Service selection and value..? they have it all and sparkling personalities too! Variety ....lots…read moreto see there!

Lisa, the owner of ReCrafting is just phenomenal in every way--helpful, hardworking, makes you feel…read morecomfortable to browse and shop for yarn, beads and fabrics (not sure about fabrics, actually). I basically threw four boxes of beads at her, completely snarled and mixed up, that my sister had given me when we cleared out her house for sale. Lisa didn't skip a beat or look cross, and somehow she organized them for sale. Unbelievable! So I was shocked to see a couple of very negative yelp reviews. It turns out those were reviews of the store's previous owner. Lisa has owned the shop for about a year and a half, so the bad reviews aren't a reflection on her sunny, totally comfortable approach to customers--both buyers and sellers.

MY WIFE TAKES 5-10 HOURS TO FINISH…read more Price: $$$ Service: 5/5 Ambiance: 5/5 My wife and I love Color Me Mine for a chill, engaging and somewhat tedious activity. We recently attended a sip and paint event, and the staff was kind enough to offer us free studio time when we couldn't complete our projects that night. My wife often brings friends, and they can spend hours painting without any issues. I'm surprise they haven't gotten kick out. The staff is incredibly friendly and attentive; they're always quick to provide more paint or offer helpful tips. The studio is clean and well-organized, with a vast selection of art pieces to choose from, although the prices can be a bit high. Overall, I highly recommend Color Me Mine and will definitely be returning.

Always a great time when you go to Color Me Mine Alameda! Mike has such a wonderful atmosphere in…read morehis shop and everyone in Staff is incredible. Gabbie, you're the best Heidi you're amazing and I absolutely love coming here every time we have built up quite the rapport haven't we lol stoneware was quite the night. Had a great time. Lots of excitement all around! Unfortunately, I don't have photos of my stoneware before the fire, but I do have pictures of other projects. I've worked on at Color Me Mine as again. This is the greatest place to get some paint therapy with a really wonderful team of people.

We went into the Michaels at 5:45 PM. They were open with customers. We had a shopping cart full of…read moreitems and were getting ready to check out but needed to use the restroom. I asked an older female employee if I could use the restroom prior to checking out and she said "no" that the restroom was closed for the evening for customers and told me to walk across the parking lot to the Safeway. Note that it was raining at the time. This was extremely unprofessional, and we left without purchasing any items and will not be returning. I would have been a paying paying customer and there is no reason unless it was out of service that I should Not have been allowed to use the restroom that is designated for customers. They even had the restroom area barricaded so you could not get to it. The female employee did not say the restrooms were broken she simply said they were closed for the evening, Yet they were open for at least another hour. I hope Management addresses this matter. I understand having to monitor the restrooms in stores due to People that misuse them but that's not me. I should Not be prohibited because of those that do. I am very Disappointed with Michael's in Alameda as this has not been an issue in any of the other Michael's I frequent.

You can sign up for free rewards account from Michaels. They pretty frequently will send you a 30%…read moreor 40% off regular price item coupon. This can be a good or bad thing, depending on if you're prone to impulse shopping. I appreciate that they have self checkout and they have a bathroom that doesn't require a code or talking to an employee to access. There are frequently some items on sale. I was surprised that it's end of August but they already supposedly have some Halloween decor on sale. I was able to buy a large quantity of stickers and then apply a discount code so that it was fairly inexpensive. They often sell candles at a pretty cheap price, compared to other places. A friendly store employee at the checkout checked in on me just to make sure everything was okay and let me know to ask them if I had any questions. There's plenty of parking in this plaza, but also a couple of AC Transit bus stops within 5 mins walking.

Wonderful little store full of everything you could need for fiber arts and needle crafts. They…read moreplaced an order for me for a K's Creations lap stand, helped me when the wrong item arrived, and showed me how to put it together when the right one did. Really appreciate the service.

The good: 1. Decent selection…read more 2. Helpful staff when making purchase selections. 3. Good finishing work quality. The bad: 1. No full disclosure on "store credit only" return policy. 2. The pandemic is over, and yet the store remains open by appointment only. This seems to be more for staff convenience over customer convenience. It was never a hotbed of activity, nor a super-spreader location..... so why it's no longer generally open is a mystery. The ugly & the reason I will never be back: 1. It took 4 months to get back my finished small holiday ornament. 2. The quote I got for the finishing work was in the range of $50. When I picked it up today, I was charged $90. Almost double. I never received a call to tell me they misquoted, with an option to cancel my order. They simply billed my credit card on file. I was shocked when I was handed my receipt, and when I expressed that, the staff member "informed" me that I must have been quoted old rates. Huh? A classic bait & switch. An unethical business practice that should be illegal if it's not. So...... buyer beware!

Whales & Friends in a woman-owned gift shop that offers a variety of treasures not available in…read morebig-box stores. It carries hand made jewelry, women's clothing, soaps & lotions, fun socks, cards, books, and one-of-a-kind specialties. It has been located in Alameda for decades and I hope it stays forever in the Island City.

Whenever I enter this shop, the staff ask "can I help you?", with disdain…read more Whoever manages this place- teach your staff to never say this? It's retail 101. Try being friendlier, offering to assist or answer questions. Plus they snark amongst themselves & come off as mean elders. Nice merchandise but refuse to purchase anything because they are so horrid.

The owner, who I met for the first time walking into her shop was incredibly nice & helpful. She…read morehelped by putting my four skeins on her machine & winding them for me. She did not even charge me & said to just leave a donation to her shop, which I did via Venmo. Lovely woman & will return to this store to buy yarn!

I cannot recommend this store enough! The owner and staff are so helpful and knowledgeable. They…read moretook the time help me choose the right needles for my project and recommend a few different fiber choices. The yarn selection is unique and you can tell they are inclusive to all learners and a hub of their community. They also offer classes if you're looking to improve your skills, and a work space if you just want company while you knit. Also, there is a very cute dog as their store manager.

I came to The Sewing Room room after teaching myself to sew on YouTube, which really worked for me…read moreup until I wanted to create more complex, personal things. I'm a total self-starter, but but eventually I needed someone to walk me through the hard things, explain techniques they've learned by applying them directly to my garments, and help me understand why a particular method works for a particular fabric or design. I was nervous walking into my first class. I worried I wouldn't fit in or I would feel out of place. That fear disappeared almost immediately. I was warmly welcomed by Christine Knobel, my first instructor, and by the other students. The community here is genuinely kind, diverse, and supportive. Apparently sewists are just really nice people (or at least the ones who come here are). I expected to improve my sewing skills, and I absolutely have, but what surprised me most was how meaningful the community became. In a world where most of my interactions happen through screens, spending time learning alongside real people has been incredibly grounding and joyful. I also love that they offer a fashion studies track, where you can learn from the very beginning, designing a sketch, all the way through creation. The classes are clearly structured to help you grow into a true sewist, not just complete a single project. Plus, they're always adding new classes, which keeps things fresh and exciting. This place has been a gift, both creatively and socially.

I moved to Alameda 6 months ago and wandered into The Sewing Room while exploring Park St. I am a…read moreself-taught hobby sewer and was so excited to have a sewing store walking distance from me. They have a beautiful small selection of fabrics, notions, and patterns but they really excel in classes. I decided to take a garment class (the lined jacket), not for help, but for community, and I'm so happy that I did! Christine was a great teacher and I do pick up some tricks! My goal this year was to grow my skills, so I decided to enroll in the Sketch to Garment class. It has been so fun working with Julie Ann and my fellow students. I was worried I'd struggle because I don't have sketching or design experience, but I love how easy and creative they made it! I'm looking forward to more. Come to The Sewing Room for community, creativity, and knowledge!

Modern Mouse is such a special gem in our community. I absolutely love the welcoming, neighborhood…read morevibe every time I walk in. The staff is incredibly kind and genuinely supportive of local makers. It is the perfect place to find unique gifts created by talented artists and small businesses. There is always something thoughtful, creative, and beautifully curated. If you are looking to shop local and support makers while finding the perfect gift, this is the spot

Amazing shop with great selection of local artist merch and gifts! They are a hidden gem within the…read moreSouth Shore Center, and are like an artists alley as a shop. Amazingly nice staff, and a wonderful spot to get gifts and unique local finds

I went in with no intention of buying anything. But knowing I would spend money. I have a…read morecompulsion of spending money at craft stores, but can't help myself. I've never been here before, and just wanted to check it out. There was a great selection of pens, markers, pencils, paper. Jelly cats lol I had been wanting a fountain pen for a long time but never bought one. Perfect timing I guess? The JT? TJ? Super knowledgeable about the products on hand, and even the ones they didn't have on hand. I'm excited for the Lamy pen, and sailor ink I purchased. The price of the pen was comparable to what I've seen online, so I'm glad I was able to shop local. I also ended up getting some cute stickers and washi tape.

Got an email that the Oakland location will close soon. Stopped by to get pen refills for my…read moreforeign pens. Cruised around the store, picked up a few calligraphy pens and a 2026 calendar. The pen Manager explained the specific refills in detail. Bonus, she wrote down the details of each model on the back of her business card. She was very helpful and detailed oriented and a pleasure to converse with. We'll definitely miss Flax, but in the meantime, we'll make sure all of the items we need, we get 'em here. The staff that we interacted with were friendly, professional and very helpful. Super bonus = off-street parking lot in rear of store

If you're in a RUSH and have NO IDEA what you are looking for be PATIENT. They don't have a lot of…read moreemployees so helping clients can be time consuming. I call this place a ONE STOP SHOP! Find everything you need and then some! There's a saying in Spanish that saids "Bueno, Bonito y Barrato" which means great value for your money!! Have fun & imagine all that you CAN DO

I love coming to this place. I went to do my one stop shop. I'm appointed godmother to a baby, and…read moreI had to get all his stuff in under 2 weeks to prepare I came here. -Got ideas for favors -Bought his bible and candle -Ordered his personalized ribbon for his favors I spent under $50.00 They speak English and Spanish. So dont feel like an outcast, people here are real friendly