Advantages: so much choice
Disadvantages: want to buy extra items once you are there

...carefully. When it was completed Megan was given the paper templates used and a leaflet describing how to make them. She could take her finished fridge magnet home and it is now proudly displayed in our kitchen. She really enjoyed this activity. The large framing centre inside can make made-to-measure frames. They offer help and advice and can frame anything you require from photos to football shirts. All types of frames are available from traditional wood effect to contemporary metal frames. All pictures are framed on the premises and free estimates are available. Other services on offer are canvas and needlework stretching, conservation framing, specialist framing including medals and coins, refitting and mount cutting. Their motto is “If you’ve made it or treasure it, Frame It!” We walked around the whole store (more than once... Read review

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Advantages: Interesting traditional workshops
Disadvantages: Admission charge to tour the flour mill and not really suited for disabled visitors

...Located just off the busy A6 trunk road at Rowsley near Matlock in the heart of the Peak District National Park is where Caudwell's Mill and Craft Shop is to be found. I would describe this as one of those little gems that I occasionally stumble upon whilst out walking in the Derbyshire's countryside. Despite its location on a busy road it is set back from the main road and could quite easily be overlooked although it is sign-posted. Whilst the central attraction of this place is a traditional working flour mill there is plenty more to see here as well. There are jewellery making workshops where you can watch jewellery being made by hand, a glass studio where you can see molten glass being blown, a blacksmiths where we watched horseshoes being made, an artist where portraits can be commissioned and a wood turner. At each... Read review

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Advantages: PLEASE IGNORE THE RATINGS AS THEY REFER TO THE WEBSITE
Disadvantages: PLEASE IGNORE THE RATINGS AS THEY REFER TO THE WEBSITE

...Since I was a child I have enjoyed being creative through various crafts. For a number of years now I've been very keen on counted cross stitch and recently I've also started rubber stamping. For me a fabulous way of passing time is to be creating something original. My house and those of my friends and family are adorned with examples of my work. So of course when HobbyCraft opened in Basildon I was pretty happy. ~~~ Craft Superstore ~~~ You name the craft and you'll find there are materials and equipment stocked in HobbyCraft. I've found a great range of threads and patterns for my cross stitch. I also made all my own wedding favours from materials bought in HobbyCraft. Most recently I've started doing rubber stamping and HobbyCraft is where I head for all the materials. There is a fantastic range of art materials as well... Read review

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Advantages: Craft projects with clear instructions, supplier directory by area, value for money
Disadvantages: Too many adverts to cope with!

...I really shouldn't be allowed out shopping! My partner and I only popped to the supermarket to top up on basics, yet I come home with a whole host of items that weren't on the list! I am, however, glad to say that one of these little extras was Crafts Beautiful, "Britain's best-selling craft magazine". I usually begrudge paying over a couple of pounds for a magazine, but in this case every penny of the £3.25 was worth spending. I have been making cards for about 2 years now; nothing special, just the odd birthday card, new baby greeting, and all of my Christmas cards. Initially, I thought it would be an enjoyable hobby and probably a little cheaper than buying them from the shops. Wrong! Of course it's an enjoyable hobby that keeps me quiet for hours, but all the little bits and bobs needed to create a card you can be proud... Read review

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Advantages: Free to visit, good website
Disadvantages: Publications are expensive

...The Crafts council is the leading supporter and promoter of contemporary applied arts and craft work in the UK. The Crafts Council has several roles involving spreading the awareness of the contemporary craft scene, and supporting crafts people, designer/makers, both financially and in an advisory capacity. They have an extensive booklist, from their bookshop, available from the main centre 44a Pentonville Road, Islington or online, www.craftscouncil.org.uk. There is an extensive list of designer /makers from which you can commission one-off pieces, or simply view the back catalogue of their works prior to commissioning a work. Their resource centre includes, slide galleries, and portfolios, and profiles of their enlisted members. The main site also has a Café, shop, and resources room if you want to spend a couple of hours their... Read review

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Advantages: Raising money for good causes, having fun
Disadvantages: Can take up a lot of your time!

...Having just seen the other articles about handmade crafts, I thought I'd jot down some experiences I've had trying to make crafts for charity stalls I run occasionally. For these stalls we get a lot of unwanted bric-a-brac kindly donated but some handmade crafts help improve the look (and our prices). Firstly, I am not a gifted artist. The opposite in fact. I tried making some Xmas cards once but found even cutting out shapes evenly was too much for my clumsy hands. So I needed crafts that required no drawing/cutting skill. As this is raising money for charity I didn't want a great outlay we couldn't recoup so the crafts had to cost little to make to maximise the charity's profit. You also need crafts which produce a product of high enough quality to be saleable (it may be for charity but people won't buy just anything). I had... Read review

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Advantages: Everything ever budding craft person could want.
Disadvantages: Not all Areas have a shop nearby

...If you are a budding arts,or or just crazy about dolls houses,maybe you love knitting,or even make you own wedding accessories.Is card makig your thing or even cross stitch.If so the this is most definatly the Art and Craft Sperstore for you. Me,I am craft crazy,I love any craft,and will try anything new. am that obsessed I have an 8ft by 6ft shed full of craft stuff and a stack in my bedroom. The first time I went to Hobbycraft with ym husband,he went into sheer panic because he knew the credit card was about to take a very bad beating.That particular time I did extremely well I think,I only spent £75.00 on Craft stuff. The list of products they actually sell would be impossible for me to list in this review. So,I am going to try and list as many of the crafts and hobbies they cover,obviously I cannot remember them all... Read review

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Advantages: Full of inspiring ideas, everything for artists and makers of all things, open late
Disadvantages: Finding what you're after can be tricky, lots of tempting things for kids

..."If you're crafty and you know it and you really want to show it. If you're crafty and you know it, Hobbycraft". Seen the TV ad for Hobbycraft? The jingle grates, like all of them do, but it kind of sums up who the art and craft supplier are selling to - crafty people. No, not politicians but people who have an artistic or crafty bent. Notice there's no men in the ad, that's because Hobbycraft see themselves, I suspect, primarily aimed at women. Step through its automatic doors and you'll see what I mean. On your left there is a shelf of bit and bobs for doing tapestry or needlepoint. Straight in front, a dazzling display of artificial flora and fauna greets you. A big selection here, as I encountered when putting together a nice bunch for Mother's Day. Some of them are pretty realistic looking and not the 'day glow' variety... Read review

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Advantages: Great cast, dark and sexy visuals
Disadvantages: Final fight scene could have been better!

...Campbell), Rochelle (Rachel True) and Nancy (Fairuza Balk) have been practising the craft for sometime, but their circle has never been complete as they were missing the fourth witch. When Sarah turns up on the same day their almanac predicts that their fourth member would arrive, they quickly latch on to her. Discovering that they can make things happen Sarah is pulled into a downward spiral of dark magic and power greedy friends who begin to abuse the craft. As events begin to get out of hand Sarah must turn against her coven and prevent them from doing anymore harm. Can Sarah stop them, or is her fear of them too strong? The movie is excellently directed with dark, sexy and stunning visuals which keeps the audience interested. There is always something happening to maintain your attention. The cast are superb and this movie helped... Read review

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Advantages: Fascinating, well-written, broadly drawn
Disadvantages: none

...'Mystics of the Christian Tradition' by Steven Fanning is a great primer to the mystical traditions of Christianity. As the use of the plural implies, there are in fact many different, divergent traditions of mysticism and mystical knowledge in history and family of Christendom. Fanning looks at many of the major traditions, and some of the lesser known, too. Fanning’s approach is rather interesting. Many texts on mysticism, Christian or otherwise, tend to look at the philosophy, the practices, or the primary textual sources as being the focus of consideration. While these are certainly not absent in this text, Fanning in fact uses a method of looking at the mystics themselves, rather than the traditions, philosophies, etc. of which they are a part. ‘There are two ways of knowing Christ: one can either know all about him... Read review

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