Many who know me in much tighter arty paper mache related social circles (look around my blog to fill in the obvious gaps here those who are newbie visitors to my blog) know i only go art supply shopping once a lunar month (every 4 weeks). Normally on a Tuesday at that. Since travelling great distances is uncomfortable thanks to my culmination of dissabilities that have me wheelchair bound for any walking distance over 5 yards, i then prefer to obtain my required art supplies from as 'local sources' as possible. Now because the art supplies i require on any normal art supply run can only be found in certain shops (stores) thanks to a distinct lack of specialised 'art only' shops & wheelchair accessable shops (stores) at that i have to go from one end of our main shopping area (a long street essentially with some hills, twists & turns to it) to a 'limited' number of known places were i can find my art needs.
By the time i get 'up the street' alone as we call it i am already in a great deal of pain & therefore unable to do much more than visit 'known' generalised shops (stores) for my art needs & they only carry a fraction here & there of what i actually need at any given time. So saying i am never in any condition to go trooping around looking for any 'new' art supply sources at the best of times. This particular months art supply run however was delayed by one day. On the day i would normally be out my youngest daughter who is about to turn 16 years old next week (& who i am making the custom dolphin money bank for too) ventured out on public transport for the first time on her own. It turns out as a stroke of luck she decided to have a look around the 'other' local shops (do i have to keep adding the word stores now?) that are situated in a section of street i don't have time to or am in too much pain to venture over to for a look on my own.
On her little day out my daughter came across this little 'gem' of a find.
It turns out it was not far from where we'd be dropped off by taxi, only a two minute walk in the wrong direction. So we went for a quick look. The store front immediately looked hopeful & retained an exsisting wheelchair accessable like concrete ramp which was a bonus from the off. So a quick look in the window I gladly ventured inside. You always know you are in the right place when the shop owners or staff make an effort to hold the door for you. You would be supprised how many will watch me & B (Barbara my wife) struggle through a door with my wheelchair.
The instant i entered the store it was clear this is a 'multipurpose card' & or 'gift creation/enhancement' related art shop, BUT!, as many long time paper mache artists WILL know more than half the tools & or materials used in gift cards or gift wrapping enhancement supplies CAN be used perfectly as well in paper mache construction too. Indeed as i moved further into the small shop i soon saw there were indeed a nice mix of 'other' art related supplies too not just card or gift creation supplies. A small selection of paints water colour & acrylic, specialised paint brushes with assorted refined shaped tips which i quickly grabbed two smaller packets of. Some selections of blank papers, etching foils & more. Craft knives singular or in medium & large sets. Again i grabbed a single craft knife & one of the smaller sets. I figured 4 years of using a more bulky Stanly multipurpose craft knives was enough. I could NOW get new specialised craft knives & blades right here & at a great low price too.
Now as i say the shop IS small on the interior, how ever as far as i know it's only been open around 3 short months. I spent a good 30 minutes looking around & was immediately VERY impressed at what i saw. Although the amounts of each item did appear to be currently limited what i found there around 30% of which fit MY paper mache 'tools & material' requirements. Now as i say the shop to my knowledge has ONLY been open a few short months. Most people starting a NEW business such as this aren't going to want to clutter up the shop with countless items that aren't going to sell. Any owner to a NEW business IS going to want to 'get a feel' for whats wanted. Saying that how ever this owner HAS the right idea of just what supplies to start stocking up with.
From what i currently saw in the shop i have the feeling i could expect to find a LOT more items i CAN use for my paper mache art in the near future. Space may not be a premium, but a wise head for just what potential artistic customers may require IS high on the ajenda here for sure I have the feeling this IS going to be one 'hot' little shop & i KNOW already that it IS going to be the 'first' port of call 'every' art run from now on.
The art supply shop is run by the most friendly & delightful person you could ever want to meet even briefly in my/this case: Susan Nicholsen. Susan informed me she was in the midst of preparing a website too: http://www.crazycraftersonline.co.uk/. Susan can be reached for further details which i haven't & was unable to provide here: crazy.crafters@hotmail.co.uk. The website currently doesn't have much to show but from what i saw at the actual shop it promises to be a great little place to frequent in store & online too. I know i will.
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