scrapbook supplier in central London?

[sprout]

I'm a newcomer to scrapbooking, but am hooked already. I don't live in the UK, so mostly order stash on-line. I'll be in central London on Monday and would love to go somewhere to browse (and probably spend too much :o ), but haven't a clue where to go. Any recommendations? Anywhere within the Circle Line would be fine.

[UCM]

Cowling & Wilcox, Broadwick Street. Its an Artists store in Soho, but they have lots of papers, embellishments and bits & bobs. It's not hobbycraft but it's the only one I have found in the West End to visit whilst at work and need a crafting fix. They do big bits of card and have their own guillotine which you can cut to whatever size you want. Nearest Tube Oxford Circus or Piccadilly Circus. I do go in there tons and they seem to be getting more & more stuff in.

[UCM]

Oh and they do massive bits of mulberry textured paper for 1.5o check out the stand on the right as you walk in the door.

[UCM]

Oh and the John Lewis store by Oxford Circus tube has a good art & craft dept. Lots of kits, cutters embellishments etc. It's by haberdashery on the ground floor which has tons of fibres/flowers etc as well. God you can tell I am obsessed. I have searched for a decent shop in central London and those are the only two I've found, the rest are all outside of the circle line & I haven't visited.

[kiwibella]

I've popped in to that John Lewis a couple of times and adore their haberdashery department. I don't think it has regular stock though - when I've gone back it's different. I dunno. Will have to look for the one in Soho. Thanks for the tip, UCM.

[UCM]

Have you been in there recently Kiwi, their arts & crafts dept. has grown in leaps & bounds

[kiwibella]

John Lewis?? Maybe a month or so ago. It might be time for another look :) I was really impressed with John Lewis at Bluewater... bought Little MissE lots of crafty b&ps for her birthday.

[UCM]

Oh right, you have been in there more recently than me, I went to the Oxford St one about 2.5 months ago.

[sprout]

Haven't managed to go on-line since Friday - and now there are tons of replies! Thanks UCM and kiwibella your tips. Now all I need tomorrow is some self-restraint... :o

[champs]

there's a shop called blade rubber, stamps and stuff but scrap stash downstairs, not been there before but was reccomended to me. I'll look for addy for ya....

[champs]

ok, here's addy!!:
12 Bury Place (near the British Museum)
Bloomsbury
London WC1A 2JL
Tel: 020 7831 4123
Fax: 020 7831 4242


\link{http://www.bladerubberstamps.co.uk\website}

[kiwibella]

that rings a bell for me too, Champs. I might have been told about it but I haven't been there. UCM, I usually have some time to kill on a Saturday while my dd is at a club on Haymarket!

[champs]

kiwibella:)

ucm, JL has lovely beads and ribbons

[UCM]

They must be new, I have never heard of them [prumphhhhhhhhhh] . I went to the shop in southampton row recently to look at papers and it was an old fashioned bookbinders, I did, how ever buy some sb posts very very cheaply, but the papers were like 20.00 per A1

[sprout]

Hi, just to report back: had a great time in JL (haberdashery department is now on 4th floor, and is HUGE) and then in Cowling & Wilcox. Didn't make it to your recommendation, champs, but it's on my list for next time.

[UCM]

Hi, what do you make of C&W?? I keep nagging the staff to get more craft stuff in.

[sprout]

C&W was good for basic stuff I needed like adhesives, lots of pens and stamp pads (heavy to post). Not so good if you're looking for cardstock or printed papers to drool over, but then I knew they weren't a scrapbooking specialist. But keep encouraging them to expand their stock, and I'll check them out again next time I'm in London.

[champs]

glad you liked your stash shopping, sprout

lol@ ucm's prumphhhhhhhhhh