Outside on the morning of July 30, the skies were grey and gloomy. Inside at Paint Away! — at Redmond Town Center — it mattered not, as a group of young day campers contentedly worked on colorful creations such as a “mug shot” mug (a mug with a photo of a family member) and a faux license plate with their name on it.

Summer kids’ camps at Paint Away!, for children in the 6-8 and 9-13 age groups continue through mid-August. During the week-long camp sessions, the artists work on a broad range of glass and ceramic projects, also including a popcorn bowl made with food-safe materials and a decorative plaque with a “sea life” theme. The products would make great gifts for parents or teachers — or could be a lasting memento of the summer of ‘08.

Children’s birthday parties are popular here, but the activities are not just for kids. Paint Away! also does on-site or off-site corporate team-building events, bridal parties, baby showers and other celebrations.

Lots of school groups come in to make auction items such as birdbaths, tabletops and benches with students’ names and artwork. It’s hard to put a price on kids’ precious artwork — as parents and grandparents know, they grow up so fast.

Paint Away! has been around 1997, with current owner Hazel Roos taking over in 2004. Roos was a financial analyst who was tired of 60-70 hour work weeks. During a sabbatical, she took up painting and around the same time, helped a friend plan a bridal shower. She realized that she could apply her entrepreneurial skills to running a business that fostered fun and relaxation.

Since then, Roos had a baby, so she’s not in the store every day, “but I have a great manager and staff and most people stay here a long time, so there is continuity,” she said.

Tori Falkner, a recent graduate of Lake Washington School District’s International Community School, has worked at Paint Away! for four years and was supervising a kids’ camp group when the Redmond Reporter visited.

She helped kids load their palettes with luminous blobs of paint and offered tips as they worked on the background for their license plates.

“Do something that’s personal to you. If you like soccer, you could do a soccer field. If you like dogs, you could do something with dogs,” she noted.

The campers embarked on painting whimsical butterflies, pandas, polka dots and more. All products would be finished and ready to take home at the end of the week.

Paint Away! is located at 7329 164th Ave. NE. For information, call (425) 861-8388, e-mail info@paintawaynow.com or visit www.paintawaynow.com.