My daughters and I took a beginner needlepoint class with Chris, and we had such a great time!…read moreChris was incredibly helpful and patient with all of us, and she gave us lots of great suggestions throughout the class. Piper, the owner, was also wonderful to work with when scheduling our class -- friendly, organized, and accommodating. We left feeling inspired and excited to keep stitching. Highly recommend this class and shop, and we'll definitely be back!

Great selection with fair pricing and very friendly service. Will definitely be back!read more

Really cool store that sells every single bead you could ever imagine, as well as does watch…read morerepair. Just a really cool, chill little shop with all kinds of stuff for your craft or your apartment. The guy who runs it (Keith, I believe his name was) is pretty chill and has great customer service.

Based on the recommendation of someone we met while listening to jazz one night, we decided to…read moreventure to Planet Bead. It really is an amazing to see such a variety of beads! Wow! The store is super full though and has excess junk in the back that is visible. Great customer service. Keith really knows his beads and can make whatever you request. We ultimately purchased four bracelets and some earrings that ended up costing $150. I'd say that was pretty pricey honestly. I mean the beads were nice, but not like some expensive/rare stones. I understand part of the charge is labor, but not sure I'd say it's worth that price. Not to mention, one of the bracelets broke after only wearing it once so we need to return to have it repaired-which is inconvenient since we live in Chicago. So...good place to visit...proceed with caution in terms of your purchase.

A GEM! I absolutely adore this place! It's not just a Hallmark store, although they have a…read morewonderful selection of cards and gifts. It's the personification of nostalgia. The assortment is always interesting and well curated. The buyer for this store is a genius! The staff is always willing to help, and they have such patience. I found a beautiful Soruka leather wallet I plan to give as a gift. This is just one example of the truly different "finds" you'll stumble across at this iconic store. Last week I went in to buy some Easter candy for the kids' Easter baskets. They have an old fashioned candy counter. One of the gals assisted me with countless bags of old fashioned candies. She hand tied each one with ribbon, and was cheerful and upbeat. I wish I could remember her name so I could thank her. I also found bags of retro Easter grass--the shiny raffia kind reminiscent of the version for the 70's! They have toy department downstairs, and I'd recommend venturing into the basement just to experience it. If you have kids, this is a treasure trove of unique offerings. What really makes this store extraordinarily special? The staff.

This review is long overdue! I have been frequenting Winkie's since we moved to Milwaukee three…read moreyears ago. It has been my go-to place for cards and gifts. Winkie's has saved me many times - especially last minute gifts and for unique items. The Wisconsin products are great when you're trying to figure out what local gift to bring when visiting out-of-town friends. (I'm not one to carry cheese on a plane!) Overall, I really love this store! I will definitely keep showing up as long as it's there!

Date of visit: January 10, 2026…read more Never have I ever been inside a Paper Source store until this visit! I was concerned that it was all over-priced cards and wrapping paper and while yes, there was plenty of that, there were also a number of surprising other items and I spent far more time in the store than I expected to. Surprising bonus: You can earn and redeem Barnes & Noble rewards here. I came looking for a couple rubber stamps and an ink pad that was part of a gift and was mildly successful in that task, though the friendly staff did explain that stamps were not really popular right now and I nodded in that knowing way of how things can be so cyclical. I'm sure six months from now you won't be able to swing a dead cat without hitting a rubber stamp display and at that time, I won't need any. I also perused the clearance cards and found some good deals and was interested in some of the items near the register but none of them had any prices on them. Great that they are 50% off, but if I don't know what they are half off of, I'm not likely to buy them. Will never understand why stores have things out without prices, how many lost sales must that drive? All in all, a decent store that I will return to when I am in need of some cards--especially if they still have that clearance section!

I love Paper Source! Always friendly service and I like the layout of the store and the music. They…read morehave a great selection of gifts for every occasion and a wide variety of gift bags and wrapping paper.

My husband & I went to her studio but were not expecting what we saw! Jean is an AMAZING gifted &…read moretalented artist. Her clay pottery is something that you would see in an exclusive studio in Door County or any other top quality art store. You HAVE to call her and set an appointment. Her art will not disappoint you, BEAUTIFUL!!!

From the owner: Looking for one-of-a-kind, locally made pottery gifts? Visit Jean's Clay Studio, a cozy home studio…read morein Milwaukee County, where Jean Wells creates vibrant, hand-painted, and intricately carved sgraffito pottery. Jean's work features a wide range of unique designs, from playful monkeys and octopuses to elegant floral patterns, robots, and more. She is also well known for her Milwaukee, Madison, and Chicago skyline series. Each piece is hand-drawn, painted, and carved, never using molds, stencils, or decals, making every item a true work of art. Shop in person or online! Visit the studio showroom by appointment or shop conveniently on her website, with shipping and local pickup options available. To schedule a visit, please call, text, or email.

Still at it: I decided to update some framed pieces by getting new mats or switching the color of…read morethe frames to better go with newly painted walls. Once again, excellent friendly service and fair prices, all with an eye for the art itself.

These guys went the extra mile in helping me with a framing project and are reasonably priced…read more Recommended.