Every time I have shopped at this location, I have always been warmly greeted by friendly staff…read more If you need assistance with anything, they are there for you. This location isn't as big as Granville Island, but I can always find what I need here. Prices are competitive, but don't expect them to be cheap. They sell higher quality items then your local craft store. That being said, I don't feel that they are overly expensive for what you are getting. They have a good selection of Alcohol Inks and Mica pigment powder. The powder lasts forever, as you only need a small amount. Cashing out is also easy and staff is genuinely really nice and laid back. ( Try to remember your own reusable bag as they only have paper ones ) They also have a good return policy - but as always save your receipt for best results !

Overall I find Opus a bit over priced, as I can find a lot of the products other places for less…read more However, it's still a great store. Where else can you find all these amazing art supplies under one roof? Nowhere I know of. Plus, the staff are awesome. So helpful, and always letting you test out items before you buy. Looking forward to my next visit here!

First point, the customer service from and staff and ownership is second to none. Theresa and her…read moreshopkeeps are warm, friendly, knowledgeable and helpful. Secondly, the store is thoroughly stocked with floor to ceiling materials for most any project you could conceive. World renowned artists frequent and are continual attracted to shop here for a reason! Thirdly, Rath also offers local feature window displays, quality handmade items and supports independent artists year round. They have created a beautiful community footprint! And if you don't care about any of that? Just go get your paint and be very happy with your purchase and experience!

Best art store in the city! Don't judge a book by it's cover: This place may be tiny but it has all…read moreyour artsy needs covered! The selection is smaller than Opus or DeSerres, but everything they carry is very high quality, even the things priced on the lower end, and they have some specialty items i've never seen at those other larger stores! I popped in yesterday to grab a new tube of white paint and noticed cans of specialty enamel paint for hand-lettering signs... Coincidentally I have an outdoor sign for a store just waiting to be painted, and after the owner told me the benefits of using that paint rather than plain jane acrylic i was sold! I'm so happy that i can provide one of my clients with better quality work thanks to the advice I got at Rath! Basically one of my favorite things about the place is the staff! If i have a question about anything, i'm always way more confident asking the super friendly, very knowledgeable owner about something than i am any of hired guns at Opus and DeSerres. The only thing: Don't come in here if you're looking for scrap booking supplies, tubes of glitter, jewelery making kits (etc etc!). Rath sells art supplies, plain and simple, so if your creativity falls into the crafting end of the spectrum you're best off going to DeSerres. If you aren't sure if they carry what you're looking for, just give them a call!

When I entered the Family Art Gallery, I happened upon two people in the process of framing a…read moremassive piece done in traditional Asian style, with tigers adorning the paper. It must have been at least fifteen feet long and clearly required the assistance of two people. After telling the proprietor, Ben Lau, that unfortunately, I had no need for any frames, he continued his monumental task and I continued to peruse the small store for some very interesting pieces done with paint, ink and embroidery. I was not in the shopping mood, but if you should need some exotic, cheap art work, have a gander in this store, there are some lovely pieces for under twenty dollars. Art always spruces up any space! If you should need supplies to make your own art, Family Art also sells those. Acrylic and oil paints, along with brushes as well as traditional Chinese brushes are all available at affordable prices.

I recently went into Chinatown in search of a blank scroll on which I was planning to have a friend…read moredo some calligraphy for me. I went to every place on the strip none of which had blank scrolls in the size I wanted, if they had them at all. That being said, each place had some reason why I wouldn't find exactly what I wanted at any other store and should just buy what they had even though it wasn't exactly what I wanted. It was misleading to say the least. The last store I ventured into was Family Art Gallery. Compared to some of the other stores, it didn't have as much variety, but the artwork itself was just as nice and it was much more affordably priced. Great for picking up lovely Asian art without breaking the bank. You can also have them do custom art and framing if you have something specific in mind. The art supplies they offered (yes, they had the exact scroll i wanted) were also more affordable than what I had seen at other stores. The scroll was less than half the price that i was offered at one other place. The store was being serviced by the owners it seemed and they did a great job of helping me find what I wanted without being overly pushy or tentative like I had seen at some of the other shops. Well worth a visit!

The best service! So many amazing finds! Are you looking for craft supplies? Trinkets? Craft…read moresupplies you weren't looking for? It's all here and it's all so well priced. One visit isn't enough, there's always new products!

These guys are great and have lots of quirky unusual art supplies that are great for anyone with…read moresome creativity or does mixed medium art. One side of the store has a variery of items where you can fīll up a paper bag starting at $8 and change and the items are always changing. You can find things like ink stamps, feathers, beads, jewelery findings, marbles, gold leaf, various papers and boxes, stickers, Sew on patches, vintage pictures amd magazines, fabrics, paints and brushes, and much more. Friendly staff, great store, I love this place!

I heard about Kroma from my Emily Carr friend who suggested it as a local, more economical, and…read moreas-good-or-better alternative to the artist-favourite Golden products. I have to say I am extremely happy I made my first artist-quality paint investment here for those three reasons, and for the small-vendor service I get when I have questions. After consulting with the sole staff member on my first visit I picked up the 15-colour starter set for $60 plus a couple more tubes in larger sizes. Now every time I'm on Granville Island I just love spending a few minutes here where I'm sure to treat myself to a new colour; at $4-7 for a new 60ml tube it's good retail satisfaction value. The reduced selection compared to major acrylic brands is actually a relief to me; I am not bombarded by choice, and I can actually reach a point where there isn't more to collect (a good thing for me). I was very happy to recently see the always-fun Raw Canvas (http://www.yelp.ca/biz/raw-canvas-vancouver) using all Kroma paints...

I *highly* recommend Kroma Artist Acrylics to all artists, professional and amateur alike. These…read morepaints are high quality, very affordable, and Canadian made. I prefer them over all other costly and well known brands. When speaking to their customer service department I was treated professionally and kindly. The time between speaking to their representative (Jessica) on the phone to order my paints to having them delivered to my door - safely packaged- was a mere two days. I live in Alberta. For those who are wary, try out a few of their tubes and reserve judgment until after you have done so. I know you'll be happy with these paints.

Go here! You'll find something within your budget…read more Calming store, stocked with curated selection of Japanese art and cute products all around. On the lower floor there's a collection of clothing, which I admired but ultimately ignored. Friendly service. Credit accepted. If you bring in a beverage, leave it by the door (there's a little table for you).

The most uncomfortable experience ever. I never get irked or upset but the store employees followed…read moremy boyfriend & I around and made it very obvious....followed us around as if they expected us to steal. They did not hide their disgust that we were in their store. Very uncomfortable. If you're a person of color (Hispanic, Latino, black,etc.) save yourself the anger & frustration of this pathetic excuse of a clothing shop.

I had a very disappointing experience at the Opus store on Granville Island. The two young women…read moreworking at the front desk on Friday, May 15th, showed a noticeable lack of customer care, professionalism, and consideration. Their attitude came across as dismissive and self-involved, making the interaction feel unwelcoming and frustrating. Basic courtesy and attentiveness were clearly lacking, which reflected poorly on the store's customer service standards.

Wow. The customer service here is outstanding. I came in looking for a few specific items. I ended…read moreup speaking to 3 separate sales people, cuz I kept forgetting to ask about certain things. Each one of them was so nice and helpful! Plus a great selection of art supplies. Highly recommended!

A little store packed with a lot of stuff. They sell harajuku fashion imported from Japan, vintage…read moreJapanese ski suits, and lots of other creative pieces from clothing and accessories. Blim is also a silkscreening studio and they run workshops for artists in the community to learn about various techniques and crafts. Local artists also sell their clothing and accessories here, so Blim has a no photos policy. The people who work there are happy to explain this as well and are very enthusiastic about their space.

I was hoping to help a local business by buying from them. I ordered supplies for a button project…read moremy high school class was doing and selected one day delivery as we were running out of what we had. The order was 1 week late and Ziggy, who replied to me about the lateness said it was a source issue, which was fine. After a week, it was too late and I was going to cancel the order. They told me that the mistake was made with one day shipping because they didn't know how to change the shipping options and that they didn't actually have that option. To keep my order, they said they would refund me the shipping. They dropped off the supplies one week later than they said it would be delivered and then told me they would not issue a refund on delivery as they had to deliver it themselves and it cost more for gas. When I told them they lost me as a customer, they texted back that they "Loved" that they lost me. I want to support small business, but I don't want to give my money to rude businesses who promise they will do something and do not and in the end make excuses for their inability to do what their business is supposedly set up to do.

Shopping in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada…read more.. My niece was looking for a magnet for her refrigerator... as a souvenir from our weekend in Vancouver. Chinese Zodiac Gifts and Souvenirs was the perfect shop! There were all kinds of merchandise! Besides magnets, there were shirts, bags, hats, plushies, and more! The nice woman at the cash register was very pleasant and talked about her real live cat on the counter! Haha! This white cat is not for sale... LOL! My niece and I ended up with one magnets each... thank you!

Horrible customer service. Lady will rip you off and tell you all kinds of different prices when…read moreshe feels like it. And if you don't buy, then she will get mad at you.

I am fortunate to have a mother who is incredibly talented at needlework. Over the years, she has…read morespent countless hours recreating masterpieces by Klimt and Vermeer. For a long time, we struggled to find a framer who matched her level of dedication. We used to visit neighborhood craft stores where we'd pay a premium for subpar work, all while feeling immense stress leaving behind a piece she had labored over for a year. Finding Kent and Karla was a total game-changer. My parents, who split their time in Canada, have now trusted them with our family's entire collection for years. Kent has an extraordinary eye for detail. He doesn't just pick a frame that "matches"; he selects materials that perfectly complement the texture and tone of the tapestry. His stretching technique is flawless--the work is taut, vibrant, and truly comes to life. Her most recent piece, Vermeer's The Milkmaid, was framed so beautifully that it looks eerily like the original I saw at the Rijksmuseum. If you have high-value or sentimental art that requires a master's touch, look no further.

Used yelp to see if there were any great framing shops I may not have known about, and KENT jumped…read moreto the top of the list and is but a short drive away. I took my ukiyo-e print to them, and they couldn't have been nicer or more helpful. It began well: I said "this is special, so I'd like to use the museum quality good stuff" and they said "that's all we ever use," so I knew I was in good hands. The finished product looked terrific (I'd post a pic, but it's under wraps until Christmas) and was, given how busy they are, relatively swiftly done, in about two/three weeks.