Tiny Things by Bowen:

Sarah Bowen, the founder and owner of Tiny Things!

Sarah Bowen is the founder and owner of  Tiny Things by Bowen, a magical world of polymer clay creations. In 2014 Sarah discovered her passion for polymer clay as she was crafting gifts for friends, beginning with a gnome. At the time she was a sign language interpreter for the school system, a job which awakened her love of teaching art to children. She began showing her work at the now defunct Blue Dome festival and soon expanded to art fairs, flea markets and other community events. When she began showing her Tiny Things creations, I bought several of her magnets, finding the little designs so unique and adorable.

Sarah Bowen showing some of her creations available for purchase.

I’m a big fan of her work and was content to buy the finished creations and felt no need to make my own. My daughter and husband wanted to go to a recent Tiny Things workshop and I agreed even though I’m not an artsy, creative-type person. When I was a young child, I loved art, but then my joy was extinguished by the harsh, critical words of my third-grade art teacher. Until her comments, I had been blissfully ignorant of the fact I wasn’t talented, I was merely enjoying creating. I let those words affect me and usually avoid situations where any type of artistic ability is necessary. This isn’t to inspire pity on me (well, ok, maybe a little bit) but to allow you some insight into my mental state as I showed up for my first session at Tiny Things by Bowen.

I’d love to claim I made these adorable “Wizard of Oz”-themed Tiny Things but alas, no. Sarah Bowen made these cuties!

Accompanied by my artistic daughter and husband, I entered the session with some trepidation but with the comforting thought I could sit back, watch and chat while they made tiny things. That’s not what happened. I saw all the adorable possibilities and I got swept into wanting to play with the clay and make a mermaid. Sarah talked me through it step by step, beginning with picking out what I wanted to make and selecting the colors of clay I liked. From there she helped me break it down into shapes and then put it together. When I had it the way I wanted, she took it and baked it in her toaster oven. Because I don’t have a magnetized refrigerator, I chose to have my mermaid turned into a pin I could put on my bulletin board or wear. Thanks to her guidance and encouragement I not only finished my mermaid, but I had so much fun! In fact, I think everyone around me probably got tired of hearing me say, “I can’t believe how much fun I’m having!”

My mermaid is a testament to my previous art teacher’s negative comments but I had so much fun making her, I didn’t care. Art is subjective, right?!

In addition to her structured classes and make it and take it workshops around town, Tiny Things by Bowen also specializes in birthday parties. Tiny Things comes to you, complete with all the necessary supplies and the instructor; all you need to provide is the space. Each person will create two polymer clay pieces to take home. Because of her background in education, Sarah Bowen has excellent classroom management skills and can handle groups of up to fifteen kids. Beyond that, an assistant is necessary, which carries an extra charge. The activity takes about an hour and seems to work best for children six and above, but with one-on-one parental assistance the activity can be adapted for younger children.  There is no upper age limit, and I can imagine how fun it would be to do this with a group of friends. In fact, I’m having a bit of remorse I didn’t do this for my sixtieth birthday party last year. For details about birthday parties, check out the Tiny Things by Bowen website or Facebook page.

Tiny Things has events at various locations around town. The one we attended was at Dead Armadillo Brewery. We had so much fun!

Tiny Things by Bowen has some fun upcoming events! Next week, March 20, there will be a Spring Break Clay Day held at Whitty Books from 2-6:30 p.m. For eight dollars per person, or take advantage of the one-day family special of four people for twenty dollars, each person can make and take a tiny creation. It sounds like a fun way to spend a Spring Break afternoon!

Another event that sounds like fun is the Tiny Treats class on March 30^th  from  2-4 p.m. in the third-floor studio space at ahha, in downtown Tulsa. A $30 ticket will reserve your space, supplies, AND a real sweet treat from local bakery! In this class you’ll make three tiny creations and have a choice turning them into magnets, charms, or buttons.

Take the word of a former self-doubter and treat yourself to a fun experience of creating a Tiny Thing! Not only did I have a great time and make a cute little mermaid, Sarah Bowen’s encouragement helped me enjoy the experience of creating and maybe erased some of the critical words of that mean third grade art teacher! Pablo Picasso’s quote is much more encouraging, “Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up.”

Showing off our creations from our fun afternoon!