Dabble Springfield, a do-it-yourself arts and crafts studio, has brought a new concept to the capital city.
Sisters Ashley Striplin and Amanda Terry launched their new business venture on March 3 with a location at 616 North Grand Ave. East.
“My sister was the one who came up with the idea,” said Striplin. “She lived in China for three years, and they have DIY shops situated all over in the big cities. We started wondering why we didn’t have these in Springfield.”
Striplin described her sister as the “artsy, freelancing type. I know a lot about the business side of things, how to do spreadsheets and organize.” Striplin said she worked for Bank of Springfield for nearly a decade and then started doing real estate title work.
The sisters initially planned to lease one suite in the retail center just west of the Subway on North Grand Avenue, but ended up with two adjacent spaces. “That required knocking down a wall, and we had a lot of renovation work,” said Striplin.
The studio offers a variety of projects including acrylic painting, fairy gardens, terrariums, beads and resins. “We provide all the materials, do the clean up and provide opportunities for socialization,” said Striplin. “We have people who are experienced in each craft on hand.”
While all ages are welcome, there are child-free times from 7-9 p.m. on weekdays and 7-10 p.m. on weekends. Participants are welcome to bring their own snacks and beverages.
For now, Dabble Springfield is intended to be an open-ended space for those who want to exercise their creativity. “If we get a lot of interest we might eventually offer classes, but we just want to make people feel welcome whenever they have time to stop by,” said Striplin.
Dabble Springfield is open Sunday through Thursday from 10 a.m.-9 p.m. and Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m.-10 p.m.
