I hired Samantha from Painted Palettes to hand letter mini pumpkins for a fall themed event and it…read morewas THE HIT FROM THE PARTY (even three months later, in the dead of winter my personalized pumpkin is still going strong and it's so beautiful I do not have the heart to throw it away). Samantha was easy to work with from start to finish and was able to stay professional despite the long lines at the party (I mean, how could you not want something so beautiful as a keepsake?). I could picture using her for corporate events, bridal showers, baby showers and any other celebration that could you a personalized twist. She can write on any material and even engraves on glass! I have not had the chance to check out her Intro to Hand Lettering classes yet but for now, I'll leave it to the pros. Painted Palettes is simply the best!

I first saw and met Samantha from Painted Palettes at a Yelp Elite event back in 2018. Then I…read morestarted following her work on Instagram (@painted_palettes). A couple months ago, my friend Kim and I took an Intro to Hand Lettering class with Samantha at Steadfast Supply in DC. Oh that rush hour traffic and $20 parking was sooo worth it! Turns out, Samantha used to be a teacher, and it shows in the way she articulates the class. It was easy to follow her instructions, and she was very hands-on with showing examples. Plus we got a pretty decent set of tools and goodies to take home with us! Since, I've purchased some of her watercolor artwork to hang at home. I am such a fan! The artwork can be found on her website or in various shops in the area. And her classes are actually affordable! Next I want to take her Pointed Pen class!

"I could stay here all day," said my eight-year-old artist. If you love crafts, Merry Pin is your…read morespot. Inside a corner building along popular Georgia Avenue NW, this woman-owned craft store is more than that. It's a community hub and cafe. Walk inside and you'll find well-organized crafts and art supplies throughout. They sell yarn, needles, stickers, stationary, glue, everything. My daughter especially loved the kits to learn how to crochet and knit. Near the register are "mystery grab bags" for $7 that my daughter bought. In the back is a button area where you can fill a small paper bag with buttons for $1.50. The cafe is on the first floor with a few tables and bar seating. They sell pastries like ham and cheese croissants, empanadas, a pickle plate, and more. My daughter loved the bacon empanada and the gourmet rainbow marshmallows. They also sell drinks of all kinds, including mimosas and margaritas. The upstairs is where you'll find one big room with long tables, couches, and lots of craft supplies in their Little Free Craft Library space. My daughter could stay for hours making art! The public restroom is on this floor too. Street parking is very easy to find even on a Saturday.

I really wanted to have a better experience at Merry Pin. I love crafts, and supporting a local,…read morewoman-owned business? Perfect! I went for the Gilmore Girls fall event and it was just... not good. Tickets were $45. The event sounded great! Themed drinks, trivia, bingo, grab bags, episode viewing, and themed crafts. The concept was fully there, but the execution wasn't. There were a ton of major issues. Trivia? The person was sick, so it didn't happen. Bingo? Every card was the same, so it didn't happen. We didn't learn this until an hour into the event, because that was when the first staff member entered the event space upstairs. The themed craft was making polymer clay magnets. One problem- there were no actual magnets. Other supplies, like parchment paper and a pot holder, were also missing. The craft required an oven, but there was no staff member assisting with anything upstairs. Guests had to set up and preheat the oven themselves. People were taking things in and out of the oven, including other people's items. It just was too complicated without a staff member overseeing it. The episode watching started after an hour. It was an okay set up- a projector, Netflix, and some speakers. But it was just okay. It was difficult to see and hear, and the Netflix would pause for long periods of time because no staff member was present. I hoped for a fun atmosphere where people would react to the episode, but many people were talking or doing other things. The food was a huge issue. Included in the event was themed drinks- these were good and had a good concept. Also included were pop tarts, mallomars, and "grab bags" which contained eggs rolls and mini pancakes. The egg rolls were cold by the time the event started, and one person next to me wanted to know if they had meat. No one was there to answer the question. The food ran out before everyone got to the event. Ordering food was an issue as well. You can tell from the menu that the food was frozen and reheated. It took forever. I arrived half an hour before the event. I got my first food item 35 minutes after ordering and my last item 45 minutes after ordering. One item, hash browns, were still cold in the middle. The quality was what I expected- actually not bad- but it took forever. I think all of the staff were working on the food instead of doing anything else. Other little details were not great. The event room was packed and some people sat on the floor. There was water provided upstairs, but it ran out. You had to bus your own dishes and trash, but the dish bin was full. There weren't lights on all of the tables, so once the episode viewing began it was hard to craft. I really wanted to like Merry Pin, and maybe they were just short staffed for this event. In the end, some of the people I came with wanted a refund. It just felt disorganized and unfinished. I would be cautious about other events here.

Omgosh this store was recommended by my Hair Sprinkles Mentor !…read more Anywho I found some really unique items very pleased with my purchase and the service

What a lovely store with very helpful staff and a nice selection of beads and supplies at…read morereasonable prices! Been getting back into jewelry making and have been overwhelmed with where to start and needing some technical guidance, so I decided to take a private class at S & A. Regan was my instructor. She was a very patient and insightful teacher who offered a wealth of knowledge, tips and tricks. I scheduled the class while I was shopping in the store and showed her a few of the items that I had an interest in learning how to make. She did I great job of listening and then tailoring a class accordingly. Once we had our session, it was very loose and she continued to structure the direction according to my whims. All while remaining very intentional. Great experience! Go check them out! Even if you're not into making anything, they have a fine selection of unique handmade jewelry for buying.

The customer service representative went above and beyond all the other stores I called... Even…read morethough they did not have what we needed just to speak with someone who cared enough to respond and search for what we needed was just what my wife and I needed. It's frustrating that T-shirt transfer vinyl suppliers are so limited in the DC area. Yet it was refreshing to interact with someone who cared. B&CJenkins

Great local Art Supply store! The staff was very friendly and the prices were decent enough. They…read morehad every product well laid out and organized. They also have a rewards program with discounts which I thought was cool. It's actually pretty big when considering the size of the building. Highly recommend instead of a big commercial store.

Where do I begin...Christin is PHENOMENAL!! I got married this past Friday and let me tell…read moreyou...she did an OUTSTANDING JOB on my wife, daughter and mother-in-law!! We struggled for weeks trying to find a make up artist and wasn't sure if we would even would find one. She is truly a Godsend. I had an opportunity to thank her personally before the wedding and told her how much I truly appreciated her helping us out in our time of need. You will not be disappointed...NOT ONE BIT!! Christin is punctual, professional and kind hearted. SHE KNOWS HER STUFF. I'm typing the words in capital letters on purpose. The bible says to give honor where honor is due and she surely deserves hers. Christin, thank you again so much for making my wife's wedding day a success. We couldn't have done it without you!!

I got my makeup done for my wedding and honestly, I'm so happy! The makeup artist really listened…read moreto what I wanted and created a perfectly polished and natural look. The foundation, eye makeup, and lips were all flawlessly blended. My makeup stayed fresh all day, and I got compliments from everyone. I would definitely highly recommend them!