My friend decided to switch things up for their birthday and skip the usual dinner plans for…read moresomething more interactive, so we went to Paint Your Pot. Such a fun and creative alternative! If you are trying to stay on budget, I definitely recommend going on a day when they offer discounted studio fees. We went on a Monday and only paid $2 for the studio fee, which was a great deal. I am not the most artistic person, but I had so much fun. It was the perfect way to celebrate and do something a little different. I would absolutely go again and tap into my very limited artistic ability lol. If you are thinking about going, I recommend making a reservation ahead of time.

Good customer service and flexible and willing to help with accommodating a walker which was…read morehelpful. Always busy and fun to go when we are in towns

My best friend and I were so excited to visit Klaystation, and it definitely lived up to the hype!…read moreBooking online was quick and easy, and the class was about $75, well worth it for the experience. When I arrived, I was warmly greeted by the staff, one of them I believe was named May, and she was incredibly sweet. Everyone was welcoming and gave clear directions to head to the back for the class. Once I got there, the owner was leading the session and greeted me right away. My best friend had arrived earlier and saved us seats close to the instructor, which made the experience even better. The owner was so patient, kind, and attentive throughout the class. The class itself was very beginner-friendly and easy to follow. She walked us through each step, making sure everyone felt comfortable and confident. It was such a fun and relaxing experience. I truly didn't want it to end! I left feeling inspired and honestly like I had found a new hobby. I highly recommend this class to anyone looking to try something creative and fun!

Klaystation is located in a shopping plaza with other businesses. The business is spacious with…read moreseveral areas to sit in. We came on a Sunday afternoon & approached the back counter. We were advised to pick the pieces that we wanted to paint and seat ourselves at a table. The pieces that we chose ranged from $11-23 each. There were other pieces that were higher and lower as well. There was no extra fees besides tipping the employees if you choose to. We chose a turtle, a frog, & a monster. Anna was helpful in assisting us during the process of painting our pieces & bringing out the different paints and brushes that we needed. We were satisfied with our pieces when we were finished and can't wait to get the final pieces after they are cured by the business.

I received a surprise gift certificate for the beginners' clay course from our kids for Christmas…read more My husband & I participated in the 3-session course (2 hours each) & loved every minute of it. Doesn't matter how crafty or creative you think you are/aren't, this experience is good for your health. So fun, informative, relaxing & productive. Jeff is a great instructor, the studio has everything you need & you'll wonder why you didn't try this out sooner. I haven't picked up our final pieces yet but we are excited to use them.

I took Intro to Wheel and loved the class. Jeff and Lisa are great and I can't wait to take another…read moreclass here!

I brought The Apex Gallery a piece of silk I'd painted while studying abroad in Japan - something…read moreI'd treasured for decades, but never quite known how to honor. The team helped me select a frame that beautifully complements the piece and used museum-grade glass that prevents any glare. The result is stunning! It's an investment - but worth every penny. The craftsmanship is exceptional, and the staff is so kind and knowledgeable. I highly recommend Bethany and Nick's downtown shop for anything you want to display with care.

I am mostly housebound right now with a new baby and had my mom drop off my older child's artwork…read moreand consulted them over the phone. They said they could repair the artwork, informed me that the media we used might cause some wrinkles in the work once framed. We were given pricing and sent an invoice though email with allowed me to complete the transaction at home. The repair is pictured below. I am kind of in awe of their work. They told us they would display the work in their window - my son keeps talking about it. He was surprised and delighted to see it and we can't wait to hang it up today. Thank you so much for such a great experience, service and product.

No sightseeing here, no massive cases of the same stuff everybody else buys. But over the years…read morethey have done really nice custom work and repairs, and excel at helping you create that unique piece that is your vision.

A darling operation. Experts for sure. A blend of intent…read morelistening, salesmanship, and detail oriented service. Smoothest business around.

My family - including a 12 & 14 yr old - LOVED our experience with Christal. The review from the…read morewoman that took a class in Colorado was judgmental of Christal's home. You will park in a cul-de-sac. So? She has projects ongoing in her yard. So? The other reviewer maybe expected Martha Stewart. Anyway, the four of us have taken Christal's class twice. She lets you use Groupon for her classes (not limited to one Groupon). She gives instructions for about 15 minutes. You cannot use the colored glass that the other reviewer was crying about because it is specially purchased by Christal for her stained-glass business. Makes sense. There are buckets upon buckets of glass pieces in various colors. Any color you could want! She supplies other interesting shapes and sizes of adornments for your project. You have the choice of many items to make - a set of 4 small squares, a large rectangular piece, 2 small rectangles, and some others. These can be shaped into bowls, soap dishes, and other curved/waved designs after the glass cures in the kiln. You need to bring your creativity and your big girl panties though. Christal allows you to use the time as YOU want. And she's brutally honest about "don't park on the grass" and "don't touch the glass for my business." If you are easily offended then her dry humor and quick wit might offend you. We thought she was hilarious, helpful, and creative. The fact that she opens her home so strangers can take time away from television, computers, etc and let their creativity flow is wonderful. Getting our two kiddos out of the house and truly focused on something they could create with their hands....it was invaluable. Both could have spent many more hours there. The time went too quickly. So, if you are open-minded about trying something new and fun, my biggest tip is to take a design with you that you want to create. Using class time to think of your creation eats through time you need for designing your glass. And if you run out of time then book another session! We loved it. I hope you will too.

My husband got us a class as a date activity. We had done a day in a glass studio in Durango,…read moreColorado last year and it was really fun. This one was a bit odd. It was really far away (granted we live in Knightdale) and in a residential neighborhood. You park in the cul-de-sac (I am sure the neighbors love that) and there is a barrel blocking the driveway. The outside of the house has all sorts of junk and tarps and stuff all over (again- lucky neighbors). I get being eccentric and I appreciate the artsy type, but it just seemed like there was junk all in the yard, in the studio and even in the bathroom. It did not feel clean or organized. It is clear this is her work space but I think she needs to have an organized, less clutter space for the classes. We got about 10 minutes of basic instruction and then were off on our own. We did not learn anything cool and were not allowed to play with color and different glass types or do anything other than just cut and grind glass. Our experience in Colorado was SO much better and more creative. It was a 2 hour class so some bottled water or something would have been nice to have been offered. My hubby got a Amazon deal and I have to tell you even at that price it was overpriced for what you get and the teaching you got. To avoid going all of the way back out there we opted to pay $12 to have it shipped to the house and she said over and over how she is really bad at remembering to ship things and to text her in a couple of weeks if we have not gotten it to bug her about it. I got this is not like a professional business because of the nature of it, but it really did not seen to run or feel like something worth paying for.

Bricks 'N Brews is now open in the space previously occupied by Thanks A Latte off Kentworth Drive…read morein Holly Springs (they recently moved to another nearby location). My husband and I stopped by for a date night and had a fun time. They offer beer, seltzers, wine, coffee, and other non-alcoholic options. While you're there, you can build, rent or buy at their open LEGO table, buy individual pieces from the brick wall, build a custom minifig (legoman) or rent-a-set to build. We went with the rent-a set-option. I built a small and medium set while sipping on a beer--Grogu and Happy Plants--and my husband worked on a medium Ferrari F1 set. It was a fun and unique way to spend an evening together. I am looking forward to returning soon to try one of their large or extra-large kits. Just a heads up: depending on how many kids are there, the build wall area can get a little chaotic and a bit unsanitary.

Our new favorite hang-out! We love this place. Good mochas, friendly staff, and my boys LOVE…read morebuilding w loads of legos.

Larry is incredible. He does repairs and custom design and is absolutely a wizard or a genius (or…read moreboth) I'm sure of it! I wish more people around the RDU (or the state, or just the country...) knew about him - I mean seriously, "Certified Master Jeweler" since 1997?! I had no idea this was a thing and I can see EXACTLY why he's certified. He blew me away. Quality of repairs is impeccable. I can't even tell where my chain broke, it looks brand new!!! He wasn't afraid to be honest and tell me what he recommended based on how much I wear my necklace; I learned so much just from this one visit. I truly appreciate how awesome Larry is and Virtuoso will be my ONLY jeweler from now on (I live in GRAHAM an hour away and work in Apex, insane I know). He's worth every single penny though knowing how much I can trust him with anything I leave to him from now on. Thank you SO so much Larry. I can't wait to start some custom pieces with you!!!

It didn't take me long to realize that being a master goldsmith isn't just about working gold into…read moresomething beautiful. It's also about working with jewels and precious metals to create one of a kind pieces. More than jeweler, a goldsmith learns and works with, the properties of the metal and the stones. Apex Peak Fest gave me a chance to stop by Virtuoso Jewels, a shop that's been closed during my other visits to downtown Apex. There, in a small shop upstairs I found a working studio -- there was no doubt about it -- the tools, the hammers, the workbench. Everything from this goldsmith, Larry, is done in the shop, the design, the creation and, should it become necessary, the repair. He has several projects working at any one time. There are three small display cases of work, two are his, a third is from Sheila, another artist who creates unusual pieces replicating old techniques. The cases displayed, among other things, a gorgeous opal and tourmaline pendant and for me, some wonderful black pieces I later learned were blackened silver drawn with gold. I never really considered how beautiful silver could be when it's tarnished, although mine doesn't blacken on its own nearly as perfectly as this. Still, it was a good reminder of appreciating something unusual.