Since this blog category is called GLITTER, it made sense that my VERY FIRST POST ON SRK (insert cheering noise here) would be about glitter. i love it, i craft with it, i decorate with it, and i can't get enough of it. i know there are some people who absolutely hate it, but... those people just don't know how to sparkle!
Last year my little family moved to Winter Haven FL from Siesta Key. This was a few months before the Red Tide catastrophe began, and we were devastated about leaving our beloved beach. Although we were closer to Disney (score!), i thought there was nothing that would capture my fancy- and my debit card- like the magical shops in Siesta Key Village did. I was wrong.
The store is called Glitter Hippo, and i came across it almost by accident- literally! i was driving around getting to know my new neighborhood (aka "where is the closest Publix") when out of the corner of my eye i saw a billboard with the words "Got Glitter?" Well damned if i didn't almost crash my car then and there. Because no, as a matter of fact i did NOT have glitter (well? not in my car!) and at that moment in time there was nothing my homesick heart needed more...
So the first time i visited the brick and mortar shop was on the 4th of July, and boy did i see fireworks!! The storefront itself wasn't very big, and most of the space was being used for production and processing. But they still had a respectable area for immediate purchase items, and never had i been so in love with sparkle! i couldn't believe all the different textures and colors to choose from- and the names! Marshmallow Madness, The Sky Is On Fire, Champagne Supernova... and my personal favorite, The Cool Side of the Pillow- they all rang with the creative possibilities held inside each and every bag. i couldn't get enough! Good thing too, because little did i know just how much more there was to discover...
Glitter Hippo is the little sister of solarcolordust.com. Both companies were founded by Wolf Voigt, who started them to offer artists and crafters alike the kind of special color effect products he wished he could find on retail store shelves. i've never had a shop owner take his time to discuss his products with me the way Wolf did that day. You can really tell he has a passion for what he does, and that he hopes you dig everything as much as he does because it's just so damn cool.
Now i've seen plenty of cool things in the world of arts and crafts, but most things i just know of as being awesome- i had no idea the sorcery to make such projects was something a regular person like me could buy! There are thermal items that change colors with temperature, solar items that change color with UV/sunlight, and glow items that- you guessed it- make stuff glow like there's no tomorrow. They have powders and pigments and dusts and flakes and drops, they have oils and magnetic powders and heck, they even a specialty paint that you can use with any of their products and customize fabrics and shoes and purses!! i mean there is NEVER an excuse to be a boring old fuddy-duddy when there are soooo many ways to create your own ANYTHING!
Well so much wonderful could not be contained in that little space, and i am BEYOND thrilled to announce that Wolf and his tribe were able to move to a new location! They now have a full-fledged retail store- Solar Color Dust .com, in the Eagle Ridge Mall in Lake Wales, FL! It's still just a short drive away for me and the new store is INCREDIBLE!! It's huge- it has tons of browsing space, well-explained displays, and lots of examples of the different products and what they can do. Plus, it seems like all the Glitter Fairies (as i call them) that work there know everything about every product, and they will answer any question you have- usually with a demonstration! There is plenty of room to be able to process their online orders behind the scenes, and they even have a class area now where they offer workshops for their products, like how to create a color changing tumbler or "Make Your Own Laser Canvas". Told you they knew how to do anything!
Every time i go to Solar Color Dust .com i find something new and amazing that inspires in me ideas i never thought possible. i think that's the best part of this store- everyone and everything there is an inspiration. Every single person, from the Glitter Fairies to the shoppers, are in that store because they love to create, or they want to be dazzled, or they are looking for wonder, or they just freaking LOVE GLITTER. These are my kind of people. These are the vibes i want to be around when i'm looking for my next idea to find me. Thank you Wolf, Glitter Hippo and Solar Color Dust .com for helping my new town feel like home.
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