I've been to Craftopia a couple different times now, but the girls and myself went to her new…read morelocation for the first time the other day for her candle making class. It was great. The place is really big, easy to find with a nice big sign right on the building and parking right in front. Has a lot of different rooms and a lot of art displayed in each. I loved walking around everywhere and looking at it, it was definitely encouraging us to want to come back and partake in even more classes she has to offer! Cora was even nice enough to give us one of the pieces that she had done that the three of us liked the best. Definitely recommend this place and we'll be back soon! Thanks Cora!

My friend and I came for a candle making class today and we had a great time with Cora and Adira…read morethe staff dog! Cora was really good at explaining our options and helping us make our selections. Her space is very welcoming and cozy, I appreciated how she was available for questions and assistance but also gave us free rein to pick and choose scents/colors/materials. For the class fee, you really get a lot out of the lesson time, definitely worth coming to a class and I look forward to coming to some of the other classes in the future!

The pay by the bag thing was a total scam. I tried my best to navigate what was supposed to go in…read morebags and what was off limits but it was a mess. The smallest signs that said "not for bags" were written in sharpie on tape. I was sure I picked all the bag eligible items but when I went to check out every item was rung up. So instead of 7 dollars it came out to 23. In response to owner- I looked for the signs as best I could, I thought all these things I picked out were good to go. The signs are very small and not obvious so it's hard to tell what is individually priced and what's not. Everything in the store has a price on it. But yes next time I will triple read the signs to avoid paying 22 dollars for old pins and beads!:)

Tinkertopia is a utopia of all things related to tinkering. With many random things needed for a…read moreproject (beads, magnets, jewelry, scraps of fabric and construction/ felt paper, buttons, etc), random books/ magazines, CDs and tapes, etc. If you have time to browse, you should make a visit in here to look at all the things in here because it is hard to describe the magnitude of fun things you may find. My husband, our little girl dog and I actually parked right outside this store and saw this Santa (we visited last month) which really peaked our interest (and also the name did too) so we decided to come in. There was a "time travel" Santa by the large window in a cool looking time travel machine that was available for free photos. This time travel Santa had a fun steam punk kind of attire and was more than happy to take photos with our little girl when asked if he would. We ended up decided to purchase these tiny little blocks we found in a small cabinet. My husband thought it would be nice to get these blocks to spell out our dog name and glue it to her wooden dog bed headboard. It made me laugh that the bag the employee put the blocks in was a brand new (clean) hamburger wrapper bag from Arco's AM/PM. The friendly employee told me that a customer donated boxes of these wrapper bags that he got from a storage that he ended up purchasing (as there were a few boxes of these just sitting in there). That definitely made me laugh since it just goes with the charm of this store. If I lived in this area, I know I would be a regular. For those of you visiting from Vancouver (or if you visit there), you can check out their other store, Urban Source (https://www.yelp.com/biz/urban-source-vancouver), in which the owner had opened that store first before opening this store in Tacoma.

LovingLocal Lets hear it for another #tacoma #hiddengem and…read more#smallbussiness. So tucked behind the Human Society is a great little studio for those who want to go & try their hand at something new, those who want to create & those that want to explore. This is not the usual #sip&paint experience, it is more. Now, I suggest that you go in the daylight to find it the 1st time, wear something comfortable & be prepared to be inspired. I participated in the Love Letters to Self class and met some really nice ladies. This is a safe place to be yourself, to compliment & encourage others. Big shout out to Nadine for extending hospitality and ginger snaps! No doubt, I'll be back for more classes.

I love taking classes at Artful Dreamers Studio. The owner, Nadine seems to attract a wonderful…read moregroup of women. I've taken many classes and I always feel nurtured and safe. Never any judgement. Nadine is a wonderful teacher that helps me get the best results. Always a fun time.

The name drew me in! And so glad it did. I was on 6th Avenue for lunch, so decided to walk around…read moreand check out all the nearby businesses, which is when I spotted a huge, colorful sign with a narwhal wearing sunglasses. It was The Nearsighted Narwhal! Of course I had to check it out. The shop is small, but has a ton of fun and witty gifts and items, from local zines to buttons to prints. I spent a good amount of time, checking out all the different and detailed items. Specifically, I really liked the magnets they sell here, as they have clever sayings with a colorful background. In fact, when I was checking out, I asked the owner if there were any more and she mentioned that she was making more magnets and to stop by again for different sayings. One that I bought says, "Not today motherfucker." Now who wouldn't want that hanging at their office? The Nearsighted Narwhal is a great store to browse and shop local. If in the area, definitely pay this shop a visit and support the local artists that sell their work here here. Plus, ya gotta love the Tacoma pride found, as they sell many items from tees to magnets, expressing Tacoma is cool and Seattle drools. Hah!

Cute shop! We popped in twice while in town to have lunch at nearby Shakabrah. The owner arrived as…read morewe were admiring the cute vinyl decals through the window. She let us in and was very pleasant and helpful as we shopped for t-shirts, lotions and decals. The jewelry was amazing-very bold and wearable. Loved that the t-shirts were high-quality, soft, amazing colors, and in all sizes, not just small and mediums. We each bought a t-shirt and I got a pepper lotion to use on sore muscles- whoa, its very potent! But I think I like it. The book and zine section was cool. I wish I had more time to browse that section.

We absolutely love it here! A lot of pieces to choose from, easy instructions, great and quick…read moreservice when needing supplies. We have been back twice!

What a hidden gem, located in downtown Tacoma. This place is pretty cool, lets your inner child out…read morethrough painting. 1st thing is there's free parking across the street. As you walk across the street to this building that looks more like a freight warehouse you wonder am I in the right spot? Yes you are, walk up the steps and turn left and you immediately see the studio. Now this was a date day for my wife and I and have never done this before. The staff were supper friendly and were there to give advice, but let you do your own thing. They have lots of pieces to choose from, all prices are in the bottom of the pieces. We selected our pieces and went to work, so how I missed the whole part of "you need a base coat before painting" and I just started to paint. My wife on the other hand listened to the instructions and followed them.. her pieces were painted well, mine looked like my 3 year old grandson painted it. Now we wait for them to be fired in the kiln which takes about 1-2 weeks )depending on how busy they are) to get it back... So for 3 pieces ran about $114ish plus tip. From what the staff states is that it gets busy on the weekends, we arrived at 11:05 and left at around 3ish...

I was a JoAnn's fan but since it has closed I thought that I would give it a try! I was definitely…read moremotivated when I went to Walmart and tried to buy yarn with a crocheting friend. Yeah we unwind the day literally with crocheting projects. This place was literally a candy store for people needing yarn and material for sewing. I bought a pretty sparkling blue and a spring time color. I am uncertain what I may make but I am excited. Probably a pretty throw! Customer service has changed. There are three self checkouts. Two of them take cards but only one take cash. Then there is two regular cashier stands. My friend and I realize that we need to come here for crocheting/knitting and sewing projects. Plus side is there is a sewing machine shop nearby too. In the meantime I will enjoy my goodies.

I couldn't believe the amount of items that were on sale. Wow! It is end of January and looks like…read morethey are trying to get rid of inventory. I was disappointed however about their drawing pen selection. Almost everything was gone which was sad for me because they had only 2 items stocked in an area that shows abut 30 items! Bare bones! But they had other things like mod podge, valentine items already, and more. With all the coupons as members, great value! I bought more paper and pens, and with the discount as a member, the cost was worth it bs buying online. And the people are super friendly. Very easy and willing to help.

Super nice and helpful here every single time. The selection of clay and glazes is endless & the…read moreadorable pups makes you keep wanting to come back (:

I love this place to get anything you need for pottery! Super helpful and friend staff EVERY TIME I…read morego. This store has earned the community's support!

Craft Theory is an awesome arts and craft shop in Lakewood that offers a lot of different…read moreactivities/locally made crafts. I took my daughter to a birthday party here in the past and she had a lot of fun so she asked to have her next birthday party here. My daughter had an amazing time on the day of her birthday. Meredith and her mom are really kind and great with kids. The inside of the shop is very cozy and comfortable. A lot of parking available outside. I highly recommend checking out Craft Theory and we look forward to coming back in the future!

Amazing venue to fulfill all your arts and crafts. Grateful to have Meredith to teach me and my…read moregroup a 3d flower art project. It was fitting for the pandemic to have an intimate safe clean place. This place has drinks galore, mom and me events, holiday events, and crafts dream come true. I see macrame, acrylic painting, sculpting and clay, and sign classes that you can opt for. There are self care hobbies here as well. She sells local items and she does birthday parties! I can't wait to come back.