A great store to pick up a wide variety of craft supplies. When they run sales, you can get some…read morepretty deep discounts.

Terrible experience with this company: I am an art teacher and called to set up an art education…read moreaccount so I could get discounts. I told this to the representative. After being put on hold, and then taking a long time to get all of my data over the phone, she asked me what my first item was. I told her I thought I was setting up an educator account, yet she said, no. To do that, I would have to send a preliminary order in and get a quote for an art educator discount. Who has the time to do this? Why not just tell us what the educator price is per item, or our % discount from the start- like other companies? Total waste of time. To make things worse, I ended up ordering some supplies anyway, without taking the time to get an educator quote. I did this the easy, modern way, via internet. I got a a confirmation email with my order, I used a coupon for a 10% off, and the internet site validated it via my confirmation and credit card charge. I did this to receive my product asap for a upcoming lesson plan. I though everything was taken care of until..... The next day, I get a barely audible voice mail (no email) that tells me that Nasco regrets not being able to honor the 10% off, and asking my permission to charge my card for the full amount. This company is disorganized and completely unprofessional. Beware, especially if you are an art educator!!!

The candle making class was short and sweet. The choice of vessels and scents were abundant. It is…read moreso nice to show up with friends and have everything neat and tidy for us to be creative and leave the mess behind. We had a great instructor with lots of patience. Great location and lots of other places to visit and see, at Garver Feed Mill.

I went into this very attractive shop that sells the jewelry of many local artists. I asked if any…read moreof the jewelry was nickel free, and she said ,"it's all nickel free! I only sell items that are nickel free. Do you honestly know of anyone who buys jewelry with nickel in it these days?" Well, yes I do. Nickel free is still the exception at larger stores and there's nowhere in her store that claims the jewelry is nickel free. I walked out quickly and will never be back.

Karner Blue is a gem of a shop!…read more Great candle selection. The scents are amazing! Lyschel, the owner, is a bit of a scent genius if you ask me. The Apple Pie candle smells just like an apple pie BEFORE its baked - fresh and sweet. Mind blowing, I know. Not only are the candles great (and reasonably priced I may add), but there are a variety of other local items as well - jewelry, candle holders, etc... If you are looking for a unique gift, this would be a great place to stop. Not only can you shop for all ready made candles, but if you like to do a bit of creating yourself, you can get the supplies, even rent supplies as well as take classes of have a party at Karner Blue. Highly highly recommend stopping in!

What can I say? I'm kind of addicted to the warm glow of burning candles during this dark time of…read morethe year, and the proximity of this lovely little oasis of scented wonderment to my work means that I'll be visiting here quite often. I love the creative aroma blends they craft, the environmental awareness used in their production and business practices, and their supporting local and US manufacturers. The owner and staff are friendly and accessible. They have special deals as well, like a % off savings when buying five votive candles. Everyone needs a yummy no-calorie delicious treat sometimes.

This is a dreamy shop that speaks to the uniqueness of Monroe Street and Madison. I was on my way…read moreto coffee after picking up some yarn on Monroe Street (don't let the roadwork keep you away!) and as I walked by Calabash Gifts pairs of hand-painted sneakers/tennies in child sizes caught my eye. Too adorable for words, and from Johannesburg, S. Africa. Had to have them for a 2 year old in the family who loves her shoes. The shopkeepers are old school in a way: it's their shop and they have a personal connection to the gifts, very knowledgable about their provenance. Pictures arrive of the 2 year old -- she approves of the new shoes and boy are they cute on her. Thank you, Calabash Gifts -- you are now my favorite!

Locally owned by a lovely couple who stock their shop with fair trade art and home decor pieces,…read morewhich predominantly come from South Africa and its surrounding nations. One of my favorite wedding gifts, a beaded set of salad spoons, came from here. The owners, who are originally from SA, know many of the artisans (and applicable history and cultural traditions) who created the weavings, wall hangings, beadwork, jewelry, etc. they sell. The owners are happy to help you find a unique gift and answer any questions you may have. Highly recommended!

The owner Erin is extremely knowledgeable about her inventory and will help you make some…read moreintelligent buys. Comprehensive collection of well priced crystals and minerals, unique carvings and jewelry. I walked away with a beautiful Buddha carving in obsidian. 5 stars all the way!

Absolutely amazing place with a lot of variety. Extremely pleased with everything I've ever…read morepurchased. The local artists work is gorgeous.

One of my favorite things about traveling for work is discovering little gems I never would've…read morefound otherwise. While in Middleton, Wisconsin, I stopped into The Regal Find -- and ended up spending way more time inside than I planned (in the best way). This charming shop is filled with handmade jewelry, local art, vintage treasures, and unique gifts from over 125 U.S. artists, all tucked inside a historic building! Every corner felt thoughtfully curated, and I loved just wandering and taking it all in. If you appreciate supporting artists and finding one-of-a-kind pieces, this is absolutely the kind of place you could spend a while exploring! Such a sweet small-business stop if you're ever in the area!

Beautiful selection, wonderful local owners who have curated a lovely shopping experience.read more

Sophie was incredibly helpful and attentive when helping us look at rings! She was very kind and…read morepatient as we decided which we wanted to purchase.

Anytime I visit a town I have to check for a new age store, crystal store, witchy shop, fair trade…read moreplace, or similar. Art Gecko is definitely within that overall pantheon of shops. These kinds of stores often have the type of jewelry I like--sterling silver, and with varying gemstones. Art Gecko has a lot of selection here, and they also have a stone of the week (when I was here, it was labradorite). Amber, garnet, ruby, peridot; you'll find it all here. So many rings, earrings, and pendants, and a really great range of sizes. I have big fingers, and there were a lot in my size. Many of the rings were also arranged in tray by size, so I could simply point to the size I wanted to look at rather than be disappointed that something I liked would barely fit my pinky. They also had some of the rings in trays by colors, and there was a tray just of labradorite ostensibly since it's the stone of the month. I didn't need to spend more money than I did. Having said that, I looked diligently to see if they had any bracelets, and their inventory was very very sparse there. I did see an amber bracelet, I think, and perhaps one or two more but not in a stone I liked. That's okay!

How many stores do you walk into and instantly just start air drumming to the cool tunes you hear?…read more I've never done that before, until I went into Cosmic Delights and it seemed totally normal. Lovely, little head shop with all kinds of "cosmic delights." I drifted through this store on a puff of incense smoke and surrendered myself to the fact that I was going to drop major dime on large amounts of eclectic items, and so it was my friends. Dude with a mohawk behind the counter was funny and chill. I'm pretty sure I want to buy everything in this store.

A wonderful gem in Madison! A smaller shop but so much to look at; a wide assortment of crystals…read more(plenty of sizes to choose from, and budget friendly!), jewelry, books, and incense. The energy inside was calming, yet inviting and relaxing. I didn't catch the person working's name, however they were very kind and friendly (and had fabulous eyelashes). Even a little freebie of a crystal of the month? I'm absolutely coming back whenever I'm in the area.