T.J. arranges the pieces of colored glass on a wooden picture frame before gluing them into place at Kiln Creations. (Photo by Danese Kenon / The Indianapolis Star)

Colorful material waits to be turned into pieces of art. (Photo by Danese Kenon / The Indianapolis Star)

In the quiet, calm of winter hibernation, when you get a burst of energy -- but not too much -- turn on your crafty side and head over to Kiln Creations.

Little artistic talent is required to enjoy the fun at these two locations: 918 Broad Ripple Ave. and 60 N. Ninth St., Noblesville.

For my project, I chose something a little unusual -- a mosaic. My life is such a puzzle that I thought it would be 8interesting to see if I could fit 8together a lot of odd and 8unusual pieces into something wonderful.

Shelves at the shop are lined with a variety of wood objects ranging from a candle votive ($12) to a large mirror ($70). These are the starting points for the creativity. I selected a simple picture frame.

Several containers of broken glass invite budding artists to help themselves. Sitting in the sunlight at a large workspace listening to classic rock 'n' roll made this adventure in creativity an absolute pleasure.

From the colorful shapes I chose shards of blue and brown and pieced them 8together on my frame. I then used tacky glue to secure each piece in my custom design. I shaped and reshaped the 8design. The entire process took just over an hour.

"The biggest thing is to lay out the design first. Anything goes," said Joellen Mills, who was running the Broad Ripple location. She packed my artwork neatly into a bag, like a teacher sending home a prized drawing to take its place of honor on the fridge.

A package of powdered grout came home with the mosaic. After the glue dried for 24 hours, I mixed the grout with water into a smooth oatmeal-like consistency. I spread this over my glass design, pushing it between the pieces. I wiped off the excess grout and 8polished the glass, and my creation was finished.

The process is much like creating a stained glass design, except -- like my life -- every piece doesn't need to fit neatly together, and the pieces can have all sorts of broken and rough edges. It seemed to be a perfect fit for a quiet winter afternoon. I can't wait to go back.

Make it yourself
Where: Kiln Creations, 918 Broad Ripple Ave.; 60 N. Ninth St., Noblesville.
Cost: $6 studio fee; pieces ranges from $4-$65.
Also: Ladies night, 5 to 9 p.m. Thursdays.
Info: (317) 251-2386 and (317) 774-8982; or www.kilncreations.biz.

-- By T.J. Banes