Wednesday, February 5, 2014

Where do I find arts & crafts supplies...

I prefer brick and mortar stores to buy my supplies.  Buying a product you already use on line is great and easy, especially late at night when I realize I need more of something.  For new items and inspiration, I love actually perusing the shelves and aisles, seeing the colors, the textures, the options and the ideas. 

How often have you bought something on line and when it arrived it wasn't what you were expecting?  I just did that with a coat I bought on line.  Returned it immediately.  It is the same thing with art supplies. Fabric and paper need to be touched.  Embellishments show their true detail and scale in person. 

Okay enough of that.... What I really wanted to talk about is where I do find my supplies.  The obvious stores come to mind like JoAnn's Fabric and Crafts, Michael's Arts and Crafts, Hancock Fabric, Vogue Fabrics in Chicagoland area, Hobby Lobby, and Archiver's (now closing).  I probably shop at Michael's most of the time because it is one closest and two has a great selection. 

Some of the less obvious stores for me include Target, Wal-Mart, Big Lots, Tuesday Morning, and any "charity"/resale shop in my area.  Brown grocery bags make great journal pages and work surfaces.  I am always looking for great deals on items, aren't we all?

These brick and mortar stores are getting more scarce though.  In our area, we've seen at least two Hancock Fabric stores, one Archiver's store, and a quilt shop close in the last five years.  It is disheartening for sure.  For those that are still open, THANK YOU, we really appreciate you. 

Where do you find your art supplies? 

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