Yelp Cleveland’s Fire Affair

This April, Yelp Elites adventured to Larchmere Fireworks to get crafty with molten glass. This was the kick-off event to Yelp’s Exploration Society, a year long series dedicated to exploring your creative side with hands-on experiences with some of the best creators, makers, and businesses in Northeast Ohio. Larchmere Fireworks is a hands-on studio for glassblowing, fusing, and blacksmithing. And, no, they don’t sell fireworks! With assistance from the skilled artists of this business, Elite were introduced to the two main methods of artistic glass work, glassblowing and fused glass.To kick the evening off, Yelp Elites let their imaginations run wild at a fused glass station. With options to create a magnet or pendant, Elites sorted through shards of brilliantly colored glass to make one-of-a-kind, unique pieces. Once each piece is assembled with glue, the art is fired in a kiln at temperatures of over 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit! The glass alters slightly throughout the annealing (cooling) process, and some pieces even change color! How sweet is that?Next up, Elites became up close and personal with glassblowing. As Elite Jessica S. wrote, “They let you get very hands-on, heating the molten glass at the fires, taking it out to shape and manipulate it, and giving great explanations of what you’re doing and why along the way. Even with a large group, they gave us great individualized attention while moving us along at an efficient pace and maintaining a safe environment.” Elites had the option to either create a beautiful glass flower, sun catcher or paper weight! To escape the heat, light bites were provided by the all-vegan Poison Berry Bakery. Elites snacked on crave-worthy apple fritters and brownie bites from this delicious bakery, which just celebrated its first anniversary in the Larchmere neighborhood! Elites also browsed the beautiful gallery full of works from the local artists available for purchase. You can bring home a beautiful piece without even breaking a sweat! To sum up the night, Yelper Danielle S. wrote, “The owners and additional teachers were simply amazing and I was so grateful for the well explained instructions and science behind the craft. Dare I say it was MIND-blowing? I can’t wait to return to this stellar house-made business and try my hand at some even more challenging items.”

Check out the outstanding reviews and photos here. For more information about the Yelp Cleveland Elite Squad, visit yelp.com/elite.

To view upcoming Larchmere Fireworks courses, click here.

Special thanks to our sponsors:
Larchmere Fire Works • Poison Berry Bakery • Elizabeth Sturm Photography