Who-ever coined the phrase starving artist must have shopped at Lawrence!…read more A one-stop shop for artists, it's a brilliant but expensive store that sells everything an artist could need from brushes, pencils, pastels and paints to paper, canvases, easels and cleaning fluids. There's also a small selection of screen printing materials, woodblock equipment and drying racks for budding Warhols and more crafts-based artists. The shop is a long walk from Brighton and central Hove so it's best to grab a bus or lift from friends. They also have an online shop which stocks most of the things in the store and the staff are super knowledgable too. If they don't stock something, they'll probably be able to advise you who does.

Pricey but professional, this is a mouth watering store for the artistically minded. They have a…read morelot of novel little tools, a brilliant collection of paints and also stock the fantastic paper by Somerset in many different weights and finishes. They have a car park tucked behind the shop which is very handy as its quite a way to go out of town and very hard to park on nearby. They have a good notice board which has a lot of local arty info, great if your looking for a studio or some classes. They also have a lot of printing stock such as inks and rollers. This is THE place in Brighton for the professional artist.

Beautifully set out new shop on the ground floor at the Open Market. They have interesting stock,…read morebit of a treasure trove. Am looking forward to going again. As a maker, I find some of the items for sale are inspirational.

I love visiting this shop. The plethora of colours that strike you as you enter can't do anything…read morebut inspire. The staff are friendly and willing to advise you on anything from what tools are best to use to suggesting new projects to undertake. Located in The Lanes, the atmosphere in the shop is relaxed and friendly.

the beed shop is one of my favorite places to visit! the surrounding and way its set out suits the…read moreshop, and they have a variaty of different beeds to choose from at reasonable prices.

I walked in to Clarke's Stationers this morning with 100% confidence that they would have…read moreeverything I needed to create my arty homemade Xmas cards. Red card- check. Glitter glue- check. Gold and silver pens- check. Will my cards look like they were made by a 5 year old? Yes, probably, but at least they will be made with love and quality stationary from Clarke's! Clarke's is great- its one of those extremely satisfying (if you're a stationary geek like me) shops, nay, emporiums, that stock EVERYTHING your little stationary-loving heart could desire. I had to make a hasty exit before I started buying completely unnecessary items like rubber stamps and embossed card sets! If you need card, coloured paper and envelopes, diaries, or arts and crafts supplies, this is the best place I've found. Downstairs they have a massive collection of pens and other standard stationary items. Upstairs they have all manner of coloured and patterned paper and card, as well as sketch books, watercolour paper and huge (A3, A2) sheets of backing card. So whether you fancy embarking on an arty project, or simply need a pritstick, Clarke's is the place. They also have a photocopying service available.

I've always loved stationary stores. Clarke's in the North Laines is a big one, with aisles upon…read moreaisles to look through. Oooh, paper. Of course, the shop offers more than just notebooks and loose sheets; there are organisers and planners, large and small calendars (including a grippy wall calendar!), binders and diaries. Arts and crafts supplies are also available - this is the first place I've seen pipe cleaners in ages. Common art supplies like coloured pencils, oil paints, canvases and here, along with craft projects like paper mache kits, knitting accessories and a variety of felt and fabric pieces for make-your-own crafty ideas. There's a copy centre on site, which is handy, and although the prices are a little higher than some chain budget stationary shops, Clarke's does offer a 15% student discount when you show your student card. I'll probably be back for term two school supplies.

Moleskines were once my guilty little pleasure: I would buy them just to fill them with random…read morescribblings, doodles and notes, then buy a new one and start all over again... Just because of the love of scribbling on paper. I've grown out of that a little now, entering the electronic age and all that, but still have a youthful lusting after lovely new paper and pens. When the mood strikes me, I browse through Pen and Paper to regain that part of my life, and it always puts a smile on my face. If you aren't quite as obsessed with some stationary as I am, this probably won't register, but Pen to Paper does sell some of the nicest stationary around. Moleskines, real paper, various lovely pens and pencils (proper writing utensils, mind, not biros or something), that sort of thing: an artist's paper shop, in effect. I love the idea of being able to buy bits of paper and write on them, but then this is all such nice, expensive paper... Now, I'm indebted to the electronic age now. I'm happy to be the guy how types everything these days, or makes notes on his Blackberry over buying new notebooks every couple of weeks. Still, it is nostalgic to breeze through Pen to Paper's lovely products: if you were ever a wistful poet upon the heath, this is definitely for you!

In the digital age where most people communicate through text and email, its comforting to find a…read morestore that's with-holding the tradition of writing and sending letters by hand. As the name suggests, Pen to Paper is a cosy store that sells beautiful stationary, tissue-lined envelopes, greetings cards, fountain pens and boxes of ink. It also stocks exquisite Japanese papers, address books, journals and a wide selection of lovely, pocket-size notebooks and sketch pads.

Selling a lot of prints and the kind of prints that would finish of an interior decoration from…read more'changing rooms' or similar television shows, Leoframes are located just up from the main shopping streets of the North Laine. Aside from buying a print or photo, there are also a wide range of frames on offer. The establishment also offers professional framing services and you would be able to create a bepspoke room with complimentary frames of any paintings you wish to hang. They also offer restoration services, though I guess that this service is a touch more situational. I'm not sure that the majority of Brighton's student residents will have a collection of oil paintings needing attention. The prices were not for those on a budget and this shop seems to cater for the commuter crowd with London budgets. Worth a look if you are flush or have a budget that allows for more up market decoration.

I felt quite bad stepping into Leoframes, because as soon as my feet entered inside, the owner…read morepandered downstairs like an eager puppy dog hoping for a sale, and I had no intention of buying anything, I just wanted to have a look around. What I saw was tempting though. There's a lot of great prints in here of various designs, in various sizes, which would look good on many a bedroom wall, and suit a plethora of different palates. You'll also find old and modern photos of Brighton, which are kinda cool. Prices were a little much for me, but are competitive for this type of product.

Plonked in London Road's Open Market, this is quite possibly the BEST haberdashery in the whole of…read moreBrig Town. Stacked to the sky with hordes of different coloured yarns, needles, pins, buttons, fabrics, materials, elastics, curtains, and just about everything you could ever need if you're into knitting, crochet, sewing, cross stitching or anything creative. They do a vibrant collection of rara skirts and tutus, and are more than happy to offer advice and help, even if you don't know what you're doing.

This is a small but well-run greeting card and photographic processing shop in Seven Dials,…read moreopposite the 'Good Companions' pub. They have a very good range of cards, including gently humorous ones I have not seen elsewhere, and plenty of those in which you can write your own message. I've never left empty-handed (and I'm quite picky when it comes to birthday cards). They also have a small range of stationery and post-cards. I've not used the photographic services here, but the staff always strike me as very pleasant.

Digital photography means the photo developing side of this business must surely be fairly…read moreredundant these days, but I'm sure they'll survive with the brilliant range of stationery and greetings cards they have here. It's really hard sometimes to find decent cards - they're either soppy pastels or bad jokes, but the range here covers all bases. They have lots of colourful cards with decent pictures, and some humour cards which are actually funny. Also plenty of other useful party stuff such as balloons and streamers, and a small range of standard stationery items. Staff always seem smiley and friendly

Alas, Graffiti is not a store devoted to street art and spraypaint…read more It's actually a tiny stationary store that specialises in cute, cool and tasteful greeting cards, wrapping paper, journals and memo pads. They have cards with neat illustrations, black and white photos and neon signage as well as more traditional flowers, landscapes and cute hula hula girls. My personal favourite, is the kitsch range of knitted Marilyn, Elvis and James Dean cards. Oh and the naked gal in the martini glass of course!

I used to really enjoy making my own cards and I never ever bought them- it just felt so impersonal…read moreand such a waste of money. That was back when I had time for leisurely arts and crafts days. These days, I inhabit a different world and subsequently I suddenly love a good card shop! I especially like a card shop with a proper selection. There's something really satisfying about taking your time to peruse the shelves and take in the full selection. I know most people don't take great pains over the selection of a birthday card, but since I no longer have the energy to make my own but still want a personal touch, I am really particular about it. Graffiti is great for my purposes because it seems to specialize in pretty, arty cards with floral designs and illustrations of birds etc. on the front. Just my cup of tea. They also have a variety of art cards, which use prints and designs from collections at the V&A among other galleries. If you're not after a flowery, girly card- don't worry, there's plenty of others to choose from. They also sell lovely printed wrapping paper and although the prices make me flinch, I usually can't resist! All round, a much more interesting and tasteful selection of cards and stationary than you're likely to find at Clinton's!