We were disappointed with the service. The owner and the assistant were rude and unprofessional…read more They lack customer service etiquette!

From the owner: It's not what you have...It's what you make of itread more

I wish I had more reasons to frequent Blick Art Materials! I always leave with what I came for and…read morea smile. The staff is, more times than not, delightful. And I never spend a fortune. Blick has something for everyone. From aspiring kiddos to professionals-- the range of merchandise they sell is insane. Come here for drawing, painting, ceramics, print making and general art supplies. There are canvases, brushes, assorted paper, easels, frames and more. Plus books and unique gift items are sold here. A one stop shop for all things crafty, that is for sure! I window shop this location often, seeing as it is conveniently in the heart of downtown RIGHT NEXT TO a parking ramp. (First hour free.) If you're doing something artsy, stop at Blick Art Materials!

I have lived in Iowa City for a while now and have never been into Blick's until this weekend. What…read morewas I thinking?! It is a great place for all kinds of fun if you're in need in some inspiration. The staff is super nice and were able to help me find what I was looking for quickly. They have a great array of stationeries (my favorite) available for a slightly higher price but still reasonable considering the high quality and service. I will be back for future creative endeavors or if I just want to look some inspiration!

Strolling along Newbo and came upon this store. The owner is super friendly and helpful. Obviously…read moretakes pride in her store and gave an impromptu tour. The fabrics are elegant with bold colors. There are several class options where one can create their own art using fabric and sewing. Available for novice to expert.

Love this concept! They take paintings by local artists and make them into fabrics. There are…read moresome beautiful colorful choices, and they also hold classes on how to make some really cool things using the fabrics - wish I lived there, I'd take a class (or 2)!

This place is like a well oiled machine!! You don't have to have a lick of artist ability to make…read morean absolutely beautiful project! The staff is incredibly helpful and they do a wonderful job of giving you instructions through every step of the process. The table mates are a super huge help as well so you always have someone in staff near by if you have questions on how to do something of what colors to pick. This is my 3rd time here at the Hiawatha location and every time I leave I always have another project in mind for the next time. This time around I went with all the momma's in my fam for a ladies' night! I gave them each a gift card for Mother's Day and none of them except for my mom had been there before. We were all at the same table and got to help each other with our projects and we all left planning another class together to make some Christmas decor! Such a fun group activity! The inventory is always being added to. There's a HUGE variety to choose from and they have lots of seasonal things to create as well! We'll be back, again and again and again!

Disappointed with there Corporate choice instead of a Local Customer to promote them more. Received…read moreGift Certificate form Kids and Grandchildren in 2018. No expiration date on them. Covid hits, move twice. Finally found them. Wanted to surprise wife and Owner informs me Corporate doesn't allow them to be used after the time. Again no EXPIRATION date on them. I understand timing is everything. Corporate the difference than a Local.

Absolutely an amazing find while I was in the Cedar Rapids area. They have a beautiful array of…read morestamps, dies, paper, ephemera, bling, and more. The person on duty was very helpful in finding items I wanted, despite the fact that I bothered her many times with lots of questions. The inventory is well arranged and I loved all the samples they displayed for inspiration. I will visit every time I find myself in Cedar Rapids.

This store is amazing with a variety of products for scrapbooking and stamp making. There are other…read morecrafts, too, but my mind focused on those two. It is so nice to shop for scrapbooking at a retail outlet specifically for the paper arts. I live three hours away and I know I will make another trip back.

Best framing shop in Cedar Rapids. So good that having moved out of state I still return to them,…read moredrop off the art, then come back a couple months later to pick it up. Great prices, too, which is important when you're having several pieces framed at one time, which can be costly...

My experience with Amanda was less than satisfying…read more The amount of emails "confirming" date, time & amount of people who would be attending was a total turn off. Might I suggest a deposit when booking and a "no show" or "cancellation" fee if there is a last minute cancellation? Upon arrival Amanda was level 10 stress. I don't think she was breathing at all during set up. I had a confirmed 15 people to paint & GREAT set up in a garage for my party. Amanda didn't like the idea of someone having their back to her during presentation so she tried to get rid of my 15th spot. No worries though, she wanted me to PAY for 15 but only wanted to allow me to set up for 14. She must have forgotten that she was at MY house & I was a paying customer also, this made her joke about "this was her only job so thanks for paying rent" incredibly awkward. Amanda is very dry which comes off rude. Don't expect a smile or a warm fuzzy feeling from her - it's not going to happen. Also don't you dare talk while painting or you'll get "All eyes on me" as if you were a 1st grader. I was embarrassed by my choice of entertainment for my evening. Paint and wine should be fun. It's hard to have fun when you feel as if you're being scolded for any move you make that amanda didn't like. I'm rating a 3 because we did do a painting and what she came to do did get accomplished. I would also like to add - if you have a great attitude, were little more flexible & had your customers pay at the end of the evening.... you might get a cash tip instead of a written online review

I recently attended a Cork and Canvas painting party. Honestly, the word that keeps coming to mind…read morewhen thinking about the instructor and the feeling we all got from her was "UNCOMFORTABLE". Another person posted a review said she "felt like she was in kindergarten". That is a good way to describe our evening. We were told over and over how to behave. IN NO WAY WERE WE OUT OF LINE WITH OUR BEHAVIOR. We were 14 women there just to have fun. She gave great instructions on the painting technique and came well prepared. It's too bad that she didn't lighten up and enjoy herself. My rating would have been a lot higher.

The nicest people own and operate this little shop. They have a little of everything, including…read morelocal artists' work, smoke shop stuff, jewelry, and a smattering of clothing. Also, they have a 420 party every year, which includes a bit of music and some local artists.

Me and my bf's go-to shop for everything. They have local artists work everywhere and they don't…read moretake a percentage like other stores. Cheapest glass around and the quality is awesome. Staff is chill but knowledgeable. Hidden gemstone forsure.

I have missed my giant craft stores and may spend a little too much time in them as a result…read more While there is plenty of parking, the set up can make it a bit awkward at times to get in and out. The store itself has a similar set up to other stores, so it doesn't take long to orient yourself and find what you are looking for. I have noticed an increase in the amount of non-crafting items that are placed right in the middle of aisles, which end up serving as distractions to children! Anyway, I was looking for specific yarn on two different occasions and found most of what I was looking for, except a couple of items. On the first trip, I just couldn't find anyone to help. On the second trip, I found someone, but they didn't seem to know much about yarn or the stock. So that was a bit frustrating. While I love giant stores like these because I can usually find everything I need, I would like staff members that are specific to certain areas... not just the fabric table or the framing area. I get it is probably more of a resource issue than anything, but I think stores like this could be enhanced by having staff that have specific knowledge of certain crafts. Another thing I like about Michael's, if you have your handy dandy smart phone, you can pull up some coupons to use at check out.

Sorry excuse for a Craft store! The scaled back thier…read moreChristian greeting cards, so my last reason to go there is gone.

The Potters Obsession is a perfect activity for literally all ages, my partner and I went and had a…read morewonderful time! The employees were super helpful and nice and there is a great selection of pots to glaze! It only takes a week for them to fire and so far it has held up great!

We have had a phenomenal experience with Potter's Obsession. Did a Facebook message to inquire…read moreabout times and to set up a birthday party...had a response within minutes. It was that easy. The tables and chairs were already prepared for us when the party showed up. I believe everybody and their dog decided to come at the same time that we arrived. It was a little chaotic, but the owner and her staff handled it very well and was able to accommodate everybody. Our birthday party had 5 10-year-old girls and myself. The girls looked through all of the different ceramics and chose what piece they wanted to glaze. We looked at the color chart, wrote down the numbers of the colors that we wanted, and the staff got everything ready for us. The glaze goes on light. The more layers that you glaze the darker it will be when it is put through the kiln. It took us about 90 minutes to finish. The pieces range $5-25. There is also a $7 fee (paint and kiln) per person. Our pieces will be left there for a week and then they will be packaged up for us. To make the experience that much more special for the birthday girl, they are able to put their handprint up on their wall along with their name and age. Choices to glaze: Bowls, mugs, plates, animals, banks, sports, holiday ornaments, lighted signs, vases, calavera, etc.