First time I took our oldest two to Creative Escape was a hoot. We went with our Kiwanis club to…read moremake bowls to donate to Habitat for Humanity fundraising efforts. It was so much fun! I was really worried because at the time, my second-oldest was about to turn 4. So ... to say the least, I had visions of him tearing through the store, breaking everything in his path. Boy, was I wrong. These kids--all the kids, in fact--were absolutely enthralled and taken by the pottery painting. They all sat up at the tables together, with the adults, and painted bowls to donate to a good cause. It was a great time and a wonderful learning experience. But not only that, the kids made the most beautiful bowls! Even better than the adults. Know why? We adults TRIED TOO HARD. Kids are kids and make the most creative pieces every time. I love to see how the bowls look after they're painted--usually a mess. But it's the most fantastic transformation to see how your bowl (or other ceramic of your choice, including figurines, plates, plaques, mugs, etc.) turns out after it has been fired in the kiln. When we picked up all the Kiwanis club members' bowls, we were blown away. The color is so deep and fantastic on every single one. Head to Creative Escape next time you need a good gift for a loved one. We've gone back several times (And my husband has snuck all three boys out to make me the best Mother's Day gifts EVER ... handmade masterpieces) and plan to make plates for the grandmas until they have an entire set of homemade dishes. What a wonderful gift! NOTE: You don't need a reservation. Walk right in! (Reservations are suggested for large groups.) Thursday night is Ladies Night from 6-9 p.m.

My son's teacher held a gathering here for his first grade class. The manager and another employee…read morewere present. They were unfriendly, unenthusiastic, impatient, and generally disinterested. Neither employee engaged with a single child. They couldn't even bothered to smile, let alone say "thank you." I volunteered to pay for two pieces they said had been painted by other group members who ostensibly left without paying. (Neither employee recognized my generosity in doing so--which in part saved them some headache. These were very small pieces. Given that it was their error in not properly collecting payment from each partygoer, they ought to have just written it off.) We later discovered that one of the pieces had not, in fact been painted. Rather than apologize for their error, the employee made a snide remark about it being the customer's fault. I'm still not convinced that the other piece was unpaid for--rather I think they probably made a clerical error given their lack of organization. The employee who supervised the party also complained about the noise. Perhaps she expected first graders to paint in silence. The manager never left her perch on the stool behind the desk. It must not have occurred to her that her associate might need assistance. Our group was in the establishment for exactly an hour on a Sunday when it appeared there were only two other customers. These two young women need to realize that, without paying customers, their employer can't afford to pay them, and that repeat customers are their best source of revenue. So they should exhibit a modicum of hustle for the brief time that they actually have to do some work during an otherwise, quiet, un-busy day. As an aside, they do not even have so much as a paper cup on hand for a drink of tap water. If your child is thirsty you'll be invited to drive across the street to CVS. I'd like to point out that the 5-star reviews mention how much fun pottery painting is, and the variety of available projects, but make no mention of employees being friendly or helpful. Pottery By You at 86th/Township Line and Half Baked Pottery in Broad Ripple are far more deserving of your business. Their owners are on-site and their employees are fantastic!

I had such a lovely first visit to the shop! The owner was incredibly sweet, and to top it off,…read morethere were adorable BUNNIES hopping around too. The selection was fantastic--I even picked up the city's special, Roundabout Way, which has gorgeous blues, vibrant yellows, and little specks of asphalt or black! It's such a beautiful shop, and I can't wait to go back for more yarn!

Such friendly people that are eager to help. I loved that you had a yarn that I was drawn to on…read moresale along with other beautiful yarn selections. It was great to meet Ali and Kaleb along with other great crafters. The Create swag bag is amazing and such a blessing. I will definitely visit again!

Went to a chunky knit blanket class on my own. Music was played you can bring in your own drinks or…read moresnacks. The instructors were polite and allowed you to ask as many questions as you wanted. I would definitely come back with a larger group. I loved the outcome! The price of the class came out to be $96, the blanket is a very good size same as you would pay in store.

I love this store the staff is super nice and Mike was super nice as well he treated me like a…read morehuman being while still doing his job give this man a raise he help me find the sketch book i was looking for and helped me understand the latest deals he was extremely nice and best of all the deals I got were great too thanks again Micheal's for having great employees who are will to help

I have used Michaels for years and I've spent thousands of dollars on framing. Only recently have…read moreI experienced less craftsmanship and poor attitude on the part of the young lady working behind the counter. Perhaps it's due to what I was having framed, (Military and police memorabilia, badges, awards etc.) I was very polite on each visit and went out of my way to engage meaningful conversation, but was met with rude responses, scowl face and a clear unwillingness to do business with me. Because I made a true effort to be polite every time, I can only assume this young lady was not the right fit for the position. On one visit, she scolded me for not responding to their pick-up-order call. No message was left and my phone thought it was spam. Explaining this met with further rudeness. The second encounter she refused to work with my item to redo it, until I broke it out of the existing frame myself. Glass shattered everywhere and she offered nothing to assist in clean up. My third time I called ahead to see if this project was completed early and if I missed a call like before. Again, very rudely I was told it wouldn't be ready until the due date. I arrived to pick up the item on the due date only to learn she was just starting to work on the item. Now past due I still have not received a response referring to its completion. This young lady has no customer service skills and has stopped me from submitting my next project. I will not shop Michaels again as long as she is employed in their framing shop. Very disappointed!!!!!!

If you want a fun activity on the Indy Northside, look no further!…read more I came here with a group of colleagues for a fun night out from the lab. It was a nice social activity that also allowed moments of quiet to focus on your piece. I find this dynamic kind of nice because I'm not one to talk endlessly even when I'm with my friends. They have tons of pieces to choose from, ranging in price and size, so you can make this activity as much as you want to get out of it. There's no studio fee, so glazes and kiln services are included with your price. They have just about all the colors of glaze, which have a display on the wall by the glaze bottles. The staff are all very friendly, Brooke and Fernando were especially attentive to us throughout the evening. They made sure to help keep our workspace tidy and helped with some glazing and artistic touches. Importantly, we never felt rushed with the process, which helped us feel like we could make something we're proud of. They also have some glass fusing stuff as well, so you can make some kinds of mosaic glass lamp shades (or at least that's what was shown throughout the space). I'm curious how that's priced, because that would be another cool outing! Pottery pieces take about a week to be fired in the kiln, so I don't have my masterpiece back yet. I'm very excited to receive it! They also provide shipping, so if you're a little further away, you can still get your piece. I'm sure I'll be back again before too long!

My husband and I came in for a date night and it was a great experience!…read moreWe arrived on a Saturday around 3 and they were quite busy, but we were able to get a table for two. They have a LARGE variety of different items to paint (as well as different offers as well). The employees were attentive as we painted with filling us in on the process, getting us new brushes, etc. They also offer adult beverages, which is a nice touch for date nights!

Great selection of art by talented local artists. The artist who was working that day answered all…read moreof our questions too.

I adore this gallery! It's always a stop for us on Gallery Walk nights in Carmel. The people…read moreworking are always ready to help or answer questions. I love looking at all the new fun art and awesome unique gifts! It's so nice to see so many local artists and their work. They have some really nice pieces, some expensive, but I feel like they have things that would fit in a price point for everyone. I found some really nice note cards of the angel paintings I always admire and they even had a set of Carmel paintings. I adore seeing Nancy Keating's mosaic work here! She's so creative and I love the ice buckets! I am pretty sure I will be getting one for my husband for Christmas this year. It's just so fun and love the local touches on it!

Color Me Mine at Clay Terrace is the kind of place I really want to see stick around. It is not…read morecheap, but I also do not pretend to understand the economics of a place like this, and for me the value is in the experience as much as the pottery itself. My kids enjoy it, and I think it is worth remembering that the reason you paint something can become part of the memory attached to it. The staff have generally been helpful, and we have had good experiences overall. My one negative was when I had previously bought a piece of unfinished pottery and a gift card so I could give someone something a little more personal than just the card, but when we came back to paint, they were told they could not exchange that unused pottery for a different piece. That felt like an odd and unnecessarily rigid customer service decision, especially since it was not seasonal merchandise and I was clearly bringing in new business. Even so, it stood out as the one real blemish on an otherwise positive experience.

Very fun and traditional paint your own pottery place. They have lots of fun pieces to choose from,…read morebut it is on the pricier side compared to other pottery places, and you have to pay a studio fee. They do have daily specials which would help offset that cost. Overall, great experience!

I had the day off from work, so I decided to run some errands and pick up some picture frames for a…read morecouple pieces of art I wanted to be framed. I stopped into Hobby lobby because I knew I could get some good picture frames there. Luckily, the store was having a 50% off discount on all wall frames and photo frames. Hobby Lobby had a huge selection of wall/photo frames to choose from, so I took my time to find the right frames for my pieces of art. I eventually found the frames I wanted, and picked up a decorative item for my house as well. The value of the picture frames was terrific and there were very nice frames in the store. There are not a lot of staff walking around in the store, so I didn't ask anyone for assistance, because I did not really need it. When I checked out at the cashier, the woman was very nice and friendly, and wrapped my picture frames with care to make sure they would not crack or break. I had not been in a Hobby Lobby for quite some time, so I was impressed with the selection of picture frames and other items in the store. They always have a sale each week from what I can tell, and you do get value for your buck. If you love arts and crafts, and need supplies, Hobby Lobby is the store for you. They have everything you need for your projects. It is a great store for the crafty person!

MUST READ. While hobby lobby is a nice "Christian" store to shop at.. let me let you in on some…read moreinside logistics. I worked there as a custom framer for over a year and one night I had been called to help with a bathroom incident. I thought to myself "no problem we're a team" As I cleaned up the mess with toilet paper and weak tools provided by the company it took me quite awhile to fully clean the mess. Afterword I got called back to the framing counter for a custom order. I completed the order with a red face as I smelled of feces and then after I asked my manager for permission to go home and shower/change before closing. She said "NO we're understaffed tonight" I pleaded my case as I felt it was inhumane to have me working while smelling like another humans feces. I asked again.. and then again rejected by "Liz". At that point I decided to quit .. I never planned on doing this until such an extreme circumstance. But get this, I went to HR and told them what happened. Just weeks later she was awarded the Store Manager position at Avon. Please be aware of the leadership at this company

I am so glad to have this new stationary store nearby!…read more Oliver's Twist carries a great selection of cards, invitations, stationaries, pens, planners, calendars and more. If you come to the farmer's market on a Saturday, spend a few minutes strolling through the store - it is definitely worth checking out!

I popped my head into Oliver's Twist when I was shopping in Clay Terrace. It's a much larger space…read morethan I imagined, but it's not stocked with inventory like it could be. Expect lots of greeting card options, and it appears personalized calligraphy options. It's a cute store with potential, but I didn't find anything I needed to leave with.