My love affair with her beautiful work began in 2008 when I received one of her cake stands as a…read moregift. Since then my collection has grown as I follow her Etsy website (http://www.etsy.com/shop/whitneysmith), her blog, met her in person at her various shows around the Bay Area. She will also host an open studio event one or twice a year where you get the opportunity to see where all the magic happens. She's wonderful to talk to and work with. If you are a lover of the arts, then you owe it to yourself to own a Whitney Smith piece. What I love about her work: * How she incorporate nature (birds, leaves, butterflies, flowers) * The clean lines * The gorgeous glazing (my favorite is her signature green glaze) * The pieces are beautiful for home decor AND practical for every day use!! * You can tell each piece was a labor of love * There is nothing else like her work on the market I have 15 pieces and I can't wait to get another!!

We love Whitney's work. We first saw her work at the Palo Alto Clay and Glass festival and have…read moremade a point of going to find her every year since. We also had the opportunity to visit her open studio in Oakland a few years ago. Her work is beautiful and she's a joy to talk to and work with. This year she worked with us to create a piece of a particular size we needed. We'll definitely continue to look for her in coming years and figure out a way to fit another piece into our home.

New favorite place for crafts! Picked up basics like staplers, staples, glue sticks, glittery pom…read morepoms, Lunar New Year decorations, crepe papers (including the kind for decorating piñatas) , ribbons... this place is delightful for artists and kids crafts.

Weird experience. Manager tried charging me more then tried to take item away…read more I was looking at an old organizer case (with smaller organizer containers within) and the manager hovered over me while I was looking at it. I was interested in buying it and was debating buying the second one (without the smaller containers) but as I went to keep shopping and think about it he stopped me and said he needed to "reprice it" because he made a mistake. He wanted to make it more expensive because of the smaller organizers that came with the case. I indicated the sign that said no repricing and that the one without the internal containers was cheaper (indicating it was already priced to include the smaller containers) he proceeded to open it up (while I was still holding it) and taking the smaller containers out saying that he would sell them individually. Had to talk him into keeping it together and at the original price. Annoying experience. Unlikely to come back, would rather go to East Bay Depot in Oakland where the prices are better and staff friendlier.

I went to see Anthony Grant's show there and thought the space was really great. They also have a…read morelot of fun creative gifts for sale,

Always a great experience in this small, well curated shop featuring soulful pieces by diverse…read moreartists across multiple disciplines.

I've not written a review before, but I'm so pissed off right now. I was treated pretty poorly at…read morethis place. I've been looking for a statement piece necklace for months now. I stopped in this store today and found what I was looking for. Finally! But the customer service was so incredibly bad I walked out without buying it The woman who opened the door, took one look at me and I imagine decided that I wasn't worth her time. Didn't greet me, ask me if she could help. I stood in front of the piece of jewelry trying to get somebody's attention, but no luck. They just lost a sale.

I've been working with Peter Ostwald for over a year now and I have learned so very much. I learned…read morejewelry making in college many years ago and have always wanted to create really unique pieces. I am an artist and I primarily paint. Being able to come to Peter with a sketch of an idea and having him guide me to making it an actual work of wearable art is an amazing process. It's my favorite two hours of my otherwise crazy busy week as I juggle my art and a full-time sales job. I cannot recommend Peter highly enough, whether you are brand new to creating or a seasoned artist, his teaching style, creativity, and guidance are unparalleled. I am looking forward to studying with him for many more years.

I took Jewelry making and metalsmithing in college about 15 years ago and really wanted to pick it…read moreup again. I also needed something creative to add to my week to balance out my super technical job. Peter has been a godsend. He's super laid back, non judgmental, and has really helped me tap back into my creative side. This is my favorite 2 hours of the week and for such a reasonable price, I can't recommend it enough.

My wife and I decided to pick up a new hobby 9 months ago, and I'm so glad we did. Since then,…read morewe've taken 6 classes at Cass Ceramics, where we've benefitted from personalized attention from Lizzie and Lauren, both of whom took great care to impart lessons to us about throwing ceramics on the wheel, hand-building pieces, and glazing our pottery. It's been a captivating new artistic obsession, made possible by the welcoming community at Cass. We feel very lucky to have found Cass, Lizzie, and Lauren!

I'm a big fan of Cass Ceramics and appreciate that the studio has opportunities for folks with a…read morewide range of ceramics knowledge and skills. I'm a ceramics novice and over the past year or so have taken a weekend workshop and three classes here with Cass, Lizzie, and Lauren. The instructors are super friendly, inviting, and helpful. As a beginner, I thought it'd be really complicated - from learning ceramics techniques to figuring out how get my pieces fired, glazed, etc. But the classes and workshops are super informative, and the studio has an efficient and easy to understand process of getting my pieces from start to finish. I look forward to taking more classes here :)

They have a great selection of pots in all sizes, colors, and styles! Both indoor and outdoor poss…read moreare available. Pricing is mid range. Their pricing is slight lower than my local nursery. I've seen pots at HomeGoods for about half the price here, but they're not available in all stores or at all times. So I would say if you want to wait to find a deal, this is not the place for you, but if you're in need of a pot you'll find a great one here. We purchased a 14-inch diameter glazed indoor pot for $100. They also had a clearance section with mostly smaller 2-6-inch pots.

This place has the largest selection of pottery and other garden decor in the area. The prices are…read morequite reasonable, and the staff is extremely helpful!

The Compound Gallery is a (hidden?) gem of the Bay Area. It's *free* to enter/browse and there are…read morepieces here ranging from affordable to pricier. 1) I enjoyed David Fullarton's collection, "Everything's Getting Worse and I'm Not Helping," as well as browsing local artisans' pieces. The curation of this gallery feels cohesive. The pieces here are rich with meaning -- great conversation starters, so it's definitely an excellent place to bring a friend or two. 2) I wish I caught the name of the owner/director I met there yesterday -- he was so warm and a great host! It was my first time, and he took the time to briefly show me around the different areas of the gallery whilst entertaining my questions about the history of the gallery/its artists. He also shared upcoming events and exhibitions (artist talks, for instance), inviting me to stay connected! 3) Parking here is pretty great (I was at the gallery on the weekend). There's also a small park across the street -- great place to hang out and debrief after enjoying The Compound. I highly recommend The Compound Gallery -- I know I'll be back soon.

Artists beware!! The owners of this space are more concerned with taking your money rather than…read moreactually supporting artists. The lowest monthly fee is $250, and that's just to join the space (and access a teeny tiny cubby space to keep any personal belongings). If you actually want to use any of their equipment or facilities (which is the whole point of becoming a member) they charge you an additional $50 monthly fee ON TOP OF your membership fee. PLUS, there's a $50 fee to take any orientation class, which is mandatory before you're even allowed to touch the equipment. They even charge you to use their printers!! I'm surprised there's not a fee to use the restroom...You get locked into a minimum year lease, and then are micromanaged with how you use the space. With creative culture dying in the Bay in favor of Big Tech, what artists need now more than ever is an affordable and accessible space to create and build community, without a financial barrier. THIS PLACE IS NOT IT.