I've been to Craftopia a couple different times now, but the girls and myself went to her new…read morelocation for the first time the other day for her candle making class. It was great. The place is really big, easy to find with a nice big sign right on the building and parking right in front. Has a lot of different rooms and a lot of art displayed in each. I loved walking around everywhere and looking at it, it was definitely encouraging us to want to come back and partake in even more classes she has to offer! Cora was even nice enough to give us one of the pieces that she had done that the three of us liked the best. Definitely recommend this place and we'll be back soon! Thanks Cora!

My friend and I came for a candle making class today and we had a great time with Cora and Adira…read morethe staff dog! Cora was really good at explaining our options and helping us make our selections. Her space is very welcoming and cozy, I appreciated how she was available for questions and assistance but also gave us free rein to pick and choose scents/colors/materials. For the class fee, you really get a lot out of the lesson time, definitely worth coming to a class and I look forward to coming to some of the other classes in the future!

The name drew me in! And so glad it did. I was on 6th Avenue for lunch, so decided to walk around…read moreand check out all the nearby businesses, which is when I spotted a huge, colorful sign with a narwhal wearing sunglasses. It was The Nearsighted Narwhal! Of course I had to check it out. The shop is small, but has a ton of fun and witty gifts and items, from local zines to buttons to prints. I spent a good amount of time, checking out all the different and detailed items. Specifically, I really liked the magnets they sell here, as they have clever sayings with a colorful background. In fact, when I was checking out, I asked the owner if there were any more and she mentioned that she was making more magnets and to stop by again for different sayings. One that I bought says, "Not today motherfucker." Now who wouldn't want that hanging at their office? The Nearsighted Narwhal is a great store to browse and shop local. If in the area, definitely pay this shop a visit and support the local artists that sell their work here here. Plus, ya gotta love the Tacoma pride found, as they sell many items from tees to magnets, expressing Tacoma is cool and Seattle drools. Hah!

Cute shop! We popped in twice while in town to have lunch at nearby Shakabrah. The owner arrived as…read morewe were admiring the cute vinyl decals through the window. She let us in and was very pleasant and helpful as we shopped for t-shirts, lotions and decals. The jewelry was amazing-very bold and wearable. Loved that the t-shirts were high-quality, soft, amazing colors, and in all sizes, not just small and mediums. We each bought a t-shirt and I got a pepper lotion to use on sore muscles- whoa, its very potent! But I think I like it. The book and zine section was cool. I wish I had more time to browse that section.

The pay by the bag thing was a total scam. I tried my best to navigate what was supposed to go in…read morebags and what was off limits but it was a mess. The smallest signs that said "not for bags" were written in sharpie on tape. I was sure I picked all the bag eligible items but when I went to check out every item was rung up. So instead of 7 dollars it came out to 23. In response to owner- I looked for the signs as best I could, I thought all these things I picked out were good to go. The signs are very small and not obvious so it's hard to tell what is individually priced and what's not. Everything in the store has a price on it. But yes next time I will triple read the signs to avoid paying 22 dollars for old pins and beads!:)

Had more fun than I've had in a long while. Had two adults and an 8 year old and we all loved it!…read more Plus, our creations are masterpieces :) Already scheduled a team event there in a few weeks!

We absolutely love it here! A lot of pieces to choose from, easy instructions, great and quick…read moreservice when needing supplies. We have been back twice!

What a hidden gem, located in downtown Tacoma. This place is pretty cool, lets your inner child out…read morethrough painting. 1st thing is there's free parking across the street. As you walk across the street to this building that looks more like a freight warehouse you wonder am I in the right spot? Yes you are, walk up the steps and turn left and you immediately see the studio. Now this was a date day for my wife and I and have never done this before. The staff were supper friendly and were there to give advice, but let you do your own thing. They have lots of pieces to choose from, all prices are in the bottom of the pieces. We selected our pieces and went to work, so how I missed the whole part of "you need a base coat before painting" and I just started to paint. My wife on the other hand listened to the instructions and followed them.. her pieces were painted well, mine looked like my 3 year old grandson painted it. Now we wait for them to be fired in the kiln which takes about 1-2 weeks )depending on how busy they are) to get it back... So for 3 pieces ran about $114ish plus tip. From what the staff states is that it gets busy on the weekends, we arrived at 11:05 and left at around 3ish...

Although I wasn't part of the experience, my daughter went to a birthday party here yesterday. She…read moresaid it was fantastic and she would love to have her own party there. There was an instructional portion for the ceramics and then the kids were allowed to make their own items. She made a bowl and a cat. The family was also able to bring pizza and cupcakes in. She had such a great time that we have been checking out other classes that are held here. Very neat spot.

Open Arts is a studio offering classes in drawing, pottery, sewing, voice, piano and guitar. Most…read moreclasses are for children/teens, but they do have a fair set of classes for adults as well. John, the director of Open Arts Studio, is a dynamic guy who is so charismatic...it's easy to envision him sitting at a piano, leading a bunch of people in song around a piano a la Cole Porter. He's the voice teacher and drawing teacher and he's great at both. Home schoolers note: they offer classes during the day for home school students! For me, one caveat is the price. It's not astronomical, but most classes are about $125 for a session, about 5 classes, and it adds up. I believe it's because of this that some classes aren't very full. On the up side, if you take more than one class, or have multiple children enrolled, you get a 10% discount. They hope to add cooking classes somewhere down the line. We are looking forward to the addition as I know my daughter would learn a lot because they are both organized and inspiring at Open Arts!

I was a JoAnn's fan but since it has closed I thought that I would give it a try! I was definitely…read moremotivated when I went to Walmart and tried to buy yarn with a crocheting friend. Yeah we unwind the day literally with crocheting projects. This place was literally a candy store for people needing yarn and material for sewing. I bought a pretty sparkling blue and a spring time color. I am uncertain what I may make but I am excited. Probably a pretty throw! Customer service has changed. There are three self checkouts. Two of them take cards but only one take cash. Then there is two regular cashier stands. My friend and I realize that we need to come here for crocheting/knitting and sewing projects. Plus side is there is a sewing machine shop nearby too. In the meantime I will enjoy my goodies.

I couldn't believe the amount of items that were on sale. Wow! It is end of January and looks like…read morethey are trying to get rid of inventory. I was disappointed however about their drawing pen selection. Almost everything was gone which was sad for me because they had only 2 items stocked in an area that shows abut 30 items! Bare bones! But they had other things like mod podge, valentine items already, and more. With all the coupons as members, great value! I bought more paper and pens, and with the discount as a member, the cost was worth it bs buying online. And the people are super friendly. Very easy and willing to help.

Steve and I were on 6th Ave a few weeks ago and came across Grit City Books purely by accident. We…read moredidn't know of it's existence but it was a very pleasant surprise to come across. The bookstore is sleek, clean and very well organized with a good selection of books. The staff member was very friendly and eager to assist me in getting a special order started for a book I was looking for. The special order came in a few days ago which is going to prompt a return visit and perhaps even additional books to purchase. Looking forward to continuing being a customer at this lovely bookstore!

This is a really cute local-owned bookstore. When I visited yesterday, I was pleased to see how…read morecozy and well-organized the store was. I appreciated that the different staff members had various books that they recommended highlighted throughout the shop. Service was great as I was greeted immediately and offered help while I was there (but not in a pushy/annoying way). The two paperback best seller's I purchased came out to just under $40 after taxes which seemed to be on par with/ slightly more than the big book chains, but spending a few extra dollars was worth it to me to support a local shop.

This is a great place to do a gathering or solo activity. You pick your own pottery to paint, paint…read moreit and they fire and glaze it for you. Prices are very reasonable and the staff is kind and helpful.

I interviewed for a postion as a teaching instructor with this studio and was really fristrated…read morewith the entire process. Here is what happened: One of the first interview questions that was asked was around kicking people out that didnt agree with their political opinions. Next, the white women discussed blood/moon rituals, and was scolded by the other owner to stop. It was unprofessional and did not highlight their dynamic in a positive light. I was then asked to teach someone who had never thrown before, the owner, which I wasnt Informed of, or I would have prepared. The expectation to teach a surprise lesson was incredibly inequitable and a horrible interview practice. The fact that she didnt know how to pull was shocking, as this is a basic technique in ceramics. She didnt inform me that this was a skill she needed to be taught. Unfortunately, all the owners now how to do is turn a kiln off and on. Everyone who purchases a peice is lucky that the glazes stick. I went home feeling pretty terrible about the experience. When I called to ask about the status of the position I was told that they chose someone with more experience and a degree. Y'all i have a masters degree in ceramics and have taught high school ceramics for 10 years. Linda then admitted she didnt really know why they went with another canidate and offered a sales position which i declined. Overall incredibly disrespectful, inequitable, and unprofessional.