Shopping time!

Where do you get your craft supplies? If you're like me, you probably have your favorite haunts.

For starters, I always drop by National Bookstore for my basic crafting needs. You know -- all sorts of glue and tape, scissors and craft knives, cutting mats, rulers and compasses, pens and pencils, crayons, paints and mediums, brushes, specialty boards and papers, laminating films, fasteners and staplers and eyelets, craft punchers, giftwrapper, ribbon, styrofoam boards and balls -- you get the idea.

NBS also carries a line of supplies from All About Scrapbooking, and this includes scrapbooks, fancy eyelets and brads, tiny wooden clothespins, leather thongs (it's not what you think!), leaf skeletons, fuzzy wires, foam accents, tiny picture frames, metal charms, beads, acid-free paper, and stickers.

Another line of supplies is that for quilling (sorry, I missed the brand and distributor, but I'll back to you on that), and this includes packs of paper strips, quilling tools, sticky dots, and kits.

And don't forget the books! Judging by the number of titles available, the most popular craft books seem to be on cross stitch, origami, candlemaking, and beadwork. But there are books on papermaking and other paper crafts, bookbinding, framing, quilting, crochet, needlepoint, stuffed toy making, flower arrangement, glass and ceramic painting, mosaics, and woodworking. For books on drawing, painting, and calligraphy, head on to the Art section.

Another favorite haunt of mine is Craftworld, located at the basement of Robinson's Galleria in Ortigas Center. This place is similar to Ben Frank's in Singapore and is kind of upscale, because a lot of the stuff here is imported. This is the place to get the tools and supplies for parchment craft (I got my parchment tools here, one piece at a time because they're expensive), embossing, rubber stamping, gilding (they have tacky glue and foil sheets and imported metallic leaf!), candlemaking, lamp-making, rubber stamping, decoupage, all kinds of paint (for glass, tiles, stickers, fabric, etc.), polymer clay, plus the usual cross stitch stuff. There's more, believe me, but I haven't been there for a while, so I'm not sure what's new.

Craftworld also carries patterns, kits, and craft books, but some of the books are sold in National Bookstore at a considerably lower price so be sure to check the bookstores first. Oh, this shop also offers craft classes, but I think this is by appointment. Will drop by one of these days and keep you posted.

Those of you who are into beadwork and sewing will like Carolina's. This is a shop in Glorietta (there's also a branch in SM Megamall) that sells a whole assortment of fabric, ribbon, trimmings, appliques, buttons, buckles, charms, beads, jewelry findings, wire, cord, threads, fasteners, silk flowers, feather boas, tiaras, swarovski crystals, chinese knotwork -- anything and everything that has to do with sewing. It's no wonder the store is always full of customers -- this is the place where fashion designers and dressmakers go. Do bring along some patience when you go shopping here, or go on a really slow day (which is rare!).

Also in Glorietta is the Paper Tole Shop. As the name implies, they sell a wide selection of designs for Paper Tole, and they have very good Victorian prints. They also sell Japanese Washi paper at P250/sheet (drool!), origami paper, and some parchment kits. Like Craftworld, they offer classes too, and these are by appointment.

Seasoned crafters will tell you that Divisoria is the place to go, and they're probably right. The truth is, I've been to Divisoria only once, and that was quite recently too, but given the chance I would go back there as often as I could. (Blame it on all those horror stories I've heard about Divisoria when I was a kid -- snatchers, pickpockets, crowds. But I digress.) My destination: Tabora St.

If I'm not mistaken, Tabora's the place where they make and sell favors and souvenirs for weddings, debuts, christenings, and birthdays. So you've got stalls selling craft boxes, wooden dowels for scrolls, miles and miles of ribbon and twine, delicate stocking butterflies and birds, colored sand (it's actually sugar, a friend tells me), odd-shaped bottles, native accessories (think buri, sinamay, wood shavings, and the like), tiny plaster and resin figurines, and more. Whew! If that's not enough to make you drool, then you're no crafter at all. Prices are more affordable too than if you buy the stuff in the mall, plus you can haggle with the vendors, especially for bulk orders.

Whoa. Thinking of all those places made me want to go visit them again and see what treasures I could come home with. Hmm, maybe I will make a quick dash for some new supplies tomorrow... Anyhow, if you know of any other great places to shop for craft supplies, do drop me a line. Happy Crafting!