I don't buy a lot of stuff here, but it's the first place I go when I need anything crafts-y like…read more The coolest thing I bought was fabric printer paper. I like paint pens as well. I have not been to any of their art classes, but they always look well attended. The angle parking out front is always full. There is so much stock in there, it's overwhelming, but the staff is very helpful. It's technically off Whyte Ave, but I'm adding it to my cool East Whyte ave list.

I enjoy abstract painting and a little sketching here and there. If I am on Whyte Avenue and need…read morebrushes, pencils, pens, or sketchbooks, I head to The Paint Spot. The selection is great, prices are reasonable, and staff are helpful. Students get a discount with ID, and the staff themselves are artists, so they really know what they are talking about. Other supplies available at The Paint Spot include canvasses, cutting materials, and, of course, paint of all kinds. There is even a gallery in the basement featuring the work of local artists, and The Paint Spot is central to the annual Art Walk on Whyte.

This was my first time visiting this place. I honestly wasn't sure how the store worked. There was…read morea staff member sitting at a table as I entered the store. She explained that everything was FREE and the items need to be weighed prior to leaving the store. The items were organized into categories and many of the bins were clearly labelled. They had shopping carts available. There was plenty of space to move around. Some items were picked over but I was able to find some cool stuff. The selection of items depends on what's been donated. You need time and patience to look through everything. Some items were in good condition while others were not. I found a Happy Birthday banner which I've been wanting to buy at the party store and was happy to find here for free. They also had various tablecloths, weights to anchor helium balloons, streamers, treat bags and more! The Christmas decor was also great! I found some cute little plush tree ornaments. They even had Christmas trees! There were decorations for Halloween, Valentine's Day, and St. Patrick's Day. I needed a cylinder container for a craft project. I was hoping to find something I could use here. Again this was something I almost bought at the craft store. I was happy to save some money by finding the perfectly sized container here. They had books, photo frames, office supplies and more. I love that this place helps people to reuse and recycle items that might otherwise be thrown into landfills. My favourite item was a musical Grinch toy that was missing batteries and the battery cover. I knew there was a chance it was broken. I'm happy to report that the toy did indeed work when I put some batteries in!! What a find! I'll be back!

This wasn't my first time being at this place many years ago or years ago at least I was here this…read moreplace can give you free stuff and saves the landfill from getting things in the landfill. It's a really great place. Just saying. oh and the service selection and values great.

Came to Viva for a fun experience throwing clay for the first time. Heather our instructor was very…read moreinformative and helpful throughout the whole 90minutes of hands on learning. Your first throw, the instructor guides you through the 5 steps of throwing clay and then on your second you're on your own. Heather will assist if you need help. You can pick the best project of the 2 or pay for both if they came out better than you expected. You get to choose your glaze out of a bunch of colors and then studio staff does that for you. As well as an extra $5 charge for handles if you're making a mug. After the class is finished you get the opportunity to buy local artists pottery from a large selection of works if you wish. We would definitely book another class with Viva to keep perfecting our skills.

I discovered Clayworks Studio Link through a "fieldtrip" when I was working at a childcare centre…read more They came over and did a workshop with us at the centre, and it went great. The kids and staff (including myself) loved it! The lady from the studio brought over all the supplies, and everyone received their own ceramic tile to paint. She had an array of stencils available for those of us who hadn't a clue what to do. She was very patient with the kids (we had a large group) and helped them out with their tiles. Afterwards, the tiles were taken back to the studio to be fired up and glazed, and were given to the kids a couple weeks later. I highly recommend Clayworks for your next party or if you work with kids. They host painting parties, workshops, and various pottery classes at their studio. They also offer school outreach programs and teacher workshops. For drop-in painting, the price you pay for your piece includes everything from the paint to the glaze, so the number is already calculated for you. It's a great way to fire up your imagination, and hey, Christmas is coming up soon -- why not do something different?

I've been here a couple times and have enjoyed it each time. It's always busy on the weekends so if…read moreyou're a bigger party make reservations! The staff are friendly and helpful. I do wish they offered payment options outside of cash & e-transfer so keep this in mind when you go. There's also a parking garage about a block away. Overall it's a fun time

My experience started by being shown where my assigned seating was. Next, I went to the shelf where…read morethere was a pretty decent selection of ceramic trees to choose from. I had prepaid via Eventbrite for a $50 tree. When I saw a bigger and fancier tree, I chose to upgrade to the $100 tree. I just had to pay the price difference. After this, I received a brief explanation of a couple of paint options I had to choose from and then I started painting! This wasn't set up like one large ceramic painting class. People came and went at different times. Each group that came in would get separate instructions by the staff members. This worked out because painting times definitely varied. I honestly underestimated how long it would take to paint a ceramic tree. I think I must've painted a total of 6 coats of paint. It's partly because of the paint option I chose. I required a base coat to ensure my tree would come out shiny dark green. It took me about about 3 hours to paint! I wanted to make sure all the crevices of my tree were covered. I did this activity after work on a Wednesday night. It was a fun way to unwind and chat with my friend. However, in the future, I would prefer to do this on a weekend instead. I finished painting right before the store closed around 9pm. It would've been more relaxing if I knew I didn't have to work the next day. Once I was finished, I painted my initials under the tree. I was told it would take about a week for my tree to be ready for pick up. When I was reunited with my tree, I was super happy with the result! The wiring for the light bulb was inserted. Light bulb not included. I also received a bag of multicoloured mini plastic bulbs and a plastic star topper to decorate my tree. Overall, I had a good time here! I would definitely consider coming back to paint something else. The staff were helpful and the products are good quality. I know I could've easily bought a ceramic tree instead of painting one. It might have been less expensive and definitely easier to just buy a finished tree. However, I'm proud to say that I painted my tree!

For years, I had no idea there were any options other than Fabricland here in Edmonton, but found…read moreout about Marshall, and had been wanting to get in here for a long time. I don't buy fabric that often, but I happened to be out in this part of town on a Saturday and thought, "Why not?" Years ago, Allan G built me a framed board that I upholstered & added cup hooks to to hang my necklaces in my dressing room on (our 1950s house had NO closet space, so I made one of the bedrooms my IKEA-closeted paradise). However, in my new house, the fabric no longer worked where I wanted to put it. My new bedroom is in silver, gray, and very pale lilac-- sort of Jean Harlow 1930s glamour, so I was looking for some fabric with a nice shimmer or an actual metallic fabric. Found one! Absolutely gorgeous silvery print-- almost like a shantung. My cutter was super friendly and helpful (I can't think in metric). When she asked what I was creating, I had to explain that I had this board, and it was 24 x 26 inches...). When she told me the price I just about fell over, considering the exorbitant prices Fabricland charges. I think I paid around $22.00 for my find. They now have a customer for life, and I'll come back here FIRST before ever spending a dime in another Fabricland.

Great value and great selection, but not enough to get me a perfectly matching seat over for my…read morekitchen chairs. However, I still got an acceptable replacement at a great price. I suggest you should visit Marshall Fabrics before trying elsewhere.

I have been coming here for years, to look around at all the beautiful items or to purchase one of…read morethese hand crafted goods. I love that all of the items come from around the world and that I can able to support that and get something that you won't find anywhere else. They have toys, coffee, house wares, clothes, seasonal items for Christmas, picture frames, and of course my favourite the jewelry. Several of my favourite pieces have come from here. I bought a beautiful yoga pillow here once as well and it it is so unique, I always get comments when people come to my place. The staff are all volunteers so full profit goes to the artists and they are so friendly.

Ten Thousand Villages specializes in handmade gifts and crafts by artisans from around the globe…read more They are a non-profit fair-trade organization, and also a member of the International Fair Trade Organization. Artisans are paid a fair amount for their work, to sustain a healthy and respectable lifestyle. The store carries a vast range of home decor and gift items, including tea sets, bowls, jewelry, scarves, toys, CD's, and fair trade coffee and chocolate. Represented nations include Kenya, the Philippines, Vietnam, India, and Peru. Everything is exquisite, in a way that only handmade talent can create. All the items are labelled with where they were made, so you know what bit of culture you're taking home with you. They currently have some amazing items out for the holiday season now, from ornaments to hand-carved nativity scenes. It'd be cool to have a tree covered in ornaments that represented different cultures from around the world. While some pieces are a bit more than elsewhere, keep in mind that these are handmade and fair trade. I think it's well worth the price, to have something so exquisite, and know that the hands with which that piece was made were given a fair value.

Highly recommend Mr. Frame for your picture preservation needs…read more Wes was very good and went out of his way to help me with my picture. It was a print that had several creases in it, and Wes got most of them out, and the ones remaining were all most unnoticeable. Thank you Wes I'm very happy.

Way too expensive. Save your money and go to Michaels. The guy working here claimed he had to throw…read moreout a third of his material for every frame he made - which is what drives up his prices.

Creatiff_Gifts Has a wonderful selection of arts and crafts from paintings to unique gifts for…read moreeveryone's tastes from hoodies to t-shirts to jewelry, custom made cards. l found the store a great place one stop place for all your gift ideas and more.

From the owner: Arts and crafts gift shop with unique, one-of-a-kind merchandise. We have paintings, handmade…read moregreeting cards, jewelry (both handmade and imported), luxury watches, unique ornaments, candleholders, lighters, pipes, grinders, cigarette cases, graphic/funny hoodies, t-shirts and beanies, and children's toys.

A great little gift shop at the Legislative Assembly Visitor's center. Not only does it carry…read moregorgeous giftware but there are books, greeting cards, candy, and other great Alberta souvenirs for sale here. The art is all locally made in Alberta and ranges from jewelry to pottery and many other items besides. There are also soapstone carving kits, maple syrup and other items. This new clean store has kind and welcoming staff who are able to help you make your purchasing decisions. I really liked browsing and now that I know that this is here I will keep it in mind for gift giving.