I wonder if any of the Americans here can help me - my Mum is heading off tripping to New York and surrounds next month and I was going to give her a list of craft things she could pick up for me as they are so cheap compared to what I have to pay here and also the Australian dollar is going great against the US dollar at the moment.

So, I've only heard about Hobby Lobby, Joanne's and Michaels ... are they nation wide shops? Which one is the best and would it be in New York?

I just googled both Michaels and Joanne's and find they are nation wide. In fact, New York looks like it has lots of both. There are no Hobby Lobby stores in New York though. If there are more "localized" craft stores in the area, someone from that end of the nation will have to help you there.

I love Michael's. There is a Joann's just a few blocks away from me, but it is more fabric/sewing oriented (I don't know if they all are, they used to be) and I am allergic to sewing.
Michael's is just a really fun place for me, and I go in often just to browse and see what new junk they have.

Both companies seem to have several locations in New York and the surrounding areas. You can do a store location search on their websites. Plus you can take a look at what they have, too.

I've never heard of Hobby Lobby, so can't help ya there.

Thanks for that, Jar and Taesma

I will have to find out what part of the city she will be in and give her specific directions to a shop. She can can lost in a small village so there are some doubts she will ever make it out of New York. (if anyone is reading from New York and about mid November you see a middle age woman looking lost and with a funny accent, please help her )

I wanted to get some watercolour pencils (for a start). Looking around yesterday I can get them here for $120 ... or pay $55 from the US. Craziness.

Jill, ask Chelseabelle, she lives in NY.

I know, but I haven't spoken to her in yonks (my fault) and I'd feel funny starting now to ask something.

The cards look beautiful, Sue! Your disasters sure turn out well!

I love making calendars, and Spanishliz, yours is really nice! Crops are the best, aren't they?

Copago, binder machine! That sounds dangerous. To my family life, not to my person. Oh how I do not need any more things. The journals look fantastic!

Between Hobby Lobby, Michaels and Joanns, I prefer Hobby Lobby for general crafty goodness. Unfortunately, it looks like there are none in New York. For the water color pencils, I would suggest either Michaels or Dick Blick, which is an art supply store, and there is one in New York City. Dick Blick has an online catalog that lists prices, and if you like, I could check Michaels for the brand of watercolor pencil you want for cost comparisons. My guess is they'll be cheaper at Dick Blick. I love that place. What else are you looking for? I have a good friend and fellow moderator at Craftster who lives in New York City. She knows all the good local craft and art shops!

Here's what I've been working on. It's Kit's Halloween costume. She's Jessie the Yodeling Cowgirl from Toy Story 2. I always make her costumes as much out of street clothes as possible because it is warmer (a must in Nebraska in October), more comfortable and more practical for the various parties and trick-or-treating. This year it's a plain white sweatshirt with an appliqued western-style yoke with embroidery, a fake button placket made of an old T-shirt and "fringed" cuffs added on. The hat she already had, she's wearing a white polo underneath to provide the shirt collar, and she's got on plain jeans with cow-print chaps that attach with velcro straps. I have a big piece of fake tooled leather felt that I'll be using to make a belt and cowboy boot spats, but we had a party tonight, and I hadn't gotten them finished yet. I just got my sewing machine working again after 6 years, and it's sometimes hard to sew on an already finished garment, but with a combination of hand-stitching and machine sewing, and considering my relatively weak skills with a needle and thread, I'm really pleased with it.

Wow, Lothruin, that is a great costume! You are very creative and resourceful! Your little girl looks so cute and happy Great picture and costume.

She looks great.

Is it that time of year already?

Thanks! Yep, Sue, Wednesday is Halloween.

Lothruin could you re-post your post and photo as I have broken this section off.
................
Can we try to keep posts not related to a photo in the general threads please.

Thanks

After the talk of calendars here I decided to print some with some of my photographs from the year. I am printing them on ordinary paper at the moment, but thicker, 160 gms in weight.

I have some software which will print out calendars, either with twelve pages or a single sheet.

I bet it gets through some ink!

Hopefully they will come out ok.

I looked up Dick Blicks and nearly died at the prices! Sooo cheap and the Australian dollar is over 93cUS at the moment so conversion is nearly not worth thinking about. Thanks for the recommendation, Loth. It looks like it's just down the road fromthe Empire State Building and I know she'll be going there. Main thing I was after was some watercolour pencils that seem to be under $50 there and over $100 here and would be light and easy for her to carry around (or . Will ahve to have a browse through the website and see what else I HAVE to have.

And yes, the binder is one of my favourite toys. IT's just a little one but does a great job. Have used it heaps already

I have water colour pencils, haven't used them yet. I can't remember what I paid for them.

I have some Sakura pens arriving any day. Midnight starts yet another Craft Day on QVC, hour upon hour of crafting. I will NOT buy anything! In fact I am going to send back something I bought last week - I have done that several times lately, I am going to stop ordering all this stuff and sending it back as I have to pay postage both ways.

What do Sakura pencils do ... and do I need them???

Sakura pens are awesome archival ink pens that lots of professional illustrators use. What brand of watercolor pencils were you looking at? I've had great luck with the Faber-Castell Aquerelle pencils, but Prismacolor (the makers of my absolute favorite colored pencils in the whole world, although I got into them when they were still made by Berol, now they're made by Sanford) makes a watercolor pencil, and ALL their pencils are really of the highest quality.

To tell the truth I've never even set eyes on a watercolour pencil . I want them for colouring stamped images. Just from reading and researching the Prismacolor and Derwent ones seems to be the best received so was going to go for one of them.

Derwents are pretty good, both the watercolour and normal ones. I have a small pack of them though, and they cost a fair bit.

Think how much you paid for the then look at dickblicksdotcom and be prepared to be amazed

Wow, consider me officially amazed.

I think I got my set of 12 studio pencils for about $15 AUS. They are about $11 there.

I can possibly afford some for my friend's Christmas pressie now. He wanted a full box, but I can probably settle for 24 of the artist ones.

I just looked at my watercolour pencils, a box of 24, they are a make that I have never heard of, West.

Well, as I said, I've never used the Prismacolor watercolor pencils, but Prismacolor as a brand is entirely wonderful. Every one of their pencils I've ever used has been a joy. In fact, that mermaid illustration was done with Prismacolor colored pencils. They're a lovely wax-based lead that blends beautifully. I feel totally comfortable in recommending them just based on the brand name.

Prismacolor for colour and Derwent for normal drawing pencils

Does anyone want me to price an art materials here? No duty and stuff is still cheap. I love window shopping and will price Prismacolour and Derwent. Watch this space.

ooo, yes please

This thread is a double-edged sword!!! All these great ideas and suggestions . . . but soooooo much lovely stuff to buy! My bank account is probably relieved I don't live near a well-stocked store, (though internet is never too far away :-\ )

Now would somebody mind letting me know just what watercolour pencils are used for and how?

Sara, while you are pricing, price Sakura gelly roll pens. They come in different types, for instance metallic, glitter, glaze and more. They are Japanese.

Mine just arrived and they are to die for!

I just paid £37.33 to QVC for 13 glitter and 10 glaze, but that includes £5.45 P&P.

I just looked on Joanna Sheen's site, she doesn't charge for P&P and will send worldwide for free except for paper, card and heavy stuff. On her site single pens range from £1.10 to £1.65 but she does various sets and one set is £27.50 for 25, and another set is £26.40 for 16 - different types, not different sized packs of the same ones. I think I might buy from her in future rather than QVC - I will have to see. They are supposed to last a long time anyway.

I can't wait to use them. Jill they would be great to colour in stamping. You can even use them to paint by using water with them. You can also apply direct to the stamps instead of ink then spritz with water and stamp with them.

*hands over ears* I'm not listening I'm not listening I'm not listening!!!

Santanna - you blend water with them and it creats a more paint watercolour look.

I wasn't sure whether this is really for here or for the toilet roll thread.

http://www.cheap-chic-weddings.com/wedding-contest-2006.html

haha! that's crazy!!! so crazy that it just might work! I like the crosshatch one down the screen a bit.