many of our projects include Buffalo-themed options and crafters love it.”
The ladies say the best part of their pARTies is that although everyone is creating the same project, they all come out a bit different, “DIYers have the opportunity to add their own details and personality to their project so each design comes out unique. We’ve have met so many great people along the way that are really into what we do. We definitely have groupies – we like to call them entHUEsiasts – who have been to over a dozen classes!”
The crew is busy for sure. They have house parties and travel to local bars, restaurants and other local establishments, “We try to select venues with plenty of space, good lighting, and most importantly a fun atmosphere. We want to be at places where people can enjoy a night out and have fun while DIYing! It is also important for us to partner with places that are located in a variety of areas around WNY so our parties can be accessible to northtown and southtown DIYers alike.”
And if they aren’t busy enough with the traveling studio, they’re opening a brick and mortar to add to the fun, “We have so much community support and work with so many great partners, we would not have been as successful as we are without them! We love traveling, and will continue to offer parties at local venues, but are thrilled to put down roots in downtown Buffalo with our own studio this fall at 50 Broadway!”
How about that for some good news.
The ladies are proof that if you dream it, you can live it! Congratulations!
For more information – head over to StudioHueEvents.com
I thought it sounds like a lot of fun. What is the cost?