This is a negative review about Artworld. I am a former customer who spent many thousands of…read moredollars with them in years past, but that will never happen again. I left some paintings with them when I was in Victoria a few months ago, but an employee (Andrew), clearly didn't like me and sabotaged me while I was and ensured I wouldn't get my paintings on time and forced me to leave without them. I have been trying for months to get my property returned without success and when I finally found out what was going on, they wanted to charge me $284 for shipping - on top of me paying for air shipping already. I blew my stack. Unfortunately for me, the store owner sided with the abusive employee and wouldn't give me squat, which prompted my post this morning. I tried to let it go, but I realized I was furious. A few minutes ago, I sent the following letter. +++ There are a few things that really bother me here. You are standing on store policy and saying that's why you won't help me. I'm calling rubbish on that. YOU and your family own the store. You could easily waive this policy, take responsibility for what happened and send my paintings back to me at no charge. As I said, I am not paying for shipping twice. Also by pulling the store policy thing on me, you have shown me clearly you don't give a damn about me and you have sided with your abusive employee. Whether you realize it or not, his behavior is your fault. Why? Because you and your family own the store. IMO, you have an obligation to make things right and you told me you would make it right when I saw you. But you clearly have not made it right. You are holding me hostage over my own paintings and are demanding I pay to have them shipped. That is flat out wrong in the worst way. If you really cared about me as a customer, (and you clearly do not), you would take responsibility for what happened, eat the cost of the shipping and send me my paintings. Nathan Will I get my paintings back? No idea, but I could not/would not let this matter slide.

There's a wide selection of art and framing supplies here. The staff are very friendly and…read moreknowledgeable and the prices are just right. It's on a major street and not difficult to spot; there are parking spaces around the neighbourhood should you need them. At the back, there is also a wide selection of cards where you can print your own art or if you're very crafty, put something on it. I take photos throughout the year, so for me, sending Christmas cards that have​ my own art makes card-giving extra special. You'll also see a wide selection of sketch notebooks in a wide range of prices. Pens? If you want pens, boy there are lots of them - in many many different colours. I can go on and on, but I guarantee you, you won't be disappointed.

Great selection of new and used books and lovely sales person who helped us. Friendly and fun place…read moreto browse and buy.

This is a neighbourhood bookstore. It looks small from the street, but is a decent size inside…read more There's a mix of books here, but they have a good selection of and feature local publications. The kid's section could be a bit bigger, but it has toys and some books I have not seen before, like a scratch and sniff book. There's stationary, like journals, and an entire aisle dedicated to cards, as well as a puzzle section. Out front, they had a display of clearance books and some that were free. The store had a steady stream of customers, and the staff were friendly. Cute shop.

This shop has the best variety of gifts and cards. if you're looking for something unique and…read morespecial for a gift, this is the place to find it.

For a small gallery tucked in among lots of small shops and a stones throw from other, higher-end…read moregalleries, I was really bowled over by the selection and quality of the work carried by Eclectic! They carry a wide range of small paintings, mostly quite lovely landscapes in oil, acrylic or encaustic. Also an impressive selection of wood sculptures, ceramics, and glass. I was especially impressed with the many wooden bird carvings by Hermann Edler (one of which I bought!) and the ceramic "jug birds" by Gillian McMillan. Lots of jewelry too. Oh, don't skip by the card section without a good look--there are some dazzling hand crafted cards by several artists. This is a place where you can purchase lovely pieces without feeling like you're going to break the bank...plus you can walk into Eclectic and never feel like the staff are silently judging you on the likelihood that you can afford or even appreciate the works. The woman who owns Eclectic seems to genuinely care about the artists she carries and about the joy of looking at their achievements.

If you are loving for some lovely local art, including small paintings (original mixed media,…read moreacrylic, water color), classy jewelry, functional carved wood and ceramics, do drop by this place to check out the selection. Large price range of items that might fit in your budget. Great place to pick up a small unique gift for a loved once!

I am new to sewing and have been into the Makehouse twice to browse, purchase, ask questions, and…read morebe enthusiastic about my new hobby. The staff are just terrific. Very knowledgeable, encouraging, and excited to share their craft. It's a joy to shop there. Oh, and they let well behaved dogs in! It's a really welcoming place to be and shop. Lessons next!

If you venture a little bit beyond the tourist core along Fort Street, you will come across The…read moreMakehouse....if you're a crafter, especially if you're into sewing - or want to be - you will find a delightful playground. This is an adorable, somewhat small shop-classroom-studio. There are lots of indy label sewing patterns (like Christine Hayes, Colette, etc), sewing notions, a smattering of scrapbooking items and some lovely locally-handmade pieces. The Makehouse offers fun classes. They offer basic sewing, pattern making, upholstering and specific piece workshops. There's a Kids Club a couple nights a week. They also have drop in sewing times and "sewcials". It seems local fiber artists use the space as a studio...it's an inspiring environment. They were featuring some unique hand embroidered portraits of women by an artist named Annie Nazarian when I stopped by. Unique, interesting. There's a definite Somerset Studio, slightly vintage vibe coursing through The Makehouse that is charming...if staying downtown, it's worth the extra block's jaunt to visit or if local, a few hours to stop for a class. I try to spend a couple weeks at a time every few years in Victoria - and on my next extended stay I intend to take some classes...I can't wait for my next visit!

I love The Papery! Located right across the street from The Bay Centre, it's always super handy for…read morefinding cards, packaging, and extra little presents for any occasion. The displays are awesome no matter what time of year you go. I was there this past weekend and it's 'holidays' galore! There's a full wall of holiday cards, wrapping, ornaments, etc etc. The centre display was all ornaments and in the summer, usually has a stand of humourous treats. The wall of magnets always catches my eye and it's hard to pass up silliness that involves martinis and man-issues. The staff are always very helpful and as the shop is quite tiny, you'll have to be used to shimmying past people. Whether you're a visitor or resident of beautiful Victoria, i would definitely recommend checking this shop out!

Fabulous selection of cards for any reason friendly staff…read morelocal artists and so much more Its been one of my go to places

Have been going to OPUS for about the last decade. THIS is the place I go to retreat into my…read morecreative space! Brushes, paint, mediums, canvasses, easels, framing, all of the supplies that an artist could ever want. So nice to see the prices considerably more reasonable than some other choices in town here as well. The staff are artists, so are knowledgeable about products and, except in one rare case, very helpful. I often come in with a specific purchase in mind, but then browsing the shelves gives me inspiration and ideas for further projects. A true local Victoria Treasure!

Located a bit south of Chinatown Victoria this store was well stocked with all types of art…read moresupplies and frames. Folks were very friendly and helpful without being pushy.

Came in here randomly on a walk down Oak Bay ave. I'm a pretty minimalistic parent and normally…read moreget a bit skeptical of specialty toy stores.... But was pleasantly surprised! High quality brands of toys for reasonable prices. Lots of crafts for various ages. Large selection of dollhouses and accessories. Small book selection, mostly featuring Canadian topics. I even spotted a few gems that I used to play with when I was a kid.

My family and I were eating next door at MexiGo and my 2 daughters really wanted to go in and look…read morearound. My children were waiting patiently for me to clean up our table and were against the window looking in the store. I went to walk in with them and buy them some toys for being good all day. A younger person came and opened the door as I approached and I thought they were going to open the door for us but quite the opposite happened. The person came outside and angrily told my children that they were too close to the glass and needed to back away from the store. I have never seen such terrible treatment of children at a toy store. Seriously? I don't know why anyone would want to buy anything from a place that treats children so poorly.