Happy Life Pottery and Gallery is a small shop with a larger area in the back where they hold…read moreclasses. The items I saw were very well priced for the quality, although I would have like "hand wash" or "dishwasher safe" stickers on the items for sale since I really loved the mugs but generally don't purchase items that can't go in the dishwasher. The service was friendly and the space is super cute, all in all we'd definitely come back during Christmas time.

Very cute little gift shop and pottery studio. I've always wanted to come in and finally got to…read morevisit. They close at 6 so if you come after that you will miss them. Staff were very informative about their classes that are offered. I have been searching for a local pottery class and was so happy to see this one. I look forward to taking a class soon.

This is a really fun hidden gem in Martinez, with an extremely welcoming vibe for crafters & fiber…read moreenthusiasts. There's a great selection of interesting yarns from Europe, vintage patterns, quality craft supplies for other craft hobbies like needle felting and embroidery. There are both used and vintage items, which is great for sustainability, and there's even a repurposed newspaper machine outside where community members can access supplies for free! The price points are great, especially for the vintage items, and the owner is super friendly & helpful. Added bonus, you can take Amtrak to Martinez and the shop is less than a 5 minute walk, or the downtown Martinez area is very bicycle friendly too! There are great cafes, restaurants, & breweries so you can make a whole day of it if you live further away.

Wonderful mix of hard-to-find yarns and hard-to-find vintage patterns. Interactive wearables show…read morewas a yarn crawl highlight and the craft supply library outside is a gem!

This studio is filled with great instructors and students. It's always kept clean and organized…read more There are many options for glazing, and different options of clay that are held at the studio for purchase. I appreciate this place being more of a class setting than those one-time activities for date night or to hang with friends, because ceramics takes awhile to get a good handle on. Plus there is a process of the bisque and glaze fire which cannot be done in a day. My recommendation is to take the 8-week class and show up to every class. At the end of the course, I'm sure you will have a better understanding of pottery.

I'm 4 class into the ceramic wheeling throwing class with instructor Chung. We have an hour of…read morelearning and then a few hours of practice. During the practice sessions, Chung would personally assist each of us on how to improve our throwing technique. Sometimes, we'll see instructor Yee, whom adds on the extra fun of banter in the classroom. They also have open studio so that students can practice during the week. Special out out to Cassandra! Thank you for being super responsive and delightful to be around. Overall, everyone at the studio is amazing, and i love the welcoming atmosphere!!

While this location is clean, organized and has an extensive selection it is Hope's excellent…read morecustomer service that deserves recognition. She courteously greets every guest and consistently has a pleasant demeanor. It also bears noting that she promptly assists whenever there are questions or issues and she does so ensuring that every Hobby Lobby customer feels valued. Thus, the five stars are for Hope as she exemplifies customer service excellence.

This experience was disappointing enough that I felt compelled to share it…read more On a Saturday evening around 6:50 p.m., I stopped by Hobby Lobby with my 4-year-old daughter and my elderly mother-in-law. We were preparing for an upcoming funeral, and I needed help with an expensive gold frame I had purchased from Hobby Lobby. One of the corners had separated, and I wanted to know whether the framing department could repair or reinforce it. Because the frame was large and heavy, I left it in my trunk until I confirmed that someone could help. My mother-in-law waited nearby so she could rest while my daughter accompanied me to the framing counter. I approached the employee working in the framing department and asked if he could assist me. His first response was, "I'm off in six minutes - what do you need?" The tone immediately caught me off guard. As I began explaining that the corner of the frame had broken apart and needed reinforcement, he interrupted me and said, "Stop. Just hurry up and tell me what you need." I was surprised because I was simply trying to explain the issue so he could determine whether it was something the framing department could fix. I told him the frame was needed for a funeral and asked if it could be repaired. Instead of addressing my question, he asked why my husband couldn't fix it. I explained that my husband is currently deployed, so he wasn't available to help, and that while I would try to repair it myself if necessary, I also work full-time. His response was simply, "So do I." At that point, it was clear that helping me was not a priority. What made the interaction even more upsetting was that my 4-year-old daughter asked afterward, "Mommy, why was that man so mean? Why didn't he want to help us?" Hearing that from my child was heartbreaking. I told her that maybe he was having a difficult day because I wanted her to understand that we should still try to show kindness to others. I shared my experience with the manager, who told me that this employee often tells others how important it is to be friendly with customers. Unfortunately, that was not reflected in the interaction we experienced. Thankfully, we went to Ace Hardware afterward, where an employee immediately took the time to help us. He recommended reinforcing the frame with small metal corner brackets, nails, and gold spray paint. His advice worked perfectly, and we were able to save the frame in time for the funeral. This review isn't about expecting perfection. Everyone has stressful days. It's about the importance of treating people with basic courtesy and respect, especially when they may already be going through a difficult time. A little kindness can make all the difference. Unfortunately, that was missing from our experience at Hobby Lobby.

Becky is amazing! From her visits to my daycare for ceramics to her classes at the kids school. She…read moreis amazing and the Kids love her!!!

Becky is so creative!! Ladies night, birthday parties, auction projects, anything you can dream of…read moreshe can make happen!! I promise you won't be disappointed!!

Quick and beautiful- great customer service and products-…read moreframed to perfection and your special dimensions-

We recently brought a hand painted picture and frame by my older sister who is no longer with us to…read moreGigi @ FOF and asked if she could repair/restore it for us. This picture meant A LOT to us! She understood and reassured us she could get it taken care of. We are SO HAPPY with the results! People come into our lives for a reason. Her coming into our lives was meant to be. The picture is proudly displayed in our front room for all out visitors to view. We will be doing dome additional business with her in the near future. Go by and pat her a visit, you'll be glad you did. Ed L.

What you can expect from this store is always a warm welcome, a staff that genuinely tries to…read moreconnect, and some of the best deals you'll find from a card store. Huge variety and great selection, I consistently stop by on my way to work just to kill time because there so many different things to go searching through and the environment is always so welcoming and friendly. If you're ever in the Martinez or east Bay Area, and even if you're not, the store is more than worth the stop/trip!

My kids loved this place!…read more Earlier this year my kids started their Pokemon card journey and when we found this place, they were so excited! The staff there was kind and helpful, i loved that they had table available where my kids could sit down and open card packs we purchased. My son has been asking to go back, he even invited all his Pokemon loving friends there, so we will be back soon!

This morning me and my daughter (actually my daughter, but of course I went..;-)) was invited to a…read morebeading party by one of my daughter's close friends. Who would've thought this would be one of the most fun, versatile, inexpensive and easy ways to celebrate a birthday party. Based on the variety of age difference, the beading birthday party was a great idea for girls from preschool age to teens and it's a great idea for the kids because it's easy to do and we had easy access to all the beading Pomegranate provided, which allowed the girls where to pick up all kinds of fun beads. Birthday parties are always fun, but something about this one was particularly great. I loved seeing all the girls working on their projects and they all had a blast. It was super fun and easy to set up, very doable regardless of the size, totally stress-free and didn't cost a fortune. Each girl took home her creation in a beautiful box that Pomegranate provided. Plus they were able to take extra beads and findings to make another project at home. I could not believe what a huge hit this beading party was! These girls absolutely devoured the project and were thrilled to have this "real" beading experience!

The bead selection is so beautiful and huge! The customer service was amazing too! Very…read moreknowledgeable and helpful! Loved my experience there!

Good to know there's still Gold Crown Hallmark stores like Steve's still around. For those times…read morewhen a Dollar Store generic-bargain card or item won't cut it. (Ironically, there's a Dollar Tree two doors down however). Once a staple at most malls, the Hallmark store brand looked to be a dying-off breed. I recently re-signed up for the Gold Crown membership after my 1990's card either expired or terminated due to non-use. Walked into Steve's with a $5 off coupon emailed to me. Store is jam-packed with a lot of merchandise & greeting cards to see + choose from. Some, but not all of the post-holiday merchandise was discounted. But of course the Keepsake ornaments I had my eye on were still full MSRP price, bah humbug. Scoured the racks, and found a couple hard-to-find greeting cards such as a 60th Wedding Anniversary & an 80th birthday card for upcoming family milestones. Cards that I likely couldn't have found at many other stores. So, kudos for that. Upon entry, I was seeking a handbasket to gather my purchases (rolling carts inside would be unworkable due to the store layout); but the store somewhat surprisingly doesn't provide them. Instead, preferring you to bring each item to the counter to hold thereby keeping your hands free while continuing to browse. Slight subtractions for that and the cashier looked as though she might've been having a bad day, idk? Judging from another review posted hours earlier, it looks like a customer got into it with the cashier over an ornament discount/return. Agree with the corporate response to this that all ornaments should be discounted post-holiday. Handful of other reviews of the store speak of less-than-satisfactory customer service, something I witnessed to a degree also. These minor hiccups however weren't enough to take away from an overall fair store experience. Letter grade on this 1st store visit: B-

Stopped by because I saw they had a close out sale (the store is closing on March 14th). They still…read morehad plenty of items and most items were on sale *25% off*. There were only 2 staff but they were helpful and patient. The store was still pretty neat and they had tons of cards available.

With my sister back in town, my mom booked a mooncake workshop class for us to have some mother…read moredaughter time!! Miggi was such a friendly and welcoming teacher- and the workshop was easy to follow. I'm going to be keeping track of her next classes to learn the next one!! We also learned how to make black pepper pork buns, which was our lunch :D

A fun, interactive, and incredibly well done "Travel Around the World" Smart Cooking and Wine…read morePairing Event. My team and I had an amazing experience at Miggi's Kitchen. We learned to cook with the Thermomix while working in teams at different stations, preparing dishes from around the world. It was hands-on, interactive, and a lot of fun - every dish turned out delicious. Miggi is a fantastic teacher: clear, detailed, confident, and incredibly knowledgeable. She explains techniques in a way that's easy to understand, and we all walked away genuinely better cooks. We also paired the experience with wine tasting and learned how to taste and appreciate wine properly, which made the evening even more memorable. On top of that, Miggi's fun, warm personality really brings the whole experience together. My office team loved it and is still talking about it. Highly recommend for team events or anyone looking for a unique, engaging culinary experience.