Scrapbook stores in the UK (London)

Hello Stars,

I live in London too so hopefully I can pass one some useful info! There are generally very few dedicated scrapbooking stores and certainly nothing like you have in the US. Cardmaking is a very popular pastime here. Scrapbooking is still relatively new here (but rapidly gaining on popularity), but we don't get large value packs of materials etc. like in the US.

A lot of small local arts & crafts stores now carry some basic materials such as punches, basic cardstock and paper, albums, stickers. There might be a shop like that near you but I have not really been to many local shops. (I sometimes go to the Wheatsheaf Art Shop in Baker Street.)

Outside London, I have been to the Craft Barn in Lingfield (which won the "Best Craft Shop in the South East") and Creative Pastimes near Limpsfield (which won the second best shop award in the South East). Both are quite small but have a reasonable range of (in my opinion) overpriced goods. Every now and again, there are sales in these shops, but nothing too spectacular. And certainly there are no American-style coupons...

There is also the QVC shopping channel which sells mostly sets of good quality materials. This Sunday, there is a 24-hour craft day, starting at midnight, with some scrapbooking slots - you can watch on freeview, cable or the internet. It is a must watch for me :-)

Personally, I tend to get my scrapbooking supplies from online shops as they tend to be cheaper and there is more and more of them and they often have newer stuff. Also service is generally very good, I mostly get my goods within 2-3 days.

I hope you can find what you are looking for & good luck!

Klara

P.S. I am a 32-year old Czech/South African living in London... (new to scrapbooking but addicted) If you would like to get together and talk scrapbooking, feel free to contact me on klarajw AT tesco DOT net

I forgot to mention a crafts/hobby chain Hobbycraft. There are several shops near London. Their range of scrapbooking materials is limited but they have a lot things for every craft activity you can think of...

Hi

You can check out

for our listing of stores. SHOUTING TO MARILYN-- do you know of any good chains over there?

Kate

Good question! The boys and I are going to fly into Stansted in October so I need shopping! LOL After reading thru it looks like the English do as well as we Americans in Germany do... online LOL I've only got one craft store here and everyone says how the store on our post in Heidelberg is so muhc better than every one else's over here. THAT is discouraging LOL But I make do.

Now the next question about London is: Are there CROSS STITCH SHOPS? :D I need a fix :)

Susan in Malsch, Germany

Just wanted to say welcome! And good luck with the scrapbook store hunt. There's always internet shopping if all else fails ;)

Judy, SA

Thank you everyone for the kind replies! I have found a few odds and ends here and there (Selfridge's, Cass Art) but I think I will have to resort to on-line shopping if I am looking for something specific. I am starting an album for my honeymoon and I bought a bunch of paper and embellishments specifically for this album last time I was in NY and brought them back with me, so I have enough to get started.

As for cardmaking - I am also looking for flat cards in close to 5x7 inch size, and matching envelopes, plain white. If you have any ideas for that, please share. I designed a new address card that I am printing myself, but I don't have enough cards. I have really only found packs of folded cards - and I have even looked on-line. The best I have come up with is CK Press, but they are pretty expensive - £3.95 for 10 cards, envelopes sold separately! Any other suggestions are appreciated!

-stars

Stars...I buy packs of A4 white cardstock (AF) by Georgia Pacific and half that to make plain white cards. GP is available at Asda in the stationery aisle for around £3.00 something for 150sheet pack of 200grm card. Very popular with the scrappers here for mats and journalling, etc. Couldn't you just print 4 cards to a page and cut them apart? C6 envelopes would fit this size, as 5x7 is really a US size and not readily available in the UK. I have some folded white cards (US size I think) and would be happy to help out with those if I have enough for your needs. LMK

Take care, Marilyn

Marilyn,

Thank you - that is a good idea. I don't have a paper cutter yet....was planning to get a small one soon. I think if I get a paper cutter buying the GP cardstock will work well. I know 5x7 is not a UK size - I don't need to find something exactly that size. I was trying to give a rough idea of what I had in mind. For example, the cards I saw in CK Press were 120x180, which would be fine for my project, if it weren't for the price. I will have to go to the Asda website to see if there are any near me.

-stars

Thought you had perhaps started printing them aready :o) Let me know if I can help further. I have included a link to another shop I buy a lot of supplies from.....might be one close enough to where you are to warrant a visit. They are just beginning to stock more scrapping stuff but their A4 card is brilliant for cardmakers.

I have half their stock right here in my craftroom...LOL Take care, Marilyn

Oops - I guess I did sort of make it sound like I had started printing already! : ) Thank you for the link - looks like a great paper store. I don't think there are any too near to me, though, as I don't have a car. There is a Hobbycraft I can get to by tube so I think I am going to check that out either this afternoon or tomorrow morning. I will let you know what I find!

-stars