We were visitors to one of the many festivals held at The Bazaar at Apricot and Lime, and had the…read morewonderful fortune of meeting Gina, who was a spirit of limitless energy and enthusiasm. She offered us to a slime-making event, and my daughter was fixated and dedicated to attending. At the time of the event, Gina was a miracle of patience and positivity and she made sure to give the kiddos the best slime-making experience I have ever seen them have! No exaggeration, she had so many add-ins that my kids were overwhelmed! I cannot recommend this establishment highly enough for a quiet date night, a corporate teambuilding workshop, or a crazy slime-making stick-fest that she threw for us! I wish I could give more stars, because she deserves them all!

Took a pottery class with Gina and it was spectacular. Because she works with children her…read moreinstructions were exact and easy to follow. She made the experience fun while she made us work at the craft. Working on the wheel is a blast and learning the glazing phase was eye opening. We get to pick our finish products tomorrow...3 fun pieces. If you are looking for something new to do you have got to try this with Gina. One of the best classes I've taken in quite a while.

Such an awesome experience. I was served Facebook ad. Our kids did the scattered glass and I did…read morethe tray resin. It was really fun. Lauren and Sarah were amazing, friendly and patience. Highly recommend if you found yourself in saraso

Shattered Glass Sarasota is using deceptive trade practices as defined by the FTC…read more When we were looking for fun things to do around Punta Gorda we ran across a class called Siesta Key Epoxy Resin Workshop. Searched on the class name and came across 3 websites where you could sign up for the class. Somewheregood, Viator and Tripadvisor. The actual business' website never came up. We did not know the name of the business until we came to the class. One of the boards they advertised you could create in their epoxy resin workshop was a lazy susan, not just a small charcuterie board. That is exactly what we were wanting to do. None of the sites mentioned At All that some choices would cost more. As they call it, an upgrade. See the screen shots so you know what info we were given (and Not given) before we signed up for the class. On the way to the class we were caught in a very large traffic jam due to a grass fire in the median of I-75. We were 15 minutes late. The rest of the class had picked their board and started. We told our instructor we both wanted to do a lazy susan. The shop owner never told us what was included and not included in the $99 class. When confronted she said she did, but she did not. She is likely remembering saying that to the rest of the class earlier. The class instructor did not mention the lazy susan blanks were an upgrade when she pulled them off the shelf and gave them to us. We never heard that word until we finished. We reluctantly paid the extra $120 plus tax and let them know we were very unhappy as None of the sites we looked at prior to sign up mentioned anything about an upgrade. The next day when we picked up our boards, we told the shop owner we needed to talk. We told her there was no mention of upgrades and we had screenshots of all three sites where it mentioned what was included. I showed her some while we talked. See screenshots attached. Even more damming, the owner said they do not even carry lazy susans of the size that would be included in the class. The owner asked us what can she do to make this right. We told her 2 things; 1. make it clear on all sites, where people can sign up to her classes, what is included and what is an upgrade. 2. refund the $120 we had to pay extra. She Immediately began talking over me when I started to say the word refund. The talking over me continued each time I tried to say anything. My frustration was evident as she continued even when I yelled "let me finish". She asked again what can she do to make this right. I indicated I had told her. Well of course I couldn't even get that sentence out before she started talking over me again. She said all she would offer is a full refund of our class and the upgrade cost but they would KEEP the lazy susans we had created! We were asking for a $120 plus tax refund and she was offering to refund us $318 plus tax and they would keep the lazy susans. Their offer was to hold our boards hostage to make us go away. They knew it was very likely we would never accept that and we would go away with the boards and no upgrade refund. OR we would accept their only offer and they would sell the lazy susans for more than they refunded to us. I strongly suspect this is not the first time this business has used this "I'm keeping what you just made" tactic when someone complained. With the deceptive business practices and unprofessional behavior of the owner, I do not recommend you take their classes. We will be reporting this business to the FTC, BBB and State Attorney General's Office

I went this weekend and had a great time! The staff was extremely helpful and friendly, making the…read morewhole experience enjoyable from start to finish. There were lots of pottery pieces to choose from. I do wish they had more cat-themed options, but I ended up painting a puppy that turned out amazing. They offer a wide variety of paint colors as well as pre-made color palettes, and you can even swap colors around to create your own combination. I also noticed posters for different events they host throughout the year, and they all sounded like a lot of fun. This is a great activity for any age, from young children to adults. The prices are reasonable because you're paying for the entire experience, not just the pottery. The staff mentioned that they get very busy during the summer but that things slow down once the school year starts. I would definitely come back again!

Went to Arts a Blaze as walk ins for my birthday, and had a wonderful time! The service was great:…read morefriendly, informative, patient, and welcoming. The selection of pottery to paint was more extensive than I thought, and came in a variety of affordable prices -- cost includes paint, materials, firing, etc. We can't wait to pick up our finished products! Great place for events, parties, catching up with friends, or even a rainy day activities with the kids.

This place was a big surprise! I went there looking for…read morehoney, but I didn't know the large variety of small businesses inside that place. The decorations and the people inside were amazing. They also had life music and a food truck. I'm definitely going back to check more stuff!

This was a really fun indoor market to check out! The prices were generally higher than what I've…read moreseen at other markets I've been to, but the products were pretty good quality. I ended up getting some Christmas gifts here. I stopped by the Sarasota Honey Company and the customer service was great and they let me try some of the honeys. I ended up buying a few jars because they were really good! They have a good selection of honeys, I just wish there was more plastic packaging instead of glass because glass can break more easily. The market also had live music and a food truck in the back and a raffle going on. There was a lot of cool things to see at this market and I'll definitely stop by again.

This is a hidden gem of a store full of unique, often Fair Trade and hand-made, items. The owner…read morecan tell you about many of them, where they were made, who made them, and the circumstances that led to their creation. The prices range from just a few of dollars for handcrafted three dimensional cards, to many more dollars for large wood carvings. I like to walk thru this store with its rich colors and wonderful bits of art and hand-crafted items, even when I have no one to buy for. I always seem to find that perfect thing to put away for someone for a future occasion

As a collector of African Art and frequent visitor to the continent, I can recognize quality and…read moreaffordability - This store has it and alot more. They dont sit down and order from some wholesaler in NY - They actually travel each year to Africa and do their buying. They dont deal with numerous wholesalers and middlemen. They deal directly with the artists and import directly back into the States. They dont market themselves based on phony advertising. They actually go to these regions, provide "real" empowerment for the people of the continent through direct contact and commerce. My favorite store and it is genuine!

If it were at all possible to put a bed in the back room, pop up the cot and live inside Michael's,…read moreI would do it. I truly love anytime I get to go and walk around Michael's, whether I buy nothing or I buy $100 worth of stuff I didn't even know I needed. This year, on my last trip to Michael's, I found candy Wafers and decided I was going to make candy for Christmas this year. Had this not happened, I might not have ever known that I wanted to do that! I love the store, the selections that they have of everything, and love the layout. It's always super easy to navigate and find what you're looking for any Michael's. Typically my trip to the store involves going to the yarn aisle, the planner aisle, or the sticker oil. This store gives me inspiration on what I want to do, whether it's in my scrap books, with a crochet needle, or how I want to plan out my year. I will say that the seasonal help is a lot less friendly then there year-round help. They seem to be a little more short and kind with their customers. People seem to forget that we are the reasons that they even have jobs during the holiday season. However I understand they're just temporary help so I don't let it affect my view on Michael's. The store makes me happy no matter what I deal with at the register. If I could give the CEO of Michael's just one suggestion, I feel that you should get a loyalty discount card that is based on how much money you spend. As much as I enjoyed there is always some awesome sale or some great coupon out there that you could take advantage of, there would be nothing better than having a car that allows me to take $20 off my bill on top of everything because I've spent over $1,000 throughout the year. And if you haven't made it to Michael's yet in your lifetime, what are you waiting for!!!??

I brought in a framed piece of art just to have the glass replaced, and the whole process felt…read moreunnecessarily complicated. They quoted 5-6 weeks for turnaround times and over $1,000 for what should be a straightforward job. From the start, I had little confidence they truly knew what they were doing with custom framing. In the end, I took it to an independent picture frame shop instead. They did everything perfectly for under $200 and had it back to me within two weeks of drop‑off. Based on this experience, I'd steer clear of Michael's for any custom framing or glass replacement work.

Friend and I decided to visit A Good Yarn. It's a sister shop to Four Purls yarn shop in…read moreWinterhaven, FL I was looking for a particular brand of yarn which the staff at Four Purls told me was available at A Good Yarn. It's a much smaller shop than Four Purls but a really nice store. They carry more upscale yarns and I found yarns I've heard of but never seen or felt. They had the yarn I was looking for and I bought it, along with a few other selections (who can resist?). A great store. I'll visit it again the next time I'm in the area.

A lovely yarn shop with a great selection and very helpful staff! I bought several Malabrigo yarns…read moreand got advice on where to find a particular scarf pattern.

I stopped into Michael's a little under two weeks ago looking for premade framing options for a…read morespecial piece of artwork. I was directed to the framing area in the back, where I met Connie. I showed her the piece and explained I was hoping to find a premade frame with matting. She was immediately helpful and encouraging. As I looked around, nothing quite matched the size I needed, so I mentioned we would probably need to go custom. Connie agreed right away and began pulling framing samples from the wall based on the look I described. At one point she even invited me behind the counter so I could choose samples myself--such a thoughtful gesture. There were many beautiful options, with prices ranging from about $160 to $400 depending on size, and the selection was impressive. I settled on the perfect frame and color. A few other customers arrived while we were working, and I tried to move a little faster so she could help them, but Connie never once made me feel rushed. She stayed patient and focused, letting me finish my selection at a comfortable pace. She was efficient and clearly knew her craft, so the process still didn't take long. I could tell by the smile on her face that she liked the choice as much as I did. A little over a week later she called to let me know the framing was ready. When I arrived to pick it up, Connie was there with a big smile, and I could tell before she even showed me the finished piece that she was proud of how it turned out. The moment I saw it I was completely blown away. I love the final result, and I'm so grateful for her knowledge, care, and expertise with this special piece of art. I would highly recommend Michael's--and especially Connie--to anyone looking for framing, whether it's a simple job or something that needs a little extra love and attention.

This is a hidden gem near the SRQ airport. Nice ambiance, great food and wine pairing…read more Our server was attentive but not obtrusive

seriously wonderful! i had a very short turnaround time & they managed to get everything to me in a…read moretimely manner. truly thankful for these guys. Karen is so helpful and understanding -- such a gem. SHOP LOCAL!!

These guys are amazing I've been working with them for over 3 years now never had a bad product and…read morethey always make it right if something doesn't turn out exactly the way I want they will fix it. plus super friendly humans and super happy. which is hard to find in today's market