I came back from my last trip to France carrying in my luggage an old painting by my great aunt,…read morewho was an artist back in the days. The old canvas had been in the family for many years: it was gorgeous but hadn't been framed or displayed as long as I'd known about it. It was time to do something about it. It was a rather delicate job to do: the canvas was old, the paint cracking up in some spots. I decided to take it to the Framer's Market. As soon as I walked in I could tell I was talking to professionals: they knew exactly what to do, had some good suggestions for frames. Fifteen minutes later I had made my selection, entrusted them with the canvas. I picked it up two weeks later and couldn't have been happier: they did a great job of mounting the canvas, and the custom frame looks great. It was not cheap (but custom framing is never cheap), but these were dollars well spent, as the painting will soon be hanging at a premium spot in my living room. I couldn't recommend this place enough. So much better than Michael's.

Inside a huge store, there's the framing section. Tucked way in the back…read more The employee really didn't offer insight as to what would look good. We had to figure it out ourselves. I've had a ton of pictures framed elsewhere, I was really surprised at the lack of help at this place. He basically just stood there. We were taking up his time. Quality of the job was fine. Price was fine. It just would have been better if the employee actually had helped.

This is my favorite place to take visiting grandchildren. I give them $10 - $20 each and let them…read morebuy a bunch of stuff. Then they spend the rest of the day creating something out of it all. They love it and are so proud of their creations!

What a special store this is. The concept and mindfulness from this store is very lovely…read more You can get reused items that can be repurposed at a student friendly price. I've gotten a jar for my utensils, post cards, and even sand paper.

From the archives four years ago today... Such a great…read morememories... my time spent at the Art Coop while waiting for my sister to finish her job at the fitness center was rewarded by getting to know and appreciate Hilary Pope... I must add something to her Yelp site... "buy some paint, architectural miniature trees, postcards with excellent gentle advice and make a friend." Note: I'm a senior (though with chartreuse hair) and in a Walker... being on a limited traveling budget, I still was shopping so the advice given by the owner Hilary was a gift plus she was patient and kind. She knew PAINT and brushes and.... her merchandise.

I love this store. A range of art supplies from kid scale to professional. Having a locally owned…read moreart store is a real treasure.

This is a first class place without a doubt. Reminds me of Hoerr nursery in Peoria...places of this…read morequality and reputation are few and far between these days. A bit of everything...quality plants even this late in the season. The inside "gift shop" is enormous and had everything from ready made wreaths and center pieces to all the componets to do it yourself. Was looking for something to raise my Moms spirits during a health issue and found not one but three things I know she will love. Its nice to see these gems still exist these days...I now know why she loves this place!

One of my favorite places to visit in Champaign. I love the huge selection of plants and seasonal…read morehome decor. There's always something new to check out here. Great variety of ceramic pots and houseplants. The largest selection of artificial Christmas trees in the area too.

you GOTTA see this!!…read more internationally-known photo-artiste, larry kanfer is an artist with a camera. he's been shooting gorgeous photos of the illinois prairie for years. add to that his collections of chi-town, portraits, and his new china collection - plus others - and you've got a mind-boggle. you'll never look at the world the same way again. if you're visiting c-u, looking for a memory to take home, a stunning gift, looking for pictures for your new home - or even if you're a c-u native (that's champaign-urbana) - my guess is you'll find something that suits you at kanfer 's gallery. my son & his wife chose 2 large, stunning kanfer photos from his prairiescape collections, imaged onto canvas, and frame-streched to float on their living room wall...."Windsor Sunset" - a prairie sunset, all oranges, golds & blacks at the horizon with a big deepening blue sky & wisps of clouds with the silhouette of 2 trees; and a monochrome - "Congregation " - of a gaggle of geese on a lake, some lifting off in flight trailing water droplets in mid-air. if you don't live in c-u, go to his website - you can order there. kanfer images are also seen in art museums, corporate offices, & private collections across the country.

I love his Prairiescape Calendars. I have them in my home and office as well as give them to my…read moresibs who have moved away from the Midwest. My Father always used to say that the photographs were like the work of a master painter. I love 'em!

I'm disappointed to see how many bulk, sub-par art materials that Hobby Lobby merchandisers in…read moretheir assortments. (Chinese 130lb watercolor paper? Seriously? FYI for non-watercolors t's out there - there Re standards... 90lb, 120lb, 140lb, 300lb etc.) They run regular sales of 30-40% off, but that just makes their pricing right on average with where it should be to complete with real art supply stores like Dick Blick. Be careful at checkout, too. Even though the price is marked at X, the checker may ring you up at X + 10% because "that's what the computer charged." Here's an example of pricing: individual student quality (Staedtler) watercolor pencil marked at $1.79, I was charged $1.99. I later was at Art Coop and they carried PRO quality watercolor pencils (Derwent) for $1.60 ea. I've visited Hobby Lobby for the last time. I won't be back.

I feel a little too much like my own mother spending an hour in a store like this; a store that…read moresells "fashion bandanas," fake flowers, foam stencils, and any number of other items that could easily be called "chotckes." However! Why did I spend an hour there? First I needed a frame. They had a bunch in the right size (Target had zero in the right size.) Then I needed some markers, brushes, and paints to reclaim the tiny drop of creativity I had in my life before I went to MIT. I was SHOCKED at how good the selection was, and how cheap. Then I thought maybe I would start making a scrapbook! This store made me want to start making a scrapbook! I barely made it out without a scrapbook! AH! Still doesn't meet muster for stationery (no premium papers or notebooks), but I'll be back. I know I'll be back. **Shudder**

I hired Perkins Home Improvement (Tim Edwards) to help finish a kitchen remodeling project that…read moreanother contractor started. The previous contractor left my kitchen a disaster, but thanks to Tim I have a kitchen I can finally enjoy being in. First thing Tim did was evaluate the space and identify the problems--the main problem being that nothing was plumb: the walls were warped, the floor was sloped, the cabinetry was not flush, the drywall was separating where the ceiling meets the walls, and the paint job was an absolute mess. Tim was undaunted. He knew exactly how to handle it. I desperately wanted a bifolding door for my large pantry, but framing it was a tall order considering the opening was non-standard and the door would have to be special ordered. But the greatest challenge was installing it so that it looked straight in spite of the fact that the opening was cock-eyed on account of the uneven walls & floor left by the previous contractor. Tim & his crew did an ABSOLUTELY STUNNING job. I cannot understate the precision and craftsmanship it took to do this job. These guys, under Tim's direction were so outstanding I was speechless--the sheer math it took to get this right and to fit the giant door so perfectly was on par with the stones in the Egyptian Pyramids (still a mystery how it was done!) Tim is by far the best contractor I have worked with in the area (and I've been here for 18 years and have been through many contractors!) He takes enormous pride in his work. His knowledge and expertise with older homes especially is incomparable. Tim's crew also fixed our ceilings at half the cost others were charging. It's because Tim came up with a creative work-around that resulted in an absolutely stunning kitchen ceiling. Again, he was working with a total mess of ill-prepared drywall and paint. His creativity and ability to see a solution that led to an elegant solution was simple and inexpensive. Having had three projects now completed by Tim & his crew I can honestly say Perkins is a league above all others. The downside is about being so good is, he's in heavy demand :(

I was able to find most the items I needed here at Michaels. They has a good selection on craft…read moreitems. Down side their fabric/sewing section is just the bare minimums. You can get a bigger variety at Walmart. I ended up going to Jo-Anns to get what I needed (spray fabric starch - Michaels only have liquid) They do have a great selection on paints, frames, floral items, and more. Those were just some of the things I was in there for.

Made a paint supply order through this store. The box was poorly constructed, torn and crushed. The…read moreitems were through in the box, moving around without padding. The larger containers were somewhat crushed but surprisingly, nothing damaged. The order came the next day but I can't believe the box made it. Tape was off and items inside completely exsposed.