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!

This is my new favorite store in Vancouver. I know, I know,…read moreit's not a new store. It's been around a long time. But it's new to me - and I FREAKIN' LOVE IT. I was wandering around Gastown the other day - I'm not often in the area, - and I stumbled upon this fabulous gift and card shop. It's small but wow, it packs a punch. I'm a sucker for stationery stores. I love greeting cards - the wittier, the more twisted, the better. I love funky household gift items (mostly for myself, truth be known!). I love fun tchotchkes that I can collect through the year and then put in my adult kids' Christmas stockings or give to them, out of the blue, to cheer them up. I love fun socks, clever games, colorful jigsaw puzzles, gorgeous wrapping papers and gift bags, Vancouver ornaments and Prosser art canvases. In other words, I love everything this store sells. They have a box that says "FREE" on it and it contains various items - all free. I got a small structured mylar-esque lunchbox that zippers up and has cute graphics of bike riders all over it. Totally new, with tags! I put all my purchases in it and carried it home, planning to give it to a friend who's a big bike enthusiast. SO nice. Another bonus is how incredibly nice the folks are who work here. As soon as I entered this place, I could see it was my kind of store, so I told the guy behind the counter that I love this store and I am going to be here a while (lol). He and I laughed and chatted and I browsed the store for a long, long time, getting a bunch of fun things along the way, chuckling at the funny (and some risqué) cards, admiring all the framing work they do (oh yeah, I should mention that they're essentially a framing shop!), and just loving everything about this fun shop.

What a great shop to find funny/unique cards and small gift items. The staff are wonderful and…read morekindly provided me with a Blue Jays balloon for my son. I come here for all of my birthday and other greeting cards.

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!

Fine art printing and framing powerhouse... they are one of the last places in Vancouver that makes…read morehigh quality fine art and canvas prints in house. All the staff are super friendly and they have a huge binder containing all of the different papers they supply including different kinds of Hahnemuhle and even Arches aquarelle. They put a lot of effort into making sure the print's colours are as close to the original as possible and that is something super important for me. Capture service for non digital art is fantastic and every step of the way was professional. Other options include mounting a print on an aluminum panel or sandwiched with a piece of acrylic which look beautifully modern. The entrance is the red door on the corner - you have to buzz the doorbell to be let in. Lots of street parking and super close to Granville Island if you do need to buy art supplies. Highly recommend for anyone who is interested in reproducing their art!

From the owner: Opus Printspace provides high quality fine art printing services on a wide variety of fine art…read moresurfaces, as well as card printing and custom framing services. Consultation services to help new and established artists grow their business and support with all aspects of their creative journey

My spouse and I wanted to join an art and craft workshop together and came across Soigne. There are…read more30+ workshops available on their website and we decided to join the coin ring workshop. It's $80 plus tax for two. Reasonably priced for a two-hour workshop with a legit product to bring home. We booked the class two days ahead and the original 4pm time slot was full already. Our instructor, Kacy, opened a new slot at 1:30pm as many people wanted to sign up. We were able to join the 1:30pm class but it filled up quickly. The class was full (12 people I think). So, remember to reserve your spot earlier if you want to join the workshop on a very specific day. Kacy is responsive and helpful when we booked the class. The studio located at the sketchier side of town. Inside the studio, it is safe, clean and artsy. The workshop was fun. It involves some "hot work". I like that Kacy put a lot of emphasis on safety. She taught us each step very clearly and made sure we knew what we were doing. Each work station was set up neatly without any unnecessary items. I am very happy with the learning process and our end products. I would love to join more workshops by Soigne!

This was of one of kind experience. We went there to make a ring from a coin…read more Just beware to bring a variety of coins, because not all coins are made equally and the owner has an app to know what's it is made out of it. I meant to put in a review, but I forgot. So first off, the area can seem little sketchy, I parked my car there, it was fine. It was a little hard to find, but I called the owner and she met me outside the gates. The owner was very helpful with the entire process and provided instructions all the way through. You start from beginning, where you heat, shape, clean and polish. I got a Thai coin with my birth year for my wife to make, because I am Thai. Then I got a Filipino coin with my wife's birth year for me to make. As a backup I got some US quarters with our birth years just in case. Which came out handy because during the ring making process the wife messed up. Communication was great, she answered all of my questions and payment was done over PayPal. Overall, I would come here again, well worth price for the experience!

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.

The newly opened Art of Compassion Gallery is housed in a historical and visually beautiful space…read morethat owner Michael Bailey was fortunate enough to not have to change, save for adding his stunning art to the walls. The Art of Compassion Gallery is a showcase for authentic Tibetan Buddhist art. These gorgeous, exotic pieces range from Buddhas and Mandalas, to Instructional Thangkas and Wrathful Deities. Some of the art is framed and some not, something that Mr. Bailey wishes to change soon, as the framed art definitely has an added visual appeal. Mr.Bailey introduced himself upon my entry into the small but lovely space and offered warm tea which I gratefully accepted. While the art is something that I would absolutely have in my home, the prices are a bit out of my range just now. The gallery also serves as an event space for musical and spoken word events amongst others. Should you be interested in the art or the space available, I am sure the very congenial Mr.Bailey would be more than pleased to sort something out for you!

I have been a student of Tibetian Buddhism for many years. Upon entering the Art of Compassion…read moreGallery, I was far more interested in the person who would own such a Gallery than the artwork on the walls. (Spectacular falls far short in trying to describe Tibetian Art.) Michael meet all of my expectationsand much more. When I left the Gallery, I left with something far more valuable than a mere painting. Have you ever met someone, and within the space of an hour, knew that you had just made a lifelong friend? I did. By all means, drop in for the art, and allow yourself the pleasure of meeting Micheal.