This is an awesome shop! I have bought many things from over the years here, and they have all been…read moreexcellent products! Just yesterday I bought myself a Conspiracy Theories book and a crossword book for my mum. The staff are always polite and there are some amazing deals in this shop. It is located in the middle of the The Beacon (arndale) which is extremely helpful. This is an extreme hotspot for kids as The Works sell latest trends and toys. Overall, this is an amazing shop in a perfect location.

Awesome shop, full of bargains and thinks that never cease to amaze me, or think "wow, I REALLY…read morewant that." Only thing I would say is, if you see a bargain then buy it. You can't be sure that it will be there the next time you visit or if they will get any more in.

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.

Owned by two curators, The Studio Shop is a cute neighbourhood store that supports and promotes…read morelocal artists and crafts folk. It's so small if you did a cart-wheel you'd probably knock something over. And yet, they manage to stock a lovely array of original ceramics, vases, jewellery, scarves, prints, stationary, plants, lampshades and a few small pieces of furniture. The stock changes frequently and the owners pride themselves on finding unique and distinctive designs you can't find anywhere else. Personally, I love the distressed picture frames and the ceramic milk cartons. The thing I can't get out of my mind though, is the mugs with ceramic toy animals and cars as handles.

There are a lot of lovely homewares shops in Brighton, many with a shabby chic, craft feel- which I…read morehappen to love- and The Studio Shop fits into that category. The Studio Shop stands out of the crowd though- mostly I think because of the lovely colours they introduce into their style through some amazing fabrics, stunning silk cushions with abstract patterns, fantastic painted reclaimed wooden frames. The two owners- who are really relaxed and full of good ideas- have a real sense for textures and have picked up some great wallpapers, cards, and art that play with textiles, texture and colour. The prices range from very inexpensive for small pieces to much more for the art. Love the green front as well.

I have noticed this shop when I have been in the Southover Grange gardens before, but I had never…read moreventured in. I expected it to be small, but actually it expands down the length of the north wing of Southover Grange House. It is a shop/gallery which sells the work of the Sussex guild, a group of designers artists and craftspeople, whose members live and work in Sussex and the surrounding area. The various artists' and designers' work for sale includes pottery, jewellery, furniture and art. It ranges in price and style, from homey crockery painted with cartoon-y chickens, to elegantly painted silk clothing, to wooden furniture for upwards of two grand a piece. The guild also runs classes, such as how to make fused glass jewellery, or turn wooden bowls, or do quilting. To inquire about courses you can telephone or visit the shop.

This shop/gallery is inside the grange next to the tearooms. There are lots of beautiful arts and…read morecrafts in there. With everything from embroidered cards and pictures, to hats, bags, clothes, gorgeous jewellery, glasswork, workwork (the wooden bowls are amazing, but you do pay for their beauty!), paintings, furniture. A lot of it is a bit out of my price range i have to admit, but its very inspiring to look round and see what people have crafted out of various materials. Its the sort of place that leaves you wanting to go home and make something!

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.

Brighton Sewing Centre is situated on an out-of-the-way backwater of the North Lanes, just up from…read morethe bustle of Gardner Street. It stocks a wide variety of buttons, fastenings and other assorted haberdashery, and its prices are more reasonable than the chain sewing shops, although not quite as good as the rock-bottom Fabricland. It does have a wider selection however, and some of the buttons are designed locally. The real strength of the shop lies in the larger purchases of sewing machines. The left hand wall is entirely given over to sewing, overlocking and quilting machines, from the intermediate to high-end budget. The staff are happy to demonstrate and let you try out machines, and for a relatively large purchase, it's reassuring not to be pressured to buy anything there and then, but instead to be encouraged to try everything within your budget to get an idea of the range available, and then to be given the opportunity to go away and think about it. The shop also runs sewing classes in the place across the road, from beginner to advanced. There is an introduction to quilting, and a class where you can bring your own machine to get acquainted with it. All in all, this is a friendly, well run shop with a useful and reasonably priced selection.

I come here every now and again to buy embroidery thread to make friendship bracelets -- don't…read morelaugh or I won't make you one. I find the prices reasonable, the staff very friendly, and for the most part they have what I'm looking for though on occasion their color selection can be a bit limited (not much in the way of grays). They also have sewing machines, ribbons, fabric, and pretty much everything else you might imagine a sewing centre to have. If that's your hobby, I can't think of a better place to go in Brighton than here! The only caveat is limited hours (I think they might close as early as 5 pm?) so you're better off going during your lunch than after work... or of course waiting for the weekend.

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.

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.